Morning.
A loud knock wakes him up.
Birds chirping outside.
Naruto yelling from behind the door."Hey, wake up! We're gonna be late!"
He gets up slowly.
His body still unfamiliar. Small. Lighter.
He splashes water on his face.
Looks into the mirror.
Both eyes normal.
No glow.
He breathes out.
Good.
But something still feels off.Inside his head… a ticking.
He gets dressed.
Steps outside.
Naruto's already halfway down the road.
They walk together through the village streets.
Children laughing.
Vendors shouting.
Smell of dango and fish in the air.
It's peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Naruto talks a lot. About ramen. About Iruka-sensei. About training. About becoming Hokage.
He nods. Pretends to listen.
But his mind is elsewhere.
The eye.
That strange message last night.
Phase One: Awake.
What does that even mean?
They arrive at the academy gates.
A few other students are there already.
He notices them.
Shikamaru. Choji. Ino. Kiba.
All younger. So this is pre-Shippuden.
Maybe even pre-Chuunin Exams.
He looks around again.
Then freezes.
A boy across the field.
Dark blue shirt. Black hair.
Eyes like daggers.
Uchiha Sasuke.
He's here.
This is real.
The timeline is clear now.
Before everything changed.
Before the betrayal. Before Orochimaru. Before the war.
He follows Naruto into the classroom.
They sit.
Iruka walks in.
"Alright, class. Today we're going to start with chakra control exercises."
Everyone groans.
Iruka smiles. "Tree climbing, water walking—learn the basics before you call yourself a shinobi."
They all head out.
A field behind the building.
Trees. A small river.
He stands with Naruto, Sasuke, and the others.
Iruka gives instructions.
"Focus chakra to the soles of your feet. Try climbing that tree without using your hands."
Naruto sprints at the tree. Falls flat.
Sasuke climbs halfway. Slides down.
He watches them.
Then steps forward.
He touches the bark.
Focuses.
His chakra…
Feels wrong.
Off-balance.
He tries anyway.
Runs up.
Five steps… then slips.
Iruka observes.
"Not bad for your first try."
But he doesn't listen.
He backs away.
Takes a deep breath.
Focus.
Again.
This time… the left eye pulses.
He feels it.
The surge.
Like a circuit powering on.
A burst of control flows into his legs.
He runs.
One step.
Two.
Ten.
Reaches the top of the tree. Lands on a branch.
Everyone stares.
Sasuke frowns.
Naruto's jaw drops.
Iruka raises a brow.
"How did you…?"
He shrugs. "Just lucky."
But inside—he's not calm.
His heart is racing.
That wasn't normal chakra control.
That was the eye.
It boosted him. Guided his steps.
And now… it's burning again.
He jumps down. Sits.
His head pounds.
The eye feels hot.
He blinks.
And—
The world… glitches.
For a second… everything distorts.
Colors shift. Sounds warp.
He sees Naruto… but not Naruto.
He sees a version of him—older. With a cloak. Red eyes.
Gone in an instant.
He gasps.
Reality snaps back.
Iruka's voice returns. "Alright, break time. Then we'll try water walking."
He grips his head.
What was that?
A vision?
Or something more?
He stands up slowly.
Walks to the river.
Watches the surface.
It reflects… not him.
But someone else.
A man.
Tall. White hair. Mask on the lower face.
Kakashi?
No.
Different. Slightly.
The reflection smiles.
"You're slipping."
He stumbles back.
Naruto runs over. "Hey! You okay?!"
He forces a nod.
The reflection's gone.
Water is normal again.
He steps forward. Focuses chakra to his feet.
Walks.
One step. Another.
He stands on water.
Stable.
But the world spins again.
He sees numbers.
Strings of code.
Floating.
A clock ticking down.
A voice.
Deep. Digital.
"Time left in Phase One: 98 hours."
Then gone.
He falls.
Water splashes everywhere.
Naruto helps him up. "Whoa, what was that?!"
He can't answer.
His brain is fried.
He hears Iruka's footsteps.
"Let's call it for today. You should rest."
He nods.
But deep inside… fear grows.
He walks home alone.
Naruto took another path. Something about free ramen from Ichiraku.
As he walks through the empty street…
He hears it again.
Tick… Tick… Tick…
He stops.
Looks behind.
No one.
But the air feels heavy.
He rushes to the dorm.
Locks the door.
Breathes.
Looks in the mirror.
The eye glows.
Phase One: 98 hours remaining.
He whispers…
"What happens when the timer runs out?"
No answer.
Only silence.
And that ticking.
Growing louder.