"What a beautiful voice."
Hinata listened to the songstress humming and smiled as she watched a red-haired girl beside her, who looked about her own age, singing along.
They must be mother and daughter. They look so alike.
Then she turned back toward Naruto and settled down to listen and enjoy the music.
Naruto clearly had no ear for music, however. He stared straight at the dazzling assortment of goods on the merchant's stall and exclaimed,
"Wow, you've got so much stuff here, mister!"
"Oh, you don't look like a local, young man. Everything here has an exotic flair. Pick whatever you like—the prices are fair!"
"Hinata, Hinata, do you like this?"
Something seemed to have caught Naruto's eye. He picked up a hairpin shaped like a shuriken, polished until it gleamed, and held it up beside Hinata's head with a smile. "This would look great on you!"
"W-would it?"
Hinata didn't really mind Naruto's taste and was still delighted, but she glanced at the hairpin and said hesitantly, "Naruto-kun, this looks pretty expensive. You don't have to..."
"Oh, young ninja, you've got a good eye for gifts for your girlfriend!"
The merchant's eyes lit up, and he immediately launched into his sales pitch, one polished line after another.
"What's a little money when it's for your girlfriend?"
"If your hard-earned money can buy her a smile, that's the best thing you could spend it on."
"It's not expensive at all. If you can't afford it, maybe you should ask yourself whether you're earning enough."
But Naruto refused to back down and haggled furiously.
Even Hinata's repeated calls of "Naruto-kun, you don't have to" did no good. Clearly, Naruto was no longer arguing over the price, but the principle...
"Hm? 'Naruto'?"
Hearing the name being called nearby, the red-haired songstress