Sunlight pierced through the lush foliage of the big green tree, casting dappled shadows on the Hyuga Clan’s courtyard.
Hinata sat there, her brows relaxed, calmly watching her younger sister, Hanabi. Her long black hair cascaded over her chest, her skin fair, and her small, delicate nose giving her an air of elegance.
Her eyes were beautiful, like translucent white glass.
"Sister, what are you thinking about?" Hanabi tilted her head and asked again, smiling at Hinata.
Faced with Hanabi’s question, Hinata slowly shook her head. She wouldn’t let anyone know her thoughts, because it was meaningless… utterly meaningless.
The girl’s gaze was clear, and her pale pupils reflected half of the courtyard.
"Nothing."
"Waiting for someone?" Hanabi thought for a moment and then asked.
In her mind, the image of a certain blond-haired boy instantly appeared. His eyelids always seemed half-closed, and when he looked at people, it was with a lazy glance, as if he were never fully awake.
He was wearing a loose white short-sleeved shirt and shorts, with slippers on his feet. His dazzling blond hair stood out in the crowd, and his thin face wasn’t particularly refined.
His features were pleasant to look at, but he definitely didn’t fall into the category of a handsome guy.
Hanabi had run into him a few times, and he always seemed to be staring at the top of her head, as if he wanted to reach out and pat it. In truth, Hanabi didn’t mind having her head patted. She often did the same to the stray cats in the clan’s compound.
Her father didn’t like cats, so she could only occasionally indulge her love for petting cats by finding strays in the clan’s territory. She really liked petting cats, so she could understand the urge to pet cute things when she saw them.
"Is it Brother Naruto?" Hanabi tilted her head and looked at her sister.
As she asked this question, Hanabi kept her eyes fixed on Hinata. Since she was a child, in her cognition, Hinata is the gentlest and most perfect person.
Everything was perfect except for the fact that she couldn't inherit the burden of the Hyuga Clan.
Later, it turned out that the burden of the Hyuga Clan didn’t necessarily have to fall on the shoulders of the main family’s daughter. And now, with the Caged Bird abolished, there was no longer a distinction between the main family and branch family.
In fact, Hanabi didn’t feel any particular attachment to the idea of being part of the main family.
Now that her cousin, Hyuga Neji, had become the Clan Head of the Hyuga Clan, she actually felt relieved.
Not every member of the main family wanted to hold onto the clan’s power. Hanabi knew she wasn’t particularly talented. So even if she became the Clan Head of the Hyuga Clan, she would undoubtedly find it a headache.
"You, stop guessing." Hinata glanced at her, "You've been asking questions non-stop since just now. Why do you want to know everything?"
"Then tell me first, are you waiting for someone?"
"Yes." Hinata nodded.
Hanabi was a little surprised at her sister's frankness. After all, if it were any other time, Hinata wouldn’t admit something so straightforwardly.
She didn't know why, but seeing Hinata like this, she was a little worried.
The summer heat was intense, and all the burning emotions seemed to be kneaded into the green leaves.
"Sister, has he really come back?" Hanabi asked tentatively, "He seems to be away from the village often. I haven't seen Brother Naruto for a long time."
"Yes, he just came back recently."
"Then why didn’t he come to see you right away? Could it be..." Hanabi frowned, seeming a bit displeased.
"He’s so busy, of course he has things to do." Hinata smiled and defended Naruto, "He has contacted me, and said that Choji has something to discuss with him. He will come over once he’s done there."
"That fat... I mean, that brother from the Akimichi Clan?" Hanabi suddenly changed her words halfway through as she remembered that Choji hated it the most when people called him fat.
Even if it was just in front of her sister, she didn’t want to call him that.
"Yes."
Ding ling.
"Anyone here?"
The door had a wind chime that would jingle whenever a customer pushed it open. As the customer entered the shop, the heat from outside would also rush in.
In the middle of the day, it was unlikely that any customers would come to the flower shop. But it was not absolute.
The person who entered was a young man, who scratched his head as he looked around the empty shop.
Not far from him, beneath the counter, Ino and Naruto were face to face, their bodies almost pressed together. Ino blinked, and signaled that she needed to get up.
Naruto ignored her and the two of them were practically sinking into the floor. He smiled and to Ino’s surprise, he kissed her directly.
The rustling sound caught the attention of the customer standing in the shop. He glanced at the tightly enclosed corner where the counter was and walked over.
Under the counter, Ino, who was being kissed, was almost going crazy. Hearing the footsteps of the customer coming towards them, she instinctively struggled, her heart almost jumping out of her chest.
‘Are you crazy? There is someone outside!’
Faced with Ino’s frantic glare, Naruto didn’t care at all and kissed her in small bites, giving her a chance to breathe. Seeing her not daring to make a sound and her flushed face, he couldn't help but grin mischievously.
His warm breath brushed against her face, making Ino’s cheeks even redder. Her heart was pounding, and this nervousness and fear, mixed with the ambiguity, seemed to have a strange chemical reaction.
Even though they were taking a huge risk, she felt a sense of excitement. It was like a lingering tingling sensation that made her want to stop but also not want to stop.
The customer didn’t notice the two kissing under the counter. He simply placed his money on the high counter and took a bouquet of flowers.
Ding ling.
The footsteps of the guest faded away, and it was not until the sound of the door closing disappeared that Ino pushed Naruto away with all her might.
She then looked at him with some resentment, and said angrily, "It's all your fault! What if we get discovered?"
"We wouldn’t have been." Naruto said nonchalantly, sitting back in his original spot. What just happened was just an accident.
It was also because that person came at the wrong time. He and Ino were chatting, and when they looked at each other, their hearts suddenly felt numb. Just as they were about to kiss, that person suddenly came.
Naruto naturally wouldn’t let such a great opportunity slip away. He pulled Ino under the counter without hesitation, continuing to kiss her recklessly even as the customer approached.
"How did you know? What if we had been caught?" Ino touched her hot face, put her hands on her hips and said unhappily, "If word got out, I..."
Hearing this, Naruto didn't say anything. He just looked at her and chuckled.
"Still laughing?!" Ino pounced on him, and the two of them tussled playfully.