Chapter 3: Clear Goals, Three Red Entries
Unlike Naruto—who was reduced from an underdog to an even bigger loser thanks to the interference of the Nine-Tails' chakra—Izayoi walked a different path.
With the bloodline of the Ōtsutsuki clan running through his veins, Izayoi possessed not only staggering potential, but also a terrifyingly solid foundation.
The Byakugan of the Hyūga clan granted him the ability to perceive chakra within the body's meridians—an exceptional advantage when it came to chakra control.
And the moment Izayoi awakened his Byakugan, he also unlocked the passive trait: Chakra Control.
Before even stepping into the Ninja Academy, he had already mastered the basics of chakra control—scaling trees and walking on water with ease.
Even the Academy's core techniques, like the Three Basic Jutsu, were child's play to him. More impressively, he had already learned the B-rank Shadow Clone Technique and some entry-level elemental ninjutsu left behind by his parents.
Izayoi, much like the legendary Uchiha Itachi, had the strength to graduate before even enrolling in the academy.
Naturally, he placed first in the entrance examination—no contest.
As a result, he was assigned to First Grade, Class One, alongside the elite of his generation.
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The classroom was already bustling with new students when Izayoi stepped in. He scanned the room, his eyes quickly locking onto a familiar figure—a little girl whose eyes widened with recognition.
With a slight smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, Izayoi walked straight toward her.
The desks were built for three students each. She sat in the middle, both sides empty.
"Oh? We meet again," he said with a teasing smile, taking the seat beside her. "As expected of a runaway princess—breezing through the entrance exam was no challenge for you, huh?"
"Te—I-Izayoi-kun…"
Hinata fidgeted with her fingers, eyes downcast, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
She was right. The name "Izayoi" on the roster belonged to the very same boy who helped her that snowy night years ago.
"We're desk mates now. I'll be in your care, Hinata—no… Hinata-san." He spoke her name gently, his tone playful, his smile warm.
Hinata instinctively turned her head toward him. But upon making eye contact, she immediately looked away again and mumbled, "P-Please take care of me… Izayoi-kun."
She didn't notice it, but Izayoi's gaze lingered on her with a touch of heat—eyes analyzing, calculating.
In his vision, five color-coded bubbles floated faintly around her. The brightest among them: a glowing red one.
[Byakugan Princess] (Red)
[Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan] (Purple)
[Jōnin Potential] (Blue)
[Ōtsutsuki Bloodline] (Blue)
[Chakra Control] (Blue)
The red entry—Byakugan Princess—was the main reason Izayoi approached Hinata in the first place. He had been waiting ever since that snowy night outside the Hyūga estate, when she ran away after her uncle Hizashi's funeral.
He'd seen the spark in her fate. It was then that Izayoi made a fateful decision: to intercept Uzumaki Naruto, the destined child… and Ōtsutsuki Toneri, the forgotten heir.
Much like the reincarnations of Indra and Asura, it was possible to unlock the Rinnegan by fusing their powers—the unity of opposites.
In the same way, Hinata and Toneri only needed to combine their Byakugan and bloodlines to reach that evolutionary threshold and awaken the Rinnegan.
In the original timeline, Hinata required Toneri's chakra to rewrite her destiny—but such an opportunity was nearly impossible to obtain.
Thus, in that world, her potential peaked at the level of an elite jōnin.
But now… her fate had begun to shift.
With Izayoi's own Red-tier Ōtsutsuki bloodline, he might just become the key to unlocking her dormant potential.
Together, they were more than compatible—they were a perfect match.
---
Still, this was only their second meeting. Izayoi refrained from saying too much.
The six-year-old Hinata had already begun training in the Gentle Fist. However, her inability to surpass Neji would soon begin to dishearten her father Hiashi, pushing her toward the shell of shyness she would later become known for.
Three years ago, she had been shy—but she could still look Izayoi in the eye.
At least Hanabi had not yet matured. Hiashi had not yet fully given up on Hinata.
If Izayoi could give her just a little confidence, perhaps her path would veer toward a new future.
But therein lay the problem.
As the Hyūga clan's heiress, Hinata was rarely seen outside the compound—and even when she was, she was shadowed by green-vested guards.
Getting time alone with her was practically impossible.
Izayoi leaned on one hand and tapped his desk lightly with the index finger of the other, deep in thought.
Across the table, Hinata stole a glance at him.
In her heart, admiration bloomed quietly.
To her, Izayoi was someone different. She had panicked and gotten lost the moment she ran away from home.
But he? He'd stood alone in a snowy night, calm, composed—more like an adult than a child.
He had even ranked first in the exam.
If only she could be as strong as him, maybe her father wouldn't be so disappointed…
Apart from Neji, Izayoi was the only boy around her age Hinata had ever spoken to.
Even after three years, she hadn't forgotten the black-haired, blue-eyed boy with a soft, chubby face.
She wanted to speak up—to say something more.
But… she just couldn't.
She was too disappointing.
---
Izayoi, oblivious to her inner turmoil, snapped back to reality.
Because now—he saw them.
Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke had just walked into the classroom.
Floating around them, just like Hinata, were vibrant red bubbles.
Naruto's talent entries were staggering:
[Sage Body] (Red)
[Super-Kage Potential] (Gold)
[Uzumaki Bloodline] (Purple)
[Ōtsutsuki Bloodline] (Blue)
Although "Asura" and "Nine-Tails" didn't appear in Naruto's talent list, the Sage Body and bloodline entries suggested a deeper truth.
This wasn't a typical Uzumaki-Senjū hybrid.
This was the kind of Sage Body possessed only by the likes of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and his son Asura.
Add to that the dormant power of the Nine-Tails, and Naruto's ceiling was immeasurable.
By contrast, Sasuke's entries were a step lower:
[Sage's Eye] (Red)
[Kage-Level Potential] (Purple)
[Uchiha Bloodline] (Purple)
[Ōtsutsuki Bloodline] (Blue)
Without Itachi's eyes or the activation of Indra's chakra, Sasuke's Sharingan would inevitably fail him. His limit? Mid-Kage level at best.
Only by acquiring the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—or triggering the true potential of the Sage's Eye—could Sasuke surpass his natural cap.
Much like Madara was overshadowed by Hashirama, Sasuke's talent would always be eclipsed by Naruto's divine cheat codes.
That was true during their six years at the academy—and even during the chaos of the Shippuden era.
Such… is the power of fate and talent.
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(End of Chapter)