The Land of Lightning was a truly wondrous country.
Unlike the Land of Rivers, where mountains stretched endlessly and villages were often built on the slopes or at the foot of the mountains, the Land of Lightning was established atop towering peaks that pierced the clouds. During the day, the land was blanketed in mist and fog, with thunder roaring across the skies.
Its military base, hidden within these clouds, was known as the Village Hidden in the Clouds.
But at night—especially on a rare cloudless night—this country transformed into something truly breathtaking.
"Izayoi-kun, look, look! The stars feel so close! So beautiful!" Hinata called out.
At 9 p.m., Izayoi and Hinata had climbed all the way from the base of the mountain to its summit.
Unaware that she had already crossed the border out of the country, Hinata had thought Izayoi simply wanted to go on a post-dinner walk, and so, full of excitement, she began hiking up the mountain.
Now that they'd reached the peak, the sense of accomplishment made the girl believe she'd uncovered a surprise Izayoi had prepared for her. Grabbing his hand, she pointed up at the star-filled sky with delight.
"The stars may be beautiful, but they're not even half as lovely as you," Izayoi replied smoothly, causing her cheeks to flush with embarrassment.
But the joy in her heart far outweighed any trace of shyness.
Hinata wrapped her arms around Izayoi's and leaned against his shoulder. With a soft smile, she gazed at the stars. "Thank you for the surprise, Izayoi-kun. This is the first time I've watched the stars from somewhere this high up."
Izayoi was momentarily stunned by her words.
Looking down at the girl beside him, radiant with joy and easily contented, he couldn't help but lean in and kiss her on the cheek. "This is only the beginning. I've got many more surprises waiting for you."
Then, gently holding her hand—which had grown warm from her excitement—he led her to the edge of a cliff.
There, a long stone bench had been placed, clearly prepared ahead of time.
Hinata's heart warmed. She could easily imagine Izayoi scouting this location in advance, finding the perfect spot, and either building or bringing this bench all the way up.
Clearly, Izayoi had been planning her birthday celebration well in advance.
Just like how she had been agonizing over what to give Izayoi since the start of the year. After deciding on a scarf and clothes, she carefully selected the best materials, learned how to knit from the elders in her clan, and stitched it together one thread at a time.
As for the clothes, she made sure the size was perfect. If they didn't look good or the fabric wasn't right, she started all over again.
Now, that same level of care was being returned to her, and she felt a sense of happiness in their mutual love.
Even if this was the only birthday gift she received this year, Hinata would be completely satisfied.
After all, her past birthdays always came with a bit of regret.
Back then, Izayoi had yet to earn the approval of her father and clan, and her father didn't allow her to celebrate her birthday alone with him.
Her birthday gifts used to be handed over during the day, under strict watch.
But things were different now.
From this year on, Izayoi could come and go freely in the Hyuga clan, just like she could visit his house.
From now on, every year on her and Hanabi's birthdays, Izayoi would always be there.
Thinking this, Hinata's face blossomed with another warm smile. She gently lifted Izayoi's arm to rest over her shoulder and leaned into his chest. Together, they sat on the stone bench, gazing up at the endless starry sky, wrapped in silence and romance.
Just then, a small red box appeared in front of her.
And Izayoi's soft voice followed.
"Happy birthday, Hinata."
"This is…"
Hinata looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with joy.
Izayoi playfully tapped her nose. "You didn't really think stargazing was your birthday gift, did you? Do I look that stingy?"
"Of course not. It's just…"
Hinata accepted the box, fondly turning it over in her hands. Then she chuckled, as if remembering something. "Izayoi-kun, you used to be so poor—your gifts were always... interesting."
"What do you mean 'interesting'? You should say they were full of sincerity! I made them by hand, you know!" Izayoi, faking annoyance, pinched her cheeks. "You get one chance to rephrase that, or I'll make you my grip trainer!"
"Hhhn—Izayoi-kun's gifts are... very thoughtful. I-I really like them!" Hinata quickly said, voice muffled by his hold.
"Hmph. Since it's your birthday, I'll let it slide."
Satisfied, he let go. "Go on, open it. See if you like it."
"Mm!"
Hinata eagerly opened the box.
In the next second, her eyes widened slightly and she gasped. "It's so beautiful... a necklace..."
But once she saw the full design, she looked up at Izayoi with concern. "This looks expensive... You didn't have to spend so much."
"It didn't cost anything. I made it too—just like before. The materials were a gift from a kind person." Izayoi chuckled as he pinched her cheek again. "Take it out. See if you like it."
"Mm!"
Hearing that it was handmade, Hinata's heart swelled with happiness, completely overriding any worries about the cost.
She gently lifted the necklace from the box. Her eyes shimmered as if they reflected a dozen colors.
It looked simple, with a chain made of natural pearls, each one glowing faintly under the moonlight. A few diamonds were hidden among the pearls.
At the center, a round-cut blue gem connected the chain ends, and from it hung a teardrop-shaped purple diamond.
Izayoi held up the 8-carat purple gem and smiled. "Originally, I wanted to use a light purple gem to match our eye colors, but it looked kinda ugly. This deep purple one looks better."
Mu~~a!
Hinata, too overwhelmed to speak, kissed his cheek.
She then gently held the necklace against her chest and looked up with joy. "Izayoi-kun, does it have a name?"
"It's called the Margaret Necklace," he replied with a smile.
"Margaret? Does that mean something?"
"Yup. It's another name for a kind of flower…"
Izayoi leaned in close and whispered the other name into her ear.
Hinata's innocent eyes lit up as she nodded. "Oh! It's a daisy! Margaret does sound much nicer."
"…"
For once, Izayoi was speechless, a rare wave of shame washing over him.
Once you start thinking dirty, you really can't go back.
"Here, let me put it on for you."
"Mm-hmm…"
Izayoi took the necklace and stepped behind the bench, carefully clasping it around her neck.
Then, wrapping his arms around her from behind, he rested his chin on her shoulder and asked, "Do you like it?"
"Mm-hmm…" Hinata nodded again, her voice trembling with excitement. "It's the best birthday present I've ever received… Thank you, Izayoi-kun."
Mu~~a!
She kissed his cheek again.
"As long as you like it. But this isn't the end of the surprises," Izayoi said.
Then he sat beside her again, pulling her gently into his arms. Instead of telling her the next surprise, he changed the subject. "Hinata, there's something I've always been curious about. Can you help me understand?"
"What is it?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.
Izayoi looked into her beautiful eyes and smiled. "How did you have the courage to sneak out of your house and wander the empty streets alone back then?"
Hinata's expression shifted—guilt, sorrow, joy, and fear all mixed on her face.
For Izayoi, nine years ago today was a meaningful day.
But for Hinata, that snowy night changed her entire life.
Leaning into his chest, she softly said, "That day was my uncle's funeral. He was my father's twin brother—Neji's father. I ran away from home… because I thought I caused his death."
Izayoi didn't interrupt. He just held her tighter.
Hinata continued, "That night, while I was sleeping, someone broke into my room and tried to kidnap me. Luckily, my father was returning home and saw them as they tried to climb the wall. He rescued me. But two days later, my uncle died."
"I overheard my parents talking. I didn't understand it fully then, but it sounded like my uncle had taken my father's place to die. My father killed the intruder. I was too young to grasp what happened. I just thought I caused my uncle's death. So, I ran away, heartbroken."
After a moment, her sorrow faded into joy. She looked up and smiled. "But I'm glad I ran away. Otherwise, I never would've met you, Izayoi-kun. Maybe we wouldn't have even crossed paths."
That thought sent a chill through her. She had nightmares about it often.
That snowy night had altered her fate forever.
What she didn't know was that a boy wearing a snowman onesie had been pacing outside the Hyuga compound that whole night, waiting for hours in the cold until his face turned red.
Izayoi simply leaned in, forehead to forehead, rubbing gently against her. "I'm glad I couldn't sleep that night and went out for some fresh air. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met the runaway princess."
Looking into his smiling blue eyes, Hinata's heart once again filled with that familiar feeling. She finally worked up the courage to say what she hadn't dared to before.
"Izayoi-kun… I… I like you."
Izayoi blinked in surprise, staring at her flushed cheeks and shy, unwavering gaze.
Then he smiled.
"I like you too, Hinata."
"Then… then can we be together?"
Hinata held out her little hand, heart pounding. Though it was cold, sweat still broke out on her skin.
Luckily, Izayoi understood how fragile she could be in moments like this.
"Aren't we already together?"
He placed his hand in hers, their fingers naturally interlocking. They looked at each other and smiled.
Just as Hinata was about to hug him properly for the first time as his girlfriend, Izayoi suddenly turned toward the sky and pointed.
"Look! The next surprise!"
Hinata followed his finger, and her eyes widened in wonder.
"It's so beautiful!"
In the sky beyond the stars, an orange-red glow appeared. One by one, red streaks shot through the heavens—not disappearing instantly, but lingering in the night.
Had she used her Byakugan, she would've seen…
This wasn't a meteor shower.
It was a rain of meteors.