Morning fog covers the village.
Too thick.
Too quiet.
Even the usual noise of merchants and chatter feels distant. Muted.
He walks slowly toward the academy.
Hood on.
Left eye hidden under a cloth.
Covered for now.
But he can feel it pulsing beneath.
Changing.
Evolving.
He doesn't understand it yet.
But he knows one thing—
It's no longer broken.
It's waking up.
And the world is about to feel it.
Iruka is late.
The class waits.
Murmurs ripple through the students.
Naruto throws a paper ball at him. "Hey, bro, you okay? You look dead."
He forces a smirk. "Didn't sleep."
Sasuke eyes him.
Like a predator watching another.
Then the door bursts open.
A shinobi steps in.
Not Iruka.
Scar across his lip. White hair. A mist ninja forehead protector—scratched through.
All of the students freeze.
The man speaks.
Voice cold. "Class dismissed."
The kids don't move.
He glares. "Now."
They rush out.
Except him.
Naruto too.
And Sasuke.
All three remain seated.
The man's eyes shift between them.
Then settle on him.
"You. Come with me."
Naruto stands. "Hey—who are you?"
The man doesn't answer.
But chakra starts to build around him.
Dense.
Killing intent leaks.
Sasuke stands too now. Silent. Watching.
"You're not from the Leaf," he mutters.
The man smirks. "Smart boy."
Then moves.
Fast.
Too fast.
His hand goes for his throat.
But—
His eye opens.
Time bends.
Slows.
He steps aside.
Grabs the man's arm.
Twists.
A crack.
The rogue ninja grunts.
But spins and throws a kunai anyway.
It nicks Naruto.
Blood.
Sasuke moves instantly—kicks the man in the ribs.
He flies into the wall.
A second passes.
Then laughter.
"You kids are interesting…"
He stands back up.
Bones cracking.
Then we see it—
His face shifts.
Disguised.
It melts off like clay.
And beneath—
A face covered in burn scars.
Half his face missing.
One red eye.
The other—white like a dead fish.
"You've got something dangerous, kid," he says.
"And I've been sent to test it."
Without warning, ten senbon needles fly.
He dodges five.
Blocks three.
Two hit him.
Neck and thigh.
Poison.
Fast acting.
His knees wobble.
He falls back, breathing hard.
The man steps closer.
"I know what's inside your eye."
He can barely lift his hand.
Naruto tries to help.
Sasuke charges.
But the man sidesteps.
Flicks his finger.
Sasuke is slammed into the wall.
Knocked out.
Naruto screams.
Shadow clone jutsu.
Ten Narutos rush the enemy.
He destroys them one by one.
But it buys time.
Enough time.
His eye begins to glow.
The pain fades.
The poison burns out.
The dojutsu… is cleansing his blood.
A flash of images flood his mind.
Symbols.
Seals.
Flickers of knowledge.
Words appear again.
"Awaken Protocol 2: Mist Disruption."
He blinks.
And time—
Shifts.
Not slows.
Not stops.
But shifts.
The enemy's movement becomes… predictable.
He sees it before it happens.
And he moves perfectly.
He weaves a seal he's never learned.
Hands move by instinct.
"Kaigan no Kōen…"
The eye pulses.
A crimson circle glows under the man's feet.
He stares down.
Confused.
Then screams.
Fire erupts from the seal.
Silent fire.
Cold fire.
It wraps around him like chains.
He can't move.
The man coughs blood.
Falls to his knees.
"…Impossible…"
"You said you came to test it," he says.
Steps forward.
Eyes burning.
"I hope you're satisfied."
The man looks up.
Smiles even as blood pours from his mouth.
"You're… not… supposed to exist…"
And then—
His body crumbles into ash.
Only the scratched Mist headband remains.
Silence.
He collapses.
Naruto runs to him.
"Dude?! What was that?! That jutsu wasn't even in the academy books—!"
He breathes shallow.
Can't answer.
Sasuke wakes up slowly.
Wipes the blood from his lip.
Sits up.
"…You're not like the rest of us," he says flatly.
Not a question.
A statement.
They all sit there in silence.
The classroom destroyed.
Smoke lingering.
Then Iruka arrives.
Sees the scene.
The three students. The burns. The ashes.
His face turns pale.
"What the hell happened here?"
No one answers.
But he sees the Mist headband.
Sees the chakra residue.
And knows.
A few hours later.
He's summoned to the Hokage Tower.
Third Hokage looks tired.
But his eyes—sharp as ever.
He places the burnt headband on his desk.
"So… a Mist hunter-nin entered our village. Unnoticed. Disguised. During class hours."
He doesn't speak.
The Hokage continues.
"And he came straight for you."
Another silence.
Then Hiruzen sighs.
"You have no memory of your past?"
"No," he replies.
"Do you know what your eye is?"
"No," he repeats.
The old man leans forward.
"Then I'll tell you what I think."
He lights his pipe.
Smoke fills the room.
"I think you were sent here. Not by accident. Not by fate. But by design."
He says nothing.
"And I think your dojutsu… is not of this world."
His heart races.
The Hokage looks him dead in the eye.
"Whatever you are… the shinobi world will soon learn your name. I only hope you choose the right side."
That night.
He stands on the same rooftop as before.
Watching the moon.
The red glow from his eye faintly reflecting in the glass.
He hears footsteps.
Naruto.
Carrying two ramen bowls.
"Brought you dinner," he says.
Hands him one.
They sit in silence.
Then Naruto speaks.
"Do you think we'll always be on the same side?"
He doesn't answer immediately.
Just looks at the glowing village.
The lights.
The peace that feels like it could break any second.
"…I don't know."
Naruto chuckles.
"Well, if you ever go evil or something… just make sure I get a cool fight scene."
A rare smile.
"…Deal."
Far away.
On a hill overlooking Konoha.
Two figures stand.
One tall. Cloaked.
The other short. Hooded.
The tall one speaks.
"The eye has begun to evolve."
The hooded one nods.
"Should we interfere?"
"No. Let him grow."
"Until when?"
"Until he remembers who he is…"