Chapter 42: Grip Strengthener, Turning the Tables
The three days passed quickly.
In an instant, Kurenai Yuhi's Team Eight holiday was over.
Izayoi and the Hyuga sisters visited almost all of Konoha's famous scenic spots during the three days.
The three of them created an album, which was already filled with many photos.
Seeing the smiles on the two girls' faces, Izayoi thought that he had made the right decision to buy this camera.
After the vacation, Izayoi began to work conscientiously, full of enthusiasm, which surprised Kurenai Yuhi and Shino Aburame.
Hinata remembered something and felt a little guilty.
"Izayoi-kun, here is my reward for you."
After the break-up of Team Eight, Hinata gave the envelope of the banknotes to Izayoi.
"No need, I won't starve to death."
Izayoi pushed the envelope aside, pinched Hinata's little face, and smiled, "I'll come see you, this lady, for help when I cannot eat."
"Okay."
Hinata did not blushingly lower her head this time, for her mind wasn't here.
Watching Izayoi decline, Hinata did not push. Instead, she was going to spend all the money on materials.
Now Hinata realized that Izayoi had always wished to buy a camera, but he just couldn't afford one.
The reason being her hunger was too huge.
After dropping Hanabi to search for Izayoi, the two of them haven't ever gone on picnics. Izayoi leaves to buy ingredients.
Hinata, who had a prosperous life, never came to know.
Now she realized that Izayoi's circumstances were nothing like their family.
Given this, Hinata's eyes were a little red, and her heart was sentimental.
She believed that she would have to work diligently to earn money in the future to share the load for Izayoi-kun.
Izayoi did not know what Hinata was thinking, nor did he notice Hinata's change.
Because his mind was distracted by a person at this time.
The other gentleman was not a beautiful gentleman or a beautiful lady but an elderly one with dark, wrinkly skin.
Standing beside him was a wooden box, and in his hand, he had a bottle of wine but, in hesitation, drank it freely by having only little sips of the wine each time.
He was seated in a long chair, awaiting someone, or he might not be able to afford a hotel room.
He was a villager from a village which was recognizable at first sight.
There were plenty of such villagers from other villages arriving and departing from Konoha on a daily basis.
They might be natives of the Land of Fire, or they might be foreigners from other countries.
Izayoi had met many such villagers from other villages when he was a child.
But no one could attract his attention like this old man.
Since Izayoi met this old man, his memory, which was stored deep in his brain and even unclear to the point of not being able to remember, became clearer and clearer.
Although it was the first time to meet this old man, Izayoi was able to name him.
Tazuna!
The Land of Waves' bridge builder.
The client for Team Seven's initial C-rank mission.
The important characters and popular scenes of the first chapter flashed before Izayoi's eyes like a slide show.
"Izayoi-kun, what are you staring at?"
Hinata's voice at that time brought forth Izayoi from his daze.
He grinned and shook his head, "I didn't see anything. I was just daydreaming, thinking of something."
"What's wrong?"
"The Chunin Exam will be held at the village next month. Would you mind going?"
"Of course."
Hinata nodded seriously, with a serious expression on her face, "I'd like to be a Jonin as soon as possible."
"Oh? Why?" Izayoi was immediately attracted and looked at Hinata with curiosity.
He just didn't want to switch the subject.
He never imagined that Hinata, who never had any hobbies, would have such a dream.
"Secret."
Hinata immediately mimicked Izayoi, putting her index finger in front of her lips.
Izayoi was somewhat surprised.
"Hehe."
Hinata smiled merrily seeing Izayoi's look of being bewildered.
"Okay, you've perfected teasing others."
Izayoi winced and immediately touched Hinata's tiny face to pat her, pretending to be fierce, "Do you think I'll use you as a grip strengthener?"
"Wha... what is a grip strengthener?"
Hinata, whose small face was being rubbed, grumbled something indistinctly.
"Want to know? I'll tell you when I head home."
Izayoi smiled wickedly and was about to send Hinata home for practice.
When they were just about to leave, a welcoming shout came from a distance away.
"Yo... Izayoi, Hinata, long time no see."
Looking in the direction of the voice, a tall and three short figures suddenly entered the line of sight of Izayoi and Hinata.
Silver hair dead fish eyes, golden hair fox face, cool little good-looking guy, cheongsam infatuated girl. Team Seven.
Izayoi also waved back at Naruto Uzumaki, who was also waving at them, and smiled, "Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, long time no see."
Two months had passed since graduation.
For Izayoi and the others, it really had been a long time.
After all, at the Ninja School there are three semesters throughout the year and only the vacation in the summer is a little longer.
"Are you two on a date?"
Sasuke Uchiha's first words when he approached made Hinata blush.
Sakura Haruno looked at Hinata with envy.
They were all together in the same team as the class favorites and individuals they favored. When would their bond with Sasuke be like Hinata and Izayoi?
Izayoi did not react, but asked, "Are you going to do a mission?"
"We're going to do a mission."
Naruto Uzumaki nodded towards Kakashi Hatake, who was walking and reading a yellow book on the road, and exclaimed, "He's Kakashi-sensei. He's our Jonin teacher."
"Kakashi-sensei."
Izayoi and Hinata each saluted respectfully immediately.
"Yo, hello."
Seeing them talking about himself, Kakashi Hatake also put down his Icha Icha Paradise and waved to say hello to Izayoi and Hinata.
Then he looked at the two of them, whose height and figure were much better than Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Even if Kakashi Hatake did not lift up his forehead protector, he could feel that their chakra was much better than Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno.
So, he looked at Izayoi and deliberately provoked, "Is this the best student? Not bad, as expected, he's not at the level of geniuses and the last of our class."
Kakashi Hatake had thought that Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha would be upset, but found that they did not care.
Even Sakura Haruno and Hinata thought that Kakashi Hatake was right.
Seeing this, Kakashi Hatake highly evaluated Izayoi in his mind.
Even Sasuke Uchiha, who had opened the Sharingan and turned two tomoe, and could easily use the Phoenix Flower Technique and the Great Dragon Fire Technique, believed it was only natural to lose to him.
It looks like there are also splendid civilian geniuses in this generation.
"Naruto and Sasuke are great ninjas, and Sakura is also a great student who has been in the top three in cultural classes for years. I just happened to be slightly ahead of them in grades in general." Izayoi smiled modestly, and then continued, "Kakashi-sensei is the 'Copy Ninja' who is famous in the ninja world. He is the 'Konoha Technician' who has copied thousands of ninjutsu. He is the personal student of the Fourth Hokage. He is a master of Lightning Release who cut lightning in the legend. Sasuke and the others will learn a lot of ninjutsu and surpass me entirely in a few months if they train with you."
"..."
Kakashi Hatake's dead fish eyes quickly tightened, and he was drenched with a thin layer of sweat.
No sooner did he so, and at once, Team Seven gazed at him with wide eyes, and believed that he was doomed.
"Kakashi-sensei, you're the best!"
Naruto Uzumaki gestured toward Kakashi Hatake and screamed, "You're actually the Fourth Hokage's apprentice, and you've learned thousands of ninjutsu, yet you won't teach us ninjutsu?"
"Kakashi-sensei, you're too much." Sakura Haruno also echoed.
Sasuke Uchiha didn't speak, but his eyes were burning with heat when he glanced at Kakashi Hatake.
And at the same time, there was also a touch of. contempt.
Kakashi Hatake realized that he couldn't relax next.
Izayoi, the perpetrator, had already kidnapped Hinata.
(End of this chapter)
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