Chapter 11: The True Princess of the Byakugan!
*Pak pak pak...*
In a snow-covered clearing within the forest, rapid and continuous striking sounds echoed.
Two small figures in white snowman outfits could be seen.
Their feet surprisingly weren't sinking into the thick snow; instead, they stood steadily on top, constantly attacking each other.
The black-haired, white-eyed girl, her gloved hands moving swiftly, fingers wreathed in blue chakra flames, struck towards the boy opposite her with whistling sounds.
Meanwhile, the black-haired, blue-eyed boy seemed to anticipate the girl's attacks perfectly.
Just as her fingers were about to touch his snowman suit, before chakra could penetrate the clothes and enter his body, he would use the back of his hand to strike her wrist, deflecting the attack.
Then, he would seize the opportunity to strike with his palm, punch straight, or kick, sending the girl flying into the snowdrift.
Every time the girl was hit, a muffled grunt escaped her lips, her small face contorting with discomfort and pain.
However, upon landing in the snow, she would quickly get up and continue attacking the boy.
Even when her entire body ached from the blows, even when internal injuries caused blood to trickle from the corner of her mouth, she didn't stop.
These children were, of course, Izayoi and Hinata.
"Alright, that's enough for now."
After an unknown amount of time, Izayoi finally spoke, ending the sparring session.
Hearing this, Hinata finally sat down in the snow, panting heavily.
Her face was covered in sweat, and blood stained her tattered snowman suit, revealing the normal clothes underneath.
Opposite her, Izayoi's white snowman suit was also torn and ragged, similarly revealing normal clothes beneath.
This snowman suit wasn't just for show; it let Hinata practice her "strike-through-the-barrier" technique — mastering how to project chakra into someone's body indirectly and amplify its power.
When she could inject chakra into Izayoi's body through the snowman suit and cause significant damage, it meant her finger strength was astonishing, and her chakra control was very strong.
Therefore, every few times he sent her flying, he would deliberately reveal an opening, allowing her to hit him.
Otherwise, constantly taking unilateral beatings, while perhaps building an image of invincibility, might also crush Hinata's confidence.
So, to make her confident, he had to let her taste success.
Taking off the tattered snowman suit, Izayoi walked over to Hinata, crouched down, and used the most basic medical jutsu to heal her.
He didn't know if basic medical jutsu could heal hidden injuries; Izayoi couldn't currently detect if Hinata had any internal damage.
But he believed his actions of beating Hinata so brutally were already known to Hyuga Hiashi.
Since the man still allowed Hinata to train with him, Izayoi believed he would definitely find some excuse to have Hinata undergo a physical examination.
The Hyuga clan certainly had skilled medical ninjas.
Whether Hinata had hidden injuries would definitely be discovered and treated.
Even if Hyuga Hiashi didn't know and didn't have Hinata examined, it didn't matter.
A young body could withstand many hidden injuries.
Once Izayoi awakened the Tenseigan, he would automatically acquire Yin-Yang Release, just like the Rinnegan.
At that time, Izayoi could also use Yin-Yang Release to regulate Hinata's body.
This was precisely why he had no scruples.
After finishing her treatment, Izayoi smiled, "Let's go ice fishing later. We'll have grilled fish today."
Hinata's beautiful eyes instantly lit up, and she nodded, "Mhm!"
Izayoi's knowledge of the Naruto world came entirely from the TV anime.
He hadn't read the manga or played the games; the few pieces of information he had came from short videos.
He didn't know if the manga mentioned Hinata being a big eater.
However, the TV anime did feature a scene where Hinata decimated the competition in a ramen eating contest.
It was this scene that established Hinata's big-eater attribute across various forums, with countless netizens considering it a waste of talent.
After all, in the world of anime, being a big eater could be a very powerful talent.
But this talent, like those for mundane professions, didn't appear as an entry.
Izayoi didn't know if Hinata possessed such a talent.
So one day, Izayoi deliberately took Hinata fishing to grill the catch, secretly observing her appetite.
He then discovered that Hinata could indeed eat a lot; her appetite was two to three times his own.
This discovery delighted Izayoi.
A large appetite meant strong digestion, absorbing more nutrients, leading to stronger physical and spiritual energy within her cells.
This meant Hinata's future chakra reserves would far exceed her peers.
The stronger Hinata became, the higher the chance of triggering her red entry.
Knowing she had the big-eater attribute, he naturally wouldn't let her waste this talent.
So after every training session, Izayoi would take Hinata fishing or hunting, letting her eat her fill.
Today was no exception.
Initially, Hinata would hold back in front of Izayoi, trying to maintain a ladylike demeanor.
But gradually, she realized he always prepared so much food, clearly having discovered her secret and seemingly afraid she wouldn't eat enough, so she stopped restraining her appetite.
Simultaneously, Hinata looked forward to training with Izayoi even more.
Because even her family didn't know the secret of her large appetite.
However, Hinata didn't realize that her family meals were gradually shifting away from individual servings, and the amount of food prepared each day had increased significantly.
She simply assumed it was because she now had a younger sister.
Izayoi was unaware of this.
Otherwise, he would definitely smile with relief.
In this life, Hinata's fate had undoubtedly changed.
With his help and Hyuga Hiashi's silent care, her strength and personality would definitely not follow the path of the original story.
Once her foundation was solid, combined with Izayoi's chakra, perhaps she too could awaken the Tenseigan in the future.
At that time, Hinata would be the true Princess of the Byakugan!
...
When studying, time passes slowly.
During holidays, time passes quickly.
This is a consensus among all students.
The winter break ended, and time entered the chapter of Konoha Year 55.
The first year began its third semester, and the sixth year welcomed their graduation season.
After two semesters of tempering, the new students had all completed their transformation.
Those remaining in school all possessed chakra and had adapted to the intensity of cultural and practical classes.
Thus, in the third semester, the school officially taught them the Three Basic Jutsu, as well as the Konoha Shunshin Jutsu and Invisibility Jutsu.
Practical classes also added Survival Exercises.
Survival Exercises mainly trained students' intelligence gathering abilities, as well as their application of the Three Basic Jutsu, Shunshin Jutsu, and Invisibility Jutsu, etc.
Apart from the Three Basic Jutsu, the other fundamentals were very simple.
In the original story, when Uzumaki Naruto first appeared, he couldn't even use the Clone Jutsu properly, yet he could use Shunshin and Invisibility Jutsu to trick several Chunin wearing green vests.
However, none of this posed any difficulty for Izayoi.
Seeing that the practical classes still only involved taijutsu sparring, with no kunai combat or anything-goes, no-rules duels yet...
Except for the afternoons with taijutsu sparring, Izayoi still didn't attend school with his main body.
---
Chapter 12: The Steady Izayoi, Finally Matched with the Child of Prophecy!
As time reached March, the third semester neared its end.
Starting this month, Izayoi began attending classes with his main body more frequently.
Not just in the afternoons, but even the morning cultural classes were attended by his main body.
Firstly, March wasn't just the graduation month for sixth graders, but also the major exam month for other grades.
Before the end of this semester, there would be an important year-end exam.
The results of the year-end exam, along with scores from various quizzes and spot checks throughout the three semesters, would be factored into the overall grade.
Then, the school would select the student with the highest overall score in the entire grade based on these results – the so-called top student.
Being able to stand out among several classes, dozens, even hundreds of students, including many ninja clan children, to become the number one in the grade, undoubtedly marked them as the most dazzling genius.
If it was a ninja clan child, they were the most outstanding member of the new generation of their family.
If they came from an ordinary family, they were a commoner genius who surpassed the ninja clan children.
These few top students were the stars of the Ninja School.
Izayoi naturally wouldn't let anyone else take the title of top student.
Their class was the most special new generation.
The children of various major ninja clans were the heirs to their clan leaders.
Surpassing them to become the top student held far greater significance than in other grades.
Claiming the title of top student and proving his talent would remove even more obstacles for Izayoi when approaching Hinata.
And with his current strength, taking the top spot posed no difficulty.
Even if his main body didn't come, his shadow clone could easily defeat others.
However, Izayoi still came in person.
Because he knew that Konoha was already starting to stir with undercurrents.
Konoha Year 55, the Konoha 11 were 7 years old.
Also, a major event occurred this year that shocked the entire ninja world.
That was the Uchiha clan – which had become Konoha's premier clan after the Senju's decline, arguably the number one ninja clan in the world – would be annihilated by a thirteen-year-old boy.
And this boy was the son of the current clan head, Uchiha Sasuke's older brother – Uchiha Itachi.
With this astounding feat, Uchiha Itachi also became the youngest S-rank Missing-nin/Rogue ninja in the ninja world.
However, only a few knew that the Uchiha clan wasn't wiped out by Uchiha Itachi alone; there were shadows of Konoha's higher-ups and help from outsiders involved.
Izayoi was one of the few who knew this secret.
During this period, the ninja world's number one simp could use Kamui to enter Konoha and wander around at any time.
To avoid being discovered by this crazy simp, or attracting his attention, Izayoi planned to slow down his training pace and refrain from taking Hinata to the deserted training ground to train until after the Uchiha clan's demise.
After all, better safe than sorry.
Hinata was the main family's eldest daughter, her Byakugan lacked the Caged Bird seal, making her a priceless commodity on the black market.
After all, Ao, with just one Byakugan, became an elite Jonin of Kirigakure and even landed on Konoha's gold bounty list.
Who knew if Uchiha Obito, or the hidden Black and White Zetsu, might suddenly target Hinata's Byakugan.
So, Izayoi, having already caused butterfly effects, wouldn't gamble on the villains' benevolence.
...
March 20th.
Students from grades one to five faced their year-end exams, just before the sixth graders' graduation exam.
On this day, Izayoi arrived at the Ninja School early.
However, Hinata arrived in the classroom even earlier than him.
After exchanging secret signals and confirming it was Izayoi's main body, Hinata smiled faintly and said softly, "Izayoi-kun, good luck."
"Mhm, let's both do our best."
Izayoi grinned, encouraging in a low voice, "Let's aim to take first and second place."
"Mhm!"
Hinata imagined the results board showing Izayoi and herself ranked first and second, her eyes filled with longing as she nodded.
Previously, Hinata had no desire for ranks.
But now, Hinata didn't want to lose to anyone other than Izayoi.
She too had the strength to compete for second place!
Soon, it was time for the exam to start.
The morning assessment was on cultural subjects.
Although the Three Basic Jutsu had been taught this semester, the school didn't test them.
After all, even among the sixth graders, not everyone could perform the Three Basic Jutsu.
Some graduation exams even only randomly tested one of the three.
A newly graduated Genin capable of performing a C-rank Five Elements Release jutsu would have chakra levels sufficient to impress their Jonin instructor.
This showed that over ninety percent of first-year students lacked the chakra to perform the Three Basic Jutsu.
Thus, even though Uchiha Itachi's knowledge was only at a first-year level, simply attending class with a shadow clone led his teacher to believe there was nothing left to teach him, specifically requesting the Third Hokage to allow him to graduate early.
In this world, knowledge was secondary; strength was primary.
Uzumaki Naruto was the best example.
The morning exams posed no difficulty for Izayoi and Hinata.
The afternoon exams were shuriken throwing and taijutsu sparring, plus the newly added survival exercise.
The first two were also easy.
As long as Hinata wasn't matched against Izayoi in taijutsu, even if she faced Uchiha Sasuke, she would get full marks.
In terms of taijutsu, Hinata was already invincible among the first years.
With her decisive attacks, her pressure point strikes were a nightmare for children.
However, if she were matched against Izayoi, Hinata's hope for second place would be dashed.
As for why not the top spot?
Simple: during these three semesters, Hinata had been matched against Izayoi before, and naturally lost.
Her overall score was already lower than Izayoi's.
Even if she luckily got full marks in all subjects for the year-end exam, she couldn't claim the title of top student.
Similarly, even if Izayoi carelessly made a mistake in the cultural exam and lost to Haruno Sakura, the latter couldn't become the top student either, because her overall score wasn't good enough.
Currently, among the first years, the only ones undefeated in practical combat were Izayoi, Uchiha Sasuke, and Aburame Shino.
Among them, Uchiha Sasuke and Aburame Shino's cultural exam scores and overall scores were lower than Izayoi's, and also lower than Hinata's.
Even if they got full marks in the year-end exam, they couldn't get the top spot.
Hinata just needed full marks in the practical exams to secure second place.
Unless someone from another class had a better overall score than Hinata.
But clearly, that was impossible.
Shuriken throwing, Izayoi easily scored full marks.
When it came to taijutsu sparring, Izayoi was matched against an unexpected opponent.
"Next match, Izayoi versus Uzumaki Naruto."
The students of Class 1-1 formed a circle in the open ground.
Umino Iruka stood in the middle of the circle, holding a clipboard, and announced loudly.
"Ehh..."
Hearing his opponent's name, Uzumaki Naruto couldn't help but clutch his head, despairing, "Why is my opponent Izayoi? I'm doomed!"
Cultural classes and shuriken throwing were already nightmares for Uzumaki Naruto.
Only in taijutsu sparring did he have a slight chance of winning.
But now, even that slight chance was gone.
After all, Izayoi was someone even the taijutsu demon king like Hinata couldn't beat.
Unlike the despairing Uzumaki Naruto, Izayoi's eyes lit up.
Finally matched against this child of prophecy!
---
Chapter 13: Crushing Naruto, Uzumaki Bloodline!
Indeed, this was the first time Izayoi had been matched against Uzumaki Naruto.
Between Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, there seemed to be some force of fate at play.
Out of ten taijutsu sparring sessions, they were matched against each other almost half the time.
Izayoi simply couldn't get matched with Uzumaki Naruto.
Fortunately, [Otsutsuki Bloodline (Red)], like [Sage Body], possessed an extremely vast amount of chakra; otherwise, he wouldn't know how to acquire Uzumaki Naruto's [Sage Body].
Now, finally matched against the protagonist, he felt extremely excited.
This meant his luck today was very good.
Since his luck was so good, could he perhaps obtain a precious entry?
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Izayoi stood up and walked to Umino Iruka's right side.
Looking at Uzumaki Naruto who walked to the opposite side, gritting his teeth, unwilling to give up, Izayoi raised his right hand, holding up his index and middle fingers vertically, and smiled, "Naruto, please take care of me."
Hearing this, Uzumaki Naruto was slightly taken aback.
His tense mood suddenly relaxed.
Looking at Izayoi opposite him, a warm current surged through his heart.
Different!
This guy's eyes were different from others.
There was none of the adults' disgust, none of the peers' exclusion, only the kindness of treating everyone equally.
Besides Umino Iruka who had acknowledged him last semester, Izayoi was the second special person.
Thinking of this, Uzumaki Naruto suddenly felt an urge to cry.
But he suppressed that emotion, nodded forcefully, and grinned, "Mhm, please take care of me!"
After speaking, Uzumaki Naruto also raised his index and middle fingers.
In his blue eyes, the same color as Izayoi's, his gaze had become resolute.
Umino Iruka, taking this scene in, couldn't help but show a gratified smile.
Then, he stepped back a few paces and shouted loudly, "Seventh match, begin!"
The moment his voice fell, Izayoi and Uzumaki Naruto charged towards each other.
Uzumaki Naruto's attack pattern was extremely simple, repetitive, completely inflexible.
Upon closing in, he threw a punch straight at Izayoi.
Although Izayoi didn't have the Sharingan, before his power of observation, the moment Uzumaki Naruto raised his shoulder, he knew what the other was going to do.
Before the blond-haired boy's fist struck out, he had already finished gathering force.
With a left upward block, the back of his hand struck Uzumaki Naruto's wrist, knocking his straight punch aside, then he delivered a right punch.
*Bang!*
The fist landed squarely on Uzumaki Naruto's left cheek.
The powerful force knocked Uzumaki Naruto down in one hit.
His face swelled and reddened, already showing bruising.
"Owwwww..."
Uzumaki Naruto sucked in sharp breaths but wasn't knocked out by Izayoi's single punch.
He quickly got up and continued attacking the black-haired boy.
However, every punch and kick was anticipated by Izayoi, either blocked, dodged, or deflected followed by a counterattack.
Even Hinata's pressure point strikes, swift as the wind, carrying chakra flames and whistling sounds with each hit, could be handled easily by Izayoi.
Uzumaki Naruto's chaotic attacks not only lacked power but were also full of openings.
Punch after punch, kick after kick landed on Uzumaki Naruto.
The clothes of this child of prophecy quickly became dirty, his face covered in bruises, looking extremely battered.
In contrast, Izayoi was completely unharmed, even spotless.
Even a three-year-old could see the difference between the two.
But strangely, Uzumaki Naruto, despite being unilaterally beaten, didn't choose to surrender.
Initially, he would gasp when hit, but now, even when struck, he didn't utter a sound.
His expression was so focused, and his attacks gradually became less chaotic.
He was growing, even though he might revert next time.
But right now, he was indeed getting stronger through battle.
Thus, spotting another opening, Izayoi decided to end the fight.
He bent his knees, ducking under Uzumaki Naruto's attack, using the momentum for a leg sweep, tripping Uzumaki Naruto.
Then, giving Uzumaki Naruto no chance to get up, he punched downward, stopping just before Naruto's face.
Seeing this, Umino Iruka immediately announced loudly, "Uzumaki Naruto has lost the ability to fight. The winner is Izayoi."
*Pak!*
Almost the instant Umino Iruka's voice fell, around Uzumaki Naruto, among the bubbles only Izayoi could see, one of the purple bubbles suddenly burst.
Immediately, a beam of purple light flew towards Izayoi, seeping into his body.
Following that, a tiny bubble reappeared around Uzumaki Naruto.
This newly formed bubble was extremely small, its color not white-to-red, but transparent.
There was no entry inside; it was empty.
Izayoi had seen such a scene more than once.
He knew this bubble was in a cooldown state.
Once the cooldown finished, this transparent bubble would turn back into a purple bubble, and the entry inside would reappear.
Simultaneously, Izayoi would have a chance to trigger this entry again.
Yes, entries could be triggered repeatedly.
It was just that Izayoi hadn't yet triggered the same entry from the same person twice.
Recognizing which entry the purple bubble contained, Izayoi felt extremely excited now.
However, he didn't immediately summon his personal panel.
Instead, he extended his hand towards Uzumaki Naruto and smiled, "Naruto, you're very strong. Let's fight again next time."
Uzumaki Naruto, who had given his all yet still got beaten badly, initially felt bitter.
But seeing Izayoi looking at him sincerely, without a hint of looking down on him...
Uzumaki Naruto, who only felt unwilling resentment towards Uchiha Sasuke, instantly felt relieved.
He reached out, grabbed Izayoi's hand, used the leverage to stand up, and also grinned, "Izayoi, you really are strong. But next time, I won't lose!"
"Your improvement is very obvious. I look forward to our next match."
Izayoi smiled and extended his index and middle fingers towards Uzumaki Naruto.
Uzumaki Naruto also extended his index and middle fingers, hooking them with Izayoi's.
This was the Seal of Reconciliation.
Corresponding to the Seal of Opposition before the fight, it symbolized that even the greatest rifts between ninjas could be reconciled.
In the original story, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke used the Seal of Reconciliation to end the fated battle between Ashura and Indra that had cycled for a thousand years.
If the reincarnations of Ashura and Indra couldn't reconcile, their chakra would continue to reincarnate endlessly.
The thousand-year fated battle made Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke dislike each other even without any conflict or Haruno Sakura's involvement.
Uzumaki Naruto could naturally shake hands and make peace with Izayoi, but he couldn't bring himself to form the Seal of Reconciliation with Uchiha Sasuke.
However, none of this concerned Izayoi.
After forming the Seal of Reconciliation with Uzumaki Naruto, Izayoi returned to the line, casually dealing with the surrounding classmates while summoning the screen only he could see, simultaneously responding to the prompt that echoed in his mind as the light beam seeped into his body.
"Ding! You have obtained the talent entry [Uzumaki Bloodline (Purple)]. Fuse or Decompose?"
"Fuse."
The next second, a new talent entry appeared in the entry list—[Uzumaki Bloodline (Purple)].
---
Chapter 14: Top Student!
Although not getting [Sage Body] left Izayoi slightly regretful, obtaining [Uzumaki Bloodline] was already extremely lucky.
This bloodline, like the Senju, Uchiha, and Kaguya clans, was a branch of the Otsutsuki clan.
As descendants of the Sage Body, both the Uzumaki and Senju clans possessed powerful life force and astonishing chakra reserves.
Furthermore, besides being skilled in sealing techniques, the Uzumaki clan possessed three powerful unique abilities.
These three abilities were: Kagura Mind's Eye, Adamantine Sealing Chains, and Body Healing Technique.
Kagura Mind's Eye: one of the strongest sensory techniques in the ninja world.
Adamantine Sealing Chains: offensive and defensive, could also be used to create barriers and perform sealing techniques, capable of restraining even Tailed Beasts.
Body Healing Technique: could consume chakra to heal oneself or others, with remarkably potent effects.
All three of these abilities were top-tier support skills.
However, just as not every Uchiha awakens the Sharingan, not every member of the Uzumaki clan could awaken these three unique abilities.
In the original story, Uzumaki Naruto didn't awaken any of these abilities before gaining Kurama's acknowledgment.
After gaining Kurama's acknowledgment, he did possess the same Empathy Sensing as Uzumaki Mito.
The other abilities remained unawakened, either because the true Sage Body was too strong, or because the original author didn't want to give him more cheats.
But undeniably, Uzumaki Naruto not only had the Uzumaki bloodline, but as the reincarnation of Ashura's chakra, the purity of this bloodline was also very high.
And now, Izayoi had obtained the Uzumaki Bloodline from Uzumaki Naruto.
If his luck was good, perhaps he too could awaken one of the three unique abilities.
If he were like Karin, awakening all three unique abilities simultaneously, then whether in sensing, sealing, or healing, he would reach the pinnacle of the ninja world.
Even if no unique abilities were awakened, he would still possess the powerful life force inherited from the Sage Body, which was still a win.
Izayoi cheerfully dismissed the screen, watching the ongoing matches.
As match after match concluded, the taijutsu sparring segment quickly ended.
Next was the final test, the newly added Survival Exercise.
However, before starting the Survival Exercise, Umino Iruka first took the students to the infirmary for the doctor to treat their injuries.
Then he led them to the equipment room, allowing Izayoi and the others to select items.
These items were necessary for using the Invisibility Jutsu.
Unlike the Genin's survival exercise of snatching bells, the Ninja School's survival exercise mostly involved hide-and-seek, mainly testing students' Invisibility Jutsu, Shunshin Jutsu, and proficiency with the Three Basic Jutsu.
Those who performed well received high scores or full marks.
If performance was poor, they would be given a chance, similar to the Chunin Exams.
If they still couldn't measure up afterward, they would be caught.
This kind of test naturally posed no difficulty for Izayoi, who had long mastered the Three Basic Jutsu.
He unsurprisingly lasted until the time ran out, securing full marks in another subject.
Although the results would only be announced during the new semester in April, the title of top student was already Izayoi's for the taking.
"Hinata, see you at the usual spot tomorrow."
"Mhm!"
After school, Izayoi and Hinata parted ways at an intersection, making their usual arrangement.
Although Izayoi wouldn't take Hinata to the deserted training ground again before the Uchiha clan's demise, he still hadn't stopped training with her.
The training location simply shifted from the deserted training ground to the school playground, or Izayoi's home courtyard.
The Nine-Tails' attack hadn't destroyed Izayoi's home.
His parents, both ninjas, left him an inheritance that included a two-story detached house with a small courtyard.
Compared to Uzumaki Naruto, whose inheritance was entirely confiscated, even the scarf left by Uzumaki Kushina tossed into a storage room to gather dust, Izayoi's situation was incredibly good.
Fortunately, his parents in this life were ordinary ninjas, so the village's greed wasn't that unsightly.
...
There are three semesters in a year.
Besides the relatively long summer break, other holidays at the Ninja School are very short.
In the blink of an eye, it was April 1st.
The Ninja School started a new academic year.
The sixth graders had graduated.
Those Genin recognized by their Jonin instructors had already begun undertaking missions.
Those Genin not recognized had either returned to repeat the year, been specially recruited by other departments, or, having repeated several times and feeling they lacked the aptitude to be ninjas, had already dropped out to become ordinary people.
Students from grades one to five moved up, transferring to new classrooms.
The emptied first-year classrooms welcomed new students who had passed the entrance exam.
On this day, the bulletin board was crowded with students.
First-year newcomers were checking their classroom assignments.
Students from other grades were checking the results of their respective grade's major exams.
"Hey hey... Izayoi-kun, did you check the results on the bulletin board?"
"Amazing, Izayoi, you became our grade's top student!"
"As expected of Izayoi, even that guy Sasuke is no match for you."
"Izayoi is the top student, Hinata is second place. You two deskmates took the top two spots, that's too strong!"
"..."
As soon as Izayoi arrived at the new classroom, he was surrounded by classmates, both boys and girls.
Izayoi didn't feel impatient, instead standing there, smiling and chatting with them for quite a while.
From their words, it was clear: Izayoi was the top student, and second place wasn't Uchiha Sasuke, but Hinata.
He wasn't surprised by this.
Hinata's cultural class scores were already among the top ranks.
In the original Chunin Exams' first stage, among the four girls of the Konoha 12, only she and Haruno Sakura didn't need to cheat.
With his help, having learned tree climbing and water walking in the first year, her personality no longer introverted, her fighting style decisive and not considerate of others, if Hinata still lost to Uchiha Sasuke under these circumstances, Izayoi might as well bash his head against a wall.
Uchiha Sasuke should consider himself lucky he didn't encounter Hinata in the taijutsu sparring; otherwise, he wouldn't even hold onto third place.
After all, Aburame Shino was no pushover.
After chatting with classmates until just before class started, Izayoi finally returned to his seat.
"Izayoi-kun, good morning."
"Morning, Hinata."
Hinata still arrived earlier than Izayoi.
After greeting each other, they began chatting casually.
"Izayoi-kun, congratulations on becoming the top student."
Hinata had clearly checked the results board too.
Izayoi also smiled, "Congratulations on taking second place. Now your father will have even less reason to stop you from coming out."
"Mhm, mhm..."
Hinata nodded repeatedly, a happy smile on her face.
Clearly, she had also realized that her father had long seen through her and Izayoi's plan.
But Hinata hadn't been grounded; instead, she could go out freely, indicating her father tacitly approved of her interactions with Izayoi.
Thinking back to how she practiced water walking at home, was discovered multiple times but never questioned, Hinata felt it must be related to her progress.
Now, she had achieved second place in the grade rankings, and Izayoi, who taught her, was the top student.
If her father knew, he would surely approve of Izayoi even more.
Thinking this, Hinata couldn't stop feeling joyful.
---
Chapter 15: Uchiha Clan Massacre!
The second-year curriculum wasn't vastly different from the first year's.
Cultural classes covered the same subjects, just at a higher difficulty.
Afternoons no longer included physical training.
Students who hadn't been advised to withdraw by now had clearly extracted chakra.
As long as they followed the curriculum for the remaining six years, they would either become Genin recognized by Jonin instructors and prioritized for training by the village, or become new forces in other departments.
The chance of wasting six years and reverting to being an ordinary person was very small.
The next five years would focus on teaching them intelligence gathering and assassination skills.
These subjects posed no difficulty for Izayoi, even bordering on boring.
After attending for just a few days, he couldn't resist changing his original plan and once again sent a shadow clone to attend classes.
His main body, meanwhile, stayed home to train.
Although he couldn't practice Five Elements Release jutsu at home, he could try developing ninjutsu.
Developing ninjutsu typically required a strong foundation in nature transformation or shape transformation.
However, Izayoi, as a transmigrator, knew of one jutsu that didn't require such a foundation, only sufficient chakra reserves.
That jutsu was the one the Fourth Hokage drew inspiration from the Tailed Beast Bomb, finally developing it after several years – the A-rank difficulty, signless, non-elemental jutsu: Rasengan!
As Uzumaki Naruto's signature jutsu, used from childhood onwards and developed into various series, the Rasengan was also the only jutsu in the original story whose full training method was revealed.
That training arc left too deep an impression.
Anyone who enjoyed watching Naruto couldn't possibly forget this training method, and Izayoi was no exception.
However, he wasn't training the Rasengan to use as a trump card, but rather, as mentioned above – to attempt developing ninjutsu.
The Rasengan was developed by the Fourth Hokage, a signless jutsu with special significance in Konoha.
Besides the Fourth Hokage, the only ones who mastered this jutsu were his teacher and disciples.
If Izayoi suddenly used this jutsu later, it would definitely attract the attention of Konoha's higher-ups.
Without a reasonable explanation, it could lead to various suspicions.
This wasn't what Izayoi wanted.
Therefore, he wanted to use the Rasengan as a foundation to develop another signless jutsu – Amenomihashira/Pillar of Heaven.
The Amenomihashira, also known as the Super Hurricane Sphere Combo, was a jutsu used by Otsutsuki Ashura against Otsutsuki Indra in the TV anime.
That jutsu resembled Uzumaki Naruto's Planetary Rasengan.
The principle of this jutsu involved first creating an energy sphere slightly smaller than the Great Ball Rasengan, then adding five rotating energy spheres, each the size of a regular Rasengan, inside it.
This jutsu, like the Rasenshuriken, could be thrown or launched.
Once it exploded, it would be a six-stage explosion.
If the main energy sphere was destroyed, the five inner spheres would disperse to attack the enemy.
Moreover, like Uzumaki Naruto adding various elemental properties to his Rasengan variants, this jutsu could also be infused with Five Elements properties, or even combine all five properties, similar to the Third Hokage's Five Style: Great Combo Jutsu.
At that point, the power would be world-shatteringly immense.
Without the [Otsutsuki Bloodline (Red)] and [All-Attribute Physique (Purple)] entries, Izayoi definitely wouldn't dare have such thoughts; simply learning the Rasengan would be satisfying enough.
But the signless talent brought by [Otsutsuki Bloodline (Red)], along with [All-Attribute Physique (Purple)] and the already upgraded Purple-rank [Chakra Control], gave Izayoi the capital to turn this TV anime original jutsu into reality.
Leveraging his powerful chakra control, he mastered the Rasengan in just one week.
Next, he just needed to continue infusing chakra, expanding the Rasengan's size to that of a basketball while preventing the energy sphere from exploding, then he could try condensing smaller energy spheres inside.
However, at this stage, Izayoi couldn't train at home.
Otherwise, if the energy sphere exploded, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Thus, he began to wait patiently for the Uchiha clan's demise.
When the time came to May 15th, Izayoi finally awaited this day.
Afternoons usually had only two or three classes.
A survival exercise to check the students' growth over the period occurred only once every few weeks.
Even in such special circumstances, the school would dismiss around 5 PM.
But on this day, the students of Class 2-1 unusually had four classes in the afternoon.
The final survival exercise even lasted until dusk descended.
The Uchiha clan compound was located near the Naka River, practically in the suburbs.
Without using Shunshin Jutsu, by the time Uchiha Sasuke returned to the compound, night had already fallen.
At this time, a round moon had appeared in the sky.
Against the backdrop of the sunset glow, it looked somewhat blood-red.
Izayoi's shadow clone glanced at the back of Uchiha Sasuke, who ran home immediately after leaving the school gate.
He knew that after today, this not-so-cold Sasuke, who didn't care much about grades, would disappear completely.
At that time, a Sasuke radiating an icy aura, extremely concerned with grades and family honor, easily provoked by mere words, prone to emotional breakdowns, would appear before Izayoi.
Although the latter was very tragic, Izayoi still eagerly anticipated that moment's arrival.
After all, he had waited for a full year.
...
The next day, news rocked Konoha and quickly spread outward.
Through spy transmissions, it soon reached the entire ninja world.
The Uchiha clan – which had become Konoha's premier clan after the Senju's decline, arguably the number one ninja clan in the world, whose Kekkei Genkai bore titles like "invincible in one-on-one," "Copy Wheel Eye," and "Illusion Eye" – had been exterminated.
The culprit who wiped out this clan wasn't their rival, the Hyuga clan, nor Konoha's higher-ups or other villages, but the eldest son of the Uchiha clan's current head, the mere 13-year-old Uchiha Itachi.
The name Uchiha Itachi also rapidly spread throughout the ninja world in the following days, making him Konoha's, and indeed the ninja world's, youngest S-rank rogue ninja.
The moment Izayoi stepped out today, he saw villagers discussing this matter.
This was a major event.
The shockwaves were no less than the Nine-Tails attack in Konoha Year 48.
In just a few short years, Konoha had successively lost the Fourth Hokage couple, numerous other powerful individuals, and its number one prestigious clan.
The current Konoha had undoubtedly entered its weakest period since the village's founding.
The strongest ninja village, which once had more Kage-level powerhouses than could be counted on one hand and could win even when fighting one against four, now only had the aging Third Hokage as its sole Kage-level expert.
After the Nine-Tails attack, Konoha attracted the covetous eyes and schemes of Kumo.
Now, having lost its premier clan, logically, it should attract even more external enemies.
But strangely, the following years in Konoha were peaceful.
Clearly, the major ninja villages had noticed something amiss.
---
Chapter 16: Sasuke's Challenge, No-Rules Duel!
The higher-ups of the major ninja villages weren't fools.
The Uchiha clan was a prestigious clan with a thousand-year heritage, and the Sharingan was the strongest Kekkei Genkai in the ninja world after the Wood Style became lost.
Countless people coveted a three-tomoe Sharingan; after all, Hatake Kakashi became known as the 'Copy Ninja' and 'Konoha's Technician', famed for copying over a thousand jutsu, solely relying on a single three-tomoe Sharingan.
Moreover, copying jutsu was only the ability of the two-tomoe Sharingan.
The three-tomoe Sharingan was known as the Illusion Eye.
Outsiders couldn't unleash the true power of the Sharingan.
Uchiha members capable of wielding the true power of the three-tomoe Sharingan were invariably elite Jonin, invincible in single combat.
The Uchiha clan definitely had double-digit numbers of such powerhouses.
With so many experts, plus other Uchiha who had awakened the one-tomoe or two-tomoe Sharingan, as well as numerous ordinary clan members without the Sharingan, wiping them all out overnight, even if Uchiha Itachi possessed the legendary Mangekyo Sharingan, was impossible.
Even if possible, it couldn't have happened without any commotion.
But strangely, the Uchiha clan was annihilated overnight, and the culprit, Uchiha Itachi, successfully escaped Konoha.
The waters here ran incredibly deep.
Undoubtedly, Konoha's higher-ups were involved.
The ability and means to erase the premier clan overnight, coupled with the ruthless and cold disregard for consequences, shocked the major ninja villages.
Regarding this incident, the major villages merely sent batches of spies to infiltrate Konoha and gather intelligence.
After failing, they dropped the matter.
The Third Great Ninja War had inflicted heavy losses on all major villages, and none had fully recovered yet.
Even Kumogakure didn't kick Konoha while it was down this time.
They were all maintaining the current balance, preparing for the next Great Ninja War.
Izayoi wasn't privy to these details but could guess some aspects.
Having seen the original story, he knew the next few years would be peaceful.
This was the best opportunity for development.
...
Uchiha Sasuke, caught in the Mangekyo Sharingan's genjutsu, remained unconscious for a full week before waking up.
When he reappeared in the classroom, his entire demeanor had drastically changed.
Previously, Uchiha Sasuke would just look troubled when surrounded by girls but wouldn't say hurtful things or resort to violence.
This attitude, ironically, made the girls even more persistent.
But now, the girls who were delighted to see Uchiha Sasuke reappear didn't dare surround him at all.
Because Uchiha Sasuke's current gaze and aura were simply too frightening; peers didn't dare approach or even meet his eyes.
Only Izayoi could tell that the current Uchiha Sasuke was fragile yet stubborn.
Covered in scars, most in need of love's warmth and healing.
But his personality prevented him from accepting anyone's pity.
Only Uzumaki Naruto, whose fate had cycled for a thousand years and was similar to his in this life, could break into Uchiha Sasuke's heart and gain his recognition.
After school, Izayoi finally witnessed the scene he had long awaited.
After the taijutsu sparring ended, the classmates formed small groups as usual, either lingering at school, leaving school, or heading home alone without joining any group.
Previously, Uchiha Sasuke belonged to the last category.
But today, Uchiha Sasuke didn't head home alone.
Instead, he approached Izayoi, uttering the same words Izayoi had used years ago: "Izayoi, want to have a match?"
Hearing this, Izayoi, who had specifically come to school in his main body today and hadn't gone home with Hinata precisely to wait for this moment, chuckled inwardly.
But outwardly, he feigned surprise, looking at Uchiha Sasuke, who possibly hadn't fully recovered and whose eyes held a trace of gloom, and teased, "Back then, you weren't interested in my challenge. Why the interest now?"
"Cut the crap. Are you scared?"
Uchiha Sasuke didn't answer, instead using provocation.
Previously, he only wanted to train with Uchiha Itachi, naturally unwilling to waste time on others.
Now, with his clan destroyed, his sole reason for living was to kill Uchiha Itachi and then revive the Uchiha clan.
To kill Uchiha Itachi, he needed immense power.
To revive the Uchiha clan, he first needed to remind people of the Uchiha clan's strength and glory, ensuring he didn't lose to others.
Therefore, Izayoi became his target.
Defeating Izayoi would prove he was stronger than all his peers.
Izayoi naturally didn't know Uchiha Sasuke's thoughts.
Seeing the other use taunts to mask his tsundere nature, Izayoi took the hint and nodded with a smile, "Alright, let's have a match then."
"Good. Let's go to the playground," Uchiha Sasuke said, his face full of fighting spirit.
"No need for the playground. Let's change locations."
Izayoi shook his head, smiling, "I'll take you somewhere."
After speaking, Izayoi headed towards the deserted training ground.
Uchiha Sasuke followed closely behind.
A week had passed since the Uchiha clan's destruction.
Uchiha Obito, aside from Nohara Rin's death anniversary, probably wouldn't come wandering around Konoha anymore.
Izayoi had specifically noted Nohara Rin's death anniversary at the cemetery; he just needed to avoid going into the wilderness around that time each year.
So, a few days ago, Izayoi had resumed training in the wild.
Soon, the two arrived at the training ground where he and Hinata usually practiced.
The ground and trees there were covered in marks from impacts and ninjutsu.
Seeing these marks, Uchiha Sasuke's pupils constricted slightly, considerable waves stirring in his heart.
If these marks were all left by Izayoi...
Didn't that mean this guy, like himself, had also mastered ninjutsu?
If he remembered correctly, he was an orphan.
He himself had his father's guidance, yet Izayoi learned everything alone.
Uchiha Sasuke faintly understood why this guy could surpass him.
It wasn't luck; it was because the other worked harder than him.
Thinking this, Uchiha Sasuke's fighting spirit intensified.
Fighting such an opponent would make him stronger.
Defeating such an opponent would prove his own strength.
"How do you want to fight?"
Looking at Uchiha Sasuke opposite him, Izayoi asked, "Taijutsu duel, or a no-rules duel?"
The so-called no-rules duel meant anything goes.
Three Basic Jutsu, Invisibility Jutsu, Shunshin Jutsu, tools, even ninjutsu not taught at the Ninja School – all could be used freely.
A no-rules duel was also extremely dangerous.
The Ninja School did have no-rules duels, but only as a sixth-year subject.
Moreover, during a no-rules duel, besides the referee teacher, a medical ninja had to be present nearby.
After all, such fights could easily lead to accidents.
A moment's carelessness could even put a student's life in danger.
If Umino Iruka were here and heard Izayoi's words, he would surely turn pale, immediately stopping and reprimanding them.
However, Uchiha Sasuke answered without hesitation, "No-rules duel!"
---
Chapter 17: Huh?
"Got guts."
Izayoi wasn't surprised by Uchiha Sasuke's choice.
Outwardly, though, he still gave Uchiha Sasuke a thumbs-up.
This choice was also good for Izayoi.
A taijutsu duel couldn't bring out one's full strength.
Even if he won, the drop rate for entries would be lower than in a no-rules duel.
Izayoi had confirmed this.
When Hinata didn't use her pressure point strikes to inject chakra into his body, defeating her never yielded any entries.
The strength gap between him and Hinata was simply too large.
Although a crushing victory could potentially yield entries, Izayoi hadn't encountered this extremely small probability even once in the past year.
When Hinata used her pressure point strikes and went all out, Izayoi successively obtained two entries from her over the year, one Purple and one Blue.
These two entries were precisely [Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan (Purple)] and [Chakra Control (Blue)].
It wasn't that Izayoi looked down on Uchiha Sasuke, but being familiar with the plot and possessing astonishing talent, he had taken shortcuts since age three.
The cheat user had a three-to-four-year head start on the other cheat user.
If Uchiha Sasuke hadn't already mastered Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu, he would pose absolutely no threat to Izayoi.
And the Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu could increase Uchiha Sasuke's drop rate.
A no-rules duel was the best choice.
"Let's begin then!"
Izayoi took a few steps back, creating distance from Uchiha Sasuke, then raised his index and middle fingers vertically.
Seeing this, Uchiha Sasuke also formed the Seal of Opposition.
Immediately, the two charged towards each other.
Upon closing in, Uchiha Sasuke threw a punch.
Izayoi sidestepped while simultaneously lifting his leg, turning 180 degrees to kick towards Uchiha Sasuke's face, displaying surprising flexibility.
Uchiha Sasuke couldn't dodge in time and could only raise his other arm, blocking with his forearm, his body stumbling back several steps from the kick.
By the time he regained his footing, he was already in an extremely passive position.
Izayoi rushed forward, arms striking left and right, aiming for Uchiha Sasuke's face and chest.
The power wasn't immense, but the speed was too fast for Uchiha Sasuke to react.
Just as he blocked the first punch, the second punch exploited the opening, landing on his face.
Taking the first hit, Uchiha Sasuke completely lost his rhythm, becoming a mobile punching bag.
His raised arms were even utilized by Izayoi, grabbed and pulled to disrupt his balance.
In contrast, Izayoi's combination attacks, initially chaotic, gradually gained rhythm.
Like the Hyuga clan's Eight Trigrams Palms, without injecting chakra, the damage wasn't significant, but during the combo, the opponent was completely helpless.
After an unknown number of hits, Izayoi finally stopped his assault, performing a 360-degree spin, channeling power into a kick that struck Uchiha Sasuke's body, sending him flying.
The force of this kick was even harder to bear than the previous barrage, making Uchiha Sasuke struggle to breathe.
However, looking at Izayoi retracting his leg, Uchiha Sasuke, who had been trapped in the genjutsu space these past days, endlessly rewatching the clan massacre, suddenly saw Uchiha Itachi's reflection in Izayoi.
His brother's disdainful words about not bothering to kill him echoed in his mind.
'You are too weak right now. Just live on pathetically, clinging to life with all your might...'
Uchiha Sasuke's expression suddenly twisted.
"Uchiha Itachi, I will definitely kill you! Fire Style... Great Fireball Jutsu!"
He mistook Izayoi for Uchiha Itachi, then formed hand seals, spitting a stream of fire from his mouth that rapidly expanded into a large, high-temperature fireball, hurtling towards Izayoi.
"Just what I wanted! Wind Style... Wind Cutter Jutsu!"
Izayoi, far from being alarmed, was pleased.
He pretended to form hand seals, exhaling a breath that suddenly became visible, transforming into a sickle-shaped, transparent white wind blade that collided with the incoming fireball.
The next second, the giant fireball was sliced diagonally, and the wind blade, its power drastically reduced, continued forward, striking Uchiha Sasuke.
*Screeech—*
With the sound of tearing cloth, blood spurted from Uchiha Sasuke's body.
Uchiha Sasuke landed on the ground and instantly stopped moving.
Izayoi remained calm, walking over unhurriedly.
Anyone might die now, except Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto.
The news that the Gedo Statue had been summoned from the moon must have already reached the Sage of Six Paths.
He surely knew that the second pair of Rinnegan had been born.
To prevent his mother from reviving before Indra and Ashura had fully grown, the Sage of Six Paths would absolutely not allow this generation's Indra and Ashura reincarnations to die easily.
Besides, if a C-rank Wind Cutter, already weakened, could kill him, Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't deserve to be the male lead's rival.
Arriving next to Uchiha Sasuke, the boy indeed still had breath.
The wind blade had only torn his clothes, leaving a scratch on his body, not deep enough to see bone.
Izayoi crouched down, using basic medical ninjutsu to treat him.
*Pak—*
Just then, Izayoi seemed to hear something, a sound crisper than a balloon popping.
Following the sound, he focused his gaze.
Bubbles, visible only to Izayoi, floated around Uchiha Sasuke.
Izayoi happened to see a bubble that had just burst, and flying towards him... a beam of red light.
"Huh?"
Watching the red light rapidly enlarge before his eyes, Izayoi wore a rare, dumbfounded expression.
R-Red?
How many red entries did Uchiha Sasuke have again?
Was Red the highest known rank, or was it Purple?
But the prompt that immediately sounded in his mind told Izayoi he wasn't hallucinating.
He had hit the jackpot!
"Ding! You have obtained the talent entry [Sage Eyes (Red)]. Fuse or Decompose?"
"...Fuse!"
Izayoi mentally shouted hurriedly, simultaneously feeling so excited he almost broke into a grin.
But unsure if someone was secretly watching, Izayoi forced down the urge, causing the corners of his mouth to twitch slightly, looking rather comical.
At this moment, Izayoi's mood was beyond words.
Using Hinata as an example, Izayoi initially thought obtaining Uchiha Sasuke's red entry would take a long time.
He had already prepared, planning to seek out Uchiha Sasuke for spars whenever he had time over the next five years.
If he still couldn't get the red entry during his time at the Ninja School, Izayoi would slow down his growth, pulling his strength back to the same level as Uchiha Sasuke and Hinata.
He never expected that in his very first no-rules duel, he would obtain Uchiha Sasuke's [Sage Eyes (Red)].
He actually encountered this extremely small probability.
At this moment, Izayoi finally understood how those emperors of luck felt.
---
Chapter 18: The Second Otsutsuki Indra!
Having hit the jackpot, Izayoi didn't rush to feel the changes brought by the Sage Eyes.
He first cleared his thoughts and focused on healing Uchiha Sasuke.
Looking at Uchiha Sasuke, whose eye sockets were a bit dark, clearly having had a rough time these past few days, Izayoi felt a touch of pity.
The Naruto world wasn't short of tragically fated orphans, but orphans who first had happy families only to lose everything later...
Izayoi remembered only two, it seemed.
One was Nagato, the other was Uchiha Sasuke.
But compared to Nagato, who had Yahiko, Konan, and Jiraiya, Uchiha Sasuke, whose path was arranged by Uchiha Itachi, was undoubtedly more tragic.
From beginning to end, he was either on the path of revenge or, after learning the truth, had his revolutionary ideas immediately suppressed by the only companion he acknowledged.
Afterward, to atone, he continuously gathered intelligence on the Otsutsuki clan across the ninja world, not returning home for years at a time.
If Izayoi didn't change Uchiha Sasuke's fate, then Uchiha Sasuke would be even more miserable than in the original story.
After all, before graduation in the original story, Uchiha Sasuke was the most popular top student in school.
But now, the top student was Izayoi, second place was Hinata; he could only compete for third.
After graduation, he would face constant setbacks, witnessing the dead-last Uzumaki Naruto surpass him at lightning speed.
"Should I give him a hand?"
Izayoi thought inwardly.
At this moment, Uchiha Sasuke, who had fainted from the fall, also regained consciousness.
Looking at Uchiha Sasuke, whose eyes were bloodshot, Izayoi made up his mind and said, "Your condition is too poor right now. Go back and rest for a while. Come find me again when you've fully recovered."
Uchiha Sasuke didn't speak but sat up, looking at his chest where the wound had healed but a small scar remained.
In his mind, the battle just now involuntarily replayed.
Whether in taijutsu or ninjutsu, he was completely no match for Izayoi.
That fluid attack sequence, and the footwork supporting that attack speed, were on a completely different level.
Moreover, this scar, and the green light he saw upon opening his eyes, indicated Izayoi had also mastered medical ninjutsu.
Thinking of this, Uchiha Sasuke felt a wave of defeat.
"I lost."
Uchiha Sasuke wasn't someone who couldn't accept defeat.
Just like Uzumaki Naruto felt, he didn't particularly dislike Izayoi.
Although it was a no-rules duel, suddenly unleashing ninjutsu earlier was a very dangerous act.
Therefore, Uchiha Sasuke straightforwardly admitted his defeat.
"I only won by luck."
Izayoi patted Uchiha Sasuke's shoulder, praising sincerely, "You're pretty amazing too. I thought I was the only one in class who mastered ninjutsu, but I didn't expect you to know it as well. As expected of a genius from the Uchiha clan."
After speaking, he stood up and extended his hand towards Uchiha Sasuke, "I took advantage today. Let's fight again next time."
Looking at Izayoi, who showed no trace of arrogance and even praised him, a warmth suddenly surged in Uchiha Sasuke's heart.
Being acknowledged, he finally showed the first smile since waking up, reaching out to grasp Izayoi's hand, "Next time, I won't lose!"
Pulling Uchiha Sasuke up, Izayoi extended his index and middle fingers towards him, "Then you have to train hard, you know. I'm very strong."
"Just wait and see!"
Uchiha Sasuke, filled with fighting spirit, formed the Seal of Reconciliation with Izayoi.
This scene was also reflected in a transparent crystal ball.
Seeing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen, puffing on his pipe, couldn't help but show a gratified smile, "The new leaves are starting to sprout."
At this moment, Uchiha Sasuke was in his most vulnerable state.
To prevent him from seeking death, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had promised Uchiha Itachi he would take care of Sasuke, and also to allow Itachi to serve as a spy with peace of mind, wouldn't ignore Sasuke.
The Anbu were already secretly watching Uchiha Sasuke from unseen places.
Their departure from the Ninja School towards the deserted training ground was reported to Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately.
Fortunately, Izayoi hadn't muttered to himself earlier, and his dumbfounded expression was when he was looking down, not overly exaggerated or behaving strangely.
Otherwise, what awaited him might have been the Yamanaka clan's Mind Reading Jutsu.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was no stranger to Izayoi.
This generation of newborns was special, with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the heirs of major ninja clans all in the same class.
Izayoi, capable of surpassing them to become the top student, had long entered Sarutobi Hiruzen's sights.
Over this year of observation, he also discovered Izayoi had long mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu and low-level Wind Style, and frequently trained with the Hyuga clan's main family eldest daughter at the deserted training ground.
Every era had outstanding commoner geniuses.
Like Orochimaru, like Namikaze Minato, like the unknown Yakushi Kabuto...
In fact, even Hatake Kakashi could be considered a commoner genius, as he didn't have a Kekkei Genkai.
Compared to these commoner geniuses, Izayoi wasn't special, not even ranking first.
However, such talent was sufficient for focused cultivation.
If cultivated well, he would at least become a versatile Jonin in the future.
If he could master a forbidden jutsu, he might even become an ace elite Jonin.
Therefore, Izayoi had been on Sarutobi Hiruzen's observation list early on.
...
After parting ways with Uchiha Sasuke, Izayoi headed home while summoning the screen only he could see.
In the talent entry list now, behind the top-ranked [Otsutsuki Bloodline (Red)], was no longer the golden [Super Kage Aptitude], but [Sage Eyes (Red)].
The appearance of this entry hadn't yet brought obvious changes to him.
However, Izayoi was very certain that unknown changes were currently occurring within his body.
Sage Eyes, unlike the true Sage Eyes: Rinnegan, was Otsutsuki Indra's exclusive entry, inheriting the Yin Release chakra and spiritual energy from the Sage of Six Paths, representing the ultimate Yin Power.
Moreover, this entry wasn't Indra's chakra, meaning the ultimate Yin Power Izayoi obtained wasn't power imbued with Indra's will, but pure Yin Power derived from Otsutsuki Hagoromo.
Reincarnations needed acknowledgment, or had to excavate this power step by step through growth and talent.
But Izayoi didn't need to; he would, like Otsutsuki Indra, rapidly grow stronger.
In the coming years, Izayoi's spiritual energy and Yin Release chakra would surge crazily.
'Right now, I should qualify as the second Otsutsuki Indra, right?'
Izayoi chuckled inwardly.
If he could see Otsutsuki Indra's talent entries, Izayoi was very certain his entries wouldn't include Uchiha Bloodline, but rather a high-rank Otsutsuki Bloodline.
It was this bloodline that granted him the physique capable of infinite eye power without needing transplants.
Thinking about how he also didn't need hand seals to release Five Elements Release jutsu, Izayoi didn't need to guess to know that Otsutsuki Indra's Otsutsuki Bloodline rank must also be Red level.
As for above Red, that should be impossible.
Otherwise, the reincarnations of Indra's chakra wouldn't need 'polar convergence' to awaken the Rinnegan; they could, like Otsutsuki Hagoromo, directly evolve the Sharingan into the Rinnegan.
The current Izayoi was equivalent to the second Otsutsuki Indra.
Only by raising the Otsutsuki Bloodline to a higher rank would he become the second Otsutsuki Hagoromo or Otsutsuki Hamura.
---
Chapter 19: Izayoi and His Little Sister-in-Law!
Konoha Year 57, July 23rd.
Konoha, Hyuga Clan Compound.
*Peng peng peng...*
In the dojo of the clan head's residence, a series of crisp yet heavy impact sounds echoed.
Peering inside, two children, a boy and a girl, were engaged in taijutsu sparring.
That series of sounds originated from their hands.
Hinata and Hyuga Neji, veins bulging at their temples, their hands blurring into afterimages, fingertips wrapped in blue chakra flames, attacked each other's pressure points.
Every strike failed, being blocked just before contact, or forcing a switch from offense to defense due to an exposed weakness.
The constant clash of chakra created waves of roaring air.
However, this rhythm severely tested one's willpower.
A momentary lapse could allow the opponent to seize an opening, resulting in complete defeat.
Sure enough, after dozens of exchanges, a crisp striking sound ended the battle.
*Pak—*
Under Hyuga Neji's widened, shocked eyes, Hinata, with a serious expression, tapped his body, ruthlessly injecting chakra inside.
Instantly, the chakra on Hyuga Neji's hands vanished.
Then, a storm of attacks rained down on him, each strike infusing chakra into his body, sealing his chakra flow while inflicting intense pain.
However, Hyuga Neji clenched his teeth, preventing himself from crying out.
After the combo ended, Hinata retracted her hands, the veins at her temples subsiding.
Looking at Hyuga Neji sitting defeated on the ground, she said softly, "Neji-niisan, thank you for the guidance."
Seeing this, Hyuga Hiashi, standing nearby, couldn't help but show a gratified smile.
Quickly, before Hinata could look over, he tightened his expression again, looking impassively at Hyuga Neji, "Neji, go get treatment."
"Yes, Clan Head-sama."
Hyuga Neji lowered his head, hiding the unwillingness and hatred in his heart, stood up, bowed slightly to Hinata, "Thank you for your guidance, Hinata-sama."
After speaking, he turned and left.
Hinata didn't notice Neji's emotional change.
Having completed the 'monthly family assessment,' she immediately went to Hyuga Hiashi, her face full of anticipation, "Otoh-sama, I want to take Hanabi out to play, may I?"
"Mhm, go ahead," Hyuga Hiashi nodded slightly.
"Thank you, Father."
Hinata showed a faint smile, then ran out of the dojo, took the three-year-old Hanabi out of the clan compound, and went to find Izayoi to play.
Exactly three years had passed since she started going out to train with Izayoi.
The extent of Hinata's change over these three years was evident from her defeating Hyuga Neji and Hyuga Hiashi's attitude.
This wasn't her first time defeating Hyuga Neji.
Since the beginning of the year, she had won every match against Hyuga Neji.
From the second half of the year onwards, she gradually began to dominate him.
Pressure point striking tested not only the Byakugan but also chakra control.
And in chakra control, currently among their peers, only Izayoi was better than Hinata.
Even Haruno Sakura, whose entry rank was Purple, couldn't match Hinata's current chakra control, honed by daily practice of pressure point strikes.
Defeating her cousin, whom she had always feared, caused Hinata to completely transform, becoming incredibly confident.
Both Hyuga Hiashi and the main family elders unanimously decided that Hinata was the future heir of the main family.
Because of this, many main family elders urged Hyuga Hiashi to place the Caged Bird seal on Hanabi.
However, Hyuga Hiashi refused, using the excuse of his wife's passing and wanting to give Hanabi a happy childhood, deciding to wait until Hanabi turned twelve.
Simultaneously, Hyuga Hiashi no longer interfered with Hinata and Izayoi's interactions, even though he noticed their feelings gradually undergoing a qualitative change.
He even allowed Hinata to take Hanabi out to play with Izayoi.
No one knew Hyuga Hiashi's hidden thoughts.
He seemed to be playing a very big game, wanting both his daughters to avoid receiving the Caged Bird seal.
Izayoi, naturally, was completely unaware of this.
He simply thought Hinata and Hanabi could both go out because Hinata's excellent performance had solidified her position as the Hyuga heir.
As for Hinata securing her status possibly leading to Hanabi receiving the Caged Bird seal earlier, Izayoi hadn't considered it.
Even if he knew, Izayoi wouldn't care.
The Caged Bird was just a curse seal.
In terms of rank, it wasn't even comparable to Orochimaru's Cursed Seal of Earth or Heaven.
Even if the Hyuga clan had no way to remove the Caged Bird seal, once Izayoi mastered Yin-Yang Release, he could remove the seal as well.
Even if Hanabi received the Caged Bird seal, it would only be temporary pain.
After all, by the end of Shippuden, she still hadn't graduated from the Ninja School.
Whether her Byakugan had defects or not was completely irrelevant.
...
*Knock knock knock...*
"Onii-chan, I came to play, open the door quickly!"
Knocking sounds and a tender shout continuously reached Izayoi's ears.
Opening the door, a tall and a short figure appeared before him.
The shorter figure immediately lunged forward, hugging his waist, shouting, "Onii-chan, let's go play outside!"
The three-year-old Hanabi, wearing a custom-made pink kimono, had already developed the habit of wearing kimonos at such a young age.
Her short black hair just covered her ears, with bangs parted in the middle.
Her baby-fat face was round and cute, making one want to pinch it.
And Izayoi indeed did so.
Pinching Hanabi's small cheek, Izayoi smiled, "Okay, what does Hanabi want to play today?"
In Izayoi's eyes, several bubbles of different colors floated around Hanabi.
[Princess of the Byakugan (Gold)]
[Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan (Purple)]
[Otsutsuki Bloodline (Blue)]
[Jonin Aptitude (Blue)]
[Chakra Control (Blue)]
Compared to commoners and ordinary ninja clan children, Hanabi's panel was extremely luxurious.
The only aspect inferior to Hinata was the Gold-rank Princess of the Byakugan.
Her Byakugan, stolen by Otsutsuki Toneri in the movie and evolved into the Tenseigan in just a few days, also possessed extremely high purity.
Just one rank, and her entry would be the same level as Hinata's.
Her other entries were identical to Hinata's, making her essentially a weaker version of Hinata.
Like Hinata, she also possessed the qualification for a heaven-defying change of fate.
Towards this cute and potential-filled little sister-in-law, Izayoi naturally felt very fond.
"I want to eat mochi dumplings, and ride piggyback high!"
Hanabi stood on tiptoe, trying to climb onto Izayoi.
"Alright, Hanabi calls the shots today."
Izayoi ruffled Hanabi's small head, then crouched down, letting her straddle his shoulders.
Holding Hanabi's small hands, Izayoi stood up, instructing Hinata, who was watching them with a smile, "Hinata, close the door."
"Yes."
After closing the door, Izayoi took the Hyuga sisters towards the bustling shopping street.
Ever since Hinata's mother passed away, unknowingly, Izayoi and Hinata's outings for two gradually became outings for three.
He vaguely remembered how Hinata cried that day, so heartbroken.
After all, before Hanabi grew up, only Izayoi and her mother gave her the gentleness and care she desired.
After her mother was gone, Hinata's reliance on Izayoi reached an even higher level.
Their feelings began to change qualitatively precisely after that day.
To prevent Hanabi from becoming like her past self, Hinata trained even harder, wanting her younger sister to grow up happily.
Whenever she had time, she would bring her sister out to find Izayoi.
Because in Hinata's eyes, Izayoi was better at taking care of children than her father.
Her father's aura was too intimidating, his stern expression, and high-pressure education...
If it weren't for the love her mother gave her, Hinata would have collapsed long ago.
Now that her mother was gone, Hinata couldn't let Hanabi follow her old path.
Looking at Hanabi sitting on Izayoi's shoulders, her face full of smiles, Hinata felt her decision was very correct.
---
Chapter 20: The Future SS-Rank Ninjutsu!
While Izayoi and Hinata were accompanying Hanabi on her stroll.
Near the Uchiha clan compound, by the Naka River, beneath a huge waterfall.
If a Hyuga clan member were here and activated their Byakugan, they would discover a cave hidden beneath the waterfall.
Currently, loud noises emanated from within the cave, but they were masked by the sound of the waterfall.
Touching the mountain walls around the waterfall, one could feel occasional tremors.
Blue light tore through the darkness within the cave.
A blue-white sphere, like a water-filled balloon, rapidly expanded.
Then, this basketball-sized energy sphere flew into the darkness.
*Boom—*
Accompanied by the explosion, shockwaves roared, and gravel scattered.
The dust cloud didn't even escape the cave before being dispersed by a gust of wind.
After everything calmed down, another energy sphere appeared, once again flying deeper into the darkness, triggering a violent explosion.
The cave, impressively, had been blasted out by such energy spheres.
"The core is complete. Next, I can create small spheres inside."
Izayoi's shadow clone appeared at the cave entrance where light could reach, organizing the day's gains.
The TV anime original, Amenomihashira – Izayoi had already mastered the basics, which involved expanding the Rasengan to a size just smaller than the Great Ball Rasengan.
This took him a full two years.
He finally understood why Uzumaki Naruto, after three years of training, still needed a shadow clone's assistance to perform the Great Ball Rasengan.
For someone who couldn't even perform a one-handed Rasengan, expanding it to that size while maintaining balance and preventing the chakra from exploding was practically impossible.
Even Izayoi, it took him two full years to raise his chakra control to this level.
Simply gathering chakra together into such a large mass wasn't too difficult.
The difficulty lay in gathering so much chakra together *and* making it rotate at super high speed.
This was practically hellish difficulty!
After all, the Rasengan itself was already a top-tier shape transformation, with an A-rank learning difficulty.
The Great Ball Rasengan was definitely between A-rank and S-rank.
No wonder S-rank ninjutsu were called secret techniques that couldn't be learned 100% of the time, no matter how much effort was put in or how strong the talent was.
Just creating such a large energy sphere was already so difficult.
The difficulty of creating five spheres inside it was definitely comparable to Uzumaki Naruto perfecting the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken.
Then, simultaneously infusing five types of nature transformation into the five small spheres... just thinking about the difficulty made his head ache.
If successful, setting aside the power for a moment, the learning difficulty would definitely be above S-rank, reaching SS-rank.
Even Otsutsuki Ashura couldn't achieve this.
However, it became Izayoi's goal.
His current potential was even more astonishing than Otsutsuki Ashura, who needed power from Otsutsuki Hagoromo.
If Purple-rank chakra control wasn't enough, then he would upgrade the Chakra Control talent entry to Gold rank.
As long as he successfully developed the Amenomihashira, he could, like Uzumaki Naruto, rely on one move to conquer all enemies in the future.
No matter the enemy, it could be solved with a sphere.
Sitting cross-legged before the waterfall, Izayoi's shadow clone continued condensing chakra with both hands, creating a basketball-sized energy sphere, but this time, he didn't throw it.
Only when he ran out of chakra did the shadow clone dissipate into a puff of white smoke.
Fatigue and experience fed back entirely to the main body.
Izayoi, who was currently feeding Hanabi a mochi dumpling, merely raised an eyebrow slightly before returning to normal.
Even Hinata, who had been secretly watching him, didn't notice his change.
Ever since mastering the Rasengan and attempting to develop the Amenomihashira, Izayoi rarely trained with his main body.
He mostly sent shadow clones to train in the cave.
Even when his main body trained, it was usually accompanying Hinata at the deserted training ground.
He was quite certain he must have been spied upon by Sarutobi Hiruzen using the Telescope/Crystal Ball Jutsu.
Over the past two years, Izayoi fought Uchiha Sasuke every one or two weeks.
He refused to believe that his and Uchiha Sasuke's no-rules duels hadn't attracted the Hokage's attention.
After all, before leaving Konoha, Uchiha Itachi reported to him first, then went to threaten Shimura Danzo.
If not for fear of his Byakugan being discovered, Izayoi would have been tempted to activate it and check for Anbu surveillance nearby.
By always having shadow clones train, he had long controlled the amount of chakra they used, ensuring the feedback fatigue remained within acceptable limits.
After Hanabi finished her mochi dumplings, he continued playing with her everywhere, carrying her piggyback high for Shunshin leaps, or climbing trees and walking on water.
Although Hanabi hadn't started training yet, having watched Hinata and Neji fight, and also seen Hinata train and fight with Izayoi, she, like her original counterpart, developed a strong desire to become gentle and strong like her older sister.
Therefore, besides being a bit gluttonous, Hanabi didn't enjoy playing with peers much, preferring Izayoi to take her leaping across rooftops, experiencing the thrill of a 'rollercoaster'.
Once she reached the age for chakra extraction and began training, she would surely become even clingier.
"Onii-chan, goodbye."
"Bye-bye."
After playing with Hanabi until dusk, Izayoi smilingly waved goodbye to his clingy little sister-in-law.
Then, he didn't go home either but went to the market to buy some ingredients, then used Shunshin to travel to the deserted Uchiha compound, vast and empty, inhabited only by Uchiha Sasuke.
"You're here."
Uchiha Sasuke, training in the courtyard, looked at Izayoi carrying two bags, his face full of fighting spirit.
"Let's eat first, fight later. Take a break too," Izayoi said with a smile.
"Okay."
Uchiha Sasuke didn't refuse.
After night fell, the two ate hotpot on the veranda.
When the night grew deep and quiet, two small figures darted through the compound, like arrows entering a forest.
*Bang bang bang...*
*Swish swish swish...*
Sounds of impacts, heavy landings, and projectiles cutting through the air constantly echoed in the night forest.
*Boom—*
Before long, an explosion sounded, accompanied by a bloom of red flames.
However, the flames were quickly extinguished.
Half an hour later, two small figures emerged from the forest.
Under the moonlight, Izayoi and Uchiha Sasuke presented a stark contrast.
Izayoi's clothes were neat, seemingly spotless.
Uchiha Sasuke's clothes, however, were torn and ragged, covered in burn marks.
The exposed skin still bore faint scars.
But the weary boy's eyes glittered, clearly having gained significantly.
"I win again."
Izayoi looked at Uchiha Sasuke and smiled, "According to our agreement, I get to look at your family's ninjutsu library."
"Whatever. There's only that stuff anyway," Uchiha Sasuke said nonchalantly.
After the Uchiha clan's demise, the clan members' bodies were buried by the village.
As compensation, all scrolls were confiscated.
Even the family inheritance only had some low-level elemental jutsu scrolls left.
Uchiha Sasuke had asked the Third Hokage about it and the Hokage explained that the high-level ninjutsu scrolls from his clan hadn't been touched by the village—they were likely taken by Uchiha Itachi.
Uchiha Sasuke didn't care about the village confiscating the clan's scrolls.
Because the Third Hokage had promised him that once he became a ninja and grew strong enough to take charge of the Uchiha clan, he could apply to the village to reclaim the land deeds and ninjutsu scrolls.
Right now, he lacked the strength to safeguard those things.
Izayoi knew Sarutobi Hiruzen was telling the truth.
Aside from secret techniques like Izanagi and Izanami, the Uchiha clan's ninjutsu scrolls indeed held little worth coveting.
Compared to a powerful Uchiha combatant, those trinkets weren't worth being greedy over.
Just like the inheritance left by Izayoi's parents.
However, Uchiha Clan's ninjutsu library was still very useful to Izayoi.
His shape transformation skills were extremely high, but his nature transformation was almost zero.
Practicing Five Elements Release jutsu could improve nature transformation.
To perfect the Amenomihashira, Izayoi needed to master all five nature transformations, strong enough to fuse with the Amenomihashira itself.
For Wind Style nature transformation, Izayoi could reference Uzumaki Naruto from the original story.
For the other four, he could only learn through practicing ninjutsu and self-comprehension.
Or, wait until after graduation and ask his Jonin instructor for guidance.
Of course, there was another shortcut that required no training to possess top-tier nature transformation.
That was... awakening the Rinnegan or Tenseigan!
---