9: The Path of the Seer
The night was heavy with silence, broken only by the distant sound of cicadas. Kanro Sasho sat alone on the roof of the Ninja Academy, gazing at the stars. The moonlight reflected faintly on the mark on his chest, which pulsed softly—as if urging him to look deeper into himself.
Since the fight with Airi Mizuki, his thoughts had been restless. Her words lingered in his mind:
"Whatever path you walk, Kanro… you won't be alone. But you must choose carefully."
Tonight, he would decide.
---
The Awakening
Kanro closed his eyes. His breathing slowed. He focused inward. The world around him dissolved into quiet, and he entered the state of his Path—the Seer.
His pupils glowed gold. The air shifted. He could see the faint threads of fate stretching from everything in the world—each person, object, even moments yet to come. These threads were shimmering lines of light, weaving an unseen pattern.
Kanro gasped softly. He had never seen his Path so vividly. It was no longer just a faint vision—it was a living, breathing thing.
"The future is a maze…", whispered a voice in his mind.
"But you can walk it."
His vision expanded. He saw a battlefield—Konoha under siege, flames consuming the village. Figures in black cloaks moved like shadows, their faces hidden. And in the middle of it all… a man with the same mark as Kanro, but larger, darker, and more terrifying.
Kanro staggered backward. His chest ached. The mark glowed brighter, as if reacting to the vision.
This was not just foresight. This was a warning.
---
The Training
The next morning, Kanro sought Airi. They met quietly at the training field, away from the academy crowd.
"I saw something last night," Kanro began, voice low. "Something about the Path. It's… deeper than I thought."
Airi nodded, her eyes serious. "Then we train. Together."
They started with basic drills—punches, kicks, kunai throws—but Kanro insisted they add something new. He wanted to train perception, the ability to see the future in battle.
They sparred long into the evening. Kanro's movements became sharper, flowing almost without thought. His Seer Path allowed him to anticipate every strike, every feint. But Airi adapted too—pushing him harder, testing him beyond physical skill.
Between strikes, Kanro could hear the faint voice of his Path guiding him—sometimes whispering warnings, sometimes urging him forward.
They paused under the moonlight, sweat dripping from their foreheads.
Airi stepped closer, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "You've changed, Kanro."
Kanro looked into her eyes. "And you've made me stronger."
There was a pause. Neither spoke for a long moment. The air between them carried something unspoken—trust, rivalry… and something more.
---
The Test
That night, Kanro decided to test his Seer Path alone. He went to the outskirts of the village, where the forest was thick and shadows deep.
He meditated in silence, calling upon the Path. This time, the vision came stronger, clearer.
He saw battles yet to come, enemies he had never met, and a shadowed figure watching him from afar. The vision ended with a single word glowing in gold:
"Trial."
Kanro opened his eyes slowly. His chest ached where the mark pulsed.
He whispered to himself,
"This… is the beginning of something greater."
---
A Quiet Moment
Before returning home, Kanro found Airi waiting near the training grounds.
"You stayed late," she said softly.
"I had to," he replied. They sat side by side, watching the moonlight dance across the water of a nearby pond.
Kanro's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Airi… do you ever wonder why we fight?"
Airi turned to him, her eyes gentle but serious.
"I fight because I have to. But I think… you fight for something more."
Kanro's lips curved faintly. He didn't answer. Instead, they sat together in silence, the night wrapping around them. Somewhere deep inside, Kanro knew the Path was awakening—not just as a power, but as a destiny he could no longer avoid.