Chapter 22: Graduation Assessment

  "Didn't I tell you yesterday? The exam today won't take long, no need to bring me food."

  Izayoi deactivated his Byakugan and emerged from his room. He immediately saw Hinata already seated at the dining table, several bento boxes id out before her. Though his words suggested otherwise, Izayoi sat down without hesitation and began eating the breakfast Hinata had carefully prepared.

  "I wasn't originally going to make anything, but I forgot to remind Hanabi yesterday," Hinata expined with a smile, her hands resting on the table. "Hanabi woke up even earlier than I did today specifically to make you an exam bento."

  "Ah, I see. That's very thoughtful of Hanabi." Izayoi understood. Noticing a rice ball in one of the bento boxes, decorated with shredded radish and seaweed to form characters wishing 'Exam Success', his appetite instantly improved. These past few years of doting on my little sister-in-w haven't been in vain.

  "You eat too. I can't finish all this by myself," Izayoi gestured while eating.

  "No need, I already ate at home." Hinata shook her head, then stood up and walked to the refrigerator. Opening it, she took out a carton of milk and poured a gss for both Izayoi and herself.

  From waking Izayoi up to pouring the milk now, Hinata's actions flowed naturally, without any sense of unfamiliarity, as if this were her own home. And in truth, it practically was.

  It had been several years since Izayoi and Hinata st met up at their 'usual spot'. Although Izayoi had never once set foot inside the Hyūga compound, Hinata and Hanabi had come to regard his house as their second home. Both Hinata and Hanabi had keys to Izayoi's house. Whenever they had free time, they would come over to py. The milk and groceries in the fridge were often bought by Hinata or Hanabi. Even the house cleaning was handled either by Hinata alone or by the three of them working together. Both Izayoi and Hinata had grown accustomed to this way of living.

  After finishing breakfast and washing the dishes, Izayoi and Hinata left the house together, walking towards the Ninja Academy. The combination of the handsome young man and the beautiful young woman attracted numerous gazes along the way.

  Six years had passed. Besides maturing into a handsome young man, Izayoi had also grown to a height of 163 centimeters (about 5 feet 4 inches). While this height might not be remarkable in Kumogakure, poputed rgely by people of different ethnicities, in Konoha, where the average height for their age group was only around 150 centimeters (about 4 feet 11 inches), Izayoi stood out conspicuously in his css and grade.

  Beside him, Hinata did too. Izayoi had long forgotten Hinata's height in the original story, but he was certain that the canon Hinata, both in height and figure, couldn't compare to the present Hinata. Possessing the 'Big Eater' attribute, never cking nutrition since childhood, and maintaining an astonishing level of physical activity, Hinata's height had reached 155 centimeters (about 5 feet 1 inch), making her six or seven centimeters taller than the average girl her age. She was only a few centimeters shy of her height in the Shippuden part of the original story.

  This height also meant that Hinata, who already had a noticeable bust at age twelve in the original story, had experienced significant development. Even wearing her loose white windbreaker couldn't completely conceal her impressive figure. If she were to unzip it, revealing the tight-fitting bck fishnet undershirt beneath, and lean over... the sight would surely be stunning. It was precisely this that had captured Izayoi's attention the second time he looked upon waking. He had sighed inwardly more than once, reflecting on the unique beauty of the 2D world. Only in such a world could a 'top-quality' young girl possess such a figure at this age.

  "Izayoi-kun, Hinata, good morning."

  "Good morning, Minako."

  "Still inseparable, I see. Are you two really not a couple?"

  Today was March 21st. Students from grades one to five had already completed their year-end major exams the day before. The sixth-year students' graduation assessment was scheduled one day ter. Therefore, arriving at the academy, the campus felt much quieter than usual. The only figures seen around were sixth-year students.

  At the entrance gate, quite a few parents were already standing, having uncharacteristically accompanied their children to school today, waiting outside for the results. Six years of effort – whether their child could shed their ordinary life and become a ninja depended on today. Of course, the parents waiting at the gate were all ordinary civilians or civilian-born ninjas. The children from prominent ninja cns had no parents present. For them, today was merely a formality. The ninja headband was already practically theirs. Even if they failed the graduation assessment, possessing their cn's secret techniques allowed them to use privilege to join specific departments and become specialized ninjas.

  On the way to their cssroom, Izayoi and Hinata encountered several cssmates, both boys and girls, who all greeted them warmly. Those who were more familiar even teased them about their retionship. To this, Izayoi simply smiled without saying anything. Hinata lowered her head slightly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

  Though also a prominent figure in school as the Chief Student, Izayoi's popurity, especially with the girls, was far less than Sasuke Uchiha's. The reason, naturally, was Hinata standing beside him. Having been deskmates since the first year, the two were always together. Initially, some girls, unaware of the depth of their retionship, still frequently flocked around Izayoi. But after being repeatedly rejected for invitations and noticing Izayoi's different attitude towards Hinata compared to them, they gradually stopped bothering him.

  Of course, if Hinata had been just an ordinary girl, those girls would surely have felt jealous, perhaps even wanting to bully her. However, Hinata was not only the young dy of a prestigious ninja cn but also consistently ranked among the top three students academically. Her mastery of pressure point strikes had made her a 'Great Demon King' in Taijutsu sparring. Cssmates weren't afraid of simple punches and kicks, but they dreaded having a vital point struck, followed by intense pain or paralysis surging through their bodies. That sensation was far worse than taking a punch. Most students in the css, boys and girls alike, had experienced the taste of her pressure point strikes. Thus, the girls naturally didn't dare to provoke Hinata. Besides, with Sasuke Uchiha also in the css, they had a second option for their affections.

  Gradually, Izayoi's surroundings became much quieter. With Hinata acting as his unintended shield, he no longer needed to think up excuses daily to refuse cssmates' invitations, nor did he occasionally have to spend time entertaining them.

  Arriving in the cssroom, many students were already present. Some were whispering amongst themselves, heads close together, discussing unknown topics. Others sat rigidly in their seats, faces tense, fists clenched tightly, revealing their inner nervousness. Even Naruto Uzumaki, who had just recently caused the entire css to face a pop quiz on the Transformation Technique after his graffiti incident on the Hokage Monument, was sitting quietly today, a rare sight.

  Izayoi and Hinata took their seats and began whispering intimately to each other. Seeing the Chief Student and the second-ranked student whispering together, completely unfazed by the impending graduation assessment, a girl sitting next to Hinata couldn't help but feel envious. Top students really have that confidence, she thought. Unlike her, who had been nervous since yesterday, unable to sleep well the previous night.