Chapter 14: Chief Student

  Although not obtaining the Sage Body trait left Izayoi feeling slightly regretful, acquiring the Uzumaki Bloodline was already incredibly lucky. This bloodline, much like those of the Senju, Uchiha, and Kaguya cns, was a branch stemming from the ōtsutsuki cn lineage. As descendants reted to the Sage Body, both the Uzumaki and Senju cns possessed powerful life force and astonishing chakra reserves.

  Furthermore, besides being proficient in sealing techniques, the Uzumaki cn possessed three unique and powerful abilities: Kagura Mind's Eye, Adamantine Sealing Chains, and a potent body healing technique.

  Kagura Mind's Eye is one of the strongest sensory techniques in the shinobi world. Adamantine Sealing Chains serve for both offense and defense, can be used to create barriers and perform sealing techniques, and are strong enough to restrain even Tailed Beasts. The body healing technique allows the user to heal their own or others' injuries by consuming chakra, with remarkably strong effects. All three of these abilities are top-tier support skills.

  However, just as not every Uchiha awakens the Sharingan, not every member of the Uzumaki cn can awaken these three unique abilities. In the original story, Naruto Uzumaki didn't awaken any of them before gaining Kurama's acknowledgment. Afterward, he did gain malice sensing simir to Mito Uzumaki's. As for the other abilities, perhaps his pure Sage Body was already too powerful, or maybe the original author simply didn't want to give him any more power-ups. But it's undeniable that Naruto Uzumaki not only possessed the Uzumaki bloodline, but as Ashura's chakra reincarnate, the purity of this bloodline was also very high.

  Now that Izayoi had obtained the Uzumaki Bloodline trait from Naruto, if his luck was good enough, perhaps he too could awaken one of the three unique abilities. If he were like Karin, awakening all three unique abilities simultaneously, then his capabilities in sensing, sealing, and healing would all reach the pinnacle of the shinobi world. Even if he didn't awaken any specific abilities, he would still inherit the powerful life force passed down from the Sage Body lineage, which was certainly not a loss.

  Izayoi joyfully closed the light screen, watching the ongoing matches. As round after round concluded, the Taijutsu sparring portion soon ended. Next up was the final test, the newly added survival exercise.

  Before starting the survival exercise, however, Iruka Umino first led the students to the infirmary for treatment from the doctors. Afterward, he took them to the equipment room, allowing Izayoi and the others to select props – items necessary for using the Invisibility Technique.

  Unlike the Genin bell test survival exercise, the Ninja Academy's version was mostly like hide-and-seek, primarily testing the students' mastery of the Invisibility Technique, Body Flicker Technique, and the Three Basic Academy Techniques. Those who performed well received high scores or full marks. Poor performers were given chances, simir to the Chunin Exams, but if their performance remained terrible, they would eventually be found and failed.

  This type of exam naturally posed no difficulty for Izayoi, who had long since mastered the Three Basic Techniques. He easily sted until the time ran out, securing another perfect score for the subject. Although the official results wouldn't be announced until the new term in April, the title of Chief Student was already securely in his grasp.

  "Hinata, see you at the usual spot tomorrow."

  "Mm!"

  After school, Izayoi and Hinata parted ways at an intersection, making their usual arrangement. Although Izayoi wouldn't take Hinata to the deserted training ground again until after the Uchiha cn's destruction, he hadn't stopped training with her. The training location simply shifted from the deserted field to the school grounds or the courtyard of Izayoi's own home.

  The Nine-Tails attack hadn't destroyed Izayoi's house. His parents, both ninjas, had left him an inheritance that included a detached two-story house with a small courtyard. Compared to Naruto Uzumaki, whose inheritance was entirely confiscated, with even the scarf left by Kushina Uzumaki tossed into a storage room to collect dust, Izayoi's situation was incredibly fortunate. Thankfully, his parents in this life were ordinary ninjas, so the vilge hadn't been quite so rapacious.

  ...

  A year has three terms. Apart from the retively long summer vacation, other breaks at the Ninja Academy were very brief.

  In the blink of an eye, it was April 1st. The Ninja Academy began a new school year. The sixth-years had graduated; those Genin who earned their Jonin instructor's acknowledgment had already started undertaking missions. Those who didn't gain approval had either returned to repeat the year, been specially recruited by other departments, or, having repeated several times already and concluding they cked the aptitude to be a ninja, had dropped out to live as ordinary civilians.

  Students from grades one to five moved up, transferring to new cssrooms. The vacated first-year cssrooms welcomed the new students who had passed the entrance exam.

  On this day, the bulletin board was crowded with students. First-year newcomers were checking their assigned cssrooms. Students from other grades were checking the results of their respective year-end major exams.

  "Hey, hey... Izayoi-kun, did you check the results board yet?"

  "Amazing, Izayoi! You became our year's Chief Student!"

  "As expected of Izayoi, even that guy Sasuke wasn't a match for you."

  "Izayoi is Chief Student, and Hinata is second pce! You two deskmates took the top two spots, that's incredible!"

  "..."

  Izayoi had just arrived at his new cssroom when he was surrounded by cssmates, both boys and girls. He didn't show any impatience, instead standing there and chatting with them amicably for quite a while.

  From their words, it was clear: Izayoi was the Chief Student, and second pce went not to Sasuke Uchiha, but to Hinata. Izayoi wasn't surprised by this. Hinata's academic scores had always been among the top ranks. In the first stage of the Chunin Exams in the original story, among the four girls of the Konoha 12, only she and Sakura Haruno didn't need to cheat. With his help, having learned tree and water walking in the first year, her personality no longer introverted, and her fighting style now decisive and unconcerned with holding back against others, if Hinata still lost to Sasuke Uchiha under these circumstances, Izayoi might as well find a block of tofu to smash his head against in embarrassment.

  Sasuke Uchiha should consider himself lucky he wasn't matched against Hinata in the Taijutsu exam; otherwise, he might not have even secured third pce. After all, Shino Aburame was no pushover either.

  Izayoi chatted with his cssmates until it was almost time for css to start, then returned to his seat.

  "Good morning, Izayoi-kun."

  "Morning, Hinata."

  As usual, Hinata had arrived earlier than Izayoi. After greeting each other, they began to chat casually.

  "Izayoi-kun, congratutions on becoming Chief Student." Hinata had clearly seen the results board as well.

  Izayoi smiled back, "Congratutions to you too for taking second pce. Now your father will be even less likely to stop you from going out."

  "Mm-hm..." Hinata nodded repeatedly, a happy smile blooming on her face. Clearly, she had also realized that their pn had likely been discovered by her father long ago. But Hinata hadn't been grounded; she was allowed to go out freely, indicating that her association with Izayoi had received her father's tacit approval. Recalling how she had practiced water walking at home multiple times and been seen, yet never questioned, Hinata felt it must be reted to her progress.

  Now, she had achieved second pce in the grade rankings, and Izayoi, who guided her, was the Chief Student. If her father knew this, he would surely approve of Izayoi even more.

  Thinking this, Hinata couldn't stop the feeling of joy bubbling up inside her.