Chapter 13 – "Through Unfamiliar Eyes"
Footsteps crunched against the stone of the Valley of the End.
Through the spray of the waterfall, a lone figure emerged — tall, calm, his jōnin vest swaying lightly in the wind.
"Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto's voice came out softer than he intended.
The silver-haired man's single visible eye moved between them. The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on, yet his tone was as casual as ever.
"You two… I leave you alone for a little while, and look at the mess you've made."
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But to Naruto and Sasuke, his presence was… different.
Too detailed. Too clear.
Naruto blinked, and the world shifted. His irises burned into molten gold, veins spreading faintly at his temples. The Gold Byakugan came to life without his command, every grain of dust in the air suspended like stars around Kakashi.
He could see the rhythm of Kakashi's heart, the faint heat of his breath behind the mask.
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Sasuke stiffened. His own vision fractured into crimson light as the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan spun to life — smooth, flawless, and terrifyingly sharp.
Every twitch of Kakashi's fingers, the subtlest shift in his stance, the tiny fluctuations in his chakra — nothing escaped him.
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Neither of them had control.
The dojutsu were too new, too raw, awakening on instinct alone.
And then, without warning, their visions… overlapped.
Byakugan's limitless scope bled into Sharingan's perfect precision, merging for an instant.
The world peeled open.
Somewhere, far beyond the mist and trees, a flicker of chakra pulsed.
Ancient. Cold. Watching them.
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Kakashi's voice cut through the silence like a blade.
"…Your eyes."
It wasn't a question.
Naruto's breath hitched, and he forced the golden glow to dim.
Sasuke shut his eyes entirely, severing the Mangekyō's gaze.
Neither spoke.
Some truths couldn't be explained — not here, not now.
Kakashi studied them for another long moment before sighing.
"…We're going back. You both need treatment."
They followed, saying nothing.
But as they left the Valley, both knew the same thing:
Whatever that watching presence was… it wasn't from this time.
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