After the art photo incident, Hinata didn't appear in front of Izayoi for several days.
Under normal circumstances, this would be a very rare occurrence.
Although she had been used as a grip strength tester a few times, it was still within Hinata's tolerance range, especially since she had double protection.
However, being seen naked and having photos taken clearly exceeded Hinata's limits.
The girl's immunity levels these days were probably zero or even negative.
Until those levels recovered, she likely wouldn't dare to show herself in front of Izayoi.
As for the limited edition art photos, Izayoi had stored them in a small password-protected photo album, which he kept along with the camera in a wristband-style Sealing Scroll, carrying it with him at all times.
"Oniichan, Sister asked me to tell you that she's going to train with Father to master a stronger Gentle Fist Secret Technique, so she might not have time to come over this month."
On July 21st, Hanabi arrived at Izayoi's house with this message.
After delivering Hinata's words, she clung to Izayoi's arm and cooed, "Oniichan, Hanabi is on summer break now. Since you're not using your main body for training, can you spend some time playing with me?"
"Of course, Hanabi. What do you want to play?" Izayoi smiled dotingly, patting Hanabi's head and then pinching her cheek.
"Let me think…"
Hanabi pinched her chin, her little face gradually showing a troubled expression. "We've already explored the entire central street, and I'm tired of all the food. What should we do?"
Seeing his little sister-in-law's adorable expression, Izayoi, who had been watching her for years, was still charmed. He couldn't help but pick her up and place her on his lap, playing with her bangs as he chuckled, "If you're tired of the Leaf Village, how about Oniichan takes you on a trip?"
"Really?"
Hanabi's eyes instantly lit up, but then, as if remembering something, she regretfully shook her head. "No, Father won't allow me to be away from home for too long. Plus, there's a guard secretly protecting me. If I wander too far from the central street alone, that guard will come out and stop me."
"It's fine. Oniichan will sneak you out," Izayoi said with a confident smile. "Go back and tell your sister. She'll convince your father. Then bring some clothes over, and Oniichan will take you out secretly."
"Yay, yay… Hanabi will go pack right now."
Seeing that Izayoi was willing to involve her sister in sharing the pressure, Hanabi immediately clapped her hands and nodded, her eyes filled with anticipation and longing.
Clearly, the little sister-in-law was also yearning for the outside world.
"Go on, but remember to hide your clothes in a Sealing Scroll. Otherwise, you'll get caught before we even leave, and Oniichan won't take responsibility."
"Mm-hmm… Oniichan, I'll go pack now. Make sure you wait for me."
Hanabi nodded repeatedly, then slid off Izayoi's lap, ran to the entrance to put on her shoes, pushed open the door, and used the Body Flicker Technique—all in one smooth motion.
About fifteen minutes later, Hanabi pushed the door open again.
"Oniichan, I'm here."
Still wearing the same yellow-brown kimono and carrying nothing, Hanabi immediately threw herself into Izayoi's arms as he stood up, smiling brightly. "Oniichan, when are we leaving?"
"No rush, let's go buy some things first."
Izayoi glanced at the clock on the wall, which showed 11:35 AM.
Then he took Hanabi's small hand and headed toward the entrance.
Leading Hanabi out of the house, Izayoi went straight to a familiar shop.
"Yo... young man, here to buy film again! You youngsters sure have boundless energy, taking photos all day without getting tired."
"Uncle, I just want to document the growth of myself and those around me before I come of age. Later, I can reminisce about my youth through these photos."
"You're right. It's a pity that when I was young, I wasn't as mature as you, nor did I have the talent to become a ninja. Now, I can't even remember what I looked like as a child."
"Then, uncle, can you give me a discount? I need to buy twenty rolls this time."
"No problem, I'll give you 20% off."
"Thanks."
After chatting with the shop owner for a few minutes, Izayoi came out with Hanabi, then went to buy some bananas, mochi, and milk that Hanabi liked, storing them all in a Sealing Scroll.
Checking the time on his pocket watch, Izayoi smiled at Hanabi, "Do you need to buy anything else? If not, we're ready to go."
"Eh! Don't we need to get an exit permit from the village?" Hanabi tilted her head in confusion.
"No need, and Oniichan isn't a Chuunin squad leader yet, so I can't get an exit permit."
Hearing this, Hanabi looked worried, "Then, if we leave like this, will Oniichan be punished by the village later?"
"As long as we're not caught, it's fine." Izayoi led Hanabi into a small alley, bent down, and smiled, "Hop on, Oniichan will take you out."
"Mm-hmm..."
Hanabi immediately climbed onto Izayoi's back, wrapping her arms around his neck, beaming, "Oniichan, let's go!"
Izayoi stood up, and with a flicker, they disappeared from the alley.
As soon as they vanished, a figure appeared out of thin air in the alley—a man with Byakugan, wearing a green vest.
"Byakugan—open!"
Hanabi's guard formed hand seals, veins bulging at his temples, then his face showed astonishment, "Such incredible speed!"
After saying this, the guard quickly disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique.
But soon, he stopped in a forest, his face covered in cold sweat.
Not from exhaustion, but from fear.
Because within the range of his Byakugan's vision, the figures of Izayoi and Hanabi had completely disappeared.
And if he wasn't mistaken, the place they disappeared from was no longer within the Leaf Village.
If it were just about losing him and taking Hanabi into the wilderness, it wouldn't be a big deal.
But taking the young lady out of the Leaf Village was beyond his authority.
So, the guard hurried back to the Hyuga Clan to report to Hiashi Hyuga.
"I understand, you may leave." Hiashi showed no change in expression, speaking impassively.
"Yes."
The guard nodded respectfully, then vanished into an afterimage.
After the guard left, a smile finally appeared on Hiashi's stern face, murmuring, "That kid is getting bolder and bolder. If someone comes knocking, I won't cover for you."
Half an hour passed, and no one from the Leaf Village came to inform the clan leader that his second daughter had been taken away.
Clearly, Izayoi and Hanabi's departure had gone unnoticed by the Sensory Team.
This meant that Izayoi either knew the Sensory Team's rotation schedule or could bypass the Barriers.
Either way, it was an impressive feat.
From Hiashi Hyuga's expression, it was clear that he was very satisfied with Izayoi. He didn't even mind that Izayoi had taken his second daughter away from the Leaf Village without so much as a greeting, and he didn't show any sign of reproach.
If Izayoi had done this before the Chunin Exams began, Hiashi would have been furious.
But now, Izayoi's performance at the central tower was no secret among the Jonin circle. Despite having just become a Genin not long ago, he had already mastered five Nature Transformations, developed a Signless Ninjutsu similar to the Rasengan, and achieved something even the Fourth Hokage couldn't—turning this Signless Ninjutsu into an S-rank Secret Ninjutsu, a Storm Release Secret Technique that combined two Nature Transformations.
There are differences between Signless Mysteries and those with hand seals, as well as between offensive and supportive Secret Techniques.
Similarly, single-target and area-of-effect Secret Techniques are also distinct.
Izayoi's Storm Release Secret Technique was not only a Signless Mystery but also had an astonishingly wide attack range.
Especially since Hiashi knew that Izayoi's Chakra reserves were equally impressive, allowing him to use this Secret Technique multiple times.
With such strength, Izayoi was already a threat to Kage-level shinobi.
In the Shinobi World, he was considered a top-tier combatant.
With Izayoi's protection, Hanabi was even safer than she would be by Hiashi's side.
Moreover, the talent and strength Izayoi had displayed proved his worth, making Hiashi feel that the hope of his two daughters not being branded with the Caged Bird Seal had grown.
Naturally, he wouldn't stop his future son-in-law from building a good relationship with his younger daughter.
As for what his future father-in-law was thinking, Izayoi had no idea.
The reason he took Hanabi away from the Leaf Village was simply because he had no worries and no need to keep a low profile.
These were special times. The village's target was Orochimaru, and since Shimura Danzo was colluding with Orochimaru, even if Danzo had his eyes on Izayoi, he wouldn't act immediately.
With Izayoi's talent and strength, even if the village found out he had left, he wouldn't face any punishment.
A shinobi who had mastered an S-rank Secret Technique was a top-tier combatant in a major ninja village, and defecting would make him an S-rank missing-nin.
For the Leaf Village, which was in its weakest period, such a civilian genius was a treasure they couldn't afford to lose.
And...
As long as Izayoi's plan went smoothly, after the Chunin Exams, the Leaf Village would no longer pose any resistance to him.
...
After leaving the Leaf Village, Izayoi and Hanabi began searching for scenic spots, taking photos as they made their way to populated areas.
At first, Hanabi was just like Hinata and Aburame Shino when they first left the Leaf Village, filled with curiosity about the outside world. Whenever she saw something or a place that didn't exist in the Leaf Village, she would drag Izayoi over to take photos and explore.
Only after she got tired of playing did she activate her Byakugan to search for a city.
But when they arrived at the nearest town to the Leaf Village, she was greatly disappointed.
"Oniichan, it feels like the outside world isn't as fun as the Leaf Village," Hanabi couldn't help but complain. "This place is so backward, and it's really dirty too."
"That's normal, after all, the Leaf Village is a military base of the Land of Fire. The daimyo allocates a significant amount of money every year for military expenses, along with various commissions and fees, so the infrastructure here is naturally better than in other places." Izayoi patted Hanabi's head and smiled, "If Hanabi wants to find some fun places, Oniichan just happens to know a few bustling cities. Should I take you there now?"
Hanabi felt a bit tempted but shook her head, saying, "No need, let's just leave it at this for my first trip. Right now, Oniichan's matters are more important."
Upon hearing this, Izayoi looked slightly surprised, "Hanabi, how did you know?"
"Hehe, I know now." Hanabi stuck out her tongue at Izayoi, making a funny face, then pretended to be sad as she lowered her head and wiped her eyes, choked up, "Oniichan is really not just taking Hanabi out for a trip, it really hurts my little heart. Without ten, no, a hundred conditions, it won't be easy to cheer me up!"
With a crisp sound, Hanabi immediately hugged her head with both hands, crouching down and crying out in pain, "It hurts, it hurts..."
"Stop it, I didn't even use much force."
Gently giving Hanabi a light flick on the forehead, Izayoi rarely rolled his eyes and said, "Hanabi, with your acting skills, you should just quit being a ninja and become an actress! Start as a child star, and maybe when you grow up, you can compete with Fujikaze Yukie for roles!"
"Oniichan, you're bullying me! Hanabi will bite you to death." Hanabi lunged at Izayoi, wrapping around his back like a snake, then opened her mouth to bite his shoulder.
Her angry actions, however, were not forceful; she only lightly bit down, drawing in his chakra.
Seeing that it was still early, Izayoi carried the 'little vampire' Hanabi on his back and left the small town, heading towards the city where Karin was located.
The city was called Sakura Street, one of the prosperous cities in the Land of Fire, but it was not a commercial city like Short Book Street; it was a tourist city.
Just like the city's name, Sakura Street was planted with a large number of cherry blossom trees, and every year several cherry blossom festivals were held, attracting a large number of tourists.
The location was neither too far nor too close to the Leaf Village; if he used the Body Flicker Technique at full speed, he could reach it in a little over half a day.
However, since there was still plenty of time, Izayoi was not in a hurry. Instead, he used the Tenseigan along the way to look for all sorts of interesting places or beautiful sights to take Hanabi to for photos.
For example, camping in the wild, hunting in the forest, capturing the moments of their harvest.
Or staying overnight in a few small towns, exploring the local night markets, and tasting the local delicacies.
When the crowds were dense, Hanabi would ask Izayoi to carry her high up, showing a proud expression to other children who were also sitting on their parents' shoulders, as if to say, "I have this too."
If Hiashi Hyuga saw such a scene, he would surely feel a great blow to his heart.
Clearly a daughter doting father, yet both of his daughters were unable to let loose in front of him, forced to mature early.
Only when they were by Izayoi's side could they truly be themselves.
The cleanliness-loving Hanabi made Izayoi help her wash her hair and braid it every day.
As a reward, the little sister would also help Izayoi scrub his back and wash his hair.
After taking a bath, Izayoi liked to lie on the bed and let Hanabi use the Pressure Point Strike to massage him.
This was discovered one day last year when Izayoi and Hinata finished training, and Hinata helped him with a massage.
The Hyuga Clan's Pressure Point Strike was just perfect for massages.
From then on, Izayoi and the Hyuga Sisters developed a kind of tacit understanding.
After each training session, Izayoi would let them bite him to absorb his Chakra.
In return, they would use Pressure Point Strikes to massage Izayoi.
For this reason, Hinata and Hanabi spent a long time studying the human acupoints diagram, researching some acupoints that were rarely targeted by the Gentle Fist, while practicing their techniques on Izayoi.
From their initial clumsiness to their current proficiency.
Whether it was Hinata or Hanabi, their massage skills had already surpassed all the therapists 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 a nap with Izayoi, Hanabi, after getting tired from training at Izayoi's house, would often take a nap with him as well.
Even the scene of the three of them sharing a bed was not uncommon.
Izayoi loved both the big and small pillows.
The Hyuga Sisters felt the same way.
When Hinata wasn't around, Hanabi took over the task of waking Izayoi.
However, unlike Hinata's gentle nudges, the mischievous Hanabi would either straddle Izayoi's stomach and tickle his nose and face with her bangs to wake him, or grab his arm and give him a good morning or afternoon bite, waking him by absorbing his Chakra.
Before waking him, Hanabi would also take 'ugly photos' of Izayoi with her camera, hide the film, and plan to develop and collect them later.
After playing around like this for more than a week, Izayoi and Hanabi, who had grown even closer, finally arrived at Sakura Street.
(End of Chapter)