Every girl had someone she liked in her heart, and every girl hoped that the person she would spend her life with would be the one she liked. Young girls just beginning to discover love, like Momokusa Harukawa, were no exception.
Ruri wolfed down the two glutinous rice balls Baicao Chengchuan had given him, then burped. Looking at Momokusa Harukawa, he said, "Harukawa, let's have a heart-to-heart! Or we could tell each other about our goals and dreams for the future!"
Momokusa Harukawa patted the spot beside her, signaling for Ruri to sit there. Then she looked up at the sky and said, "Sure, I'll go first!"
Ruri nodded, then sat down beside Momokusa Harukawa.
"I've had a dream ever since I was little! I want to become a ninja. Only by becoming a real ninja can I protect the people I want to protect! But I'm too weak right now! I don't even know whether I can become a real ninja!"
Ruri looked at Momokusa Harukawa and said with a smile, "Don't worry, you'll definitely become a ninja! You're not weak, either, and your talent for learning is much better than most people's! That really makes you stand out from the crowd!"
"Thank you, Ruri-kun. Now it's your turn. What's your dream?" Momokusa Harukawa turned to look at Ruri with a smile.
Ruri smiled and looked ahead, then said softly, "Me? My dream is to become the strongest ninja in Konoha! My parents have passed away, so I don't really have anything to protect! Oh, right! Uncle Hizashi and Mei Ling Hyuga have always taken such good care of me! Maybe they're the people I should protect!"
"In this era, strength alone proves everything! If we aren't strong enough, we could very well be killed by our enemies! So