Hinata left, leaving Hiruzen Sarutobi standing there alone, questioning his life choices.
At this moment, he was pondering a question that was very important to him.
Is the social climate of Konoha really that bad?
With Hinata gone, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat by the river alone, silently pulling out the pipe that had accompanied him for many years to light it and smoke.
Recalling everything that had happened in the Village over the years, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn’t help but show a face full of sorrow.
Back then, when Kushina came to Konoha, she was mocked by the villagers because of the Uzumaki Clan’s natural red hair.
Sakumo Hatake was criticized and backstabbed by the villagers because of a failed mission.
Kakashi was discriminated against by the villagers because of his father’s mission failure and suicide.
Might Guy was laughed at by the villagers because his talent for Ninjutsu was mediocre.
And now, Hinata was being bullied by her peers because of her Byakugan.
As for Naruto…
That goes without saying…
Hiruzen Sarutobi was very melancholy; so much so that his pipe never went out.
Thinking back to when the First Hokage founded Konoha, what a time it was when people didn’t pick up things lost on the road and doors were left unlocked at night.
During the era of the Second Hokage, who followed the First, Konoha’s social climate could still be considered simple and kind.
How did it become like this by the time it reached me?
I have failed the First and Second Hokage…
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s face was clouded with worry as he thought of this, and he added another pinch of tobacco to his pipe.
After leaving Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hinata walked slowly through the streets of Konoha.
Having already reported back to Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hinata naturally had no psychological burden left.
Or rather, such a thing as a psychological burden simply didn’t exist for Hinata.
Thinking of this, Hinata hurried toward home.
Only…
Her peripheral vision caught sight of a flower shop in the Konoha district, where a small figure was carrying a pot of blue flowers to place at the shop entrance.
Is that…
Ino?
Hinata remembered that the Yamanaka family ran a flower shop.
“Hinata!”
Seeming to notice Hinata’s gaze, Ino put down the flower pot and waved vigorously at Hinata, shouting.
“Ino.”
Seeing Ino greet her, Hinata walked over with a smile without hesitation.
“Mom!”
“My friend is here!”
“I’m going out to play with her!”
Seeing Hinata walk up to her, Ino excitedly grabbed Hinata’s hand and shouted happily toward the flower shop.
“Hello, Auntie Yamanaka. My name is Hinata, and I’m Ino’s deskmate.”
Seeing Ino’s mother come out, Hinata raised a smiling face and introduced herself.
“Oh, from the Hyuga Clan. How cute.”
“Go on, go on.”
Ino’s mother walked up to Hinata, leaned over, and gently patted her head.
Her gaze lingered for a moment on Hinata’s smooth forehead, then she took the most blooming lily from the flowers in her apron and handed it to her.
“Thank you, Auntie.”
Hinata took the flower from Ino’s mother and thanked her.
“And you, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to.”
Ino’s mother teasingly tapped her daughter’s forehead with her finger.
“Hehe, I’m off then!”
Ino giggled and rubbed her forehead, then pulled Hinata away as if escaping from her mother’s sight.
Heaven help her, she finally had a weekend, and she wasn’t about to waste such precious time at her mom’s place!
Honestly, such a small thing could be solved in an instant, yet Mom insisted I do it.
This is oppression, this is exploitation!
Mom is exploiting me, a child laborer!
I’m going to complain to Dad later and tell him Mom is bullying me!
Uh, never mind, Dad will definitely side with Mom…
Complaining about her mother in her heart, Ino unknowingly pulled Hinata to the edge of a lake in a park.
“Hehe, it’s really thanks to Hinata.”
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to escape Mom’s clutches.”
Ino turned around, looked at Hinata, patted her shoulder, and said with a grin.
Looking at this version of Ino, a gentle figure subconsciously surfaced in Hinata’s mind.
“Ino’s mom is very gentle~~”
Hinata looked at the flower in her hand and smiled at Ino.
“Eh?”
“No way, Mom is so mean. She never lets me go out to play.”
Ino tilted her head and retorted.
“Yes, yes, Ino is right.”
Seeing this, Hinata submissively agreed with Ino.
“But it’s great! It’s a rare day off, let’s go play together!”
Ino looked at a few peers playing not far away in the park and suggested.
“Today’s portion of cultivation hasn’t started yet.”
Hinata shook her head and handed the lily from Ino’s mother to Ino.
“Ah? How can you be like this?”
Seeing Hinata refuse, Ino practically had the word ‘dejected’ written on her face.
“But if Ino begs me, then I might consider accompanying Ino for a while.”
Seeing Ino like this, Hinata couldn’t help but tease her.
“Hmph, who wants Hinata to accompany me? At worst, I’ll go find Sakura.”
Ino gave a light hmph, crossed her arms, and turned her head away with an ‘I’m not talking to you anymore’ look.
“Speaking of which, Sakura seems to have someone she likes lately~”
“She doesn’t want Ino anymore~”
Seeing this, a glint of what could be called mischief appeared in Hinata’s eyes.
“I knew it!”
“It’s Sasuke, right!”
Hearing this, Ino was like a cat with its fur standing on end.
The ‘I’m not talking to you’ act from a moment ago vanished instantly.
Hinata smiled without saying a word, her expression full of amusement at the show.
“…But, the one Sasuke likes is Hinata, right.”
Seeing Hinata like this, Ino’s aggressive posture immediately deflated like a punctured balloon.
The way Sasuke had blushed at Hinata last time had been fully witnessed by Ino.
“But he’s just Sasuke! Hinata, you wait!”
“I definitely won’t give Sasuke up to you!”
Ino then cheered herself up again, pumping herself up with motivation, which made the smile in the depths of Hinata’s eyes even stronger.
“But what if I don’t like Sasuke?”
“And compared to Sasuke, I think Ino is much cuter.”
Hinata’s words made Ino’s eyes light up.
She tucked the lily into her pocket, pressed her hands directly onto Hinata’s shoulders, and leaned in with a hopeful face to follow up:
“Really!”
“Hinata really doesn’t like Sasuke?!”
Compared to the excited Ino, a trace of helplessness appeared on Hinata’s face as she said:
“Yes, yes, yes. A guy like Sasuke who keeps a straight face all day, I don’t like him at all.”
“Ino and Sakura are clearly cuter.”
Having received the answer she wanted, Ino immediately beamed with joy, automatically ignoring Hinata’s comment about her and Sakura being cuter.
She was the eldest miss of the Yamanaka family; she was naturally the cutest!
Hehe, Hinata is the best!
“Besides, if Ino likes him, how could I ever fight with Ino for him?”