Morning sunlight filtered through the training field as Team 7 gathered for their usual drills. Ryo stood beside Sarada, watching Boruto and Mitsuki stretch like it was just another day. To them, it probably was. But for him, this was still unreal, he was standing in Konoha, about to train with actual ninjas.
Boruto noticed his stare and grinned. "You look nervous, newbie. Don't tell me you've never done warm-ups before."
Ryo smirked. "Not the kind that involve people throwing knives."
"Then you're in for a surprise." Boruto cracked his knuckles. "Let's see what you can do."
Before Ryo could reply, Konohamaru walked up, clipboard in hand. "Alright, everyone. Today we're testing Ryo's chakra control and physical awareness. Naruto-sama wants to know how compatible he is with ninjutsu."
Sarada crossed her arms. "He doesn't even know how to mold chakra yet."
"Then that's where we start," Konohamaru said. "Basic meditation. Focus and release."
Ryo nodded slowly. "Okay... focus and release. Sounds simple enough."
They sat in a circle under the shade of a tree. Konohamaru demonstrated first, his hands forming a seal as a faint blue glow surrounded him. "Chakra is the energy inside every living thing. It flows through pathways in your body called the chakra network. To control it, you have to feel it first."
Ryo closed his eyes, trying to follow. The air was warm, the grass cool beneath his palms. He focused on his breathing, just like Konohamaru said. In... out...
At first, nothing happened. Then, faintly, he felt a warmth spreading through his chest, slow, steady, like his blood had turned to light.
"That's it," Konohamaru said. "Now try to guide it. Imagine the flow moving to your hands."
Ryo tried. The warmth shifted, crawling down his arms. Then, without warning, a spark of light flashed across his wrist, right where the mark was.
Sarada leaned forward. "It's reacting again."
Ryo gritted his teeth. "I'm not doing anything"
The mark pulsed. A burst of air exploded outward, kicking up dust and leaves. Konohamaru shielded his face, Boruto stumbled back, and Ryo fell onto his back with a sharp gasp.
"Okay... definitely not supposed to do that," Ryo muttered.
Boruto coughed. "You think?"
Konohamaru helped him sit up. "It's alright. Your chakra output is abnormally high. That mark might be amplifying it."
"Amplifying?" Ryo repeated. "So it's messing with my control?"
"Maybe not on purpose," Konohamaru said. "But it's tied to your energy somehow. Until we understand how, you'll have to train twice as hard to manage it."
Boruto grinned again. "Looks like you're getting special treatment already."
"Yeah, lucky me," Ryo said dryly.
They spent the rest of the morning practicing chakra flow with leaves. The exercise was simple, place a leaf on your forehead and use a steady stream of chakra to keep it from falling.
Ryo's first attempt lasted three seconds.
"Hey, progress," Mitsuki said helpfully.
Ryo sighed. "I feel like I'm trying to balance a rock on jelly."
"Chakra control takes time," Sarada said, watching him with her arms crossed. "Even Boruto messed it up at first."
"Hey!" Boruto protested. "That was years ago."
Sarada ignored him. "You're overthinking it. Don't force the energy, just let it move."
Ryo tried again. This time, he didn't focus on pushing the energy. He just breathed. The leaf stayed. One second... two... five...
It fell when a bird flew overhead and distracted him, but still, progress.
Konohamaru smiled. "Good. That's enough for today. We'll continue tomorrow."
As the others packed up, Sarada lingered beside Ryo. "You did better than I expected."
He raised an eyebrow. "Was that a compliment?"
"Maybe," she said, turning away. "Don't get used to it."
Ryo laughed softly. "Noted."
When everyone left, Ryo stayed behind, watching the clouds drift across the sky. For a moment, everything felt peaceful.
Then, the mark on his wrist pulsed again. Just once.
His smile faded.
He could almost hear that same distorted voice whispering faintly in the back of his mind.
Balance must be kept.
Ryo clenched his fist. "If you're out there," he muttered, "then I'll find you first."
---
Two days later, Team 7 stood at the village gate, preparing for their first joint mission with Ryo. It wasn't a dangerous one, just a simple escort job to deliver supplies to a nearby outpost. Still, Ryo couldn't help feeling tense.
He adjusted the strap on his borrowed utility pouch. "So... this is it. My first mission as an honorary shinobi."
Boruto grinned. "Don't worry, we'll make sure you don't trip and die on the way."
Sarada rolled her eyes. "Boruto, stop being an idiot. He's already nervous enough."
"I'm not nervous," Ryo muttered, though his hands said otherwise.
Konohamaru glanced at them. "Alright, focus. It's a low-risk mission, but stay sharp. We'll be traveling through forest routes that were recently hit by bandits."
Ryo nodded. "Got it."
The group moved out, following the dirt road that stretched beyond Konoha's walls. The forest air was clean, filled with the sound of cicadas and rustling leaves. For the first time since arriving in this world, Ryo felt... free.
He walked beside Mitsuki, who observed him quietly for a while before speaking. "You still think too much when you move."
Ryo blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You hesitate before every step," Mitsuki said calmly. "It means your body and mind aren't in sync yet. Shinobi rely on instinct."
"Right," Ryo muttered. "I'll try to be more... instinctive."
"Good," Mitsuki replied, then smiled faintly. "Just don't overdo it. I'd rather not have to carry you back."
Boruto laughed. "Don't worry, Mitsuki, if he faints, we'll just say he tripped on his own shadow."
"Yeah, hilarious," Ryo said flatly.
Despite the teasing, the group moved smoothly through the woods. By noon, they reached a small clearing and stopped for lunch. Konohamaru unrolled a map. "We're halfway there. If we keep pace, we'll reach the outpost before sunset."
Ryo sat on a rock, eating ration bread that tasted like chalk. "So... this is what you guys do all the time?"
Sarada nodded. "Pretty much. Not every mission is about fighting. Most are about endurance, awareness, and teamwork."
Ryo glanced at her. "And paperwork?"
"Lots of paperwork," she said dryly.
They shared a quiet laugh. For a moment, Ryo forgot the weight of everything, the mark, the strange voice, the other self. He felt almost... normal.
But peace never lasted long.
A sudden flicker passed at the edge of his vision. Like a shadow moving between trees. Ryo turned his head, frowning. "Did you see that?"
Boruto looked up from his food. "See what?"
"There," Ryo pointed toward the forest. "Something moved."
Konohamaru stood, eyes narrowing. "Stay alert."
They formed a loose defensive line. The air went still. Birds had stopped chirping.
Then, a cold wind swept through the clearing.
A figure appeared between the trees, or rather, a blur of one. It moved unnaturally fast, silent, almost weightless. Ryo's stomach turned cold.
The figure stepped into the light.
It looked like him.
Not perfectly, but close, same face, same build, except the eyes glowed faint red, and dark marks ran down the sides of his neck like cracks. His expression was blank, emotionless.
Boruto's jaw dropped. "What the"
Ryo froze. His chest tightened, his breath caught. "That's... that's not possible."
The double tilted his head slightly, studying him. Then, his voice came out, low, distorted, like two tones speaking at once. "Balance... restored."
Before anyone could move, the clone, or whatever it was, flickered forward, vanishing from sight. Konohamaru shouted, "Move!"
Ryo barely managed to duck as a fist cut through the air where his head had been. The impact split the ground behind him. Boruto leaped forward, launching a Rasengan, but the double caught it barehanded. The jutsu dispersed like smoke.
Sarada activated her Sharingan, eyes narrowing. "He's copying your movements, Ryo!"
"I'm not even doing anything!" Ryo shouted back.
"Exactly," Mitsuki said. "He's mimicking your chakra signature. It's resonating with the mark."
The double turned toward Ryo again. "You don't belong here."
Then, before Ryo could respond, it disappeared, gone like a flash of light swallowed by the forest.
Everyone froze for a few seconds, catching their breath.
Boruto exhaled. "Okay, that was freaky."
Konohamaru lowered his hands, scanning the trees. "He's gone. No chakra trace left behind."
Sarada turned to Ryo. "You said you saw something like that before, right? In your vision?"
Ryo nodded slowly, still shaken. "Yeah. That was it. The reflection. It's real."
Konohamaru frowned. "Then this isn't just a side effect. Whatever power you brought with you... it's trying to manifest balance through that thing."
Ryo clenched his fists. "If it's my reflection, then I'll deal with it. I won't let it hurt anyone else."
Konohamaru looked at him seriously. "Be careful with what you promise. You don't understand what you're up against yet."
Ryo met his gaze. "Then I'll learn."
The team packed up quickly and resumed the journey, this time moving faster, alert to every sound. The forest felt heavier now, the shadows darker.
As they walked, Ryo glanced at his wrist. The mark was glowing faintly again, as if reacting to something distant, something watching.
The words echoed faintly in his head again, like a whisper from far away.
Every story needs conflict... even yours.
Ryo gritted his teeth, forcing the voice out of his mind. Whatever this reflection was, it wasn't going to control him.
Not in this world.
---