A few minutes later, Hinata and Hanabi stepped out of the room. Izanami—camera in hand, excitement sparkling in his eyes—immediately brightened. "Beautiful, so beautiful," he praised.
Earlier, in kimonos, Hinata and Hanabi had the grace of classical nobility. Now, however, they exuded modern purity and charm, making Izanami feel as though he'd stepped back in time to his campus life.
Hinata wore a white sailor‑collared blouse with a dark blue bow and pleated skirt, paired with black stockings. At 1.55 meters tall, her figure rivaled that of many adults, her youthful face and ample bust making her seem like a high schooler rather than a twelve‑year‑old—stirring a flutter in Izanami's heart.
Hanabi was equally adorable: the smaller version of Hinata's outfit—white blouse, matching bow and skirt, this time with white stockings. Her long hair was styled in pigtails, giving her an irresistible cuteness.
"Oni‑chan, do I look good?" Hanabi asked, approaching Izanami, hands clasped behind her back, blinking her lovely eyes.
"Super good‑looking!" Izanami replied with a thumbs‑up.
"Hehe… I also think the clothes Oni‑chan made look great," Hanabi said, twirling. "It's just that the skirt's so short and the fabric so thin—it's not ideal for combat."
"That's okay," Izanami reassured her with a smile. "It's my first time making clothes; there's room for improvement."
Hinata, standing nearby, held her hands in front of her, her cheeks pink and eyes darting. In that moment, she was shy—tiny and vulnerable.
Izanami looked at her curiously. "Hinata, aren't you cold? Doesn't it fit?"
He expected a standard response, but her next words surprised him.
"No… no, it fits just fine. But it's… it's a bit too revealing," Hinata whispered, lowering her head. Her tight sailor blouse accentuated all her curves.
"Ahem," Izanami coughed lightly. "There is a jacket—but I ran out of materials and time, so I couldn't finish it."
Hinata nodded and looked down.
"Let's not worry about that now. How about a group photo?" Izanami quickly changed the subject, happily lifting his camera.
Soon they captured photos: the three of them standing in a line, Hinata and Hanabi on either side of Izanami, hands forming peace signs, bright smiles all around.
Then Izanami summoned a shadow clone of Izayoi to snap more pictures, directing the Hyuga sisters into poses: hearts with their hands, back‑to‑back action stances—lighthearted fun.
At the sisters' request, Izanami changed into a snowman costume and a pristine white robe, and more photos followed. This time Hinata and another shadow‑clone‑photographer named…Izayoi's clone—had learned camera techniques and took some shots himself.
After a while, the group moved to the dining table to cut cake. The camera never stopped clicking. They toasted with juice—a photo of sparkling cups. Hinata and Hanabi fed Izanami with forks; he reciprocated. At one point, Hanabi's greasy little hand smeared cream on his face, and he squeezed his eye shut in affectionate laughter. Hinata gently wiped the cream off with a handkerchief.
At first, the mood was warm and composed. But soon chaos erupted.
Hanabi, now looking like a mischievous kitten, shoved cake onto Izanami's palm and pretended to bite him as Hinata playfully tapped Hanabi's head. Then Hinata's face wore an artful smear of cake—her expression shifting from gentle to sly.
Cake flew wildly. Eventually, Izanami emerged victorious: he sat on a chair, head thrown back in laughter, while Hinata and Hanabi looked at their creme‑smeared sailor suits in dismay. The dining room was a mess.
They played until well after nine in the evening, bathed at Izanami's house, and then returned to their original clothes before heading back home.
"Prestige is still not enough."
Standing on the balcony, Izanami watched the sisters leave, their guards discreetly escorting them to ensure their safety. "Don't worry," he murmured softly. "Soon, no one will stop us."
Konoha, Year 60 – June 23rd, Suburbs by the Nanga River
Two bright shouts rang out over the river: "Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!" Two massive fiery dragons erupted and collided above the water in a dazzling explosion.
Beneath the spectacle, two teenagers—one tall, one noticeably shorter—engaged in intense taijutsu combat on the river's surface. On the bank, a young girl with Byakugan abilities, wearing a white kimono decorated with petals, crouched behind her camera, hunting for the perfect angle while secretly photographing the taller boy.
With a single punch, the shorter opponent struck the taller one—Uchiha Sasuke, with his active two‑tomoe Sharingan and keen insight—so hard that Sasuke's handsome face contorted as he flipped backward and crashed into the water.
Usually, Sasuke's Sharingan would allow him to last dozens of rounds before fatigue set in. But this time, after just a few exchanges, he sat up slowly on the water's surface, staring at his opponent in disbelief. "That was… Lightning Release?"
Izami—or rather, Izanami—did not blink as he lied. "Technically, Lightning Release nature transformation," he corrected. "I developed a jutsu of my own. I asked Hinata to find a scroll on training Lightning Release nature chakra, and I accidentally discovered that Lightning chakra stimulates cells and increases bodily speed."
In truth, Izanami's shadow clone had used the Reincarnation Eye to observe Kurosuki Raiga's lightning techniques, memorized the structure of channeled chakra, and reverse‑engineered the effect. After awakening the Reincarnation Eye, Izanami had now mastered at least six chakra nature transformations. The ultimate technique was still in progress, but this Lighting chakra method was simpler.
Sasuke, however, failed to see through the deception. His focus stayed locked on Izanami's lightning chakra. He breathed hard. "You made your own ninjutsu?"
"Want to learn?" Izanami asked nonchalantly.
Sasuke rose, extending eager hands like a determined ape. "Teach me," he demanded.
It was clear that Sasuke—unbound by fate with Izanami—had long been convinced by his strength. Whether it was single or double‑tomoe, he couldn't surpass him. In Sasuke's mind, the real Uzumaki Naruto was a "loser" compared to Izanami's power. Over the years, Izanami had become the only friend Sasuke truly respected.
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