Steady Izayoi-kun Finally Matched with the Child of Destiny

As March arrived, the third semester also drew to a close.

Starting this month, Izayoi's Main Body began attending classes more and more often.

Not just in the afternoons—even the morning academic classes were attended by his Main Body.

For one thing, March was not only the graduation month for sixth-years, but also the major exam month for the other grades.

Before the end of this semester, there would be an important annual exam.

The annual exam results, along with the various quizzes and spot tests from the past three semesters, would all be included in the overall grades.

The school would then select the top student of the entire grade based on those overall grades—the so-called Top Student.

Standing out among several classes, dozens or even hundreds of students, including many children from Ninja Clans, to become first in an entire grade undoubtedly marked one as the most dazzling genius.

If they came from a Ninja Clan, they would be the most outstanding member of the family's new generation.

If they came from an ordinary family, they would be a civilian genius who had surpassed the children of Ninja Clans.

These Top Students were all prominent figures at the Ninja Academy.

Naturally, Izayoi had no intention of yielding the title of Top Student to anyone else.

Their class was the most unusual generation of newcomers.

The children of the major Ninja Clans were all their clan heads' heirs.

Defeating them to become the Top Student carried far more weight than it did in other grades.

Once he claimed the title of Top Student and proved his talent, Izayoi would face even less resistance when approaching Hinata.

With Izayoi's current strength, claiming the title of Top Student posed no difficulty at all.

Even if his Main Body did not come, a Shadow Clone could easily defeat everyone else.

Still, Izayoi came in person.

Because he knew that undercurrents had already begun stirring in Konoha.

In Konoha Year 55, the Konoha 11 were seven years old.

At the same time, a major event that shocked the entire Ninja World would occur that year.

After the fall of the Senju, the Uchiha Clan had become Konoha's foremost great clan, even the number one Ninja Clan in the Ninja World—yet it would be wiped out by a thirteen-year-old boy.

That boy was the son of the current clan head, Sasuke Uchiha's older brother—Itachi Uchiha.

With this astonishing Combat Record, Itachi Uchiha also became the youngest S-Rank Missing-nin in the Ninja World.

However, only a few people knew that Itachi Uchiha had not wiped out the Uchiha Clan alone. Konoha's higher-ups had a hand in it, and so had outside assistance.

Izayoi was one of the few who knew this secret.

During this period, the Ninja World's biggest simp could use Kamui to enter Konoha for a stroll at any time.

To avoid being discovered by that simp or drawing his attention, Izayoi planned to slow down his training and stop taking Hinata to the abandoned Training Grounds until after the Uchiha Clan was destroyed.

Better safe than sorry.

Hinata was the Young Lady of the main family. Her Byakugan, free of the Caged Bird Seal, was something money could not buy on the Black Market.

After all, Ao had become an Elite Jonin of the Hidden Mist Village and even made it onto Konoha's highest-tier bounty list with just one Byakugan.

Who knew whether Obito Uchiha, or Black and White Zetsu lurking in the shadows, might suddenly set their sights on Hinata's Byakugan?

Having already triggered a butterfly effect, Izayoi would not gamble on the villains' goodwill.

March 20th.

Students from first through fifth year welcomed their annual exams before the sixth-years' Graduation Exam.

That day, Izayoi arrived at the Ninja Academy early.

But Hinata had arrived in the classroom even earlier than him.

After exchanging their code words and confirming that Izayoi was the Main Body, Hinata immediately smiled softly and said gently, "Good luck, Izayoi-kun."

"Yeah, let's do our best together."

Izayoi grinned and quietly encouraged her, "Let's aim for first and second place."

"Mm!"

Imagining Izayoi and herself ranked first and second on the grade announcement board, Hinata nodded with eyes full of anticipation.

In the past, Hinata had never cared about rankings.

But now, Hinata did not want to lose to anyone other than Izayoi.

She had the strength to compete for second place too!

Before long, it was time for the exam.

The morning assessment was on academic subjects.

Although the Three Body Technique had already been taught this semester, the school did not test the Three Body Technique.

After all, not even every sixth-year student could use the Three Body Technique.

Some Graduation Exams even tested only one of the Three Body Techniques at random.

For a newly graduated Genin to use a C-rank Five Elements Release, their Chakra alone would be enough to amaze a Guidance Jonin.

This showed that over ninety percent of first-year students did not have enough Chakra to use the Three Body Technique.

That was why, although Itachi Uchiha's academic knowledge was only at a first-year level, simply using Shadow Clones to attend class had made his teacher feel there was nothing left to teach him. The teacher had specially requested that the Third Hokage allow him to graduate early.

In this world, academics were secondary; strength was what truly mattered.

Naruto Uzumaki was the best example.

The morning exams posed no difficulty for Izayoi or Hinata.

The afternoon exams consisted of shuriken throwing, taijutsu sparring, and the newly added survival exercise.

The first two were equally easy. As long as she was not matched against Izayoi in taijutsu sparring, Hinata would earn full marks even if she faced Sasuke Uchiha.

In taijutsu, Hinata was already unbeatable among the first-years.

With how decisively she struck, her Pressure Point Strike was every child's nightmare.

But if she was matched against Izayoi, then Hinata would have no hope of taking second place.

As for why she had no hope of becoming the Top Student?

It was simple. Over the past three semesters, Hinata had also been matched against Izayoi, and the result had naturally been defeat.

Her overall score had already fallen behind Izayoi's.

Even if she got lucky and earned full marks in every subject on the year-end exam, she still would not receive the title of Top Student.

Likewise, even if Izayoi was careless during the academic exam, got a question wrong, and accidentally lost to Sakura Haruno, she still could not become the Top Student because her overall score was not good enough.

At present, the only first-year students who had never lost in actual combat were Izayoi, Sasuke Uchiha, and Shino Aburame.

Among them, Sasuke Uchiha and Shino Aburame both had lower academic and overall scores than Izayoi, and they also ranked below Hinata.

Even if they earned full marks in the year-end exam, they still would not become the Top Student.

As long as Hinata earned full marks in actual combat, second place would be hers for sure.

Unless someone from another class had a better overall score than Hinata.

But clearly, that was impossible.

Izayoi easily earned full marks in shuriken throwing.

When it came time for taijutsu sparring, Izayoi was matched against an unexpected opponent.

"Next match: Izayoi versus Naruto Uzumaki."

The students of First-Year Class One formed a circle in the open field.

Iruka Umino stood in the middle of the circle, holding a clipboard as he loudly announced the match.

"Eh..."

Upon hearing his opponent's name, Naruto Uzumaki immediately clutched his head in both hands and said with a despairing expression, "Why does my opponent have to be Izayoi? I'm done for!"

Academic classes and shuriken throwing were both nightmares for Naruto Uzumaki.

Only in taijutsu sparring did he still have a slight chance of winning.

But now, even that tiny chance was gone.

After all, Izayoi was someone even a taijutsu demon like Hinata could not defeat.

Unlike the despairing Naruto Uzumaki, Izayoi's eyes lit up.

He had finally been matched against this Child of Destiny!