The sun rose over Konoha, but the air felt heavy — like the village was holding its breath.
Unseen by most, chakra flowed through the land in new, unnatural patterns.
Everywhere — from the training fields to the forests — faint, circular seals had appeared in the dirt.
Most thought they were harmless.
Only a few shinobi felt the dread.
---
🌑 Whispers in the Roots
Beneath the Hokage Mountain, deep tunnels pulsed with a crimson glow.
Muzan stood within them, calm and composed, as his hands hovered over a large, living seal etched into the ground.
Around him, twelve figures knelt in silence — the Kizuki no Shinobi.
Each bore a unique chakra mark on their neck, chest, or forehead, glowing faintly in sync with Muzan's.
They weren't demons.
They were enhanced shinobi, their chakra intertwined with a fraction of Muzan's life force.
> "Rise," he commanded softly.
They obeyed — movements smooth, unified, almost mechanical.
Their eyes glowed faintly red.
> "You are not my slaves," Muzan said, voice echoing through the cavern.
"You are evolution's next step. The balance between blood and chakra."
One of them, a young kunoichi with snake-like eyes, spoke up.
> "What is our purpose, Lord Muzan?"
He smiled faintly.
> "To build. To protect. To grow stronger than this fragile world ever allowed."
But inside, his other voice whispered again — colder, crueler:
> "You mean to destroy. Don't lie to yourself."
For a moment, Muzan's expression flickered — human guilt flashing across his face.
He silenced the voice.
---
🌀 The Observers
From a rooftop, Saiki Kusuo watched the village below.
His telepathic vision reached beneath the ground, tracing the lines of energy spreading from the mountain.
Each one led to a mark — a new source of chakra.
> "Twelve nodes, twelve signatures," he muttered.
"But they're not evil. They're… conflicted. It's like two souls fighting for dominance."
A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.
Naruto landed next to him, hands in his pockets.
> "You sense it too, huh?"
"More than sense it," Saiki replied quietly. "He's rewriting life itself."
---
⚡ The Hokage's Suspicion
Later that evening, in the Hokage's office, Tsunade met with Sasuke and Shikamaru.
Scrolls and chakra maps filled the table.
> "Every pattern points to the same thing," Shikamaru said, tapping the map.
"Something — or someone — is creating a second chakra network under the village."
Sasuke's Sharingan spun slowly.
> "It's not jutsu. It's design. The structure feels organic — like veins."
Tsunade clenched her fists.
> "Find out who's behind it. Before Konoha itself starts bleeding."
---
🌕 The Kizuki's Oath
Deep underground, Muzan's twelve stood ready.
He looked at them, seeing not weapons, but possibilities.
Each represented a different nature transformation — fire, wind, lightning, earth, water, yin, yang, and the rest, balanced through his will.
> "The shinobi world runs on war," he said.
"But what if we create a world where power no longer divides — where chakra is shared, not hoarded?"
The kunoichi stepped forward again.
> "And what if they reject that world?"
Muzan smiled, faintly sorrowful.
> "Then they will evolve… or perish by their own fear."
He raised his hand.
The seals on each Kizuki flared to life, a red aura spiraling upward, reaching the sky above Konoha.
At that very moment, Naruto, standing on the Hokage Monument, saw it — a faint red pillar piercing the clouds.
> "That's not normal chakra…" he whispered.
---
🌒 The Awakening
Saiki's mind pulsed as he connected to Muzan's thoughts again — just for a moment.
He saw flashes: a different world, filled with swords and demons, blood and moonlight.
And in that world, Muzan stood at the top, alone.
> "He's not evil," Saiki said to himself. "He's just… afraid of dying again."
Somewhere deep in his consciousness, Muzan felt the telepathic touch — and smirked.
> "Ah. The psychic one. You shouldn't peek inside gods."
The cavern trembled. The Kizuki's eyes flared crimson.
The second heartbeat of Konoha had officially begun.
End of Chapter 3 — The Twelve Marks 🌘
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