Izayoi and Future Father-in-Law's Tacit Understanding

Just as Izayoi had told Hinata.

The Graduation Exam did not take very long.

After chatting for a while, the other students who had passed the Graduation Exam gradually arrived at the training ground.

Before long, Iruka Umino arrived as well.

That meant all the familiar faces absent from here had failed the Graduation Exam and been eliminated.

Looking closely, the only familiar face missing was Naruto Uzumaki.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone."

Holding a clipboard, Iruka Umino smiled. "Put on your forehead protectors, everyone. I'm taking you to have your ID photos taken."

"Iruka Sensei, where are we supposed to wear the forehead protectors?"

One student raised his hand and asked.

"Anywhere on your upper body is fine," Iruka Umino said.

So the students wore their forehead protectors on their foreheads, tied them around their arms, hung them around their necks, or used them as headbands...

Hinata was among those who wore hers around her neck.

Izayoi tied his around his left arm.

Once everyone had put theirs on, Iruka Umino led them to the Rooftop of the Comprehensive Building.

The photographer had already been waiting there for quite some time with a large standing camera.

After lining up to take their ID photos, the students could not wait to leave the Comprehensive Building. Some strolled leisurely, while others rushed toward the school gate.

The entrance was already packed with parents.

Some parents were comforting children who had been eliminated, while others watched the school expectantly.

They all knew that those who had yet to come out were Genin who had passed the Graduation Exam.

As the students appeared, the school gate immediately became lively.

But that bustling scene hurt some of the orphans without parents.

Some looked on enviously, while others ran out of the school without even daring to look.

Sasuke Uchiha was both the former and the latter.

After giving it a single envious glance, he vanished like an afterimage.

Izayoi belonged to neither group.

Because...

"Nii-chan, Sis, over here, over here..."

A girl's voice rang out especially loudly at the school gate.

Hanabi, dressed in a yellow-brown kimono with flame patterns along the hem, was waving her little hand at Izayoi and Hinata.

Seeing this, Izayoi's lips curled up slightly, while Hinata smiled softly as well.

Before even reaching the school gate, Izayoi bent his knees into a half-crouch and caught Hanabi as she pounced on him.

"Nii-chan, Sis, I came to pick you up."

With both arms around Izayoi's neck, Hanabi immediately noticed the forehead protector on his arm and asked curiously, "Nii-chan, is that a Genin forehead protector?"

"Yeah, here, play with it."

Izayoi nodded, removed the forehead protector, and handed it to Hanabi. Then he picked her up and exchanged a smile with Hinata.

Then the three of them left the school together.

Several years had passed, and seven-year-old Hanabi had changed quite a bit as well.

At this age in the original story, Hanabi still had shoulder-length short hair.

But after seeing her sister grow out her hair, she had deliberately grown hers long too.

Now, her hair reached her waist just like it did in the movie, with the two sections of her bangs braided.

When fighting or training, she either wore it long and straight or tied it into a single ponytail. Together with her resolute gaze and serious expression, she already possessed some of the heroic bearing she would have in Boruto.

Perhaps because she matured early, Hanabi developed much faster than Hinata. Though she would grow to be 1.7 meters tall in the future, she was already 1.32 meters tall now, only a little over a head shorter than Izayoi.

And at this age, Hinata's face was still full of baby fat.

But much of the baby fat had already faded from Hanabi's little face, which had taken on the shape of an oval face.

Imitating Hinata, Hanabi hung the Genin forehead protector around her neck and grinned at Izayoi. "Nii-chan, to celebrate you and Sis becoming Genin, let's have hot pot today."

"Obviously, you're the one who wants to eat it."

Hinata extended a slender, jade-like finger and gently tapped Hanabi on the forehead.

"Hehe..."

Hanabi stuck out her tongue sheepishly and said, "It's because Father never lets us eat this kind of food, but Hanabi really wants hot pot today."

Izayoi-kun was instantly charmed by Hanabi's adorable look and said, "Alright, then we'll have Hot Pot today."

"Yay!"

Hanabi immediately cheered, then pushed her luck. "Nii-chan, I want a Shoulder Ride too."

"No."

Hinata immediately puffed out her cheeks and scolded her, "Hanabi, you're already so tall. You can't do things like that anymore."

"I'm only seven this year. What's the problem?"

Hanabi made a face at Hinata, then coquettishly pleaded with Izayoi-kun, "Nii-chan, please?"

"No problem."

Izayoi-kun immediately freed one hand and struck a strongman pose. "Forget seven years old—even if Hanabi grows as tall as Nii-chan, she can still have a Shoulder Ride."

"As expected of Nii-chan."

Hanabi immediately put on an admiring expression, then climbed out of Izayoi-kun's arms and straddled his shoulders from behind.

"Honestly..."

Watching Izayoi-kun walk ahead, directed by Hanabi toward the market, Hinata first sighed helplessly before following with an indulgent smile.

Whoosh—

Not long after the three of them left, a figure suddenly appeared out of thin air where they had been standing.

A closer look revealed a Hyuga clansman wearing a Green Vest, with the same eyes as Hinata and Hanabi.

He was Hanabi's Guardian.

Hinata always had a Guardian when she went out, so how could Hanabi not have one?

For some reason, however, he did not stay by Hanabi's side, instead silently protecting her from the shadows.

Aside from Hanabi, both Izayoi-kun and Hinata knew of the Guardian's existence.

Over the past six years, Izayoi-kun had yet to meet Hyuga Hiashi, but he and this Future Father-in-Law had developed an unspoken understanding.

The former was responsible for gently nurturing Hinata and Hanabi, allowing the motherless sisters to grow up surrounded by his care and affection; the latter treated them sternly, making them bear the glory of their prestigious clan.

Living under intense pressure at home, Hinata and Hanabi naturally depended greatly on Izayoi-kun.

Only in front of Izayoi-kun did Hanabi display the liveliness of a girl her age, full of playfulness and mischief.

Before Hyuga Hiashi, she was just like in the original story—a very mature little adult.

Hinata was the same.

After going to the market to buy ingredients for Hot Pot, as well as Hanabi's favorite Glutinous Rice Balls, bananas, and milk, along with Hinata's favorite Cinnamon Rolls, Izayoi-kun brought the two girls home for Hot Pot.

After eating and drinking their fill, the three sat together on a long sofa, chatting as they digested their meal.

Sitting beside Izayoi-kun, Hinata had finally stopped holding herself back and rested her head on his shoulder. She suddenly said, "Izayoi-kun, it seems Naruto-kun is the only one in our class who hasn't graduated."

"Mm."

Izayoi-kun nodded as he played with Hanabi's braided bangs.

When the two had arrived at the school gates, the first person they noticed was Naruto Uzumaki sitting on the swing.

"Naruto-kun's chakra is so powerful. Why can't he even use the Clone Technique?" Hinata asked in confusion.

"Maybe his Chakra Control is just very poor."

Izayoi-kun casually brushed it off. "His academic grades are terrible, his Shuriken throwing hasn't improved much, and he gets eliminated first in every Survival Exercise. The only thing he excels at is Taijutsu Sparring. Maybe failing isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"Mm."

Recalling Naruto Uzumaki's performance over the past six years, Hinata nodded in agreement.

But neither she nor Hanabi, who was leaning against Izayoi-kun's chest with her eyes half-closed as though she were about to fall asleep, noticed the faint curve that rose at the corner of Izayoi-kun's lips as he gave that perfunctory answer.