Happy times always pass by quickly.
In the blink of an eye, it was already August 5th, Year 60 of the Leaf Village.
The countdown to the official match of the third exam was down to the last two days.
Izayoi, who had taken Hanabi out for half a month of fun, finally bid a reluctant farewell to Karin, carrying several large scrolls with him.
Before leaving, however, Izayoi gave Karin some instructions: "Karin, there's a scroll on the desk in my study that hasn't been put away yet. It contains the training method for a technique. After I leave, make sure to practice diligently. I hope that by the time I come back, you'll have mastered that technique."
Hearing that Izayoi would return to see her in the future, Karin immediately perked up and stood at attention, promising, "Yes! I won't let you down, Izayoi-kun."
"Then we'll be heading back now. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Karin-nee," Hanabi also waved farewell to Karin.
Karin smiled and waved, watching as Izayoi carried Hanabi on his back and disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique.
At 6 PM, Izayoi and Hanabi returned to the Leaf Village on time.
"So many carriages, and so many people..."
Walking along the central street, Hanabi looked around and sighed softly.
"After all, the official match of the Chunin Exams is the day after tomorrow. Ordinary people can't use the Body Flicker Technique, so they have to come early," Izayoi explained with a smile.
"Oniichan, I'll definitely be there to cheer for you. Don't lose, okay!" Hanabi clenched her fist and said to Izayoi.
"Don't worry, Oniichan is sure to win," Izayoi replied, his gaze fixed in a certain direction as if piercing through all obstacles. A confident smile appeared on his face as he whispered, "In every aspect."
After delivering Hanabi, who had taken out a sealing scroll containing souvenirs, to the entrance of the Hyuga Clan, Izayoi waved goodbye and returned home to make final preparations for the grand event two days later.
...
August 7th, Year 60 of the Leaf Village.
As soon as dawn broke, the central street of the Leaf Village began to buzz with activity, gradually becoming a sea of voices.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, fireworks were even set off.
Whether it was ordinary civilians in plain clothes or the wealthy in luxurious attire, traveling by carriage or sedan chair, everyone was heading to the village square.
An hour before the exam, the square was already packed to the brim.
Many people from other regions and countries who hadn't managed to get tickets even crowded at the entrance, arguing with the ninjas.
After confirming that they really couldn't get in, they didn't leave but stayed outside the square, planning to imagine the scenes through the sounds.
Unfortunately, the ninjas' business acumen was lacking. They didn't keep a batch of tickets to sell as scalpers or set up a betting system outside, or they could have made a fortune.
"Izayoi-kun, long time no see."
After a month, Hinata finally stepped out of her home and came to Izayoi's house.
The side effects of the art photos had long been dissolved by her intense longing.
The moment she saw Izayoi, Hinata, for once, actively threw herself into his arms, her hands tightly wrapped around his waist, her tone and eyes filled with affection.
"Long time no see, Hinata."
Izayoi also hugged the girl tightly, and despite the strong pressure against his chest, he surprisingly had no impure thoughts.
Since the age of six, the two inseparable companions had never been apart for so long.
For Izayoi and Hinata, who had long grown accustomed to each other's presence and found it indispensable in their lives, this past month had been particularly difficult.
Izayoi managed better, as he still had his sister-in-law to keep him company.
For Hinata, however, the past month had been truly agonizing.
Especially in the last couple of days, as she listened to Hanabi recount her travels and saw the various photos of Izayoi and Hanabi together, Hinata found herself feeling unusually jealous of her sister.
So, as soon as the holiday ended, she couldn't wait to see Izayoi again.
This separation had not weakened their bond; instead, it had deepened it.
After a long, silent embrace, Izayoi and Hinata finally parted and had breakfast together.
While Hinata was washing the dishes, Izayoi returned to his room and retrieved one of the birthday gifts prepared for him by Hanabi and Hinata—a white robe with flame patterns—along with the large scrolls he had brought back from Sakura Street. He then went into the private bathroom.
By the time Hinata finished putting away the dishes and took off her apron, Izayoi had already emerged from the room.
Then, the two of them left the house together and headed to the Leaf Village square.
The Leaf Village square was a spherical, open-air structure, much like the special training grounds such as the Death Forest. It was one of the places that remained closed to the public except under special circumstances.
Every time the square was opened, it was for an important festival.
Entering the square through the competitor's passage, they saw the vast examination grounds where the proctor and some of the examinees had already arrived.
Seeing the proctor with a needle in his mouth, Izayoi knew that the protagonist of the Shippuden series was still destined to die. "I thought you two were so busy dating that you forgot about the exam time," Uchiha Sasuke immediately taunted as soon as Izayoi and Hinata joined the group.
Hinata remained shy as usual, while Izayoi chuckled lightly and said, "Judging by your appearance, it seems like you've had a rough month."
"On the contrary, I've had a great month," Uchiha Sasuke replied with a slight smirk, his tone filled with pride. "If we meet in the finals, I guarantee I'll surprise you."
"I'm looking forward to it," Izayoi said, glancing at Uchiha Sasuke's neck. Not seeing the Heavenly Curse Mark, he knew that Sasuke had likely been training with Kakashi Hatake, just as in the original story.
If nothing unexpected had happened, Sasuke should have mastered the Lightning Release: Chidori by now.
This meant that Sasuke's Lightning Release Nature Transformation had reached a certain level, allowing him to begin the Shape Transformation phase and learn techniques like Thousand Birds Current and Lightning Blade.
The stronger Uchiha Sasuke became, the happier Izayoi was.
As time passed, the remaining examinees gradually arrived.
Just as Uchiha Sasuke hadn't been late, Uzumaki Naruto also didn't arrive at the exam grounds being chased by a herd of bulls.
On the VIP seating platform, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, had already taken their seats.
Taking out his pocket watch to check the time, Shiranui Genma looked at the ten examinees before him and said slowly, "Time's up. Any examinees who haven't arrived will automatically forfeit, and their opponents will advance to the next round."
Hearing this, many of the examinees glanced at Uzumaki Naruto.
Out of the eleven examinees, only Dosu Kinuta was absent.
Uzumaki Naruto, who had won without a fight, immediately put his hands on his hips and laughed triumphantly, "Hahaha... That guy must have been scared of me and ran away."
"Now, let me explain the rules of the exam," Shiranui Genma said as he took out a clipboard and crossed off Dosu Kinuta's name from the list. "You've all attended the ninja academy, and you're familiar with unrestricted duels. The rules for the official matches are simple: any means can be used, and you won't be held responsible for killing your opponent. This is because the death agreement you signed during the second exam is still valid."
"So, if you're out of your depth, it's best to surrender decisively at the critical moment. Otherwise, if you die, it's for nothing. Don't expect me to step in and save you at the last second."
"Contestant number 2 has automatically forfeited, so Uzumaki Naruto, who drew number 1, advances to the next round. Now, Hyuga Hinata, who drew number 3, and Temari, who drew number 4, will stay. Everyone else, please go to the waiting area."
As Shiranui Genma finished speaking, Gaara, Kankuro, and Hyuga Neji left immediately.
Izayoi and the other young ninjas cheered Hinata on before heading to the spectator stands in the waiting area.
"Great, the first match is my sister's! Go, sister!" Hanabi, sitting in the audience, couldn't help but shout loudly.
"Hanabi, mind your manners," Hiashi Hyuga scolded.
"Yes," Hanabi replied, knowing she couldn't embarrass the family in public. She quickly straightened up, her face serious.
"Hyuga Hinata, right? Are you really a Genin who was promoted this year?" Temari asked, eyeing Hinata, who was three years younger than her but had a figure that surpassed even that of a mature woman. Temari's eyes and mouth twitched slightly.
Thinking about the intel she had, Temari couldn't help but feel jealous. Hinata had a handsome childhood friend who had been first in his class from enrollment to graduation, mastered several Nature Transformations, and even developed an S-rank Storm Release Secret Technique. After graduation, the two had become teammates and had never been apart. Even as the daughter of the Kazekage and the princess of the Hidden Sand Village, Temari couldn't help but feel envious.
Not only was Hinata perfect in appearance, character, and background, but even her other half was flawless. Had this woman saved the world in her past life?
Hinata didn't know what Temari was thinking, but hearing her words, she couldn't help but feel shy.
For some reason, women her age, and even older women, always stared at her chest with envy and jealousy.
It was a heavy burden, or so Hinata had initially thought.
But after realizing that Izayoi also liked it and even got nosebleeds because of it, Hinata no longer saw it as a hindrance to her strength but as a source of pride.
Thinking of this, Hinata's shyness vanished, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
In Temari's eyes, however, Hinata was looking at her modest figure with a disdainful smile.
The princess of the Hidden Sand Village instantly flew into a rage.
With a loud thud, Temari took the Three-Star Fan off her back and slammed it on the ground, sneering at Hinata, "Noble lady, I hope your skills can entertain my Three-Star Fan."
The word "noble" seemed to trigger something in Hinata, making her think of something.
Glancing in the direction where her sister and father were, Hinata's temples immediately bulged with veins as she looked at Temari with a serious expression and said, "I will give it my all."
Their gazes instantly converged into a single line, sparks flying between them.
The intense aura also piqued Shiranui Genma's interest. He removed the needle from his mouth, raised his arm, and shouted, "The third round of the Chuunin Selection Exam·Final Match, Hyuga Hinata vs. Temari... begins now!"