In a world where even children are forged into weapons, survival itself becomes a privilege.
The Land of Fire — Konoha Orphanage.
Tucked deep within the outer forest, far from the bustling heart of the village, the orphanage stood in deliberate isolation. The children taken in here were all victims of war, and caution demanded that the facility remain away from crowded districts and prying eyes.
Night had already fallen.
With only the soft chorus of insects echoing through the trees, the compound lay drowned in darkness and quiet. The children and caretakers had long since gone to sleep, and the surrounding forest swallowed the building in shadow.
Several years earlier…
"Good morning, Adrian."
"Morning, everyone."
Adrian Voss offered a mild smile as he returned the greetings of his classmates and made his way to the back row by the window — his favorite seat. A small figure immediately followed and sat beside him.
Shizune.
His loyal little shadow, as always.
"We're almost graduating," she said softly, peeking toward the academy gates outside.
Adrian leaned back slightly, eyes drifting to the sunlight spilling across the training yard. "Yeah… time really flies."
It had been nearly three years since he arrived in this world — and just as long since he enrolled in the Ninja Academy.
This was Konoha Year 44.
The embers of the Second Shinobi World War had yet to fully die out, and border conflicts between the Five Great Nations were growing more intense by the day. According to everything Adrian remembered from the original timeline, the Third Shinobi World War was fast approaching.
In peaceful times, academy students usually graduated at twelve. But with war looming, early graduation was almost guaranteed.
Adrian was a transmigrator.
He had no memories of parents — only a name and scattered fragments of another life. He had been found on a battlefield and brought back by Tsunade herself, a fact that still felt surreal even after years of living here.
The ninja world wasn't exactly a comforting place to plan a future.
Outside the village, battles could erupt at any moment. Inside Konoha, political schemes ran just as deep as the shadows. There was no such thing as true safety here.
His current class included Shizune, Kurenai Yuhi, Rin Nohara, Asuma Sarutobi, and Obito Uchiha. The rest were mostly forgettable background figures. In a few short years, many of these classmates wouldn't survive the war.
Asuma was the Third Hokage's son.
Obito would one day become a key figure behind countless tragedies.
Both were worth remembering.
Hatake Kakashi had already graduated after only half a year at the academy and became a chūnin at the age of six. He was already fighting on the front lines.
Might Guy — despite being labeled a dead last — had also graduated over a year ago at seven.
Only someone like Adrian was still calmly hiding in the academy.
If he could delay graduation, he absolutely would.
"Boss, morning!"
Adrian turned and smiled at the energetic boy with messy black hair approaching them. "Oh? You're here, Yuanhai."
Yuanhai grinned and immediately greeted Shizune as well. "Good morning, Shizune!"
Her cheeks flushed. "M-Morning… and stop calling me that!"
The boy laughed awkwardly before leaning closer to Adrian. "What're you staring at, Boss?"
"Nothing important."
Their quiet chatter soon attracted a few annoyed glances from nearby students.
"Tch, what's he acting so proud for?"
"Keep your voice down. You want him to hear you?"
Adrian had been brought back to Konoha by Tsunade and stayed at the orphanage for a while before moving in with her after being cleared of suspicion. Shizune naturally became his constant companion.
As for Yuanhai — a classmate who didn't exist in the original story — he had once been bullied. Adrian had stepped in, and over time, the boy began calling him "Boss" with genuine admiration.
Not long after, the instructor entered the classroom.
Graduation was approaching, and today's lesson was clearly an evaluation of the Three Basic Techniques: the Clone Technique, Transformation Technique, and Substitution Technique. Among them, the Clone Technique was the most difficult to master.
Applause mixed with laughter echoed through the room as students were called one by one.
"Hyūga Haruto."
A Hyūga branch member stepped forward confidently, his pale Byakugan eyes reflecting quiet arrogance. His hands formed seals rapidly.
Puff!
White smoke exploded, revealing a nearly identical clone beside him.
The chūnin instructor nodded and marked the score. "Hyūga Haruto — 90 points."
"Next — Adrian Voss."
Before Adrian even stood, cheers erupted from several girls in the class.
"Good luck, Adrian!"
"You've got this!"
Shizune clenched her small fist. "Adrian, do your best!"
"Boss, crush it!" Yuanhai added enthusiastically.
Adrian couldn't help but sigh inwardly. I'm not a dead last, you know…
He stepped onto the platform and calmly formed his hand seals.
Puff!
Another cloud of smoke burst outward — and a perfect clone emerged.
Compared to Kagami's clone, Adrian's was astonishingly lifelike. Even though the Clone Technique produced no physical substance, the replica mirrored his posture, expression, and presence almost flawlessly.
The girls gasped — though not entirely for technical reasons.
"Impressive," the instructor said, nodding approvingly. "95 points."
Even he couldn't produce a clone that refined.
As a transmigrator, Adrian should have been the typical underachiever — clumsy with techniques and struggling to keep up. Unfortunately for that expectation, his unique ability gave him a massive advantage.
Adrian possessed the power of the Flower-Flower Fruit.
Like Nico Robin from the pirate world he remembered, he could manifest parts of his body anywhere — and even create fully functional duplicates. Compared to standard clone techniques, his flower clones possessed real substance and could act independently.
In truth, they were closer to superior versions of Shadow Clones.
Naturally, his every movement attracted attention — especially from the younger girls, whose admiring glances made him increasingly uncomfortable.
They're way too young for this…
The maturity of ninja children could be terrifying.
"Adrian is really amazing…" Rin murmured softly.
Nearby, Obito's fists clenched, jealousy burning in his eyes. "That guy… just like Kakashi. Always showing off."
Rin frowned. "Obito, don't say that. Adrian is really nice."
The words struck Obito like a critical hit. His shoulders slumped, spirit visibly crushed.
Adrian returned to his seat, unaware that a simple academy test had already stirred another small ripple of fate — one that would soon grow far beyond the classroom walls.
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