Chapter 92: A Romantic Moment, Chunin

Chapter 92: A Romantic Moment, Chunin

August 25th.

Early in the morning, Hinata Hyuga and Hanabi Hyuga arrived at Sasuke Uchiha’s home.

“Izayoi, Sasuke, today is the Fifth Hokage’s inauguration ceremony. We brought your outfits—let’s see if they fit,” Hinata said, holding up the clothes.

Neither sister wore kimonos today. Instead, they sported long pants and white shirts embroidered with a red flame symbol on the back. The tight fit of Hinata’s shirt, straining against her chest, drew envious stares from women and lingering glances from men along the way.

“Thanks. Living outside the village has its inconveniences,” Izayoi said, draping the clothes over his shoulder before playfully pinching Hanabi’s cheek.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, smirking as he accepted the outfit. “Thanks, nee-chan.”

“Nee… nee-chan?!” Hinata’s face flushed crimson, flustered by the sudden familial title. Her affection for Sasuke skyrocketed at that moment, though she’d originally planned to test Izayoi’s “Mighty Ultimate Fist” technique on him during their next sparring match. Now, she reconsidered.

Izayoi blinked in surprise too. “That’s not enough for a thank-you. Let me teach you a blessing phrase.”

“What kind?”

“It’s for New Year’s greetings—and it must be said in Mandarin. Listen carefully…”

He cleared his throat and recited slowly, facing the empty space ahead:
“Big brother, big sister-in-law, Happy New Year! You’re my lord, I’m your servant!”

Sasuke repeated it instinctively, his accent comically thick. Noticing Izayoi stifling a laugh, he froze mid-sentence. “You tricked me again, you bastard!”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You smirked!”

“Oh no, you caught me!” Izayoi gasped theatrically.

“Onii-chan, he’s bluffing. Now you’ve been exposed,” Hanabi chimed in.

Izayoi shot back, “Sasuke, lying’s a bad habit!”

“Die!”

Enraged, Sasuke lunged, but Izayoi sidestepped effortlessly, jabbing a pressure point on his shoulder. Sasuke stiffened mid-air, trembling as numbness paralyzed his body.

“You’ll need more training, Sasuke,” Izayoi chuckled, patting his shoulder before retreating to change.

The Hyuga sisters stifled giggles, their eyes dancing with amusement. Face burning, Sasuke stormed off to dress.

Minutes later, the four emerged from the Uchiha Clan Grounds—now lively with laughter—and headed toward Hidden Leaf Village’s Central Street. Izayoi’s new home-in-progress loomed nearby, its walls rising rapidly thanks to ninja techniques and generous funding.

The inauguration ceremony at Hokage Tower drew a massive crowd. Ninjas perched on power lines, walls, and rooftops, all jostling for a view. Arriving late, Izayoi’s group stood at the back.

“Onii-chan, I want a piggyback!” Hanabi tugged Izayoi’s sleeve.

“Sure.” He crouched, letting her climb onto his shoulders. Gripping her hands, he straightened, giving her a clear view of the Hokage Tower and the sea of villagers.

Tsunade appeared promptly on the rooftop, clad in a tea-green robe with black trim, the Hokage hat in hand.

“Tsunade-sama!”

“She’s even more beautiful than the legends!”

“She healed my leg—without her, I’d never be a ninja!”

The crowd erupted into deafening cheers. Men and women, nobles and commoners alike, gazed up with fervent admiration. Even Jiraiya and Orochimaru never commanded such adoration. Not even the Third or Fourth Hokage had received such a reception.

This was the power of the Senju legacy—the clan that forged Hidden Leaf’s golden age. As granddaughter of the First Hokage and a Legendary Sannin, Tsunade’s medical prowess and strength made her the undisputed choice for Fifth Hokage. Under her leadership, the village would thrive again.

“She’s stunning!” Hinata whispered, staring at Tsunade’s youthful face. “If the books are right, she’s 52… but she looks thirty!”

“Notice the mark on her forehead?” Izayoi said.

Activating their Byakugan, the sisters and Sasuke’s Sharingan focused on the diamond-shaped Yin Seal glowing faintly on her skin.

“This is the Yin Seal—a forbidden S-class technique I’ll teach you. It stores chakra, enhances physical abilities, accelerates healing, and… preserves youth.”

“Storing chakra?” Sasuke’s lips curled. Suddenly, those medical scrolls Izayoi assigned seemed worth reading.

Hinata’s eyes sparkled at “preserves youth.” Every girl cherished beauty, and Hinata was no exception. Even seven-year-old Hanabi tugged Izayoi’s hair, pleading, “Onii-chan, teach me Yin Seal too!”

“When you’re older,” Izayoi teased. “Learning it now might stunt your growth… and you’ll stay this tiny forever.”

Hanabi Hyuga glanced at her own flat chest, then at the prominent "chubby bunny" on Hinata Hyuga’s chest, and quickly shook her head. “Then I’ll quit learning.”

The four stood in a secluded corner, and the villagers’ cheers were so loud that no one overheard their conversation.

Not that Izayoi cared. Whether it was the Mighty Ultimate Fist or Yin Seal, he had plausible explanations for everything.

Suddenly, a powerful, resonant voice echoed through the street.

“From this moment on, I am the Fifth Hokage of Hidden Leaf Village.”

On the rooftop of the Hokage Office, Tsunade placed the Hokage hat on her head, declaring Hidden Leaf Village’s official entry into the era of the Fifth Hokage.

The cheers this time were even louder, shaking the heavens.

A Hidden Leaf Village with a leader and one without were worlds apart. Before Tsunade’s inauguration, though the village wasn’t lifeless, both ninja and civilians wore expressions of confusion and fear—worried enemies might strike or war might erupt at any moment.

Now, with Tsunade as Hokage, vitality returned to their faces, and confidence filled their hearts.

The next day, the Hokage Office reactivated the mission system. Travelers who’d heard the news swarmed in, and ninja who’d been idle for months rushed to take jobs.

“I’m heading out for a mission,” Sasuke Uchiha said, packing his gear. He glanced at Izayoi, who lay sideways on the porch reading an interior design book, and sneered. “If you get scared staying alone in the suburbs, ask Hinata Hyuga to keep you company. Or sneak into the Hyuga Clan at night and have her rock you to sleep.”

“Oh?” Izayoi flipped a page without looking up, his tone flat. “If I go insane from fear, I might forget the Yin Seal training methods. So when you go on missions, remember to pray for my safety every day.”

“…I hope you live a thousand years!”

Speechless, Sasuke clenched his teeth and spat a curse. He hadn’t forgotten Izayoi’s goal of breaking free from lifespan limits.

As Sasuke prepared to retort, Izayoi suddenly lifted his head—Sasuke immediately Body Flickered away, muttering curses as he vanished. For once, he felt satisfied.

“Izayoi-kun…”

No sooner had Sasuke left than Hinata Hyuga’s voice reached Izayoi’s ears. She Body Flickered before him. “Kurenai-sensei asked me to inform you—we need to go to the Hokage Office immediately. Hokage-sama wants to see us.”

Izayoi’s eyes flickered with understanding. Considering the timing and the fact that both were summoned together, he guessed Tsunade’s purpose.

He smiled at Hinata. “Hinata Hyuga, your wish is about to come true.”

“Huh?” She tilted her head cutely.

Without explaining further, Izayoi tossed his book aside, pulled Hinata into his arms, and leapt skyward in a princess carry.

“Ah!”

Startled, Hinata instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Gazing down at the forest and distant village from above, her eyes sparkled. “Izayoi-kun, the village looks so beautiful from here.”

“Beautiful? It’s just okay—I get tired of seeing it after a few times. But…” He paused, looking into her curious, shining eyes. “I’ll never get tired of looking at you. I could stare at your photo album all day.”

A direct hit.

Hinata’s face flushed crimson, her mind exploding with a steam-engine whistle.

Her immunity dropped to zero again. She buried her face, nervously poking her fingers together in his arms, though her cherry-pink lips curled upward, betraying her joy.

Seeing her “steaming princess” state, Izayoi suddenly regretted flying.

With Hinata’s confidence growing far beyond her canon self, making her blush was easy, but seeing her steam like this was rare. And he’d missed the chance to secretly deploy a Wood Clone with a camera seal to capture the moment.

Still, this romantic memory would forever stay etched in their hearts.

When they reached the village outskirts, Izayoi descended at Hinata’s request. She gently patted her cheeks, restoring her gentle smile, then took his hand and walked toward the Hokage Office.

Holding hands was her limit for now. Walking arm-in-arm would require another boost in confidence.

At the Hokage Office door, they released hands and entered as teammates.

Knock knock knock.

Izayoi politely rapped on the door. Moments later, it opened, revealing a woman in a black-gray robe with short black hair, delicate features, and a quiet demeanor. She held a pig in one arm—Tsunade’s personal aide and secretary, Shizune.

“You must be Izayoi and Hinata Hyuga. Please come in.” Shizune smiled, stepping aside. “I’m Shizune, Hokage-sama’s secretary. She’s been expecting you.”

“Nice to meet you, Shizune-san.” Izayoi and Hinata bowed politely.

Inside, Tsunade sat behind her desk, chin resting on her hands, studying them.

“Hokage-sama.” They bowed again.

Tsunade nodded, her expression serious. “I summoned you both to meet the two top Genin from the Chūnin Exams. Your performance in the final matches was flawless—two wins against the allied nation’s princess and the One-Tail Jinchuriki. You crushed their morale. Excellent work.”

A rare smile touched her lips.

Before they could humbly respond, she continued sternly. “I’ve reviewed your Ninja Academy records and written exam scores. Impeccable.”

“Therefore, I, Fifth Hokage Tsunade, hereby promote Genin Izayoi and Genin Hinata Hyuga to Chūnin of Hidden Leaf Village!”

“Thank you, Hokage-sama.” They bowed again, Hinata’s joy radiant.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end