Class Assignment, Future Father-in-Law in Action

Naruto Uzumaki sat on a swing, his lonely figure looking utterly pitiful.

But Izayoi did not pity him in the slightest.

Because only Izayoi knew that this guy was about to receive his cheat.

The fates of Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, this pair of destined rivals, were as opposite as the reincarnated Chakra within them, which represented ultimate Yin and Yang.

During the six years at the Ninja Academy, Sasuke Uchiha had been one of its most prominent figures.

If Izayoi had not existed, he would have been the Top Student.

In the original story, these years had also been Sasuke Uchiha's most glorious period.

But after graduation, he began suffering setback after setback.

Naruto Uzumaki, who had always been the dead last, on the other hand, began his cheat-fueled journey of rising to prominence.

In just a few months, he went from dead last to surpassing the Top Student.

Naruto Uzumaki looked pitiful now, but once night fell, he would officially receive his cheat and obtain one of the divine techniques most suited to a Sage Body and a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique was a Forbidden Technique that even Izayoi greatly coveted—the more Chakra he possessed, the more he wanted it.

During the Fourth Ninja World War in the original story, Naruto Uzumaki's shadow clones used the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, each holding a Rasengan, to hold back Madara Uchiha's Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees.

Even the lowest-level Five Elements Release, when cast by hundreds or thousands of shadow clones, could produce effects like a natural disaster.

If Naruto Uzumaki had mastered Wind Release: Great Breakthrough during the Chunin Exams, he would not have needed to fart to defeat Kiba Inuzuka.

A combination of Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and Wind Release: Great Breakthrough could instantly kill most of the examinees.

Naruto Uzumaki would be weakened and suppressed, but Izayoi would not.

If he obtained the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, his strength would undoubtedly undergo a qualitative transformation.

At that thought, Izayoi's two fingers, which had been twirling Hanabi's hair, paused slightly.

A bold idea arose in his mind.

Perhaps he could obtain this Forbidden Technique tonight!

If his Byakugan had not advanced to Gold Level, Izayoi would never have dared entertain such a thought.

After all, only he knew that the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique had actually been specially prepared by Hiruzen Sarutobi for Naruto Uzumaki.

When the Sealing Scroll was opened, the first Forbidden Technique was the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Even the Sealing Scroll itself, deliberately placed in the most conspicuous spot to ensure Naruto Uzumaki would find it, was highly suspicious.

If Izayoi dared set his sights on the Sealing Scroll, or even appeared in that forest at night, Hiruzen Sarutobi would notice him.

Then what awaited him would be the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Reading Technique.

However, Izayoi did not need to approach Naruto Uzumaki, nor did he need to appear in that forest, to obtain the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

The farsight of his Byakugan had reached a range of eighty kilometers.

The entirety of Hidden Leaf Village lay within his coverage.

As long as he prepared in advance, he could copy down the training method for the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique the moment Naruto Uzumaki opened the Sealing Scroll.

At that thought, Izayoi immediately made his decision.

"...Izayoi-kun, do you think we'll be assigned to the same team the day after tomorrow?"

More than half an hour passed.

Hanabi fell asleep in Izayoi's arms.

After carrying Hanabi to the bed in her room, Izayoi returned to the sofa.

He then wrapped an arm around Hinata's fragrant shoulders.

Leaning against Izayoi's chest, Hinata asked expectantly.

"The odds are low, but not nonexistent."

Izayoi played with Hinata's beautiful hair between two fingers and said slowly, "The class assignments will definitely be based on balancing strength. You and I have both consistently ranked among the top three in our grade, so the chances of us being assigned together are very low."

"But we've been inseparable these past few years. Not only have our classmates noticed, the teachers surely have as well."

"If the teachers have the final say over the assignments, they might take our coordination into account and put us on the same team."

Hinata pressed her hands together in prayer and wished, "I hope Izayoi-kun and I get assigned to the same team."

Izayoi could not help but smile. The fingers twirling her hair pinched Hinata's chin, then pinched her little cheek as well.

He did not discourage Hinata. In truth, the odds of the two being assigned together were practically zero.

Hiruzen Sarutobi would be handling the assignments, and in the original story, only Sakura Haruno, the lucky girl Naruto Uzumaki liked, had managed to enter the circle of Ninja Clan children.

Among the remaining Eight Rookie Genin, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha were on one team, the new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho was on another, while the Inuzuka Clan, Hyuga Clan, and Aburame Clan formed a third team.

In this class, there were no teams made up of both Ninja Clan children and civilians.

Likewise, the teams formed by those Ninja Clan children would definitely earn the approval of their Guidance Jonin.

The teams formed by the remaining civilian ninja, on the other hand, had an extremely high elimination rate.

If they did not follow the traditional squad assignments, Izayoi, the Top Student, could conveniently squeeze Sakura Haruno out.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly could not break tradition. Besides, Izayoi and Sasuke Uchiha were friends—what if the two of them isolated Naruto Uzumaki?

With two boys and one girl together, if the two boys had a conflict, there would still be a girl nearby to mediate or take sides.

But if three boys got into a conflict, they would become a powder keg.

Considering the new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho, they could not possibly be split apart.

Because of its special circumstances, Seventh Squad was also bound to remain the same as in the original story.

The only squad Izayoi could possibly squeeze into was Eighth Squad.

If Izayoi really did squeeze in, Hiruzen Sarutobi would effectively offend either the Aburame Clan or the Inuzuka Clan.

If Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame had merely been ordinary clan members, it would not have mattered.

After all, Izayoi was the Top Student and had proven his worth.

But unfortunately, they were both sons of clan heads and heirs to ninja clans.

If the heirs of ninja clans were assigned to ordinary squads and taught by ordinary Guidance Jonin, what if they encountered danger during a mission?

The Inuzuka Clan was not only a clan skilled in sensory abilities and combat, but also supplied large numbers of ninjas with Ninja Dogs as Summoning Beasts. The Aburame Clan, meanwhile, was one of the Ninja World's most renowned Bug User clans; their various insects were enough to make people tremble at the mere mention of them.

Izayoi was not sure whether Hiruzen Sarutobi had that kind of resolve.

So the odds were extremely low.

However, Izayoi did not know that Hinata was not the only one hoping to be assigned to the same squad as him. Even Hyuga Hiashi hoped that Hinata would be placed in the same squad as him.

His future father-in-law had already begun making quiet moves.

At dusk, Hiruzen Sarutobi placed a specially made Sealing Scroll on the desk in the Hokage Office, then got off work and went home.

Not long after he returned home, a middle-aged man in white robes, with long hair and a pair of Byakugan, came to visit in person.

At the same time, Mizuki sought out Naruto Uzumaki.

Just after night fell, a blond boy dressed in an orange jacket and pants, wearing dark green Goggles, openly snuck into the Hokage Office and stole the Sealing Scroll from the desk.

Before long, numerous figures in Green Vests darted across the rooftops of Central Street.