Snow pellets swirled with the wind, dyeing the roofs of Konoha's houses a fluffy white. Even the low bushes along the streets had turned into piles of fuzzy snowballs.
Tap, tap, tap.
Ino, holding a bundle of camellias in her arms, took quick, small steps through the snow. Her short blonde hair was tousled by the wind and snow, snowflakes falling rustling from the ends, like a little butterfly fluttering its wings.
"Slow down, Ino, wait for me!"
Sakura's voice came from behind, carrying a hint of panting.
A few snowflakes clung to Sakura's pink hair, like scattered bits of crushed sugar.
She jogged to catch up with Ino, her small hand grabbing the other's arm firmly. The warmth from her palm seeped through the fabric, carrying a damp heat.
Ino furrowed her willow-leaf eyebrows, wanting to shake off her hand, but Sakura only held on tighter.
"Why are you always following me?" Ino's tone was a bit sharp, her eyes darting sideways, thinking to herself, 'Makoto-nii hadn't come to find her these past few days.'
'It must be because Sakura was always clinging to me, preventing me from meeting with Makoto-nii.'
Sakura buried her face in Ino's arm, her voice muffled as if stuffed with marshmallow: "You're going to find a friend to play with, of course I have to follow you. Aren't we best friends?"
"Who's your best friend!"
Ino retorted, but her originally hurried steps unconsciously slowed a little, shielding Sakura from the wind and snow.
She glanced at Sakura's reddened nose, thinking, 'If it weren't for seeing your nose red from running, I wouldn't take you along!'
The two moved through the snow towards the Uchiha Clan's compound, their footprints stamping two crooked lines of small pits in the snow.
Blown by the wind and snow, the edges blurred, like a painting that hadn't dried properly.
Ino felt stifled inside. Sakura had been urging her to find Makoto every day this week. Thinking about it now, maybe Sakura wanted to take the chance to talk more with Makoto herself!
She stole a glance at Sakura beside her. The other girl was staring at her hair ribbon, her eyes full of conflict, lost in thought.
"Stop staring at me," Ino said, tightening her hair ribbon.
"Ino," Sakura suddenly tugged her sleeve, her voice unusually serious for a child, "Thank you for the red silk ribbon you gave me before."
Hearing this, Ino waved a hand, full of nonchalance: "Of course, we're good friends after all."
Sakura didn't respond, just tightened the red ribbon on her forehead tighter, her fingertips rubbing against the fabric, a hint of an indescribable light hidden in her eyes.
Bickering and chattering, they reached the entrance of the Uchiha Clan's compound. Just as they were about to rush in, they saw a small figure standing before the gate.
Hinata was looking up at the Uchiha Clan's compound's main gate, her short hair plastered to her cheeks by the wind, like a sweet rice cake glazed with honey. She held a scarf in her hand.
Hearing footsteps, she turned her head sharply, ripples of surprise stirring in her pure white eyes. She shrank back, her shoulders pressing against the cold stone pillar.
Ino's feet seemed nailed to the snow, her gaze instantly glued to that scarf.
She found the scarf belonged to Makoto. She remembered he liked this scarf very much.
"What are you doing here?"
Ino took half a small step forward, her little chin held high. Those trademark white eyes clearly identified her as a member of the Hyuga Clan.
Hinata shrank back further at her question, her fingers clutching the scarf tighter. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum: "I-I came to find..."
"Find Makoto-nii?" Ino directly cut her off, her brows knitting tighter. She thought, 'The relationship between the Hyuga and Uchiha Clans has always been quite neutral. How does she know Makoto-nii? And now she's holding his scarf.'
Hearing this, Hinata's breathing became more rapid, her cheeks slightly flushed. She hurriedly tried to hide the scarf behind her back, but didn't know what to say.
Pursing her lips, she could only shake her head vigorously.
Just then, the wooden gate of the Uchiha Clan's compound creaked open a crack. The Uchiha clansman on gate duty stepped out, a large Uchiha Clan's emblem embroidered on the back of his black clothes.
Seeing the three little girls and hearing their words, he asked: "Are you here to see Young Master Makoto?"
Ino immediately raised the camellias in her hand, petals still dotted with snow: "Yes, I'm here to see Makoto-nii. These are flowers for him."
Sakura nodded vigorously beside her, her eyes full of expectation.
Hinata pursed her lips, her fingers picking at the scarf, silent, but the longing in her eyes was no less than the other two.
Hearing this, the Uchiha on duty, recognizing Ino who had been here before, sighed.
"Young Master Makoto isn't in the clan. He's been gone for several days now. The clan is sending people to look for him."
"What?" Ino's voice shot up, the flowers in her hand almost dropping to the ground. "He hasn't come back for days? You still haven't found Makoto-nii?"
"Not yet," the Uchiha clansman shook his head, looking into the distance, "If you have any messages, I can pass them on to him when he returns."
Ino shoved the flowers into his hands, her eyes full of worry.
"These are flowers from me. Tell him to come find me when he gets back. Tell him Ino is missing him so much she's about to grow mold."
Sakura stayed silent beside her, but the light in her eyes dimmed. Her small hand secretly clenched Ino's hem, thinking to herself, 'It seems I'll have to stick with Ino every day during this time. Otherwise, when Makoto-nii returns, I won't know, and Ino will get to be smug again.'
Hinata's shoulders slumped slightly upon hearing the word 'not here'.
The clansman on duty, seeing the scarf in Hinata's hand, proactively asked: "Do you also have something to give to Young Master Makoto?"
Hinata hesitated for a moment after hearing this, then shook her head, her voice soft and sweet: "N-no need. I'll come find him another time."
It wasn't that she didn't want to leave the scarf. It was because Makoto had said that night that she had to return this scarf to him personally.
Now that he wasn't here, the scarf felt like a red-hot brand, burning her palms anxiously, making her chest feel tight and stifled.
The three little girls walked back dejectedly. The snow fell heavier now, stretching their shadows long.
After just a few steps, Ino suddenly turned her head and called out to Hinata, who was following behind: "Hey, what's your name?"
Hinata was startled, her steps halting. She replied softly: "Hinata... Hyuga Hinata."
"I'm Yamanaka Ino," Ino patted her chest, then pointed at Sakura beside her, "She's Haruno Sakura."
Sakura smiled at Hinata, revealing two small canine teeth.
Ino, looking at Hinata's reddened nose from the cold, suddenly said: "Since Makoto-nii isn't here, let's go eat Ichiraku Ramen? My treat!"
Hearing this, Hinata blinked, a bit hesitant, her small hand unconsciously touching her stomach.
Ever since Makoto told her father about her big appetite that day, her father had the kitchen prepare huge amounts of delicious food for her every day. Her little belly felt a bit full and stretched now.
But if she went back now, she was afraid of missing Makoto's return, and then not even catching a glimpse of him...
"Let's go, let's go!" Sakura tugged at Hinata's sleeve. "Ichiraku Ramen is super delicious."
Hinata bit her lower lip, hesitated for a moment, then nodded gently.
The three little girls walked side-by-side through the snow, their small feet making tap, tap, tap sounds, like an out-of-tune nursery rhyme echoing in the empty streets.
Ino walked in the middle, her left arm linked with Sakura's, her right hand occasionally poking at the scarf in Hinata's arms, occasionally chatting with her about Makoto.
Hinata also wanted to learn more about him, and her voice grew slightly louder when she spoke.
Sakura's steps were light, her ears perked up high, occasionally glancing at the two figures beside her, the corners of her mouth secretly quirking upwards.
Snowflakes landed on their hair ends and shoulders, melting in an instant, unnoticed by anyone. The originally somewhat lonely Hinata, having met two new peers, became a bit more cheerful in temperament.
Ino hoped that when Makoto returned, he would see the camellias she gave him first thing, and best of all, praise them: "They're really beautiful."
Sakura calculated that she needed to go to Ino's house even earlier tomorrow, the little abacus in her heart clicking away.
Hinata clenched the scarf in her hand, thinking silently: 'When Makoto returns, I must gather my courage and put the scarf on him myself, even if it's just for a moment...'
The lights of Ichiraku Ramen shone not far away, like a warm little sun, waiting to wrap the three little girls, each with their own thoughts, in its warmth.
The footprints in the snow led crookedly towards Ichiraku Ramen, like an unfinished ellipsis, hiding the purest expectations of three little girls.