The Little Squad Leader Felt Deceived (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Since the original work never specified, Uchiha Kurohane did not know the truth, but he guessed it had to do with human experimentation involving Wood Release.

According to the original work, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt that relying solely on a Jinchuriki to restrain a Tailed Beast was unsafe. He wanted to revive Wood Release through human experiments by injecting Hashirama's cells.

Because the vitality of Hashirama's cells was too great for any ninja to control, everyone who underwent the experiment died.

Sarutobi Hiruzen shut down the project, but the experiments were later taken over by Danzo and Orochimaru and moved underground.

Logically speaking, the Senju Clan members had bloodlines closest to Hashirama, so they would certainly have been made to undergo the experiments to adapt to his cells.

Therefore, it was highly likely that the Senju Clan had been wiped out during those first human experiments.

Regardless, this proved that the original work did indeed conceal some dark events.

Thus, the possibility of Konoha sending nine-year-old students to the front lines of the ninja war existed. Uchiha Kurohane could not afford to let his guard down; he had to become stronger, and fast.

And to become stronger, what he needed wasn't just training, but to farm Entries.

What was the best way to farm more Entries?

"Kurohane, are you even listening? We might be sent to the battlefield—aren't you worried?"

"My hometown, the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools, was destroyed by war. All my clansmen died. War is terrifying!"

Kushina Uzumaki's trembling voice pulled Uchiha Kurohane back from his thoughts.

Seeing the look of worry on her face, Uchiha Kurohane reached out and ruffled her hair.

"Don't worry, Konoha is very powerful. We have so many ninja clans; the enemy is no match for us. Plus, we still have our final trump card: the Hokage."

"At the very least, we won't be heading to the battlefield that soon. Even if we really are sent, you're my little underling, and I'll protect you. You don't need to worry."

Hearing this, Kushina Uzumaki felt an inexplicable sense of relief and gave a small, gentle nod.

Yoshino Nara asked skeptically, "Kushina is your underling?"

Uchiha Kurohane triumphantly patted Kushina Uzumaki's head and asked Yoshino Nara with confidence, "That's right. Do you have a problem with that?"

Kushina Uzumaki felt quite shy, but she didn't refute him, merely lowering her head.

Yoshino Nara felt as though she were looking at a tamed little kitten, and her heart felt complicated.

She coughed once and returned to the original topic.

"That's your business; why would I have a problem with it? Regardless, you need to be careful. You must study hard lately. If you fail your exams again, you might actually be sent to the battlefield."

Uchiha Kurohane laughed and retorted, "Wrong. Students with poor grades are the ones least likely to be sent to the battlefield. There's no point in sending the weak to war; they'd only drag their teammates down."

"There's a saying: with great power comes great responsibility. It's the students with the best grades who are most likely to be sent to the front lines."

"If you don't want to go to war, just try to fail the next exam on purpose and join me in failing."

Hearing such twisted logic, Yoshino Nara was so angry her ponytail seemed to twitch. She instinctively opened her mouth to argue, but couldn't think of a rebuttal.

After thinking it over carefully, Yoshino Nara actually felt that Uchiha Kurohane's words made sense, so she could only say with annoyance, "You're just glib and full of clever, empty talk. I'm different from you—I'm the class representative! How could I possibly fail an exam?"

Uchiha Kurohane said mockingly, "Oh, right~ you're the class representative. You have to take responsibility. Whether you pass or fail, you're going to the battlefield anyway."

Hearing this, Yoshino Nara immediately became flustered.

She hadn't even dated yet, hadn't even been married; she didn't want to die like this.

That was why she was so afraid of the battlefield.

At that moment, she started wishing she weren't the class representative.

Wait!

I only meant to remind Kurohane to study hard. Why, after talking to him, do I suddenly not want to be the class representative anymore?

Did I get tricked by that guy again?

Yoshino Nara looked at Uchiha Kurohane's handsome, wicked smile and couldn't help but blush slightly.

Just then, the Chunin teacher walked into the classroom and announced loudly and passionately, "Starting today, we will begin practical combat drills. Everyone, head to the training ground immediately to assemble."

"Huh? Practical combat drills? Are we really going to the battlefield?"

"No way! I'm going to die!"

The students immediately cried out in alarm.

The Chunin teacher hurriedly explained, "It's not that you're going to the battlefield; it's just to help you prepare in advance. Rest assured, the Hokage has said that before you graduate and become Genin, you will not be sent to the battlefield."

Hearing this, the students breathed a sigh of relief.

Sarutobi Hiruzen held a very high reputation in Konoha as a Hokage whose word was law; apart from Uchiha Kurohane, no one would ever doubt him.

The Chunin instructor continued.

"This time, we will be facing off against the upperclassmen. If you lose, you will make me lose face, and I will punish you accordingly."

"What? The upperclassmen are older than us and have been studying longer. How could we possibly win?"

Hearing that they would be punished, the group of students became restless.

The Chunin instructor said with a beaming smile.

"Don't worry, I don't expect you to win. I'm counting on Minato to win; you lot just need to make sure you don't perform too poorly."

"So you're counting on Minato to win? You should have been clearer, teacher; you almost gave me the wrong idea."

"Minato is a genius whose strength is far beyond ours. Aside from the Hyuga brothers, no one is his match."

Although Namikaze Minato was a civilian ninja, he possessed superhuman reflexes and incredible speed. Like Sasuke, he was a genius in the class.

The Hyuga brothers were Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga. They were a grade ahead and were hailed as a pair of genius brothers, much like Hyuga Neji, and were considered the strongest ninjas of the new generation.

Everyone had always been curious about who was stronger between Minato and the Hyuga brothers. Now that they finally had a chance to compete, they all became excited.

Kushina Uzumaki whispered in defiance.

"What's so genius about that sissy? Kurohane should be much stronger than him!"

Uchiha Kurohane smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Although you are right, don't say it out loud. I don't want to attract attention, which is why I intentionally became a dead last."

"So that's how it is~ I was wondering why Kurohane was a dead last; it turns out it was on purpose!"

Kushina Uzumaki pursed her lips and smiled happily.

She seemed proud of Uchiha Kurohane's strength.

Yoshino Nara had never witnessed Uchiha Kurohane's true strength, and the look she gave him was tinged with disdain.

"Are you saying your failing grades were intentional, and that you could be first in the class if you just tried?"

Facing Yoshino Nara's sarcasm, Uchiha Kurohane did not hold it against her, merely retorting calmly.

"You're wrong. I don't need to try to be first in the class. If I want to, I can be first; there's no need for effort at all."

All Uchiha Kurohane needed were Entries.

Yoshino Nara covered her forehead, speechless.

"I have never seen someone as shameless as you."

What could a ten-year-old girl like you possibly know?

In the world of the Hokage, the number one dead last, Naruto, saved the world, while the second, Obito, destroyed the ninja world.

The third dead last, Jiraiya, reached the Kage level.

The weakest dead last, Choji, could use Butterfly Mode, a secret technique that could increase his power a hundredfold—a low-spec version of the Eight Gates.

The dead lasts have always been the strongest.