First was chakra. The enhancement to Izumi's body was immense—strength, agility, and endurance were all greatly improved. With the bonus from the taijutsu blessing, every aspect had been reinforced once over.
He moved around the room to stretch, then followed the system's guidance to simulate some Gentle Fist strikes. After a few practice runs, Izumi's moves already had a decent form. Though some parts were still rough, that was something time and effort would polish.
Next came the Hyuga clan's unique kekkei genkai—the Byakugan. This was what Izumi most anticipated. Closing his eyes, his hands moved into seals as if he had rehearsed them countless times.
Since it was his first activation, he wasn't yet familiar with the Byakugan, so he needed seals as support. Once he grew skilled, he wouldn't need them.
"Byakugan!"
His previously shut eyes snapped open, his face tense. The veins at his temples bulged, his eyes turned pale, the veins around them protruding, with dark markings spreading in the pupils.
"No blind spots, just as expected."
Because Izumi wasn't cursed with the caged bird seal, his Byakugan's first stage allowed for a complete 360-degree view. It also gave insight capabilities. Since it was his first time, he didn't dare look too far, only scanning the area around his home.
He was in Konoha after all—better to be cautious.
Later stages of the Byakugan would allow him to see tenketsu points and chakra flow, distinguish whose chakra it was, and even enhance his own abilities.
Izumi wasn't there yet, but he believed that with time he could reach the third stage. Not to mention, he still had the system.
Through completing system tasks or defeating enemies, Izumi could obtain their jutsu or abilities. Unneeded ones could be recycled into blessing points, which could be used to upgrade his blessings.
"Who's there!?"
While scanning with Byakugan, Izumi spotted a small, sneaky figure wandering nervously around his yard. The silhouette looked familiar. He opened the door and called out.
"Uh… Izumi-nii!"
The small figure at the door jumped, nearly fainting or fleeing, then whispered in a barely audible voice.
"Hinata?" Izumi recognized the shy face with pale lavender hair. It was none other than Hyuga Hinata, the heroine of Naruto—and, in this world, his cousin.
But in the original story, Neji and Hinata hadn't gotten along at first. Otherwise, Neji wouldn't have tried to kill her during the Chunin Exams.
"Izumi-nii?"
When she didn't get a response, Hinata timidly raised her head to peek. She'd heard Izumi had collapsed from training, yet what she saw now was him looking perfectly fine and energetic.
[Warning: Target possesses fragments of the system. Suggestion—pursue and form a contract. Successful contract will upgrade system abilities.]
The system's message snapped Izumi back. "Come in and sit."
Although he was suspicious, he couldn't just leave Hinata standing outside. She was, after all, his favorite girl from the original story.
"Mm."
Hinata's heart pounded nervously as she stepped into the yard. She had expected a cold reception, but instead, Izumi greeted her warmly, even looking happy to see her. Was she overthinking things before?
Her racing heartbeat was so strong that even Izumi could feel it. Thanks to the system and chakra blessings, his senses had been greatly sharpened.
"Careful!"
As Hinata reached him, her nervous legs gave out, and she toppled forward. Izumi's quick reflexes saved her from hitting the floor, but as he turned her around, he realized she had fainted, her eyes spinning.
"What is this? So soft… huh!"
Only then did he realize his hand had landed on one of Hinata's "marshmallows." No wonder it had felt odd.
He quickly propped her against the tatami mat. With Hinata unconscious before him, Izumi waited. He had only been in this world for less than an hour, and without any medical ninjutsu, what was he supposed to do?
"Whew…"
During the time she was out, Izumi dug deeper into the system's messages and found details he'd missed before. Unlike the original story, with Neji replaced by him, the timeline had shifted.
In this version, Izumi's relationship with Hinata's family was decent, without the resentment between branch and main families.
While he pondered this, Hinata stirred awake, opening her eyes quietly. Seeing that Izumi hadn't noticed, she sighed in relief. She hadn't expected to faint from just being touched by him.
Yet the warmth of his hand still lingered on her body. Her thoughts tangled. 'Don't think nonsense. He's just Izumi-nii.'
Because of the altered timeline, Hinata hadn't developed feelings for Naruto yet. She was simply shy and reserved. But from that embrace, Izumi's faint shadow had now imprinted on her heart.
"You're awake?"
After who knows how long, Izumi looked up from studying the system and caught Hinata peeking at him from the wall. Once he spoke, she quickly lowered her head again, fiddling with her clothes as she nodded.
"Izumi-nii, are you really okay?"
After a long pause, Hinata finally gathered courage to ask what weighed on her most. She had rushed here after hearing he collapsed from training, but once outside the yard, she hadn't dared to knock.
Her worried gaze warmed Izumi's heart. He gently reached out, patting her head until her face turned beet red and she nearly fainted again. Only then did he stop.
"Izumi… uh!"
"We came to see you… ah!"
Just as Izumi realized his actions were too intimate and tried to pull away, the previously closed door was suddenly flung open. A boy in a green tight-fitting jumpsuit, thick brows, big eyes, and a watermelon-shaped haircut stormed in with great energy.
It was none other than Izumi's teammate Rock Lee, and following behind him was Tenten, wearing a pink Chinese qipao and short jacket, her hair tied in traditional Chinese buns.