Hinata gives Sakura the tiniest of appreciative looks in return.

{Agreed. We're accumulating a to-do list, aren't we? I like it that way, though.}

(As long as we can keep track of it.}

Sakura takes a bite of her own lunch, then looks back at Hinata.

"So, sparring tonight, after we're done figuring out eachother's strengths and weaknesses? Or does it make more sense to you to spar first, to help us get a feel for those?"

Sable hums internally for a moment, before replying, {Spar first, write down findings, then share.}

Unknowingly, Hinata speaks up with the same idea at the same time. "U-um. Kurenai-sensei talks with m-me about t-training sometimes, and she says expectations can t-tint what you s-see, so t-test first."

Sakura is mildly disoriented for a moment, but quickly recovers and prepares to respond.

Naruto, however, is not disoriented!

"Let's do that then! It sounds like more fun anyway, and it'll get us excited and energetic for training!"

That's close enough to what she was going to say anyway: Sakura nods and agrees.

A thought bounces through its mind for a moment.

It can sometimes be hard to process gender stuff properly without... an example handy that that's an allowable thing to want, that people who want that often do things about it. It didn't crack its own eggshell until it knew other trans people existed, so it could label its dysphoric feelings properly.

And it doesn't mind sharing private things about itself if that leads to people having useful realizations.

{You could maybe try asking something like, "Sable was curious what the options are like in Konoha for trans people — people who're born looking like one gender but would be happier in a body like the other — to figure out what its life would've been like if it grew up here. I couldn't really answer its question, 'cause that's not something I know much about. Do either of you know?" For an added bonus, all that's even true. Just omits my little ulterior motive for asking. And if I'm right, then this'll give blondie some useful evidence that both we and hopefully Hinata are chill about trans people, in addition to providing the label.}

{Oh. Now? Yeah, I guess this is a good time to bring something like that up…}

{A bit sneaky, but I won't complain.}

Sakura waits for a minute or so before speaking, so as to frame the question as an idle thought.

"…Hey, so, Sab—"

Sakura remembers that there are other students within potential earshot in the yard.

"—my uhh, friend I was telling you about…

She was wondering what options we have here in Konoha for transgender ninja and civilians—people who're born looking like one gender, but who're much happier in a body of the other.

I guess it's curious what its life would've been like if it grew up here, since things are so different from where she grew up.

I don't really know much about it, so I couldn't say, but I figured one of you might: do either of you know?"

Hinata blinks for just a moment, not having expected this topic. "I h-have... heard of this. There are r-rumors of medical jutsu that c-can do such things, but they are not well known. It's d-discouraged for clan shinobi, because some ways don't allow for ch-children."

You can… do that?

How are there any male shinobi left, if that's a thing you can do? Sure, Hinata said something about it sometimes keeping you from having kids, but there's still no way that works out to anything near the gender balance he sees in the village.

Maybe some women want to become men, too? But then, for the numbers to work out, there's no way he wouldn't have heard about this before now.

In which case…

…Oh crap, has he been visibly thinking too long?

"I hadn't heard about that!

Guess it makes sense that the clans would be wary of it, if it might keep you from having kids, but it still seems kinda sad to think that there might be clan shinobi who'd be happier as the other gender, but can't be."

Did he just…?

She could be imagining it, but she thought she saw something, there.

Sable laughs delightedly in Sakura's head.

{Egg. Absolutely an egg.}

Hinata frowns softly. This isn't what she was taught, but Sakura's friend seems to know more. "Y-you're probably r-right. Some people might be better-off if they c-could."

{And Hinata seems safe... Feel free to paraphrase a bit, but I think we can get blondie to admit it. "It's a pity there isn't more awareness. If there was, maybe someone here would've come up with a local version of a saying we had: wanting to be a girl is a symptom of being a girl. Most people don't need this like I did." I think she needs to admit it to herself.}

Ok, so she wasn't imagining it.

…That sounds complicated to say without it coming across as forced, but she can try…

"Yeah, they probably would…"

"Still, it sounds like the answer to "what would her life be like if it'd grown up here" is that it might not have even figured it out in the first place.

She said that it's really hard for people to figure it out without seeing it around them or hearing things like "wanting to be a girl is a symptom of being a girl", and I'm starting to realize how much sense that makes—I mean, I hadn't even heard of the concept until yesterday: I'm sure if I was trans, I'd have no idea what was going on."

Sable practically vibrates with pride. {Oh you did that perfectly. Good girl, good job.}

Hinata just nods softly. That makes sense.

Wait, what? How? Is she reading his mind?