The Future

For now, Qi Shuang had managed to dodge this ninja graduation exam through a clever trick, but next time, he wouldn't be so lucky.

Some things can only be done once, not twice.

If he tried to scheme his way out of the exam again, or deliberately failed it, Kirigakure would simply force this ungraduated "failure" onto the front lines.

After all, they were in dire need of manpower right now.

What's more, a "failure" who couldn't graduate twice in a row would likely become a discard in someone's eyes. If he were sent off as bait or something, he'd be as good as dead!

So, he had to spend this "repeat" year mastering the basic abilities this body already possessed, preparing himself in advance for the battlefield next year.

Even knowing how dangerous the battlefield was, he had no other choice.

This war still had about three years left before it ended.

Even if he dragged things out by repeating a year, that still left over two years. No matter what, he couldn't avoid it.

Fortunately, two years wasn't too long, nor too short.

The front lines weren't constantly fighting either; everyone was busy with reconnaissance, counter-reconnaissance, and waiting for the right moment to strike.

All in all, the actual time he'd need to fight for his life on the battlefield should be less than a year.

As long as he was careful and didn't recklessly wade into high-level combat zones, gritting his teeth, he had a decent chance of making it through.

Once he endured these few years, the future would belong to their generation.

Aside from the "Blood Mist Village Incident," he could rest easy for a long stretch.

"Right!"

Speaking of the "Blood Mist Village Incident," another thought struck him. The one who cleared the gloom from Kirigakure and ended the Fourth Mizukage's dark era was the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi.

And Mei Terumi appeared in the original story just before the Fourth Shinobi World War, when she was around thirty years old, and Naruto was about sixteen.

Naruto graduated from the academy at twelve, and around that time, Kakashi, then twenty-six, became the instructor for Team 7.

Using Naruto's age as a benchmark, Mei Terumi and Kakashi should be the same age.

In other words, Qi Shuang himself, being the same age as Kakashi, was a classmate of Mei Terumi's.

Of course, because he'd repeated a year, he was no longer her classmate but a "junior" from the next year down...

"Looks like I'll have to find a chance to invest in that woman early and build some connections!" At this thought, Qi Shuang's heart burned with excitement again.

In the entire Land of Water, the two thickest thighs to latch onto were the Daimyo and the Mizukage.

If he got on good terms with her now, and even lent a big hand in Mei Terumi's rise to power, as a "Minister of State," he'd have a Mizukage as his backing.

He wouldn't dare claim much else, but as long as he didn't commit crimes, life in the Land of Water from now on would surely be smooth sailing.

As for seizing the Mizukage position himself, he'd thought about it.

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

Too many concerns held him back.

He knew that this world's future came from an anime he'd seen in his past life.

And now he was living inside it. If he recklessly changed things, he couldn't guarantee what would happen to the future he knew.

Small details, trivial things—moving them around was fine. But something as major as the Mizukage seat—if that got altered, the consequences were hard to predict.

Maybe it would turn the future he knew into something completely unknown.

That would be extremely disadvantageous for someone who "knows the future."

After mulling it over, he decided to observe first, go with the flow, and reap whatever benefits he could.

As for whether to change the future, he'd think it over slowly later.

A night passed. Under the careful care of the medical staff, Qi Shuang quickly recovered his strength. The next morning, he left the hospital.

But as he left, seeing the wounded Mist Ninja in other wards, groaning in pain with their injuries, a sense of urgency crept into his heart again.

He didn't want to end up crippled, let alone die on the battlefield. He had a far more brilliant ninja career waiting for him.

So, he had to get stronger—much stronger.

At the very least, he had to ensure he could survive the battlefield!

Leaving the hospital, he didn't head straight back to the communal lodging arranged by Kirigakure. Instead, he walked straight out of the village gates and into a small forest.

Finding a quiet, flat spot, he took off a necklace from around his neck.

It was an ordinary beast fang necklace, the thing "Xiao Lin" had loved most.

Qi Shuang used a kunai to dig a hole under a big tree and gently placed the necklace inside.

He wanted to make a final farewell to "Xiao Lin."

"From now on, I am you, and you are no longer you. I will live on as 'Qi Shuang,' and you—please rest in peace here!"

With that said softly, he filled the hole with dirt and buried the necklace that symbolized "Xiao Lin."

From then on, there would be no more "Xiao Lin" in this world, only "Qi Shuang."

Then, he raised his head, strode confidently back along the same path, ready to begin his new ninja career.

Not long after he left, two masked ninjas landed in that clearing. Judging by the four ripple markings on their forehead protectors, they should be members of the Hidden Mist Anbu.

"Dig it up and see what that brat buried." One pointed at the spot where the soil had been disturbed, signaling to his companion.

"What's there to see? Isn't it just some kid?" Though reluctant, the man still followed the instruction and slowly walked over.

"Be careful. If there's a trap, it'll be trouble!" The first one continued to caution.

Hearing this, the Hidden Mist Anbu digging the soil paused for a moment, then carefully inspected the surroundings before resuming his work.

Before long, a string of beast bone necklace appeared before the two of them.

"See? Just an ordinary beast bone necklace! What's there to investigate!" The man casually scooped up the necklace from the dirt, speaking dismissively.

"Let me see!" The other spoke with a grave tone as he reached out.

Taking the necklace, he used every detection method he knew but found nothing out of the ordinary.

Then, he handed the necklace back, helpless. "No chakra fluctuation, no special marks or symbols. Looks like it's just an ordinary necklace!"

"Bury it back."

"I told you earlier you were making trouble out of nothing, but you wouldn't believe me! Now do you believe me?" The chattering companion snatched the beast bone necklace, tossed it into the pit, and prepared to cover it again.

The other shook his head and spoke earnestly, "This is wartime. We have to be careful about everything!"

"What if that kid is a spy from another village, deliberately coming out to pass information, causing heavy losses to our Kirigakure? The consequences would be severe!"

"Fine, fine, fine! You're right!" After reburying the necklace in its original spot, the man returned to his companion and said, "Everything's normal now. Should we head back?"

Then, amid the helpless sigh of the other Hidden Mist Anbu, the two vanished into the forest.