Morning sunlight spilled through the cracks in Naruto's curtains, painting golden lines across his small apartment. He blinked awake, rubbing his eyes. For a moment, he forgot everything — the ring, the books, the voice — but when his hand brushed the cool metal on his finger, the memories returned like a flood.
The red gem glimmered faintly in the morning light.
"Still real…" he muttered, lifting his hand closer to his face. "Guess last night wasn't a dream after all."
He sat up slowly. The books he had found in the Senju compound were still under his bed, wrapped in a piece of cloth. The smaller one — Shax's Grimoire — seemed to hum softly whenever he got close to it.
Naruto scratched his messy hair. "So now I've got a talking ring, a demon friend, and a secret nobody can know about. Great. Just great."
"You sound unhappy, little Magus."
Naruto jumped. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"You called, even if you didn't mean to," said the voice in his head, calm and faintly amused. "The ring connects us. I hear your thoughts, your fears… even your hunger."
Naruto blinked. "You can hear that?!"
"It's quite loud," Shax said dryly.
Naruto sighed and pulled on his jacket. "Fine, fine. Let's get ramen first, then we'll talk about whatever spirit business you've got planned."
"Food again. You mortals are endlessly predictable."
"Hey, even Maguses need breakfast!"
Ichiraku Morning
The smell of broth and noodles filled the air as Naruto slid onto his usual stool at Ichiraku. Teuchi was already smiling at him.
"Morning, Naruto! You look like you didn't sleep much."
Naruto grinned. "Yeah, had a weird dream again."
Ayame handed him a steaming bowl. "Well, dreams mean your heart's busy thinking. Eat — it helps."
He slurped loudly, his mind halfway between the taste of ramen and the whispering voice in his head.
"You trust them," Shax noted. "These humans feed you with kindness."
"Yeah," Naruto whispered softly. "They're like family. They don't look at me like everyone else."
"Interesting. Kindness is rare toward one like you."
Naruto frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You carry both light and shadow now. Those who sense it will fear you, even if they do not understand why."
Naruto stirred his ramen silently. "So what? I should just hide forever?"
"No. But you must learn control. Power without control is a storm that destroys all it touches."
Naruto sighed. "Then teach me. You said you'd guide me."
"In time. For now, listen. You are being watched."
Naruto froze. "What?"
"Three shadows on the rooftop across the street. Their chakra burns cold. Not ANBU — but close."
Naruto lifted the bowl to his lips casually and glanced sideways. At first, he saw nothing — then, faintly, his right eye glowed under the bandage, and he saw them. Three figures in dark uniforms, masks covering their faces, sitting motionless above the street.
"Who are they?" he whispered.
"Root," said Shax. "The ones your Hokage warned you about. Danzo's hunters."
Naruto's pulse quickened. "Why are they watching me?"
"Because of the ring," the voice said. "They smell ancient power. They fear what they cannot claim."
Naruto placed his chopsticks down quietly and smiled at Teuchi. "Thanks for the food! I'll be back later!"
He left a few coins and jumped off the stool, pretending nothing was wrong. Once around the corner, he ran — fast — toward the training fields.
The Chase
Naruto's sandals hit the dirt path in rhythm with his heartbeat. He could feel the three Root agents following him, silent and precise.
"Shax," he whispered. "What do I do?!"
"They are trained killers. You cannot fight them. Yet."
"Then what?"
"Use what you already have — speed, unpredictability, and me."
Naruto ducked into the forest, leaping from branch to branch like Iruka had taught him. The air rushed past his face, but the chakra he used felt different this time — smoother, faster, as if the ring was guiding it.
"Good," Shax said. "The ring amplifies your chakra flow. You are faster now. Use the wind."
Naruto grinned. "Wind, huh? Alright!"
He formed a quick seal and jumped into the air, releasing a burst of chakra downward. Leaves exploded around him as a small gust of wind threw him higher. The Root agents landed below, momentarily confused.
"Where did he—" one of them started, but Naruto's voice echoed from behind them.
"Looking for me?"
He threw a handful of kunai — not perfectly aimed, but enough to make them dodge. He used the moment to leap away again.
"Do not rely on tricks," Shax warned. "Focus your chakra into the ring."
Naruto looked down at his hand. "Like this?"
The gem on the ring glowed faintly, and a ripple of energy spread around him. The leaves began to swirl in the air, forming a spinning barrier of wind.
"Now jump."
Naruto obeyed instinctively, leaping into the air as the barrier exploded outward. The gust knocked the Root agents backward, slamming them into tree trunks.
He landed hard, panting. "Whoa! That was awesome!"
"Do not get excited. They will recover quickly."
Naruto looked around — the forest was quiet again. But the danger wasn't over.
The Root Report
Far away, deep underground beneath the Hokage Monument, Danzo Shimura sat in his secret chamber. One of the masked agents kneeled before him, bowing low.
"You failed to capture the boy?" Danzo's voice was cold, sharp as steel.
The agent kept his head down. "Forgive us, Lord Danzo. The target used… an unknown wind technique. Not chakra-based. It threw us back."
Danzo's single eye narrowed. "Unknown, you say? Describe it."
"It came from his right hand, sir. The power was… different. Not chakra, not nature energy. It felt like something else — old."
Danzo leaned forward, fingers steepled. "So the rumors were true. The boy has touched something forbidden."
He stood slowly, his cane tapping against the floor. "Continue to observe him. Do not engage again until I say so. If the Hokage learns of this, he'll hide the boy even more."
"Yes, Lord Danzo."
When the agent left, Danzo looked toward the candle flame on his desk. His shadow stretched long across the stone wall.
"The Fourth's son… and now this. Perhaps the village's greatest weapon has already been born."
Training in Secret
That evening, Naruto returned to the empty training field outside the village. He was still breathing hard, his body sore from the chase.
"Shax," he said quietly, "thanks for helping me back there."
"You survived because you listened," the spirit replied. "A rare habit for humans."
Naruto chuckled weakly. "So, that wind thing — what was it? I didn't even form a proper jutsu."
"It was not ninjutsu," Shax said. "You called upon my element. The wind obeys me, and now it listens to you through the ring."
Naruto looked down at his hand. "So… I can control wind?"
"Control is not the right word. Influence. Shape. Summon. In time, you may command."
Naruto's eyes shone. "Then teach me! I want to learn everything!"
"Eager. Good. But power must be built slowly. You must strengthen your spirit first. Your chakra coils are small, your body weak. For now, you will learn to feel the flow."
Naruto nodded. "Okay. What do I do?"
"Sit. Breathe. Listen to the world."
Naruto sat cross-legged on the grass. The wind brushed against his face softly. The forest was quiet except for distant insects.
"Now," Shax whispered, "close your eyes. Feel the air move. Do not force it. Let it speak."
Naruto obeyed. At first, there was nothing — only silence. But slowly, he began to sense something different. Tiny movements. The way the air brushed his skin. The hum of life in the trees around him.
He focused deeper. The world seemed to slow down. He could feel the space between moments, the tiny gaps where silence lived.
Then suddenly, he heard a voice — not Shax's, not human, but soft and ancient.
"We remember you, child of wind…"
Naruto's eyes opened wide. The air around him shimmered faintly, small spirals of energy rising like fireflies.
"Enough," Shax said sharply. "You will draw attention."
The energy faded instantly, and Naruto gasped. "What was that?"
"The spirits of air. They remember my presence — and now they see you as my vessel."
Naruto rubbed his arms. "That was… amazing. Kind of scary too."
"It will become natural in time. For now, rest."
Naruto smiled faintly. "You sound almost like a teacher."
"I am what you make of me," Shax replied. "But remember this, Naruto Uzumaki — the more you use the ring, the more others will sense it. Power calls to power."
Naruto frowned. "So the Root guys, they'll come again?"
"Yes. And worse things, perhaps."
He looked up at the stars. "Then I'll be ready."
"You remind me of your ancestor," Shax murmured.
Naruto blinked. "Ancestor? What do you mean?"
"Ah… another time, perhaps."
The voice faded, leaving Naruto alone under the night sky, his heart still racing with excitement and confusion.
Iruka's Worry
The next day, Naruto arrived at the Academy looking exhausted but cheerful. Iruka noticed immediately.
"Did you train all night again?" he asked, hands on his hips.
Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Maybe."
Iruka sighed. "Naruto, you need rest. Training without sleep won't help you pass the exam."
"Don't worry, sensei! I feel great!"
Iruka raised an eyebrow. "You look like you fought a bear."
Naruto laughed. "Maybe a small one."
Despite his words, Iruka couldn't shake a growing unease. There was something different about Naruto lately — something in his eyes, even with the bandage still covering one. A strange focus, an energy that didn't feel like normal chakra.
Later that day, as Iruka spoke privately with the Hokage, he mentioned it.
"He's changing, Lord Third. He's stronger — and not just in spirit."
Hiruzen nodded slowly. "I have noticed. His chakra flow feels… altered. Like two currents running side by side."
"Should we be worried?" Iruka asked.
The old Hokage smiled sadly. "Perhaps. But Naruto's heart remains pure. As long as that stays true, I will believe in him."
A Whisper in the Dark
That night, as Naruto slept, he dreamed again.
He was standing in the white stone field once more, the black sky stretching endlessly above. This time, Shax stood clearly before him — tall, cloaked, his golden eyes glowing softly.
"You are adapting well," the spirit said.
Naruto crossed his arms. "You could've warned me about those Root guys."
"I did," Shax replied. "You simply didn't take me seriously."
"Okay, fair," Naruto muttered. "So what now?"
Shax's expression turned serious. "You must begin studying the second Grimoire — the Book of Silence. It calls to you."
Naruto frowned. "But it's empty."
"Only to eyes that do not look deeply enough."
Shax lifted a shadowed hand. The air rippled, and the image of the second book appeared floating between them. Its pages glowed faintly as runes began to appear one by one.
Naruto stared. "Whoa…"
"These are the seals of Paimon, the spirit of wisdom and sound," Shax said. "He will test you, as I did. But be warned — Paimon values knowledge above all. To call him without understanding is to invite madness."
Naruto's throat felt dry. "Madness? Great. Just what I needed."
Shax's tone softened. "Do not fear. You are stronger than you think. But you must learn patience."
Naruto nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll study it. But promise me something, Shax."
"What is it?"
"Don't ever try to take over my body or something creepy like that. I'm me. I'm Naruto."
The spirit paused, then laughed — a low, echoing sound like wind through hollow wood.
"As you wish, Naruto Uzumaki. You will remain you — though what you means will soon change."
The dream began to fade again, and Naruto woke to the faint light of dawn, the whisper still echoing in his ears.
He sat up, looking at the ring and the two books on his desk. The sun rose slowly over the rooftops of Konoha, warm and golden.
He smiled to himself. "Alright, Shax. Let's see what this 'Book of Silence' has to say."
And somewhere deep beneath the village, the Root agents moved again, their orders clear:
Observe. Capture if possible. The boy must not fall into the Hokage's hands alone.
The voice within Naruto's mind whispered once more — quiet, thoughtful, almost protective.
"They move against us already, little Magus. But we are not alone anymore."
Naruto clenched his fist and looked toward the window.
"I know," he said softly. "Let them come."