Konoha, Year 59 — Ninja Academy
"I finally graduated... Yesterday's Taijutsu exam was way too close."
"Close? Are you serious? Even the worst student can pass that graduation test. Don't act like it was some big achievement." Morino Idate sneered, looking at Rock Lee.
"Come on, Idate. That guy may not know any ninjutsu or genjutsu, but taijutsu just happens to be his strength."
"Tsk, and someone who can't even use ninjutsu or genjutsu still get to graduate? Rock Lee sure is lucky..."
"Lucky? More like his so-called 'graduation' is the start of a nightmare. Being a ninja isn't child's play. I just hope I'm not placed in the same squad as him."
"Yeah, having a useless teammate like that would be a real pain..."
"Speaking of last place, we've got to talk about this year's top graduate—Hyuga Neji. I wonder if I'll be lucky enough to end up on the same team as him."
"Totally. With the Hyuga clan's Byakugan, you can avoid so many dangers! Having a teammate like that would make missions way safer."
"Eh... but that guy doesn't exactly have the friendliest personality."
As the chatter around him grew louder, Ishikawa let out a quiet sigh. His gaze unconsciously drifted toward the three figures standing ahead of him.
Hyuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten.
Damn it! Why is it that everyone else who time-travels ends up as someone important—Naruto, Sasuke, or at least someone from a powerful bloodline like the Senju, Uchiha, Uzumaki, or Hyuga? Even being a Jinchūriki would be acceptable!
At the very least, they all have names, roles, and a place in the story. Some even come from other villages! But me? I'm just some random background character in the same year as Hyuga Neji?! What kind of twisted fate is this?!
Staring at Neji and the other two with a conflicted, frustrated gaze, Ishikawa couldn't suppress the tangled emotions in his heart any longer.
Aside from Team Guy, none of the other teams from this graduating Genin even made it into the spotlight. The only other named person around was Morino Idate, who ends up as a rebellious side character at best.
Seriously, what kind of rotten luck is this?
It would be one thing if he were just an unremarkable extra—but he didn't even get the standard system cheat every transmigrator gets! How is this even fair?
For regular folks, becoming a Chunin is already considered impressive. Jonin? That's reserved for genius-level civilians. And when the Fourth Great Ninja War rolls around, it's all about bloodlines and overpowered hacks. Even Might Guy, the ultimate hard work, shiny teeth man with the Eight Gates, lost in the end!
So what the hell is a commoner like me supposed to do?!
The even crueler reality? Forget surviving the Fourth Great Ninja War—in just two years, when Orochimaru invades, Ishikawa isn't even sure if his weak body will make it through!
What's he supposed to do? Reveal himself as a time traveler and start dropping spoilers?
Yeah, right. The moment he opens his mouth, he'd be mind-read, locked up, or worse—killed on the spot.
Whether it's the Third Hokage or Danzo, there's no way they'd let a rogue time traveler run loose in the Shinobi World, exposing Konoha's secrets and future events.
In short... he'd be screwed.
"Everyone, quiet down!!"
Just as Ishikawa was spiraling in despair, a voice boomed through the room. A Chunin had entered the classroom, instantly silencing the chatter.
It was their homeroom teacher, Konoha Chuunin, Hara Kamine.
"First, let me congratulate you all on graduating and officially becoming Genin. From this moment forward, you're independent ninjas tasked with protecting the Hidden Leaf.
Soon, you'll be divided into three-man squads, each assigned a Jonin instructor who'll guide you on missions.
But don't start celebrating just yet. Becoming a Genin is only the beginning. If your Jonin teacher deems you unqualified... you'll be sent back to the Academy to repeat the year."
"I don't want to see any of you here again, so take this seriously."
With that stern warning, Hara Kamine lifted a list and began reading aloud.
At once, the room grew tense. Smiles faded, gulps were swallowed, and cold sweat began to bead on foreheads.
No one wanted to go back. And everyone knew it was true, as they had seen such cases.
'Repeat a grade? If I wanted to do that, why the hell did I bother passing the exam yesterday?' Ishikawa sneered inwardly at the threat, though his expression remained calm.
He had time-traveled just a week ago. Honestly, if he'd really wanted to, graduating alongside Naruto and Sasuke would've been a piece of cake.
But Ishikawa had tossed that naive idea aside almost immediately.
Delaying graduation by a year meant one more year to grow stronger—physically, mentally, and strategically.
And in a world as dangerous as this, that extra year could mean the difference between life and death.
Konoha will collapse in two years. The Fourth Great Ninja War will erupt in five. If I don't want to die a meaningless death, there's only one path: graduate as soon as possible and grow stronger… fast.
"Team Three: Hyuga Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee."
Team Guy… they're finally here. Ishikawa muttered internally, his gaze landing on the trio with mixed emotions.
Even though Neji would fall in the Fourth War, it didn't change the fact that these three were powerhouses among regular shinobi.
They were part of the legendary "Konoha Twelve"—the strongest new generation of the village.
"Ha! I'll surpass Neji for sure and become a top Konoha ninja!" Rock Lee spoke enthusiastically.
"Whoa, we're in the same group as Neji? That's amazing!" Tenten spoke.
Cheers and jealous murmurs echoed around the room as Neji, Tenten, and Lee reacted—each shouting confidently, without even a shred of unity or team coordination.
"Haha, now I can finally relax. No chance I'll be grouped with that dead-last Lee…"
"Seriously. But still, lucky guy. Getting paired with Neji must be a way to balance out team strength."
The last one, huh…
Ishikawa smirked as he glanced at the two arrogant classmates beside him, eyes brimming with quiet disdain.
Maybe in some places, the last-ranked really is the weakest, but this is Konoha. Here, the so-called 'dead last' is usually a hidden monster in disguise. That's way out of your league to judge.
If he had the drive to endure Eight Gates training, Ishikawa would've begged to become Guy-sensei's disciple. After all, that was the true ceiling for a normal person without a bloodline or a cheat.
"Next up—Team Seven."
Hearing that, Ishikawa casually turned toward Hara Kamine, curious to see which three poor souls would be sacrificed to Kakashi's infamous test. In the original timeline, the team before Naruto's had been wiped out in a single blow.
"Jiro, Taro Yamada… and Mitarai Ishikawa."
"WHAT?!" The classroom buzzed as Ishikawa's eyes widened, pupils shrinking. His breath caught.
Mitarai Ishikawa—that's me!
This outcome was completely beyond Ishikawa's expectations.
Me? One of the three unlucky ones?!
Today's Kakashi wasn't the mature, wise Sixth Hokage of the future—he was still emotionally distant, recently pulled out of Anbu, and had zero interest in leading a team. If he didn't like what he saw, he wouldn't hesitate to label you 'unqualified' and send you packing.
If it hadn't been for Naruto and Sasuke's special status and the protagonist halo they had, Kakashi would've failed them without blinking!
But then a thought struck him, and Ishikawa's eyes suddenly lit up. No… this might be my chance to change everything!
Kakashi's infamous test? To others, it was a nightmare. But to a time traveler like Ishikawa, it was practically an open-book exam.
If he could somehow pass and earn Kakashi's recognition, he'd be under the direct guidance of a future Hokage. Even without a cheat system, that alone could become a huge springboard to help him leap across social and power class lines.
In the original story, the only reason someone like Kakashi was assigned to a Genin team was that the Third Hokage wanted him to reconnect with people, to change and heal. That opportunity never belonged to extras like him in the original timeline. But now?
This is my shot!
He didn't have a golden finger. He wasn't from a bloodline clan. His goal wasn't to become Hokage or save the world. All Ishikawa wanted was to rise steadily and become a Special Jonin in five years.
That alone would be a massive success for a background character like him.
Let the chosen ones save the world. Me? I'm just trying to survive.
Kakashi... I need to cling to your leg like my life depends on it!
"Yo! Kakashi, how about we compete again to see who becomes a good team leader first?" a loud, passionate voice suddenly rang out from the doorway, dragging Ishikawa out of his thoughts.
"…This is why you dragged me here so early? Sorry. I refuse." A lazy, indifferent voice followed soon after.
Ishikawa turned his head, just in time to see Might Guy energetically hauling a sleepy-looking Kakashi into the classroom.
"Class 7, come with me," Kakashi muttered, half-asleep, hands in his pockets as he turned and walked away.
Here we go… Ishikawa exhaled, heart pounding.