Chapter 1: Izayoi, Talent Entry System!
The Ninja School has three semesters a year: the first semester starts on April 1st and ends in mid-July, followed by the second semester from early September to the end of December, and finally, the third semester runs from early January to the end of March.
Konoha Year 54, April 1st.
The Ninja School welcomed the first semester of a new academic year.
Sixth-year students had already graduated at the end of March, either becoming official Genin, returning to repeat the year, being specially recruited by certain departments, or dropping out to no longer pursue being a ninja.
Students from other grades officially moved up to higher grades today.
The emptied first-year classrooms were about to welcome new students who had passed the entrance exam.
Izayoi was one of them.
Unlike the other new students who had parents or older siblings accompanying them, Izayoi was among the few who came alone.
Similarly, unlike those new students who looked enviously at classmates with family members, Izayoi's gaze towards them held no envy or jealousy, only observation.
He wasn't observing their appearances, but something only he could see.
[Ninja Aptitude (White)]
[Chakra Control (Green)]
[Chunin Aptitude (Green)]
Whenever Izayoi focused his gaze on them, bubbles would appear around these individuals.
The bubbles varied in color, some the same, some different, containing text matching their color.
Of course, some people had no bubbles around them.
Either because they had no talent, or because their talents didn't even reach the lowest rank, like talents for mundane professions, which were outside the scope.
This was Izayoi's golden finger.
Izayoi had no surname, only a given name.
According to the orphanage director, the name came from him being born on the night of June 16th.
After living in the orphanage until the age of three, learning to read, speak, and acquire some basic survival skills, Izayoi was sent back home by the director, who then took him to the cemetery to see his parents in this life.
It turned out he was from a ninja family; both his parents were orphans without surnames.
His father was a village Chunin but unfortunately died during a mission where the entire squad, including their Jonin instructor, perished.
His mother died from complications during childbirth.
With her last breath, she didn't entrust her child to her husband's friends but requested the doctor to entrust him to the orphanage.
The orphanage was backed by the village; they wouldn't covet Izayoi's 'pitiful' inheritance.
And indeed, they didn't.
Izayoi wasn't surprised that he had to start learning to live independently at the age of three.
After understanding what kind of world he had transmigrated into, he knew that besides himself, the chosen one of this world also lived alone from the age of three.
That guy was even more impressive, daring to walk alone in the empty, snowy night at the age of three.
The world of Naruto, also known as "Legend of Otsutsuki" and "Black Zetsu's Search for Mother."
Arriving in this world, which entirely revolved around the Otsutsuki clan's family feuds, a world where bloodline was absolute, Izayoi wasn't panicked.
He also didn't feel despair about being just an orphan with no surname and no Kekkei Genkai.
Because... he had a cheat too!
Talent Entry System—this was the golden finger Izayoi triggered when he turned one year old.
Besides being able to see the bubbles on others, he could also see a screen in his mind, visible only to him.
When summoned, even a mirror couldn't reflect it.
The screen displayed Izayoi's personal information and a Newbie Gift Pack.
However, the Newbie Gift Pack was used up by him when he was three.
Now, his personal information was drastically different, extremely luxurious.
As Izayoi walked into the Ninja School, he summoned the screen in his mind.
[Host: Izayoi]
[Talent Entries: Otsutsuki Bloodline (Red), Super Kage Aptitude (Gold), Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan (Purple), All-Attribute Physique (Purple), Medical Genius (Blue), Chakra Control (Blue)]
[Points: 25]
While others had only one or two bubbles, or even none, Izayoi had an astonishing six talent entries.
Yet, when he first obtained the Talent Entry System, he only had one talent entry—[Chunin Aptitude (Green)].
But at the age of three, Izayoi achieved a heaven-defying change of fate, becoming the most talented prodigy of this era.
In terms of talent, in this era, there were only those as strong as him, none stronger.
The talent entry ranks were: White, Green, Blue, Purple, Gold, Red.
This ranking wasn't provided by the system but figured out by Izayoi himself.
He was quite certain that other ranks existed above Red.
As for what color, Izayoi didn't know yet.
The function of the Talent Entry System was to allow the host to acquire others' talent entries.
The methods of acquisition, also figured out through exploration, were currently known to be two.
One was defeating opponents.
In an equal match, there was a high probability of obtaining a low-level entry and a very small probability of obtaining a high-level entry.
Defeating a stronger opponent yielded a very high probability of obtaining a high-level entry and a 100% chance of obtaining a low-level entry.
In a crushing victory, there was a very small probability of obtaining either a low-level or high-level entry.
The second acquisition method was the Newbie Gift Pack from the Talent Entry System, a one-time free gift allowing Izayoi to copy a talent entry from someone else.
Knowing he had transmigrated into the Naruto world, which he was obsessed with during his student years, and was born on June 16th, Konoha Year 48, the same age as the Konoha 11, Izayoi had almost unhesitatingly planned to use this Newbie Gift Pack on Uzumaki Naruto.
After all, he was the protagonist of this world and this era.
The reincarnation of the Sage's son, Ashura's chakra, inheriting the Sage Body from Otsutsuki Hagoromo, the unawakened Uzumaki bloodline in the original story, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki...
Uzumaki Naruto, with two nuclear power plants inside him, even if he couldn't pronounce "chakra" correctly, even if he couldn't extract chakra properly, the seal and bloodline within him would cause his chakra to increase constantly.
As long as Naruto had an entry related to Ashura or the Sage Body, Izayoi just needed to copy it to immediately possess immense potential.
Besides Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke was also a good choice.
Also a reincarnation of the Sage's son, inheriting the Sage Eyes from Otsutsuki Hagoromo.
However, just as Izayoi was looking for them, a chance encounter on the street with a member of the Hyuga clan sparked an idea, causing him to temporarily abandon that thought.
In this era's ninja world, the most talented prodigies were indeed Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke.
After all, like Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, they were reincarnations of the Sage's sons, possessing not only Super Kage aptitude but also the protection of the Sage of Six Paths.
Once they realized their potential, they were guaranteed to become Super Kage level powerhouses.
And upon receiving the Sage of Six Paths' power-up, they would even surpass the limits that Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara never reached, becoming Six Paths-level entities.
On Earth, no one in this era had stronger potential than them.
But... what about beyond Earth?
---
Chapter 2: Otsutsuki Toneri's Talent Entry!
As a transmigrator, Izayoi's overall perspective was high, at least higher than anyone else on this planet.
A thousand years had passed, and many believed the Sage of Six Paths and the Ninja Creed were merely figures and forces from myths and legends.
But Izayoi knew they were real.
He also knew the Sage of Six Paths had a mother and a younger brother.
After the two brothers sealed their mother, the Sage of Six Paths became the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki and embarked on a journey of atonement.
Otsutsuki Hamura, on the other hand, married multiple women, expanding his family through children.
When the Sage of Six Paths was no longer the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, he placed the Gedo Statue/Mazō on the moon.
To guard the Gedo Statue, Otsutsuki Hamura led a portion of his clan members to reside on the moon.
The lineage that remained on Earth gradually evolved into the Hyuga clan over the millennium.
Just as the Sage of Six Paths possessed the ultimate eyes, the Rinnegan, and his two sons could potentially obtain the Rinnegan if their powers converged, Otsutsuki Hamura also had his own ultimate eyes—the Tenseigan, possessing the power of destruction and creation.
And his descendants, as long as they met conditions similar to 'convergence,' had the hope of awakening the Tenseigan.
Furthermore, unlike the difficulty of obtaining the Rinnegan, the Tenseigan had a secret method of fusing a large number of Byakugan into one.
The Otsutsuki clan on the moon perished because of the latter reason.
Currently, only Otsutsuki Toneri should remain on the moon.
At the age of three, Izayoi had a flash of inspiration, temporarily setting aside the idea of copying Uzumaki Naruto's or Uchiha Sasuke's talent entries—he thought of Otsutsuki Toneri.
As the last descendant of the Otsutsuki clan's branch family on the moon, Otsutsuki Toneri possessed a rare pure Otsutsuki bloodline.
His level of ancestral regression was equivalent to Otsutsuki Ashura and Otsutsuki Indra.
This bloodline purity granted Otsutsuki Toneri talent comparable to the Sage Body.
Uchiha Madara, after fusing with Senju Hashirama's cells, only awakened the Rinnegan upon nearing death from old age.
Otsutsuki Toneri, however, only needed a few days to evolve his Byakugan into the Tenseigan.
Upon awakening it, he could immediately enter Tenseigan Chakra Mode, condense Truth-Seeking Orbs, and unleash the Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion and the moon-splitting Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion.
His talent and chakra were even more astounding than Uzumaki Naruto's and Uchiha Sasuke's.
If he came to live on Earth from the moon, he would be the number one cheat.
If he also brought down the vessel used for the Giant Tenseigan, then unless Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were resurrected, or the Sage of Six Paths intervened, the ninja world would be his to command.
If he were ruthless enough to steal Hyuga Hinata's or Hyuga Hanabi's Byakugan earlier...
Then there would be no so-called Shippuden, only the Legend of Otsutsuki Toneri.
Unfortunately, Otsutsuki Toneri was a chuunibyou otaku.
Unless the ninja world was truly beyond saving, he wouldn't come down from the moon until he reached adulthood.
However, Izayoi knew from the anime that Otsutsuki Toneri had visited Earth and Konoha once during his childhood, before his father died, using the Giant Tenseigan vessel to secretly watch Hyuga Hinata.
He fell in love with Hinata at first sight but didn't disturb her life, planning instead to come down with the ancient promise to propose marriage after reaching adulthood.
Unexpectedly, his 'fiancée' already liked someone else; his feelings were purely one-sided.
Izayoi had no particular opinion of this silly chuunibyou otaku.
He deduced that Otsutsuki Toneri likely secretly peeked at Hinata when she was three years old.
Because after her third birthday, Hyuga Hizashi's death in place of his brother caused a slight change in Hinata's status.
Her subsequent personality development further disappointed Hyuga Hiashi in his eldest daughter.
Hinata's grandest birthday celebration was likely the one when she turned three.
Thus, Izayoi decided to gamble.
He would use his only entry-copying chance on Otsutsuki Toneri.
There would be plenty of opportunities to obtain Uzumaki Naruto's and Uchiha Sasuke's talent entries later, but Otsutsuki Toneri's was a one-time chance.
Missing it would mean waiting until two years after the end of Shippuden.
His current personal information on the screen proved Izayoi's gamble had paid off.
He didn't just wander around the Hyuga clan's vicinity on Hinata's third birthday; he spent that entire year wandering around outside.
Appearances can be deceiving, but talent entries never lie.
Being able to see the bubbles on targets, no matter how Otsutsuki Toneri and his father disguised themselves, as long as they weren't puppets or invisible, they couldn't escape Izayoi's eyes.
Heaven rewards the diligent.
Through Izayoi's effort and caution... He finally spotted the blind Otsutsuki Toneri and his father in the crowd on Hinata's third birthday, which was also the day of the celebration for the Cloud Shinobi delegation's arrival in Konoha.
He had to say, the Cloud delegation was truly lucky.
If the father and son pair had stayed until nightfall and the Cloud Shinobi dared to kidnap Hinata, they would have been finished.
However, the father and son merely used the Giant Tenseigan vessel to glance from afar at Hinata, who was celebrating her birthday within the clan compound rather than attending the public festivities, before leaving Konoha.
Otsutsuki Toneri, born without eyes, lacked the [Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan] talent entry.
He also had no other low-level entries, only one grand, red bubble—[Otsutsuki Bloodline].
Izayoi had seen similar entries on Hyuga clan members, but the color was different.
The highest color for the Otsutsuki Bloodline entry on those Hyuga members was only Blue.
Even Otsutsuki Toneri's father only had a Purple Otsutsuki Bloodline entry, not even Gold.
Only Otsutsuki Toneri's entry color surpassed Gold, reaching Red, the highest rank known so far.
Izayoi didn't hesitate for a second and directly copied this entry.
Over the next three years, Izayoi began his heaven-defying transformation.
Upon completing his first chakra extraction, Izayoi's [Chunin Aptitude (Green)] talent entry upgraded to [Super Kage Aptitude (Gold)].
Meaning, as long as he didn't die prematurely and grew successfully, he was destined to become a figure like Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara in the future.
If he were to dig out Hinata's or Hanabi's Byakugan for transplantation and condensed Truth-Seeking Orbs, he would truly become a Six Paths-level entity.
A few months later, Izayoi unlocked a new talent entry—[All-Attribute Physique (Purple)].
It turned out Izayoi possessed an all-attribute physique, just like Senju Tobirama, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Orochimaru, and Hatake Kakashi.
At the age of five, Izayoi unlocked another new entry.
That discovery startled Izayoi quite a bit.
Because... he activated the Byakugan!
Yes, activated the Byakugan, not that his eyes turned into Byakugan.
Under the influence of the Otsutsuki Bloodline, Izayoi's eyes, like Uzumaki Himawari's, were normal in their standard state.
Only when activating the Byakugan, the veins near his temples would bulge, and his pupils would turn white.
This discovery brought him great relief; otherwise, he might have had to wear sunglasses constantly or buy cosmetic contacts like Hatake Kakashi did when disguised as a reporter in the original story.
---
Chapter 3: Clear Goals, Three Red Entries!
Unlike Naruto, who went from a major cheat to the dead-last due to the Nine-Tails' chakra interference, Izayoi, having obtained the Otsutsuki Bloodline, now possessed not only astonishing potential but also an incredibly strong foundation.
The Hyuga clan's Byakugan could see the chakra within pathways/meridians, giving them a unique advantage in practicing chakra control.
After awakening the Byakugan, Izayoi also unlocked the [Chakra Control] entry.
Before even entering the academy, Izayoi had learned to climb trees and walk on water using his feet.
Not just the Three Basic Jutsu, but even the B-rank Shadow Clone Jutsu and low-level elemental jutsu left behind by his parents, Izayoi had already mastered them.
He was like Uchiha Itachi, possessing graduation-level strength before even entering the Ninja School.
Naturally, Izayoi passed the entrance exam with flying colors, securing the top spot.
Therefore, he was assigned to the first-year Class 1, becoming classmates with the Konoha 11.
Arriving at the classroom, he found many students already seated.
Izayoi scanned the room, his gaze settling on a little girl who had also noticed him, her expression filled with surprise and delight.
A slight smile touched his lips as he purposefully walked towards her.
The classroom desks were long, designed for three people.
The girl sat in the middle seat, with empty spaces on both her left and right.
"Yo, we meet again."
Izayoi sat down next to the girl, teasing with a smile, "As expected of the young lady who dared to run away from home, the entrance exam was no challenge for you, huh?"
"I-Izayoi-kun."
The girl didn't dare meet Izayoi's eyes, lowering her head and fiddling with her fingers, yet her heart was filled with joy and excitement.
She hadn't been wrong; the 'Izayoi' on the list was indeed the same Izayoi who had helped her back then.
"We'll be deskmates from now on. Please take care of me, Hyuga... no... Hinata-san," Izayoi said with a smile, looking at the girl whose cheeks and ears were flushed red, addressing her by name.
Hinata instinctively turned her head slightly towards Izayoi.
After their eyes met briefly, she quickly averted her gaze again, whispering, "P-please... please take care of me, Izayoi-kun."
However, she didn't notice the fervent heat in Izayoi's eyes as he looked at her.
In Izayoi's vision, five bubbles of varying colors floated around Hinata.
The largest and most eye-catching among them was, impressively, a red bubble.
[Princess of the Byakugan (Red)]
[Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan (Purple)]
[Jonin Aptitude (Blue)]
[Otsutsuki Bloodline (Blue)]
[Chakra Control (Blue)]
Princess of the Byakugan—this entry was the main reason Izayoi approached Hinata, deliberately waited for her to run away that snowy night after Hyuga Hizashi's funeral, and earned the girl's goodwill.
When Izayoi saw this entry, he decided to intercept both Uzumaki Naruto, the child of prophecy, and Otsutsuki Toneri, the destined cuckold.
Just as the reincarnations of Ashura and Indra could potentially awaken the Rinnegan by obtaining each other's power and achieving 'polar convergence,' Otsutsuki Toneri and Hinata could also awaken the Tenseigan simply by obtaining each other's power.
Moreover, the purity of their bloodlines and Byakugan had reverted to an extremely high level, the kind that guaranteed the awakening of the Tenseigan.
In the original story, Hinata only needed Otsutsuki Toneri's chakra to achieve a heaven-defying change of fate.
Unfortunately, that condition was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Therefore, despite having the Princess of the Byakugan title, her Otsutsuki bloodline was only Blue rank, limiting her potential to Elite Jonin at best.
But now, Hinata's destiny had begun to change.
Izayoi, possessing [Otsutsuki Bloodline (Red)], might have chakra capable of helping Hinata achieve her own heaven-defying change.
And Hinata's red entry could grant him the power of Tenseigan.
They were practically a match made in heaven!
Izayoi only exchanged greetings with Hinata and didn't continue the conversation.
After all, this was only their second meeting.
The six-year-old Hinata had already begun learning the Gentle Fist, likely losing to Hyuga Neji, which gradually disappointed Hyuga Hiashi and caused her personality to become introverted.
Three years ago, Hinata, though equally shy, hadn't avoided looking directly at his eyes.
Fortunately, Hanabi hadn't grown up yet, and Hyuga Hiashi hadn't completely given up on Hinata to focus on cultivating his second daughter.
Just a little encouragement to boost her confidence could change her introversion.
However, that too posed a challenge.
After all, Hinata was the young lady of Hyuga clan; apart from classes, she rarely left home.
Even when she did, she was always accompanied by clan members in green vests for protection.
Getting time alone with her was almost impossible.
So, he needed to think of a plan.
Izayoi rested his chin on one hand, gently tapping the desk with the index finger of his other hand.
Meanwhile, Hinata secretly observed the contemplative Izayoi, the admiration hidden in her heart surging forth once more.
Yes, Hinata admired Izayoi.
As peers of same age, she got lost just running away from home.
Yet he dared to wander alone on a snowy night, speaking and acting so maturely, like an adult.
He also ranked first in the entrance exam.
If only she could be as outstanding as him, her father wouldn't be disappointed in her.
Plus, aside from Hyuga Neji, Izayoi was the only peer Hinata knew.
Even after three years, she hadn't forgotten this black-haired, blue-eyed boy with a slightly chubby baby face named Izayoi.
Hinata, longing for friendship, desperately wanted to initiate a conversation with Izayoi.
But... she just couldn't do it.
She was too useless!
Izayoi was unaware of white-eyed girl's thoughts.
At that moment, he had regained his focus.
Because he had spotted his other targets again.
Uzumaki Naruto, and... Uchiha Sasuke.
Around them too, floated several bubbles, each possessing a red bubble just like Hinata's.
Uzumaki Naruto's talent entries were:
[Sage Body (Red)]
[Super Kage Aptitude (Gold)]
[Uzumaki Bloodline (Purple)]
[Otsutsuki Bloodline (Blue)]
Izayoi didn't see the words Ashura or Nine-Tails in Uzumaki Naruto's talent entries.
However, the rank of Sage Body and the Uzumaki Bloodline entry indicated that Uzumaki Naruto's Sage Body was different from the Senju and Uzumaki clans' Sage Body; it was on par with a pure Otsutsuki bloodline.
Only Otsutsuki Hagoromo and his son Otsutsuki Ashura possessed such a Sage Body.
Besides these four entries, Uzumaki Naruto also had the cheat of half the Nine-Tails.
Compared to him, Uchiha Sasuke's talent entries were slightly inferior.
[Sage Eyes (Red)]
[Kage Aptitude (Purple)]
[Uchiha Bloodline (Purple)]
[Otsutsuki Bloodline (Blue)]
An unevolved Princess of the Byakugan wasn't worth mentioning.
Similarly, unevolved Sage Eyes were also not worth mentioning.
Without Uchiha Itachi's eyes and without awakening Indra's chakra, Uchiha Sasuke's limit was the Kage level, a level where he might go blind.
Only by obtaining the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, or by awakening the true power of the Sage Eyes—that is, Indra's chakra, possessing near-infinite eye power without needing transplants—would his aptitude entry reach the Super Kage level.
Just like Uchiha Madara, who was always suppressed by Senju Hashirama, Uzumaki Naruto might be trash now, but when he started exerting himself, he could instantly surpass Uchiha Sasuke, who had trained hard for years.
This was true for the six years at the Ninja School, and similarly true for the three years of Shippuden.
This was the difference in talent, and also in cheats.
---
Chapter 4: Do Ninjutsu Need Hand Seals?
"Hello, students. My name is Umino Iruka, and I'll be your homeroom teacher from now on."
As the class bell rang, a young man wearing a green vest entered the classroom, introduced himself at the podium to Izayoi and the others, and then said with a smile, "Before class starts, let's introduce ourselves. Let's begin with the student in the first row on the left."
"My name is..."
"Hello everyone, my name is Yamanaka Ino. Please take care of me."
"My name is Aburame Shino."
"Uchiha Sasuke."
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! Remember this name, I'm the man who will become Hokage!"
"..."
Everyone behaved differently, revealing their personalities.
The most conspicuous was Uzumaki Naruto, currently disliked by Umino Iruka.
Since they had just met, his arrogant self-introduction didn't draw mockery from the entire class.
When it was Hinata's turn, she whispered and stuttered, "I... I'm Hyuga Hinata. Please... please take care of me."
Her shy demeanor starkly contrasted with the lively and cheerful Yamanaka Ino.
Fortunately, this wasn't an ordinary world; otherwise, such a shy young lady from a prestigious family might easily face isolation and bullying.
"Hello everyone, my name is Izayoi."
Izayoi stood up and stated his name—a very ordinary self-introduction.
However, his cute face, similar to Uchiha Sasuke's, attracted the attention of quite a few girls.
Although he knew the girls in this world matured very early, Izayoi couldn't help but click his tongue mentally upon feeling those fervent gazes.
Living independently from age three, understanding love and romance by five or six, going to war before even turning twelve during wartime, becoming a savior at sixteen or seventeen... this world was just that absurd.
Precisely because of this, the title of 'genius' held significant weight in the Naruto world.
After the self-introduction segment, came a familiar part Izayoi recognized.
Distribution of books!
However, upon receiving the books, he couldn't help the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Language and Math, that was normal.
But Biology and Medicine, and even Chemistry, what were those about?
Izayoi suddenly understood why the children in this world learned about love and romance so early; it seemed such precociousness was quite common.
Besides these books, Umino Iruka also distributed a scroll to each student.
The scroll recorded the method for extracting chakra.
"Chakra is a special energy formed by proportionally merging physical energy extracted from the 130 trillion cells in the human body and spiritual energy. It is the key to becoming a ninja."
Umino Iruka explained, "The entrance exam screens for students whose spiritual and physical energies meet the standard, indicating a high probability of becoming a ninja."
"Knowledge and physical exercise can both enhance these two energies. So, students who haven't developed chakra yet must study hard. Otherwise, if you still haven't by the end of the observation period, you will be advised to withdraw."
Hearing this, some students from ordinary families who hadn't yet developed chakra immediately looked nervous.
It was likely they would be the students Umino Iruka focused for quite some time.
Izayoi didn't remind them they were worrying too much.
Although the school didn't explicitly divide classes into elite and remedial, those admitted into Class 1-1 were either children from ninja clans or commoners with excellent aptitude.
Izayoi could tell with just a glance; every classmate had at least a White entry, and quite a few had the Green entry [Chunin Aptitude].
This meant even if they didn't pass the graduation exam, they would still possess Genin-level strength in the future.
Students with Green entries, as long as they didn't die prematurely, were destined to become Chunin.
Clan children like Yamanaka Ino all had [Jonin Aptitude (Blue)].
However, Haruno Sakura's ninja aptitude caught Izayoi's attention.
Because her ninja aptitude was only [Chunin Aptitude (Green)].
But oddly, her [Chakra Control] talent entry reached the Kekkei Genkai level of Purple.
Possessing such a high-level chakra control talent, yet her future potential was only Chunin.
Just like Hinata's [Princess of the Byakugan] was Red, but her aptitude was only Jonin level.
Without a heaven-defying change of fate, Chunin was Haruno Sakura's limit.
If she successfully changed her fate, she would become one of the new generation Sannin.
After distributing the textbooks and scrolls, Umino Iruka didn't give Izayoi and the others time to relax, immediately starting the lesson.
Mornings were for cultural classes, afternoons for physical education.
Physical education, besides physical conditioning, also involved distributing pebbles and teaching throwing techniques.
Things like the Three Basic Jutsu, Body Flicker/Shunshin Jutsu, Invisibility/Disguise Jutsu, as well as kunai and shuriken, were naturally not included.
Even taijutsu sparring wasn't taught yet.
Clearly, the first semester of the first year was focused on building a foundation, enhancing knowledge and physical fitness.
Izayoi initially participated, but seeing that there would be no taijutsu sparring for the time being, he stopped sending his main body to the Ninja School.
Having acquired the Otsutsuki Bloodline at age three, Izayoi's current chakra reserves were astonishingly large.
Forget Uzumaki Naruto, who couldn't even extract chakra yet; even Hatake Kakashi, who could use the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu in class at age five or six in the original story, couldn't compare to him.
His Shadow Clones, whether in duration or durability, far surpassed Uchiha Itachi's.
Letting a Shadow Clone attend school in his place, Izayoi's main body used the Transformation Jutsu to appear as a teenager and went to a deserted training ground in the wilderness to practice ninjutsu.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
In the open ground, Izayoi pretended to form hand seals, compressing wind-transformed chakra in his palm into a vortex, then striking out, unleashing a violent gale that kicked up large amounts of dust.
Yes, pretending to form hand seals.
Because Izayoi could do it without needing hand seals.
To be precise, currently, apart from auxiliary ninjutsu like the Three Basic Jutsu and Shadow Clone Jutsu, Izayoi could perform all other Five Elements Release jutsu without hand seals.
Undoubtedly, there were differences even among Red entries.
And the [Otsutsuki Bloodline (Red)] entry was superior to [Sage Body], [Sage Eyes], and [Princess of the Byakugan].
Not only was his chakra immense, but his ninjutsu talent was also ridiculously high, like the Otsutsuki clan members before Indra invented hand seals – capable of casting Five Elements Release jutsu without seals.
Even Senju Hashirama needed to clap his hands together and shout for what he wanted, but Izayoi didn't.
This wasn't just incredible ninjutsu talent; it was also a trump card.
After all, when an enemy thought Izayoi was forming seals, he could suddenly unleash a jutsu, catching them completely off guard.
---
Chapter 5: Izayoi's Invitation, Summer Vacation!
Unknowingly, the first semester was almost over.
During this semester, the first year only had cultural and physical education classes.
Every day involved either studying or physical training, followed by chakra extraction practice.
Except for Class 1-1, students from other classes had been advised to withdraw.
Being a ninja was just that rare.
Not only was the entrance exam difficult, but the graduation exam was also extremely tough.
Because graduation wasn't truly graduation; if they couldn't gain recognition from a Jonin instructor, they would still return to repeat the year.
The elimination rate was absurdly high(War time are exeption).
And this was merely the progression from trainee ninja to Genin.
Above Genin, there were Chunin and Special Jonin, as well as the versatile Jonin.
However, none of this concerned Izayoi or the Konoha 11.
Aside from the first two weeks, Izayoi hadn't used his main body to attend school afterward.
He wouldn't come until there was taijutsu sparring.
After all, the reason he entered the Ninja School was solely for Hinata and the Naruto-Sasuke duo.
More accurately, he was targeting their red talent entries.
Before graduating from the Ninja School, Izayoi had to acquire their red entries, or at least one or two of them.
Otherwise, after graduation, obtaining their red entries would become significantly harder.
Not due to a difference in strength, but because opportunities to meet and fight them would drastically decrease.
In the original story, after graduation, the Konoha 11 didn't reunite until the Chunin Exams.
Graduation at the end of March, Chunin Exams on July 1st—these were important dates every year.
A whole season passed in between.
*Ding ling ling...*
As the dismissal bell rang, another day ended.
The students, despite an afternoon of physical education, were still full of energy.
"Izayoi-kun, want to play ninja games with us?"
"Izayoi, want to walk home together?"
Some students left school to go home, while others stayed, inviting classmates to form small groups.
Izayoi also received many invitations; he was a very popular figure in the class.
Although it was just his shadow clone attending school, and his targets were only Hinata and Naruto/Sasuke, Izayoi wasn't cold towards others, always responding with a smile.
Even his rejections were very tactful.
Today was the same.
Facing the invitations from both boys and girls, Izayoi's shadow clone pressed his hands together apologetically and smiled, "Sorry, I already have plans with someone else. Next time, definitely next time!"
"Eh, you're already booked? Izayoi-kun is really popular."
"Okay then, next time. Let's all play ninja games together."
The classmates looked disappointed but didn't insist.
After leaving the school, Izayoi's shadow clone ducked into a small alley and dispelled itself automatically.
Memories and fatigue all returned to the main body.
Digesting the day's memories, Izayoi, who had finished his training and was resting at home waiting for the fatigue to set in, murmured, "The holidays start in a few days. It's time to make a move."
On July 20th.
After the morning classes ended, it was lunchtime.
Some students lived nearby and chose to go home for lunch.
Others brought bentos to school.
They ate either in the classroom or outside.
Usually, since Izayoi sent a shadow clone to school, he always went home for lunch.
But today, he unusually came in his main body and even brought a bento.
He ate his bento with Hinata in the classroom.
Over three months, Izayoi and Hinata had become friends.
Although not the kind who could talk about anything, they knew each other's hobbies and some small secrets.
For example, Hinata's hobby was pressing flowers.
And Hinata also knew that her deskmate was actually just a shadow clone.
When she first found out, Hinata's small mouth formed an 'o' shape, her beautiful eyes widened in shock.
Afterward, her gaze towards him held even more admiration.
While the school hadn't even taught the Three Basic Jutsu, Izayoi had already mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
This was simply incredible.
Eating his bento with the white-eyed girl, Izayoi suddenly spoke, "Hinata, tomorrow the holidays begin. How do you plan to spend them?"
"Probably training at home," Hinata answered softly.
"Want to train together with me?" Izayoi extended an invitation.
"C-Can I?"
Hinata looked at Izayoi with surprise.
Then, before he could reply, her mood dropped, and she shook her head, "No, Otoh-sama won't allow me to go out freely."
Ever since the kidnapping incident, Hinata needed an escort if she wanted to go out alone.
And she couldn't go out frequently either, because she was now attending the Ninja School, and there was an Uchiha in her class.
For the family's honor, she had to train hard and couldn't let the Uchiha clan surpass her.
"Heh... Don't worry about that."
Izayoi grinned, "Let me ask you again, do you want to go out and play during the holidays, train with me?"
"...Mhm."
Hinata lowered her head, eating her food, and responded with a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
"Okay, I'll help you tomorrow. Then..."
Izayoi leaned close to Hinata's ear, whispering his plan.
The warm breath tickled her ear, causing Hinata's cheeks and ears to flush red rapidly.
Her hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly.
Being this close to Izayoi for the first time, the immunity she had built up over the past three months instantly vanished.
Fortunately, Hinata's personality wasn't as extreme as in the original story; she didn't faint from shyness.
However, her mind went completely blank, forgetting what he had just said.
"...Remember, you need to be proactive tomorrow, otherwise my plan will definitely be seen through," Izayoi instructed.
"Oh, oh..."
Hinata nodded blankly, looking adorably clueless.
Then, she looked up at him, "Izayoi-kun, what... what did you just say?"
Izayoi: "..."
Then, with a 'pak' sound, he flicked Hinata's forehead without mercy.
Under the girl's pitiful expression, he repeated the plan he had just outlined.
Clutching her forehead, Hinata's beautiful eyes sparkled slightly.
...
The next day, the Ninja School entered its forty-day summer vacation.
Izayoi left his house and went into a small alley.
*Poof!*
Like the sound of a balloon popping, it echoed in the alley.
Then, a blonde girl wearing a hat, though her hair color was still visible, ran out from inside, heading straight for the Hyuga clan compound.
If any Class 1-1 students were here, they would definitely recognize this girl as Yamanaka Ino.
"Hello, my name is Yamanaka Ino. I'm here to find Hinata to play outside. We made plans yesterday."
Arriving at the Hyuga clan's gate, Izayoi, transformed into Yamanaka Ino using the Transformation Jutsu, gave the guards a sweet smile.
The two guards exchanged glances.
"Please wait a moment."
One of the guards carefully examined Izayoi, bowed politely, and then entered the clan grounds.
Before long, he emerged.
Following behind him was a little girl in a white windbreaker – it was Hinata.
Hinata ran over, and she and Izayoi (disguised as Ino) exchanged smiles.
The plan went smoothly; the young lady was out.
---
Chapter 6: Izayoi's Plan!
"Izayoi-kun, that's great, we succeeded!"
Leaving the clan grounds with him, Hinata couldn't contain her excitement any longer, her voice trembling slightly.
"Calm down. Be careful, your father might have sent guards to follow us secretly. They might hear you," Izayoi reminded her with a smile.
Hearing this, Hinata quickly covered her small mouth and glanced around furtively, looking utterly adorable.
"Let's go, I'll take you somewhere."
Izayoi wasn't sure if any guards were following in secret.
He didn't dispel the Transformation Jutsu either, instead leading Hinata away from the main street towards a training ground in the wilderness.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Upon entering the forest, Izayoi created a shadow clone, which instantly disappeared using Shunshin.
A short while later, Izayoi dispelled the Transformation Jutsu.
Seeing this, Hinata looked overjoyed, "Izayoi-kun, does that mean no one is following us?"
"Mhm, confirmed, no one is following us."
Izayoi nodded, grinning, "Later, I'll teach you a technique. Practice it at home. If your father sees it, he probably won't stop you from coming out anymore."
Hearing this, the joy on Hinata's face deepened.
Transforming into Yamanaka Ino to invite Hinata out.
This was Izayoi's plan.
Otherwise, if he went himself, Hinata definitely wouldn't have been allowed out.
At best, it would be a wasted trip; at worst, Hyuga Neji might be ordered to warn him, or he might be moved to a different seat in class, or even transferred to another class altogether.
Children might not understand what was happening.
But Izayoi knew clearly these were the tactics of adults.
In this world with Daimyo and nobles, class divisions were even more pronounced than in his previous life.
Hinata was the young lady of a prestigious ninja clan, while Izayoi was just a commoner orphan without even a surname.
A chasm separated them.
If Izayoi were a girl, there might be hope of becoming friends with Hinata.
But he was a boy.
To prevent Hinata from falling for him, and to prevent the Kekkei Genkai from leaking out, neither Hyuga Hiashi nor the main family elders would allow Izayoi and Hinata to get too close.
Unless... Izayoi was extremely valuable.
If he were a commoner genius worth recruiting, he might qualify to marry into the family.
If he were like Uzumaki Naruto, a hero of Konoha, the savior of the ninja world, only then could he marry the main family's eldest daughter.
Before proving his worth, Izayoi could only resort to small tricks.
Yamanaka Ino was the young lady of the Yamanaka clan, one of the new generation Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
Even if her strength was lacking, she could still become a high-ranking figure in the intelligence department through her family's secret techniques, wielding real power.
The Ino-Shika-Cho were allied together.
If anyone among the Konoha 11 was qualified to be Hinata's friend, it was undoubtedly Yamanaka Ino.
Only by transforming into Yamanaka Ino could he invite Hinata out, with a high probability of not being followed by guards.
If it weren't for the worry that as his strength grew, the gap between him and Hinata would widen, making it harder to get her red entry, Izayoi really wouldn't want to take such a risk.
Once the first major exam arrived and he claimed the title of top student, he would have a bit more confidence.
However, compared to Naruto and Sasuke's red entries, Izayoi was more eager to get Hinata's red entry.
After all, as long as he awakened the Tenseigan, he would have nothing to fear.
So he didn't want to miss this vacation either.
Arriving at the deserted training ground, Izayoi looked at Hinata and asked, "Hinata, have you learned the Three Basic Jutsu yet?"
"Not yet," Hinata shook her head.
"Father told me to focus on practicing the Gentle Fist. I can only practice other ninjutsu in my spare time when the school teaches them."
"In that case, I won't teach you the Three Basic Jutsu either."
Izayoi smiled slightly, "I'll teach you a technique that can improve your chakra control. Whether it's practicing your family's Gentle Fist or learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu, it will be twice as effective."
Hinata's beautiful eyes widened, her expression stunned, "Izayoi-kun, you... you want to teach me the Shadow Clone Jutsu?"
"That's right."
Izayoi nodded, saying, "My main body will rarely go to school in the future. You can come find me here anytime, or practice the Shadow Clone Jutsu, secretly letting your clone attend classes like me, while your main body comes here to train with me."
Hearing this, Hinata was very tempted.
After learning that Izayoi attended school via shadow clone, Hinata had already thought about learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Not for any other reason, just not wanting to be left too far behind by Izayoi.
But just as she said, Hyuga Hiashi only had her focus on the Gentle Fist, wouldn't teach her anything else, nor allow her to learn anything else.
Forget the Shadow Clone Jutsu; Hinata didn't even know the Three Basic Jutsu.
Now, hearing that Izayoi wanted to teach her the Shadow Clone Jutsu, allowing her to secretly come here every day to train with him, enjoying both friendship and the freedom she craved...
Hinata was naturally extremely moved.
Seeing her expression, Izayoi knew her thoughts.
"Follow me, I'll teach you how to improve your chakra control."
Izayoi smiled at Hinata, then walked over to a large tree that required several people to encircle.
He formed a Ram hand seal and said to Hinata, "Through the hand seal, gather chakra at the soles of your feet, then overcome your fear and do like this..."
Under Hinata's widened, astonished gaze, Izayoi lifted his right foot and stepped onto the tree trunk.
As soon as his right foot landed on the trunk, Izayoi lifted his left foot and stepped onto it as well.
With both feet off the ground, his body hung horizontally straight before Hinata's eyes.
Then, step by step, as if walking on flat ground, Izayoi walked from the base of the tree to the very top.
Turning to face Hinata below, Izayoi's body formed a right angle on the tree as he smiled, "Climbing trees using your feet, this is the technique I'm teaching you."
"S-So amazing!"
Gazing at Izayoi who defied gravity, Hinata was stunned.
Walking down from the tree, Izayoi smiled, "Climbing trees with your feet is just the first stage. There's the even more difficult task of walking on water with your feet."
"As long as you learn these two techniques, whether it's the Three Basic Jutsu, the Shadow Clone Jutsu, or even the Shunshin Jutsu, none of them will pose any difficulty for you."
"Can... can I really learn it?" Hinata lacked confidence.
"Don't underestimate yourself, you're the young lady of the Hyuga clan."
Izayoi patted Hinata's shoulder encouragingly, "Go try it. Don't be afraid of falling, I'll catch you."
"If you fall too far behind me, I won't wait for you, you know."
The last sentence, Izayoi said with a hint of joking, like teasing.
But this very sentence solidified Hinata's resolve.
She nodded forcefully, "Mhm!"
She had already disappointed her father; she absolutely couldn't disappoint Izayoi now, nor did she want to lose her only friend.
---
Chapter 7: Hinata's Change!
Hinata stood at the base of the large tree, forming a Ram hand seal with both hands, channeling the chakra within her body, gathering it at the soles of her feet just as Izayoi had instructed.
Then, she lifted her right foot and stepped onto the tree trunk.
Hinata immediately felt as if her sole was stuck with glue, adhering tightly to the bark.
Feeling this, Hinata felt somewhat reassured, then lifted her left foot and stepped onto it as well.
Just like Izayoi had done moments before, Hinata's body hung horizontally in the air.
Holding her breath, Hinata took the third step.
"Ah..."
The next second, Hinata's expression changed drastically, letting out a cry of surprise.
Her feet, which had been stuck to the bark, suddenly detached, and her entire body began to fall towards the ground.
Just then, two arms caught her, steadying her body.
Izayoi chuckled lightly, "Don't be afraid. I told you, I'll catch you."
"Izayoi-kun, I'm sorry..."
Hinata lowered her head, saying apologetically, looking as if she had let him down.
"Why apologize to me?"
Izayoi reached out again, patted Hinata's shoulder encouragingly, "Failing is normal. Being able to get both feet to stick on your first try is already very impressive. When I first practiced, it took me over ten tries to succeed."
This was a lie!
Izayoi succeeded on his first try and even walked many steps upward.
Neither Uzumaki Naruto nor Uchiha Sasuke had [Chakra Control] in their talent entries.
But both Izayoi and Hinata's [Chakra Control] had reached the Blue rank.
With this level of talent, forget tree climbing and water walking; even medical ninjutsu, sensory techniques, sealing techniques, and barrier techniques would be easier for them to learn compared to those without the chakra control talent.
The Gentle Fist involved injecting chakra into the human body, which was a form of chakra control.
As long as Hinata had enough chakra and someone guiding her, she should be able to learn tree climbing quickly.
"Continue. I believe you'll reach the top of the tree soon."
"Mhm."
Encouraged, Hinata's confidence surged.
She once again formed the hand seal, gathered chakra at her feet, then stepped onto the tree trunk, her body quickly hanging horizontally in the air again.
Perhaps due to the sense of security Izayoi provided, Hinata didn't hold her breath this time, instead taking the third step very naturally.
The previous issue—where taking the third step caused the chakra in the other foot to become uncontrollable, losing balance and resulting in the chakra in both feet disappearing—didn't occur.
Hinata controlled the chakra in both feet well, her shoe soles sticking firmly to the tree trunk.
Fourth step, fifth step, sixth step...
Only after completing the eighth step and taking the ninth did Hinata lose her rhythm.
The chakra in her feet lost balance again, and her body fell downward.
Miraculously, Hinata wasn't scared at all, nor did she cry out.
She even felt a tiny bit of anticipation in her heart.
Just as expected...
Her body didn't crash onto the hard ground but landed in a warm embrace.
Izayoi, having caught Hinata, held her in a princess carry, looked down at her, and praised generously, "Amazing, Hinata! You reached that height on only your second try. You're truly a genius."
"Heehee..."
Hinata didn't feel shy; instead, she giggled happily.
The amount of praise she received today was more than the sum of the past few years combined.
Is this what it feels like to be acknowledged?
Hinata, whose personality hadn't yet become as lacking in confidence and prone to giving up as in the original story, instantly felt even more motivated and confident.
Her beautiful eyes sparkling, she took the rare initiative, "Izayoi-kun, put me down. I want to try again."
"Okay."
Hinata's changes were all seen by Izayoi.
Seeing the girl become confident, he also felt happy for her.
The esteemed young lady of a prominent clan, yet in the original story, she became so timid and self-deprecating.
It showed the kind of high-pressure environment she grew up in.
Since he had come to this world and chosen to intercept Uzumaki Naruto and Otsutsuki Toneri, Izayoi was determined to change this girl.
Even if she didn't turn into the delinquent boss lady from the Limited Tsukuyomi, she shouldn't waste the Otsutsuki clan's genes like in the original story.
Starting with changing her personality, Izayoi would raise her into the person he wanted her to be!
Hinata's talent was excellent; after all, among the four girls of the Konoha 12, she was the only one from a most prestigious clan, possessing the Byakugan, one of the three great Dojutsu.
What she lacked was only self-confidence.
When she regained her confidence, she would bloom with dazzling brilliance.
Tree climbing and water walking didn't require much chakra, only control.
This control ability was either gained through hard practice or entirely through talent.
In the original story, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke were the former, while Haruno Sakura was the latter.
And Izayoi and Hinata were also the latter.
Hinata, who could take seven or eight steps on her second try, didn't regress on her third attempt.
Instead, she improved again, taking over ten steps before falling once more.
Izayoi still caught her steadily.
By the fourth try, Hinata no longer fell; she successfully climbed to the top of the tree.
"Izayoi-kun, I did it!"
Standing atop the tree, Hinata didn't admire the surrounding scenery from the height but immediately shared her joy with Izayoi below.
"Amazing! Reaching the top on the fourth try! Hinata, you're much stronger than me."
Izayoi gave her a thumbs-up, praising generously.
"Heehee..."
Receiving praise, Hinata giggled happily again.
Receiving guidance was the same, but the feeling he gave her was completely different from her father.
When receiving Gentle Fist instruction from her father at home, Hinata only felt nervous.
Even upon completing the tasks Hyuga Hiashi assigned, she wouldn't receive a single word of praise.
Sometimes she would even be criticized because she didn't perform as perfectly as her cousin.
In contrast, here with Izayoi, she received the praise she had always longed for.
The relaxation, different from nervousness, and the joyous feeling, unlike apprehension, seemed to cleanse Hinata's soul, making her enjoy training.
Walking down from the treetop as if on flat ground, Hinata looked expectantly at Izayoi, "Izayoi-kun, is water walking the same as tree climbing?"
"Mhm, but it's more difficult."
Izayoi nodded slightly, smiling, "Tree climbing just requires sticking to the trunk. Water, however, is flowing. To stick to the water's surface, your control needs to be several times better."
"I won't teach you now, but you can go home and try using a bathtub or water basin. Wait until your chakra reserves increase a bit more, then I'll teach you real water walking and the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
"Mhm, mhm..." Hinata nodded repeatedly.
Seeing Hinata being so obedient, Izayoi finally revealed his true intentions, smiling, "Next, let me teach you taijutsu sparring! And let me experience your Hyuga clan's pressure point techniques."
"Okay."
The innocent Hinata naturally didn't know Izayoi's true objective.
Having sparred with her cousin many times at home, she still nodded obediently, not thinking there was anything wrong with practicing taijutsu sparring now, something the school hadn't taught yet.
---
Chapter 8: Rank Difference, The Use of Points!
Throughout the summer vacation, Izayoi trained together with Hinata.
Every day, he would first confirm Yamanaka Ino's location, then use the Transformation Jutsu to invite Hinata out.
The two would go to the deserted training ground, either practicing tree climbing or engaging in taijutsu sparring.
Having gained friendship and found confidence, Hinata's transformation during this summer vacation was astonishing.
Not just in terms of strength, but also her demeanor.
Hyuga Hiashi was the first to notice the change in his eldest daughter.
When he learned Hinata was practicing water walking, he realized her outings weren't just about making friends and playing.
Izayoi also noticed someone secretly monitoring him and Hinata.
However, Izayoi didn't hide; instead, he prepared to test Hyuga Hiashi's attitude.
That day, Izayoi found an excuse to let Hinata see how he walked on water.
Additionally, Izayoi demonstrated the Shadow Clone Jutsu, low-level Wind Style, and completely dominated Hinata in taijutsu sparring.
Then, the next day, Izayoi transformed into Yamanaka Ino again and went to the Hyuga compound to invite Hinata out.
The moment he saw Hinata emerge, he understood Hyuga Hiashi's attitude.
The head of the prestigious clan tacitly approved of Hinata training with him.
To these ninja clans, Izayoi's identity held no secrets.
A commoner orphan from a ninja family, before finishing even three semesters of the first year, he had already mastered tree climbing and water walking, which weren't even taught at the Ninja School, and could also use the Shadow Clone Jutsu and low-level Wind Style.
Such talent, along with his chakra reserves, undoubtedly made him a commoner genius of this era.
Training with such a genius would give Hinata greater motivation.
This was evident from Hinata diligently practicing water walking at home, and the changes in her personality and demeanor.
Although Hyuga Hiashi was somewhat disappointed in his eldest daughter's performance, he hadn't yet discovered Hanabi's talent and hadn't given up on Hinata to cultivate his second daughter.
Seeing such a significant change in Hinata just from making one friend, Hyuga Hiashi could only feel pleased.
As for the idea of breaking them up, Hyuga Hiashi didn't have it.
Firstly, they were too young; it was likely just pure friendship now.
Secondly, in his eyes, Izayoi and Hinata were impossible.
The Hyuga clan's Byakugan could not be allowed to spread outside.
Izayoi was just a tool to change Hinata.
He would constantly observe Izayoi and Hinata's relationship.
When either side changed, Hyuga Hiashi would intervene and tell them the harsh reality.
Unless Izayoi was exceptionally outstanding, like the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato, the two would have no future.
Izayoi and Hinata were unaware of all this.
Seeing that Hyuga Hiashi wasn't stopping him and Hinata from playing together, Izayoi felt completely relieved.
He taught Hinata the Three Basic Jutsu and chakra control techniques while using taijutsu sparring to try and trigger her red entry.
This summer vacation, both Izayoi and Hinata reaped rich rewards.
Hinata had mastered the techniques for tree climbing and water walking, and also learned the Three Basic Jutsu.
However, perhaps due to insufficient chakra reserves, she hadn't yet learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Additionally, her pressure point striking skills improved remarkably.
Izayoi had the 'Medical Genius' entry among his talent entries.
His mother in this life was a medical ninja, and her legacy included scrolls for basic medical ninjutsu, which Izayoi had long mastered.
To trigger the [Princess of the Byakugan] red entry, Izayoi, apart from going easy for the first few days to give Hinata time to adapt, went all out afterward, beating Hinata mercilessly.
After fighting, he would heal her.
It was also sparring, but although Hyuga Neji harbored resentment towards Hinata, with Hyuga Hiashi watching, he wouldn't dare truly harm her.
Izayoi, however, fought for real, showing no mercy.
Beat her up first, coax her later.
Constantly taking beatings, Hinata's combat experience naturally soared.
Her attacks became increasingly decisive, ruthlessly injecting chakra into Izayoi's body.
Healing after fighting, Hinata, now accustomed to it, would definitely not be like her original counterpart, too kind to hurt her younger sister, ultimately losing to Hanabi who was five years younger.
It was precisely this obvious change that made Hyuga Hiashi completely acquiesce to Izayoi and Hinata's 'rendezvous'.
And this summer, although Izayoi didn't trigger the [Princess of the Byakugan] red entry, his improvement was also significant.
Through taijutsu sparring with Hinata, Izayoi had secretly learned the Hyuga clan's pressure point techniques.
After testing Hyuga Hiashi, Izayoi, under the pretext of guidance, had Hinata secretly bring out a human acupoint chart and a scroll on pressure point techniques.
Izayoi had now mastered the human acupoints and the technique of injecting chakra into the body.
He wasn't interested in the Eight Trigrams Palms, but he was very interested in this technique of sealing an enemy's chakra flow through pressure points.
It might prove unexpectedly effective when fighting enemies.
Although no red entry was obtained, this summer, Izayoi did get two entries from Hinata.
One was the Blue entry [Chakra Control], which Izayoi already had.
At that time, a prompt sounded in Izayoi's mind.
"Ding! You have obtained the talent entry [Chakra Control (Blue)]. It overlaps with your existing talent entry. Fuse or Decompose?"
Izayoi chose Fuse.
After fusion, Chakra Control didn't turn Purple; it remained Blue.
However, Izayoi felt a distinct improvement in his chakra control.
At that moment, Izayoi finally understood why Haruno Sakura could surpass Hinata, who had practiced Gentle Fist since childhood, and Shizune, who had studied under Tsunade since childhood, in just three years.
Just like the Otsutsuki Bloodline, where the Hyuga clan couldn't compare to the moon branch at all.
Although both were Chakra Control, the difference between Blue and Purple was worlds apart.
Even fusing two Blue Chakra Control entries couldn't reach the Purple level.
Yet, Purple Chakra Control allowed Haruno Sakura to learn advanced medical ninjutsu, the Senju clan's chakra burst, and the S-rank difficulty Mystical Palm Technique and Strength of a Hundred Seal in just three years.
Besides Chakra Control, Izayoi also obtained a Purple entry, precisely [Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan].
Unfortunately, Kekkei Genkai was Kekkei Genkai, and Princess of the Byakugan was Princess of the Byakugan.
If Izayoi didn't already have [Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan], this entry would just give him a pair of Byakugan, not the Byakugan along with Hinata's Byakugan purity.
Izayoi chose to decompose this entry.
Fusing the Byakugan would certainly increase Izayoi's Byakugan purity.
But awakening the Tenseigan was impossible.
Just like fusing two [Chakra Control (Blue)] wouldn't reach the Purple entry.
The Otsutsuki clan sacrificed the Byakugan of the entire branch family to fuse the Tenseigan.
The final form, the Giant Tenseigan, might have even fused the main family's Byakugan.
Given the Otsutsuki clan's bloodline purity, their Byakugan purity was definitely higher than the Hyuga clan's.
If Izayoi wanted to evolve the Tenseigan by fusing Byakugan entries, who knew how many he would need.
Fusing the two entries would just be a waste.
Izayoi didn't lack that bit of purity.
After decomposing [Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan (Purple)], Izayoi obtained over a thousand points, and his panel changed.
[Host: Izayoi]
[Talent Entries: Otsutsuki Bloodline (Red), Super Kage Aptitude (Gold), Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan (Purple), All-Attribute Physique (Purple), Medical Genius (Blue) [+], Chakra Control (Blue) [+]]
[Points: 1792]
A plus sign appeared after Medical Genius and Chakra Control, indicating they could be upgraded.
This was the function of points.
---
Chapter 9: Izayoi Rejected!
Points could only be obtained by decomposing entries.
Izayoi had known this since he was three.
Back then, to reasonably appear near the Hyuga compound, he had made friends with a group of kids and played ninja games with them.
Due to being too popular, he incurred the displeasure of some peers and got into fights with a few children.
Among them, several kids had the [Ninja Aptitude (White)] entry.
After obtaining these entries, the system prompt was also: Fuse or Decompose?
Decomposing those entries gave Izayoi twenty-five points; each White entry decomposed yielded a random single-digit number of points.
Now, decomposing a Purple entry instantly gave him four-digit points.
The Blue entries could now be upgraded.
"So, how many points does it take to upgrade a Blue entry?"
Izayoi was very curious and couldn't resist clicking the plus sign after Chakra Control.
Immediately, his panel changed again.
[Host: Izayoi]
[Talent Entries: Otsutsuki Bloodline (Red), Super Kage Aptitude (Gold), Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan (Purple), All-Attribute Physique (Purple), Chakra Control (Purple), Medical Genius (Blue)]
[Points: 793]
The Chakra Control entry turned from Blue to Purple.
And the plus sign after Medical Genius disappeared.
The points decreased by nine hundred and ninety-nine.
"The entry ranks are White, Green, Blue, Purple, Gold, Red. Decomposing White gives random single-digit points, Purple gives four-digit points, and upgrading Blue requires triple-digit maximum points. Is this point cost random or fixed?"
Izayoi murmured internally, "If it's fixed at the maximum number, does that mean: White to Green costs 9 points; Green to Blue costs 99; Blue to Purple costs 999; Purple to Gold costs 9999; Gold to Red costs 99999; and Red to an unknown new rank costs 999999 points?"
Izayoi didn't know.
He currently had no entries below Blue, nor did he have enough points to test it.
Even if he had spare points, Izayoi wouldn't use them to upgrade low-level entries.
Except for special entries like Byakugan and Chakra Control, Izayoi didn't plan to upgrade any entries below Red.
As long as he awakened the Tenseigan, he would gain numerous dimension-crushing abilities.
If developed to its peak, it would grant Six Paths-level power.
One pair of eyes was enough for Izayoi to last until the final battle of Shippuden.
Rather than wasting points on trash entries, it was better to use them to upgrade the Otsutsuki Bloodline.
If the Otsutsuki Bloodline upgraded again, its purity would surely reach the level of the extraterrestrial Otsutsuki clan members.
At that time, perhaps other colored Rinnegan, or even abilities like Karma and Shinjutsu/Divine Techniques, might emerge.
Of course, these were just speculations, and still far off for him.
...
Time flew to September 1st.
The Ninja School began its second semester.
This semester, Izayoi finally attended classes with his main body, but only for the afternoon sessions.
In the second semester, mornings were still cultural classes.
Afternoons, besides physical education and shuriken throwing, now included a new subject: Taijutsu Sparring.
Unfortunately, the taijutsu sparring matches were randomly assigned by Umino Iruka.
Izayoi wasn't matched against Uzumaki Naruto or Uchiha Sasuke, nor was he matched against Hinata.
"Iruka-sensei, can I request a match against Sasuke?"
Upon hearing it was random matchmaking, Izayoi proactively approached Umino Iruka, wanting to fight Uchiha Sasuke.
Umino Iruka hesitated slightly but still shook his head, "Taijutsu sparring receives no special treatment. Its purpose is to remind everyone that the enemies you encounter might be evenly matched, weaker than you, or even stronger."
"You must adapt to evenly matched fights, as well as being crushed or crushing others... Improve through hard-fought battles, gain a sense of accomplishment from victories, taste bitterness in defeat, and continuously grow."
"I understand, Iruka-sensei."
Seeing Umino Iruka refuse, Izayoi didn't insist.
He planned to challenge Uchiha Sasuke after school.
However, after school, Uchiha Sasuke's response made Izayoi's mouth twitch slightly.
"Sasuke, want to have a match?"
"Sorry, I'm not interested. I need to go home and train."
Uchiha Sasuke, not yet the avenger, wasn't as cold as his original counterpart, but he still decisively refused Izayoi's challenge, running home eagerly.
After the Nine-Tails' attack, the Uchiha clan was suspected of being the culprit behind releasing the Nine-Tails, and their compound had to be relocated from the central district to near the Naka River.
Uchiha Sasuke, who hadn't yet mastered the Shunshin Jutsu, needed some time to get home from the Ninja School.
He just wanted to go back and train with his brother, having no time to waste on Izayoi.
Before Izayoi could provoke him or use taunts to force Sasuke into a fight, the boy had already run off out of sight.
Izayoi felt quite helpless about this.
He didn't switch targets to challenge Uzumaki Naruto either.
Although the year-end exam to determine the top student hadn't happened yet, Uzumaki Naruto's overall score for the first semester was already dead last in the grade.
After all, even the worst students knew how to pronounce the word "chakra."
Only Uzumaki Naruto could still mispronounce "chakra" even after graduation, showing his cultural class scores were like his Chunin Exam paper – either blank or filled randomly.
His physical condition was somewhat malnourished, so his physical education scores weren't even average.
If Izayoi, an top student, suddenly challenged the dead-last, it could easily attract the attention of the Anbu, or even Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo, who were constantly watching Naruto.
The former might be okay, but the latter might suspect Izayoi knew something, or think he was a pawn sent by someone to get close to Naruto.
To avoid accidents, they might take certain measures.
Then, Izayoi's situation would become very passive.
This wasn't what he wanted.
So Izayoi's targets, for now, were only Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke.
Rejected by Uchiha Sasuke, Izayoi didn't pester him either.
It was already September of Konoha Year 54; only three months remained until the end of the year.
Next year would be the year of the great filial son's clan massacre incident.
At that time, Uchiha Sasuke, transformed into an avenger, would definitely not refuse Izayoi's challenge anymore.
Thus, the next day, Izayoi still attended class with his main body but didn't proactively request a match against Uchiha Sasuke, nor did he challenge him after class.
Being matched against Uchiha Sasuke or Uzumaki Naruto would certainly be good.
But the other classmates weren't bad either.
After all, this class, besides the two saviors of the ninja world, also included the new generation Ino-Shika-Cho and the sensory class members.
Other classmates also had at least [Ninja Aptitude (White)].
Every single one had an entry.
Even if only a White entry was obtained, decomposing it would yield single-digit points.
And the Konoha 11 possessed Blue, Purple, or even Gold and Red entries.
Obtaining any one of them would be a huge gain.
Unsure if shadow clones could trigger entries, Izayoi naturally couldn't miss the afternoon classes.
---
Chapter 10: Gentle Outside, Strong Inside; Izayoi Filled with Accomplishment!
Konoha Year 54, December 21st.
Unknowingly, the second semester ended again.
This semester, the first-year students underwent very noticeable transformations.
The first semester only had cultural and physical education classes.
Lacking practical combat experience, they were not much different from before enrollment.
The newly added taijutsu sparring in the second semester allowed them to grow through pain, shedding some of their immaturity.
However, there was also a side effect: it taught some students to solve problems with violence.
Fights breaking out over disagreements, mutual brawls, or bullying incidents occurred frequently.
Crucially, the teachers and the school didn't prevent these.
Evidently, in their eyes, cowards didn't deserve to become ninjas.
Rather than graduating and getting killed on missions outside, it was better to be bullied by their own, choose to drop out, and become ordinary people.
Therefore, incidents of underachievers attempting to bully top students happened in every grade and class.
Like Uchiha Itachi back then, like Hyuga Neji, like Uchiha Sasuke...
They all shared common traits: handsome, geniuses, cold personalities, very popular with girls.
Yet, despite being so popular, they disliked joining or forming cliques, seeming dismissive towards both boys and girls.
This lone-wolf attitude irked many boys, making them want to teach these individuals a harsh lesson.
Unfortunately, all these bullying attempts were invariably thwarted, sometimes resulting in the bullies getting beaten up instead.
Getting beaten up wasn't the issue, but losing to one person despite having numbers was humiliating.
Afterward, they would also be bullied by the target's fan club, facing exclusion from girls in their class and grade, and even counter-bullying from upperclassmen.
As a result, their resentment towards these popular figures grew, even extending to members of the target's clan.
For example, on this day, snow fell heavily.
Finally, after the snow stopped, Hinata, who no longer needed Izayoi to transform into Yamanaka Ino to invite her out and already possessed the privilege of going out freely, immediately ran out of the clan compound, planning to wait for Izayoi at their usual spot.
Hinata wore a white snowman outfit, a red scarf tied around her neck, looking plump and incredibly cute.
Over half a year, Hinata's hair, deliberately grown long at Izayoi's suggestion, now reached her shoulders.
She tied it into twin tails with hair ties, planning to change the style once it reached her waist.
Her cute little face, full of baby fat, was slightly flushed in the snowy weather, making one want to reach out and pinch it.
To avoid being discovered, Hinata didn't knock on Izayoi's door but went to the open space outside the Ninja School to wait for Izayoi's arrival, a tacit understanding between them.
"Is that girl from Neji's clan?"
"White eyes, definitely."
"Let's go teach her a lesson!"
Just as Hinata was waiting for Izayoi, several boys' voices suddenly reached her ears.
When she turned her head, three boys, looking a year or two older than her, ran over and surrounded her.
Malicious smiles hung on their faces.
"Um... Can I help you?"
Hinata asked.
Her voice was very gentle, but if one looked closely, they'd see she wasn't lowering her head, merely looking at the three boys with confusion.
"Such annoying eyes, just like that guy Neji!"
Looking at Hinata's eyes, one of the boys seemed to recall unpleasant memories, shouting loudly, "What are you looking at, you white-eyed monster? Don't you know you offended me? Kneel down and apologize immediately!"
Hinata tilted her head, somewhat puzzled.
However, hearing her cousin's name, she still asked doubtfully, "Are you friends of Neji-niisan?"
"Who's friends with that guy Neji?"
Another boy immediately retorted loudly, "We're his enemies."
"Kneel down quickly, shout 'I'm sorry' loudly, and apologize to us on behalf of that guy Neji, or we'll beat you up!"
The last boy reached out, intending to grab Hinata's shoulder, force Neji's clanswoman to kneel, and then humiliate her thoroughly.
Gazing at the boy's outstretched hand, Hinata's eyes suddenly changed.
Then, her small hand, clad in a white glove, extended its index and middle fingers, striking the boy's chest with even greater speed.
"Ah..."
Despite the glove, Hinata's fingers were like silver needles, piercing through the thick winter clothes, causing the boy to let out a scream and fall backward onto the ground.
Hinata then moved with extreme speed, consecutively striking the other two boys.
They also screamed and sat down on the ground.
"It hurts, it hurts, waaah..."
They kept rubbing their chests, but the pain radiating from outside to inside didn't lessen at all.
Looking at Hinata before them, they felt like they were seeing Hyuga Neji's reflection – equally strong, equally condescending.
Instantly, they were scared into tears, scrambling away in panic.
Hinata, having reacted instinctively, tilted her head again.
She hadn't even injected chakra into their bodies, why were they crying?
With such strength, were they really Neji-niisan's enemies?
*Clap, clap, clap...*
Just then, the sound of clapping reached her ears.
Following the sound, Hinata looked over, her face instantly lighting up with happiness.
"Izayoi-kun, you're here!"
"Hinata, you looked really cool just now."
Izayoi, also wearing a white snowman outfit, walked over, giving Hinata a thumbs-up, "When dealing with malicious people, you should strike decisively like that. Otherwise, they'll only escalate their actions and even develop a habit of bullying others."
"Mhm, mhm..."
Hinata nodded repeatedly, very obediently.
Seeing her like this, Izayoi felt a surge of accomplishment.
In the original story, Hinata was bullied by her peers more than once.
The esteemed young lady of a prominent clan being bullied by several commoner boys was utterly ridiculous.
Even more ridiculous was that Hinata had already started learning the Gentle Fist by then.
Being bullied to tears despite that clearly indicated a personality issue.
But now, Hinata had turned the tables and made the bullies cry, proving Izayoi's actions were highly successful.
Through constant beatings, her personality was no longer introverted and timid but had become resolute, unwilling to give up easily.
Kindness remained, but she wouldn't sacrifice herself to accommodate others.
Her attacks were not only decisive, but counter-attacking had become instinctual.
Unlike the delinquent boss lady from the Limited Tsukuyomi, the current Hinata was gentle on the outside but strong on the inside.
Transforming Hinata like this in just half a year naturally filled Izayoi with a sense of accomplishment.
However, it was also fortunate that this transformation happened so early.
If they had waited until Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Neji crushed Hinata's spirit, changing the girl would not have been an easy task.
Hyuga Hiashi must be very grateful to Izayoi.
Hinata having the privilege to go out freely was the best reward.
"Let's go, let's go train."
"Mhm!"
The two small children in snowman outfits headed towards the deserted training ground.
---