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In the following days, Ryūsei stayed indoors, only sending shadow clones out to buy groceries. He remained holed up in his house, though no one knew exactly what he was up to.
Meanwhile, the central streets of Konoha saw an influx of unfamiliar faces—genin from other nations who had come to participate in Konoha's upcoming Chūnin Exams. These foreign ninjas wasted no time gathering intelligence on Konoha's recent genin graduates.
As the top graduate of Konoha's 60th Academy class, Ryūsei naturally became a prime target. Whether it was his real self at home or his shadow clones out shopping, Ryūsei noticed numerous prying eyes on him. However, since none of them dared to infiltrate his home, he paid them no mind.
During this period, Ino and the other girls didn't visit Ryūsei either. It was clear they were all preparing for the Chūnin Exams. Sakura had it relatively easier, but Ino and Hinata, as heirs to their respective clans, were undergoing intensive training under their fathers' guidance, honing their family's secret techniques.
As clan successors, being eliminated too early would be a disgrace—this was a matter of family honor. Ino's father, Inoichi, wasn't too strict with her, but Hinata, as the heiress of Konoha's last great noble clan, was undoubtedly having a much harder time.
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July 1st, 10:50 AM
After days of being a shut-in, Ryūsei finally stepped out of his house. Arriving at Team 8's usual meeting spot, he spotted Hinata waiting in the distance.
Dressed in her white coat with her hands tucked into the pockets, Hinata wore a stern expression, her gaze sharp as she scanned her surroundings.
Click!
Instead of calling out to her right away, Ryūsei slipped a hand into his black coat—actually accessing his spatial backpack—and pulled out a film camera. He snapped a photo of Hinata in her serious stance.
Hearing the shutter sound, Hinata's piercing eyes immediately locked onto him. The moment she recognized Ryūsei, her intimidating aura melted away in an instant.
A blush spread across her cheeks as she instinctively lowered her head, pulling her hands from her pockets to nervously twiddle her fingers in front of her chest.
Click-click-click…
Rather than stopping, Ryūsei continued pressing the shutter, capturing every second of her adorable transformation. If time allowed, he would've rushed home to develop the photos right away.
After putting the camera away, Ryūsei approached Hinata and gave her a thumbs-up. "Hinata, you looked really cool just now. Your presence was totally different from usual—seems like you've grown a lot these past few days."
"Y-You're too kind, Ryūsei-kun," Hinata murmured, her voice barely audible. But inwardly, her heart swelled with happiness.
"Be more confident. Don't always look down," Ryūsei said, patting her shoulder with a grin. "I liked the way you were before much better."
"…Mhm."
Hinata lifted her head slightly, though her eyes still avoided his, darting around shyly as her blush deepened. Even cuter was how her index fingers kept tapping together rapidly in front of her chest—a dead giveaway of her nervousness.
If he hadn't known her limits, Ryūsei would've pulled out the camera again.
Their mildly intimate moment was soon interrupted.
"Sorry I'm late."
Shino's voice made both of them jump. The bug-user stood beside them, hands in his pockets, striking a cool pose.
"Shino, when did you get here?" Ryūsei asked.
"When you were taking pictures of Hinata. I didn't want to disturb you," Shino replied flatly.
Instantly, Hinata's face turned crimson, steam practically rising from her head as she teetered on the edge of fainting.
"Ahem!"
Seeing her on the verge of collapse, Ryūsei quickly cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Now that we're all here, let's head to the Academy. Did you both bring your application forms?"
"Already prepared."
"Me too."
Shino and Hinata nodded.
Ryūsei grinned. "Then let's go meet our seniors—and the genin from other villages!"
With that, Team 8 set off for the Academy.
Along the way, they encountered numerous foreign genin, all glaring at them with hostility, as if trying to intimidate Team 8 with their eyes alone.
But Ryūsei merely glanced at them—and in the next moment, their expressions went blank.
When they snapped out of it seconds later, cold sweat drenched their backs.
"An… illusion? How did I get caught in one?"
"Who… who is that guy?"
"Remember his face! If we run into him during the exams, run!"
Unaware of their reactions, Ryūsei had simply taught them a lesson—reminding them whose turf they were on. Acting so arrogantly in another village's territory? One would think they were the ones from a major hidden village.
Upon entering the Academy, Team 8 followed Kurenai's instructions and headed to the administration building to submit their applications.
At the stairwell, they spotted a sign indicating the registration desk was on the third floor.
But as soon as they reached the second floor, all three paused, their expressions shifting slightly.
Exchanging glances, they each formed hand seals, disrupting their chakra flow to dispel the invading Yin-release chakra.
The second floor was packed with genin, all searching for the registration desk. But Team 8, trained under a genjutsu specialist, immediately recognized the illusion at work—their minds had been tricked into believing the second floor was the third.
At the stairwell leading to the actual third floor, another sign labeled it as "3F," guarded by two chūnin in green flak jackets, smugly watching the examinees struggle.
These two were Konoha's infamous "Gatekeepers"—Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane.
Ignoring the crowd, Team 8 walked straight toward the guarded stairs.
Izumo and Kotetsu blinked in surprise at their approach. Noticing Hinata's Byakugan, they smirked in understanding.
Ah, the Hyūga's eyes. No wonder they broke through the "Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings" technique.
But relying on such an advantage wouldn't earn their approval.
Just as the two shared a knowing grin, ready to teach the rookies a lesson—
Their vision blurred.
By the time they regained focus, Team 8 had already slipped past them.
"Kotetsu… did you notice anything just now?" Izumo asked slowly.
Kotetsu shook his head. "No. You?"
"Nothing either."
Kotetsu's expression darkened. "No sound—so it wasn't an auditory genjutsu. No smells either, meaning it wasn't olfactory-based. And he… didn't even weave hand signs."
Izumo chuckled. "No clan markings, yet he trapped us in an illusion with just a glance. This year's exams just got interesting."
Kotetsu grinned. "He's one of our genin. If he's this skilled with illusions now, he might become Konoha's next genjutsu master."
"Can't wait to see if any other talents stand out among the rest."