"Uncle Hiashi, we're heading out for a bit."
Naruto led Hinata through the living room and spoke to Hiashi, who was still drinking tea.
Hiashi nodded at the sight, his expression barely changing.
"Go ahead."
Naruto nodded and walked out of the house with Hinata.
"Come to think of it, Hinata, you haven't been outside today yet, have you?"
"Mm-hmm. I've been waiting for you at home all day."
Hinata nodded, and as they left the courtyard of the Clan Leader's Residence, the scenery of the Hyuga Clan grounds came into view.
There were many more trees around, and flowers bloomed all along the paths.
"Huh? These are..."
Hinata looked at the flowers around her, surprise flashing in her eyes.
"Hehe, don't get impatient. There's something even prettier coming."
The corners of Naruto's mouth lifted, and he held Hinata's hand as they walked toward a clearing within the Hyuga Clan grounds.
It was a fairly large clearing, once monopolized by those old elders of the Main Family, but now it stood vacant.
A huge tree stood in the center of the clearing, but it had no leaves and looked forlorn, forming a peculiar contrast with the flowers outside the clearing.
Hinata said nothing, only watching Naruto quietly.
She had already guessed that something would happen today, but she had not tried to find out what.
Naruto brought her beneath the tree.
He gently pressed his hand against its trunk, sending fluorescent green chakra into the tree.
As Hinata watched the scene before her, a little anticipation stirred within her.
Suddenly, her bangs stirred slightly as a breeze blew in from somewhere.
Wind? Was there wind inside the clan grounds?
The question arose in Hinata's mind, and rather than weakening, the breeze slowly grew stronger.
As Naruto fed chakra into it,