Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
During that time, a large number of unfamiliar faces began appearing on the streets of Konoha. Normally, seeing outsiders wasn't unusual, but these people were different—they wore headbands engraved with various village symbols. Clearly, they were ninja from other hidden villages.
The villagers, far from being alarmed, were instead filled with excitement. The influx of shinobi could mean only one thing—the Chunin Exams were about to begin. Once again, they would witness thrilling ninja battles. Shop owners, in particular, had already begun stocking their stores, preparing to cash in on the festivities.
After all, the Chunin Exams were one of the grandest events in the shinobi world, no matter which village hosted them.
July 1st, 3:00 PM
Team 8 assembled on time at their usual meeting spot and headed toward the Ninja Academy with their application forms in hand.
On the way, Shino Aburame, hands tucked into his pockets, commented calmly, "Since Konoha is the host, we're at a disadvantage. Many participants have likely been gathering intel on us, while we know almost nothing about them."
"It's fine," Izanami replied with a light chuckle. "Information gets outdated quickly. Whatever intel they've gathered is already old news. I believe all of you have improved since then."
Hearing that, both Hinata and Shino exchanged confident smiles.
Before long, the group arrived at the familiar grounds of the Ninja Academy. After several months away, stepping onto the campus again stirred a mix of nostalgia and awe in Izanami and Hinata.
As they walked along the familiar paths, their gazes softened, seemingly lost in time. Memories surfaced—visions of their younger selves, round-faced and full of innocence, now matured and hardened by experience. They had once walked these very paths side by side, inseparable.
They both subconsciously looked at one another, and when their eyes met, a knowing smile passed between them—a silent acknowledgment of the bond they shared.
Upon reaching the main building, the moment their feet touched the first stair, both Shino and Hinata paused. Their expressions subtly shifted.
"This is… a Genjutsu," Shino muttered, forming the unsealing hand sign to disrupt his chakra flow.
Hinata mirrored his actions immediately.
"To be precise, it's a Genjutsu barrier," Izanami said with a smile. "Looks like the Chunin Exams have officially begun."
Climbing to the second floor, the corridor ahead was crowded. Some participants appeared dazed and confused, victims of the illusion. Others seemed aware of something and had gathered near the stairwell to the third floor, but they were blocked by two Chunin standing guard.
"Remove this Genjutsu barrier! We need to get to the third floor!" someone shouted ahead of them.
Before Team 8 could reach the stairs, a familiar voice cut through the noise.
"It's Sasuke-kun," Hinata said softly. But her eyes weren't on Sasuke—they were focused on a figure in the crowd.
"And Neji-nii-san… He's participating in the exams too."
As if sensing her gaze, Hyuga Neji, who had been silently observing Team 7's performance, turned his head.
Spotting Hinata, he stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Lady Hinata," he greeted.
His manners were impeccable, but his voice lacked warmth. When he lowered his head, a brief flicker of resentment glinted in his eyes.
"Neji-nii-san, good luck with the exams," Hinata said gently.
"You as well, Lady Hinata," Neji replied, his expression composed. "I look forward to fighting you during the Chunin Exams."
His eyes then fell on Izanami.
"You must be Izanami?"
"I am. Do you have any advice for me, top student of the previous class?" Izanami said with a smirk.
"…You're strong," Neji admitted, sizing her up carefully. Then his expression hardened. "But know your place. You and Lady Hinata have no future. That's the difference in bloodline. It is your fate."
"Neji-nii-san, that's enough."
Before Izanami could respond, Hinata's voice rang out, sharp and cold. Her gentle demeanor was gone, replaced by a steely presence.
Even her aura shifted, becoming heavy and commanding.
"…My apologies, Lady Hinata."
Neji bowed again, then turned and walked away.
As her cousin disappeared into the crowd, Hinata turned back to Izanami, her voice soft again. "Izayoi-kun, please don't take his words to heart. Neji-nii-san didn't mean it."
Placing a hand gently on her head, Izanami ruffled Hinata's hair. "You were amazing just now, Hinata! It's a shame I couldn't get my camera out in time."
"Indeed," Shino agreed. "That aura you had was quite intense."
The top three of their class were clearly exceptional. This Chunin Exams might just be their time to truly shine—Izanami, Hinata, and Uchiha Sasuke.
"O-oh no… You're exaggerating," Hinata stammered, her cheeks reddening as she looked down and shyly tapped her index fingers together. The complete contrast from her earlier self made the moment even more endearing.
If someone had seen only this version of her, they might have mistaken her for the one with a split personality, not Sakura Haruno.
"Yo—Izanami, Hinata, and… uh, everyone else! You're here!"
Uzumaki Naruto's boisterous voice broke the moment.
Team 7, having finished their own interlude, was approaching Team 8.
"My name is Shino Aburame," Shino stated clearly, stepping forward.
Naruto blinked, paused for a second, then said, "Oh, Shino! Hi."
But as always, Shino's attempt to emphasize his presence was mostly ignored.
Naruto quickly shifted his attention to Izanami, grinning wide. "So you guys came to take the Chunin Exams too! This time, I won't lose to you—believe it!"
"Oh?" Izanami raised an eyebrow. "You sound confident. Did Kakashi-sensei finally teach you a few real jutsu?"
If that were true, it would represent a major butterfly effect. In the original timeline, to avoid unbalancing the protagonist's growth, Kakashi Hatake, the legendary Copy Ninja, was essentially handcuffed. Despite having a thousand techniques at his disposal, he barely passed on even a single basic Wind Release to Naruto—despite Naruto already mastering advanced Chakra control like tree-walking.
It was a narrative choice—Naruto's immense chakra and his Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu meant that even learning one Wind Release: Great Breakthrough could catapult his strength into elite Genin status, threatening the "underdog" story.
Imagine hundreds of clones unleashing Wind Release simultaneously—it would be more devastating than Uchiha Madara's Great Fireball Annihilation.
"Hehe… you and Sasuke just wait," Naruto said, rubbing his nose proudly. "I'll blow your minds!"
"…Riddlers, get out of Konoha," Izanami muttered under her breath.
Her deadpan comment drew some curious looks from Hinata, Shino, and Sasuke. Their gazes seemed to ask, "Are you seriously one to talk?"
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