"Big sis, are you secretly watching Naruto again?"
The speaker was little Hanabi, still very young, with an adorable, round face.
She tugged at her older sister Little Hinata's clothes with her little hand, silently mouthing the words as her clear white eyes blinked mischievously.
Following her gaze, the slightly older Little Hinata stood behind a large tree, looking flustered as she secretly watched the blond boy in the training ground, sweating through his Taijutsu practice.
Afternoon sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light and shadow over him. Every punch and kick carried a focus and strength far beyond his years.
"Didn't he say we could train with him?"
Caught in the act by her little sister, Little Hinata's face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple, and even her ears flushed pink.
She waved her hands frantically, trying to explain, but shyness and nerves kept her from forming a complete sentence. "N-no... I was just... passing by..."
"Heehee, lying is wrong, big sis!"
Little Hanabi wasn't so easily fooled. She smiled with pursed lips and grabbed her sister's hand without waiting for an answer. "Come on, big sis! Just watching is boring. Let's go train with him!"
"Wait, Hanabi!"
Little Hinata cried out, but whether she couldn't resist her sister or wanted to go herself, she let Little Hanabi tug and drag her out from behind the tree toward Naruto, who was practicing in the training ground.
"Big brother, we're here to train with you!"
Little Hanabi's voice arrived before she did, her clear, childish call ringing especially loudly across the empty training ground.
With light steps, she pulled her crimson-faced sister, who wished she could find a hole to hide in, up behind little Naruto. He had just finished a set of kicks and stood with