The morning after graduation was quiet. Deva was downstairs in the flower shop, the scent of damp earth and fresh carnations a familiar comfort. He methodically watered the plants, his new Konoha headband tied securely around his forehead. The cool metal was a constant reminder. He was no longer just an observer. He was a participant. A tool of the village. And for him, that meant it was a license to grow stronger.
"A real shinobi now," his mother, Shiori, said from behind the counter, her hands busy trimming the thorns from a bundle of roses. Her voice held a deep pride, but it was laced with an anxiety she couldn't completely hide. "Does this... does this life have to be about fighting, Deva?"
"All life is a kind of fight, Mom," he replied, his silver eyes meeting hers. "This is just a different kind. I'll be careful."
She managed a small smile. "I know you will. You see things others don't."
She was right. And what he saw later that day, gathered back in the Academy classroom, was a sea of nervous, excited energy. The air buzzed with speculation about who their Jonin instructors would be. Deva found his usual seat in the back, his mental filter raised, observing the shifting hums of the room.
The classroom door burst open and Naruto Uzumaki stormed in, a brand-new headband gleaming on his forehead. The whispers from students who had seen him fail yesterday died in their throats. He grinned, triumphant and defiant. Deva focused his senses on him for a moment. The usual roaring heat was there, but it was underpinned by something new—a faint, dangerous echo of a much older, more complex power. He's changed, Deva noted, filing the information away.
Iruka-sensei arrived and calmed the room, a stack of files in his hand. He gave them a heartfelt speech about the path ahead, his pride in them evident in his voice. Finally, he picked up the list.
"As of today, you are all fully-fledged shinobi," he began. "You will now be placed in teams. Listen carefully."
He read off the names. Team 10 was announced, and Shikamaru let out a weary groan that was drowned out by Ino's shriek of despair at not being with Sasuke. Team 8 was formed, and Kiba loudly proclaimed they'd be the best. The tension built as the number of remaining students dwindled.
"And now, Team 7," Iruka said, his voice taking on a more serious tone. He paused, scanning their faces. "Due to specific directives from the Hokage, Team 7 will be a special four-man cell."
A wave of murmurs swept the room. A four-man team? That was almost unheard of.
"The members are... Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto shot up. "Yeah! Alright!" "Sakura Haruno!" Sakura slumped, devastated to be with Naruto, but shot a hopeful glance at Sasuke. "...Sasuke Uchiha..." "CHA!" Sakura screamed in victory. Sasuke didn't react, his face a mask of indifference. Iruka took a final breath. "...and Deva."
The announcement of his name was met with a different kind of whisper. The other students looked back at the silent, silver-eyed boy. The prodigy who had come from nowhere. They couldn't understand it. The dead-last, the top rookie, the top kunoichi, and the class enigma. It made no sense.
Iruka remembered his meeting with the Hokage the day before. "It's a volatile combination, Lord Third," Iruka had said. Hiruzen had simply smiled. "You cannot fight a potential storm with a gentle breeze, Iruka. You must gather a storm of your own. Kakashi will be their eye."
After lunch, one by one, the Jonin instructors arrived to collect their teams, until only the four of them remained.
An hour crawled by.
"HE'S LATE!" Naruto yelled, pacing the room. He grabbed a dusty eraser and wedged it in the door. "That'll teach him!" "Naruto, you're such an idiot," Sakura scolded, though she secretly wanted to see it work. Sasuke just sat with his hands steepled, his eyes closed. "Hn. Morons."
Deva was silent, but he wasn't idle. He was using the time to perform a deep analysis of his new teammates. He could feel the chaotic, leaky torrent of Naruto's massive reserves. He felt Sakura's chakra, a small, well-controlled pool that she unfortunately had no idea how to use effectively in combat. He felt Sasuke's, a refined, potent, and efficient engine humming with the Uchiha's fire nature.
Then, Deva's senses picked up a new signature approaching. It was calm, almost lazy on the surface. But underneath, it was a layered, complex marvel. There was a sharp, crackling hum of lightning, and stranger still, a foreign frequency that felt like a diluted, warped version of Sasuke's. Hmm... he must have something similar to Sasuke.
The door slid open. A man with spiky silver hair and a mask stepped inside. Thump. The eraser landed on his head.
Naruto howled with laughter. "I got him! He fell for it!"
The Jonin looked at them with his one visible eye. "My first impression of this group... is that you're a bunch of idiots." His gaze swept over them, lingering for a fraction of a second on Deva, acknowledging the boy's focused stare. "Meet me on the roof in five minutes." With a puff of smoke, he vanished.
On the sun-drenched roof, Kakashi Hatake leaned against the railing. "Alright, let's get acquainted. Why don't you introduce yourselves? You know, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future."
Naruto went first, full of energy. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like instant ramen, and I really like the ramen from Ichiraku's! I hate the three minutes you have to wait for the water to boil! And my dream is to become the greatest Hokage! Then the whole village will have to stop disrespecting me and treat me like I'm somebody!"
Sakura followed, blushing. "I'm Sakura Haruno. What I like... I mean, the person I like is..." She glanced at Sasuke. "My dream for the future is..." She squealed and hid her face. "Dislikes? Naruto!"
"Hey!" Naruto yelled.
Kakashi sighed. "Next."
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha," Sasuke said, his voice cold. "I dislike a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and kill a certain man."
The air grew heavy. Kakashi's visible eye then turned to the last member. "And you?"
Deva's silver eyes met his instructor's. His voice was calm and even, without a trace of emotion. "My name is Deva. I like quiet places. I dislike unnecessary noise. Hobbies... observation. I don't have a dream. I have a goal: to acquire sufficient power to neutralize any potential threat."
A dead silence fell over the rooftop. Naruto and Sakura stared at him, unnerved. Even Sasuke seemed taken aback by the cold, pragmatic statement.
Kakashi's eye crinkled, the first sign of a genuine expression. The Hokage hadn't just given him a team. He'd given him a Jinchuriki, an avenger, and a budding philosopher-killer.
This, Kakashi thought to himself, is going to be a nightmare.