After the "photo incident," Hinata didn't show her face to Izayoi for several days.
Under normal circumstances, that was extremely rare. Although Izayoi had sometimes "tested her grip strength," it had always been within Hinata's tolerance—she had two layers of self-protection, after all. But being seen completely exposed and photographed was evidently too much, far beyond her limit.
For the next few days, it seemed her "immunity score" to such things was at zero—or even in the negatives. Until she recovered, she probably wouldn't dare to face Izayoi.
As for that limited-edition "artistic photo," Izayoi stashed it in a small album with a passcode lock, stored alongside the camera in a wrist-mounted sealing scroll that he kept on him at all times.
On July 21st, Hanabi arrived at Izayoi's house on Hinata's behalf.
"Onii-chan, my sister wanted me to tell you that she'll be training stronger Gentle Fist techniques with Father for this entire month, so she won't be able to come over."
After delivering Hinata's message, Hanabi hugged Izayoi's arm and pleaded coquettishly, "Onii-chan, I'm on summer break. Since you're not training with your real body right now, can you play with me during this time?"
"Sure," Izayoi answered, smiling indulgently while patting Hanabi's head and pinching her cheek. "What do you want to do?"
"Hmm… Let me think…"
Hanabi tapped her chin, wearing a troubled expression. "We've already been all over downtown, and I'm tired of the same old foods. What should we do this time?"
Seeing his little sister-in-law's adorable face, Izayoi—despite having watched her grow up for years—still found her utterly charming. He hoisted her onto his lap and fiddled with her braided bangs, smiling as he said, "If you're bored of Konoha, how about I take you on a trip somewhere else?"
"Really?"
Hanabi's eyes lit up instantly, but then she pouted as if recalling something. "That won't work. Father won't allow me to be gone too long, and I have a bodyguard protecting me in secret. If I wander too far from downtown, they'll come out and block me."
"No worries," Izayoi replied with confidence. "Onii-chan will sneak you out. Just talk to your sister, and she'll convince your father. Then bring a few changes of clothes over here, and I'll whisk you away in secret."
"Awesome, awesome… I'll go pack right now!"
Relieved that Izayoi was willing to have Hinata share some of the responsibility, Hanabi clapped her hands, eyes brimming with excitement and longing. Clearly, this little sister-in-law was also eager to see the outside world.
"Alright, but remember to stash your clothes in a sealing scroll; otherwise, they might catch you before you can leave, and Onii-chan won't be responsible."
"Got it, got it… I'll go pack my stuff right now. Wait for me, okay?"
Hanabi nodded over and over, hopped off Izayoi's lap, slipped on her shoes at the entryway, pushed the door open, and vanished via the Body Flicker in one fluid motion.
About fifteen minutes later, she returned.
"Onii-chan, I'm back."
Wearing the same yellow-brown kimono as before, Hanabi, hands empty, flung herself into Izayoi's arms the moment he stood up. Beaming, she asked, "So, when do we leave?"
"There's no rush. First, we need to pick up a few things."
Izayoi glanced at the clock on the wall—11:35 AM—then took Hanabi by the hand and headed to the foyer.
They stepped outside and went straight to a familiar shop.
"Hey there, kiddo. Back for more film, huh? Young folks sure have the energy to snap photos all day without getting tired."
"Uncle, I just want to capture these times before I'm an adult—my growth, as well as the people around me—so I can look back on my youth someday."
"That's a good idea. My only regret is that I wasn't half as forward-thinking when I was your age, and I couldn't qualify as a ninja. Now I've pretty much forgotten what I even looked like back then."
"Then how about giving me a discount this time? I need twenty rolls."
"No problem. Let's call it 20% off."
"Thanks."
After a few more minutes of casual banter with the shopkeeper, Izayoi left with Hanabi and then picked up some of her favorite snacks—bananas, dango, milk—and sealed them all into a storage scroll. Checking his pocket watch, Izayoi smiled at Hanabi. "Anything else you need? If not, we can take off."
"Huh? Don't we need to get permission to leave the village?" Hanabi tilted her head.
"Nope. And since I'm not a Chunin squad captain yet, I can't file exit paperwork anyway."
Hanabi's face grew worried. "Then if we just leave like this, won't Onii-chan get in trouble with the village?"
"Not if no one finds out," Izayoi said, leading Hanabi down a small alleyway. Kneeling, he grinned. "Hop on. Onii-chan will get you out."
"'Kay!"
Hanabi climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck. She wore a bright, eager smile. "We're all set, Onii-chan!"
Izayoi stood and flickered away, disappearing from the alley. Barely a second later, a figure materialized where they had been. He was a man in a green flak jacket, a Byakugan user.
"Byakugan: Activate!"
Hanabi's bodyguard formed a hand seal, veins popping at his temples. Then his face showed shock. "So fast!"
He, too, vanished in a Body Flicker, but quickly came to a halt in a stretch of woodland, cold sweat beading on his forehead. It wasn't from exertion but from fright. Within the range of his Byakugan, both Izayoi and Lady Hanabi were already gone. And from the looks of it, they weren't even in Konoha anymore.
Had Izayoi simply slipped past him, taking Hanabi outside the village gates for a while, it wouldn't be that big a deal. But leaving Konoha entirely was beyond his pay grade. Hence, the bodyguard hurried back to the Hyūga clan to report to Hiashi Hyūga.
"I understand; you can leave now," Hiashi said calmly, showing no change in expression.
"Yes, sir."
Once the guard was gone, the solemn façade on Hiashi's face cracked into a small smile. "That kid's getting bolder and bolder. If anyone comes knocking about it, I won't lift a finger to save him."
Yet half an hour passed with no word from anyone in Konoha about his younger daughter being "kidnapped." Evidently, neither the village's sensory unit nor anyone else had detected Izayoi and Hanabi's departure. That meant Izayoi either knew the precise times when the sensory detail rotated shifts or he simply had a way of bypassing the barrier altogether. Whatever the case, it spoke highly of his abilities.
From Hiashi's expression, it was obvious he was quite pleased with Izayoi. He held no grudge that the young man had left without even so much as informing him, taking his second daughter along. If it had been before the start of the Chunin Exams, Hiashi would've been furious. But now, after Izayoi's performance at the tower, his capabilities were no secret among the jōnin.
At just twelve years old, Izayoi commanded five elemental natures and had created a no-hand-seal ninjutsu similar to the Rasengan, even going beyond what the Fourth Hokage managed by evolving it into an S-rank ultimate move using two combined natures—a Storm Release technique.
Its range was massive, and he possessed enormous chakra reserves, meaning he could fire it multiple times. Such strength was already enough to threaten a Kage-level shinobi—making him a top-tier force, even on the grand stage of the ninja world.
With Izayoi around, Hanabi was safer with him than she'd be in Hiashi's own presence. Moreover, Izayoi's talent and power made him a valuable pillar, one that gave Hiashi more hope that neither of his daughters would end up branded with the Caged Bird Seal. Of course he wouldn't stop them from spending time together.
Izayoi was clueless about his prospective father-in-law's thoughts; he simply felt he could come and go without worries now. It was a special period, with the village focused on Orochimaru.
Even if Danzo—who had ties to Orochimaru—might keep an eye on Izayoi, they wouldn't act yet. And given Izayoi's talent and power, even if the village realized he'd left, they wouldn't punish him. A ninja who wielded S-rank ultimate moves was considered a vital asset—if they went rogue, they'd become an S-rank enemy.
At only twelve, a civilian-born prodigy like him was a precious resource, especially with Konoha at its weakest state in years.
Besides, if his plan succeeded by the time the finals ended, Konoha wouldn't oppose him at all.
Having left Konoha, Izayoi and Hanabi roamed from place to place, taking photos wherever they found something interesting or a populated area. Initially, Hanabi—like Hinata and Shino on their first ventures beyond the village—was bursting with curiosity.
She insisted on exploring and photographing anything they didn't have in Konoha, from scenic spots to local festivals. When she finally grew bored or tired, she'd activate her Byakugan to locate the nearest city.
However, when she reached the first town closest to Konoha, she was disappointed.
"Onii-chan, this place feels way lamer than Konoha," Hanabi complained. "It's really underdeveloped and so dirty!"
"That's normal. After all, Konoha is the Land of Fire's military HQ. Every year, the Daimyō allocates a huge chunk of funds for defense. Add in the commissions from all our missions, and of course Konoha's better off," Izayoi said, patting her head. "If you want to see somewhere fun, I do know a few bustling cities. Want to head there now?"
Hanabi seemed tempted but shook her head. "Let's save that for another time. This first trip is enough. Right now, what matters is your goal, Onii-chan."
Izayoi raised an eyebrow. "Wait—Hanabi, you know about that?"
"Heehee, I do now." She stuck out her tongue mischievously, then mimed wiping tears from her eyes in fake heartbreak. "Onii-chan isn't traveling just for me. You've broken my poor, innocent heart! You'll need ten—no, a hundred conditions to make it up to me!"
Whack!
Hanabi immediately clutched her head, squatting and yelping, "Ow, ow…!"
"Stop it, I barely touched you."
Izayoi had only given her a light flick to the forehead, rolling his eyes in a rare show of exasperation. "You should consider an acting career instead of being a ninja, Hanabi. With your level of drama, you might become a star rivaling Fujikaze Yukie someday."
"Onii-chan, you bully me. I'm going to bite you to death!" Hanabi leapt on Izayoi and wrapped herself around his back like a snake, clamping her teeth on his shoulder.
It was an "angry" gesture, but she didn't actually exert much force. She simply pressed her teeth gently, drawing a bit of chakra as she did so.
Since daylight was still on their side, Izayoi walked off with "little vampire" Hanabi perched on his back, heading toward the city where Karin lived.
That city was called Sakura Street, one of the more prosperous locales in the Land of Fire. Unlike the commercial hub of Tanzaku Town, Sakura Street was primarily a tourist destination.
As its name implied, it was filled with cherry trees, hosting multiple "cherry blossom festivals" each year that attracted many visitors. It wasn't too far from Konoha—not too close either; traveling at top speed, it would take half a day.
But time was plentiful, so Izayoi wasn't in a rush. He used his Tenseigan along the way to spot interesting or scenic stops where they could take photos. They pitched tents in the wild, went hunting, and snapped shots of their "harvest."
They might stay overnight in small towns, browsing local night markets and sampling local cuisine. In crowded places, Hanabi insisted Izayoi hoist her onto his shoulders, proudly showing other children, "See, I can do it too!"
Hiashi Hyūga would have been dismayed if he saw these scenes. Though he doted on his daughters, they still acted reserved around him. They had essentially been forced to grow up too fast in the Hyūga Clan. Yet with Izayoi, they could let their true selves shine.
Being a neat freak, Hanabi made Izayoi wash her hair every day and help her style it. In return, she would wash Izayoi's back and hair. After each day's "adventure," Izayoi liked to lounge on the bed, letting Hanabi use her Gentle Fist techniques to give him a massage.
He'd discovered the usefulness of Byakugan-based acupoint strikes for massage accidentally last year, when Hinata was massaging him after a training session.
Realizing how perfect those precise strikes were, Izayoi—along with the Hyūga sisters—had formed a routine. Whenever they finished training, the sisters would each take a bite of his chakra, and in turn, they would use their Gentle Fist to massage him.
Over time, Hinata and Hanabi diligently studied diagrams of the human body's pressure points, practicing on Izayoi until they went from clumsy to expert. Now, their technique would surpass even the most skilled masseurs Izayoi knew in his previous life.
At night, Izayoi and Hanabi naturally shared one room, one bed, and the same blanket. As with Hinata, who often took naps alongside Izayoi, Hanabi did the same whenever she was tired or worn out.
More than once, all three had dozed off in the same bed, turning Izayoi into a "big pillow" for the older sister and a "small pillow" for the younger. The Hyūga sisters loved it as much as he did.
In Hinata's absence, Hanabi assumed the duty of waking Izayoi up each morning. Unlike her sister's gentle prodding, Hanabi's methods were mischievous—riding on his stomach and tickling his nose with her braids, or giving him a "good morning bite" or "good afternoon bite" to siphon chakra. Beforehand, she'd snap a humiliating photo of him at close range, stashing the film away for future development and private amusement.
In this manner, they traveled for over a week—growing closer as they went. Finally, the two arrived at Sakura Street.
~~~
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