"Izanami, that's great! We succeeded!" Hinata couldn't contain her excitement as she left the Hyuga compound with Izanami. Her voice trembled slightly, a clear sign of her joy.
"Calm down," Izanami replied with a gentle smile. "Be careful. Your father might send guards to follow us, and you don't want them overhearing that."
Hinata quickly covered her mouth, casting nervous glances around. Her actions were both cautious and undeniably cute.
"Let's go," Izanami continued. "I'll take you to a place."
Unsure if there were guards tailing them, Izanami didn't cancel the Transformation Technique immediately. Instead, he led Hinata away from Central Street, towards a more secluded training ground on the outskirts.
Once they reached the forest, Izanami made a quick hand seal. "Shadow Clone Technique!"
In an instant, Izanami's shadow clone appeared and vanished into the trees.
A moment later, Izanami dispelled the Transformation Technique.
Hinata, her eyes wide with anticipation, asked, "Izanami, is no one following us?"
Izanami smiled confidently. "Yes, I've confirmed it. No one is following us."
He grinned again, his tone playful. "Later, I'll teach you a technique. Practice it at home, and if your father sees it, he'll probably stop worrying about you going out in the future."
Hinata's face lit up, her excitement only growing.
Transforming into Ino Yamanaka to invite Hinata out had been Izanami's plan all along. Had he invited her in his own name, it would've been impossible for Hinata to come—at best, it would've been a wasted trip, and at worst, Hyuga Neji, who had been assigned to keep an eye on her, might have come to warn him. She could have even been reassigned to another seat in class, or moved to a different class altogether.
Children might not understand the intricacies of such situations, but Izanami was keenly aware of how adults operated in this world. In a society where the lines between nobility and commoners were drawn so sharply, he knew exactly where he stood. Hinata was the young lady of a prestigious ninja clan, while Izanami was an orphan without even a surname. The gulf between them was vast.
Had Izanami been a girl, he might have had a chance at becoming friends with Hinata. But as a boy, the situation was far more complicated. Not only did he have to prevent Hinata from developing feelings for him, but he also had to guard against his own bloodline from being exposed. Hyuga Hiashi and the clan elders would never allow their young lady to become too close to a boy like him unless his value was undeniable.
If he were a genius from a commoner background, someone worth recruiting, perhaps he could have been adopted into the family. If he were like Naruto—Konoha's hero, the savior of the ninja world—then he might have had the chance to marry into the Hyuga family. But until he proved his worth, Izanami had no choice but to rely on small tricks and strategies to get closer to Hinata.
Ino Yamanaka, the young lady of the Yamanaka Clan, was part of the new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho. Despite her relatively weaker abilities, she could still rise to prominence in the intelligence department thanks to her clan's unique techniques. As part of a family allied with the Nara and Akimichi clans, Ino had far more freedom than someone like Izanami. If anyone among the new generation had the standing to befriend Hinata, it was definitely Ino Yamanaka.
By transforming into Ino, Izanami had gained the chance to meet with Hinata without attracting the attention of guards. It was a risky move, but it was the only way.
If it weren't for the fact that his strength would continue to grow, widening the gap between him and Hinata and making it harder to trigger her red entry, Izanami wouldn't have bothered with such deception. Once the first Chunin Exam came around, he'd have more confidence after securing the top student title. But compared to Naruto and Sasuke's red entries, Izanami wanted to trigger Hinata's red entry even more.
As long as he awakened the Reincarnation Eye, he wouldn't have to worry about any of this. That's why he couldn't afford to miss this vacation.
They finally reached the secluded training ground. Izanami turned to Hinata and asked, "Hinata, have you learned the Three Body Technique yet?"
Hinata shook her head. "Not yet. Father told me to focus on practicing the Gentle Fist. I'm only allowed to practice other Ninjutsu in my spare time, once the school teaches them."
"Since that's the case, I won't teach you the Three Body Technique," Izanami said, his tone calm but thoughtful.
Izanami smiled warmly. "I'll teach you a technique to improve your Chakra control. Whether you're practicing the Gentle Fist or learning the Shadow Clone Technique, it will make everything twice as effective."
Hinata's eyes widened in surprise, her expression full of awe. "Izanami… you want to teach me the Shadow Clone Technique?"
"That's right," he replied, nodding with confidence. "In the future, I won't be attending school with my main body. You can come here to train with me anytime, or you can secretly practice the Shadow Clone Technique and send Izayoi's clone to class, just like I do, while your main body trains here with me."
Hinata felt a strong pull of temptation at his words.
She had long admired Izanami's ability to send his shadow clone to school, but her own situation made it difficult. Hyuga Hiashi had insisted that she focus solely on the Gentle Fist, forbidding her from learning any other techniques. Not even the basic Three Body Technique was allowed, let alone something as advanced as the Shadow Clone Technique.
But now, hearing that Izanami was offering to teach her, and that she could secretly train with him away from the watchful eyes of her clan—she felt an irresistible urge to accept. The idea of having both a friend and the freedom to learn filled her with excitement.
Seeing the longing in her eyes, Izanami knew exactly what she was thinking.
"Come here, I'll teach you how to improve your Chakra control," he said with a kind smile.
He led her to a large tree, so wide that it took several people to encircle it with their arms.
Forming a Ram hand seal, Izanami spoke softly, "Concentrate your Chakra at the base of your feet. You have to push through the fear in your heart. Watch closely…"
Hinata's eyes widened in amazement as Izanami raised his right foot and planted it firmly on the tree trunk. With fluid movement, he lifted his left foot and placed it next to the right. To Hinata's astonishment, he was now standing vertically, both feet anchored to the tree as if gravity had no hold on him.
Step by step, Izanami began to climb the tree, as easily as if he were walking on the ground. He moved effortlessly from the bottom to the top, all the while maintaining his balance with ease. When he reached the top, he turned around to face Hinata, his body forming a right angle with the tree.
"This is the technique I'm teaching you," he said with a grin. "It's called tree walking."
Hinata stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief. "S-So… amazing!"
Izanami descended from the tree, landing lightly on the ground. He smiled and continued, "Tree walking is just the first stage. After that, there's the more difficult technique—Water Walking."
"Once you master these two techniques, things like the Three Body Technique, the Shadow Clone Technique, or even the Body Flicker Technique won't be a challenge for you."
Hinata, however, was still uncertain. "I... can I really learn it?"
Izanami placed a hand on her shoulder, his tone encouraging. "Don't underestimate yourself, Hinata. You're the young lady of the Hyuga Clan. You can do this."
He gave her a reassuring smile. "Go ahead and try. Don't worry about falling—I'll catch you."
His voice carried a teasing note as he added, "If you fall too far behind me, I won't wait for you."
The playful comment, though lighthearted, gave Hinata a burst of determination. She had already disappointed her father once, and she certainly couldn't afford to disappoint Izanami. More importantly, she didn't want to lose her only friend.
With newfound resolve, she nodded firmly. "Yes! I won't let you down."
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