---
A dull ache throbbed behind my eyes as I stared at the System screen.
It had been nearly a full day since the ROOT encounter, and my body had recovered, but… something inside felt different.
Sharper. Faster.
I closed the screen and glanced at the wooden post in front of me. One more step, one more blink.
I weaved chakra, triggered the technique—
And I was instantly behind the post.
Not fast. Instant.
---
"You're pushing too hard again."
I turned. Mikoto stood at the edge of the training ground, arms folded, raven hair swaying slightly in the breeze.
She wore her clan's standard practice gear, but the confidence in her walk made it seem like royalty.
"You're the only genin who trains like a jonin with a grudge," she said softly. "What's going on with you lately?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I muttered, trying to hide the exhaustion.
She stepped closer, eyes narrowing. "Try me."
---
Before I could answer, a sudden flash of light passed through my mind—
—a memory not my own.
A kunai spinning in the dark. Blood splatter. A voice shouting "Run!"
My hands trembled.
Then it hit me: my vision flickered.
Just for a second, the world was… different. The outlines of Mikoto's body movements, the tension in her fingers—
I could see it. Like I knew what she was about to do next.
The throbbing behind my eyes returned.
---
"Are you okay?" she asked, voice softer now.
"Yeah… I just—"
I blinked. Normal again. The vision was gone.
"Probably overtraining."
She stared a moment longer, then smirked. "Well, don't collapse before the next mission. Sensei wants us ready. Especially if you're going to try and outrun me again."
I chuckled. "You? Outrun me?"
She tilted her head. "Wanna bet?"
Then she was gone, body flickering into the trees.
---
The System pinged quietly:
I froze.
Awakening path?
A shiver ran down my spine.
No… not now. Not yet.
But something had definitely changed.
The bloodline I had been waiting for—it was stirring.
---
Far beneath Konoha, inside a ROOT command room, Danzo's voice broke the silence.
"He's adapting too quickly. Activate Phase Two.
Let's see if he survives… real pain."
--