Chapter 116: Artistic Photoshoots and an Aerial Assault on Amegakure

Chapter 116: Artistic Photoshoots and an Aerial Assault on Amegakure

January 8th, Year 61 of the Hidden Leaf Village.

A sudden invisible barrier erupted around Izayoi’s new home, sealing it off from intruders and blocking all external perception.

Click! Click!

“Ten… Izayoi, can we stop now?”

On the veranda of the traditional-style house, the sound of a camera shutter clicked repeatedly, mingling with a girl’s shy voice.

“Hold on, Hinata! Just let me try another angle… Mm.”

Izayoi shouted excitedly, his voice trailing off with an eager sound.

It couldn’t be helped—Hinata Hyuga was simply too captivating at that moment.

She wore a sheer, translucent long dress custom-made by Izayoi. A white short-sleeved top paired with cyan split-leg trouserskirt accentuated her figure while exuding an ethereal, barely-there beauty.

And her pose? Pure devastation for Izayoi.

Balancing on her hands in a handstand, legs arched like a bowstring with feet poised to release an arrow, Hinata tilted her head upward. Her lips, as rosy as cherry blossoms, clutched a red arrow between them.

Indeed, Izayoi had once again tricked Hinata into a photoshoot.

Originally dressed in a shrine maiden outfit practicing archery on the veranda, Izayoi had suddenly appeared with a camera.

At first, she’d agreed to just a few shots. But somehow, she’d ended up changing into this outfit—modest yet far more embarrassing than Pikachu or Squirtle T-shirts—and striking poses that sent blood rushing to Izayoi’s head.

“…Okay!”

After what felt like an eternity, Hinata finally heard Izayoi’s satisfied sigh. She dropped her legs and hurried inside to change.

“Hinata, wait!”

Izayoi suddenly stopped her, pulling a sword from seemingly nowhere. “Let’s do a few more shots. Archery was the first act—now it’s swordplay.”

“…Just one more set.” Hinata stammered, cheeks flushed. She still couldn’t bring herself to refuse him.

“Deal.”

Moments later, Hinata twirled a longsword through the garden, her expression carefully schooled into icy elegance at Izayoi’s direction. Her eyes gleamed with sharp intensity.

Had she been wearing a traditional robe, she’d have embodied a noble swordswoman—graceful yet formidable.

But the sheer dress added a tantalizing contrast, a blend of innocence and allure that left Izayoi weak-kneed.

As he furiously snapped photos, Izayoi suddenly regretted choosing the Rinnegan path. If he’d taken the Sharingan instead, he could’ve mastered the Mangekyou’s time-space techniques.

The past decade had flown by, yet this second one dragged unbearably.

After nearly a full roll of film, Izayoi prepared to wrap up—

But Hinata, her shyness now tempered, suddenly created a Shadow Clone. The clone snatched the camera while the real Hinata yanked Izayoi into a sparring match.

Naturally, Izayoi accepted this “gift.”

Grabbing another blade, he sliced strategic tears into Hinata’s dress mid-duel, amplifying the tantalizing reveal until her clone nearly self-destructed from embarrassment.

But this wasn’t Hinata’s first photoshoot.

Compared to the awkward debut, this session was far smoother—within acceptable limits. Besides, Izayoi was her boyfriend now.

No need to hide their relationship when shopping. She could openly link arms with him, even share meals.

Indulging her boyfriend’s quirks was a girlfriend’s duty.

Especially now that Hanabi had returned to school, Karin spent her days at the Hokage Office training, and Sasuke Uchiha had become obsessed with missions to show off his strength—leaving Hinata free to savor this blissful exclusivity.

After working up a sweat, they swam, soaked in hot springs, then played basketball in an indoor court.

Izayoi dominated the game, dribbling through defenders with both hands before slamming the ball from the free-throw line so hard he ripped the hoop off its mountings.

The next day, dressed in training suits, they used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport to the Land of Iron for skiing.

When snowball fights broke out, Izayoi let Hinata use his Byakugan-enhanced reflexes—nearly costing him the match when she pelted him with snowballs.

Enraged, he tackled her, and the two rolled down the slope as a massive snowball, wrestling until they nearly triggered an avalanche.

But this happiness couldn’t last.

Tsunade soon intervened.

“Izayoi, Hinata, Lady Tsunade wants you at the Hokage Office. Shizune’s already gone to fetch Shino.”

Karin’s summons reunited Team 8 for the first time in two months.

Seeing Izayoi and Hinata in casual clothes, utterly lacking ninja demeanor, Shino Aburame dryly remarked, “I thought you two had retired.”

Since Tsunade’s ascension as Fifth Hokage, other squads had been swamped with missions.

When the rookie teams gathered at Izayoi’s home for dinner, they’d shared tales of their exploits.

Team 7’s adventures were particularly wild—battling a rogue ninja with the Thunder God’s Blade in the Land of Tea, then helping Fujiyama Yukie, a celebrity posing as Snow Country’s princess, reclaim her throne.

Though Team 10’s and Team 7’s missions weren’t as dramatic, they’d faced bandits, rogue ninja, and even shinobi from minor villages, adding multiple C- and B-rank missions to their records.

Meanwhile, Team 8’s log had only two C-ranks and a single A-rank from October—then nothing.

Two months of domestic bliss had left Shino feeling like he’d aged decades.

Had those two secretly taken missions using their chūnin privileges?

Shino repeatedly cursed his own passivity. If becoming a bug user meant missing out on action, maybe he should’ve been born a dog handler instead.

He really, really wanted to go on a mission!

As if sensing his resentment, Izayoi and Hinata exchanged awkward smiles. They’d definitely neglected their teammate.

Izayoi patted his chest confidently. “Don’t worry, Shino. I’ll definitely help you rack up enough achievements to qualify for the Chūnin Exams this summer.”

Even if his usual laziness kicked in, he could always pull a double act like during his Awakening period—using a Wood Clone to substitute for him while partnering with Hinata Hyuga and Shino Aburame on missions. With how realistic his Wood Clones were, Shino would never notice the difference. That way, no one’s feelings would get hurt.

“I suppose,” Shino replied, no longer placing any faith in Izayoi’s promises.

Once he became a chūnin, he’d consider transferring to Anbu. If he was destined to remain so invisible, he might as well maximize his usefulness in Anbu’s shadows.

Shino’s pessimism remained unnoticed.

After Team 8 finished their discussion, Tsunade turned serious. “I’ve gathered you here because there’s an S-rank mission I need to assign.”

“Nani?” Hinata and Shino both started in surprise. Shino adjusted his glasses. “Wouldn’t this require Red-Sensei’s supervision?”

“Red wouldn’t be effective here,” Tsunade shook her head. “Except for Karin, this mission requires Team 8 specifically.”

The two shinobi immediately straightened, listening intently.

Tsunade cut straight to the point. “According to Anbu intelligence, Kumogakure is preparing retaliation against Akatsuki and has already deployed forces to Rain Country. Your task is to monitor both villages’ movements. If war erupts, compile battle reports and relay them in real-time.”

She turned to Hinata. “Hinata Hyuga, do you have a summoning contract yet?”

“No.” Hinata shook her head.

“Then sign with Muko Ryūjin like Karin,” Tsunade instructed. “Use the Summoning Technique to deliver scrolls to the slug sage—she’ll transmit them directly to me.”

Hinata brightened. “Yes, ma’am!”

Karin immediately dragged Hinata away to finalize the contract while Tsunade addressed Izayoi. “Stay hidden. If exposed, abandon the mission immediately.”

Though Izayoi possessed Wood Release, self-taught non-hand-seal techniques, and flight-capable ninjutsu—strengths rivaling the Five Kage—Tsunade, like others, still viewed him as unripe. Humans only reached their peak after adulthood; until then, they remained in development. Even post-Shippuden, Naruto and Sasuke continued growing. At nineteen, Naruto defeated Ōtsutsuki Shinkurō without Six Paths Sage Mode, Yin-Yang Release, or Truth-Seeking Balls—even while expelling half the Nine-Tails’ chakra. Sasuke Uchiha shattered meteors with a single Chidori. It wasn’t until Boruto’s era that both became shadows of their former selves.

Tsunade’s refusal to authorize an Akatsuki strike partly stemmed from wanting to protect Izayoi. Waiting a few years would grant Konoha an unprecedented powerhouse—one capable of challenging even the Sage’s Eye. The only reason she’d sanctioned this mission was Hinata’s Byakugan surpassing Hyūga limits and the critical intelligence value.

“Understood, Hokage-sama.” Izayoi nodded solemnly.

“Move out.”

Tsunade waved them off. Collecting travel permits from Shizune, Team 8 departed the Hokage Office, Body Flickering home to prepare before meeting at the village gates for Rain Country.

...

Amegakure’s rare sunny skies—uncommon even on Sundays—had driven villagers underground. The surface now hosted only a dozen figures: Akatsuki’s Shadow-level elite.

Besides “intern” Tobi and White Zetsu, Konan and the five Pain paths rarely surfaced. But today, Deva Path led the group—each member a legendary S-rank missing-nin.

Itachi Uchiha, who eradicated his clan at thirteen, reducing the ninja world’s greatest clan to ash.

Kisame Hoshigaki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, dubbed the “Tailed Beast Without a Tail.”

Kakuzu, former Takigakure powerhouse turned infamous bounty hunter.

Sasori of the Red Sand, who destroyed a nation and held the second-highest bounty—surpassed only by the “Wood Release Ninja.”

And Pain (Deva Path), whose single attack shattered Kumogakure, breaking the ninja world’s moral code and earning Akatsuki’s first ten-billion ryō bounty.

Even Hidan and Deidara’s identities remained secret.

Now gathered on Deva Path’s usual rain-watching rooftop, White Zetsu grinned. “Here they come… two of them.”

As if answering, two colossal black spheres materialized over Amegakure—one in the south, one in the north.

Deva Path ascended calmly.

Elsewhere, a voice roared: “Summoning Technique!”

A puff of smoke erased the Preta Path from the rooftop, reappearing beneath the southern Tailed Beast Ball.

“Shinra Tensei!”

A thunderous voice unleashed a green shockwave—a repulsive force storm—that erased the Tailed Beast Ball like an eraser wiping chalk.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end