After the artistic photo incident, Hinata avoided Izayoi for days.
This was rare for her.
Though she'd been his "hand warmer" a few times, that was within her limits—she had layers of protection.
But being seen fully and photographed? That shattered her boundaries.
Her immunity these past days was likely at zero, or even negative.
Until she recovered, she wouldn't dare face Izayoi.
Those exclusive photos were locked in a password-protected album, stored with the camera in a wristband sealing scroll, carried always by Izayoi.
"Onii-chan, Nee-san sent me to tell you she's training with Father to master stronger Gentle Fist techniques. She might not visit this month."
On July 21, Hanabi arrived at Izayoi's home with the message.
After relaying it, she hugged his arm, pouting playfully. "Onii-chan, Hanabi's on summer break. Since you're not training with your real body, can you hang out with me?"
"Sure, what does Hanabi want to do?" Izayoi ruffled her hair fondly, pinching her cheek.
"Let me think…"
Hanabi tapped her chin, her face scrunching in thought. "We've explored Central Street, and I'm tired of the food. What else is there?"
Seeing his little sister-in-law's adorable dilemma, Izayoi, despite years of familiarity, couldn't resist her charm. He scooped her onto his lap, toying with her bangs braid. "If you're bored of Konoha, how about Onii-chan takes you traveling?"
"Really?!"
Hanabi's eyes sparkled, but then she shook her head regretfully. "No, Father won't let me be away long. Plus, a guard watches me in secret. If I stray too far from Central Street alone, he'll stop me."
"No worries, Onii-chan will sneak you out," Izayoi said with a confident grin. "Tell your sister, and she'll convince your father. Pack some clothes, and I'll take you secretly."
"Yay, yay! I'll go pack now!"
Seeing Izayoi willing to enlist Hinata to share the burden, Hanabi clapped, her eyes brimming with excitement and longing.
Clearly, she yearned for the outside world.
"Go on, but hide your clothes in a sealing scroll. If you're caught before we leave, Onii-chan's not bailing you out."
"Got it! Wait for me, Onii-chan!"
Hanabi nodded eagerly, hopped off his lap, dashed to the entryway, slipped on her shoes, opened the door, and vanished with a Body Flicker—all in one fluid motion.
About fifteen minutes later, she burst back in.
"Onii-chan, I'm here!"
Still in her yellow-brown kimono, hands empty, Hanabi threw herself into Izayoi's arms as he stood, beaming. "When do we leave?"
"No rush. Let's buy some stuff first."
Izayoi glanced at the clock—11:35.
Taking Hanabi's hand, he headed for the door.
They stepped out, and Izayoi led her to a familiar shop.
"Hey, kid! Back for more film? Young folks have endless energy—snapping photos all day without tiring."
"Uncle, I'm just capturing my growth and those around me while I'm young. Photos let us relive our youth later."
"You're right. Shame I wasn't as wise as you when I was a kid, and I lacked ninja talent. Now I can't even recall what I looked like back then."
"Then give me a discount, Uncle. I'm buying twenty rolls this time."
"No problem—eight percent off."
"Thanks."
After chatting with the shopkeeper, Izayoi took Hanabi to buy her favorite bananas, sticky rice dumplings, and milk, sealing them all in a scroll.
Checking his pocket watch, he smiled at Hanabi. "Anything else you need? If not, we're off."
"Wait! Don't we need village exit permits?" Hanabi tilted her head.
"Nope. Besides, I'm not a Chunin squad leader, so I can't apply for one."
Hanabi frowned, worried. "If we leave like this, won't the village punish you later?"
"Not if they don't catch us." Izayoi led her into an alley, crouching with a grin. "Hop on, Onii-chan's taking you out."
"Okay!"
Hanabi climbed onto his back, arms around his neck, smiling brightly. "Ready, Onii-chan!"
Izayoi stood, and with a flicker, vanished from the alley.
The moment he did, a figure appeared—a Byakugan user in a green vest.
"Byakugan—Activate!"
The guard formed seals, veins bulging at his temples, only to gasp, "Such speed!"
He flickered away in pursuit.
But soon, he halted in a forest, face drenched in cold sweat.
Not from exertion, but fear.
In his Byakugan's far-reaching sight, Izayoi and Lady Hanabi had vanished.
If he was right, they'd left Konoha's borders.
Taking the second miss to the wilderness was one thing.
But leaving the village entirely? That was beyond his authority.
The guard hurried back to the Hyuga clan to report to Hiashi Hyuga.
"I understand. You're dismissed," Hiashi said, his face impassive.
"Yes, sir."
The guard bowed respectfully and vanished in a blur.
Once alone, Hiashi's stern features softened into a faint smile. "That kid's getting bolder. If someone comes knocking, I'm not covering for you."
Half an hour passed, yet no one from Konoha arrived to inform the clan head that his second daughter had been spirited away.
Clearly, Izayoi and Hanabi's departure had evaded the sensory team.
This meant Izayoi either knew their shift schedule or could bypass the barrier.
Either way, it was impressive.
Hiashi's expression betrayed his satisfaction, even unbothered that Izayoi had whisked Hanabi away without a word.
Before the Chunin Exams, such an act would've enraged him.
But now, Izayoi's performance in the Central Tower was no secret among Jonin.
A new Genin mastering five nature transformations, developing a seal-less ninjutsu akin to the Rasengan, and achieving what the Fourth Hokage couldn't—turning it into an S-rank ultimate technique, a Storm Release fusion of two nature transformations.
Seal-less ultimates differed from sealed ones, just as attack ultimates differed from support, single-target from area-of-effect.
Izayoi's Storm Release was seal-less with staggering range.
Hiashi knew Izayoi's vast chakra allowed multiple uses of such a technique.
That strength could threaten a Kage.
Across the ninja world, it marked him as an ace.
With Izayoi's protection, Hanabi was safer than by Hiashi's side.
Izayoi's talent and power also proved his worth, giving Hiashi hope that neither daughter would bear the Caged Bird Seal.
He had no reason to hinder their bonding.
Izayoi was unaware of his future father-in-law's thoughts.
He took Hanabi from Konoha without reservation, no longer needing to stay low-key.
It was a unique time—Konoha's focus was Orochimaru, and Danzo Shimura, tied to him, wouldn't target Izayoi now, despite any interest.
With Izayoi's talent and strength, even if caught leaving, he'd face no real punishment.
A ninja with an S-rank ultimate was an ace to any great village—a defector would be an S-rank rogue.
To a weakened Konoha, such a commoner genius was priceless.
And…
If Izayoi's plans succeeded, by the exams' end, Konoha would have no hold over him.
…
Leaving Konoha, Izayoi and Hanabi roamed for scenic spots, snapping photos and visiting populated areas.
At first, Hanabi, like Hinata and Shino on their first trips, was enchanted by the outside world, dragging Izayoi to photograph and explore anything Konoha lacked.
When she tired, she activated her Byakugan to find a city.
But the nearest town to Konoha disappointed her.
"Onii-chan, the outside's not as fun as Konoha," she grumbled. "This place is so backward, and dirty too."
"That's normal. Konoha's the Fire Country's military hub. The Daimyo funds it heavily, and mission rewards add up, so it's better built than most places," Izayoi said, patting her head. "If you want fun, Onii-chan knows some bustling cities. Shall I take you now?"
Hanabi wavered but shook her head. "No, this first trip's fine as is. Your business comes first, Onii-chan."
Izayoi blinked, surprised. "Hanabi, how'd you know?"
"Hehe, I know now." Hanabi stuck out her tongue, then feigned hurt, wiping her eyes. "Onii-chan didn't bring me just to travel. You've wounded my fragile heart. It'll take ten—no, a hundred conditions to make it up!"
Pop! Hanabi clutched her head, crouching with a yelp. "Ow, that hurt!"
"Quit it, I barely tapped you."
Izayoi, who'd flicked her forehead, rolled his eyes rare exasperation. "With that acting, forget being a ninja—go be an actress! Start as a child star, and you might steal Yukie Fujikaze's roles when you grow up!"
"You bully, Onii-chan! I'll bite you to death!" Hanabi lunged, slinking behind him like a snake, nibbling his shoulder.
Her "anger" was gentle, barely biting, just siphoning chakra.
With daylight to spare, Izayoi carried his "little vampire" Hanabi from the town toward Karin's city.
Cherry Blossom Street, a thriving Fire Country city, wasn't commercial like Short Book Street but a tourist haven.
True to its name, it boasted countless cherry trees, hosting festivals that drew crowds yearly.
It lay a moderate distance from Konoha—a half-day's journey at full speed.
With time to spare, Izayoi wasn't rushed. Using his Tenseigan, he sought fun spots or scenic views, taking Hanabi to check them off with photos.
Camping in the wild, hunting in forests, capturing their hauls.
Or staying in small towns, browsing night markets, tasting local foods.
In crowds, Hanabi demanded piggyback rides, smirking triumphantly at other kids atop their parents' shoulders, as if saying, I've got one too.
If Hiashi saw this, he'd be heartbroken.
A doting father, yet both daughters felt constrained around him, forced to mature early.
Only with Izayoi did they unleash their true selves.
Clean-freak Hanabi had Izayoi wash and braid her hair daily.
In return, she scrubbed his back and washed his hair.
After baths, Izayoi loved lying on the bed, letting Hanabi massage him with her Gentle Fist strikes.
He'd discovered this last year, when Hinata massaged him post-training.
The Hyuga's Gentle Fist was perfect for it.
Since then, he and the Hyuga sisters had a ritual.
After training, they'd nibble his chakra.
In exchange, they massaged him with Gentle Fist.
Hinata and Hanabi studied acupuncture charts for months, targeting lesser-used points, practicing on Izayoi.
From clumsy beginnings, their skill now outshone any masseuse from Izayoi's past life.
At night, Izayoi and Hanabi shared a room, a bed, a blanket.
Like Hinata napping naturally with Izayoi, Hanabi, exhausted from training, often dozed with him at his place.
Even the three sharing a bed wasn't new.
Big and little pillows—Izayoi adored both.
The Hyuga sisters felt the same.
With Hinata gone, Hanabi took over waking Izayoi.
Unlike Hinata's gentle nudges, mischievous Hanabi either straddled his stomach, tickling him awake with her braid, or grabbed his arm for a "good morning" or "good afternoon" bite, draining chakra to rouse him.
Before waking him, she'd snap "ugly" photos, hiding the film to develop later.
After over a week of this on the road, their bond tighter, Izayoi and Hanabi reached Cherry Blossom Street.
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