The classroom buzzed with excitement and apprehension, a whirlwind of fresh graduates awaiting team assignments. For Naruto Uzumaki, the agitation was palpable. He dreamed of being with Sakura, the girl he admired, and surpassing Sasuke, his eternal rival. For Kenzo Uzumaki, silence was his constant, his three permanent red-pupilled eyes observing every detail of the room, his flaming red hair with silver highlights distinguishing him from all others. Around them, the whispers and hostile glances remained the same for years, but amplified by the aura of mystery and fear Kenzo now exuded.
Minato, in his Primal Dragon form, floated near them, an invisible and protective presence. Kushina, the Primal Fairy Queen, smiled tenderly, her diaphanous form visible only to her sons.
"It's the big day, my darlings!" Kushina whispered, her melodious voice echoing in their minds. "Who do you think you'll be with?"
"Naruto (mentally to Kushina): I hope it's Sakura! And not Sasuke! I want to be the strongest!"
"Minato (mentally to Naruto): Calm down, Naruto. The important thing is to learn and grow, no matter who's on your team. Every experience is an opportunity."
Kenzo, without speaking, nodded in agreement with his father. His eyes scanned the room, analyzing each student's personalities, strengths, and weaknesses.
The door opened and Iruka-sensei entered, a scroll in hand. Silence fell.
"Congratulations to all graduates. You are officially ninjas. Starting today, you will be part of three-person teams, under the supervision of a Jōnin." Iruka began to read the lists. "Team 7..."
Naruto's heart pounded. "Please, not Sasuke, please, not Sasuke..."
"...Haruno Sakura..."
Naruto let out a silent sigh of happiness, a blissful smile stretching his lips.
"...Uchiha Sasuke..."
Naruto's smile crumbled. "WHAT?! No, Sensei! Why me with him?!" he yelled, pointing at Sasuke. "He's the most arrogant idiot in class!"
Sasuke retorted with a disdainful look: "Hmph. And me with the dead last who can't even make a decent clone." He didn't mention Naruto's feat with the Supra-Dimensional Multi-Cloning, his pride preventing him.
"You are Team 7 because your skills balance each other out," Iruka replied, resigned. Then he took a deep breath, looking at the scroll. "And... Uzumaki Kenzo."
A deathly silence fell over the room. All eyes turned to Kenzo, then to Iruka, then back to Kenzo. His three red-pupilled eyes shimmered for an instant, perceiving the shockwave in the room.
Naruto, initially stunned, looked at Kenzo, then Sakura, then Sasuke. "KENZO?! Awesome! I'm with my brother! But... with Sakura-chan AND Sasuke?!"
Sasuke, for once, seemed troubled. Not only was he with the "dead last" Naruto, but also with the enigma Kenzo, whose eyes had been the subject of all rumors for years.
Sakura, for her part, stared at Kenzo. Ever since the day he made the shuriken appear out of nowhere, then the demonstration of his eyes at graduation, she had felt a strange fascination. He was so silent, so different from Naruto with his pranks, or Sasuke with his cold arrogance. His eyes, at first frightening, had something unfathomable, alluring. His calm demeanor amidst the village's storm of hatred intrigued her.
Minato (mentally to Kenzo): Interesting. A potentially explosive mix, my sons.
Kushina (mentally to Naruto): At least you'll be together! And Sakura is a smart girl, even if she's a little obsessed with Sasuke.
Hours passed, the other teams left with their Jōnin. Team 7 was the last. The four young ninjas waited in tense silence. Naruto grumbled, Sasuke meditated, Sakura cast discreet glances at Kenzo.
"He must be testing us," Naruto sighed. "He's super late!"
Suddenly, the door opened. A silver-haired man, half his face hidden by a mask, and a headband over his left eye, appeared. It was Hatake Kakashi. His visible eye swept over them, lingering for an instant on Kenzo's eyes.
"My first impression of you is... I hate you," Kakashi declared, in a languid voice. "Meet me on the roof in five minutes." And he vanished.
Naruto and Sasuke were angry. Sakura seemed disturbed. Only Kenzo didn't react, silently standing up and leaving.
On the roof, Kakashi leaned against the parapet, his gaze still fixed on Kenzo.
"Alright. Introduce yourselves. Your names, what you like, what you dislike, and your dreams for the future. Start with you, blondie."
Naruto, as enthusiastic as ever, began. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I love ramen and Kenzo, my brother! I hate the three-minute wait for ramen and vegetables! And my dream is to become Hokage and make everyone recognize me!"
Kakashi looked at him unimpressed. "Alright. You, emo."
Sasuke frowned. "Uchiha Sasuke. I like... nothing in particular. I dislike a lot of things. My dream... is not a dream, it's an ambition. I will restore my clan and kill a certain individual."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Alright. And you, pinkie."
Sakura, heart pounding, replied. "I'm Haruno Sakura! I like... (she glanced at Sasuke) uh... and I hate Naruto! My dream is to... (she blushed, looking at Sasuke)"
Kakashi sighed. "Alright. And you, the quiet one." His gaze fell on Kenzo, his three red-pupilled eyes. He had heard the rumors, seen the reports.
Kenzo said nothing. He observed Kakashi, his tri-pupil eyes seemingly piercing the veil of his hidden Sharingan.
"Kakashi (mentally to Kenzo): You can communicate telepathically with your brother, I know that. Speak. We have things to do."
Kenzo (mentally to Kakashi): I have nothing to tell you. You wouldn't understand. And my affairs are personal.
Kakashi was surprised by the clarity and firmness of the mental response. He felt a wave of power emanating from Kenzo, a force far exceeding anything he had ever felt. It wasn't chakra.
"Listen, kid," Kakashi said aloud, forcing himself to remain calm. "If you don't speak, how are you going to function as a team?"
Kenzo extended his hand towards a passing bird. The bird, instead of fleeing, came to perch on his finger, chirping happily. Kenzo's red pupils glowed. The bird, for an instant, seemed to glow with a golden aura. Then Kenzo let it fly away.
Kakashi narrowed his eye. "Impressive, but not an answer."
"Naruto (mentally to Kakashi, via Kenzo): My brother communicates telepathically with me! I can relay it to you! He understands everything! He's super smart! And he's not weird!"
Kakashi looked at Naruto, then Kenzo. "Alright, Naruto. So, what does Kenzo like, dislike, and what's his dream?"
Kenzo (mentally to Naruto): I have no conventional dreams. My desires are for my brother's safety and peace. I like to observe life. I dislike hatred and ignorance.
Naruto, faithfully relaying, exclaimed: "Kenzo says he doesn't have normal dreams! He just wants me to be safe and for the world to be at peace! He likes to observe life, and he hates hatred and ignorance!"
Sasuke grimaced, Sakura frowned, intrigued. Kakashi looked at all of them, thoughtful. This team was an anomaly.
"Alright, Team 7," Kakashi resumed. "Tomorrow, 5 AM, Training Ground 3. Don't eat breakfast, or you'll throw up. We're going to do a survival test."
The next day, 5 AM. Naruto was already there, starving. Sakura and Sasuke arrived. Kenzo, however, was already seated, meditating, his eyes shining in the morning gloom. Beside them, invisible to Kakashi, Minato and Kushina watched.
"Minato (mentally to Naruto): Don't forget what we told you. Hunger isn't your enemy today."
Kakashi arrived with bells on his belt. "Your objective is to take these bells from me before noon. Those who don't will be sent back to the Academy. And... there are only two bells."
The three students were shocked.
"That means one of us will fail," Sakura realized, panic rising.
Kakashi smiled (his eye). "Exactly. Teamwork is paramount. Let the test begin!"
The three dispersed. Naruto charged straight ahead, Kenzo vanished in a flash, Sasuke hid. Sakura, more cautious, also hid, observing the terrain. Kakashi wasn't surprised by Naruto, but Kenzo's absence intrigued him. He had felt the boy's power, but his lack of chakra was strange.
Naruto attacked Kakashi head-on, using clones. Kakashi effortlessly repelled him. Sasuke attempted a stealth attack, but Kakashi easily foiled it. Meanwhile, Sakura tried to get closer, studying Kakashi's movements, but she was quickly spotted and tied to a tree trunk, unable to move.
Kenzo, invisible, observed the scene. His tri-pupil eyes analyzed Kakashi's movements, his defense patterns, his speed. There was no chakra, no conventional energy to read, just perfect movement, the prediction of destiny.
Minato (mentally to Kenzo): He's good. Very good. But there's a flaw in his observation. He doesn't expect what's beyond his comprehension.
Kushina (mentally to Naruto): Naruto, use your strength! And try to work with the others!
Naruto, exhausted and hungry, eventually got caught by Kakashi. Sasuke was stuck in the ground. Sakura was tied up. Only Kenzo remained untraceable.
"Alright," Kakashi said, addressing the three. "You didn't understand the objective of the test. It's teamwork."
Suddenly, a bell appeared in Kenzo's hand. He had appeared behind Kakashi, silently, without the Jōnin even sensing him. Kakashi was dumbfounded. How? He hadn't detected anything. No chakra, no movement. Kenzo had just... created it or teleported it from his belt.
Kakashi looked at Kenzo, his red-pupilled eyes fixed on him. He felt a cold sweat on his forehead. This kid was on another level.
"Kenzo (mentally to Kakashi): I didn't need to attack. I just took what was there. It's my right. And this test is absurd. You starve them to make them work together, but you don't give them the choice to cooperate without your intervention."
Kakashi swallowed. The mental communication and this power...
"And for the second bell..." Kenzo said, raising his hand. The second bell instantly appeared in Naruto's hand, who looked at it with stupefaction.
Then, Kenzo turned to Sakura, still tied to the trunk. He placed his hand on the ropes binding her. Without a sound, the ropes vanished. Sakura fell to the ground, free.
Sakura, freed, looked at Kenzo with wide eyes. She hadn't even felt his presence. He had freed her effortlessly, without even a glance. It was the first time he had directly interacted with her in this way. It wasn't Sasuke who had saved her. It was Kenzo.
Kakashi remained silent for a moment, his mind working at full speed. This kid was a danger. Or an invaluable asset.
"Alright," Kakashi said, collecting his thoughts. "You passed. But not as I expected." He looked at Kenzo. "You are... special. Your teamwork was unconventional, but you proved your point."
Kakashi informed them of their first missions, D-rank tasks, and basic rules. As he sent them off, his gaze remained on Kenzo.
Minato (mentally to Kenzo): You made an undeniable display of strength, my son. The world will no longer be able to ignore you.
Kushina (mentally to Naruto): You got your lineage! And the bell! I'm so proud of both of you!
The walk back was lighter. Naruto was thrilled to have succeeded, even if he didn't quite understand how. Sasuke, silent, stewed over the incident, a new frustration gnawing at him. Sakura walked in silence, her gaze fixed on Kenzo's back. Her feelings for Sasuke, so intense just recently, began to fade, replaced by a growing curiosity, then a deep admiration for the silent young Uzumaki, his fascinating eyes, and his calm demeanor. He had freed her, and his power was beyond anything she knew. Kenzo, for his part, remained unperturbed, his three red-pupilled eyes perceiving far more than the simple path before them, and the loving voices of his parents echoing in his mind, guiding them towards an uncertain but promising future.