During the Spring Festival, there was a tradition where boys would give gifts to girls as a gesture of affection. However, Kazuki naturally didn't expect Hinata to buy this hairpin at such a time.
Besides, with how adorable and gentle Hinata was, who wouldn't want to pick out a pretty hairpin to complement her charm?
Kazuki picked up a delicate pink cherry blossom hairpin and, with a gentle touch, placed it near Hinata's ear.
"This really suits you," he remarked.
Hinata, with her naturally shy and soft demeanor, was as delicate and pure as cherry blossoms. With the hairpin now adorning her hair, she appeared even more endearing, radiating a quiet, innocent charm.
"Th-thank you, Kazuki-kun," Hinata whispered, her voice barely above a murmur, as faint as the rustling of leaves.
Her face turned as red as the petals of a cherry blossom in full bloom, her shyness evident.
At the Spring Festival, it was customary for boys to give gifts to girls, typically as a confession of feelings.
Hinata knew this well.
But… did Kazuki-kun know about the meaning behind it?
She couldn't help but wonder.
Wouldn't it be nice if he understood and gave her this gift intentionally?
Even so, just receiving something from him made her heart flutter with happiness.
"Kazuki-kun, what are you doing?" Hinata asked curiously, noticing the charcoal in his hand.
"Isn't it the Spring Festival today? I'm planning a picnic and barbecue by the river with my sister. If you're free, you can join us," Kazuki offered warmly.
Hinata's eyes lit up.
"Eh? Really? Can I join too?" she asked, excitement bubbling up inside her.
For a girl from a noble clan, who spent most of her days in quiet solitude, the thought of a picnic and barbecue was thrilling. It was the kind of carefree experience she had rarely enjoyed.
"Of course! The more, the merrier," Kazuki grinned. "And you've met my sister, Tenten, before. I think you'll get along great."
Hinata nodded.
"Yes! Tenten-san is really kind. I like her a lot."
Kazuki reached out and took Hinata's hand.
"Then let's go. We can pick up some supplies along the way."
"!!"
He's… holding my hand?!
Hinata's heart pounded violently.
A warmth spread from her fingertips, rushing through her entire body. Her thoughts became a jumbled mess, and her breathing hitched.
Kazuki-kun is holding my hand.
Kazuki-kun is holding my hand.
Kazuki-kun is holding my hand—!!
Meanwhile, Kazuki, oblivious to Hinata's turmoil, continued walking naturally.
In his mind, this was no different from how he interacted with Tenten—hand-holding, friendly hugs, forehead flicks, and even sparring.
Tenten, after all, was a bold and energetic girl with a love for martial arts. No wonder she idolized Tsunade.
So, Kazuki hadn't even considered that something as simple as holding hands could send Hinata into such a flustered state.
Just then—
"Hey! Stop that!"
A loud, youthful voice echoed from a distance.
"Stop bullying that girl!"
Kazuki blinked in confusion.
Bullying?
Wasn't it just him and Hinata here?
Frowning, he turned towards the source of the voice.
Charging towards them at full speed, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, was none other than—
"Naruto?"
The blonde boy skidded to a stop and stared wide-eyed at Kazuki.
"Huh? Big Brother Kazuki?!" Naruto's voice dropped immediately, his expression turning sheepish.
Kazuki raised an eyebrow.
"Naruto… were you yelling at me just now? About bullying?"
Naruto let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head.
"Uh, well… I didn't realize it was you, Big Brother Kazuki. I just saw someone holding a girl's hand, and I thought—uh—someone was bullying her. So, y'know, I was gonna jump in and save the day…"
Realizing his mistake, Naruto grinned awkwardly.
"If I had known it was you, I wouldn't have made such a dumb mistake…"
Kazuki sighed, shaking his head.
Meanwhile, Hinata, still in a daze, barely registered Naruto's interruption. Her mind was still repeating the same thought—
Kazuki-kun is holding my hand…
Kazuki smiled and asked,
"Then who do you think I'm bullying?"
Naruto pointed at Hinata and said, "It's this girl! I think she's about to faint, and you're still dragging her along."
Kazuki: "???"
He turned to look at Hinata again.
Sure enough, her face was flushed red, as if she had a fever. She looked extremely flustered.
Concerned, he asked, "Hinata, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell? Should I take you to the hospital?"
Hinata shook her head and whispered, "I… I'm fine, but Kazuki-kun suddenly held my hand, and I… I…"
Did I just fall in love with Kazuki-kun?!
Such a thought involuntarily surfaced in Hinata's mind.
It was this realization that made her even more embarrassed, her brain shutting down completely.
Back at the Academy, she often heard Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino talk about Sasuke.
But Hinata had never truly understood what "liking" someone felt like.
Sakura and Ino once said that when you like someone, your heart races, your face burns, and you can't take your eyes off them.
Isn't this exactly what's happening to me right now?
So… does this mean I like Kazuki-kun?
"Ah, sorry."
Hearing Hinata's words, Kazuki finally realized—
He had been holding her hand the entire time, making her feel self-conscious.
He chuckled inwardly.
Little Hinata is too cute. She makes people want to tease her.
Then he quickly shook off those thoughts.
No, no, I shouldn't mess with her like that.
Letting go of Hinata's hand, Kazuki turned to Naruto and asked, "I'm going to the river for a picnic and barbecue. Want to come along?"
"Barbecue? That means there's meat, right?!" Naruto's eyes lit up instantly.
For a kid who mostly survived on instant ramen, the chance to eat grilled meat was a dream come true.
"Big Brother Kazuki! Please take me with you!" Naruto cried dramatically, hugging Kazuki's leg.
"Pfft—"
Kazuki laughed, pried Naruto off, and said, "Let's go. I already bought the cooking utensils. Tenten is probably waiting for us by the river."
Naruto nodded excitedly, afraid Kazuki might change his mind.
Hinata also nodded, but she couldn't shake off the empty feeling in her palm.
She regretted telling Kazuki about holding hands…
That was a rare opportunity… I shouldn't have let go so soon…
Soon, Kazuki led Naruto and Hinata to the river.
As expected, Tenten was already there with the ingredients.
But standing beside her were a few unexpected faces.
Lee, of course, was there. He was basically Tenten's personal punching bag and Kazuki's self-proclaimed number-one fan.
Hearing about a picnic and barbecue, he was bound to show up.
What Kazuki didn't expect, however, was the presence of Hyuga Neji—the Academy's top prodigy, known for his cold, aloof attitude.
Tenten or Lee… are either of them close to him?
Behind Kazuki, Hinata suddenly stiffened. She hesitated before whispering, "B-Brother Neji?"
Neji glanced at her and said coldly, "Miss Hinata, I didn't expect you to attend something as casual as an outdoor barbecue. It hardly suits someone of your status."
Kazuki leaned toward Tenten and asked in a low voice, "Did you invite him?"
Tenten sighed, "Yeah… I ran into him in town, and he asked where you were. He said he wanted to challenge you."
"I got tired of him bothering me, so I brought him along. But in exchange, he paid for all the ingredients."
Kazuki twitched slightly.
Tenten… you little money-grubbing genius.
At such a young age, you already understand the art of squeezing money out of people. Impressive.
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
Hinata and Neji stood stiffly, avoiding each other's gaze.
Once, they were close cousins. But after Neji's father's death, things changed.
Neji, filled with resentment toward the Hyuga clan, blamed Hinata for his father's fate.
Hinata, on the other hand, felt guilty about what had happened.
Because of this guilt, she had secretly rooted for Kazuki when he fought Neji before.
But when Kazuki defeated Neji in a single move, she couldn't help but feel bad for her cousin.
Now, face-to-face, neither of them knew what to say.
So, they simply stood there, pretending the other didn't exist.
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