While Naruto lounged outside the academy, leisurely commenting on the examinees as they passed by, and while Sasuke and Hinata chatted idly, having let down their guard after passing the exam—this brief moment of carelessness proved to be the perfect opening.
The four individuals who had returned to the academy without any weighted gear—clearly in violation of the rules—quietly split into pairs, blending into the crowd. From multiple angles, they carefully observed Sasuke and Hinata… or more precisely, kept a laser-focused watch on Hinata's every move.
These four weren't students at all. They were a covert infiltration squad from the Hidden Cloud Village (Kumogakure), using Transformation Jutsu to disguise themselves as examinees while searching for their target—Hyuga Hinata.
Originally, they had simply followed the crowd to the Ninja Academy, hoping to get lucky and find that their target, Hinata, had joined this year's entrance exam. To their astonishment, the moment they arrived, they spotted her—clear as day—pacing anxiously by the entrance with no protection in sight.
Like a gift from the heavens.
All their prior fear and unease—born from encountering the supposedly "dead and buried" Minato Namikaze—was instantly swept away by this stroke of incredible fortune.
"Three, what's the verdict? Can you confirm?"
The leader of the infiltration unit, currently transformed into an inconspicuous, short child, clenched his fists to restrain the urge to snatch Hinata right then and there. He turned to the androgynous-looking "Three," keeping his voice low and tight with anticipation.
"It's unbelievable, but… I detect no barrier jutsu, no hidden guards, no sign of active ninjutsu anywhere nearby..."
After checking again and again with every method at their disposal, the result was the same. Three's expression shifted from shock to barely restrained elation.
"Yes. I can confirm—this Hinata is real. No Transformation Jutsu, no decoy. The genuine article."
"The real one… standing right there, out in the open… with no one guarding her."
The leader's shoulders trembled, unable to contain the ecstasy swelling inside him. He clapped a hand over his mouth, laughter muffled but overflowing.
"Hahaha…! We may have run into the Yellow Flash earlier, but Lady Luck still hasn't abandoned us!"
After their near-death encounter with Minato, the squad had spent the remainder of the mission walking on eggshells, terrified he would reappear and annihilate them in a blink. But now? Their target had practically offered herself on a silver platter. The relief nearly overwhelmed him.
"Hahaha! Finally passed the exam, huh? You must be thrilled. We'll have a feast when we get home, yeah?"
Thankfully, Three was no amateur. Sensing the leader's emotional breakdown, he quickly played along—raising his own voice and laughing in sync to draw attention away from the suspicious outburst. Around them, several other kids were also cheering loudly, having just passed the grueling exam. Their joy made the fake laughter seem perfectly natural.
In an ironic twist, Naruto's design of the exam—to weed out the unqualified—had unknowingly created the perfect infiltration cover.
"My apologies, Three. I… lost control for a second."
As the squad leader regained his composure, he bowed his head slightly toward his companion, speaking in a hushed tone laced with guilt.
"It's fine. With everything riding on your shoulders, I'd react the same way."
Three gave a rare, fleeting smile before his face settled into its usual expressionless mask.
"So… what now? We rush in and grab her?"
"No. Not unless we absolutely have to. It's still too crowded. A public grab-and-run should be our last resort."
His mind now fully grounded, the leader began running through alternatives. Then, his eyes lit up with an idea.
"Wait… the last team that failed to extract Hiashi didn't return empty-handed. They managed to deliver a portrait of him to the village."
"A… portrait of Hiashi?"
Three blinked, confused—until he remembered the mission briefing and suddenly realized the plan.
"You're going to… impersonate her father?"
"Yup!" the leader said cheerfully, grabbing Three's hand with childlike excitement. "Let's go get some oden~!"
He dragged Three away like an overeager kid, maintaining their cover until they rounded a corner and ducked into a small, empty room. Once safely inside, the leader dropped the act, formed the hand seal for Transformation Jutsu, and smirked.
"A father coming to pick up his daughter after an exam? Perfectly natural, right? No one will suspect a thing."
A puff of smoke burst out. When it cleared, the short child was gone—replaced by a broad-shouldered, armored man bearing a striking resemblance to Hiashi Hyuga.
He didn't stop there. Drawing on all the intel the previous team had brought back—every gesture, mannerism, and speech pattern—he fine-tuned the disguise with expert precision. As a seasoned infiltration operative, he brought the imitation to near perfection. Even someone who knew Hiashi would struggle to notice anything amiss.
"Not bad, right? I heard last time, the only reason the extraction failed was because Hiashi showed up at the last second. This time… well, if he learns his daughter was taken because he wasn't there to stop it, I wonder what kind of face he'll make?"
With a malicious grin, "Hiashi" spread his arms wide in presentation.
"Since the real one's nowhere to be found… guess I'll have to play Dad for the day."
But what he didn't know…
Was that his perfect imitation carried a fatal flaw—one that no outsider could've predicted. A flaw that only Konoha's top brass would recognize…
A detail that made it impossible to truly pass for Hiashi.
...
Meanwhile, the real Hiashi was already back in the Hyuga compound. Acting on Naruto's warning, he had left the exam grounds early to coordinate a rapid emergency response.
With most of the clan's Byakugan users still inside the village, he immediately summoned them all and began handing out missions to bolster the village's defenses.
"Move it! We're in crisis mode—get to your designated zones immediately! The sooner we lock this place down, the better our chances!"
His stern voice cracked like a whip across the compound. Beside him, a table of scrolls had been prepared, each inscribed with specific patrol zones—no two the same. This wasn't just a defensive maneuver. It was also a test of loyalty.
"Form up! Rows of three! These are your squads for this mission. Once you've verified your team, come up and collect your scroll. No one is allowed to share the contents of their scroll or ask about another team's assignment. Anyone who disobeys will be considered a traitor—and executed on the spot."
A chill swept through the crowd as his killing intent spilled forth. This was no empty threat.
"Understood? Good. Proceed!"
As the clan began moving in formation, Hiashi finally allowed himself a moment to exhale. He turned his gaze in the direction of the academy and muttered softly.
"Of all times to infiltrate… why now? I wonder if Hinata's passed the exam…"
He didn't know Naruto was the proctor.
He didn't know a disguised enemy had just slipped into the academy.
And most ironic of all?
While both Hiashi and the imposter wore the old standard-issue flak armor of the Hidden Leaf…
Only one of them—the fake—wore the Konoha forehead protector and helmet.
The real Hiashi?
Bore his forehead bare—uncovered, unadorned, unmistakable.
And that subtle detail—
That unassuming, shining brow—
Was the single, unmistakable proof of who was real… and who was not.