Chapter 5: Izayoi's Invitation, Summer Vacation
Without them realizing it, the first half of the semester was going to be over.
There were only cultural and physical classes in the first grade this semester.
Every day, they learned, exercised, or chakra-drew.
Except for Class 1 of the first grade, the students in the other classes were being urged to drop out.
Ninjas were that rare.
Not only was the entrance exam difficult, but the graduation exam was very difficult too.
Because graduation wasn't really graduation. If you failed to pass the jonin's approval, you'd still have to return to school to retake classes. The dropout rate was laughably high.
And that was only the advancement from probationary ninja to genin.
Above genin were chunin, special jonin, and multi-use jonin.
But these did not refer to Izayoi and the nine great powerhouses.
Except for the first two weeks, Izayoi did not utilize his original body to go to school afterwards.
He would not come until taijutsu fights took place.
After all, Izayoi went to the ninja school to join with Hinata and Naruto and Sasuke.
To be precise, he was in pursuit of their red characteristics.
Before he graduated from ninja school, Izayoi needed to awaken their red characteristics, at least a few.
Otherwise, once they graduated from ninja school, it would be that much more difficult for Izayoi to unleash their red qualities.
Not because of the difference in power, but because the possibility of running into one another and fighting would be much reduced.
In the original book, the nine central powerhouses didn't run into each other again until the Chunin Exams after graduation.
Graduation in late March, and the Chunin Exams on July 1st, these were the days to look forward to every year.
There was a season in between.
Ding-ling-ling.
As the class bell rang, another day came to an end.
The students who had physical education all afternoon were still full of energy.
"Izayoi-kun, would you like to play ninja games with us?"
"Izayoi, would you like to go home together?"
Some of the students left from school, but some stayed in school, calling other students to sit in small groups behind them.
Izayoi had lots of invitations too. He was a first-class guy in the class.
Even though he had only his shadow clone in school, and only Hinata and Naruto and Sasuke as his targets, Izayoi did not keep a cold face to others, but welcomed them with a smile.
Even when he said no, he was extremely courteous.
It wasn't any different today.
With the invites from the male and female students, Izayoi's shadow clone clasped his hands together and grinned shyly, "Sorry, I already have other arrangements with someone. Next time, definitely next time!"
"Eh, you're getting kidnapped again? Izayoi-kun really is popular."
"Then next time, let's play ninja games together."
The students pouted but didn't push him.
And after Izayoi's shadow clone left school, it went to an alley and of course disappeared.
Fatigue and memory all returned to the main body.
Chewing on today's memory, having finished cultivation, and staying at home waiting for the fatigue to come, Izayoi grumbled, "The vacation is just a few days away, now's the time to move."
July 20th.
After the morning classes, lunch came.
Some of the students who were closer to school went back home for lunch.
Some students brought lunch boxes to school.
They ate in the classroom or ate out.
Izayoi usually went back home for lunch because his shadow clone went to school.
But on this day, Izayoi barely came with his main body and brought a lunch box.
He ate lunch with Hinata in the classroom.
In three months, Izayoi and Hinata became friends.
Although they were not the kind who would talk about anything, they knew each other's hobbies and some small secrets.
For example, Hinata's hobby was creating shadow of flowers.
And Hinata also knew that her deskmate was a shadow clone.
When she first found out, Hinata's small mouth was slightly open, her beautiful eyes were wide, and she seemed shocked.
Then she looked at Izayoi with even greater respect.
Even without learning the Three Transformation Techniques at school, Izayoi had mastered the Shadow Clone Technique. It was just amazing.
Izayoi, having lunch with Hinata, suddenly uttered, "Hinata, tomorrow is the holiday, what do you intend to do?"
"I should still be training at home." Hinata replied in a hushed tone.
"Want to train with me?" Izayoi made the invitation.
"C-Can I?"
Hinata looked at Izayoi in surprise.
Then, before Izayoi could react, she shook her head in dismay, "No, Father won't let me go out casually."
Ever since the kidnapping incident, Hinata had to be accompanied by guards if she wished to go out alone.
And she was not able to go out frequently, for she had enrolled in the ninja school, and there was an Uchiha in her class.
For the sake of family honor, she had to fight hard to cultivate and could not be suppressed by the Uchiha clan.
"Hey... don't worry about that."
Izayoi smiled, "I'm just asking you, do you want to go out and play during the vacation, and cultivate with me?"
"...Yes."
Hinata bowed her head to eat, responding in a voice as soft as a mosquito.
"Okay, I'll help you tomorrow, and then."
Izayoi breathed his plan into Hinata's ear.
The heat touched her ear, and Hinata's face and ears became immediately red. The chopstick-holding hand trembled slightly too.
She had never stood so close to Izayoi before, and the immunity she built up over the past three months was immediately reduced to zero.
Fortunately, Hinata's personality was less silly than that of the original novel, and she did not faint from bashfulness.
However, her head went blank and she could not recall what Izayoi said to her.
"...Remember tomorrow you must move proactive, or my plan for sure will be found out." Izayoi ordered.
"Okay, okay."
Hinata nodded like an idiot, her eyes round with a darling, silly look.
Then she looked up again at Izayoi, "Izayoi-kun, what... what did you say?"
Izayoi: "..."
Then, with a "pop", he struck Hinata's forehead mercilessly, and once again repeated the plan in front of the girl's pathetic face.
Hinata, who was protecting her forehead, had slightly glittering beautiful eyes.
.....
The following day, the ninja school started a forty-day summer holiday.
Izayoi left the house and came to an alley.
With a "bang", there was a balloon-popping sound in the alley.
Then, a blonde girl wearing a hat, yet still showing off her hair color, emerged from the alley and headed straight into the Hyuga clan.
Any students from Class 1 will recognize that girl as Yamanaka Ino.
"Hello, I'm Yamanaka Ino, I came looking for Hinata to play with. We had an appointment yesterday."
Izayoi, who had become Yamanaka Ino by employing the Transformation Technique, smiled with a pure expression in front of the gatekeepers of the entrance to the Hyuga clan.
The two gatekeepers looked at each other.
"Wait a minute, please."
One gatekeeper inspected Izayoi completely, then bowed in respect and entered the house of the clan.
Afterward, he came out from inside.
He was followed by a small girl with a white windbreaker, Hinata.
Hinata, who ran over, smiled at Izayoi, who had turned into Yamanaka Ino.
The plan went very well, and the young lady was out.
(End of this chapter)