The Hidden Leaf Village, Konoha Orphanage.
This place was located in a remote area; after all, it housed war orphans. To nip any trouble in the bud, the orphanage could not be built in the central district of Konoha.
As night fell, the facility—filled only with children and staff—was far from the bustling streets and settled into sleep early. Aside from the chirping of nocturnal insects, the orphanage was swallowed by the dense forest and the darkness.
At this time, while everyone in the other rooms had long since fallen asleep, inside the Director's room:
Smack, smack, smack!
Two pale bodies were intertwined, moving in a rhythmic cadence accompanied by heavy, ragged breathing.
Looking at the young man atop her—barely twenty-one, drenched in sweat and breathing hard—the woman beneath him remained exceptionally tender. Despite enduring his blunt, unrestrained desires, her refined face, appearing to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, held a look of profound gentleness.
Even as a layer of fragrant sweat coated her own forehead and body, she gasped lightly, reaching up with a slender hand to wipe the perspiration from his face. She whispered softly, "Are you tired? If you are, take a rest. If you want me, Sister Yakushi is yours whenever you wish."
Looking into the Director's face—as gentle as a mother's—the young man felt a surge of guilt. She was the one enduring the strain, yet she was the one worrying about him. His heart raced, and his breathing grew even heavier.
"Sister Yakushi, will you have a child with me?" the young man asked passionately, gazing into her tender eyes.
"Mm," Nono'u responded softly. Seeing this, the young man could no longer restrain himself.
Sensing his state, Nono'u actively responded to his passion. After a high-pitched, lingering cry, everything fell silent, leaving only the sound of heavy panting.
After a long while, seeing that the young man was still catching his breath, Nono'u—whose eyes had momentarily glazed over—recovered her senses. She gently stroked the back of his head and back, whispering breathlessly, "That's enough for tonight. Don't exhaust yourself. You have to go to the front lines tomorrow. If you miss me, I'll give myself to you again when you return in victory."
Lifting his head to look into those watery, gentle eyes that seemed capable of embracing the whole world, the young man said firmly, "Don't worry, Sister Director. We will definitely win. I will definitely come back safe."
"Mm, I believe you. But you must protect yourself," Nono'u urged gently.
The story of this pair—the young man and the older woman—began several years ago.
"Good morning, Saiki-kun!"
"Mm, morning everyone."
With a mild smile, Saiki greeted his classmates at the Ninja Academy. He walked to the back row and took the "King's Seat" by the window.
His little follower, Shizune, sat down right beside him.
"Graduation is coming soon, isn't it?"
Looking out the window at the Academy gates, Saiki Shiroya couldn't help but sigh. It had been nearly three years since he arrived in this world, and nearly three years since he enrolled in the Academy.
The year was Konoha 44. The smoke from the Second Great Ninja War had not yet fully dissipated, yet border conflicts between the Five Great Nations were intensifying. The Third Great Ninja War was about to begin.
During times of peace, students usually graduated at twelve. However, based on his knowledge of Naruto's history, Saiki knew they would likely be forced to graduate early.
His name was Saiki Shiroya, a traveler from another world. He had no memories of his parents; he only had a name. He had been picked up from the battlefield by Tsunade.
Regarding the future, Saiki felt a bit lost. This damn world of shinobi had no safe harbor. Outside, people were constantly "leveling buildings," while Konoha was a hive of schemes and shadow plays.
His current class included Shizune, Kurenai Yuhi, Rin Nohara, Asuma Sarutobi, and Obito Uchiha. As for the others, they were mere extras; Saiki didn't have much interest in memorizing them.
With the front lines looming, very few of these people would survive.
The reason he bothered remembering Asuma and Obito was that one was the Third Hokage's son, and the other was a future mastermind.
The famous Kakashi Hatake had only stayed at the school for half a year before applying for graduation. He became a Chunin at age six and was already on the front lines.
Even Might Guy—the "Eternal Genin" who would nearly kick a god to death in the finale—had graduated over a year ago at age seven.
Only a fellow like Saiki continued to lurk in the school. For him, the later he graduated, the better.
"Morning, Boss!"
"Oh, Genhai. You're here."
Turning back to look at the boy with the black, spiky hair and boundless energy, Saiki smiled. Despite the spiky hair, the boy sadly didn't possess an "Imagine Breaker."
After greeting Saiki, Genhai turned to the well-behaved Shizune beside him. "Good morning, Miss Shizune-Boss!"
Hearing this, Shizune's cute face flushed red. "Morning, Genhai. But if you call me that again, I'm going to ignore you!"
Hahaha!
The boy laughed, then asked Saiki, "Boss, what are you looking at?"
"Nothing."
As the three chatted, they quickly drew the ire of some other students.
"Tch, what's he so smug about?"
"Keep it down. Can you even beat him? Careful he doesn't hear you."
Saiki had been brought back by Tsunade. After staying at the orphanage for a while to ensure he wasn't a spy, he moved in with Tsunade and Shizune. Consequently, Shizune became Saiki's little shadow.
As for "Genhai," the spiky-haired boy who didn't appear in the original story, Saiki had stepped in when he was being bullied by classmates. As his desk-mate, Saiki felt obligated to help.
One thing led to another, and Saiki became the "Boss" in Genhai's eyes.
Soon, the teacher entered the classroom.
With graduation imminent, today's lesson was a test of the Three Basic Jutsu: Clone, Transformation, and Substitution. Among them, the Clone Jutsu was the most difficult.
The classroom was a mix of cheers and bursts of laughter as the Chunin teacher held a clipboard, calling out names one by one.
"Hyuga Kagami!"
A boy from the Hyuga branch house, carrying the typical arrogance of a noble clan, walked to the front. His hands blurred through signs.
Poof!
A cloud of white smoke erupted, and a clone nearly identical to the Hyuga boy appeared beside him. The Chunin teacher nodded and marked the score.
"Hyuga Kagami, 90 points!"
"Next, Saiki Shiroya!"
Before Saiki could even react to his name, several girls in the class started cheering for him.
"Go, Saiki!"
"Saiki-kun is the best!"
Shizune also pumped a small fist. "Good luck, Saiki!"
"You got this, Boss!" Genhai shouted.
It was Saiki's turn, yet these people seemed more nervous and excited than he was. He felt a bit speechless—it wasn't like he was a dead-last student; there was no need for such intense encouragement.
Walking to the front, Saiki's hands moved in a rapid blur.
Poof!
Similarly, a cloud of white smoke burst forth. Out of the smoke stepped a clone identical to Saiki. Compared to the previous Hyuga student, Saiki's clone was clearly more perfect. Even though it was a standard Clone Jutsu—a mere illusion with no combat ability—its expressions were as vivid as the real thing.
Saiki himself didn't react, but the girls who had been cheering let out gasps of admiration. It wasn't because the jutsu was incredibly powerful, but rather because these young girls were infatuated with him. Saiki's looks were top-tier.
"Not bad. 95 points!"
The Chunin teacher nodded at Saiki while recording the score. It was hard to tell if he was grading the technique or the boy's appearance.
In truth, even the Chunin teacher couldn't make a basic clone look that perfect. But 95 was already high; he couldn't give a perfect score, as there had to be room for improvement.
As a transmigrator, Saiki should have been a "dead-last" who couldn't master the Clone Jutsu, but his "cheat" gave him a massive advantage.
Saiki possessed the powers of the Hana Hana no Mi (Flower-Flower Fruit)—the ability of Nico Robin from One Piece. He could sprout body parts like blooming flowers and even create full clones.
Therefore, forget the standard Clone Jutsu; Saiki's "Flower Clones" were even more advanced than the Shadow Clones created by the Second Hokage. Not only did they have physical substance, but they were made of real flesh and blood.
Every move Saiki made drew the attention of the young girls. Even after he returned to his seat, they continued to cast lovestruck glances his way. They were only eight or nine years old!
Children in the shinobi world matured at an alarming rate, which often gave Saiki a bit of a headache.
"Saiki-kun really is amazing..."
Watching his goddess cast admiring looks at Saiki, Obito Uchiha's eyes burned with jealousy and rage. His fists were clenched tight.
"That damn jerk... just like Kakashi Hatake, he's so annoying! Such a show-off!" Obito gritted his teeth, looking like he wanted to bite Saiki.
Then, Obito received a lecture from his goddess.
"Obito, you shouldn't talk about Saiki-kun like that! He's actually a very kind person!"
Hearing his goddess scold him while defending his rival, Obito's heart shattered instantly. His entire spirit deflated into a state of deep gloom.