Shadows slipped lightly between the trees as five figures wearing protective vests appeared. Their faces were hidden behind ANBU animal masks — an owl, a wolf, a dragon, a fox, and a rat. Their movements were almost soundless, like silhouettes blending into the foliage.
The owl-masked figure began to form a protective jutsu. His hands traced seals with practiced speed, and a faint glow shimmered in the air.
"Genjutsu — sleep," he whispered. "He won't wake, even if the world around him grows loud."
The fox edged closer, scrutinizing Raftra's still-sleeping face. "This guy… sleeps too deeply. He has no vigilance."
"That is precisely what arouses suspicion," the dragon replied. "A stranger in the village, no chakra, no arrival record… yet he's here without difficulty? Do you think that's normal?"
The rat had already seized Raftra's bag. He lifted it and opened it slowly. "Let's see what secrets this guy hides."
They found a change of clothes. The wolf touched the fabric and murmured, "This material… it's not a weave we normally see. Too fine, too tightly knit. Our weaving techniques do not reach this level."
"This clothing is foreign. But look at the cut… simple. Functional. No ornamentation," the fox observed, noting the details. "Perhaps everyday wear from his homeland. But… where is that?"
The rat produced a math textbook, flipping through the pages, the furrow of his brow was visible even beneath the mask. "These symbols… some resemble basic arithmetic formulas. The rest… I don't know. This guy carries peculiar knowledge."
The owl leaned in. "If this book reaches our researchers, it could open new understanding."
The dragon's voice grew sterner. "Not only that. If this guy possesses knowledge we cannot grasp… who guarantees he is not dangerous?"
"Continue. Search everything in his bag," the wolf hissed.
The rat pulled out a pack of UNO cards. They all stared at the bright, childish rectangles.
"...Paper with numbers and colors. A game?" the fox guessed.
The dragon shook his head. "Too simple to be mere playing cards. They could be a code."
The wolf's tone was colder. "Or a method to train strategy. Do not underestimate something because it appears childish."
The owl slipped the cards back into the bag. "Whatever they are, we do not yet understand. Continue."
They examined writing instruments — pencils, pens, erasers, a sharpener. "What are these?"
"I'm not sure, but they don't look like weapons."
The rat revealed the final two items: a laptop and a phone. The glossy black rectangles with sharp corners looked alien in their hands.
The fox touched one with a fingertip. "This surface… smooth like glass. Yet hard. What is its function?"
The dragon prodded a key on the laptop, there was no response. "Just lifeless objects."
The wolf pressed a side button on the phone — nothing. "Empty devices. Perhaps worthless."
"No." The owl studied them longer. "I have heard rumors. Some ancient artifacts found in ruins far beyond our lands… they supposedly store information, perhaps channel energy. These could be of that kind."
"If true, these items might be far more dangerous than any secret scroll," the dragon said with emphasis.
Silence fell. Only the rustle of leaves in the breeze answered.
Finally, the fox spoke. "So, what do we decide? Confiscate everything? Or leave them so we may observe further?"
The owl folded his hands against his chest, thinking. "If we seize all of his belongings now, he will realize he is being watched. He will become wary and likely close off."
The wolf countered, "But if we let everything remain with him, he might use something we do not understand. The risk is too great."
The dragon turned to them. "We can leave some items and take others. That way he feels safe, and we have an opportunity to study what we can."
The rat added softly but firmly, "Or we can mark his belongings. Surveillance seals. He won't notice, but we will know if any item is used."
The others exchanged glances, then nodded slightly.
The owl finally said, "We will leave everything. But mark them. Each item must bear a high-level surveillance seal. Ensure they do not slip from our radar. And this young man… must remain under watch."
They were silent for a moment, then one by one they produced small paper seals and applied a thin layer of chakra so they would be invisible to ordinary eyes. The laptop, the phone, even the UNO cards and the math book now carried traces only detectable to them.
When they finished, the rat closed the bag and placed it beside Raftra.
The owl looked at Raftra's face once more. "This guy… whether threat or not, time will tell."
In the silence that followed, the five shadows slipped away as swiftly as they had come, leaving Raftra sleeping beneath the tree, unaware that his secrets were only half-hidden.
…
Inside the Hokage's office, the atmosphere was composed. Midday light poured through the large window, illuminating a desk crowded with documents. Hiruzen sat comfortably, a long pipe resting between his fingers. Thin plumes of smoke curled into the air, filling the room with the familiar scent of tobacco.
A soft knock sounded at the door. "Enter," Hiruzen said.
An ANBU stepped in, his mask concealing his face, he bowed respectfully and stood before the Third Hokage.
"Report, Hokage-sama," he intoned. "The foreign subject who appeared at the market has been followed. His identity remains unclear."
Hiruzen set his pipe aside briefly and regarded the ANBU with a measured gaze. "Continue."
The ANBU nodded.
"He seemed completely unfamiliar with his surroundings. His movements were awkward, as if this was his first time setting foot in the village."
"At the market he appeared confused, observing everything analytically. We also found a large bag in his possession containing various strange items — clothing, papers with unfamiliar script, and several simple tools not commonly used by the villagers."
Hiruzen exhaled softly, eyes narrowing. "And now?"
"At present, he is in a park, Hokage-sama. He rested on a bench, then moved into the grove and is currently asleep there, using his bag as a pillow. Four of our members continue to observe him from a safe distance."
The room fell silent for a moment. Hiruzen gazed out the window, his thoughts turning swiftly. A foreigner appearing suddenly in the village carrying strange objects was no matter to be taken lightly.
From the report, however, Raftra displayed no signs of immediate danger. If anything, he appeared bewildered — as though thrust into a place that was not his own.
"For now, no one is to touch his belongings," Hiruzen said, his voice firm.
"We do not know the nature of what he carries. It could be hazardous, or it could be mundane. We must not act rashly."
The ANBU bowed. "Understood, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen tapped his fingers on the desk. "Keep him under close surveillance. Do not interact, do not provoke. Allow him freedom of movement, but never lose sight of him."
Silence enveloped the room again. Then Hiruzen added in a weighty voice, "When the time is right, I will meet him myself… and find out who he is and what brings him here."
The ANBU bowed once more and left.
Hiruzen leaned back, exhaling a long stream of smoke. His eyes drifted toward the village he protected.
'That guy… who is he?' he wondered.
…
A few hours later.
Raftra woke slowly, blinking against the orange light of the late afternoon filtering through the leaves. His head ached, but his body soon adjusted. He sat up and leaned against the trunk of a large tree.
'Still here…' he thought.
He drew a long breath and watched the sky shift toward dusk. 'So this really isn't a dream. I can't return to my world.'
His sadness subsided abruptly when his gaze fell on the black bag lying not far from him. His eyes narrowed. Something was wrong.
Raftra remembered clearly — before closing his eyes earlier he had slipped a small scrap of paper into the zipper of his bag. It was a simple trick to tell if someone had opened it without his knowledge.
Now the paper was torn. 'Someone has touched it…'
He did not panic. Outwardly he remained calm, expression neutral, even a touch indifferent. But his mind raced as he analyzed the situation.
His gaze traced the grass around him. There, faint but visible to a careful eye, were nearly invisible footprints.
'Not a hallucination. Someone came while I slept… and they were trained. The prints are minimal, leaving hardly any trace.'
'But there was one small mistake in the ground — did they leave it on purpose?'
His heart beat faster, yet his face betrayed nothing. He understood — he was likely still being watched.
'Who? Ordinary shinobi sent to spy? Or… ANBU under Hokage's command?'
Raftra bowed his head slightly, as if contemplating, though in truth he was rapidly weighing possibilities. 'Or perhaps Danzo's Root ANBU. That would be more dangerous.'
He breathed slowly and closed his eyes for a moment. From the outside, he might appear resigned to fate. But beneath that calm, his thoughts moved without pause, considering next steps.
'If they really are ANBU, I have to be more careful. Every movement of mine is no longer solely my own, it becomes a report to their superiors. In short… I'm on Konoha's radar.'
Raftra rose, though his limbs still felt weak from the long sleep. He picked up the bag and moved out from the grove toward the more open part of the park.
As he emerged, his eyes immediately fell upon a small, familiar figure with spiky blond hair sitting on a wooden bench, head bowed. Raftra didn't need to guess twice — it was Naruto.
The boy appeared about seven or eight years old. He wore a black shirt with a flame motif on the chest, brown shorts, and the blue ninja sandals typical of the village.
But it was not the clothing that held Raftra's attention, it was the expression — forlorn, alone, as if the world had shut its door on him.
Raftra glanced toward the other side of the park where several children ran and laughed. The contrast was painfully stark.
Naruto sat apart, neglected and solitary. In that moment Raftra realized he was witnessing the darkest stretch of the boy's childhood — a time when Naruto bore the weight of scorn and rejection without knowing why.
A strange sensation rose in Raftra's chest. Naruto was a figure he had once admired, someone he had only seen through a screen.
Now, seeing him up close and in such a state, there was no pride or thrill. Only profound sorrow, as if Raftra could feel the boy's inner wounds.
He tightened his fist slightly. A strong impulse urged him to approach, to say hello, or simply to sit beside the boy.
But thought restrained action. Naruto was no ordinary child. He was observed, guarded, even watched by hidden eyes in the village. If Raftra — an unfamiliar stranger — suddenly drew near, suspicion would surely arise.
The ANBU would report to the Hokage, and Raftra could be branded a threat who approached the Jinchuriki.
Dilemma wrapped around him: approach and risk everything, or retreat and leave Naruto to his loneliness.
'What should I do…?' his mind thundered, demanding an answer he did not trust he could find.
Raftra bowed his head for a moment, staring at the dusty ground. Countless possibilities crowded his thoughts.
'Right now I am just a foreign kid to them. If I try to get close to Naruto, they will suspect my motives.'
'But… does it matter? I'm already on the surveillance list for the village.'
He exhaled slowly, sorting his thoughts.
'If I step away from Naruto, I will still be watched. If I approach and appear familiar to him, the risk is greater — they may view me as someone targeting him.'
'Yet in either case, the outcome is much the same. I'm already marked as suspicious, whether I move or not.'
Raftra looked at the blond boy again. There was something in Naruto's eyes that convinced him leaving distance was not an option.
'Then why not step forward anyway? If I'm already seen as a threat, I might as well walk the path I choose…'
A faint lift of his mouth betrayed the irony of his decision. He knew well this was dangerous. But he had been dealt an unfavorable hand from the start. 'What difference does it make now?'
With resolve settling in, Raftra made his choice. He would approach Naruto, speak to him, keep him company. Whatever consequences followed, he would face them later.
He was afraid, but no longer caring.
Raftra moved slowly toward the bench. He felt a tremor of hesitation, but also a quiet certainty that propelled him onward. When he reached the boy, he paused and then said with a slightly awkward voice,
"Uh… hi. May I ask you something?"
Naruto looked up, eyebrows lifting. "What?"
Raftra offered a small smile, trying to appear friendly. "What is your name?"
The boy lifted his chin with a hint of pride. "Uzumaki Naruto."
Raftra nodded. "That's a good name."
Naruto seemed surprised by the compliment, people rarely spoke kindly to him.
Raftra pointed to the empty space beside Naruto on the bench. "May I sit here?"
Naruto measured him for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."
Raftra sat down, leaving an appropriate space. Not too close, but close enough to converse quietly.
Silence stretched briefly. Birds sang in the distance, other children's laughter drifted through the park. Raftra glanced toward them, then returned his attention to Naruto.
"Why aren't you playing with them?" he asked.
Naruto drew his knees up, resting his chin on them. "They don't want to play with me." The answer was terse, but it stung.
Raftra did not respond immediately. He stared at the sky for a moment, choosing his words carefully. Before he could speak again, Naruto asked first.
"By the way… what's your name?"
Raftra turned and smiled slightly. "Raftra."
Naruto narrowed his eyes a touch. "You're not from here, are you? You look… different. Your clothes are unique."
Raftra chuckled softly, easing the boy's wariness. "Yes, I'm not from this village. I'm from another place called Bandung."
Naruto frowned. "Bandung? I've never heard of that village."
"Understandable," Raftra replied calmly. "My village is very far from here. People here probably have never heard of it."
Naruto shrugged, showing little interest. "Oh… fine then. As long as they don't look down on me, I don't care."
Raftra studied the boy for a long moment, a heaviness settling in his chest. There was something beneath Naruto's light tone, as if he had grown used to being belittled.
Raftra looked away slightly, then spoke softly, "I don't look down on you. I actually think you're strong."
Naruto snapped his head up, eyes widening at another unexpected compliment. "How do you know? We just met."
Raftra gave a faint smile. "Sometimes it doesn't take long to see that someone carries their own light."
Naruto fell silent, puzzled yet comforted by the words.
He looked at Raftra with narrowed, curious eyes. "What are you doing in this village?"
Raftra hesitated, fingers fiddling with the strap of his bag. "Honestly… I don't know. I don't have a clear purpose yet."
His tone was even, but a hint of bitterness lingered.
Naruto gave a small nod, as if understanding that feeling in his childish way. Before the silence lengthened, Raftra glanced down.
His stomach gave a low rumble. "Um… Naruto… do you know anywhere I could boil water?"
Naruto blinked in confusion. "Huh? Boil water? For what?"
Raftra exhaled and opened his bag slowly. He took out a packet of instant noodles. "I'm hungry and I haven't eaten since morning. I have this, but I don't know where to cook it."
Naruto's eyes widened. He had never seen packaged noodles like that. He leaned closer, curiosity brightening his face.
"Instant noodles? That looks strange," he murmured.
"Yes, instant noodles," Raftra said with a small smile. "If you pour hot water over it, it tastes good."
Naruto furrowed his brow, thinking, then spoke softly, "I… know a place to boil water."
Raftra's face brightened with relief. "Oh? Great. Could you take me there?"
Naruto eyed him, as though measuring his intent once more, but then he nodded decisively. "I can take you."
Raftra's smile became warmer, genuine. "Thank you, Naruto."
…
On a rooftop, four black shadows crouched in silence. They were the ANBU who had been watching Raftra.
"Why did he choose to approach that boy?" one murmured, voice low, nearly lost in the wind.
"I don't know. Of all the children in the village, he spoke to Naruto. That's not coincidence," replied another, wary.
"Didn't you see how he looked at Naruto before? It wasn't a random glance. It was like… he had made up his mind."
The first ANBU fell silent for a beat, then spoke softly, "Then we must assume the worst. Perhaps he intends to use Naruto as a tool or a target."
"But," the other interjected, "before jumping to conclusions, consider the logic. The man is already under strict surveillance."
"Approaching Naruto openly in a public place would be the most foolish move for an enemy. He must understand the consequences."
"At the moment, he doesn't seem aware he is watched, but the act itself is reckless."
Silence returned, brief and heavy. The first ANBU snorted softly. "Precisely — that makes him more dangerous. Someone bold enough to reveal himself before his target may be playing a deeper game. A message."
"A message of what?" his companion asked.
"That he does not care about surveillance. That he will come to Naruto regardless. That could mean two things — either he has no ill intent, or he is confident no one can stop him."
The words hung in the air.
"I don't like this. We only know he came from who-knows-where, with no clear identity. He is neither shinobi nor a village resident."
"Agreed. Yet," the other replied more calmly, "we must not ignore other possibilities. Maybe he's just a lost person who happened to sit with Naruto."
The second ANBU paused. He recognized the plausibility, yet remained unconvinced. "That is too fragile an explanation. A mysterious stranger with no purpose, approaching Naruto — we cannot dismiss it."
"Right," the first acknowledged, the tension in his grip tightening enough to be an answer.
They sat a moment longer before the second murmured, "Report to Hokage-sama what we observed."