After parting ways with Might Guy's team, Chizhao took another winding path through the mountains, leisurely making her way toward the direction of the log cabin.
Along the way, she happened upon a dazzling flower field, bursting with vibrant, beautiful blossoms.
Since she was already there, Chizhao decided to pick some fresh flowers for Sakura and Ino, planning to surprise them when she passed by their homes that evening.
With her plan set, Chizhao entered the sea of flowers, breathing in the fragrant air.
The fresh, delicate blossoms were in full bloom, and she happily reached out to pick them.
"Chizhao?"
A familiar, gentle voice from behind interrupted her actions, and Chizhao turned around in confusion.
A short-haired girl with clear, water-like white eyes was looking at her with a joyful expression.
"Hinata?"
Under the azure sky, two figures sat together amidst the flower field.
Hinata tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear, and Chizhao tilted her head to look at her, asking softly:
"I saw at the mission center that your team took on a mission today. Why are you here alone?"
Hinata hugged her knees, resting her chin lightly on them, her gaze gently cast into the distance, her voice soft, and the surrounding wind equally gentle.
"Because this was a C-rank mission, and with Kiba and Shino's help, it was completed quickly. And the location isn't far from here, so... I just wanted to come up and see the scenery..."
A subtle hint of loneliness inadvertently surfaced in her words, an emotion that Chizhao keenly observed.
Her gaze lingered on Hinata's face, quietly studying her subtle expressions.
Then, as if to conceal the emotions she had inadvertently revealed, Hinata gently turned her head to look at Chizhao and asked instead:
"But I didn't expect to meet Chizhao here. Earlier, at the briefing, Iruka Sensei said you went to a special department. How is it there? Is it a very dangerous place?"
Facing Hinata's concern, Chizhao smiled slightly, leaned back, propped her hands behind her, and looked up at the boundless blue sky, saying casually:
"It seems quite dangerous."
Hearing this, Hinata involuntarily sat up straight, her hands clasped tightly in front of her chest, her voice full of concern:
"Really? Are you hurt at all?"
Chizhao nonchalantly patted Hinata's shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile:
"Don't worry, Hinata, this was my own choice, and since it was my choice, I have confidence I can complete it."
"My own choice..."
Hinata murmured the words, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.
"Oh, right, I just ran into Hyuga Neji, and we had a spar. He's really amazing. Since you share the same surname, he must be your family, right?"
Chizhao brought it up seemingly casually, but her gaze was fixed on Hinata's reaction.
When she saw Hinata's lowered eyelids, she chose to remain silent, just waiting quietly.
"He is my older brother..."
Hinata's thoughts drifted back to the days of her many spars with Neji; the once gentle brother had become cold and distant, even showing no mercy to her during their training sessions.
Then she thought of the caged bird placed on Neji by her father, and seeing Neji's excruciating pain, her heart also ached as if pierced by a knife.
"Chizhao... I don't think I'm suited to be a Ninja..."
Hinata's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, yet it clearly reached Chizhao's ears.
"Hmm? Why..."
Hinata fell silent again. She recalled how, after entering the Ninja Academy, her father had abandoned his usual gentle demeanor and become much stricter.
He constantly urged her to become stronger, to inherit the future of the Hyuga Clan.
But why couldn't Neji, who was clearly more outstanding than her, inherit it instead?
She, who hadn't contributed much even to a simple C-rank mission, had only completed it thanks to her teammates.
Thinking of this, tears welled up in her eyes, and her hands, clutching her knees, tightened a little more.
"I... I always hold everyone back... and my talent isn't as high as Neji's. Yet, Father wants me to bear the future of the Hyuga Clan... I'm so scared..."
Hinata's voice choked, and she curled into a ball, like a helpless little rabbit.
Chizhao sighed softly, picked a flower from beside her, and asked seriously:
"Hinata, if you don't become a Ninja, have you ever thought about what you would do?"
"Eh?"
Hinata was stunned; she had never considered that question.
Not being a Ninja...
Was that even an option?
"I... I haven't thought about it..."
"Then why don't you think about it seriously?"
Chizhao looked at her encouragingly, her clear green eyes sparkling in the sunlight, as beautiful as ever.
"Once you find something else you want to do besides being a Ninja, and you're firm in your heart, then just work hard for it, isn't that good? Neji isn't just talented; his hard work and sweat are genuinely there."
"I think, as someone from the Hyuga Clan, you should understand why Neji works so hard..."
The mark of the caged bird flashed through Hinata's mind, and her small mouth unconsciously tightened. Her soft voice revealed a hint of determination.
"I... I will think about it carefully. Thank you, Chizhao."
Seeing Hinata's emotions gradually calm, Chizhao stood up, looked at the vibrant, colorful sea of flowers before her, and stretched.
"It's almost time; I should pick some flowers."
Hinata, who also stood up, remembered something she had accidentally seen when coming up the mountain and pointed in a direction, saying:
"Oh, right, when I was coming up the mountain, I found a patch of wild strawberries. It seems there are quite a few ripe ones."
At the mention of wild strawberries, Chizhao's eyes lit up. She took Hinata's hand and happily ran in that direction:
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
"But... aren't you still going to pick flowers?"
"I can pick flowers anytime! But wild strawberries aren't something you can eat anytime! It's great I met you, Hinata!"
Hinata jogged behind Chizhao, and hearing her cheerful voice, her mood also became exceptionally bright.
She silently chuckled to herself: It should be me who's glad I met you.
Soon, the two arrived at a secluded corner on the mountainside, where there was indeed a patch of bright red wild strawberries, looking especially tempting amidst the green leaves.
Chizhao couldn't help but be delighted. She pushed aside the green leaves, revealing the plump, crimson berries, like small lanterns kissed by the sun, emitting an alluring glow.
Just as she eagerly called out to Hinata to pick them together, Hinata's reminder suddenly made her feel disheartened.
"But we don't seem to have a bamboo basket or any other container to put these strawberries in..."
"Oh, right... What should we do then..."
Chizhao frowned, looking around, trying to find a solution.
Suddenly, her gaze fell on the lush, long grass around them, and an idea sparked.
"Hinata, why don't we use what's available and weave a grass basket?"
Without delay, Chizhao picked some long, flexible grass from the field and patiently guided Hinata's hands.
After several attempts, Hinata finally wove a grass basket that was neither too big nor too small, just right.
She excitedly held up her creation, her face beaming with a sense of accomplishment and pride.
"It's done! This is great!"
"Hahaha, fantastic! Now let's pick strawberries quickly, I can hear them calling me!"
She said, bending down and happily picking in the grass.
In a short while, the grass baskets in their hands were filled to the brim with wild strawberries of various shapes.
The two looked at each other and smiled, holding their wild strawberries, and seeing that dusk was approaching, they began to walk down the mountain.
Hinata carefully cradled the strawberries in her arms. She looked at Chizhao, who was also humming a tune and smiling happily, and an unprecedented warmth and gratitude welled up in her heart.
The afterglow of the sunset spilled onto Chizhao's face, adding a touch of softness and beauty.
All this time, Hinata had been like a chess piece pushed forward by everyone, never having the chance to truly experience the joy and freedom of life.
She had never been asked what she wanted to do, and no one had ever truly cared about her thoughts and feelings.
But at this moment, she felt an unprecedented sense of ease and freedom.
She looked again at the girl bathed in the twilight glow, her white eyes reflecting Chizhao's gentle face, as if the whole world had become soft because of her.
Feeling Hinata's gaze, Chizhao turned her head and asked with a smile, "What's wrong, Hinata?"
This sudden eye contact made Hinata a little flustered. She quickly lowered her head, looking at the strawberries in her arms.
The blush on her face intertwined with the orange glow of the sunset, appearing exceptionally charming.
She stammered, her fingertips slightly tightening around the grass basket, and for a moment, she reverted to the shy, timid little girl she usually was.
"N-nothing..."
Seeing Hinata's adorable demeanor, Chizhao couldn't help but laugh and didn't press further.
She knew that although Hinata was still easily shy and nervous, beneath that innocence and bashfulness lay a firm and courageous seed.