The first semester was coming to an end before anyone realized it.
For first-year students, the curriculum consisted only of academic subjects and physical training. Every day was either spent studying, exercising, or extracting chakra.
Except for Class 1, other classes had students who were advised to withdraw.
Ninjas were rare.
Not only was the entrance exam difficult, but the graduation assessment was also incredibly challenging.
Even graduating wasn't true graduation—if a student couldn't gain the approval of a Jonin, they would have to return to school for more training. The elimination rate was absurdly high.
And this was just the process of a trainee ninja advancing to a Genin.
Above Genin, there were Chunin, Special Jonin, Jonin, and then the all-around elite Jonin.
But none of this concerned Kenjiro and the nine rookie geniuses.
Except for the first two weeks, Kenjiro never attended school in person.
He only planned to show up when there were Taijutsu duels.
After all, the reason Kenjiro joined the Ninja Academy was because of Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke.
To be precise, he was after their rare red talent traits.
Before graduation, he had to make sure he extracted at least one or two of their red talent traits.
Otherwise, after graduation, the difficulty of obtaining them would increase significantly.
It wasn't a matter of power differences, but the fact that the opportunities to meet and fight them would be drastically reduced.
In the original story, after graduating, the nine rookies didn't meet again until the Chunin Exams.
Graduation was at the end of March, and the Chunin Exams began on July 1st—important dates every year.
There was a whole season between them.
The school bell rang, signaling the end of another day.
Even after a full afternoon of physical training, the students were still full of energy.
"Kenjiro-kun, do you want to play ninja games with us?"
"Kenjiro, do you want to walk home together?"
Some students left for home, while others stayed behind, forming small groups to hang out.
Kenjiro was quite popular in the class and received many invitations.
Even though he only attended school using his shadow clone and focused solely on Hinata and Naruto, he never acted coldly toward others. Instead, he always greeted them with a smile.
Even when rejecting invitations, he did so politely.
Today was no different.
With his hands pressed together apologetically, his shadow clone smiled and said, "Sorry, I already made plans with someone else. Next time for sure!"
"Eh, you already have plans again? Kenjiro-kun is really popular."
"Alright then, next time let's all play ninja games together."
Although disappointed, no one forced him.
After leaving school, Kenjiro's shadow clone slipped into an alleyway and dispelled itself.
Memories and fatigue instantly returned to his real body.
Processing the day's memories, Kenjiro—who had just finished training and was now resting at home—murmured, "Just a few more days until the break. Time to put the plan into motion."
------
On July 20th, after the morning classes ended, it was lunchtime.
Some students lived close enough to go home for lunch.
Others brought bento boxes to school.
Some ate in the classroom, while others found spots outside.
Since it was usually his shadow clone attending school, Kenjiro always ate at home.
But today, he had come in person, bringing his own lunch.
He sat with Hinata in the classroom, sharing their meal.
Over the past three months, they had become friends.
Though not close enough to share everything, they knew each other's hobbies and little secrets.
For example, Hinata liked pressing flowers.
And Hinata had learned that her seatmate was actually just a shadow clone.
When she first found out, her mouth opened slightly in surprise, and her eyes widened in shock.
Afterward, she began to admire Kenjiro even more.
After all, shadow clones weren't even taught at the academy yet, and yet he had already mastered the technique. It was an incredible feat.
As they ate, Kenjiro suddenly asked, "Hinata, tomorrow is the start of the break. How do you plan to spend it?"
"I'll probably stay home and train," she answered softly.
"Want to train with me?" Kenjiro invited.
"C-Can I?"
Hinata's face lit up with joy.
But before Kenjiro could respond, her expression dimmed, and she shook her head. "I can't… Father won't allow me to leave freely."
Ever since the kidnapping incident, Hinata couldn't go out alone without a bodyguard.
Moreover, since she was now attending the ninja academy alongside an Uchiha, she had to train hard to uphold her clan's honor and not fall behind.
"Hey… Don't worry about that."
Kenjiro grinned. "I'm just asking—do you want to go out and train with me?"
"…Mhm."
Hinata nodded slightly, her voice as soft as a whisper.
"Great. Tomorrow, I'll take care of everything. When the time comes…"
Kenjiro leaned in close, whispering his plan into her ear.
The warmth of his breath made her ears and cheeks flush a deep red, and her hands trembled as she held her chopsticks.
Though she had built some immunity over the past three months, her defenses instantly crumbled in this moment of intimacy.
Fortunately, she wasn't as exaggeratedly shy as in the original story, so she didn't faint.
But her mind went completely blank, and she forgot what Kenjiro had just said.
"Remember, tomorrow you have to act naturally. Otherwise, they'll see through my plan." Kenjiro reminded her.
"Ah… Oh, okay…"
Hinata nodded blankly, looking adorably confused.
Then she suddenly looked up at Kenjiro. "Um… Kenjiro-kun, what did you just say?"
Kenjiro: "…"
With a light flick, he tapped her forehead. As she pouted in protest, he patiently repeated the plan again.
Hinata rubbed her forehead, eyes shimmering.
The next day, the ninja academy officially started its forty-day summer break.
Kenjiro left his house and slipped into an alleyway.
With a soft pop, like the sound of a balloon bursting, his transformation was complete.
A blonde-haired girl wearing a hat emerged from the alley and ran straight toward the Hyuga compound.
If any of his classmates had been there, they would have instantly recognized her as Yamanaka Ino.
"Hello, my name is Yamanaka Ino. I'm here to pick up Hinata. We made plans to go out yesterday."
At the entrance to the Hyuga compound, Kenjiro—now disguised as Ino—flashed a sweet smile at the guards.
The two guards exchanged glances.
"Please wait a moment."
One of them scrutinized 'Ino' for a second before bowing politely and stepping inside.
Before long, he returned.
Following behind him was a small girl dressed in a white windbreaker—Hinata.
She ran toward 'Ino,' and the two exchanged knowing smiles.
The plan had worked perfectly.
The young lady was free.
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