Really, why couldn't her own sister have been this cute? Why hadn't Hinata herself realised how unhappy the Sasuke-kun of her time had been before now? No, she'd noticed him, but always as the polar opposite of Naruto, seemingly his complement.

But this child, holding her hand with such trust, happiness and innocence was a stranger to her, but a stranger that lifted her spirits with almost no effort. Even being around Neji-nii-san had become painful once more, ruining the rapport they'd worked so hard to build up.

As they walked through the village, Hinata made a point of cataloging all of the important sights she'd missed during her previous trips. Before she knew it, they were in front of Ino-san's shop.