Date: January 13th, 999 A.S.
Time: 6:55 AM — First Snowfall of the Year
Location: Konoha, Academy District
The first snowfall came in the night—thick, white, and unspoiled. Konoha's slate rooftops and tangled pine trees sat draped in winter's hush, the world muffled and calm. Chimneys puffed faint smoke, and the village streets were alive with the crisp crunch of children walking to the Academy beneath a lazy cascade of flurries.
Naruto Uzumaki walked with an odd sort of energy this morning, the sharp cold nipping at his cheeks but failing to dull the warmth gathering inside his chest. He wore his patched orange coat, a scarf Sakura had knitted for him last week, and a ridiculous grin as he walked down the lane toward the schoolyard.
He wasn't walking alone.
Three girls flanked him—two from lesser clans, and one civilian child who had taken to sitting beside him during lunch. They laughed easily, their eyes bright with attention, their gloved hands holding lunchboxes and snowballs. Naruto, for his part, looked slightly confused by all the attention but not exactly displeased.
From the other end of the path, Sakura Haruno watched. Her cheeks pinked—but not from the cold. She narrowed her eyes at the younger girl from the Hayashi family who looped her arm casually around Naruto's and giggled as he tripped on the curb.
"Can you believe that?" she muttered under her breath.
Ino, who had been walking beside her the whole time, smirked. "Ooooh, someone's getting possessive."
"I am not," Sakura said quickly. "I just—some of those girls are too young. And clingy."
Ino leaned in, whispering in the tone of a scheming noble. "Well, if you don't claim him soon, someone else will. Especially now that he's Go champion of the Upper Yard. I heard even theNara kidsgroan when they see him."
Sakura flushed. "It's not about that."
Ino raised an eyebrow. "You're right. It's about how cute he looks when he blushes."
"Ino!"
They bickered all the way to the Academy steps, but Ino saw it—how Sakura's eyes remained locked on Naruto. Even after they entered the building and the warmth settled in, her gaze was never far from him.
Later That Day — Academy Training Grounds, 3:14 PM
The snow had been trampled by a dozen sparring matches, leaving patches of churned ice and scuffed earth. Breath misted from young genin hopefuls as they practiced footwork drills and target throws. But today's crowd was gathered for something else.
A sparring match—Naruto Uzumaki versus Uchiha Sasuke.
It had been Iruka's idea, though he knew the risks. Two rising forces in the Academy: Sasuke, already known for his quiet genius and Sharingan bloodline potential. Naruto, now whispered about as a seal student and chakra talent with strange new backing.
They had never truly clashed. Until now.
"First to three tags or pinfall," Iruka announced, voice even but his gaze watchful. "No killing blows. No substitutions. Chakra use is allowed."
The students formed a wide circle, snow crunching under their boots. Sakura stood near the edge, fists clenched inside her coat sleeves. Ino leaned toward her.
"This is going to be so good."
Naruto stepped into the ring with a careful breath. He wasn't scared—but he was wary. Sasuke's gaze was flat, emotionless. But there was something deeper in his eyes. A tension. A calculation.
They bowed.
Then they moved.
Sasuke struck first—fast, feinting left before pivoting into a sweeping kick. Naruto ducked under it, pushed off the churned snow, and flipped backward, chakra flaring subtly in his legs. He'd grown more agile—Kizashi's training had made him tighter, faster.
Sasuke advanced again, a blur of calculated strikes.
Naruto blocked two, took a glancing shot to the ribs, then twisted and slapped a chalk tag to Sasuke's arm.
"One," Iruka called.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. The next exchange was quicker, sharper—taijutsu with a kind of elegance Naruto couldn't match yet. He ate a leg sweep and hit the ground hard.
Sasuke tagged him.
"One-one."
Sakura bit her lip.
Naruto got up, wiped blood from his lip, and grinned. "Heh…not bad."
Sasuke said nothing. But there was a flicker in his eyes now. Respect. Wariness.
They charged again.
This time Naruto ducked the strike, chakra pulsing at his heels as he darted low and kicked up snow. He used it to obscure a hand motion—a single, compact sign—and tossed a harmless sealing scroll midair.
Sasuke glanced at it—and Naruto used that heartbeat of distraction to slide under and tag his back.
"Two-one."
The crowd murmured.
Sasuke's jaw tensed. But when he moved again, he was faster—truly fast now, letting his frustration fuel his focus. The strikes came in elegant patterns, and Naruto began to stumble—barely dodging, blocking awkwardly, pushed to the edge of the sparring circle.
Then Sasuke caught his wrist, twisted, and slammed Naruto down.
"Two-two."
The last round was quiet. The crowd held its breath.
They stood across from each other. Naruto was panting slightly. Sasuke's shoulders were taut.
Then Naruto did something unexpected—he grinned again.
"Thanks for not holding back."
Sasuke blinked.
Naruto blurred forward, low and quick—and this time, he didn't strike first. Hebaited.
Sasuke went for a leg sweep again. Naruto flipped—not away, butintoit—curling in midair and snapping a chalk tag onto Sasuke's forehead as they both crashed into the snow.
The crowd gasped.
Iruka stepped in. "Three-two—Naruto wins."
Sakura screamed, "YES!"
Ino's mouth was hanging open.
Naruto sat up slowly, blinking snow from his lashes. Sasuke remained where he was, snow sticking to his hair.
After a long moment, Sasuke sat up and looked at him. "You're not what I expected."
Naruto gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah, I get that a lot."
They stood. Sasuke offered a hand. Naruto took it.
Something changed then—not just in them, but in everyone watching.
For the first time, Naruto wasn't a surprise. He was acontender.
And the village…was beginning tonotice.
Time: 3:41 PM — Konoha Academy Training Grounds
The snow had mostly melted in the center of the sparring ring, churned to wet slush by the heat of chakra and competition. The air hung thick with the residue of awe, a kind of invisible tension that only came after a moment that shifted things—tilted the balance ever so slightly.
Sasuke Uchiha stood in the center for only a breath longer after Naruto had left the circle. His eyes, dark and brooding, stayed on the ground as if trying to make sense of the match—of the boy he had underestimated.
He had trained his entire life. His family's legacy—his pain—had been forged into ambition and quiet violence.
And he had just lost to Naruto Uzumaki.
Quietly, he turned on his heel and began to walk. No words, no grumbling, no tantrum. But his shoulders were squared with silent intent. He would train harder. He would not be surprised again.
As Sasuke disappeared down the path back toward the academy hall, Naruto leaned back against one of the wooden poles lining the sparring yard, exhaling a long, shaky breath.
"I thought he was gonna break my ribs," Naruto muttered.
"Youwon," Sakura said, stepping closer with pink cheeks and flushed excitement. "YoubeatSasuke Uchiha!"
Naruto looked at her, sheepish and proud. "Wasn't easy. He's really fast. Like…scary fast."
"Yeah," she said, then added quickly, "but you weresmarter. You tricked him with that scroll fakeout. He didn't see it coming."
He chuckled. "I got that idea from Kizashi-sensei. He said misdirection is half the battle."
Sakura smiled, her arms crossed, but her eyes soft. She stepped just a bit closer, brushing snow off his sleeve. "You're amazing, Naruto."
His eyes widened at that, and for a second, he looked like the kid who had once sat in the corner alone with bruises on his knees and ink on his cheeks. He scratched the back of his head and gave a bashful grin.
"You think so?"
Sakura nodded. "Iknowso."
From the opposite end of the yard, Choji Akimichi was stretching his arms. Across from him, Kiba Inuzuka cracked his knuckles with a cocky grin, Akamaru barking once as if to signal their readiness.
Naruto and Sakura sat down together on one of the wooden benches ringing the training ground, the warmth of their moment still lingering between them.
"You think Choji's got a shot?" Naruto asked as he munched on a piece of the dried fruit Sakura had given him earlier.
Sakura grinned. "If Kiba underestimates him, yeah."
They both watched as the match began. Kiba came in fast, like a whirlwind, low to the ground and aggressive. But Choji wasn't backing down. His movements were slower but grounded—full of deceptive power.
Halfway through the match, Choji slammed his hands together, shouted "Expansion Jutsu!" and grew his size just enough to catch Kiba off guard. Kiba rolled, barely dodging a crushing palm strike.
"Whoa!" Naruto cheered.
"They're both better than I thought," Sakura admitted.
Naruto leaned back a little, folding his arms behind his head. "We're all getting better. Not just me."
Sakura tilted her head. "But you're the one that changed everything."
He looked at her, puzzled.
She shrugged. "Before you… people didn't talk about friendship like this. People didn'tstand uplike this."
Naruto flushed slightly but looked away, pretending to watch the spar.
Sakura looked down at her gloves. "I think I'm not afraid anymore. Not really."
There was a moment of silence between them, soft and unspoken.
Naruto glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Hey, Sakura?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for sticking with me."
She looked at him—earnestly, fully—and reached out to squeeze his hand.
"Always."
They sat that way, hand in hand, as Choji managed to knock Kiba off balance and win the match with a triumphant cry. Snow started to fall again, light and lazy from the silver sky above.
Sasuke watched from a distance, hidden in the shadow of a post, his eyes not on Choji or Kiba…but on Naruto.
He would train harder. Smarter. And next time…
He would not lose.
Haruno Household — That Evening
The dining room of the Haruno household was warm, filled with the modest aroma of miso broth and sweet rice cakes, soft chatter rising beneath the hum of an old heating unit. The first snow of the season still clung to the windows like frosting, dimming the edges of the room with winter's hush. The table was set simply—miso soup, grilled vegetables, steamed rice, and a warm teapot resting near Kizashi's elbow.
Naruto sat across from Sakura, his cheeks tinged pink not just from the cold but from the mixture of attention and food. He was still buzzing with adrenaline from the match, though trying hard to appear modest.
Kizashi, chopsticks paused midair above his bowl, leaned forward slightly. His face was calm but attentive, eyes narrowed in a rare glint of appraisal that Sakura had only seen when he reviewed blueprints or recited clan history.
"So," he began, voice even and curious, "you bested Sasuke Uchiha today?"
Naruto paused, halfway through slurping a mouthful of noodles. "Uhh, yeah. I guess I did."
"You didn't guess anything," Sakura shot back with a smirk. "You outmaneuvered him. And not just physically."
Mebuki, seated beside her husband, glanced at Sakura briefly, then back to Naruto. She didn't speak, but her silence had shifted—it wasn't as sharp as it had been. More brittle. Worn down by nights of argument and observation.
Kizashi set his chopsticks down, folded his fingers together, and regarded Naruto as a craftsman might study a raw piece of iron.
"Tell me how you beat him."
Naruto blinked. "Uh… I used a scroll fakeout. Made it look like I was gonna use one technique, then swapped it for another. He was faster, but he didn't expect that."
"Deception layered over instinct," Kizashi murmured. "You've been paying attention."
Naruto scratched the back of his head, grinning shyly. "I try."
Sakura beamed at him from across the table. "He's been practicing every day, even during the cold."
Kizashi leaned back, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "It takes more than effort to fake out an Uchiha. It takesimprovisational tactics, on the fly decision-making. You're already showing combat instincts far above standard academy levels."
Naruto's eyes lit up—not with ego, but with something softer. Gratitude. Recognition.
"You really think so?"
Kizashi gave a firm nod. "I do. And more than that—I think you're showing signs of becoming a field leader one day. Your instincts, your charm, your ability toinspireloyalty... these are not common in children your age."
Mebuki shifted in her seat, frowning faintly.
"Isn't it dangerous to talk like that?" she said finally. "To place so much on his shoulders?"
"Dangerous not to," Kizashi countered gently, but firmly. "Minato was fifteen when he began to lead squads. Kakashi was a jonin by thirteen. And we both know Naruto is not… ordinary."
Sakura glanced between her parents. This was familiar terrain—these subtle debates that had grown sharper in the weeks since Naruto became a part of their home life. Yet this time, something about the weight in her father's voice settled the room like snowfall.
Naruto looked down at his bowl, stirring the broth absently. "I'm just glad you guys let me come here. I don't really... get that at home."
Sakura reached over and nudged his arm. "You do now."
Kizashi smiled faintly. "You're part of this household now, Naruto. That means your victories are ours to celebrate—and your growth, ours to guide."
For the first time that night, Mebuki said nothing.
She just watched Naruto as he ate, slower now, more thoughtful, his face full of quiet yearning. There was no monster in him. No demon behind those blue eyes. Only a boy starved for kindness, fed slowly and steadily by the warmth they were all still learning to share.
Outside, the snow picked up again, fluttering down like ash from the winter sky. And inside, Kizashi Haruno lifted his teacup and saluted the young boy across the table.
"To the beginning," he said quietly.
Naruto blinked. "Of what?"
Kizashi's voice was calm, sure.
"The boy who might one day become Hokage."
In the low-banked shadows beneath the Hokage Monument, deep within a Root surveillance annex disguised as a derelict training yard shed, Danzo Shimura stood alone beside the observation wall—half of his face lost in the hooded silence of the dim light. The air here was sterile, the stone walls smooth and windowless, lined only with the flickering pale glow of chakra-powered display panels. One of them showed the replayed footage of the previous day's spar between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, captured by a carefully embedded surveillance tag hidden in one of the Academy practice grounds.
Naruto's movement played again. The scroll deception. The misdirection. The instinctual retreat into cover before redirecting his momentum in a perfect strike.
"Pause."
The image froze—Naruto mid-leap, expression focused but smiling.
Danzo's one visible eye narrowed.
A door slid open behind him with a soft hiss, and Sai stepped in. He stood perfectly still, emotionless on the surface, though his breathing bore subtle traces of tension. His tunic had been recently re-fastened—either from training or another "conversation" with his superior.
"Report," Danzo said without turning.
Sai bowed. "Uzumaki's progress continues to accelerate. He bested Uchiha Sasuke in public combat. No use of forbidden techniques, but the application of advanced tactics—his own improvisation—was clear."
Danzo didn't respond. His eye remained fixed on the frozen frame.
"There is more," Sai continued. "Kizashi Haruno has begun sealwork training with the boy. They've moved intomulti-layer construct theory. At age nine, that puts him far beyond the expected threshold. Even some chunin struggle with that level."
Danzo turned slightly now, his mouth set into a severe line.
"And the girl?"
"Sakura Haruno. She asked to learn seals as well. Not out of obligation. Out of desire."
Danzo's hand curled slightly at his side.
"Curious. Emotional ties… cemented through shared skill."
"Affirmative."
"Do the others know?"
Sai hesitated. "Some clan children are aware he is progressing. They seem... invested. Ino Yamanaka. Shikamaru Nara. Even Chōji Akimichi. He's gaining groundsocially. And in doing so—influence."
Danzo turned fully toward Sai now, stepping slowly into the faint light that glinted across the bandages on his right arm and the embedded seal that marked his shoulder.
"You seem troubled, Sai."
Sai's face didn't shift.
"No, Danzo-sama. Merely... observant."
"Then observe this: a boy who should have been broken by the world is being built back up. And not by us."
He walked past Sai, his tone low and clipped.
"Uzumaki isnota wild card. He is a weapon in a sheath of innocence. And weapons, once sharpened by loyalty and pain, can become kingslayers—or kings themselves."
Sai turned to follow, his steps nearly silent on the stone floor. "What would you have me do?"
Danzo's voice was like the scrape of steel being drawn.
"Don't interfere. Not yet. Let them feed him hope. Let them arm him with knowledge. Let them dream for him."
He paused at the far wall, placing one hand against a rune-inscribed seal plate used to activate the deeper surveillance layers.
"And then... when he stands at the edge of something greater—we will see if he belongs to them... or to me."
The wall opened to reveal deeper levels of Root's underground training halls. Sai stared for a moment, then followed Danzo into the dark.
The Haruno Residence – Late Afternoon
Meanwhile, beneath the warmth of the Haruno home's back deck, Naruto knelt beside Kizashi, hands pressed carefully against a parchment scroll. The layered sigil diagram shimmered faintly with latent chakra as Kizashi guided Naruto's hand along the second ring—a spiral made of both containment runes and flux dampeners.
"You see here—this is where the second seal ring must not touch the containment border. If you overlap it, the chakra will feed back and explode the array."
Naruto nodded solemnly, tongue between his teeth. "Like this?"
"Almost. Lift your brush slightly—yes, good."
From the porch, Sakura leaned over the banister, watching intently. Her fingers were stained faintly with ink, and her face was flushed from her own practice.
"Dad," she called, "can I try the counter-seal layer?"
Kizashi looked up, amused. "Already?"
"I've been watching!"
Naruto looked up, proud. "She really has. She remembers faster than I do sometimes."
Kizashi smirked. "Alright, Sakura. Come here. I'll draw the outline. You do the flux lines."
As she settled beside Naruto, their arms brushing, the young shinobi leaned close to whisper.
"Thanks for wanting to learn this too. It's more fun with you."
She smiled, eyes dancing with challenge.
"Well, you're not going to become Hokage alone, Naruto. Someone has to keep you from blowing your face off."
They both laughed.
From the upstairs window, Mebuki Haruno watched them quietly. Her fingers clutched a folded market flyer. She'd just returned from an errand where whispers had again circled her name and her daughter's.
"Demon girl," someone had muttered when she passed.
But here—beneath the house she once ruled with quiet order—her daughter and that same boy worked together as if the world were not broken. Not dangerous. Not cruel.
Mebuki said nothing.
She simply turned away and shut the curtains, unsure whether she feared the boy... or the way her daughter looked at him like he might become a better man than anyone in the village ever would.
Forested Rise Near the Academy – Dusk, Day One
The sun had just dipped behind the distant Hokage Monument, casting long streaks of amber across the rooftops and treetops of Konoha. Sai crouched in the high boughs of a maple tree that overlooked a quiet side path near the Academy, one rarely used except by those who wanted to avoid crowded thoroughfares. A scroll was half-unfurled in his lap, not for drawing—this time—but for surveillance notation.
Down below, Naruto and Sakura walked side by side, their heads tilted toward each other in conversation. Sakura carried a bundled kit of blank sealing paper, her fingers smudged with ink and faint chakra residue. Naruto was animated, excited, gesturing with exaggerated motions as he explained something with a grin wide enough to show his molars.
"…and then I tried it like the book said, but instead of blowing up itactuallyheld my chakra inside!"
Sai's brush froze mid-word. His black eyes narrowed.
They stopped at a nearby stump. Naruto dropped to his knees and pulled a folded square of parchment from his back pocket, carefully flattened it, and placed it on the stump's surface. Sakura knelt beside him, eyes shining with curiosity. With great ceremony, Naruto pressed his hand to the seal.
For a moment nothing happened—then the paper glowed faintly blue, then pale green, then went still again.
He sat back proudly. "Stored chakra. Not a lot—but enough that I could maybe use it later if I get tired. I copied the idea from the chakra pill theory inAdvanced Basic Medicine."
Sakura gasped softly. "Youmadethis?"
He nodded, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah… but don't tell Iruka-sensei yet. I wanna surprise him."
Sai watched in utter silence. His mind cataloged not only the skill—but the bond. There was no showmanship between them, no jockeying for status or hierarchy. It was collaboration. Unity.
His brush moved again, this time slower.
"Uzumaki shows signs of innovative thinking. Haruno's support stabilizes and accelerates his confidence. Emotional symbiosis confirmed."
January 13th, 999 A.S.
Haruno Household – Study Room – Evening, Day Two
A pale light glowed beneath the door of Sakura's bedroom. Inside, ink pots, papers, and textbooks were strewn across the floor in organized chaos. Kizashi sat in the corner beside a worn bookshelf, flipping through a small notebook of old jutsu seals and annotations while Sakura knelt in the center of the room, working over a basic three-tier chakra lattice formula.
"It's all about proportion," he said gently, watching her brush pause. "The outer ring must always carry the foundational intent. Protection, storage, release—whichever you choose. The center is the behavior matrix."
Sakura muttered under her breath as she completed a line. "And the runes should face inward if I want it to release in a burst."
"Good. You're getting it."
The room vibrated faintly with chakra as she completed the glyph. The scroll shimmered, then went still. A tiny spark of stored chakra flickered—like a firefly trapped in glass.
Her face lit up in joy. "I did it!"
Kizashi chuckled. "You're not even ten. What the hell is in the water at that Academy?"
She beamed. "Naruto makes it fun."
He froze just slightly. Then smiled. "So did your mother once."
Location: Rooftop of a Civil Hall Building – Morning, Day Three
Sai knelt at the edge of a tiled roof, using a long-distance ink lens to observe a field training session behind the Academy. Sakura and Naruto sat apart from the other kids beneath the same tree where they first presented their project. Between them was a slightly more complex seal scroll.
Naruto pressed his hand to it. This one did not glow—it pulsed.
Sakura clapped. "Youamplifiedit?"
He grinned. "Yeah. If I put more in over time, it holds even more. The book said you can stack capacity like a battery if the layers don't interfere."
Sai's ink lens wavered for a second. He narrowed his eyes.
"Uzumaki has advanced from static chakra seals to compound chakra storage—improvising energy density."
The page in his scroll curled slightly from the moisture in the air. Sai wrote one more note beneath the others, hand tighter on the brush than he expected.
"Subject shows unorthodox intelligence patterns. Growth not predictable. Social integration appears to be altering behavioral aggression in others as well. Surveillance recommended to continue."
He closed the scroll.
But for the first time, Sai lingered a while longer—watching, not reporting. His head tilted ever so slightly as he saw Sakura nudge Naruto gently, teasing him about how he needed to clean the smudge off his nose before "he gets ink in his boogers."
Naruto laughed, loud and unguarded. The kind of laugh no one ever fakes.
Sai didn't smile.
But somewhere, in a quiet chamber of his otherwise featureless inner world, he wondered what that kind of laughter felt like.
Sakura's Backyard – Afternoon, Six Days After First Snowfall
The sky was the pale steel blue of early winter, and the afternoon sun hung low, filtering through the skeletal branches of Konoha's early-shedding cherry trees. The ground was crisp underfoot, the grass yellowed and laced with frost. A thick blanket wrapped around Sakura's shoulders as she sat cross-legged on a large wooden board laid over the ground, her brush dancing with firm precision across a pale strip of sealing paper.
It was her third attempt of the afternoon.
The Level One seal she was working on was meant for basic storage—simple, in theory, but Sakura had learned firsthand that seals were only as obedient as their symmetry and clarity. Each rune had to be proportioned perfectly, the chakra fed into it balanced like a fine tea, not too much or too little.
She muttered softly to herself as she drew the containment glyphs.
"Boundary... anchor... root… directional pull..."
A breeze swept through the yard, lifting her bangs. She paused as her chakra flared briefly. The ink shimmered.
Then the scroll twitched.
Sakura's eyes widened.
The scrap of old cloth she'd placed atop the seal vanished with apop—and after a three-second pause, reappeared with apuffof harmless smoke, right where she'd designated.
Her heart skipped. "It worked."
Footsteps crunched behind her on the frosted path.
"Well, well," came Ino's voice, wry and teasing. "Seal mistress Haruno claims another casualty."
Sakura flushed pink with pride, glancing up over her shoulder. "It's just a standard displacement seal. Low-end level one. Naruto's already doing level threes now."
Ino stepped closer, kneeling beside her and inspecting the scroll. "Still," she said, brushing her pale blond hair over her shoulder, "you do realize you're probably the only non-clan girl in the Academy working on seals at all? I mean, the rest of the girls are still trying to figure out how to tie kunai to wire without losing a finger."
Sakura gave a small smile but didn't answer.
Ino sat back, watching her friend quietly for a moment, before adding more softly: "Naruto's pushing himself hard. I asked my dad how many kids his age are doing seal work. You know what he said?"
Sakura looked over, interested.
"None," Ino said flatly. "He said it's maybe one in twenty-five thousand. If Naruto keeps this up, the jonin council's going to start asking questions. He could be Genin-ready in a year, maybe less. Dad even thinks he might get fast-tracked by the Hokage himself."
Sakura's brows pulled together, half-worried, half-proud. "He's doing all this because he wants to be seen. Not just passed over or feared. It's like… like he thinks every time he masters something, it pushes back against the way they look at him."
Ino shrugged. "Well, it's working. Sort of. You've seen how some of the others have started acting—Shikamaru, Choji… even Hinata's acting less like a mouse and more like a puppy around him."
Sakura smirked. "I noticed."
Ino nudged her with her elbow. "Doesn't bother you, does it?"
Sakura turned back to her scroll, eyes serious now. "He needs friends. People who believe in him. I'm not going to fight that. But… if they want to be close to him, they better not be fake about it."
A long pause stretched between them.
Ino's voice was quieter when she spoke again. "You really care about him."
Sakura dipped her brush again, correcting a stroke on the next scroll. "I won't leave him behind. Not when everyone else still wants him left alone."
Ino didn't respond, not directly. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small sakura blossom pin, one of the kind her family sold around the festivals.
"Give this to him," she said, handing it over. "Next time he makes a seal that doesn't explode."
Sakura blinked at the pin, then looked at Ino. "You really think I should?"
Ino gave a sly smile. "Tell him it's fromyou. That way when he becomes Hokage, I can say I knew the guy hisveryfirst girlfriend gave a charm to."
Sakura's face flamed red. "Ino!"
The backyard echoed with their laughter—and behind them, the finished seal gleamed under the frost-washed sunlight.
January 20th, 999 A.S.
Location: Konoha Ninja Academy, Room 4A – Late Afternoon
The classroom was nearly empty, just the faint echo of footsteps down the hallway and the scent of chalk and old scrolls in the air. Iruka sat at his desk, thumbing through lesson plans for the coming month—until the door creaked open and a mop of unruly blond hair peeked inside.
"Hey, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked, his tone respectful but excited.
Iruka looked up, surprised. Naruto usually bolted out after class like someone had set his pants on fire.
"Still here, Naruto? Something up?"
Naruto stepped into the room, clutching a length of tightly rolled parchment with careful, reverent hands. "I wanted to show you something. It's a seal I made."
Iruka's brows lifted. "A seal? Did Kizashi-san help you with it?"
"Nope," Naruto beamed, clearly proud. "He showed me how the lines work, and how to make the chakra stable, but this one—I made it all on my own. Took me three days to get it right."
He stepped forward and carefully unrolled the parchment across Iruka's desk.
Iruka leaned over, eyes narrowing as he took in the design.
At first glance, it was compact, maybe the size of an open hand—but what immediately caught his attention was the inner coil: a swirling pattern that mirrored advanced chakra compounding techniques. The glyphs were rudimentary in aesthetic but astonishingly balanced in function. There were three chakra anchors, two convergence points, and a containment loop designed not just tostorechakra, but regulate its output like a low-grade pill.
"You did this… at ten?" Iruka said slowly.
Naruto's expression faltered a little. "Is it bad?"
Iruka stared at him, then chuckled—quietly at first, then with something deeper behind it.
"No," he said, leaning back in his chair. "It's not bad, Naruto. It's advanced. Very advanced. There are kids twice your age who can't stabilize a seal this complex. This… this is something special."
Naruto grinned, the kind that made his whole face light up.
"Can I show the Hokage?" he asked.
Iruka hesitated. That was the question, wasn't it?
Technically, he'd already submitted weekly reports on Naruto's progress—his marked improvements in chakra control, test scores, and social integration. But a self-devised chakra storage seal was another matter entirely.
"I'll take care of it," Iruka said, rolling the scroll up and slipping it into a protective tube. "Let me deliver it personally."
Scene: Tower of the Hokage – Later That Night
Location: Administrative Hall, Third Floor – 9:45 PM
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in silence, pipe in hand, smoke curling toward the vaulted ceiling. Across his desk sat Homura and Koharu, the two remaining village elders. On the table between them was the unrolled seal Naruto had designed.
"So it's true," Homura muttered, adjusting his spectacles. "A ten-year-old orphan producing seals at Genin-level complexity."
"More than Genin," Koharu said, voice sharp. "That convergence pattern isn't in any of the Academy textbooks. He must be studying field scrolls."
Sarutobi said nothing for a long moment, staring at the design.
"It was Kizashi Haruno's idea to begin his education in seals," he said softly. "And it appears the boy has more aptitude than any of us expected."
"Or perhaps," Koharu said dryly, "his genetics have caught up to him."
Homura grunted. "The Fourth's blood runs deep."
Sarutobi tapped the edge of the table with a knuckle. "You would have us move him?"
"He is wasted in the lower classes," Koharu said. "He can already outperform most of his peers. If we do not move him,someone elsemight seek to guide him."
"Danzo," Hiruzen said bluntly.
The room went still.
"That's not paranoia," he continued. "I've already seen signs of increased Root activity near the Academy."
"Then move him," Homura said. "Promote him to the advanced class. Let him train with students at his level. If nothing else, it will place him in a more… manageable position. And keep him under your eye."
Sarutobi exhaled slowly.
He looked out the window to the night-washed village below. Somewhere out there, a boy once feared by all now carefully traced the future with ink, chakra, and tenacity. The Fourth's legacy was stirring.
"Very well," he said at last. "I will prepare the paperwork."
He reached for the seal, rolled it up carefully, and placed it in a drawer.
"We will see where this path takes him. But gods help the ones who try to chain him to their own ends."
January 22nd, 999 A.S.
Location: Academy Courtyard – Noon
The winter sun cast long shadows through the bare-limbed trees, and a chill clung to the air despite the scattered laughter of students huddled in small groups during lunch. The benches under the great ginkgo tree were already claimed by Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru, with Ino perched nearby on the branch like a lazy hawk. Chōji was munching through a new flavor of sweet potato chips while Naruto carefully unwrapped a bento box Sakura had made for them both.
He was halfway through his second rice ball when Iruka's voice echoed from the walkway above.
"Naruto. Sakura. A moment, please."
They exchanged glances. Sakura wiped her hands and rose, face already pinched with suspicion. Naruto stood, uncertain. They followed Iruka toward the faculty offices.
Inside the quiet of the building, Iruka motioned them into one of the side rooms. He closed the door softly behind them.
"I want you both to hear this from me first," he said, looking to Naruto. "You've been recommended for advancement, Naruto. Effective next week, you'll be transferred into the Intermediate Shinobi Preparatory Class."
Naruto blinked. "Wait, what? Why?"
"Because your work—chakra control, seal theory, practical exams, even your attitude—has improved so rapidly that you've surpassed nearly everyone in your current track. The Hokage and the Elders are in agreement."
Sakura's heart clenched.
She wanted to be happy. Shewashappy. Her chest swelled with pride. But part of her clenched tight too—because if he was moved up, he wouldn't be in her class anymore. He'd be gone from their lunch spot. Their paired worksheets. Their seal drills in the park.
He'd be further away.
"But… does that mean we won't see each other as much?" she asked quietly.
Naruto's smile faltered for the briefest second. "I mean… maybe? I guess I'll still be around after classes and stuff."
"I don't want you to go," she said, more forcefully than she meant to.
Iruka looked at her with something that was almost sympathy, but not quite pity.
"I'm sorry, Sakura," he said gently. "But this is the right move—for him, and for the village."
Sakura stared down at the floor, fists clenched. She swallowed the selfish lump in her throat. "Then I'm going to get better too. I'm going to catch up."
Naruto turned to her with a wide grin, his whisker-marked face full of sunshine. "Then we'll be teammates again, for real! We'll crush everyone!"
Sakura smiled through her aching throat.
Scene: "The Watchful Eye"
Date: January 24th, 999 A.S.
Location: Root Sublevel 3 – Beneath Konoha
The torches in Root's chamber barely flickered. The stone walls swallowed sound, and the only illumination came from the eerie white glow of seal-lit scrolls hanging above Danzo's war table. Before him, kneeling in uniform black, were four operatives. Sai knelt closest, his face blank, yet inwardly... conflicted.
Danzo's one visible eye narrowed as he examined the report scroll Sai had delivered just moments ago.
"The boy's chakra capacity has increased exponentially. He's sustaining two parallel chakra storage seals and working at a Level Three proficiency. And now he's being moved into the Intermediate track?"
"Yes, Danzo-sama," Sai said, voice low. "The Hokage has approved the transfer."
Danzo leaned back slightly, fingers drumming on the table.
"This cannot be left to chance."
He stood slowly, cloak whispering over the floor like a shadow given form. He looked down at Sai with all the warmth of a frostbitten winter.
"You are to join the class. The boy trusts easily—use this. Learn his methods. Learn who is training him. Who gives him resources. Discover his intent. Should he be a threat, I want to know before the Hokage realizes what he has cultivated."
Sai remained silent for a moment.
"Yes, Danzo-sama."
Danzo stepped closer. "Do not fail me again."
Sai's mouth twitched—a reflex so small it barely existed—but the faint bruises on his ribs from his last 'failure' ached in response.
He bowed lower, suppressing the lingering image of Naruto handing Hinata her books in the hallway, the way she smiled as if he'd given her the moon.