Naruto sat at his desk, tapping his pen against the page of his journal as he worked on his training schedule for the next month. He had woken up feeling surprisingly refreshed, free of the usual headaches, though his eyes still itched. Namori had brought him breakfast, and they had eaten together in companionable silence. Once finished, he had retreated to his desk, focusing on his plans under the watchful guidance of Vision, who floated lazily around the room like a silent overseer.
With the knowledge he had absorbed from the clan's library, he was more than confident he could surpass most of his clansmen. He hadn't paid much attention to the forbidden techniques—most were impractical or outright dangerous—but the Shadow Clone Jutsu was invaluable. With enough clones, he could refine his chakra control and accelerate his training in ninjutsu exponentially.
And then, there was the Rasengan.
A smirk tugged at Naruto's lips as he thought about it. Menma had always gloated about how their father trained him in the technique. When Naruto had worked up the nerve to ask Minato to train him as well, he had been shut down immediately.
"I'll teach you the Rasengan when you reach Chūnin rank," Minato had said.
Naruto scoffed as his pen scratched against the page. He would show them.
Fūinjutsu? Definitely. The benefits far outweighed the cons. Thanks to the knowledge he had gained, he already understood the symbols and their meanings. But that didn't mean he could create seals yet—his calligraphy still needed serious work.
Damn, he thought with a sigh. That's going to be expensive.
Leaning back in his chair, he stretched his arms over his head, relishing the satisfying pop of his spine. "Where in Kami's name am I supposed to get the money for supplies? The ink set alone costs 6,600 Ryō!"
"Don't fret, Naruto," Vision's calm, artificial voice echoed in his mind. "The solution will come when the time arrives. For now, you should focus on mastering the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Naruto yawned, ruffling his already messy hair. "Yeah, I guess."
A sudden knock at the door made him pause.
His frown deepened. Namori wasn't in the compound—she had gone out to buy fish for dinner. Setting his pen down, he closed his journal. With a brief pulse of red energy from the Reality Stone, the book vanished, along with his golden arm and the embedded Infinity Stones.
Steeling himself, he walked over and opened the door.
A shinobi wearing a boar-masked ANBU uniform stood in front of him, looking down with an unreadable gaze. "Lord Third wishes to speak with you," the man announced. "I've been sent to escort you."
Before Naruto could respond, a grating voice cut through the air like nails on a chalkboard.
"What have you done now, boy?"
Naruto rolled his eyes and turned his glare toward his uncle, Hando, who loomed nearby, his glasses catching the morning light in an irritating glare.
"Can I roast him with that yellow beam you showed me?" Naruto asked through his mental link with Vision.
Vision drifted past him, coming to a halt beside Hando, who, as usual, had his crooked nose stuck where it didn't belong. "Sorry, Naruto. That's a negative."
Naruto growled internally but kept his expression neutral. He couldn't resist a jab, though.
"I don't know, dear Obisan," he mused with mock innocence. "Maybe the old man's pissed that I spiked his morning tea?"
Hando's face turned an impressive shade of scarlet. His geta slammed against the wooden patio floor as he stomped a foot down in fury. "You insolent little runt! Your parents—"
"Enough, Hando-sama," the ANBU interrupted, his voice tinged with amusement. "The Hokage merely wishes to discuss Naruto's admission papers for the Shinobi Academy."
"As if we would allow such a useless—"
A pulse of chakra filled the air.
The masked shinobi stiffened slightly, but Hando outright flinched. Naruto's expression turned cold—ice-cold, just like his father's. His uncle visibly swallowed, the confidence draining from his face.
"Get in my way, Uncle," Naruto murmured, his voice low and edged with quiet menace. "And I'll bury you in more paperwork than you can handle."
Hando's face paled. "You wouldn't dare."
Naruto simply shrugged as he stepped out of his room, slipping his shoes on with deliberate slowness. "Wouldn't I?" He tilted his head, the ghost of a smirk playing at his lips. "I do get bored when I have nothing to do... and I may just start pranking again. How much chaos do you think the village can take before the civilians start rioting against the clan?"
The tension crackled between them like static before Hando let out a furious huff, turning sharply on his heel. "Get him out of my sight! Hopefully, the Academy will discipline him properly and remind him of his place."
His white floral kimono billowed behind him as he stormed off.
The ANBU shinobi coughed lightly, breaking the silence. "Let's be off."
Before Naruto could react, the man gripped his shoulder, and in a whirlwind of leaves, they disappeared.
✨🟣🔵🟢🟡🔴🟠✨
The moment Naruto's feet touched the polished wooden floor of the Hokage's office, a chill crept up his spine. Every hair on the nape of his neck stood on end. He was surrounded.
Four ANBU positioned themselves strategically, covering all possible exits. The Hokage sat rigidly behind his desk, his expression carved from stone. Beside him stood a familiar man—Shikamaru's father, Shikaku Nara.
Naruto's body tensed instinctively, his heart hammering against his ribs. Something wasn't right. His throat felt dry as his gaze flickered to the old man's face. No warmth. No kind smile.
This wasn't the pleasant, pipe-smoking grandfather figure he knew. This was the Professor—the battle-hardened Hokage who had survived two great wars.
"Naruto, stay calm." Vision's voice rang smoothly in Naruto's mind, and his holographic form materialized beside him. If Naruto wasn't so used to Vision popping in unannounced, he might've jumped. "Losing your composure will only make things worse. Play the role of the innocent boy until we know why we're here."
Naruto forced an uneasy grin, scratching the back of his head. "Uh... hi, Jiji." His eyes darted around the room. "Whatever it is, it wasn't me! I haven't pranked anyone lately!"
But his nervous outburst earned him nothing.
Not even the faintest twitch of amusement.
The Hokage's fingers steepled beneath his chin, his sharp gaze never leaving Naruto. The room was thick with silence, suffocating and oppressive. The ANBU didn't so much as shift. The air itself felt heavier, pressing down on Naruto's chest.
His palms grew clammy. His breath quickened.
"What are they waiting for?" Naruto asked through their link, unease twisting in his gut.
Vision didn't answer.
Then, the Hokage moved.
A simple hand gesture.
Before Naruto could react, an arm coiled around his neck like a steel vice. Another hand clamped onto the back of his head, locking him in place.
Panic ignited in his chest.
"Wha—? HEY!"
Naruto thrashed, struggling wildly, but the ANBU's grip was unrelenting.
"Vision, HELP!" His eyes burned with unshed tears as he looked at the Hokage—his Jiji—who just watched.
Cold. Silent. Unmoving.
Naruto's heart shattered.
The pressure on his throat tightened. His lungs convulsed, desperate for air. His little hands clawed at the ANBU's armored forearm, nails digging in, but it did nothing. He was going to die.
"Did the clan ask him to get rid of me? Is that it?"
Dots of darkness speckled his vision. His limbs weakened. The world tilted.
"Naruto, there's no choice!" Vision's voice rang in his mind, urgent and sharp. "Use the Mind Stone!"
"I can't!" Naruto's mind screamed. "They'll KNOW!"
"They already suspect. They're WAITING for you to do something. If you don't act NOW, you'll be dead before you can prove anything."
Naruto's entire body trembled.
Was this really it? Was this how he was going to die?
No.
No.
NO!
With the last dregs of his strength, he tapped into the Mind Stone.
A golden glow burst from his forehead.
In an instant, Naruto's body phased out of the ANBU's grip. The sudden shift sent the masked man stumbling forward, his hands grasping at empty air.
Gasps erupted throughout the office.
But Naruto didn't care.
His chest heaved as he landed a few feet away, barely keeping himself upright. His head snapped toward his attacker, eyes blazing. He dropped the illusion without hesitation, hiding his golden arm and the embedded Infinity Stones.
The Mind Stone flared brilliantly.
A concentrated beam of yellow energy exploded from his forehead, slamming into the masked ANBU's chest.
The force sent the man hurtling backward, crashing into another ANBU. The two were violently propelled through the Hokage's door, shattering wood and sending debris flying. The impact didn't stop there—they smashed into the hallway wall beyond, trembling the very foundation of the building.
The beam fizzled out.
A heavy silence followed.
Naruto stood there, shoulders rising and falling, his entire body tense with fury. His hands curled into fists. His golden arm gleamed in the dim light of the room.
He slowly turned his glare toward the Hokage.
"What the hell was that, old man?!"
Naruto stumbled on the spot, panting. A sudden bolt of pain flashed across his skull. He clutched his head before the world tipped sideways. He needed to get away as soon as possible. However, before he could take another step, his knees buckled and he face-planted to the floor out cold.
✨🟣🔵🟢🟡🔴🟠✨
The Hokage sighed as he surveyed the destruction. Smoke and dust still lingered in the air, and the shattered remains of his office door groaned under the weight of fallen debris. He hadn't anticipated that Naruto was harboring such a secret, and yet, here they were. What was done was done—there was no point lamenting it now. The only thing left was to contain the situation before it spiraled out of control. If the wrong factions in Konoha caught wind of Naruto's power, the boy's life would be in immediate danger.
"ANBU!" Hiruzen barked, taking a slow drag from his pipe to steady his nerves. His sharp eyes hardened like steel. "Secure the room. Let no one enter. And I mean no one."
Two masked ANBU immediately sprang into action, flickering from sight to carry out their orders. Only when the room was secured did the old Hokage allow himself another tired sigh. This was far worse than he had feared.
Slowly, he stepped forward, his knees creaking in protest as he bent down to lift Naruto's unconscious body from the floor. The boy was surprisingly light—too light for someone his age. Hiruzen placed him carefully onto the worn sofa in the corner, ensuring his head rested comfortably against the armrest.
Shikaku Nara, ever the picture of nonchalance, sauntered over and knelt beside the couch. His sharp, calculating eyes flicked over Naruto's golden arm before his fingers reached out, curiosity getting the better of him.
The moment his fingertips brushed against one of the embedded gems, an invisible force lashed out. A burst of energy slammed into the Nara clan head, sending him flying across the room like a rag doll. Before he could collide with the far wall, he vanished—reappearing a second later beside the Hokage in a swirl of shadows, looking more annoyed than injured.
"Troublesome," Shikaku muttered, shaking out his stinging hand. "The stones are protecting him—"
"I would advise either of you gentlemen not to touch the Infinity Stones," an unfamiliar voice rang through the office, calm yet firm. "Lest you wish to die."
Golden light flickered in the dim room, and before their eyes, a crimson-skinned figure materialized, floating inches above the wooden floor. His form was unnervingly smooth, his eyes cool and calculating, and at the center of his forehead, a yellow gemstone pulsed with an eerie glow.
Hiruzen stiffened. His breath slowed as he took in the sight before him. This... this was no ordinary shinobi.
The room tensed.
One of the ANBU, a kunoichi wearing a cat mask with long purple hair spilling down her back, reacted instantly. In a blur, she unsheathed her sword, vanishing from sight before reappearing above the unknown entity. With a precise, vertical strike, her blade aimed directly at his crown.
The sword passed straight through him.
No resistance. No impact.
The ANBU landed gracefully, eyes narrowing as she reevaluated the situation. Her grip on the sword tightened.
Hiruzen exhaled a thin stream of smoke, watching closely. How did he do that? The man had not dodged. He had not countered. He had simply... not been there. As if he were nothing more than a mirage.
"Cat," the Hokage ordered, his voice measured. "Halt your attack."
The kunoichi hesitated for only a second before she sheathed her sword and returned to her post.
Silence stretched between them as Hiruzen studied the floating figure, his aged mind already working through the many implications of what he had just witnessed.
With one last pull from his pipe, he exhaled slowly and met the stranger's gaze.
"Very well," he said, at last, his tone even but firm. "Let's talk. Who are you?"