"Oh, and these!"
Little Hanabi, only five at the time, sprang out from behind her older sister, holding a bouquet of white daisies in both hands.
"These are for you, Naruto!"
The little girl rose onto her tiptoes and said solemnly, "Thank you for teaching us new Taijutsu, Naruto!"
In her memory, Naruto froze for a moment before breaking into a smile warmer than sunshine.
He bent down and solemnly accepted the flowers.
"You're welcome!"
At that moment, his blue eyes brimmed with tenderness, as though he had received not an ordinary bouquet, but an incredibly precious gift.
As the memory ended, Hinata couldn't help smiling.
It turned out that even back then, her little sister had understood better than she did how to express her feelings to someone important.
Thinking of the bouquet of sunflowers she had given Naruto back then, Hinata unconsciously lowered her head, her fingertips gently twisting the hem of her clothes.
In the Land of Fire, sunflowers carried a special meaning: "The sun in my heart."
She had always treasured that meaning deep in her heart, never telling anyone. To her, Naruto-kun was that warm, radiant sun.
He had stood up for her when everyone else laughed at her. He had lit her path when she felt most lost and helpless.
His light had pierced the gloom that shrouded her heart.
But...
Hinata quietly raised her eyes toward Naruto, who was laughing and chatting with her little sister.
His smile made her heart tremble, and she hurriedly lowered her gaze again.
Yet whenever she met those blue eyes, she always looked away in a panic, as though afraid of their brilliant light.
It was the light she longed for most, yet she never had the courage to look straight at it.
Sunflowers always bloomed toward