In the pitch-black void, countless beautiful lights flickered intermittently. Occasionally, a mesmerizing, luminous trail would streak past his vision, exuding an incredible sense of mystery that drew him deeper into its spell.
Time was the most unreliable anchor. He had no idea how long had passed. Gradually, a faint cacophony seemed to emerge from the emptiness—an irritating, inescapable noise. Suddenly, a single point of starlight rapidly approached and expanded, swallowing everything before he could react. An abrupt sensation of plummeting seized him, and he frantically struggled to steady himself.
Just then, a hand reached out from his side, catching his body as it pitched forward. A voice followed: "Teacher Hikaru, are you all right? You look exhausted. Do you need to take a break?"
Slowly, he pried open his heavy eyelids. Teacher Hikaru? Is he talking to me? What an unpleasant name.
He rubbed his eyes with the left hand that had been propping up his chin, then pressed his temples to slowly dispel the drowsiness. Composing himself, he replied calmly, "I'm fine, just been having some trouble sleeping lately. Hmm?" He glanced at his companion. "You're Iruka, right?"
Iruka chuckled. "Teacher Hikaru, you really must be exhausted if you can't even recognize me. You were dozing off just now. If I hadn't caught you, your head would have slammed into the desk, haha." He paused. "Why don't you rest for a bit? There are only a few students left; it won't take long."
"No need," Hikaru said. "Let's just finish the tests quickly. Lord Hokage is waiting for the report. Besides, the test isn't hard; it'll be over soon."
Iruka considered this for a moment. "Alright then, let's continue with the exams." He straightened the forms in his hand and shouted toward the door, "Next!"
Hikaru curled his lip, secretly annoyed. Why does he have to shout so loud? It's deafening. A voice that loud is perfect for a teacher, I guess.
Snapping back to reality, Hikaru sorted through his hazy memories. He'd just dozed off for a bit in a taxi, and the next thing he knew, he'd become Hikaru. Speaking of which, I really don't have the luck of a protagonist. In my past life, I was just a mediocre white-collar worker. I quit my job after things went south, but I couldn't find a new one for ages. Looks like I overestimated my abilities. He'd finally decided to go out for a walk to clear his head, only to wake up transmigrated after a brief nap. Was there a car crash or something? I have no memory of it. This must be karma. I impulsively quit my job, and the world repaid me with an impulsive transmigration into a minor villain. If it weren't for his usual calm demeanor and decent reflexes, he might have already blown his cover with Iruka.
Just as he was thinking, an energetic blond kid walked in. He had strange-looking whiskers on his cheeks—it was none other than the Child of Prophecy, Naruto Uzumaki.
Hikaru silently confirmed the transmigration timeline. This was the very beginning of the story, the moment when the tragic minor villain Hikaru would recklessly charge toward his own doom. Even the Ichiraku Ramen guy and Ayame have more presence than me, he thought bitterly.
Naruto walked nervously to the center of the exam room, his eyes fixed on Iruka. Seeing Naruto was ready, Iruka said, "Naruto, you can begin whenever you're ready. To pass, you must create at least one perfect clone." Noticing Naruto's anxiety, he added reassuringly, "The Clone Jutsu is one of the simplest of the Three Basic Jutsu. If you've paid attention in class and practiced diligently, it shouldn't be hard."
Naruto grumbled, "But why Clone Jutsu? Why test me on the one thing I'm worst at? My Sexy Jutsu is way more powerful!"
Despite his complaints, Naruto obediently formed the hand seals. He channeled all his chakra and shouted, "Clone Jutsu!"
A cloud of ninjutsu smoke billowed, revealing a limp, pathetic body slumped on the floor. Naruto looked at Iruka with a mix of apology and hope.
Iruka's eyelid twitched with fury. "FAILED!" he roared, spit flying several meters.
Hikaru watched the familiar scene unfold, instinctively wiping his face as if he'd been hit by the spray. Is it my turn to step in? What were my lines again? Screw it, I'll just bluff my way through this and figure things out later. I need to get this over with and find a way to save myself.
But on second thought, this might be an opportunity. I really need to establish my presence, or I'll be too passive.
Hikaru turned to Iruka. "By the way, Teacher Iruka, Naruto did manage to create one clone. Technically, couldn't that be considered a pass?"
To Naruto, those words were like a divine melody. He looked at Hikaru with surprised gratitude.
But Iruka shook his head firmly. "That's not acceptable, Teacher Hikaru. Everyone else created at least three clones. Naruto only made one, and it's completely useless. Being a ninja isn't that simple, and right now, Naruto just isn't ready."
Hearing the unwavering refusal, Hikaru could only give Naruto a helpless, apologetic look. There was nothing more he could do.
As Hikaru watched the dejected Naruto leave, his mind was already on what to do next. He remembered the story's progression: his own tragic end was coming. But he had no plan to counter it, not even a way to put up a basic struggle.
It wasn't as simple as he'd imagined—just avoiding the plot point of tricking Naruto into stealing the Scroll of Seals wouldn't guarantee his safety. His predecessor, the original Hikaru, had been far from flawless. In fact, he'd committed acts that violated Konoha's core principles and, worse, had been caught.
During one mission, a teammate had suffered a leg injury, slowing them down. To complete the objective, Hikaru had abandoned the injured ninja, smothering him to death. He'd returned and reported that the teammate had succumbed to a fast-acting poison. But Konoha had grown suspicious, and as a result, he was directly excluded from consideration for a teaching position at the Ninja Academy. This fueled his bitter resentment toward Iruka, a man he'd always considered his inferior, who had been chosen instead. Hikaru himself had noticed the Konoha leadership's investigation and suspicion, which only made him more agitated and paranoid.
If that were all, the situation might still be salvageable. After all, ninjas are mercenaries paid to complete missions. His actions, while ruthless, might not have been enough to brand him a rogue ninja. Konoha's White Fang, Hetaki, had abandoned a mission to save his teammates and was driven to suicide by rumors, even from the very teammates he'd saved. In the current Shinobi World, many might even approve of Hikaru's ruthless pragmatism.
Unfortunately for Hikaru, he was in Konoha, an era that heavily emphasized the so-called "Will of Fire" and the village as one big family. Worse still, he'd been sloppy and left evidence behind.
Even in the worst-case scenario, it would only mean two years in prison, and then I'd be free.
Look at the Legendary Stupid Brothers, Fujin and Raijin. They killed their entire team during a mission over a food dispute, and they were just locked up in the Konoha Strict Correctional Facility, well-fed and cared for. By comparison, my crime was hardly a major offense; the punishment probably wouldn't be too severe.
Besides, the next few years were destined to be an era of chaos and war. Hiding in prison for two years might actually be a blessing in disguise. I could just wait for the Child of Prophecy to seal Osaki, then live out the rest of my life in peace. As a skilled Chunin, survival wouldn't be an issue. Plus, I already had a fiancée who loved me—Tsu, a woman who could be considered quite beautiful.
Given that I hadn't discovered any cheat abilities or special powers, lying low seemed like a good option. I could avoid the battlefields I remembered from the story and live under the protection of the protagonist's plot armor. It wasn't a bad plan.
But for now, that seemed like an unattainable dream.
The worst part was my ambiguous connection to Orora. With that major troublemaker involved, plus Konoha's spy Kaito and the shadowy Denzo lurking in the background, my every move was likely being watched.
It was clear now: I was already in a situation where I couldn't back down.
The rest of the exam process was a blur. Hikaru spent the entire time lost in thought, trying to devise a strategy, and before he knew it, all the students had been tested.
Iruka stretched lazily and tapped the stack of organized forms against the desk. "Hikaru, thanks so much for your help today. If you're not feeling well, you should head home early. You've seemed distracted all day. Did something happen? If there's anything I can do, please let me help. After all, you've helped me out so many times."
Hikaru quickly waved his hands. "It's nothing, really. You're overthinking it." He took the forms Iruka handed him. "Alright, Iruka, go check on your precious students. Once they graduate, you won't get to see them as often. Heh~ I'll go report this now. Lord Third might even come to the Academy later to see them off. After all, this graduating class has several future big shots."
"You're right," Iruka said with a sigh of nostalgia. "I can't believe the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho, as well as kids from the Inuzuka, Hyuga, and Aburame clans, are all graduating in this batch. And most importantly, the last surviving Uchiha is among them. It's been years since we've seen a class this remarkable."
"That must have been tough for you, Iruka. Heh." Hikaru replied absently, his mind elsewhere. "I won't keep you then. I'm heading out. See you after school."
"Alright, see you later."
After parting with Iruka, Hikaru went straight to the Hokage's Office. He knocked on the door and announced loudly, "Chunin Hikaru, here to report as ordered."
"Enter," came a voice, aged yet full of vigor.
Hikaru pushed the door open, closed it behind him, and bowed. "Lord Third, the Ninja Academy's graduation exams have concluded. I've brought the results for your review."
"Bring them here." As soon as he spoke, a masked ninja appeared before Hikaru, took the documents, checked them for tampering, and presented them to the Third Hokage.
The Third took the files and began flipping through them, asking in a slow, measured tone, "What was the exam's subject?"
"The Clone Jutsu, Lord Hokage."
"Ah, testing the Three Basic Jutsu," the Third remarked noncommittally. He then asked, "And the results?"
"Everyone passed except Naruto Uzumaki."
"Hmm?" The Third paused upon hearing the name.
Seeing the Third's reaction, Hikaru feigned concern and probed, "The exam topic happened to be Naruto Uzumaki's weakest ninjutsu. He did manage to create one clone, though. I thought it might be enough for a borderline pass, but Iruka disagreed and insisted on failing him." Here, Hikaru decided to push further, hoping to find a way out of tonight's impending events. "Should we do something? Or should we just pass him?" He finished, subtly observing the Third Hokage's reaction.
The Third considered this for a moment, then shook his head. "No need. Leave it as it is." He set the report down and instructed Hikaru, "You're dismissed. I'll visit the Ninja Academy later."
"Yes, sir." Hikaru had no choice but to accept his fate and leave.
It seems trying to find a clever shortcut won't work. I'll have to find another way, he thought bitterly. The higher-ups have already arranged everything, just waiting for a clown like me to put on a show for them. Damn bastards.
Without a doubt, he had lost all control over his own destiny. I need to find a way to break this game, and fast, he thought. If I can just survive tonight, then in a few months, when Orora attacks the Chunin Exams, everything will descend into chaos. With the extra time I've bought myself to prepare, I should be able to survive the Konoha Crush. By then, a small fry like me probably won't be on anyone's radar.
The key was tonight. The original Hikaru had planned to steal the Scroll of Seals as a gift to defect to Orora, using Naruto's graduation exam as a cover. Instead, he had inadvertently set Naruto on the path to success.
Thinking back, it seemed absurd. How could a reckless kid who wasn't even a ninja steal Konoha's most important artifact, the Scroll of Seals, and just happen to learn the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu—the perfect technique for him? It all felt staged. And he, like an ignorant fool, had been nothing more than a stepping stone.
Back at the Ninja Academy, Hikaru passed the time, desperately trying to formulate a new plan. Just before the end of the school day, the Third Hokage finally arrived. He greeted the graduating students and their parents, creating a lively, bustling scene.
Hikaru watched silently as Naruto Uzumaki sat alone on a distant swing, dejected. Enduring the whispers and taunts of the crowd, Naruto pulled down his goggles, hiding his tear-filled eyes.
"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, a fire burns. The Hokage's shadow illuminates the village, and the leaves of Konoha will sprout anew..." Hikaru glanced at the Third Hokage, who was conversing with students and parents nearby. The old man exuded a dignified yet gentle authority, his charisma honed by years in power, effortlessly winning over the hearts of those around him. "What a fine sentiment," Hikaru thought wryly. "Perhaps my future now depends on Lord Hokage's mercy. Konoha's spirit of love and justice... it's the very thing that brought me to this point, yet it's also my last, desperate hope for survival."
"Still," he seethed internally, "this pathetic helplessness—entrusting my fate to another's mercy and forgiveness—it's utterly infuriating!"
Even so, Hikaru knew he had no choice but to interact with Naruto and fulfill his fated role. "There's no other way out in the short term. If I can't get past this, there's no future to speak of."
Steeling his resolve, he walked straight toward Naruto Uzumaki.
"The story is about to begin. I'm ready. Are you, Child of Prophecy? I hope you enjoy this fated gift..."