Hinata paused slightly, then lowered her head, as if thinking very seriously.
Sunlight fell across her pale purple hair, coating it in a soft halo. Her pure white eyes reflected the bluestone pavement beneath her feet.
Under the surprised gazes of Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura, she simply stood there in silence, fully absorbed in her thoughts.
The question sounded simple, yet she couldn't answer it right away. From the moment she could remember, her life had been filled with Father's arrangements.
As the Hyuga clan's young lady, she had to train, had to grow stronger, had to become a qualified heir. Those were things she had to do—not things she liked to do.
So what did she like?
Ino liked fashion and art—she liked dressing herself up. When she spoke about those things, her eyes sparkled with genuine joy and pride.
Sakura liked reading—history stories and ninjutsu theory. When she spoke about them, she practically radiated enthusiasm and satisfaction, the kind you get from learning something new.
And what about her?
Hinata tried to recall her daily life. Waking early to train taijutsu, practicing Gentle Fist, receiving Father's instruction… it took up almost all of her time. Even after obtaining that magical Life Simulator, her everyday life, broadly speaking, still looked much the same.
Did she like it?
She wasn't sure.
Did she hate it?
She wasn't sure about that either.
Training was hard, and Father's standards were high. She never seemed to meet his expectations. Frustration and self-doubt followed her like shadows.
But… she remembered the moments after training. When endless practice finally let her grasp a new technique; when she could feel she'd improved just a tiny bit compared to yesterday; when Father's rare praise finally arrived… That sense of achievement and fulfillment was just as real—and just as joyful.
"Hinata?"
Ino's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
Hinata looked up and met their gazes—curious, concerned.
"What's wrong? What were you thinking about?"
Hinata shook her head to show she was fine. "I… I think I probably like training."
"Training?" Ino tilted her head, puzzled. "You mean learning ninjutsu?"
"Mm." Hinata's voice was still soft and gentle. "Even though training is hard, and I run into a lot of difficulties… when I work hard and then feel even a little progress and reward, I really do feel happy."
She lifted her chin slightly, a faint curve blooming at the corner of her lips. "So… I think I probably like training. I like the feeling of working hard, and then gaining something."
Ino blinked and looked Hinata over carefully, as if she'd seen through something.
"Hinata… besides training, what do you do usually?" she suddenly asked.
Hinata froze. "What?"
"I mean…" Ino clarified, "do you go out and have fun with friends? Like shopping, eating, chatting—stuff like that."
"I spend most of my time training," Hinata said. "I don't go out much. Sometimes… I take walks with Kiyonari." Her voice grew even softer, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes.
The moment she finished, Ino's expression immediately turned sympathetic.
She stepped forward and grabbed Hinata's hand. "That won't do!"
"Huh?" Hinata jumped at the sudden move.
"How can a girl's life be nothing but ninjutsu and training?" Ino said righteously. "Training, training, training all day—how boring! Life has lots of beautiful things besides training!"
She turned to her friend. "Right, Sakura?"
Sakura nodded strongly. "Ino's right. Balance is important. Even if I'm reading books I really like, I still get tired."
"Exactly!" Ino nodded hard, then looked back at Hinata. "Hinata—how about today we take you out and have a proper day of fun?"
"Um… like that?"
"Don't hesitate again—you're just like Sakura." Ino tugged Hinata forward by the hand. "Come on! I'll show you all the fun places in Konoha!"
Hinata was dragged along, but she didn't refuse. Halfway through she glanced back at Kiyonari, her eyes asking silently.
Kiyonari nodded, telling her to go ahead.
Walking at the back, he watched the three girls' backs and couldn't help thinking Ino had shown up at exactly the right time.
She looked loud, nosy, and strong-willed… but in truth, she cared a lot about the people around her, and she was especially good at reading emotions.
She could spot Sakura's insecurity and its cause in an instant—and fix it with a red headband. She could tell at a glance that Hinata rarely relaxed—and immediately pull her out for shopping.
No wonder she was known in the original story as a caring big-sister type. That thoughtfulness and warmth really did leave an impression.
Sometimes, girls' problems really were best handled by girls.
Up ahead, Ino was enthusiastically introducing the shops along the street to Hinata.
"That place sells dango—their three-color dango is so good! That shop sells ninja tools, tons of variety! And over there—see that clothing store? Their main shop is in the capital; they always get new styles…"
Hinata listened seriously, nodding now and then. Sakura walked beside them, occasionally adding a comment or two.
"There's a accessories shop over here— their hairpins are gorgeous!" Ino pointed at a neatly decorated little shop on the right. "I bought a hairpin there last time that I loved—it was so pretty! Let's go in and look. You'll definitely like it!"
Hinata followed the direction of her finger. Through the display window, she could see all kinds of delicate accessories—and a white jade floral comb immediately caught her eye.
"You two go in," Kiyonari said. "I'll look around outside."
He had no interest in accessories shops, so he politely declined.
Standing at the entrance and looking around, his attention was suddenly caught by a building.
It was a large workshop-like structure about two stories high. Its outer walls were covered tightly with thick wooden boards and canvas—clearly undergoing major renovation.
Several workers were busy outside: some carrying materials, others mixing paint. From behind the canvas came constant sounds of hammering and sawing, along with workers talking, all blending together.
As Kiyonari observed the building, a middle-aged man hurried out from inside the fenced area.
He was sturdy, his skin darkened by the sun, but his features were unmistakably those of someone from the Land of Fire.
When he spotted Kiyonari, his eyes lit up and excitement burst across his face.
"Benefactor— we meet again!"
His voice was loud, and he greeted Kiyonari warmly as he strode over.
~~~
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