Although he didn't obtain Sage Physique, which left Izayoi slightly disappointed...
Exploding the Uzumaki Bloodline was already incredibly lucky.
This bloodline, like that of the Senju, Uchiha, and Kaguya clans, is a branch of the Ōtsutsuki lineage.
As descendants of the Sage Physique, both the Uzumaki and Senju clans possess tremendous vitality and massive chakra reserves.
In addition to their expertise in sealing techniques, the Uzumaki clan also possesses three powerful unique abilities.
These three abilities are: Kagura's Mind Eye, Adamantine Sealing Chains, and Physical Regeneration.
Kagura's Mind Eye is one of the strongest sensory techniques in the ninja world.
Adamantine Sealing Chains are both offensive and defensive. They can create barriers and perform sealing jutsu. Even Tailed Beasts struggle to break free once bound.
Physical Regeneration allows the user to heal their own or others' injuries by consuming chakra — and it's remarkably powerful.
All three are top-tier support abilities.
However, just like not every Uchiha awakens the Sharingan, not every Uzumaki can awaken these unique abilities either.
In the original story, Naruto Uzumaki didn't awaken any of them before earning Kurama's recognition.
Afterward, he did acquire the moral perception ability similar to Mito Uzumaki's.
As for the other abilities, they were never shown — either because the original Sage Physique was already powerful enough, or because the author didn't want to make Naruto overpowered.
But there's no denying it: Naruto not only had the Uzumaki bloodline, but as the reincarnation of Asura's chakra, the purity of his bloodline was very high.
And now, having extracted the Uzumaki Bloodline from Naruto, Izayoi had a chance — if lucky enough — to awaken one of the three unique abilities.
If he ended up like Karin, awakening all three at once, he would become a top-tier figure in the ninja world in terms of perception, sealing, and healing.
Even if he didn't awaken a single unique ability, he'd still gain the immense vitality passed down from the Sage Physique. That alone made it worth it.
In a good mood, Izayoi dismissed the light screen and continued watching the matches on the field.
As more and more rounds ended with winners and losers, the taijutsu matches concluded quickly.
Next came the final exam — the newly added survival training.
But before it began, Iruka Umino first took the students to the medical room, where doctors treated their injuries.
Then he led the students to the equipment room, where Izayoi and the others selected their gear.
These tools were all essential for invisibility techniques.
Unlike the genin survival test of snatching bells, the academy's version was more like hide and seek.
It primarily tested the students' invisibility, Body Flicker Technique, and proficiency with the Clone, Transformation, and Substitution Techniques.
Those who performed well would receive high or perfect marks.
Those who did poorly might be given another chance — but if they still underperformed, they would be pulled out like in the Chūnin Exams.
For someone like Izayoi, who had long since mastered the Three Basic Techniques, the exam was no challenge at all.
Without surprise, he lasted until the end and scored another perfect mark.
Although the final grades wouldn't be announced until the new semester in April, the title of Top Student was already in Izayoi's hands.
"Hinata, see you tomorrow — same place."
"Mm!"
After school, Izayoi and Hinata parted at a street corner, making their usual arrangement just like always.
Although Izayoi would not take Hinata to the abandoned training field again before the Uchiha clan's downfall, he hadn't stopped training with her.
It was just that their training grounds had changed — from the abandoned field to the academy courtyard, or Izayoi's home garden.
The Nine-Tails' attack hadn't destroyed Izayoi's home.
His ninja parents had left him an inheritance, which included a two-story house with a small yard.
Compared to Naruto Uzumaki — whose inheritance had been completely confiscated, with even Kushina Uzumaki's scarf thrown into a storage room to gather dust — Izayoi's conditions were incredibly good.
Thankfully, both of his parents in this life were just ordinary ninja, so the village didn't act too shamelessly when it came to his inheritance.
---
A school year in the Ninja Academy consists of three terms. Aside from the relatively long summer vacation, the other breaks are all very short.
In the blink of an eye, it was already April 1st.
The Ninja Academy began a new academic year.
The sixth-year students had already graduated. Those who were acknowledged by their assigned jonin had started going on missions as genin.
Those who weren't acknowledged either returned to school to repeat the year, were recruited into other departments, or—after failing several times and realizing they weren't cut out to be ninja—dropped out and returned to live as ordinary people.
Students from first to fifth grade moved up a year and began switching to their new classrooms.
The now-vacant first-year class welcomed a new batch of students who passed the entrance exam.
That day, the area in front of the bulletin board was crowded with students.
First-year freshmen were looking up which classroom they'd been assigned to.
Students from other years were checking their final exam results.
"Hey, hey... Izayoi-kun, have you checked the results on the bulletin board yet?"
"You're amazing, Izayoi! You became our grade's top student!"
"As expected of Izayoi — even that guy Sasuke couldn't beat you!"
"Izayoi's the top student, and Hinata's in second place. You two seatmates swept the top two ranks. That's insane!"
...
Izayoi had just arrived at the new classroom when he was surrounded by classmates — both boys and girls.
He didn't show the slightest annoyance and stood there smiling, chatting with them for a good while.
From their words, it was clear: Izayoi was the top student, and the runner-up wasn't Uchiha Sasuke, but Hinata.
Izayoi wasn't surprised in the slightest.
Hinata had always been near the top of the rankings in academic subjects.
In the original story's first round of the Chūnin Exams, among the four girls of the Konoha 12, only she and Sakura didn't need to cheat.
With Izayoi's help, she had learned tree walking and water walking in first grade. Her personality was no longer shy and hesitant. In battle, she no longer hesitated out of concern for others — her strikes were decisive.
If even that version of Hinata still lost to Uchiha Sasuke, then Izayoi might as well slam his head into a block of tofu and end it.
Frankly, Sasuke should consider himself lucky he didn't have to face Hinata in the taijutsu matches — otherwise, he wouldn't have even held on to third place.
After all, Shino Aburame wasn't someone to underestimate either.
As the start of class approached, Izayoi finally returned to his seat.
"Izayoi-kun, good morning."
"Morning, Hinata."
As usual, Hinata had arrived earlier than Izayoi.
The two greeted each other and began chatting casually.
"Izayoi-kun, congratulations on becoming top student."
Hinata had clearly checked the bulletin board as well.
Izayoi smiled and replied, "Congratulations to you too for taking second place. Now your father will be even less likely to stop you from going out."
"Mhm, mhm..."
Hinata nodded repeatedly, a happy smile on her face.
Clearly, she also realized that her father had long since seen through her and Izayoi's secret training plans.
Yet instead of grounding her, she was still free to go out. That meant her time with Izayoi had gained her father's tacit approval.
Thinking back to the times she practiced water walking at home and got caught but was never questioned, Hinata figured it was probably because of her visible progress.
And now she'd even ranked second in the year, while the one teaching her — Izayoi — had become top student.
If her father found out, he would no doubt acknowledge Izayoi even more.
At that thought, Hinata couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.