"Lee, are you okay?! Lee, wake up!"
The arena was shrouded in silence.
Only Might Guy's panicked voice broke the stillness.
It was hard to blame him.
Rock Lee looked like a charred fish, his clothes and skin blackened.
The aftereffects of the Eight Gates, combined with the lingering force of the Storm Release ultimate technique, left his body steaming faintly.
He'd lost consciousness entirely. Were it not for his shallow breathing and faint heartbeat, anyone might've mistaken him for a roasted corpse.
Meanwhile, two blue beams, invisible to all, streamed from Lee's body toward Izayoi.
Though defeated, Lee had proven himself to Izayoi through the Eight Gates.
"Cough… no need to panic, he's just unconscious," Hayate Gekkō reassured, pulling out a radio. "Medical team, hurry—we've got a critical patient here."
Moments later, three white-clad medical ninja appeared via Body Flicker, administering first aid as they loaded Lee onto a stretcher and whisked him from the arena.
Might Guy, with both his other students' matches concluded, followed them.
No one paid it much mind.
All eyes remained fixed on the black pit that had replaced the arena floor.
Then, their gazes shifted to Izayoi, drifting gently downward.
Genin and Jonin alike now looked at him with entirely new eyes.
If Izayoi's earlier use of Lightning Release nature and shape transformation had marked him as a future all-rounder Jonin, now they saw him as Konoha's next ace.
Ultimate techniques, or S-rank ninjutsu, were superhuman feats not guaranteed by effort alone.
Every ninja mastering an S-rank technique was an elite Jonin of a great village—capable of challenging Kage, becoming Kage, or representing Kage as an ace.
Undoubtedly, Izayoi already possessed such strength.
Once his wisdom, courage, leadership, and battle record grew, elite Jonin status was inevitable.
"Izayoi, is that the technique you developed?"
The moment Izayoi landed, Kurenai Yuhi asked, her voice brimming with excitement.
Shino Aburame and Hinata stared at him too, the latter's eyes shining with unmasked admiration.
"Yeah."
Izayoi nodded, grinning. "I said I'd blow your minds—hope I didn't disappoint?"
"Not at all. It was incredible."
Kurenai clapped his shoulder hard. "You really kept that one hidden!"
She'd thought Izayoi might be this era's Kakashi Hatake, but he'd surpassed even that.
At twelve, Kakashi had become an all-rounder Jonin and developed the A-rank Lightning Release: Chidori.
But Chidori paled beside Izayoi's Storm Release: Verdict.
The gap was staggering.
Having such a student, Kurenai suddenly found their old bet laughable.
She'd won from the start—and won big.
"This kid perfected the Rasengan to that level. Truly a prodigy!"
Orochimaru gazed at Izayoi with appreciation, barely restraining the urge to lick his lips.
Izayoi hadn't let him down, delivering a spectacular showdown.
Lacking a kekkei genkai, his talent still echoed Orochimaru's own youth and that of many commoner geniuses.
Satisfied, Orochimaru slipped away quietly.
Meanwhile, Special Jonin near Hiruzen Sarutobi used Earth Release to mend the arena's black pit.
The time and chakra required were staggering.
Witnessing ninja marveled anew at the Storm Release technique's might.
To fuse Lightning and Water Release into Storm Release—had this kid awakened a kekkei genkai?
Kurenai seemed to share the thought, asking, "Izayoi, did you synthesize a Storm Release kekkei genkai?"
"No," Izayoi shook his head. "I used the energy sphere as a vessel, spinning it at ultra-high speed to barely fuse the two nature transformations. It's a higher-level composite ultimate technique, not a direct conversion of chakra into Storm Release."
In truth, creating Storm Release had startled Izayoi too.
But examining himself, he found no kekkei genkai, nor did his personal stats show "Storm Release (Purple)."
His success owed entirely to his golden-tier chakra control.
Or perhaps the Tenseigan's influence.
Still, dual fusion wasn't his limit.
Storm Release: Verdict was just one of his ultimate techniques.
With the arena restored, the exams continued.
Izayoi and Lee's bout was the tenth round.
Of the twenty-three Genin, only Gaara, Yoroi Akado, and Shino Aburame remained.
One would get a bye.
The screen soon locked in the names.
Gaara vs. Yoroi Akado.
"…"
Izayoi sighed inwardly, casting a subtle glance at Shino.
Sensitive as ever, Shino noticed. "Something wrong?"
"No, nothing." Izayoi shook his head.
He couldn't exactly say, Did you get the bye because your presence is so low even the proctors overlooked you?
That would crush Shino for days.
The eleventh round ended predictably with Gaara crushing Yoroi.
Had Yoroi not worn a Konoha headband, and had Hayate not intervened, Gaara might've pulped him with Sand Binding Coffin.
Without the Curse Mark weakening his Sharingan, Sasuke could've countered Yoroi's chakra absorption, which was less effective than Dosu's Sound Wave.
Fated to miss the bye, Yoroi's defeat was sealed.
Thus, the preliminaries concluded, with eleven Genin advancing to the finals.
They were: Dosu Kinuta, Sasuke Uchiha, Hinata Hyuga, Kankuro, Temari, Shikamaru Nara, Naruto Uzumaki, Neji Hyuga, Izayoi, Gaara, and Shino Aburame.
"As stated before, the Chunin Exams mirror the wars of allied nations. The third exam's finals will draw nobles and spectators in droves."
"These people may become your future clients. To give them the greatest spectacle, you have one month to prepare. Hone yourselves, and gather at Konoha's plaza at 10 a.m. sharp."
In the arena, Hiruzen Sarutobi gave his instructions, then signaled Anko Mitarashi, who carried a box, to let the eleven Genin draw lots for their opponents.
Eleven Genin, five matches—one would get a bye.
The draws were quickly completed.
Anko wrote their numbers and names on a board.
[No. 1] Naruto Uzumaki vs. [No. 2] Dosu Kinuta.
[No. 3] Hinata Hyuga vs. [No. 4] Temari.
[No. 5] Shikamaru Nara vs. [No. 6] Kankuro.
[No. 7] Izayoi vs. [No. 8] Gaara.
[No. 9] Sasuke Uchiha vs. [No. 10] Neji Hyuga.
Bye: Shino Aburame.
When the list appeared, many curious glances turned to Shino.
Finally, he felt the spotlight he'd longed for.
The corner of his mouth, hidden by his collar, curled slightly.
With the draw done, the Genin left the Forest of Death with their Jonin instructors.
Emerging at dusk, Kurenai slung an arm around Hinata's shoulders, grinning at Team Eight. "Come on, we're celebrating your clean sweep. Sensei's treating you to a feast."
"Thank you, Kurenai-sensei."
After five days in the Central Tower with mediocre meals, Team Eight didn't refuse.
It was perfect timing for dinner.
After the meal, night had fallen.
Hinata didn't head home. Instead, she followed Izayoi to his place, where they developed photos in his room.
"Hinata, that final palm strike was so cool."
"Hehe… Izayoi-kun, your Storm Release: Verdict was super cool too. I never imagined your ultimate technique would be Storm Release!"
"So, should I work harder to make sure my kids inherit Storm Release?"
"Eh—"
In the sealed room—windows shut, blackout curtains drawn, no lights save a small desk lamp—Izayoi and Hinata sat on one chair, admiring the freshly developed photos and trading compliments.
Mid-chat, Izayoi veered to the topic of kids. Though he spoke of himself, his mischievous grin fixed on Hinata.
Flustered, Hinata blushed furiously, eyes darting away, stammering, "I… I don't know…"
Her mind, though, was already picturing their child.
Hair like hers and Izayoi's, no doubt. But the eyes—Byakugan, Izayoi's blue, or the Tenseigan?
Would Izayoi prefer a boy or a girl?
Lost in thought, steam rose from her head, her pale purple Byakugan swirling into mosquito coils.
Then, a hand landed on her shoulder, snapping her back.
Izayoi leaned close, smirking. "Hinata, remember what I said before the match?"
"Wh-what?"
Hinata blinked, confused, not catching on.
"The reward! The reward!" Izayoi said twice, indignant. "I won, don't I get a reward?"
Hinata laughed despite herself. "Izayoi-kun, are you Hanabi?"
"I've said it before—Hanabi grew up with us, so what's weird about her picking up my traits?" Izayoi tilted his chin up. "When Hanabi claimed the top student title, didn't she demand a reward from me? Now that I've advanced, don't I deserve one?"
"What about mine?"
This time, Hinata didn't agree outright. Instead, she countered with a playful smile. "I advanced too, Izayoi-kun. What's my reward?"
"Oh, I've got something~~"
Izayoi pressed a finger to his lips, grinning. "But you'll have to wait a bit for it."
A bit?
Hinata tilted her head, quickly guessing when.
So, she didn't press, instead asking softly, "What reward do you want, Izayoi-kun?"
"Photos!"
It was the moment Izayoi had waited for. He sprang up, opened his wardrobe, and pulled out two gift boxes.
These had been delivered by a shadow clone before the Chunin Exams began.
Thanks to Hanabi, he'd never gotten them to Hinata.
He shoved both boxes into her arms, voice thrilled. "Hinata, I want to take some artistic photos!"
"Artistic photos?"
Hinata didn't quite get it but guessed the boxes held clothes.
Another sailor outfit, maybe?
Or some other original design of Izayoi's?
Shy yet curious, she tore open the wrapping.
When she lifted the lids, her briefly cooled cheeks flared red again, transforming her into a steam princess in a blink.
"Th-this… this…"
Hinata's mosquito-coil eyes fixed on Izayoi, her voice trembling. "I-Izayoi-kun, d-did you make a mistake? These are for Hanabi, right?!"
"Nope, they're for you."
Izayoi pinched the collar of a white short-sleeved top, lifting it with thumbs and forefingers. "This is a gym uniform, paired with the shorts below. The one-piece swimsuit underneath is called a sukumizu. The other box has a cheerleader outfit and pom-poms."
"They're… too small."
Staring at what could've fit in one box—mere scraps of fabric—Hinata's head spun, like she was trapped in a steamy bathroom with no vent, struggling to breathe.
"Please, Hinata."
Izayoi clasped his hands, voice dragging in a playful whine. "It's my lifelong dream!"
Dazed and overheated, Hinata wasn't sure how she stumbled into the bathroom.
Just a few bits of cloth, yet it took her over ten minutes to emerge.
Under the bathroom's glow, Hinata stepped out, pinching her hem and staring at the floor. Izayoi, having confirmed with his Tenseigan that no one spied, felt his nose heat.
Touching it, his hand came away bloody.
A near-pureblood Ōtsutsuki, one step from cosmic royalty, bleeding from the nose.
He couldn't help it—Hinata's appearance dealt more damage than a kekkei tōta.
The perfectly fitted white sailor-collar shirt had already left her flushed.
Now, in a gym uniform several sizes too small, it was a miracle she hadn't fainted—thanks to Izayoi's six years of bolstering her confidence.
The canon Hinata would've passed out in the bathroom, eyes spiraling.
Gulp…
Izayoi, cotton stuffed in his nose, swallowed hard, his voice strange and shaky. "H-Hinata, lie on your side first. I'll teach you some poses."
"Okay."
Head down, Hinata didn't notice his state, her reply a mosquito's hum.
She followed his instructions, lying on her side.
Fearing she might faint, Izayoi kept the lights off, using only the bathroom and desk lamp. He directed her to prop herself on a pillow, hands forming a peace sign, while he angled the camera.
Pfft…
Click! The shutter flashed white, accompanied by a spurt of blood.
Seeing the stain on the sheets, Hinata forgot her shyness, looking up at Izayoi clutching his nose. "Izayoi-kun, you're bleeding! Are you okay?!"
"I-I'm fine. Probably just the spicy dinner."
Izayoi waved it off, his gaze odd, hesitating as if wanting to speak but too shy.
"I-Izayoi-kun, what's wrong?"
Sensing his unease, Hinata asked bashfully.
"Well…"
Captivated by her adorable look, Izayoi snapped another photo.
Then, he hinted vaguely, "Hinata, did you… forget something?"
"Hm?"
Hinata tilted her head, puzzled. Seeing Izayoi scratch his head, eyes averted, she followed his gaze instinctively.
Whoosh—
Her face blazed, heat spiking to the max, steam bursting from her head.
With mosquito-coil eyes, Hinata fainted on the spot.
Transformed by Izayoi, her resilience far surpassed her canon self.
Shyness was common, blushing frequent, but steam-princess mode was rare.
Fainting? Never before.
This was truly beyond her limit.
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