Three days passed in a flash.
Before they knew it, Kurenai Yuhi's holiday for Team 8 was over.
In those three days, Izayoi and the Hyuga sisters had visited nearly every famous spot in Konoha.
Each of them started a photo album, already brimming with pictures.
Seeing the smiles on the girls' faces, Izayoi knew the camera was worth every ryo.
Once the break ended, Izayoi threw himself into work, brimming with motivation that left Kurenai and Shino Aburame stunned.
Hinata, though, seemed to pick up on something, her heart tinged with guilt.
"Izayoi-kun, take my mission reward."
After Team 8 disbanded for the day, Hinata held out an envelope stuffed with bills.
"No need. I'm not starving yet."
Izayoi pushed the envelope back, pinching Hinata's cheek with a grin. "When I can't afford food, I'll come begging to be kept by you, my lady."
"Okay."
Hinata didn't blush or look away this time—her mind was elsewhere.
Seeing Izayoi refuse, she didn't press. Instead, she decided to use the money to buy ingredients.
It hit her then: Izayoi had always wanted a camera but couldn't afford one.
The reason? Her massive appetite.
Since Hanabi started tagging along to Izayoi's place, they'd stopped going on picnics. Izayoi had been the one buying groceries.
Living comfortably, Hinata hadn't noticed.
Now, she realized Izayoi's situation was worlds apart from her family's.
Her eyes welled up, her heart swelling with gratitude.
She made up her mind: she'd work hard to earn money and ease Izayoi's burden.
Izayoi, oblivious to Hinata's thoughts, didn't notice her shift in mood.
His attention was caught by someone else.
Not a striking beauty or a dashing figure, but an elderly man with weathered, dark skin.
A wooden box sat beside him, a bottle of sake in his hand. He sipped sparingly, reluctant to drink freely.
He sat on a bench, perhaps waiting for someone—or maybe too broke for a inn.
An outsider, clear as day.
People like him flowed in and out of Konoha daily.
They might be locals from the Land of Fire or foreigners from other nations.
Izayoi had seen countless outsiders growing up.
But none had ever drawn his gaze like this old man.
Seeing him stirred memories long buried in the depths of Izayoi's mind, so faded he could barely recall them, now growing vivid.
Though it was their first meeting, Izayoi knew his name.
Dazuna.
The bridge builder from the Land of Waves.
The client for Team 7's first C-rank mission.
"Izayoi-kun, what're you looking at?"
Hinata's voice snapped him back to reality.
He shook his head with a smile. "Nothing. I was just zoning out, thinking about something."
"What?"
"In a little over a month, the village is holding the Chunin Exams. Should we join?"
"Of course."
Hinata nodded firmly, her expression serious. "I want to become a jonin as soon as possible."
"Oh? Why?" Izayoi's curiosity piqued, his focus shifting entirely to her.
He'd only meant to change the subject.
He hadn't expected Hinata, who'd never shown much ambition, to have such a goal.
"Secret."
Mimicking Izayoi, Hinata pressed her index finger to her lips.
Izayoi blinked, caught off guard.
"Hehe…"
Seeing his stunned look, Hinata giggled happily.
"Oh, you've learned to tease now, huh?"
Snapping out of it, Izayoi reached out, rubbing her cheeks with mock menace. "Believe me, I'll punish you by making you my grip strengthener!"
"Wh… what's a grip strengthener?"
Hinata's voice came out muffled, her face squished.
"Wanna know? I'll show you at home."
A mischievous grin spread across Izayoi's face as he started to pull her toward home for a "workout."
Just then, a voice called out, growing closer.
"Yo! Izayoi, Hinata, long time no see!"
Looking toward the sound, they saw one tall figure and three shorter ones.
Silver hair, dead fish eyes; blond fox-face; cool pretty boy; qipao fangirl—Team 7.
Waving as he approached, Naruto Uzumaki got a raised hand from Izayoi in return, along with a smile. "Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, been a while."
Two months had passed since graduation, unnoticed.
For Izayoi and the others, it really had been a long time.
After all, the ninja academy ran three terms a year, with only the summer break being somewhat lengthy.
"You two on a date?"
Sasuke Uchiha's first words sent a flush creeping up Hinata's cheeks.
Sakura Haruno looked at her with envy.
Both were teamed with the class's standout figures and their crushes. When would she and Sasuke be like Hinata and Izayoi?
Izayoi sidestepped the question. "You guys heading out for a mission?"
"We're about to pick one up."
Naruto pointed at a man walking openly with a smutty book in hand. "That's Kakashi-sensei, our jonin instructor."
"Kakashi-sensei," Izayoi and Hinata said politely in unison.
"Yo, hey there."
Noticing the conversation turn to him, Kakashi Hatake lowered his Intimate Paradise and waved at them.
Sizing up Izayoi and Hinata—who towered over Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura—Kakashi didn't need to lift his headband to sense their Chakra far surpassed Sasuke's and Sakura's.
He looked at Izayoi, stirring the pot. "So, this is the top graduate? Not bad, not bad. Definitely out of reach for our class's genius and dead-last."
Kakashi expected Naruto and Sasuke to bristle, but they didn't bat an eye.
Even Sakura and Hinata seemed to agree with him.
Kakashi's estimation of Izayoi skyrocketed.
For Sasuke—who'd awakened his Sharingan, evolved it to two tomoe, and could effortlessly use Fireball Jutsu and Dragon Flame Jutsu—to accept defeat so naturally?
This generation had a dazzling civilian genius.
"You're too kind, Kakashi-sensei. Naruto and Sasuke are exceptional ninja, and Sakura's always in the top three academically. I just barely edged them out in overall scores," Izayoi said with a humble smile, then laid it on thick. "Kakashi-sensei's the famed 'Copy Ninja' of the shinobi world, the 'Konoha Technician' who's replicated over a thousand ninjutsu, the Fourth Hokage's personal student, a legend who sliced lightning with Raikiri. With Sasuke and the others training under you, they'll master tons of ninjutsu in months and leave me in the dust."
"…"
Kakashi's dead fish eyes narrowed, sweat beading on his brow.
Sure enough, Team 7's eyes widened, staring at him, and he felt doomed.
"Kakashi-sensei, you're that awesome?!"
Naruto pointed, shouting, "You're the Fourth Hokage's student, know a thousand ninjutsu, and you haven't taught us any?!"
"Sensei, that's unfair!" Sakura chimed in, accusingly.
Sasuke stayed silent, but his gaze burned with intensity—and a hint of… disdain.
Kakashi knew his days of slacking were over.
Meanwhile, the culprit, Izayoi, had already slipped away with Hinata.
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