The classroom emptied fast—until only three names remained… and fate kicked the door down.
It was the second day after the graduation exam.
The academy was, at least, responsible about it. The instructor spent the morning impatiently drilling genin essentials into their heads again, and the afternoon was for team assignments.
By the time the sun dipped, their student days were officially over.
Adrian stood in the classroom watching his classmates get called away one by one, and for once, a faint trace of melancholy surfaced on his face.
This class was far stronger than Naruto's generation would be decades later. War-era training was practical—brutal, efficient, and designed to keep you alive.
But no matter how capable they looked…
They were still just children.
Once the battlefield swallowed them, how many would survive?
Adrian had already watched the reality of this world unfold right in front of him. Outside of the "named" characters from history, a lot of faces were probably already gone.
And with him here—this butterfly in the timeline—who knew how many people who should've lived would die instead?
Most of the kids assumed teams would be formed in neat groups of three.
But war didn't care about what was "standard."
Konoha had taken losses. This graduating class wasn't being neatly sorted—many were being split and inserted into existing squads as replacements. A clean three-person team was rare.
Adrian already knew, from Tsunade's tone the previous night, that he and Shizune were staying together. Yuanhai was the only uncertain piece.
In its own way, Adrian had become part of Konoha's "special" class.
One by one, more names were called.
Kurenai was taken next.
Adrian didn't worry about her—her team leader was her father, Shinku Yuhi. Shinku might "only" be an elite chūnin, but as a genjutsu specialist, he was dangerous in all the ways that mattered.
Kurenai looked back at Adrian with clear reluctance before she left.
Adrian smiled and waved.
He'd gotten used to those looks.
Almost every girl who was called away glanced at him before leaving. Adrian always returned it with the same warm smile, because once they walked out that door…
They might never come back.
Wanting to team up with Adrian wasn't just a crush.
It was survival instinct.
The truth was, he was a hidden monster. Unless they ran headfirst into an elite jōnin squad—or worse, a Kage-level fighter—staying near Adrian was one of the safest choices a child could make.
More students left.
Then the door opened again, and two new figures walked in.
One was tall, blond, and handsome, wearing a gentle smile like sunlight itself.
The other had silver hair, a mask covering the lower half of his face, and a look that said the entire world bored him.
Adrian's gaze sharpened with quiet amusement.
Minato Namikaze.
And Kakashi Hatake.
One would become the Yellow Flash.
The other would become the Copy Ninja.
Minato was still too young to have his legendary title, but the presence was there. Calm. Warm. Razor-sharp under the surface.
Kakashi looked like a child, but the edges on him were already dangerous. The death of Sakumo Hatake—the White Fang—had carved something deep into him, leaving behind a cold, jagged focus.
Adrian studied them briefly, then looked away.
Kakashi's kind of sharpness gets you killed early… unless you're lucky enough to be written into history.
Minato's eyes flicked toward Adrian—just for a moment—then Minato smiled politely.
Adrian returned the smile, privately impressed.
Sensitive. No wonder he mastered Flying Thunder God.
He didn't know it yet, but this wouldn't be the last time their paths crossed.
Minato glanced over the remaining students and spoke, voice steady.
"Nohara Rin. Uchiha Obito."
History still wanted its familiar shape.
Minato called Rin and Obito like it was always meant to happen.
Obito immediately puffed up the second he spotted the silver hair.
"Oh! You're Hatake Kakashi!" he barked, pointing like he'd uncovered a criminal. "You're in our class?!"
Then Obito's eyes darted toward Adrian and he scowled. "You Hatake guys are like ghosts—always showing up!"
Kakashi didn't even react.
Rin… didn't react to Obito either.
Instead, she turned her head and looked toward Adrian.
Rin's eyes held the same reluctant warmth as always.
Adrian smiled and waved lightly. "Rin—stay safe, alright?"
Rin nodded, smiling softly. "You too, Adrian."
Obito's soul visibly left his body.
"What—Hey! You don't need to tell her that!" he snapped, furious. "I'll protect Rin!"
Adrian's smile didn't change.
Without you, she'd be safest of all.
Rin looked uncomfortable, but still tried to keep her voice gentle. "Obito… you shouldn't talk about Adrian like that."
Obito shrank instantly under her disapproval, like a dog scolded by its owner.
Minato cleared his throat, mildly awkward. "Alright. If you have things to say, save it for after we leave."
Before they stepped out, Adrian added casually—almost like a final twist of the knife—
"Rin, if you're free sometime, come to my place for dinner."
He'd said similar things to other girls too. It was habit. Kindness. A way to soften goodbye.
But Rin still brightened and nodded. "Okay."
Obito looked like he was about to detonate.
Minato ushered them out quickly. As they walked, Minato spoke to his team with quiet interest.
"That boy in the classroom… he's impressive."
Kakashi's dead-fish gaze slid sideways. "Who?"
"The one Rin was saying goodbye to."
Obito immediately jumped in. "Adrian's nothing special! I'll surpass him someday!"
Rin sighed, honest as ever. "Obito… Adrian works hard. If you want to surpass him, you'll need to work even harder."
Obito's pride cracked in half.
Back in the classroom, Adrian didn't know—or care—that he'd just been discussed by the future Fourth Hokage.
The room emptied steadily until only three students remained.
Adrian. Shizune. Yuanhai.
Yuanhai fidgeted, nervous. "Boss… why are we last?"
Shizune looked uneasy too, eyes flicking between the door and Adrian.
Adrian scratched his cheek and gave them a calm smile. "Relax. We're probably a three-person team. Our leader's just late."
Inside, he muttered at the universe.
Why are the "important" ones always the last to get picked up?
And then—
Bang!
The classroom door wasn't opened.
It was kicked.
A voice thundered in, loud enough to shake the dust from the ceiling.
"Genin ID 10860, Adrian Voss! 10861, Shizune! 10862, Kobayashi Yuanhai! Which ones are you?!"
A woman stood in the doorway wearing a Konoha flak jacket.
She had a beautiful face, pale skin, and long, vivid crimson hair that looked like it could lash out and strangle someone.
Her presence hit the room like a fist.
Shizune's face lit up instantly. "Kushina-neesan!"
Adrian's head started to ache.
Uzumaki Kushina.
The Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
The descendant of the Uzumaki clan.
And the living definition of the phrase trouble with legs.
In the three years Adrian had been in Konoha, he'd only seen her a handful of times—but every encounter had left a deep impression.
At this point in time, Kushina and Minato weren't officially together yet.
And Kushina, unrestrained by love or maturity, was still exactly what everyone called her:
The Blood-Red Habanero.
People avoided her on the street. Not because she was evil—but because she was intense enough to make your soul flinch.
Yuanhai swallowed hard. Even he knew the reputation.
Kushina had clearly come to "set the tone" by scaring her new subordinates.
But Shizune's cheerful greeting made Kushina's fierce expression falter for half a second.
She recovered quickly, forcing the scary aura back into place.
"Yeah. It's you three. Follow me."
Adrian stood first. "Let's go."
He looked perfectly ordinary—no flashy cloak, no dramatic style. Just standard shinobi clothing.
He refused to wear open-toed sandals. He hated the feeling of someone stepping on his toes.
And he absolutely refused fishnet.
In his opinion, fishnet could look good on women.
On men, it just looked… wrong.
His forehead protector was tied properly across his forehead too—where it belonged. In a battlefield, it was meant to identify allies, not serve as a fashion statement. Wearing it on your arm or neck was a good way to get stabbed by a panicked teammate.
…
They arrived at a forest training field.
Kushina folded her arms across her chest, eyes blazing with energy.
"From today on, you're my subordinates. Introduce yourselves."
She nodded at them, then spoke first, proudly.
"I'm Uzumaki Kushina. Chūnin. You can call me Kushina-sensei… or Kushina-neesan… or just Kushina."
Kushina wasn't weak. As a jinchūriki, her raw power was terrifying, and she had Uzumaki sealing techniques on top of that.
The reason she was still "only" chūnin wasn't lack of strength—it was politics and safety. Many missions required freedom she wasn't allowed to have.
"I like salty ramen," she continued. "I hate bitter stuff and tomatoes. And my dream—"
She paused.
"—you don't need to know."
No one dared to ask.
Kushina's eyes shifted to Shizune.
Shizune stood up quickly, cheeks pink.
"My name is Shizune. Genin. I like the food Adrian makes… I dislike pork. My dream is… to become a great medical ninja, like Lady Tsunade."
As she said it, her eyes flicked toward Adrian for half a heartbeat.
Adrian caught it instantly.
Kushina caught it too.
Her gaze slid to Adrian with a look that said, Oh? I see what this is.
Then Kushina looked at Yuanhai.
Yuanhai straightened, trying not to sound terrified. "I'm Kobayashi Yuanhai. Genin. I like anything my mom cooks. My dream is to become a great ninja like my father."
Kushina nodded once.
Finally, she turned to Adrian, eyes narrowed with sharp curiosity.
"And you?"
Adrian had felt her staring at him since the moment she entered. Kushina looked like she was trying to peel him open and read what was inside.
He answered smoothly, as if he'd rehearsed it.
"My name is Adrian Voss. Genin. I don't really have a favorite food, and I don't really hate anything. As for my dream… I guess I don't have one. If I have to say something—world peace."
Kushina's eye twitched.
Then her expression darkened.
"What do you mean you don't like anything and you don't hate anything?" she snapped. "Are you trying to brush me off?!"
A faint red chakra haze began to leak from her body. Her hair shifted, lifting slightly like it was alive.
Kushina wasn't stupid. This wasn't just a cute ritual. Team introductions told a leader how to shape their squad.
Adrian exhaled quietly.
He'd tried to keep it simple.
But Kushina wasn't the type you could dodge with vague answers.
"…Fine." Adrian rubbed his temple. "I'm not picky. If it isn't disgusting, I'll eat it. And my dream—honestly, I want money. I want a safe, comfortable life. If possible… I'd like to marry a few beautiful wives too."
The silence that followed lasted half a breath.
Then Kushina's anger… stalled.
Adrian's tone wasn't joking. It was tired. Like a man who had already learned how fragile life was.
And Kushina remembered his file.
War orphan.
A kid who'd seen the battlefield up close.
For a moment, she couldn't summon the same rage.
Because in a world like this, wanting a peaceful life wasn't "lazy."
It was almost heroic.
Adrian, of course, was simply a man with two lifetimes worth of exhaustion and realism.
Kushina clicked her tongue. "You're no fun."
Then her grin returned—sharp, excited, hungry for action.
"Alright. Enough talking. Let me see your strength."
She reached into her ninja pouch and pulled out two small bells tied together.
They jingled softly in the open air—light, innocent sounds…
…right before the real nightmare began.
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