An Excellent Woman Needs Plenty of Backups

Konoha Year 38. The Second Great Ninja War was nearing its end, and the tense situation along the borders gradually eased. In fact, large-scale fighting had already ceased in Konoha Year 37, with only occasional minor clashes continuing. The outcome of the war had long been clear; the defeated had no chance of turning things around. It had dragged on until now only because every side was trying to secure more bargaining chips for an advantage at the negotiating table. War was a means, not an end. It was an extension of politics, and politics had always been about compromise.

Victorious nations of the Second Great Ninja War: the Land of Fire, the Land of Lightning. Defeated nations: the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Rain!

The Land of Wind was defeated by the Land of Fire, while the Land of Earth was defeated by the Land of Lightning. As for the Land of Rain, it had simply suffered a calamity from the heavens. This unlucky child had been chosen by the great nations as their battlefield. Though it fought desperately, the disparity in strength was simply too vast, and the entire country was reduced to scorched earth by the three great nations. Hanzō the Salamander, leader of Amegakure and known as a demigod, defeated Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya, then bestowed upon them the title of "Konoha's Sannin," making them famous throughout the Shinobi World. Judged as a shinobi, Hanzō was undoubtedly among the strongest. But judged as a national leader, he was merely a tragic loser. Hanzō defeated the three of them but did not dare kill them, even granting them the illustrious title of "Sannin," all in the hope of preserving Amegakure. He was a qualified leader. He displayed his strength, but he also chose compromise at the right moment. Because of him, Amegakure survived.

Among the defeated Land of Wind and Land of Earth, the Land of Wind first lost on the Land of Rain battlefield, then had Konoha invade its territory, suffering devastating losses and being forced to surrender. It was truly a case of trying to steal a chicken and losing the rice used to lure it. The Land of Earth fared somewhat better. Because the Land of Wind's defeat changed the course of the war, they could no longer profit from it, so they straightforwardly admitted defeat. In truth, their losses were not severe, and their war potential remained formidable.

Now look at the victorious nations. The Land of Lightning had mobilized its forces and invaded the Land of Earth, preparing for a grand battle, only for the Land of Earth to quit. They had indeed won the war, but too many supplies had been stockpiled at the front. That was all money, and now it had gone down the drain. Whether they could make the Land of Earth foot the bill depended on their skill at the negotiating table.

As for the Land of Fire, Konoha returned in triumph. It defeated the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind, winning vast reparations and territory, while also gaining a share at the Land of Earth's negotiating table. It looked wonderful, but the reality was otherwise. First, Konoha lost Tsunade Senju, a newly risen Kage-level fighter with formidable Medical Ninjutsu. Because of the deaths of her younger brother and boyfriend, she developed hemophobia. Unless something unexpected happened, her shinobi career was over. Furthermore, her resentment toward the higher-ups drove her to leave the village decisively. Konoha's medical system, which had only just begun to take shape, collapsed, and the Senju Clan withdrew from the stage of history. The restless Uchiha became Konoha's largest clan. Moreover, the strength Konoha displayed left the other shinobi villages unable to sleep or eat in peace. They regarded it as a great enemy, laying the groundwork for Konoha being besieged during the Third Great Ninja War.

In short, this great war had no true winner. It had been caused by uneven economic development among the nations, yet its result was that the strong became stronger and the weak became weaker. The root cause of the war remained unresolved. Once the nations recuperated, an even more brutal war would inevitably break out, and it would not be far off.

At the negotiating table, the Land of Fire delegation won victory after victory, gaining countless reparations and territories. Sunagakure was forced to sign a series of unequal treaties with Konoha. Just as Konoha's higher-ups were celebrating their great victory, news that shocked all of Konoha arrived.

Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, had abandoned intelligence from a mission already within his grasp in order to save his comrades. This brought incalculable losses to Konoha, which was still at the negotiating table. The higher-ups were furious. Nearly seven years of war had consumed immense resources and sacrificed countless shinobi, yet it had all been ruined by Hatake Sakumo's womanly softness. For a time, all of Konoha denounced him. The sacrifices he had made, shedding blood and risking his life countless times, were forgotten. His glory was ignored. He became Konoha's sinner, reviled by everyone! Yesterday's hero was condemned as trash who did not follow shinobi rules. Unable to endure the torment, Hatake Sakumo chose suicide, leaving behind his five-year-old son—Hatake Kakashi!

After losing Tsunade Senju, Konoha once again lost a Kage-level powerhouse, and this one was the even more intimidating Konoha's White Fang. His death made every shinobi sigh, and it also made people ask themselves: when faced with a mission, should shinobi cast aside their feelings and obey the rules, or choose their comrades...

Young Kakashi witnessed his father die full of bitterness and became cold and heartless. He firmly believed that, as a shinobi, one could not be bound by feelings. Sometimes, in order to complete a mission, the sacrifice of comrades was unavoidable. To prove himself and wash away the humiliation upon his father, five-year-old Kakashi applied for early graduation, became a Genin, and headed to the battlefield.

Upon hearing this news, Duke sighed repeatedly. The Konoha higher-ups probably had not expected their suppression to drive White Fang to suicide! Poor Kakashi had taken on far too much. It would be terribly detrimental to his future growth!

"Duke, did you hear? Kakashi actually passed the Genin examination. Who would've thought that guy was so amazing..." Uchiha Obito leaned over and said unwillingly, "He's obviously so much worse than me, yet he dared to graduate before me."

Duke did not want to interact with a BOSS, but this guy was far too familiar. Like sticky candy, once he latched on, he could not be shaken off. Over time, Duke got used to his presence.

"He really is much worse! You got thoroughly taught a lesson during the sparring practice!" Sarutobi Asuma curled his lip. You dare show off in front of me? Let's see how I slap your face.

"As expected of Kakashi, my Youth is burning!" A certain watermelon-headed fellow appeared uninvited.

This was Duke's little circle at the Ninja Academy: Obito, the idiot who loved to brag; Might Guy, who would suddenly get fired up for no apparent reason; and Asuma, who had become known to every teacher and student in the school during the opening ceremony. The only reason Duke stuck with these three idiots was for peace and quiet. Whenever the three of them gathered, they would unleash their secret combined technique—Crowd-Clearing Aura. Everyone else in the class kept their distance.

"Asuma, what nonsense are you talking about? Which eye saw Kakashi teach me a lesson?" Obito, exposed on the spot, flew into a rage out of humiliation. His eyes shifted, and he grinned lewdly. "Could it be that you saw wrong? Well, that makes sense. After all, you can't even tell men from women!"

"Damn it, Uchiha Obito, you're courting death!" Asuma's face reddened as he lunged at Obito, and the two began wrestling. He had shouted in front of the entire school, its teachers, students, and parents that he wanted to marry a man, becoming the village's favorite joke after meals. Even now, his father Hiruzen Sarutobi still wore a sour face around him. Even the Naruto could not afford to lose that much face!

Guy watched from the side, his blood boiling. With a howl, he charged into the fray as well.

"Monkey Steals the Peach—Asuma truly deserves to be called a master of the Sarutobi Clan's taijutsu. Obito's Immortal Points the Way is also quite accomplished! Oh, but Guy's Sterility Kick is even better. As expected of a taijutsu expert!" Duke did not stop the three overexcited huskies. Instead, he offered commentary while fanning the flames. The surrounding students watched from afar with contempt on their faces. That was exactly the effect Duke wanted. His face attracted too much attention; without this, he would never escape the girls' harassment.

He remembered the first day of class, when the teacher had asked everyone to introduce themselves. When Duke announced his gender, the classroom fell deathly silent. Even the instructor stared in shock, his mouth hanging open. From that day onward, Duke knew that keeping a low profile alone would not be enough if he wanted to spend the next three years in peace. Thus, the group of four—three plus one—came into being.

During peacetime, the Ninja Academy followed a six-year system. During wartime, it followed a three-year system. Although the war had ended in Konoha Year 38, Konoha's higher-ups still decided to implement the wartime three-year system to make up for the severe manpower shortage caused by the war. In other words, even the youngest students in this class would have to face the Genin examination at the age of seven.

"All of you, quiet down. Class is about to begin."

The four were tangled together in their brawl until recess ended. Aida-sensei, a Chunin with an utterly ordinary face, first glared fiercely at the four problem students, then waved his hand and announced that today's practical examination would be shuriken throwing.

At the Ninja Academy training ground, a large group of students stood in a line before wooden posts. After Aida-sensei repeated the prohibited actions, he began calling names.

"The examination begins now. Come up one at a time in the order I call your names. First, Ibiki Morino!"

As soon as the words fell, a cold-faced little boy strode out of the line and stood before the throwing line. At Aida-sensei's signal, he threw ten kunai in rapid succession, every one striking the bullseye.

"Mm, not bad!" Aida-sensei nodded in satisfaction. "Ibiki Morino, ten bullseyes, 100% accuracy, three seconds. Excellent result, B+ rating."

This Ninja Academy class was full of talent. Besides Konoha's already-graduated prodigy Hatake Kakashi, the future Twelve Guardian Ninja Sarutobi Asuma, Yūhi Kurenai, who excelled in Illusion Techniques, the taijutsu powerhouse Might Guy, and BOSS Uchiha Obito, there was also Ibiki Morino, the future head of Konoha Anbu's Torture and Interrogation Force. The little boy had not yet been disfigured. He did not talk much in daily life, but he was quite polite, with no sign at all that he would become an S&M sadist. Oh, and there was another student from this class who had already left school and had to be mentioned: Shizune Katō, the future disciple, attendant, secretary, and personal assistant of the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. Her uncle was Kato Dan, Konoha's elite Jonin—a handsome, powerful winner in life who was also good at charming girls. Unfortunately, he had raised a death flag before the war. His luck was not hard enough, and he died!

This story taught people that women should find several more backups!

Besides these elites, there were also several actors who had appeared as minor characters in the original story, such as Teuchi and Mizuki. Their grades were average, and their upper limit was at most elite Chunin. Mizuki in particular was worth mentioning. Because of Duke's "self-degradation," this little boy, who was beginning to show his good looks, was very popular and drew quite a bit of hatred toward Duke.

"Next, Ayumi Takeda!"

"Ayumi Takeda, seven bullseyes, 70% accuracy, four seconds. Good result, C+ rating."

"Next, Koji Uchiyama!"

"Koji Uchiyama, six bullseyes, 60% accuracy, three seconds. Average result, C rating."

"Next, Sarutobi Asuma!"