Chapter 73: Father-in-Law's Satisfaction
Following the artistic photoshoot incident, Hinata didn't appear before Izayoi for several days.
Normally, this was a very rare occurrence.
Although she had endured a few sessions with the grip strengthener, they were still within Hinata's tolerance, especially with her two layers of protection.
However, being seen completely naked and having those moments captured on film had clearly exceeded Hinata's limits.
The young maiden's immunity levels during those days were likely at zero or even negative.
Until those levels recovered, she probably wouldn't dare to face Izayoi.
As for the limited-edition artistic photos, Izayoi had carefully placed them in a small, locked photo album, stored alongside his camera within a wristband-style sealing scroll, which he carried with him at all times.
"Onii-chan, big sister asked me to tell you that she's going to train with Father in even stronger Gentle Fist secret techniques, so she might not be able to come over this month."
On July 21st, Hanabi arrived at Izayoi's house on a mission.
After relaying Hinata's message, she clung to Izayoi's arm, her voice laced with playful affection. "Onii-chan, Hanabi is on summer vacation now. Since you're not using your main body for training, can you spend some time playing with Hanabi during this period?"
"Of course, what does Hanabi want to play?" Izayoi smiled indulgently, stroking Hanabi's head before gently pinching her cheek.
"Let me think..."
Hanabi tapped her chin, a small frown gradually appearing on her face. "We've explored the central street countless times, and I'm tired of all the food. What fun things are there left to do?"
Watching his little sister-in-law's adorable antics, Izayoi, despite having witnessed them for years, was still charmed. He couldn't help but pick her up and place her on his lap, playfully twirling the braid in her bangs as he chuckled, "Since you're bored with Konoha, how about Onii-chan takes you on a trip?"
"Really?"
Hanabi's beautiful eyes instantly lit up, but then, as if remembering something, she shook her head regretfully. "I can't, Father won't allow me to be away from home for too long. And there's always a guard secretly protecting Hanabi. If I stray too far from the central street on my own, that guard will come out to stop me."
"It's alright, Onii-chan will sneak you out." Izayoi said with a confident smile. "Just tell your sister when you get back, she'll convince your father. Then bring a few changes of clothes, and Onii-chan will secretly take you away."
"Okay, okay... Hanabi will go back and pack right now."
Seeing that Izayoi was willing to involve her sister to share the burden of persuasion, Hanabi immediately clapped her hands in agreement, her eyes sparkling with anticipation and longing.
Clearly, the little sister-in-law also yearned for the world beyond their village.
"Go on, but remember to hide your clothes in a sealing scroll, otherwise you'll get caught before we even leave, and Onii-chan won't be responsible."
"Mmm-hmm... Onii-chan, I'll go back and pack my things right now. Remember to wait for me."
Hanabi nodded repeatedly, then hopped off Izayoi's lap, rushed to the entrance, put on her shoes, slid the door open, and vanished in a Body Flicker Technique, all in one smooth motion.
About fifteen minutes later, Hanabi slid the door open again and stepped back inside.
"Onii-chan, I'm here."
Still wearing the same yellow-brown kimono, her hands empty, Hanabi directly leaped into Izayoi's arms as he stood up, giggling. "Onii-chan, when are we leaving?"
"No rush, let's go buy a few things first."
Izayoi glanced at the clock on the wall, which read 11:35 AM.
Then, he took Hanabi's small hand and headed towards the entrance.
Stepping out of his house with Hanabi, Izayoi went straight to a familiar shop.
"Oh... young man, you're here to buy film again! Young people are so energetic, they can take pictures all day and not feel tired."
"Uncle, I just want to record the growth of myself and the people around me before I become an adult, so I can look back at these photos and reminisce about our youth."
"You're right. It's a pity that when I was young, I wasn't as precocious as you, nor did I have the talent to become a ninja. Now I've forgotten what I looked like as a child."
"Then, Uncle, can you give me a discount? I want to buy twenty rolls this time."
"No problem, I'll give you an 80% discount."
"Thanks."
After chatting with the shop owner for a few minutes, Izayoi left with Hanabi, then went to buy some of Hanabi's favorite bananas, mochi balls, and milk, storing everything in a sealing scroll.
Checking the time on his pocket watch, Izayoi smiled at Hanabi. "Is there anything else you want to buy? If not, we'll set off."
"Eh! Don't we need to get village exit permits?" Hanabi tilted her head in confusion.
"No need, and Onii-chan isn't a Chunin squad leader yet, so I can't get an exit permit anyway."
Hearing this, Hanabi's expression turned worried. "Then if we leave like this, won't Onii-chan be punished by the village afterwards?"
"As long as we're not discovered, it'll be fine." Izayoi pulled Hanabi into a small alleyway, bending down with a smile. "Hop on, Onii-chan will take you out."
"Mmm-hmm..."
Hanabi immediately climbed onto Izayoi's back, wrapping her arms around his neck, her smile radiant. "Onii-chan, we can go now!"
Izayoi stood up, and then his figure flickered, disappearing into the alleyway.
The moment he vanished, a figure appeared out of thin air in the alley – a Byakugan user wearing a green flak jacket.
"Byakugan – Open!"
Hanabi's guard made a hand seal, veins bulging at his temples, then his face registered surprise. "Such speed!"
With that, the guard vanished in a Body Flicker Technique.
But soon, he stopped in a forest, his face already covered in cold sweat.
Not from exhaustion, but from shock.
Because within the extended range of his Byakugan, the figures of Izayoi and the young Lady Hanabi had completely disappeared.
And if he wasn't mistaken, their disappearance point was no longer within the borders of Konoha.
If they had only shaken him off and taken the young Lady Hanabi into the wilderness, it wouldn't have been a big deal.
But taking the young Lady Hanabi out of Konoha was beyond his level of authority to handle.
Thus, the guard immediately returned to the Hyuga clan compound to report to Hiashi Hyuga.
"I understand, you may leave," Hiashi Hyuga said, his expression unchanged, showing no signs of alarm.
"Yes, sir."
The guard respectfully nodded and vanished in a blur.
Only after the guard had left did a faint smile appear on Hiashi Hyuga's stern face as he murmured, "That little brat is getting bolder and bolder. If anyone comes knocking, I certainly won't cover for you."
However, half an hour passed, and no one from Konoha came to inform the clan head that his second daughter had been spirited away.
Clearly, Izayoi and Hanabi's departure had gone unnoticed by the sensory division.
This meant that Izayoi either knew the rotation schedule of the sensory team or possessed the ability to bypass the village's barrier.
Either way, it was a remarkable feat.
From Hiashi Hyuga's expression, it was also evident that he was very satisfied with Izayoi, not even showing the slightest hint of blame for the young man taking his second daughter out of Konoha without so much as a word.
If Izayoi had done this before the Chunin Exams, Hiashi Hyuga would have undoubtedly been furious.
But now, Izayoi's performance in the central tower was no longer a secret within the Jonin circles.
Having mastered five nature transformations shortly after becoming a Genin, and even developing his own seal-less ninjutsu similar to the Rasengan, surpassing even what the Fourth Hokage could achieve by turning this seal-less ninjutsu into an S-rank ultimate technique – a Storm Release ultimate technique formed by the fusion of two nature transformations.
Sealed ultimate techniques and seal-less ultimate techniques, offensive ultimate techniques and support ultimate techniques, were different categories.
Similarly, single-target ultimate techniques and multi-target ultimate techniques were also distinct.
Izayoi's Storm Release ultimate technique was not only a seal-less technique but also possessed an astonishing attack range.
Especially since Hiashi Hyuga also knew that Izayoi's chakra reserves were equally impressive, allowing him to unleash such an ultimate technique multiple times.
Such power already posed a threat to even the Kage.
Looking across the ninja world, it was a power at the ace combatant level.
With Izayoi's protection, Hanabi was even safer than she would be by his side.
And the talent and strength Izayoi had displayed had proven his worth, giving Hiashi Hyuga greater hope that neither of his daughters would be branded with the Caged Bird Seal.
He naturally wouldn't object to his future son-in-law building a good relationship with his younger daughter.
Izayoi was unaware of his future father-in-law's thoughts.
His reason for taking Hanabi away from Konoha was simply that he felt unconstrained and no longer needed to keep a low profile.
These were special times. The village's focus was on Orochimaru, and with Danzo Shimura's connections to Orochimaru, even if he had his eyes on Izayoi, he wouldn't make a move just yet.
With Izayoi's talent and strength, even if the village found out about his departure, he wouldn't face any punishment.
A ninja who had mastered an S-rank ultimate technique was a village's ace combatant; a defector with such power would be an S-rank missing-nin.
For Konoha, currently at its weakest point, such a commoner genius was a treasure to be cherished.
Moreover...
As long as Izayoi's plan went smoothly, after the Chunin Exams, Konoha would pose no further obstacles to him.
...
Leaving Konoha, Izayoi and Hanabi began to explore various scenic spots, taking photos and heading towards populated areas.
At first, Hanabi, just like Hinata and Shino Aburame on their first trip outside Konoha, was filled with curiosity about the outside world. Whenever she saw something or a scenic spot that Konoha didn't have, she would pull Izayoi over to take pictures and explore.
It wasn't until she was tired of playing and exhausted that she activated her Byakugan to search for a city.
But when she arrived at the closest town to Konoha, she was greatly disappointed.
"Onii-chan, it feels like the outside world isn't as fun as Konoha," Hanabi couldn't help but complain. "This place is so backward, and it's really dirty."
"That's normal. After all, Konoha is the Fire Country's military base. The daimyo allocates a large sum of money every year as military expenditure, and there are also commission deductions from various missions. Naturally, its development is better than other places." Izayoi patted Hanabi's head and smiled. "If Hanabi wants to find fun places, Onii-chan happens to know a few bustling cities. Do you want me to take you there now?"
Hanabi was somewhat tempted, but she shook her head. "No, this first trip can be like this. Right now, Onii-chan's matters are more important."
Hearing this, Izayoi was slightly surprised. "Hanabi, how did you know?"
"Hehe, I know now." Hanabi first stuck her tongue out at Izayoi, then pretended to be sad, lowering her head and wiping the corner of her eye, her voice choked with mock sobs. "As expected, Onii-chan didn't bring Hanabi out here specifically for a trip. You've really hurt my young heart. It'll take at least ten, no... a hundred conditions to make me feel better!"
With a sharp thwack, Hanabi immediately clutched her head with both hands, crouching down and crying out in mock pain, "It hurts, it hurts..."
"Come on, I didn't even use any force."
Izayoi lightly flicked Hanabi's forehead, rolling his eyes in a rare display of exasperation. "Hanabi, with acting skills like that, you really shouldn't be a ninja in the future. Change careers and become an actress! Start as a child star, and maybe you can even compete with Yukie Fujikaze for roles when you grow up!"
"Onii-chan, you're bullying me! Hanabi's going to bite you to death!" Hanabi pounced on Izayoi, wrapping around his back like a snake, then opened her mouth and gently bit his shoulder meat.
Her actions were filled with mock anger, but she didn't exert any force, just lightly biting down and absorbing his chakra.
Seeing that it was still early, Izayoi, carrying the 'little vampire' Hanabi on his back, left the small town and headed towards the city where Karin was located.
The city was called Sakura Street, one of the bustling cities in the Land of Fire, but not the commercial hub of Tanzaku Street; rather, it was a tourist city.
Just like its name, Sakura Street was planted with a large number of cherry blossom trees, and several cherry blossom festivals were held every year, attracting a large number of tourists.
Its location was neither too close nor too far from Konoha; with full-speed Body Flicker, it would take about half a day to reach.
However, with plenty of time to spare, Izayoi wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he used his Tenseigan along the way to find any interesting places or beautiful scenic spots, taking Hanabi to visit and take pictures.
They went outdoor camping, forest hunting, and captured the scenes of their harvest.
Or they stayed overnight in several small towns, strolled through the local night markets, and tasted the local delicacies.
When there were crowds, Hanabi would even ask Izayoi to give her a piggyback ride, showing off to other children riding on their parents' shoulders with a proud expression, as if saying, "I have one too!"
If Hiashi Hyuga were to see such a scene, his heart would surely be greatly affected.
Despite being a doting father, both of his daughters were unable to relax in his presence, forced into premature maturity.
Only by Izayoi's side did they truly release their childlike nature.
The clean-loving Hanabi made Izayoi wash and braid her hair every day.
As a reward, the little sister-in-law would also scrub Izayoi's back and wash his hair.
After bathing, Izayoi also liked to lie on the bed and have Hanabi use her Gentle Fist pressure points to give him a massage.
This was something Izayoi and Hinata had accidentally discovered one day last year after training.
The Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist pressure point techniques were perfectly suited for massage.
From then on, Izayoi and the Hyuga sisters had developed a tacit understanding.
Every time they finished training, Izayoi would let them bite him to absorb his chakra.
And in return, they would use their Gentle Fist techniques to massage Izayoi.
For this reason, Hinata and Hanabi spent a long time poring over charts of human acupoints, studying points that the Gentle Fist rarely attacked, while also using Izayoi to practice their power control.
From their initial clumsiness to their current proficiency.
Whether it was Hinata or Hanabi, their massage skills had already surpassed all the technicians Izayoi had encountered in his previous life.
When it was time to sleep, Izayoi and Hanabi naturally shared a room, a bed, and the same blanket.
Just as Hinata could naturally take naps with Izayoi, Hanabi, when tired or sleepy after training at Izayoi's house, would often nap with him as well.
Even scenes of the three of them sharing a bed were not uncommon.
Izayoi greatly enjoyed both his large and small hugging pillows.
The Hyuga sisters felt the same way.
With Hinata not around, Hanabi took over the task of waking Izayoi.
But unlike Hinata's gentleness and soft nudges, the mischievous Hanabi would either straddle Izayoi's stomach, using her bangs to tickle his nose and face until he woke up, or grab Izayoi's arm and give him a good morning or good afternoon bite, using her chakra absorption to rouse him.
And before waking him up, Hanabi would also use her camera to take 'ugly photos' of Izayoi, hiding the film to develop and collect later.
And so, after spending over a week playing along the way, Izayoi and Hanabi, their relationship growing even closer, finally arrived at Sakura Street.
(End of this chapter)