At twelve years old, Kanro Sasho walked the bustling streets of Konoha with an air unlike any other child his age. Around him, the village was alive with laughter, the chatter of vendors, and the clinking of kunai being tested by young shinobi in training. But Kanro's eyes rarely looked at the crowd. They seemed to pierce through it—searching for something unseen.
Today was his first day at the Ninja Academy. The school was filled with students of all ages, each eager to prove themselves worthy of the shinobi title. Kanro felt neither excitement nor fear—only a quiet curiosity.
His parents had walked him to the entrance earlier that morning, their faces a mixture of pride and worry.
"Remember," his father said softly, "your gift is a blessing… but it is also a burden."
Kanro nodded without speaking. His thoughts were elsewhere, lingering on the strange mark that lay hidden beneath his clothes.
Inside the academy, Instructor Yamato greeted the new batch of students. His voice was firm but kind.
"Today marks the first step in your path to becoming a shinobi. You will learn chakra control, combat skills, teamwork… and most importantly, discipline."
Kanro listened quietly, but as the instructor spoke, his mind drifted to the whispers in his dreams, and the vision of the labyrinth that had haunted him since childhood. He did not know it yet, but those whispers were the call of his Path—the Seer.
During the first chakra control lesson, Kanro stood apart. While others struggled, he remained calm, his breathing steady. His chakra flowed smoothly under his control, far beyond what a normal beginner could achieve. The instructor noticed.
"Takahiro," Yamato called, nodding toward Kanro, "bring him here."
Kanro walked forward. Takahiro's gaze was sharp.
"This boy… there's something different about him."
Kanro felt his pulse quicken—not with fear, but with a strange certainty. Deep inside, a quiet voice whispered again:
"The Paths watch you… Kanro Sasho."
He stopped breathing for a moment, eyes closing as golden threads faintly glowed in his pupils. The world around him seemed to blur, until only one thing remained—a vision of a battlefield shrouded in mist, with shadows moving toward him.
The voice returned, stronger this time:
"The first trial approaches."
When Kanro opened his eyes, the murmurs were gone. The instructor looked at him with a mix of curiosity and caution.
"Interesting," Yamato murmured under his breath.
That day, Kanro became aware that the academy would not just teach him how to fight—it would push him toward discovering what he truly was. And deep in his chest, the mark lay quietly… waiting for the day he would awaken the full power of his Path.
Outside the academy walls, the sun set over Konoha. And somewhere in the shadows, watchers whispered:
"The boy has begun his path."