Just as Izanami had told Hinata, the graduation exam didn't take long.
After chatting for a while on the training grounds, the rest of the students who had passed began arriving one after another. One glance around made it clear—those who still hadn't shown up were the ones who had failed.
Among the familiar faces, only one was missing.
Uzumaki Naruto.
"Class, sorry to keep you waiting," Iruka Umino said as he arrived with a clipboard in hand, wearing his usual gentle smile. "Everyone, put on your headbands. I'll be taking you to get your profile photos taken."
"Iruka-sensei, where should we wear the headbands?" a student asked, raising a hand.
"Anywhere on the upper body is fine," Iruka replied.
Soon, students were tying their new forehead protectors in all sorts of ways—some wore them across their brows, others around their necks, upper arms, or even like scarves. Hinata looped hers gently around her neck. Izanami, on the other hand, tied his to his left upper arm.
Once everyone had put them on, Iruka led the group up to the rooftop of the comprehensive building. There, a photographer stood ready with a tall camera, waiting for them to line up.
One by one, the new Genin had their profile pictures taken.
As soon as they finished, the students eagerly filtered out of the building, some walking leisurely, others rushing toward the school gates.
The front gate was already bustling with parents—some comforting children who hadn't passed, others standing with anticipation, waiting for a glimpse of their newly graduated Genin.
As the successful students appeared, the atmosphere at the gate turned festive—shouts of joy, proud hugs, happy tears.
But for a few, the scene stung.
Orphans without parents either avoided the crowd entirely or slipped away quickly, eyes averted. Uchiha Sasuke was one of them. He took one long, envious glance at the joyful reunions—and vanished like a shadow.
Izanami, however, didn't belong to either group.
Because—
"Oni-chan! Big Sister! Over here!"
A bright voice rang out across the crowd. Standing near the gate, Hanabi waved enthusiastically, her small frame wrapped in a yellow-brown kimono with flame patterns dancing along the hem.
Her cheerful energy brought a rare smile to Izanami's face. Hinata also smiled gently at the sight.
Before reaching the gate, Izanami bent down and opened his arms just in time to catch Hanabi as she sprinted toward him.
"Oni-chan! Big Sister! I came to pick you up!" she said, clinging to Izanami's neck with both arms. Her eyes sparkled as she noticed the headband tied to his arm.
"Oni-chan, is that your Genin headband?"
"Yup," Izanami said, nodding. He slipped it off and handed it to her. Then, still carrying Hanabi, he turned to Hinata with a grin.
Together, the three walked away from the school—siblings in all but blood, their bond unshakable.
Over the years, Hanabi, now seven, had changed considerably.
In the original timeline, she had kept her hair short at this age. But after seeing her sister grow it out, she insisted on doing the same. Her long black hair now reached her waist, styled with braided bangs—mirroring how she'd appear in the movie adaptation.
During training, she often tied it into a single ponytail, and with her firm eyes and calm demeanor, she already radiated the early poise of a future hero.
In some ways, she had even outpaced Hinata in development. At seven years old, Hanabi had already grown to 1.32 meters, just a head shorter than Izanami. By contrast, Hinata still bore a soft, round face with traces of childhood innocence.
Hanabi imitated her sister, looping the Genin headband around her neck, then beamed up at Izanami.
"Oni-chan! Since you and Big Sister became Genin today… let's celebrate with hot pot!"
Hinata lightly tapped Hanabi's forehead with a slender finger. "It's obviously because you want to eat hot pot."
"Hee hee…" Hanabi giggled and stuck out her tongue. "Papa never lets us eat that kind of thing. But today, I really want it!"
Izanami was visibly charmed by her pleading expression. "All right then—hot pot it is."
"Yay!" Hanabi cheered, bouncing in his arms. Then, with a sly grin, she added, "Oni-chan, I also want to ride high-high!"
Hinata frowned immediately. "You're too big for that now, Hanabi. You're not a toddler anymore."
"I'm only seven!" Hanabi huffed, making a face. She then turned back to Izanami with big eyes. "Please, Oni-chan?"
"No problem," Izanami said with a laugh. He flexed an arm dramatically. "Even if you grow as tall as I am, you can still ride high-high."
"As expected of Oni-chan!" Hanabi clapped in delight.
Hanabi immediately adopted a look of pure admiration, then gracefully slid down from Izanami's arms, climbing onto his shoulders from behind.
"Really…"
Hinata sighed helplessly as she watched Izanami walk ahead, directed by Hanabi toward the market. Then, with a soft smile full of affection, she followed.
Whoosh—
Just as the trio left, a figure suddenly materialized from thin air in their previous spot. On closer inspection, it was a member of the Hyuga clan, wearing a green vest, with the same distinct eyes as Hinata and Hanabi.
This was Hanabi's guard.
Hinata usually had a guard whenever she went out, so it was natural that Hanabi did as well. However, for reasons unknown, the guard didn't closely follow Hanabi but instead watched from the shadows, silently observing.
Except for Hanabi, both Izanami and Hinata were well aware of the guard's presence.
Over the past six years, Izanami had never met Hyuga Hiashi, but the two shared a tacit understanding. While Hiashi was responsible for shaping the future of his daughters with firm guidance, making sure they upheld the pride of their family, Izanami played a more nurturing role. He offered warmth and affection, helping the sisters grow up in the absence of their mother.
The combination of Hiashi's sternness and Izanami's tenderness created a delicate balance, and it was clear that Hinata and Hanabi had come to rely heavily on Izanami.
Only with him did Hanabi truly reveal the carefree side of herself—the mischievous energy of her age. Around Hyuga Hiashi, however, she was already like the mature little adult seen in the original timeline.
Hinata, too, was much the same.
After a trip to the market to buy ingredients for hot pot, along with Hanabi's favorite glutinous rice dumplings, bananas, and milk, and Hinata's favorite cinnamon rolls, the trio returned home to enjoy the meal.
Once they were full, the three settled down on a long sofa, chatting as they relaxed and digested. Hinata, now feeling comfortable and no longer reserved, leaned her head onto Izanami's shoulder.
"Izanami…" she began softly, "It seems like Naruto is the only one in our class who didn't graduate."
"Yes." Izanami nodded while absentmindedly playing with Hanabi's braid.
When the two had walked to the school gates earlier, they had spotted Uzumaki Naruto sitting alone on a swing.
"Naruto's chakra is so powerful. How could he fail to even use the Clone Technique?" Hinata said, perplexed.
"Maybe his Chakra Control is just… average." Izanami replied nonchalantly, dismissing the topic. "His academic performance has always been poor. His shuriken throwing technique barely improved, and he's usually the first to get eliminated during survival exercises. The only thing he's really good at is Taijutsu duels. Maybe failing isn't the worst thing for him."
"Yeah…" Hinata nodded, remembering Naruto's struggles over the past six years.
Meanwhile, Hanabi, who had curled up against Izanami and was almost drifting off to sleep, didn't notice the small, barely noticeable smile tugging at the corner of Izanami's mouth as he casually brushed aside the subject.
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