"Naruto Talent Entry: Awakened Legacy – Born of the Ōtsutsuki Bloodlin

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"...Alright, that's our strategy."

Half an hour later, Izanami looked at Hinata and Shino Aburame standing before him and smiled.

"I'm counting on you tomorrow, Hinata, Shino."

"Yes, I will do my best," Hinata responded with a determined nod.

"Don't worry," Shino added calmly, giving a slight nod.

However, despite his composed expression, a wave of unease stirred within him. Deep in his body—transformed into an insect nest—some of his insects were feeding him unusual feedback:

Izanami's chakra is incredible.

Among his peers, only Uzumaki Naruto could rival it.

No wonder Izanami knew so many types of ninjutsu and had even developed powerful techniques of his own.

This guy, who lacked a known family name, might not be from a common civilian background after all.

Maybe, in some distant era, his ancestors were extraordinary individuals.

Otherwise, how could he possess such an immense amount of chakra?

"In that case, let's head back."

Seeing that both Hinata and Shino had accepted his plan, Izanami nodded in satisfaction and began to wrap up the meeting.

"Izanami, aren't we going to set up traps?" Shino asked after a moment of thought.

"There's no need."

Izanami shook his head.

"Ordinary traps are useless against a Jonin. Stronger traps require expensive tools and chakra usage. Even then, they might not work and could even harm our own team."

"If my analysis is correct, then this tactic alone is enough for us to pass."

Hinata and Shino paused, but after considering it, they agreed with Izanami's logic.

"In that case, I'll head back first," Shino said. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned to leave.

Kurenai Yuhi had only recently become aware of Izanami and Hinata's close relationship—likely from their self-introductions.

But Shino and the other classmates had known for years.

Because of this, Shino deliberately gave them space and didn't stick around.

Despite being a secret gossip lover and closet pervert, Shino was committed to maintaining the Aburame clan's cool and distant image.

So, he kept his curiosity to himself and walked away.

Watching Shino's silhouette disappear, Izanami gently took Hinata's small hand and smiled.

"Hinata, it feels like we haven't had a picnic in a long time. How about grilled fish for lunch?"

"Yes!" Hinata's eyes lit up as she recalled their childhood training picnics, and she nodded excitedly.

Since her father had quietly approved of their relationship—and with Hanabi's involvement—she and Izanami hadn't visited the old abandoned training ground in years.

These days, their training happened either in Izanami's yard or the dojo on the first floor. Meals were either delivered from the Hyuga household or cooked right in Izanami's home.

Those early memories of hunting and grilled fish had become treasured pieces of Hinata's past.

Now that Izanami had brought it up again, she truly longed to relive it.

So, hand in hand, the two of them made their way to the familiar river.

Izanami left the task of catching fish to his shadow clone, Izayoi.

Meanwhile, the real Izanami and Hinata stepped onto the river's surface and began a Taijutsu sparring match.

Their chakra clashed against the water, sending out shockwaves that rippled across the surface and echoed through the forest.

The sudden outbursts startled nearby birds and beasts, sending them fleeing in panic.

When the commotion finally settled, white smoke began to drift upward—and the air filled with the aroma of grilled fish.

Izanami and Hinata spent the entire afternoon outside, reliving the warmth and freedom of their childhood.

The next day, 8:30 a.m.

Izanami and Hinata arrived at the training ground.

Near a large tree stump, Shino Aburame was already standing silently, seemingly waiting for quite some time.

"Good morning, Shino," Izanami greeted with a raised hand.

"Morning," Shino replied with a short nod.

An awkward silence followed.

Though Izanami had read the original Naruto series and knew Shino's true personality—reserved on the outside, slightly twisted on the inside—he still didn't know how to start a conversation with him.

Shino had always kept to himself in class and had little in common with others. His obsession with insects didn't help.

And with the possibility of his insects secretly eavesdropping, Izanami didn't dare whisper anything to Hinata either.

So, he simply leaned against the tree stump, closed his eyes, and rested.

Hinata, meanwhile, stood beside him, hands in her pockets, waiting in silence.

Time passed quietly.

Then a soft whoosh broke the silence.

Izanami opened his eyes to see Kurenai Yuhi standing before them.

"Red Sensei."

The three immediately greeted her respectfully.

"Good morning. Sorry to keep you waiting," Kurenai replied with a warm smile.

She then took out three small bells and held them up.

"Your next mission is simple. Within one hour, do whatever it takes to get these three bells from me—even if it means 'killing' me."

Tying the bells around her waist, Kurenai pulled out a small alarm clock and set it to ring in one hour.

She placed it on the tree stump and faced the trio.

"Now… the test begins."

The moment she finished speaking, all three Genin vanished from sight.

Only the rustling of leaves and the soft wind remained.

Kurenai scanned the forest calmly, a confident smile on her lips.

She didn't plan to use the Body Flicker Technique to engage them one-on-one.

Instead, she walked into a nearby clearing and waited for them to come to her.

This wasn't arrogance—it was logic.

As a former academy student herself, she knew what Genin were typically taught.

Even if Izanami's team was exceptional, they likely only had a strong foundation and some low-level elemental or clan techniques.

The Hyuga and Aburame clans were famous throughout the ninja world. Their abilities and tactics were no secret.

And while she specialized in Genjutsu, Kurenai was still a fully capable Jonin. She had mastered at least two chakra nature transformations.

Even if several Genin teams teamed up, they still wouldn't pose much threat to her.

At least, that's what Kurenai thought—until the next moment sent a chill down her spine.

"Byakugan — Air Palm!"

A delicate voice rang out from the distance, echoing through the trees.

Then, a tremendous shockwave—like an invisible wall—hurtled toward her at breakneck speed.

As it tore through the forest, dust exploded into the air.

Kurenai's pupils shrank.

She didn't have time to focus chakra into her feet for a Body Flicker escape.

Instinctively, she leapt backward.

The shockwave missed her body but slammed into the ground behind, sending up a cloud of debris and dirt.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The sheer force of the Air Palm snapped several thick trees like twigs, showcasing its devastating power.

Back at the origin point of the attack, beneath a large tree, two identical figures stood confidently back-to-back, their Byakugan activated.

It was Hinata—and a shadow clone of Izayoi.

To be continued…

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