Chapter 12: The Steady Izayoi Finally Faces the Chosen One

Chapter 12: The Steady Izayoi Finally Faces the Chosen One

As March arrived, the third term drew to a close.

From this month onward, Izayoi began attending classes in person far more frequently—both in the mornings for academic lessons and during the afternoons. There were two reasons for this shift: March marked not only the graduation season for sixth graders but also the annual examination period for the rest of the students. Before the term ended, the Ninja Academy would hold its annual final exams. Academic scores, combined with results from smaller tests throughout the year, would determine the overall rankings. Based on these scores, the school would select a top graduate—a title carrying immense prestige.

In a class filled with dozens, sometimes hundreds of students—including heirs from powerful ninja clans—rising to first place was no small feat. For a clan heir, it cemented their status as the most promising member of their generation. For a commoner, it meant outshining even the most privileged prodigies. The title of "Top Graduate" had become legendary among the academy’s alumni.

Izayoi had no intention of letting anyone else claim that honor. Their class was particularly unique, filled with heirs from renowned clans. To surpass them and claim the title would prove just how extraordinary Izayoi truly was. Securing this recognition would also make approaching Hinata Hyūga far less contentious.

At this point, Izayoi’s dominance was absolute. Even if they skipped class, their Shadow Clones could outperform everyone else. Still, Izayoi chose to attend in person. They knew Konoha was growing tense.

Konoha Year 55—when the Nine-Tails’ Jinchūriki, Naruto Uzumaki, was seven—was also the year that would shock the ninja world. The Uchiha Clan, now the most powerful in Konoha and arguably the entire shinobi world, would be wiped out by a thirteen-year-old boy: Itachi Uchiha, the current clan head’s elder son. This massacre would earn Itachi the title of the youngest S-class rogue ninja in history.

Yet few knew the truth. The Uchiha’s destruction wasn’t Itachi’s doing alone—Konoha’s elders and an outside force had played their parts. Izayoi was one of those few.

At this moment, the ninja world’s greatest "traitor" (Obito Uchiha) was already using Kamui to slip into Konoha at will. To avoid detection, Izayoi planned to slow their training pace and stop taking Hinata to the abandoned training grounds before the Uchiha massacre. They couldn’t risk Hinata being targeted. As the Hyūga Clan’s heir, her Byakugan was priceless on the black market—especially since a single Byakugan had propelled Ao of Kirigakure to elite Jōnin status and a spot on Konoha’s most-wanted list. If Obito or the shadowy Black Zetsu turned their eyes toward Hinata, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Izayoi had already disrupted fate too much to gamble on a villain’s mercy.

——

March 20th.

While sixth graders prepared for their graduation exams, students in grades one through five faced their annual final exams. Izayoi arrived at the academy early that morning. Hinata had beaten them there, already seated in the classroom.

After confirming Izayoi’s presence with a quiet greeting, Hinata smiled softly. “Good luck, Izayoi-kun.”

“Same to you,” Izayoi replied with a grin. “Let’s aim for first and second place.”

“Mm!” Hinata nodded eagerly, already picturing their names atop the ranking board.

Once, rankings had meant little to Hinata. Now, she refused to lose to anyone but Izayoi. She had the strength to claim second place—and she would.

The exams began shortly after.

Morning sessions tested academic knowledge. Though the curriculum had introduced the Shadow Clone Technique this term, the academy didn’t require students to demonstrate it. Most sixth graders couldn’t master it yet, and even graduating Genin who could perform a single C-rank elemental technique were considered exceptional. A first-year’s chakra reserves were rarely sufficient for such feats.

Itachi Uchiha, for instance, had been permitted to graduate early after acing his academic exams with nothing but Shadow Clones—his teachers claimed they had nothing left to teach him. In this world, strength trumped theory. No one embodied this better than Naruto Uzumaki, whose academic failures contrasted sharply with his latent potential.

The morning exams posed no challenge for Izayoi or Hinata. The afternoons tested shuriken throwing, taijutsu sparring, and newly added survival drills. The first two were effortless. As long as Hinata didn’t face Izayoi in sparring, she’d dominate—even against Sasuke Uchiha. Her precision strikes had already made her a legend among first-years.

But if she drew Izayoi? Second place would slip away.

Why not first? Simple: Earlier in the year, Hinata had already faced Izayoi in sparring—and lost. Her overall score already lagged behind. Even a perfect final exam wouldn’t change that.

The same logic applied to others. If Izayoi slipped up on a written question and lost to someone like Sakura Haruno, she still couldn’t overtake Hinata’s overall score.

Only three first-years remained undefeated in practical exams: Izayoi, Sasuke Uchiha, and Shino Aburame. Yet both Sasuke’s and Shino’s academic scores fell short of Izayoi and Hinata’s. Even a perfect final exam wouldn’t elevate them to the top.

Hinata needed only a perfect sparring score to secure second place—unless another class produced an unexpected rival. But given the current standings, that seemed impossible.

Izayoi aced the shuriken throwing exam. Then came the sparring match pairings.

“The next match: Izayoi vs. Naruto Uzumaki!”

Students from Class 1 gathered in a circle around the training ground. Iruka Umino stood in the center, clipboard in hand, announcing the match.

“Huh?!” Naruto clutched his head, groaning in despair. “Why does my opponent have to be Izayoi? I’m doomed!”

Academic exams and shuriken drills were nightmares for Naruto. Taijutsu was his only hope. Now even that chance had vanished. If Hinata—the "taijutsu demon" of their class—couldn’t beat Izayoi, what hope did he have?

But Izayoi’s eyes lit up.

Finally, they’d drawn the chosen one.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end