Unknowingly, the first semester was already nearing its end.
This whole semester, the first-year students only had cultural classes and physical education.
Every day was either studying, physical training, or extracting chakra.
Aside from Class 1-A, students in other classes had already been advised to drop out.
After all, ninjas were rare.
Not only was the entrance exam tough, but even the graduation exam was incredibly difficult.
Because graduation didn't mean actual graduation—if you couldn't get the approval of a jōnin, you'd have to return to school and repeat the year. The elimination rate was outrageously high.
And this was just to go from a trainee ninja to a genin.
Above genin, there were still chūnin, special jōnin, and full-fledged jōnin.
But all of that had nothing to do with Izayoi and the Nine Little Strong ones.
Except for the first two weeks, Izayoi never used his real body to go to school afterward.
Until they started taijutsu matches, he wouldn't be coming.
After all, Izayoi entered the ninja academy only because of Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke.
To be precise, he was targeting their red-colored talent tags.
Before graduation, Izayoi had to make those red tags burst—at least one or two.
Otherwise, after graduation, it would be much harder for him to trigger those tags.
Not because of a gap in strength, but because the chances to meet or fight each other would decrease drastically.
In the original story, after graduation, the Nine Little Strong ones only met again during the Chūnin Exams.
Graduation happened at the end of March, and the Chūnin Exams were on July 1st—important dates every year.
That's a full season in between.
Ding-ling-ling...
With the school bell ringing, another day came to an end.
Even after an afternoon of physical training, the students were still full of energy.
"Izayoi-kun, wanna play ninja games with us?"
"Izayoi, wanna walk home together?"
Some students left for home, while others stayed behind, forming little groups and inviting classmates.
Izayoi received many invitations. In the class, he was a very popular figure.
Even though the one attending school was just a shadow clone, and his goal was only Hinata and the two boys, Izayoi never acted cold toward others—instead, he always responded with a smile.
Even when rejecting others, he was very polite.
Today was no different.
Facing the invitations from his classmates, Izayoi's shadow clone put his hands together apologetically and smiled:
"Sorry, I've already made plans with someone else. Next time, for sure!"
"Eh? Someone snatched him again? Izayoi-kun is so popular."
"Next time, then. Let's all play ninja games together."
The students looked disappointed but didn't push him.
After leaving the school, Izayoi's shadow clone ducked into an alley and dispelled itself.
All the memories and fatigue returned to the original body.
As the memories settled in, and while resting at home waiting for the fatigue to hit, Izayoi muttered to himself:
"Just a few more days until vacation. Time to get moving."
July 20th.
After the morning classes ended, it was lunchtime.
Some students lived close by and went home for lunch.
Others brought bento to school.
Some stayed in the classroom to eat, while others went out.
Normally, Izayoi's shadow clone attended school, so he always went home to eat.
But today, Izayoi came in person and even brought a bento.
He was eating lunch with Hinata in the classroom.
Over the past three months, Izayoi and Hinata had become friends.
Though not close enough to share everything, they knew each other's likes and little secrets.
For example, Hinata's hobby was pressing flowers.
And Hinata knew that her desk partner was actually a shadow clone.
When she first found out, Hinata's little mouth opened slightly, her big eyes widened—she looked utterly shocked.
After that, she looked at Izayoi with even more admiration.
To think that he had already mastered the Shadow Clone Technique, even though the school hadn't taught even the basic transformation techniques—that was simply unbelievable.
While eating lunch with Hinata, Izayoi suddenly asked:
"Hinata, tomorrow's the start of summer break. What are your plans?"
"I'll probably just stay home and train." Hinata answered softly.
"Wanna train with me?" Izayoi invited her.
"C-can I?"
Hinata looked at Izayoi with surprise and joy.
But before Izayoi could reply, she shook her head sadly:
"No... Father won't let me go out freely."
Ever since the kidnapping incident, Hinata couldn't go out alone unless accompanied by bodyguards.
And she couldn't go out too often, either. Now that she was in the ninja academy—and with an Uchiha in her class—for the honor of the clan, she had to train hard and couldn't fall behind the Uchiha.
"Hey... don't worry about all that."
Izayoi grinned:
"I'm just asking, do you want to go out and train with me during the break?"
"...Mm."
Hinata lowered her head and softly agreed like a mosquito buzz.
"Great. I'll handle everything. So tomorrow—"
Izayoi leaned close to Hinata's ear and whispered his plan.
The warm breath brushing her ear made Hinata's cheeks and ears flush red, and her hand holding the chopsticks began to tremble.
It was her first time being this close to Izayoi, and the resistance she'd built up over three months crumbled instantly.
Luckily, Hinata wasn't as extreme as in the original story, so she didn't faint from embarrassment.
But her mind went completely blank—and she forgot everything Izayoi said.
"...So remember, tomorrow you have to be a little proactive. Otherwise, my plan will be exposed." Izayoi reminded her.
"O-okay..."
Hinata nodded dumbly, adorably confused.
Then she looked up at Izayoi:
"Izayoi-kun, what... what did you just say?"
Izayoi: "..."
Then—flick!—he unceremoniously flicked her forehead.
Under her pitiful look, he repeated the plan again.
Covering her forehead, Hinata's big eyes sparkled with excitement.
...
The next day, the ninja academy officially started its 40-day summer break.
Izayoi walked out of his house and entered a narrow alley.
Poof!—a sound like a balloon popping echoed in the alley.
Then a girl with a cap—but still clearly showing her blonde hair—came running out and headed straight for the Hyūga Clan.
If a classmate from 1-A had seen her, they would've immediately recognized her as Yamanaka Ino.
"Hello, my name is Yamanaka Ino. I'm here to pick up Hinata to hang out—we made plans yesterday."
At the gate of the Hyūga compound, the disguised Izayoi—using the Transformation Technique to look like Yamanaka Ino—smiled sweetly at the guards.
The two guards exchanged glances.
"Please wait a moment."
One of them gave Izayoi a careful look, politely bowed, and entered the compound.
Not long after, he returned.
Following behind him was a little girl in a white cloak—it was Hinata.
Hinata ran over, and the disguised Izayoi and she exchanged a smile.
The plan had gone smoothly—the young lady was free.