The morning sun crept lazily over the rooftops of Konoha, bathing the village in a gentle warmth. The air buzzed with activity—vendors preparing their stalls, shinobi passing on errands, and children running through the streets. Yet high above it all, crouched on a tiled roof with his mask drawn up just enough to feel the breeze against his face, Arato sat motionless.
His eyes tracked three young figures gathered in the training field below.
Naruto Uzumaki. The boy's energy radiated from him like a beacon—loud, impatient, practically bouncing on his toes. His hair glowed gold under the sun, his eyes a bright blue that carried the same reckless eagerness Arato had once seen in himself at that age.
Sasuke Uchiha. Silent. Reserved. His posture stiff, eyes sharp and full of something deeper—grief, anger, and a smoldering determination. Arato's chest tightened slightly. He didn't need to hear the name to know the boy's blood. He saw Itachi in the curve of Sasuke's jaw and the set of his shoulders, but the boy lacked Itachi's calm. Where Itachi had been measured, Sasuke was a storm waiting to be unleashed.
Sakura Haruno. Nervous. Her gaze flickered constantly toward Sasuke, her thoughts clearly distracted, but beneath it Arato caught glimmers of intelligence. She lacked confidence, but her potential was there, hidden under the shadow of her infatuation.
Three fresh graduates. Children, really. Yet they were about to meet a man who would decide whether they remained shinobi at all.
Arato's eyes shifted as Kakashi Hatake appeared, strolling with deliberate slowness, nose buried in his orange-covered book. Arato almost smirked beneath his mask. He hasn't changed at all.
The lazy air Kakashi projected wasn't fooling anyone who knew him. Arato had worked in the shadows long enough to know that the silver-haired jōnin never let his guard drop. Beneath the slouch and casual indifference, Kakashi's senses were sharp as a blade.
"Yo," Kakashi greeted them, raising a hand in half a wave, not even lifting his eye from the page.
Arato leaned forward slightly on his perch, listening intently. He wasn't here on any official ANBU order. This was personal. Curiosity. Something in him wanted to see what these three could do—especially Naruto, whose very existence carried the weight of history.
⸻
The Challenge
Kakashi led them to Training Ground Three. Arato knew it well—how many times had he sparred here as a genin? His boots shifted silently against the roof tiles as he followed unseen, slipping from rooftop to tree, blending into the morning shadows.
The three stood before Kakashi as he set a small alarm clock on a stump and pulled two tiny bells from his pouch.
"The goal is simple," Kakashi drawled. "Take these bells from me before noon. Whoever gets one passes. Whoever doesn't… fails and is sent back to the Academy."
Arato's brow furrowed behind his mask. Classic Kakashi—brutal in its simplicity. But Arato knew the real lesson wasn't strength or speed. It was teamwork.
Predictably, Naruto exploded first. "What?! There's only two bells! That's not fair, dattebayo!"
Arato's lips curved slightly. The boy's spirit was loud, unrefined, but genuine. He reminded Arato of a candle flame—flickering and small, but impossible to ignore in the dark.
Kakashi merely shrugged, setting the trap without them realizing. "That's the test. Come at me with the intent to kill—or you won't stand a chance."
⸻
The Test Begins
The instant Kakashi gave the signal, the three scattered into the trees. Arato followed from above, his movements ghostlike.
Sasuke was the first to engage. His shuriken whistled through the air with precision beyond his years, forcing Kakashi to sidestep lightly. Arato noted the boy's form—impressive for a genin, but too rigid. He attacked alone, convinced his talent would be enough.
Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke, reappearing behind Sasuke and pinning him to the ground with a single hand. "Too slow," he said casually, before disappearing again.
Arato's thoughts darkened. He carries the Uchiha name, but he fights like someone who has yet to understand what that name means.
Naruto, meanwhile, charged in headlong, shouting loudly as he swung wildly. Predictable. Kakashi countered with almost insulting ease, burying Naruto in the ground until only his legs stuck out.
Arato nearly chuckled. It was reckless and stupid—but the boy's determination burned hot. Where others hesitated, Naruto threw himself into the fire without hesitation. That courage would one day matter.
Sakura lingered, hesitant, too afraid to commit. Kakashi caught her in a simple genjutsu, leaving her fainting at the sight of Sasuke's supposed "death." Arato shook his head. Her heart is fragile. She will either break… or she will grow strong enough to protect it.
⸻
The Turning Point
Hours passed. The three stumbled back to the clearing, defeated and hungry. Kakashi set food before them but tied Naruto to a post, forbidding the others from feeding him.
Arato knew what was coming. The true test.
Sure enough, when Naruto's stomach growled pitifully, Sakura hesitated… and Sasuke, after a long silence, offered him food.
The alarm clock rang. Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke, eye narrowing.
"You broke the rules," he said sharply.
The three flinched.
"But…" Kakashi's gaze softened, and he lowered his book. "You understood the true meaning. In the shinobi world, those who break the rules are trash. But those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash. You pass."
Arato exhaled quietly, a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
⸻
Watcher in the Shadows
As Kakashi dismissed them, Naruto cheered loudly, Sakura smiled with relief, and Sasuke gave a silent nod. Arato remained crouched in the trees, unseen. His mask caught the glint of the setting sun as he studied the three walking away together.
He could see it already—their paths, their struggles, the fire that would forge them.
Naruto, the boy with the spirit to change the world.
Sasuke, the avenger with a storm raging in his heart.
Sakura, the one who would one day find her strength in the bonds she fought to protect.
Arato's hand drifted to the edge of his mask, tightening the strap. The Hokage was right. These three could reshape everything. But for now… they're still children. And I remain in the shadows.
With a flicker, Arato vanished into the wind, leaving no trace of his presence behind.
The village bustled on, unaware that one of its silent protectors had just witnessed the beginning of a story that would shake the shinobi world.