"Izayoi, Hinata, here are your vests."
Shizune held out two pre-prepared green flak jackets, smiling as she handed them to Izayoi and Hinata.
"Thank you, Shizune-san."
Hinata accepted hers politely. If she weren't wearing a kimono, she'd probably be putting that vest on right away. Izayoi, meanwhile, although smiling, wasn't too fond of the vest's green color.
No real reason—he simply found it too ugly.
Izayoi had already decided: even if he became a jōnin one day, he'd dress exactly how he pleased, like Kurenai-sensei. Build enough of a name for yourself, and people look at you, not your standard-issue flak vest.
Once both had taken the vests, Tsunade dropped her stern demeanor and said, smiling,
"You two are squadmates, right? It's pretty rare for two members from the same team to be promoted to chūnin in the same exam. You should probably agree on who'll act as the squad leader."
"Yes, Lady Hokage."
Izayoi and Hinata both nodded, then exchanged a quick smile. Tsunade must have just returned to the village and either didn't know them well or was just teasing. After all, given Izayoi's capabilities and his relationship with Hinata, it was obvious who would be taking the lead in Team Eight.
"Once you become chūnin, you have the authority to lead a squad on missions and issue travel permits out of the village," Tsunade went on. "Regarding pay distribution, if no jōnin sensei is leading, then the team captain collects the highest cut, while chūnin-level teammates get more than genin-level ones." She paused, then waved them off. "Okay, that's all—I'll let you go."
Hinata was about to bow in thanks when Izayoi suddenly spoke.
"Lady Hokage, I'd like to recommend someone to join Konoha."
Hearing that, Tsunade—who was about to return to her paperwork—and Shizune, who'd just placed a teacup on the desk, both turned their eyes on him.
Tsunade furrowed her brow slightly.
"You're a top-ranked rookie and now a Konoha chūnin, so you should know very well how things work in the Land of Fire. To prevent spies from infiltrating, we don't usually let just anyone join Konoha. If we can't verify someone's family records or confirm a legitimate background, we won't accept them. So tell me: does this person meet those criteria?"
"I believe she does," Izayoi said with a nod.
"All right, is this person a civilian, or a ninja?"
Tsunade seemed mildly curious, so she set her pen down and took a sip of tea. But before she could even swallow, Izayoi's next words made her spit it all out.
"She's a ninja—and a descendant of the Uzumaki clan."
Pffft—
Tea sprayed over some paperwork, but Tsunade didn't seem to care. Staring at Izayoi, she suspected she must have misheard.
"W-What did you say? She's a descendant of which clan?"
"A descendant of the Uzumaki clan. She's also one of my clansmen." Izayoi repeated himself calmly, dropping yet another bombshell.
"Kh…Koff—!"
Tsunade choked on the remainder of her tea, coughing hard enough that her face reddened. Shizune hurried over to pat her back and press a medical point, while shooting Izayoi a look of wide-eyed astonishment. No wonder the intel described him as having massive chakra, Shizune thought. He must be a distant relative of Lady Tsunade…
The moment Tsunade caught her breath, she fixed Izayoi with an excited but slightly doubtful gaze.
"You…you're an Uzumaki descendant yourself?"
"Yes, I am."
Izayoi nodded, and before Tsunade could ask, he rolled up his sleeve and offered Hinata his forearm. Hinata understood perfectly, gently biting down. Immediately, a bright blue chakra spread around Hinata's mouth and Izayoi's arm, coalescing like water and flowing into her.
"Self-healing by sharing chakra…"
Seeing that, Tsunade looked dazed for a second. Ever since her grandmother's passing, she couldn't remember the last time she'd witnessed that distinctive healing method. Realizing what it meant, Tsunade's gaze toward Izayoi grew visibly warmer.
Before now, it wasn't as if Tsunade hadn't known about his strength or brilliance. She'd reviewed Shizune's data and been impressed by Izayoi's "Super Typhoon Serial Spheres" and multi-nature-fusion attacks.
But even if he was strong, Tsunade—a Hokage—wouldn't go out of her way to curry favor with an ordinary rookie. At best, she'd support his progress from behind the scenes, letting him follow the fast track to becoming a Kakashi-like figure.
In this generation, the only people Tsunade would truly treat differently were Jiraiya's student—Naruto Uzumaki, the boy who helped her overcome her fear of blood and reminded her of Dan Katō and Nawaki's dreams. Yet now, she found a reason to offer special treatment to Izayoi too.
The Uzumaki clan were distant relatives of the Senju, so it was hardly strange for Tsunade to show favoritism to someone who turned out to be kin.
"I never imagined you'd be a throwback to the Uzumaki clan."
Tsunade eyed Izayoi's jet-black hair, smiling.
"You've awakened that special Uzumaki healing technique, which even within the clan is rare. Your bloodline purity must be pretty high. I guess the black hair is unusual—but hey, it's interesting."
"Probably because I also carry some Senju blood," Izayoi replied. With those words, he dropped an even bigger bomb. In the stunned silence, Tsunade, Shizune, and even Hinata froze. Izayoi calmly raised his right hand. From the center of his palm, a small green sapling sprouted.
A hush fell over the Hokage's office like a graveyard at midnight. From Izayoi's vantage point, Tsunade and Shizune's faces gradually shifted into utter disbelief.
"Eh—?!"
The cry that finally shattered the silence practically shook the Hokage Building. Had there been people stationed outside the door, they'd have barged in. Had the Anbu sensed a surge of chakra, they'd have rushed to investigate.
"M… Mo—wood…Wood…style…"
Staring at the tiny sprout in Izayoi's hand, Tsunade—a woman not easily rattled—could hardly form a sentence. Shizune was likewise at a loss for words. The shock was comparable to a starving beggar suddenly told he was the sole heir to a mega-billionaire father who was on his deathbed.
Hinata, too, clapped a hand over her mouth in surprise, torn between shock and delight. She already knew more than Tsunade and Shizune did, since she alone was aware Izayoi also possessed the Tenseigan.
She'd assumed that unknown and formidable dōjutsu was Izayoi's special bloodline. The idea that he might be both an Uzumaki-Senju mix and have awakened the legendary Wood Style was downright mind-blowing.
Once such news got out, it would surely spark an uproar in Konoha, the Land of Fire—even across the ninja world. After all, the First Hokage—"God of Shinobi"—had ended the Warring States era, establishing the one-nation, one-village order.
That was practically living memory, as opposed to the "mythical" era of the Sage of Six Paths. Plenty of old-timers still remembered Hashirama firsthand; to them, Wood Style meant far more than just a famous technique. It was the rightful heritage of Konoha.
Hinata realized that if Izayoi made his Wood Style public, even her father and the Hyūga elders would never oppose her relationship with him. No one could resist the pull of Wood Style—not Konoha or anyone in the ninja world.
"No wonder, huh?" Hinata thought, practically shaking with excitement.
A gust of wind blew, and Tsunade darted across the room in an instant. She seized Izayoi's wrist, channeling her emerald-green chakra into him as though testing something. Gradually, Tsunade's face lit up with an ecstatic look.
"Hahaha… This vitality and Yang-type chakra—it is genuine Wood Style!" She gave Izayoi a hearty slap on the shoulder and laughed. "You brat…you had this the whole time but kept it hidden. How'd you stand it?"
Izayoi gave a meaningful smile.
"I actually wanted to use it. But come on: imagine a 13-year-old boy single-handedly wiping out the ninja world's mightiest clan overnight, then escaping Konoha's barrier undetected. Who'd dare show that off openly?"
Tsunade paused her laughter, apparently catching Izayoi's reference. She realized he must know more than the average shinobi and likely had extraordinary sensory or even Mind's Eye of the Kagura. Still, outwardly she merely nodded, "Keeping it secret was wise. You did the right thing." Then, wearing a proud grin, she slapped his shoulder again.
"But from now on, there's no need to hide. I'll have your back."
"That's exactly what I'd been hoping to hear, Lady Hokage." Izayoi crushed the tiny sapling, meeting Tsunade's gaze with a shared smile. From that moment onward, Izayoi's status and position would never be the same.
Previously he might have needed to prove himself to the Hyūga clan through raw power or potential, but now just the existence of Wood Style was enough to have them flocking to him.
Neither Konoha nor any power in the ninja world could remain indifferent to that legendary ability.
"Oh, right—the person you wanted to recommend?" Tsunade recalled, returning to the matter at hand. "Is she like you—someone who awakened Uzumaki blood? Or an obvious redhead?"
"Her name's Karin—a redheaded Uzumaki. I've got her staying in Sakura Street here in the Land of Fire," Izayoi explained. "She and Hinata and I met in the Chūnin Exams' Forest of Death. Back then she was affiliated with Grass Village, who exploited her self-healing ability as a sort of walking med kit. If I hadn't recognized her clan aura with Mind's Eye of the Kagura and known some things about the Uzumaki, she'd likely have died from prolonged chakra overuse."
Tsunade's expression grew cold. She gave a derisive snort.
"A bunch of ignorant fools, basically. If they saw she had low chakra reserves, they'd never guess she might be an Uzumaki descendant? Since when is red hair considered a typical color in the ninja world? No wonder Konoha's become this weak after just a handful of years."
Then she turned to Izayoi, her tone brimming with confidence,
"That introduction of yours hardly does her justice. Bring Karin back right away—I'll vouch for her personally."
"Yes, ma'am."
Izayoi beamed. That was, after all, one of the reasons he'd exposed his Wood Style in the first place. If a mere chūnin or tokubetsu jōnin recommended Karin—a one-time Grass Village kunoichi—she'd likely face the full routine at the Interrogation Corps.
Who knew what sadistic methods they might employ, or whether they'd rummage through her mind with illusions or Yamanaka mind-jutsu. That sort of deep probing could risk revealing Izayoi's secrets, such as that he had Yamato in his custody.
But if a legendary Sannin—or better yet, the Hokage herself—offered personal sponsorship, there'd be no need to worry. Big names had the privilege of breaking protocol.
"Izayoi-kun, that's wonderful!"
Once they left the Hokage's office, Hinata couldn't hold back her elation. She threw her arms around Izayoi's waist, hugging him tightly and quietly cheering in his arms.
Izayoi likewise pulled her into a firm embrace, pressing his forehead against hers. "Happy?"
"Mm-hmm!"
Hinata nodded eagerly. Becoming chūnin was a thrill, but more so was knowing there was no longer any obstacle to her being with Izayoi—and she was bursting with joy about it. Overcome by the emotion, the usually shy Hinata gazed up at him, suddenly bold enough to say,
"Izayoi-kun, I…"
But she never finished. Izayoi put a finger to her lips.
"Someone's watching us," he murmured, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Let's go somewhere else."
"O-oh… Right,"
Hinata stammered, following Izayoi away from the Hokage Building. After turning into a narrow alley, Izayoi asked,
"Hinata, what were you about to say?"
"N-nothing…"
By now her mind had settled. Flustered again, Hinata lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers. She was no longer at "steaming point," but her face had reddened all the same. After all, only she knew how bold she'd nearly been just now—and in this calmer state, she simply lacked the nerve to finish.
Yet Izayoi's gaze on her was nothing but tender. He knew exactly what she'd been on the verge of doing, and that was why he'd intervened. Those romantic words should be shared in a more romantic moment—and besides, it shouldn't be the girl who says them first.
Taking hold of Hinata's small hand, Izayoi smiled.
"Hungry? Let's go get some barbecue."
"Mmm…"
She smiled back, nodding. Glancing at the scroll tucked in her sash, she asked,
"Izayoi-kun, now that we're both chūnin, should we treat the others to a meal?"
"They're probably on missions by now. Let's wait till the new house is finished, and then we'll celebrate big."
Izayoi thought a moment. Hinata agreed.
"All right, we can bring Hanabi along, too."
"Yeah. I hear her next term is starting soon—let's spend these last few free days with her."
"Mm-hmm."
A boy and girl strolled along the alleyway hand in hand, sunlight streaming down on them. If one looked closely at their shadows, one might almost see the ghostlike outlines of two childlike figures in "snowman" costumes, also holding hands—lingering echoes of their sweet, youthful bond.
~~~
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