Chapter 75: Chunin Exam Continue! Hinata vs Temari!

Happy times always fly by.

Before they knew it, the date was August 5th of Konoha's 60th year—only two days before the finals of the third exam.

Izayoi, who had spent half a month traveling with Hanabi, finally bid a reluctant farewell to Karin, having loaded up several large scrolls for the journey.

Before leaving, he gave her a final instruction: "Karin, there's a scroll on my desk in the study—it's still out in the open. It contains the training method for a particular jutsu. Once I'm gone, practice it diligently. I hope that by the time I come back, you'll have mastered it."

Hearing Izayoi say he would come see her again "in a little while," Karin perked up, snapping to attention. "Yes, sir! I promise I won't disappoint you, Izayoi-kun."

"Alright, we'll head back now. See you next time."

"Karin-nee, bye-bye!" Hanabi called, waving as well.

Karin waved back, watching Izayoi carry Hanabi on his back and vanish via Body Flicker.

…

At six in the evening, Izayoi and Hanabi returned to Konoha right on schedule.

"Wow, so many carriages...and so many people," Hanabi remarked, glancing around the busy main street.

"Well, the finals for the Chūnin Exam are the day after tomorrow. The average person can't just teleport in, so of course they all try to arrive early," Izayoi explained with a smile.

"Onii-chan, I'll definitely be there to cheer you on—so don't lose, alright?" Hanabi gave him a playful fist pump.

"Don't worry. Onii-chan's going to win," Izayoi said. He gazed off in a certain direction, as though seeing right through everything, and smiled with confidence, murmuring, "And not just in the match, but in every way."

He then escorted Hanabi—carrying a sealing scroll full of souvenirs—to the Hyūga Clan's gate, waved goodbye, and headed home to make his final preparations for the grand event in two days.

…

August 7th, Konoha Year 60

At the break of dawn, Konoha's main streets came alive with bustling crowds that only grew as the day wore on. When the sun climbed high, fireworks were even set off. Commoners in simple clothing and lavishly dressed nobles alike—arriving by carriage or carried palanquin—were all converging on Konoha's main plaza.

Though there was still an hour left until the exam started, the plaza's seats were already packed. Plenty of out-of-towners who hadn't managed to secure tickets were stuck outside the entrance, arguing with ninjas in a futile effort to be let in. When it became clear there was no way they'd get inside, they decided to wait outside the plaza anyway, hoping to get some semblance of the action from the sounds alone.

[It's too bad no one among the ninjas was canny enough to hold back some extra tickets or run a gambling pool on the side. They could've raked in the cash.]

"Izayoi-kun, it's been so long!"

After a month-long separation, Hinata finally left her house and came straight to Izayoi's. Whatever awkwardness lingered from the "photo incident" had been melted away by intense longing.

The moment she saw him, Hinata did something she rarely did—she ran into his arms, throwing her own around his waist. Her voice and eyes overflowed with affection. "It's been ages, Izayoi-kun."

"It has indeed, Hinata."

Izayoi hugged her back just as tightly, feeling the unmistakable pressure of her figure pressing against him. He was surprisingly free of stray thoughts for once. Since they were six, the two of them had been practically inseparable; this was the first time they'd spent so many weeks apart. For two people so used to having each other around, the month had been hard. Izayoi at least had Hanabi's company, but Hinata had truly suffered the distance.

Especially these last couple of days—listening to Hanabi's stories of their trip, looking over all the photos of Izayoi and Hanabi together—Hinata had, quite uncharacteristically, felt jealous of her younger sister. So as soon as her "family business" was over, she rushed out to see Izayoi without delay.

Their separation had not cooled their feelings; if anything, it deepened them. They clung to each other without a word for a long while before finally separating to share breakfast. Afterward, Hinata began washing the dishes while Izayoi slipped into his room, retrieved one of his birthday presents from Hanabi and Hinata (a white robe with flame motifs) and the large scrolls brought from Sakura Street, and stepped into the private bathroom.

By the time Hinata finished tidying up and removed her apron, Izayoi was already out of his room. The two of them left the house together, heading for the central plaza.

Konoha's main plaza was an immense open-air, dome-like structure, akin to the Forest of Death—a special training area usually kept off-limits except on important occasions. Whenever the plaza was opened, it meant something significant was taking place.

Entering via the competitors' passage, they saw that most of the proctors and a number of examinees had already arrived. Spotting the proctor, with a senbon pinned between his lips, Izayoi realized it was Gekko Hayate—the very same who, in the "Shippuden timeline," would end up badly injured or worse.

"I was starting to think you two lovebirds forgot there was an exam," Sasuke Uchiha drawled sarcastically the moment Izayoi and Hinata joined the group.

Hinata blushed. Izayoi just chuckled, "Judging by that look on your face, you haven't had the easiest month yourself."

"On the contrary, it's been great," Sasuke replied with a smug smile. "If we meet in the finals, you'll be in for a big surprise."

"I'm looking forward to it," said Izayoi, casting a brief glance at Sasuke's neck. Noticing no Curse Mark, Izayoi guessed Sasuke had probably been training under Kakashi, same as in the original timeline, likely mastering Lightning Release: Chidori. That meant Sasuke's Lightning Release nature transformation must be at a level where he could begin the shape-manipulation portion—eventually learning Chidori Stream or even Raikiri. The stronger Sasuke got, the happier Izayoi felt.

As time ticked by, more exam takers arrived. Naruto Uzumaki showed up as well, not pursued by a herd of bulls this time. Over on the VIP balcony, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and the disguised "Fourth Kazekage" (Orochimaru) took their seats.

Checking his pocket watch, Genma Shiranui turned his attention to the ten assembled participants and said, "Time's up. Whoever's not here is disqualified, and their opponent automatically advances."

Everyone looked over to Naruto Uzumaki at that. Of the original eleven candidates, Dosu Kinuta was missing. Naruto, who advanced without a fight, put his hands on his hips and started laughing. "Hahaha! I knew that guy was scared of the great Naruto Uzumaki—ran off with his tail between his legs!"

Genma then took out his clipboard, drew a line across Dosu's name, and explained the rules. "You all attended the Academy, so you know what 'no-rules' matches are. The finals allow any means possible. Killing your opponent won't incur liability, since the consent forms you signed in the second stage still apply.

"So if you realize you're outclassed, it'd be wise to forfeit. If you die, you just die. Don't expect me to step in at the last second."

He glanced at Naruto. "Examinee #2 forfeited, so #1, Naruto Uzumaki, advances automatically. Next up, #3 Hinata Hyūga and #4 Temari, please remain. The rest of you head to the waiting area."

At this signal, Gaara, Kankurō, and Neji quickly left. Meanwhile, Izayoi and the rest of the rookie 9 offered their cheers to Hinata before following them up to the observation zone.

"Perfect! My big sis is up first! Sis, go for it!" Hanabi hollered instinctively from the stands.

"Mind your manners, Hanabi," Hiashi said sternly.

"S-sorry." Chastised, Hanabi remembered she shouldn't embarrass the clan and promptly sat prim and proper again, her small face turning serious.

…

"You're Hinata Hyūga, right? You're really just twelve?"

In the arena, Temari looked Hinata up and down, struggling to believe that a girl three years her junior could be so ridiculously well-developed—on par with a grown woman.

Her eye twitched at the thought. Also, the intel said this same girl had a handsome, top-of-his-class childhood friend who had already mastered multiple elemental natures and even developed an S-rank Storm Release technique, all while never being apart since early childhood. Even Temari, the "Princess of the Sand" and daughter of the Kazekage, felt a twinge of jealousy.

Perfect looks, personality, background—and on top of that, a soulmate? Did this girl save the world in her past life?

Hinata, clueless about Temari's internal monologue, still blushed a little when the older girl commented on her age. She couldn't help noting how so many female peers—even older ones—kept staring enviously at her…attributes, which they seemed to view with a mix of admiration and jealousy. Hinata herself used to feel they were just a "burden," but after realizing Izayoi liked them—evidenced by that nosebleed incident—she'd come to see them as a source of pride rather than a hindrance.

Drawing on that thought, Hinata's shyness vanished, replaced by a slight upward tilt of her lips. But Temari, seeing Hinata's gaze drop to her own far lesser figure, perceived it as a smirk of contempt. Instantly, her temper flared.

Bang!

She pulled the tri-star fan off her back and slammed it onto the ground, fixing Hinata with a cold glare. "Alright, Miss 'Privileged Heiress.' Let's see if your strength can give my fan a decent fight."

That last phrase—"Heiress"—seemed to trigger something in Hinata. Glancing briefly at where her sister and father sat, her temples twitched. Turning back to Temari, Hinata's face grew serious. "I'll fight with all my strength."

Their gazes locked, sparks flying. The sudden surge of competitive energy piqued Genma's interest. Senbon between his teeth, he raised an arm and called out:

"Chūnin Selection Exam, Third Stage, Finals—Hinata Hyūga vs. Temari—Begin!"

~~~

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