"Izanami, this is amazing! We actually succeeded!"
After leaving the Hyuga compound with Izanami, Hinata could no longer suppress her excitement, her voice trembling slightly.
"Calm down," Izanami said with a smile. "Be careful—your father might have guards secretly following us. If they overhear you, we're done."
Hinata immediately covered her mouth and glanced around nervously, her movements adorably clumsy.
"Let's go. I'll take you somewhere."
Unsure whether anyone was tailing them, Izanami didn't cancel his Transformation Technique. Instead, he led Hinata away from the busy central street and toward the remote training grounds in the wilderness.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
After entering the forest, Izanami created a Shadow Clone, which vanished in an instant.
Only then did he cancel the Transformation Technique.
Seeing this, Hinata's eyes lit up. "Izanami, does that mean no one's following us?"
"Yes. It's confirmed," Izanami nodded with a grin. "Later, I'll teach you a technique. Practice it at home once you're back. If your father sees it, he probably won't stop you from going out anymore."
Hearing this, the happiness on Hinata's face deepened even further.
Transforming into Ino Yamanaka and inviting Hinata out—this had been Izanami's plan from the start.
If he had invited her personally, Hinata would never have been allowed to come out.
At best, it would have been a wasted trip. At worst, he might have been warned off by someone like Neji, acting on orders, or reassigned to a different seat—or even a different class altogether.
Children wouldn't understand these things.
But Izanami did.
In a world ruled by daimyo and nobles, class divisions were even harsher than in his previous life.
Hinata was the young lady of a prestigious ninja clan. Izanami was merely a civilian orphan without even a surname.
A vast gulf lay between them.
If Izanami were a girl, there might still be a chance for friendship.
But he was a boy.
To prevent Hinata from developing feelings for him—and to prevent the Hyuga bloodline from leaking—neither Hyuga Hiashi nor the main family elders would allow Izanami to grow too close to her.
Unless… Izanami's value became high enough.
If he proved himself a gifted civilian worth recruiting, he might qualify to marry into the clan.
Or if he became someone like Uzumaki Naruto—a hero of Konoha, a savior of the shinobi world—only then would he be worthy of the main family's young lady.
Before he could prove that worth, Izanami had no choice but to rely on small tricks.
Ino Yamanaka was the daughter of the Yamanaka clan, part of the new generation's Ino–Shika–Chō. Even if her combat ability wasn't outstanding, she could still become a powerful figure within Konoha's intelligence division through her clan's secret techniques.
The Ino–Shika–Chō were also allied clans. Among Shikamaru's peers, the one most justified in being close to Hinata was undoubtedly Ino.
Only by transforming into Ino Yamanaka could Izanami invite Hinata out—and with a high probability, avoid being followed by guards.
If he weren't worried that the growing gap in strength between himself and Hinata would make it harder to trigger her red entry, Izanami truly wouldn't have taken such a risk.
Once the first major exam arrived and he claimed the title of top student, he would gain at least a little more confidence.
Still, compared to Naruto's and Sasuke's red entries, Izanami was far more eager to trigger Hinata's.
As long as he awakened the Tenseigan, he would have no more reservations.
That was why he couldn't afford to waste this vacation.
Arriving at the abandoned training grounds, Izanami turned to Hinata and asked, "Hinata, have you learned the Substitution Technique yet?"
"Not yet," Hinata shook her head. "Father told me to focus on practicing the Gentle Fist. He said I can only learn other ninjutsu after the Academy teaches them."
"In that case, I won't teach you the Substitution Technique either."
Izanami smiled. "Instead, I'll teach you something that improves chakra control. Whether it's refining your Gentle Fist or learning the Shadow Clone Technique, it'll make everything twice as easy."
Hinata's pale eyes widened in shock. "Izanami, you… you're going to teach me the Shadow Clone Technique?"
"That's right."
Izanami nodded. "From now on, my real body will rarely attend class. You can come here anytime to train—or practice the Shadow Clone Technique. Just like me, you can secretly send a Shadow Clone to the Academy while your real body comes here to train."
Hinata was deeply tempted.
Ever since learning that Izanami attended class with a Shadow Clone, she had secretly wanted to learn the technique herself.
Not because of anything else—she simply didn't want to fall too far behind him.
But as she had said, Hyuga Hiashi only allowed her to focus on the Gentle Fist. He neither taught her other techniques nor permitted her to learn them.
She didn't even know the Substitution Technique, let alone the Shadow Clone Technique.
Now, hearing that Izanami was willing to teach her—allowing her to secretly train with him every day, gaining both companionship and the freedom she longed for—Hinata was naturally overwhelmed.
Seeing her expression, Izanami understood her thoughts.
"Come here," he said gently. "I'll teach you how to improve your chakra control."
Smiling at Hinata, Izanami walked over to a massive tree that would take several people to encircle.
Forming the Un hand seal, he explained, "By using hand seals, you concentrate chakra at the soles of your feet. Then, overcome your fear—like this."
Under Hinata's wide-eyed gaze, Izanami lifted his right foot and placed it against the tree trunk.
Then his left foot followed.
With both feet off the ground, his body was perfectly horizontal.
Step by step, as though walking on level ground, Izanami walked straight up the tree—from its base all the way to the top.
Turning to face Hinata below, his body forming a right angle against the trunk, he smiled.
"Walking up trees using your feet. This is the technique I'm teaching you."
"So… so incredible!"
Hinata stared at him in awe, completely stunned by the sight.
After walking back down, Izanami smiled again. "Tree walking is only the first stage. There's an even harder one—walking on water."
"Once you master these two, techniques like the Substitution Technique, Shadow Clone Technique, or Body Flicker Technique will be easy for you."
"Can I… can I really learn it?" Hinata asked softly, lacking confidence.
"Don't underestimate yourself," Izanami said, patting her shoulder. "You're the young lady of the Hyuga clan."
"Go on. Try it. Don't be afraid of falling—I'll catch you."
Then, with a playful tone, he added, "But if you fall too far behind me, I won't wait for you."
It was that one sentence that hardened Hinata's resolve.
She nodded vigorously. "Okay!"
She had already disappointed her father once.
She absolutely couldn't disappoint Izanami again.
Nor did she want to lose her only friend.