The Academy emptied slowly after the mid-exam evaluations, the last murmurs of excitement and competition fading into the warm afternoon air. Students drifted away in groups—some bragging, some sulking, others buzzing about the sparring rounds that would happen the next day.
Ethan stayed behind for a moment, watching Naruto and Sasuke walk off together—Naruto talking so fast he was almost vibrating, Sasuke responding with the bare minimum of verbal acknowledgment. But they were walking together.
A tiny miracle in itself.
Ethan smiled.
And that was when he felt it.
A shift in the air. A flicker. A faint, crawling sensation—not chakra exactly, but intent.
Hostile.
Concealed.
Focused.
The Panel hummed softly behind his vision.
---
[NARUTO NODE — THREAT ACTIVITY DETECTED]
Threat Type: Local Human
Instability Source: Mizuki Touji
Risk Level: Low (developing)
Recommendation: Monitor for deviation from canon script.
---
Ethan exhaled slowly.
So… it was starting.
Not yet the Scroll incident—not the big divergence point—but the beginning of Mizuki's personal descent, the quiet turning of gears behind the scenes.
Ethan followed the faint sense of hostility with his eyes.
And there Mizuki was.
Standing under the shade of an Academy awning, the man smiled politely at passing parents and students—too politely. The smile didn't reach his eyes. His posture wasn't relaxed. His chakra had a brittle edge, a faint sharpness that hadn't been there weeks ago.
He watched Naruto.
Then Sasuke.
Then—subtly—Ethan himself.
Their eyes met.
Mizuki's smile widened by half a degree.
Ethan kept his expression neutral.
Iruka walked by, stopping to speak briefly with Mizuki. Iruka's aura was genuine—open, trusting, exhausted but earnest. Mizuki nodded at all the right times, agreed with all the right points.
But his eyes kept drifting.
Toward Naruto.
Toward the Academy records Iruka carried.
Toward Ethan.
Especially Ethan.
---
Mizuki's Thoughts — Unspoken
Something was off.
Ethan could feel it—not as a mind-reading ability, but the kind of social sixth sense that comes from too much danger in too many worlds. Mizuki was measuring him. Calculating him. Trying to slot him somewhere in his mental hierarchy of threats and opportunities.
Most teachers saw Ethan as talented.
Mizuki, however, saw Ethan as a variable.
And variables could be exploited.
Or removed.
Ethan felt a click behind his eyes as the Panel elaborated.
---
[THREAT TRAJECTORY PREDICTION]
Mizuki's instability increasing due to:
• Jealousy (Naruto's sudden progress)
• Suspicion (Ethan's rapid rise & influence)
• Personal ambition
• Unknown external contact (ANOMALY FLAGGED)
Deviation Likelihood: 11%
Projected Event: Mizuki makes early moves.
---
Great.
It was starting early.
Of course it was.
Ethan adjusted his Academy bag over his shoulder, pretending to walk away with the other students. But his senses stayed tuned. Mizuki closed the distance, still pretending everything was normal.
"Ethan," Mizuki said smoothly, "you're becoming quite the prodigy."
Ethan smiled politely. "Thank you, Mizuki-sensei."
"Iruka says you've been helping Naruto study."
A hint of amusement. "That's a challenge."
Ethan chuckled lightly. "Naruto works hard."
"Mm," Mizuki hummed. "Hard work alone doesn't make results. But… he seems to be catching up quickly."
The smile sharpened.
Barely.
But enough.
"Almost unnaturally quickly."
Ethan kept his breathing steady. "He's motivated. That's all."
Mizuki's eyes flicked, just for a split second, to Ethan's hands.
Checking for seals.
For scrolls.
For anything suspicious.
Ethan pretended not to notice.
"Well," Mizuki said with a pleasant tone that didn't match his aura, "keep up the good work. Students like Naruto need… guidance."
There was something under that last word.
Something oily.
Ethan inclined his head. "I'll do my best."
As Mizuki walked away, the Panel pulsed harder.
---
[DANGER FLAG UPDATE]
Mizuki has marked Ethan as:
"Potential Obstacle"
Threat Acceleration Probability: +6%
Ethan sighed internally.
Perfect.
Just perfect.
---
Later That Evening
Ethan walked Naruto home, mostly because Naruto wouldn't stop bragging about his chakra rotation.
"I SPUN IT, ETHAN! I DID A WHOLE CLOCKWISE SPIN! AND IT DIDN'T EXPLODE! THIS TIME!"
"You did. And I'm proud of you."
"DO YOU THINK I COULD SPIN FASTER?! LIKE, WHAT IF I SPUN SO FAST I TURNED INTO A TORNADO?!"
"…Please don't ever try that."
"I'M GONNA TRY IT."
"Please don't."
They reached Naruto's door, and the boy waved wildly before disappearing inside, yelling about instant ramen.
Ethan turned to head home—
And paused.
He felt it again.
Watching eyes.
Not ANBU.
Not villagers.
Not a random passerby.
Mizuki.
Keeping distance.
Studying.
Plotting.
This was the first step.
The quiet step.
The step before the scroll incident.
Ethan exhaled slowly, hands in his pockets, pretending not to notice as he walked away.
The world of Naruto was starting to tilt into motion.
And Mizuki was beginning his fall.
Ethan had two students rising fast.
And now, one teacher falling even faster.
He needed to be ready.