As March rolled in, the third semester neared its end. From this point forward, the number of times Izanami's main body attended class began to increase. Not just in the afternoons, but even during the morning cultural classes, his main body would now be present.
March marked a significant time in the Ninja Academy year. Not only was it the month of graduation for the sixth-year students, but it was also when major exams took place for all grades. Before the end of the semester, the annual examination would be held, and the results, along with various quizzes and spot checks from the past three semesters, would contribute to the students' overall scores.
The school would then select the student with the highest score in each grade, a title known as the valedictorian. To earn the title meant standing out among dozens or even hundreds of students, including many from prestigious ninja clans. Achieving this was no small feat. For a child of a ninja clan, it meant becoming the brightest star in the new generation. For a commoner, it meant surpassing the children of these powerful clans.
The valedictorians of the school were always prominent figures in the Ninja Academy. Izanami, naturally, wasn't about to let this title slip through his fingers. His class was one of the most unique among the new generation. The children of major ninja clans were all heirs to clan leadership, so surpassing them to become valedictorian would carry immense prestige.
Winning the valedictorian title would not only solidify his talent but also make it easier to find Hinata. With Izanami's current abilities, claiming the title was almost guaranteed. Even without his main body attending, his shadow clones could easily defeat the competition. But he still chose to attend in person, aware of the growing tensions in Konoha.
In Konoha Year 55, Shino was now 7 years old. At the same time, a shocking event rippled through the entire ninja world. After the decline of the Senju Clan, the Uchiha Clan, which had become the wealthiest and most powerful in Konoha—and even the entire ninja world—was set to be destroyed by a 13-year-old boy. That boy was Uchiha Itachi, the younger brother of the current Uchiha clan leader, Uchiha Sasuke.
This unprecedented event catapulted Uchiha Itachi to the status of the youngest S-rank missing-nin in history. However, only a few knew the truth: the Uchiha Clan wasn't destroyed solely by Itachi. The Konoha higher-ups had a hand in it, as did outside forces.
Izanami was one of the few who knew this secret. During this time, the most notorious figure in the ninja world—the "simp"—would soon use Kamui to enter Konoha. Izanami, aware of the danger, decided to slow down his training pace, avoiding taking Hinata to their usual abandoned training grounds until after the Uchiha Clan's downfall.
Safety was paramount. Hinata, as the young lady of the Hyuga main family, was priceless without the Caged Bird Seal on her Byakugan. Her Byakugan could fetch a high price on the black market, much like Ao's, who had become an Elite Jonin in the Hidden Mist and was now on Konoha's most-wanted list. Izanami couldn't afford to take any risks. He knew that figures like Uchiha Obito or even Black and White Zetsu might target Hinata's Byakugan, and he was unwilling to gamble on their kindness.
...
March 20th arrived, and the first through fifth-grade students took their annual exams before the sixth-year graduation exam. Izanami came to the Ninja Academy early, but to his surprise, Hinata was already there ahead of him.
Upon confirming that Izanami's main body had arrived, Hinata smiled softly and wished him, "Juuyabiru, good luck."
"Yes, let's do our best," Izanami grinned back, his voice low but filled with determination. "Let's aim for first and second place."
"Yes!" Hinata's eyes sparkled as she imagined the two of them being ranked first and second on the score announcement board. She nodded, anticipation filling her gaze.
In the past, Hinata hadn't cared much for rankings. But now, she wasn't content just to be second best. She had the strength to compete for the top spot alongside Izanami, and she was determined to give it her all.
The exam began soon after. The morning portion was a cultural exam, which wasn't difficult for either Izanami or Hinata. Although the Three Body Technique had been taught this semester, it wasn't assessed in this exam. After all, not all sixth-year students had mastered the technique. Some graduation exams only tested one aspect of it, and for a Genin who had just graduated, even being able to perform a C-rank Five Elements Ninjutsu would impress a guiding Jonin. It was clear that more than 90% of first-year students lacked the Chakra required to perform the Three Body Technique.
In fact, Uchiha Itachi's cultural knowledge was only at the first-grade level. However, by using Izanami's shadow clones to attend classes, his teacher had deemed him unfit for further instruction and even requested that the Third Hokage allow him to graduate early. This world, it seemed, prioritized strength over academic achievements.
Uzumaki Naruto was a prime example of this phenomenon.
The morning exam was a breeze for both Izanami and Hinata. The afternoon session would test their shuriken throwing skills, taijutsu duels, and the newly introduced survival exercises.
The first two sections of the exam weren't difficult for Hinata. As long as she wasn't matched against Izanami in the taijutsu duel, even if she faced Uchiha Sasuke, she would earn a perfect score.
In taijutsu, Hinata was already unbeatable in her grade. Her decisive movements made her Gentle Fist a nightmare for the other children. However, if she were to face Izanami, there would be no chance for second place.
Why not second place, you ask? Simply put, Hinata had already faced Izanami in the taijutsu duels during these three semesters, and the outcome was always the same—defeat. As a result, her overall score was far below Izanami's. Even if she managed to secure full marks in every subject during the annual exam, she would never claim the title of valedictorian.
Similarly, even if Izanami made a careless mistake in the cultural exam and accidentally lost to Sakura Haruno, she still couldn't claim the title of valedictorian, as her overall score would remain too high for that to happen.
At this point, in the first grade, the only students who had never lost in combat were Izanami, Uchiha Sasuke, and Shino Aburame. Both Sasuke and Shino had lower overall cultural scores than Izanami, and they also trailed Hinata in that regard. Even if they scored perfect marks in the annual exam, they still wouldn't be able to surpass Hinata.
As long as Hinata performed flawlessly in the taijutsu portion, second place was guaranteed for her—unless someone from another class had a better overall score, but that was highly unlikely.
Izanami breezed through the shuriken throwing section, earning a perfect score. When it came time for the taijutsu duels, he found himself matched with an unexpected opponent.
"Next round, Izanami VS Uzumaki Naruto," Iruka Umino announced as the students of Class 1 gathered around in a circle.
Naruto, hearing his opponent's name, let out a groan and clutched his head in despair. "Why does it have to be Izanami? I'm done for!"
Cultural classes and shuriken throwing were already his nightmare, but the taijutsu duel had always been his one shot at victory. Now, even that chance seemed gone. After all, Izanami was someone who even Hinata, the so-called "taijutsu demon king," couldn't defeat.
But while Naruto wallowed in despair, Izanami's eyes sparkled with excitement. He was finally matched with this child of destiny.
.... patreon Seasay for 100 more chapters