January 8, 61st year of Konoha.
An invisible barrier suddenly rose up in Izayoi's new home, blocking all outsiders from entering and isolating all perception.
Click! Click...
"Ten... Izayoi-kun, is it ready?"
On the edge of the traditional building, the sound of shutters kept ringing, mixed with the shy voice of the girl.
"Wait a minute, Hinata, bear with it for a while, I'll change the angle... slurp."
Izayoi shouted excitedly, and at the end, there seemed to be a sound of slurping.
There was no helping it—Hinata was too tempting now.
She was wearing a sheer, transparent long dress specially tailored for her by Izayoi. A white short-sleeved top on the upper half, and blue split-leg pants-skirt on the bottom. It revealed her figure completely while also radiating a faint, hazy beauty.
Hinata's current pose was especially lethal to Izayoi.
She was doing a handstand, supporting herself with both hands on the ground, holding a bow and arrow with her feet, and looking forward with a red arrow in her mouth.
Yes—Hinata had been tricked by Izayoi again into taking artistic photos.
She had originally been wearing a miko outfit, practicing archery at the edge of the yard. Then Izayoi appeared out of nowhere with a camera, and one thing led to another until she somehow agreed to change into this outfit—not revealing, but more embarrassing than a Pikachu or Squirtle shirt—and strike a pose that made her blood rush to her head.
"...Okay!"
After who-knows-how-long, Hinata finally heard a sigh of satisfaction. She quickly dropped her feet and ran into the house to change.
"Hinata, wait..."
Izayoi suddenly stopped her and took out a sword from somewhere, smiling: "Let's take a few more photos. Just now was archery, now let's do sword dancing."
"The last... last time," Hinata said, face red, still unable to resist Izayoi's request.
"Okay."
Soon, Hinata was dancing with a long sword in the garden. At Izayoi's direction, she tried to control her emotions, putting on a cold and beautiful expression. Her eyes were sharp, calm.
If she had been wearing a traditional robe, she would have looked like a noble daughter from a swordsmanship family—dignified and sharp.
But wearing the sheer long dress, Hinata exuded a contradictory, pure-yet-sensual beauty that Izayoi could hardly handle.
As he frantically pressed the shutter, he briefly regretted choosing the Rinnegan path instead of the Sharingan and its exclusive eye techniques.
If he had gone with the Sharingan, then surely his unique genjutsu would relate to time—and maybe he could time travel.
Although the first ten years of life passed quickly, these past ten minutes felt like an eternity.
After nearly a whole roll of film, Izayoi was finally finishing the shoot.
Hinata, who had been holding back her embarrassment, suddenly created a shadow clone and snatched the camera. Then her main body grabbed Izayoi and started a "sword fight."
Seeing Hinata so forward, Izayoi accepted it without hesitation.
He drew a sharp long sword and slashed at Hinata's clothes during their match. Her already hazy look became even more revealing. The clone almost popped from embarrassment.
But fortunately, this wasn't Hinata's first time taking artistic photos.
Compared to her awkwardness the first time, this was clearly much better—and still within her limits.
Besides, Izayoi was now her boyfriend.
When they went shopping, Hinata no longer had to hide their relationship. She could hold Izayoi's arm openly and even share food together.
It was a girlfriend's duty to indulge her boyfriend's hobbies.
Especially now that Hanabi had returned to school, Karin was busy assisting at the Hokage's office, and Sasuke was out training and showing off on missions—no one was fighting her for Izayoi anymore. Hinata enjoyed this atmosphere.
After sweating through their fun, the two went swimming and soaked in the hot springs, then played basketball in the indoor court in athletic wear.
Izayoi, full of energy, pulled off a two-handed power move to break a double-team and slam dunked from the free throw line, even ripping off the hoop.
The next day, Izayoi dressed Hinata in a snowman outfit and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport them to the Iron Country to ski.
When they got tired, they had a snowball fight. Hinata, staring at him with her white eyes, accidentally slipped. She got a face full of snow.
Izayoi, "angry and embarrassed," threw Hinata down. The two of them rolled into a big snowball on the hill and roughhoused, nearly causing an avalanche.
Unfortunately, this sweet life didn't last long. Izayoi and Hinata, the two lazy lovebirds, were summoned by Tsunade.
"Izayoi-kun, Hinata, Tsunade-sama asked you to go to the Hokage's office. Shizune-senpai already went to inform Shino."
With Karin's notice, Team 8 finally regrouped for the first time in over two months.
Seeing the out-of-uniform Izayoi and Hinata, who looked nothing like ninja, Shino couldn't help but jab sarcastically: "I thought you both retired."
Ever since Tsunade became Hokage, the other teams had been working hard on missions.
When they had the rare chance to gather at Izayoi's house for a meal, everyone shared their latest mission experiences.
Team 7's story was the most exciting—they ran into a rogue ninja with the Thunder God Sword and helped Fujiyama Yukie, actually the Snow Country princess, reclaim her nation.
While Team 6 and Team 10 had faced bandits and wandering shinobi, they'd gained several C- and B-rank missions in their records.
But Team 8, aside from a couple of missions in October, had been inactive ever since.
Shino had stayed home for over two months. He almost believed he had retired young.
Or… had the other two secretly taken advantage of their Chunin status to go on missions without him?
Shino often questioned his own worth. Maybe he was better suited to the Inuzuka clan?
He just really wanted to go on a mission!
Sensing Shino's frustration, Izayoi and Hinata gave embarrassed smiles. They truly did feel a little guilty.
Izayoi patted his chest and promised, "Don't worry, Shino. I'll make sure you have enough mission records to qualify for the Chunin Exams this spring."
Even if he was too lazy, he could just use Wood Clones like he did during the pregnancy mission to stand in for both himself and Hinata and still take Shino on missions.
With how real the Wood Clones were, Shino wouldn't even know. He wouldn't be sad.
"I hope so." Shino clearly didn't believe Izayoi's promises anymore.
After becoming a Chunin, he'd hoped to switch careers and join the Anbu.
Since he was already so forgettable, he might as well use it as an asset.
No one knew Shino's real feelings.
After Team 8's chat ended, Tsunade turned serious.
"I've summoned you for an S-rank mission."
"What?"
Hinata and Shino were surprised. Shino even adjusted his sunglasses and asked, "Shouldn't a mission of this level be led by Kurenai-sensei?"
"There's no point in having Kurenai lead," Tsunade said. "Except for Karin, only Team 8 is capable of completing this mission."
At this, Shino and Hinata both focused, waiting for the mission details.
Tsunade didn't waste words: "According to Anbu intelligence, the Hidden Cloud Village is preparing to retaliate against the Akatsuki and has deployed forces toward the Land of Rain."
"Your mission is to observe the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Rain Villages. If war breaks out, gather the battlefield intelligence and transmit it in real time."
Then Tsunade turned to Hinata. "Hinata, do you have a summoning beast?"
"No." Hinata shook her head.
"Then you'll sign a contract with the Slugs, like Karin," Tsunade instructed. "When it's time to transmit information, summon a slug and hand over the scroll. It will be delivered to me directly."
"Yes!" Hinata nodded eagerly.
Karin happily pulled her to the side to sign the summoning contract.
Tsunade turned to Izayoi with a serious face: "Make sure you stay hidden. If you're discovered, I permit you to abort the mission."
Though Izayoi had Wood Release, his own version of the Unsealing Technique, and Flying Ninjutsu—enough to threaten even the Five Kage—Tsunade, like the others, still believed he hadn't matured yet.
After all, humans don't reach their prime until adulthood.
Even Naruto and Sasuke continued to grow after Shippuden.
At age 19, even without Sage of Six Paths power, Naruto still defeated Otsutsuki Toneri.
Sasuke could shatter meteors with a single Chidori.
It wasn't until Boruto that both became "depleted."
Tsunade's real reason for refusing to attack the Akatsuki was to protect Izayoi.
In a few years, when Izayoi matured, Konoha would have an unmatched powerhouse.
Even against the Sage's Eye, they could hold their own.
If not for Hinata's Byakugan surpassing clan limits, and the critical importance of the Akatsuki/Cloud conflict, Tsunade wouldn't even send Team 8 on this dangerous mission.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Izayoi nodded solemnly.
"Go."
Tsunade waved them off.
With pre-approved leave slips from Shizune, Team 8 quickly packed, met at the village gate, and headed for the Land of Rain.
Hidden Rain Village
Though it wasn't Sunday, it was a rare sunny day.
All civilians had evacuated to underground shelters as directed by the "angel."
Now only a dozen figures remained—all Akatsuki, and all Kage-level.
This lineup would terrify even a major village.
Aside from intern Tobi, Black and White Zetsu, and the rarely seen Konan and Pain's Six Paths, the rest were all top-tier defectors.
Uchiha Itachi, who wiped out his clan at thirteen and destroyed the most powerful ninja clan in history.
Hoshigaki Kisame, "Tailless Tailed Beast," one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Kakuzu, the strongest in Takigakure and now a feared bounty hunter.
Sasori of the Red Sand, who once wiped out a small country and has a bounty second only to "Wood Release Ninja."
Tendo Pain, the only Akatsuki leader with a bounty over one billion—destroyer of Hidden Cloud Village.
Hidan and Deidara, whose identities were still unknown to the world.
They all gathered atop Pain's usual rain-watching tower, staring at the rare clear sky.
"...It's coming..."
White Zetsu said with a smile, "There are two."
Suddenly, two massive black spheres appeared high above the Hidden Rain Village—one in the north, one in the south.
Tendo Pain floated up silently.
Then from a corner of the village came a shout:
"Summoning Technique!"
Poof! The Hungry Ghost Path vanished from the rooftop in a cloud of smoke, reappearing beneath the southern Tailed Beast Ball.
"Shinra Tensei!"
With a majestic voice, a powerful repulsion wave surged upward like a green curtain.
The Tailed Beast Ball was instantly erased from existence.