Chapter 001: All I Wanted Was to Grow Up with Hinata!
"Wherever there are leaves dancing, fire will burn."
"The shadow of fire illuminates the village, and new leaves sprout. A ninja's true power emerges only when protecting what they cherish."
In other words, to grow stronger, one needs someone to protect.
So… who did he want to protect?
A black-haired boy in the Ninja Academy pondered this as he stared at his exam paper.
Year 61 of Konoha, 145th Genin Graduation Exam.
The test had written and practical sections. He was exempt from the latter, so only the written exam remained.
He scribbled just enough answers to pass, then rested his hands on the desk.
No need to compete for top rank or pretend to be a dropout. Just secure the minimum and move on.
After all…
He wasn't from this world.
---
Kitahara Kaede, formerly a student who'd died from overstudying, woke up reborn in Konoha as a war orphan.
The village's deal was simple: "We raise you, you serve us."
He didn't refuse.
But unlike others, he had no ambition. His past life ended from pushing too hard—this time, he'd live normally.
Become an average ninja. Raise a pet rabbit.
---
Ninjas often kept summons, and though not yet official, Kaede had one: a white-eyed rabbit he'd found three years ago.
Aloof, prideful, but stunningly beautiful—so he kept it.
---
"Iruka-sensei… I'm submitting early."
Amidst the scratching of pencils, Kaede raised his hand.
Iruka checked the paper—60/100, all correct—and sighed. The boy was brilliant but lazy.
"Passed. Here's your forehead protector."
With that, Konoha gained a new ninja.
---
"W-wait—!"
A voice called out, but a hand clutched his arm first.
The girl had waist-length black hair, pearlescent eyes, and a figure already hinting at future curves. Dressed in a blue jacket with fishnet stockings, she was—
Hinata… but the blackened version.
In this world, "The Road to Ninja" Hinata existed too: bold, assertive, and clingy.
Every month, she'd switch personalities for a week. Kaede didn't mind—two Hinatas were better than one.
"Why'd you follow me?" He tried pulling free, but she clung tighter.
"I passed too!" She flashed her forehead protector, eyes gleaming. Praise me.
Kaede sighed. His rabbit was icy, yet this Hinata was fire.
"Let's go to the weapon shop."
"No need." She preened. "I bought three sets—one for you, one spare, and one for me to… keep."
"…Why?"
"For luck!"
Kaede deadpanned. "Then let's buy rabbit food."
Hinata froze. "…I'm not visiting your house today."
"Why?"
"Your rabbit hates me." She shuddered. "It looks at me like I'm… trash."
Chapter 002: My Ninja Rabbit is Somewhat Special!
The ninja rabbit in Kitahara Kaede's home was picked up three years ago at the entrance of Konoha Village.
At that time, the rabbit had fainted, and he took it home with him.
He basically treated it as an ordinary pet.
But if even the clingy Black Hinata froze in its presence, didn't that mean his rabbit was somewhat unusual?
Pondering this, Kaede returned to his residence.
---
The village provided housing for war orphans.
Kaede was assigned an apartment on the second floor.
He glanced at the neighboring unit—it was where Uzumaki Naruto lived.
That's right.
Naruto, also a war orphan, lived next door.
But their living conditions were worlds apart.
Unlike Kaede's spotless apartment, Naruto's place was small and shabby, with graffiti scrawled across the door:
[Fox demon, get out!]
[You don't deserve to be a ninja!]
[Nine-Tailed Freak!]
It was downright pitiful.
The Third Hokage hadn't been fair. Naruto's father was the Fourth Hokage—he should have been hailed as a hero's son.
But the Third concealed that identity while revealing Naruto's status as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
The Nine-Tails attack had caused massive casualties.
Most shinobi families suffered losses, and since they couldn't direct their anger at the Third, they took it out on Naruto instead.
So, the little boy endured far too much.
He always acted cheerful, but late at night, Kaede often heard him crying.
"..."
Kaede used the Body Flicker Technique to slip into Naruto's apartment and left the takeout he'd brought on the table.
Naruto received a stipend as an orphan, but no one would sell him food. Even when he could order takeout, it was often tampered with.
So, Kaede made a habit of bringing him meals.
---
But Naruto wasn't his focus right now. Kaede pushed open his own door.
His 75-square-meter apartment was comfortable and cozy—a stark contrast to Naruto's cramped 30-square-meter unit.
His monthly allowance was also 30,000 ryō, unlike Naruto's meager few thousand.
"..."
The Fourth worked his ass off for what?
He's gone, and his son's suffering. He'd have been better off slacking, refusing the Hokage title, and taking care of his family.
But Kaede's attention quickly shifted.
He looked toward the windowsill and spoke.
"You're staring at the moon already?"
"But it's not even out yet."
"If you want to see it, I can show you anytime."
"Still, you need to eat something today."
His gaze settled on a soft blanket in the corner of the window, where a rabbit sat with its back turned to him—aloof and proud.
Kaede approached and leaned against the windowsill, studying his pet.
This rabbit had peculiar habits.
It spent its days发呆 (zoning out), staring at the moon from the windowsill.
Even if he opened the window, it never ran away.
Yet it was also foolish—when it rained, it stayed put, getting soaked.
The rabbit's fur was snow-white, its paws a delicate red, and its eyes...
Pure white.
Unlike ordinary rabbits with wine-red eyes, his pet's were utterly colorless—so clear they seemed translucent.
One glance was enough to leave an unforgettable impression.
Admittedly, while most animals in the ninja world could talk, use chakra, and cooperate with shinobi...
His rabbit never made a sound.
Not even a squeak.
Like it was mute.
But...
Despite its flaws, his rabbit was... undoubtedly... the most beautiful one, right?
---
Kaede reached out, using the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind it.
Poof!
But the rabbit instantly teleported to the opposite side of the sill, lifting its eyes to glare at him coldly.
Still refusing to be touched, huh?
This stubbornness dated back to three years ago, when he'd first found it unconscious and rubbed its butt so much he made a bald spot.
The rabbit had been horrified upon waking up.
And it still held a grudge.
---
Snick, snick—
Kaede washed and sliced the carrots he'd bought, selecting the most tender, pinkish center pieces and discarding the rest.
This rabbit didn't run, flee, vocalize, or speak—but it was extremely picky about food.
If the meal didn't meet its standards, it would starve for a month.
Strangely, even after a month without food or water, it showed no signs of weakness—its fur remained lustrous.
Almost like... it didn't need sustenance.
The only known creatures like that were the Tailed Beasts.
Kaede had wondered if this rabbit was a transformed Tailed Beast, but it never revealed any clues.
He placed the plate on the table.
Only then did the rabbit leave the windowsill, teleporting to the table in an instant.
It refused to eat off the floor or from pet dishes—only human plates, on the table.
After eating, it even wiped its mouth with a napkin.
So damn fussy.
But as Kaede handed it a carrot slice, the rabbit suddenly hesitated—then dropped the carrot and grabbed his left middle finger with both paws.
"Oh? Finally acknowledging me as your master? Wanting to act cute?" Kaede was delighted.
But then—
Sharp pain!
"Eh—?!"
"My eyes—!"
Something was... wrong.
---
Meanwhile...
Hatake Kakashi arrived at the academy.
Chapter 003: The Descendants' Chat Group Opens! (Please Support!)
Kakashi had received unpleasant news.
The Third Hokage was pulling him from ANBU duties—this time for good.
He was being forced to take on a genin team, and one of his students would be...
The son of his late teacher, the Fourth Hokage.
Who was also the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
Kakashi had always believed his teacher and the child died during the Nine-Tails' attack.
But now he was being told that very child was the village's most despised outcast.
Back then, Minato had personally assigned him to protect Kushina during her pregnancy.
And yet...
What the hell had he even protected?
Regret gnawed at him, but he had a job to do.
The Third informed him that Naruto would graduate, and Kakashi was to be his jonin instructor.
Normally, teams consisted of three genin.
Aside from Naruto, another member was pre-selected: Uchiha Sasuke, the last survivor of the Uchiha clan.
Both boys carried heavy legacies.
Kakashi needed a third student to balance the team.
Standard practice was two boys and one girl, but...
"Are these all the exam papers?" Kakashi, ever meticulous, didn't want to choose carelessly.
"Yes," Iruka nodded. "Every student's exam is here."
"Also..."
"There's one particular student I'd like to mention."
As a chunin instructor, Iruka was nervous around the famed Copy Ninja.
But since Kakashi would be teaching Naruto, Iruka wanted to recommend a suitable teammate.
He'd taught these kids since they were six—he knew them.
"Oh?"
"No need for recommendations."
Kakashi brushed him off.
But then—
Hm?
His eye caught on a specific exam paper.
The name written on the edge: Kitahara Kaede.
"This one..." Kakashi frowned.
"Yes, 60 points—a pass," Iruka said. "That's actually the student I wanted to recommend. He's... brilliant. I suspect his knowledge and skills might surpass even Sasuke's."
"..."
A genius?
Kakashi had been a prodigy himself—graduating at five, becoming a chunin at six.
How much more "genius" could this kid be?
But a quick skim of the exam revealed something odd.
The student had only answered enough to pass—and every answer was correct.
That kind of precision suggested either a twisted sense of humor or...
Genuine talent.
Interesting.
Just as Kakashi pondered this, a voice exploded in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Descendants' Chat Group (^_-) has been created!]
[Alternate Name: Kitahara Kaede Observation Squad.]
[Live broadcasts of Kaede's activities will be available for 3 hours daily.]
[This group transcends time, space, and even death.]
[Minimum entry requirement: Kage-level strength or recognized Kage status.]
[Welcome, the Weakest Hokage—Sixth Hokage Hatake Kakashi!]
"???"
Kakashi was baffled.
[Location detected: Konoha. Special permission granted to invite three Konoha Kage-level figures.]
[Options: A) Uchiha Madara, B) Hashirama Senju, C) Minato Namikaze, D) Tobirama Senju.]
"???"
Kakashi was completely lost.
[Time remaining: 3 seconds. Random selection commencing.]
[Sixth Hokage - Kakashi]: Huh?!
[Selection complete: Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Minato Namikaze added.]
[Ding! @Minato Namikaze, your student Kakashi is here. Won't you greet him?]
[@Hashirama Senju, @Tobirama Senju, welcome to the Descendants' Chat Group (^_-)!]
[Minato Namikaze]: What is this place...?
[Tobirama Senju]: Fascinating.
[Hashirama Senju]: Oh? Tobirama, you're here too! Did you finally die? I've been waiting forever in that cramped pure world!
[Tobirama Senju]: "..."