Naruto: Eye of the Storm – The Namikaze Legacy Unleashed

The battlefield reeked of smoke and iron. Bodies scattered across the scorched earth like broken puppets. A flash of yellow light—too brilliant to look at directly—sliced through the chaos.

"It's impossible," a surviving shinobi later testified, his voice still trembling days after the battle. "The Yellow Flash was everywhere at once. One moment he was beside me, the next he was across the field. But there was a moment—just a split second—when his eyes changed. They weren't just blue anymore. They were... like looking into time itself."

The Fourth Hokage never confirmed nor denied these reports. When pressed about how he defeated fifty enemy ninja in under two minutes, Minato Namikaze merely smiled that humble smile of his and redirected the conversation.

Some secrets were better left buried.

Until they weren't.

"I'm going to pass this time, believe it!" Naruto Uzumaki's voice echoed through the classroom, drawing groans from his classmates. His orange jumpsuit practically glowed against the muted colors of the academy walls as he bounced on the balls of his feet, fists clenched in determination.

Iruka Umino sighed, marking something on his clipboard. "Let's hope your skills match your enthusiasm, Naruto."

Sunlight streamed through the classroom windows, illuminating the swirling dust motes that danced between teacher and student. For a moment—just a heartbeat—the dust seemed to slow, hanging suspended as Naruto blinked.

The sudden, stabbing pain behind his eyes made him wince.

"You okay?" Iruka asked, his perpetual exasperation momentarily replaced with concern.

"Yeah! Just thinking about how awesome my clones are gonna be!" Naruto covered quickly, rubbing his temples. These headaches had been coming more frequently lately. Strange moments where everything seemed to stutter, like a record skipping. The academy nurse had found nothing wrong with him, attributing the symptoms to "pre-exam stress" and "possibly too much instant ramen."

"Well, thinking won't help you pass. Performing will." Iruka gestured toward the front of the classroom. "Let's see these awesome clones."

Naruto swaggered forward, ignoring Sasuke Uchiha's dismissive snort. The headache intensified as he formed the hand signs—Ram, Snake, Tiger—feeling his chakra swirl within him, wild and uncooperative as always.

"Clone Jutsu!" he shouted.

Chakra burst from his body in a chaotic surge. For a split second, Naruto saw double—triple—quadruple—multiple versions of the classroom overlapping like transparent pages stacked atop one another. In one version, he created perfect clones. In another, nothing happened at all. In a third, the classroom erupted in blue flames.

Reality snapped back into focus. A single, pathetic clone materialized beside him—pale, malformed, and immediately flopping face-first onto the floor.

Laughter erupted around him. Even Hinata, who never laughed at anyone, had to cover her mouth to hide her smile.

"FAIL!" Iruka's voice boomed, his head seeming to grow three sizes larger as he leaned forward. "This is the third time, Naruto! The other students created at least three functional clones. You created... whatever this is."

The sad clone vanished in a puff of smoke. Naruto's face burned with humiliation, but he forced a defiant grin. "I just need more practice! Let me try again!"

"That's not how testing works," Iruka said, his voice gentler now. "Maybe next year."

"But—"

"Next!" Iruka called, already looking past Naruto to the next student.

Naruto slunk back to his seat, the whispers and snickers following him like hungry dogs. As he dropped into his chair, another lance of pain shot through his skull. The room wavered, and for an instant, he saw himself walking a different path—out of the academy, wearing a Konoha headband, proud and acknowledged.

Then it vanished, leaving only the bitter reality of his failure.

Iruka's eyes narrowed as he watched Naruto during shuriken practice later that afternoon. Something was off about the boy today—more than his usual hyperactivity and poor focus. Twice now, he'd seen Naruto's eyes flicker with an unusual blue glow when the boy concentrated particularly hard. Not the demonic red of the Nine-Tails—Iruka knew that chakra all too well—but something else entirely.

"Aim for the center, Naruto, not the trees behind the target," he called out as another shuriken sailed wide.

"I know where I'm aiming!" Naruto snapped back, frustration evident in every line of his body. He grabbed another shuriken, took a deep breath, and focused.

There it was again—that flicker of blue light across his irises, gone so quickly Iruka might have imagined it. But this time, something strange happened. Naruto's throw seemed to halt mid-air, his arm freezing in position for a microsecond before completing the motion at a slightly different angle.

The shuriken hit dead center.

"I did it!" Naruto exploded into celebration, pumping his fists and jumping with unrestrained joy. "Did you see that, Iruka-sensei? Perfect hit!"

"I saw," Iruka confirmed, troubled by what he'd witnessed. That momentary pause—it was as if Naruto had somehow reset his throw mid-action. Impossible, of course. Yet Iruka couldn't shake the feeling that something significant had just happened.

He'd need to speak with the Hokage about this.

Sunset painted Konoha in hues of amber and gold as Naruto sat alone on his apartment balcony, legs dangling over the edge. The failed exam certificate crumpled in his fist, a physical manifestation of his inadequacy.

Three times now. Three failures. While everyone else moved forward, he remained stuck, unwanted and unacknowledged.

"It's not fair," he whispered to the empty air. "I work harder than anyone."

Below, villagers hurried home for dinner, giving the occasional disgusted glance upward when they spotted him. Their hatred was a tangible thing, though he'd never understood its source. Today, it cut deeper than usual.

Another headache bloomed behind his eyes, worse than the others. Naruto clutched his head, doubling over as the pain peaked. The world around him fractured into multiple overlapping images—himself sitting on the balcony, himself walking through the village wearing a headband, himself training in a forest with an unfamiliar white-haired man.

"What's happening to me?" he gasped.

The visions collapsed into nothingness as quickly as they had appeared, leaving him shaken and confused. These episodes were getting worse, more frequent. Sometimes he'd see things seconds before they happened—a bird landing on a wire, a shopkeeper dropping a crate, a child falling before they actually fell.

Was he going crazy?

A shadow fell across the balcony. Naruto looked up to find Mizuki-sensei standing on the railing, his silver hair gleaming in the dying light.

"Rough day?" the chunin asked, his smile sympathetic.

Naruto quickly wiped his eyes. "I'm fine."

"You know," Mizuki said, crouching down to Naruto's level, "there's another way to pass the graduation exam."

Naruto's head snapped up. "What? How?"

Mizuki's smile widened, revealing too many teeth. "A special test, for special students. Those with... unique potential."

Hope bloomed in Naruto's chest, bright and dangerous. "Tell me."

The Forbidden Scroll was heavier than it looked. Naruto's back ached as he lugged it through the forest to the meeting spot Mizuki had specified. Stealing it had been surprisingly easy—a simple transformation jutsu to look like the Third Hokage, a distraction, and the sacred scroll was his.

"This better work," he muttered, setting the scroll down in a small clearing. Moonlight filtered through the leaves overhead, providing just enough illumination to read by. "Might as well learn something while I wait."

He unrolled the first section, revealing complex diagrams and dense text. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu? Ugh, not clones again! I suck at these!"

Still, this was his chance. Naruto cracked his knuckles and began practicing the hand signs.

Hours passed. Sweat poured down his face as he forced his chakra to cooperate, repeating the jutsu over and over. Each attempt brought another stabbing headache, more severe than the last. Sometimes, in the moments between attempts, he'd see phantom images of himself performing the technique correctly—afterimages that weren't really there.

"Focus," he growled at himself. "One more try."

Just as his hands formed the final sign, a familiar voice cut through the night: "NARUTO!"

Iruka burst into the clearing, his face a mask of fury and concern. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Naruto's face split into a grin. "Iruka-sensei! You found me already? I've only learned one technique so far." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "So, this means I pass the special graduation test, right?"

"Special test?" Iruka's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"Mizuki-sensei told me about it! He said if I could learn a jutsu from this scroll, you'd let me graduate!"

Understanding dawned on Iruka's face, followed immediately by alarm. "Naruto, there is no special test. You've been tricked."

The words barely had time to register before Iruka shoved Naruto aside, a barrage of kunai slicing through the air where they'd been standing. Iruka took several hits, blood spattering against the forest floor as he shielded Naruto with his body.

"I'm impressed you figured it out," Mizuki's voice called from the darkness. He appeared on a high branch, two massive shuriken strapped to his back.

"Mizuki!" Iruka grimaced, pulling a kunai from his leg. "What are you doing?"

"Getting what I deserve." Mizuki's face twisted with contempt. "That scroll contains forbidden techniques that can give unlimited power. I was going to save the village from the demon and be rewarded as a hero."

"Don't listen to him, Naruto," Iruka warned, struggling to his feet. "Take the scroll and run!"

Naruto remained frozen, confusion and betrayal warring on his face. "Demon? What's he talking about?"

Mizuki's laugh echoed through the trees. "Oh, you don't know? Should I tell him, Iruka? Should I tell him why everyone in the village hates him?"

"Stop!" Iruka shouted. "It's forbidden!"

"The decree after the Nine-Tails attack," Mizuki continued, ignoring Iruka's protest. "The decree that no one could tell you that YOU are the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

The words hit Naruto like physical blows. "What?"

"The fox spirit that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village is inside you! You are the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

"No..." Naruto's hands trembled. The headache returned full force, pulsing behind his eyes. "That's not... I'm not..."

"Haven't you wondered why everyone hates you?" Mizuki twisted the knife. "Iruka hates you most of all! You killed his parents!"

"Don't listen to him, Naruto!" Iruka pleaded. "Run!"

Mizuki reached for one of the giant shuriken on his back. "Die, demon!" He hurled the massive weapon directly at Naruto.

Time slowed.

The world around Naruto seemed to stretch like taffy, sounds becoming distorted and distant. The shuriken rotated lazily in the air, its trajectory perfectly clear—not toward him, but toward Iruka, who had lunged to shield him again.

In that stretched moment, Naruto saw it all—Iruka's movement, the shuriken's path, the blood that would spray when steel met flesh. He saw Iruka dying for him, saw himself cradling his teacher's body, saw a future of grief and rage.

Something snapped inside him.

The pain behind his eyes exploded outward, filling his vision with electric blue light. Suddenly, he could see not just what was happening, but what would happen—multiple ghostly images overlapping reality, showing different possibilities, different outcomes.

His eyes burned like twin suns.

With perfect clarity, Naruto stepped forward, his body moving with unprecedented precision. He caught the giant shuriken inches before it would have struck Iruka, the edge slicing into his palm but going no further.

"What?!" Mizuki gasped. "How did you—"

Naruto looked up, and both chunin froze at the sight. His eyes had transformed—electric blue irises with intricate clock-like patterns radiating from the pupils, glowing with internal light.

"You were wrong," Naruto said, his voice unnaturally calm. "I'm not the fox. I'm Naruto Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf, and I'm going to be Hokage someday."

He dropped the bloody shuriken and formed a hand sign. "And you... you tried to hurt Iruka-sensei."

"Those eyes," Mizuki whispered, genuine fear replacing his arrogance. "What are you?"

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Chakra exploded from Naruto's body, no longer chaotic but precisely controlled. The clearing filled with smoke, and when it cleared, a thousand Narutos stood in formation, each pair of eyes glowing with the same otherworldly blue light.

"Impossible," Iruka breathed.

Mizuki took a step back, terror etched across his features. "Stay away from me!"

"You hurt Iruka-sensei," a thousand voices spoke in perfect unison. "Now I hurt you."

The forest echoed with Mizuki's screams.

Dawn broke over the village, painting the Hokage monument in soft pinks and golds. In a small clearing, Naruto sat beside Iruka, the forbidden scroll safely returned and Mizuki unconscious and bound nearby.

"Close your eyes, Naruto," Iruka said softly.

Naruto complied, feeling Iruka's hands adjusting something around his head. When he opened his eyes, Iruka's forehead protector was gone, and a weight rested on Naruto's brow.

"Congratulations, graduate," Iruka smiled, despite his injuries. "You've earned this."

Joy surged through Naruto, momentarily washing away the confusion and fear of the night's revelations. "Iruka-sensei..." His voice cracked with emotion.

"Those eyes," Iruka said, his tone careful. "They're back to normal now. Do you know what happened?"

Naruto shook his head. The strange vision—the ability to see events before they occurred—had faded when his clones dispelled. The clock pattern in his irises had receded, leaving only normal blue eyes behind.

"It felt like... like I could see what was going to happen before it did," he admitted. "Like time slowed down, and I could see all the possibilities."

Iruka nodded thoughtfully. "The way you caught that shuriken—your movement was too precise, too perfect. No genin should have reflexes like that."

"Am I..." Naruto hesitated, afraid to ask. "Is it because of the Nine-Tails?"

"I don't think so," Iruka said. "This seemed different. The Nine-Tails' chakra is red and violent. This was... something else entirely."

From the shadows of a nearby tree, a figure observed the exchange with interest. The Third Hokage's pipe glowed softly as he took a contemplative draw.

"The Namikaze bloodline," he whispered to himself, too low for either Naruto or Iruka to hear. "It wasn't just a myth."

He turned away, disappearing into the forest. There were preparations to make, secrets to unearth. If the boy had indeed awakened that legendary dōjutsu, everything would change.

The winds of fate had shifted.

In his apartment that evening, Naruto stood before his mirror, headband proudly displayed on his forehead. The events of the night still swirled in his mind—Mizuki's betrayal, the revelation about the Nine-Tails, and most confusing of all, whatever had happened with his eyes.

He leaned closer to the mirror, studying his reflection. Normal blue eyes stared back, no trace of the clock-like pattern that had manifested in the forest.

"What are you?" he whispered to his reflection.

As if triggered by the question, pain lanced through his head again. The mirror image wavered, splitting into multiple Narutos—one wearing an orange and black outfit instead of his jumpsuit, another in a white cloak similar to the Fourth Hokage's, a third with red eyes and feral features.

Possibilities. Futures. Paths not yet taken.

Naruto stumbled back, blinking rapidly until the visions faded. His heart hammered in his chest, equal parts excitement and fear coursing through him.

Whatever this power was, it had helped him save Iruka and graduate from the Academy. Perhaps it could help him achieve his dream of becoming Hokage as well.

He formed a hand sign, focusing his chakra toward his eyes. "Come on," he muttered. "Do the thing again."

Nothing happened.

With a sigh, Naruto flopped onto his bed. Tomorrow was his first day as a genin—he'd need his rest. The mystery of his eyes could wait.

As sleep claimed him, he dreamed of battlefields and yellow flashes, of a man with familiar blue eyes that sometimes, just sometimes, revealed intricate patterns like the inner workings of a clock.

In his office, the Third Hokage rifled through classified files, dust billowing from scrolls that hadn't been opened in over a decade.

"I know it's here somewhere," he muttered, unfurling another ancient document.

His aged fingers finally found what they sought—a sealed report marked with the Fourth Hokage's personal emblem. Breaking the seal, he spread the document across his desk, eyes scanning rapidly.

Investigation into Namikaze Clan Origins read the heading.

Below was a detailed genealogy, notes on chakra affinities, and most importantly, a section titled "Temporal Dōjutsu: Theoretical Manifestation and Abilities."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes widened as he read Minato's precise handwriting:

The legends speak of the ability to perceive time differently—to see moments before they occur, to exist between seconds. I have experienced glimpses of this power during moments of extreme stress, though never the full manifestation described in the clan scrolls. If the bloodline truly allows manipulation of temporal perception, the tactical advantages would be unprecedented.

However, the cost appears severe. Each activation creates neural disruption, as if the brain cannot process multiple timelines simultaneously. Extended use could potentially cause permanent damage to the user's perception of reality.

I have sealed this research for the protection of future generations. Some powers are too dangerous to pursue, even for the sake of the village.

Should my son ever manifest these abilities naturally, he must be guided carefully. The Temporal Eye is as much a curse as it is a blessing.

The Hokage sat back, pipe forgotten in his hand. "Naruto," he whispered. "What a burden you carry—and now this as well."

He carefully resealed the document. The boy would need watching, guidance. But how to explain the legacy of a father whose identity was Konoha's most closely guarded secret?

Outside, a storm was brewing. Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the Hokage's troubled face for an instant before plunging the room back into shadow.

The game had changed. The pieces were in motion.

And somewhere in the village, a boy with the blood of time-seers slept, unaware that his destiny had just become infinitely more complex.

The next morning dawned bright and clear, the storm having passed in the night. Naruto practically flew through the village streets, his headband gleaming in the sunlight. Today was the day—team assignments!

"Out of my way!" he shouted, dodging around pedestrians who gave him the usual cold stares. But today, even their hatred couldn't touch him. He was a ninja now. Official.

The headaches had receded overnight, leaving only lingering questions about what had happened in the forest. Had the strange eye power been a one-time thing? A fluke caused by adrenaline and desperation?

As he rounded a corner, he collided with someone—hard. Both of them went sprawling.

"Watch where you're going, idiot!" Sakura Haruno snapped, brushing dust from her red dress. Her irritation melted when she noticed his headband. "Naruto? You passed?"

"Believe it!" he grinned, springing back to his feet. "Starting today, I'm a ninja too!"

Sakura's expression suggested she found this development concerning rather than impressive. "How did you even pass? You couldn't create a single decent clone yesterday."

Before Naruto could answer, time hiccupped. For a split second, he saw Sakura continuing down the street without him, saw himself taking a different route to the Academy, saw them arriving separately instead of together.

Then reality snapped back into focus.

"Hey, want to walk together?" he blurted, the words spilling out before he could consider them.

Sakura looked surprised, then suspicious. "Why would I—"

"Because we might be on the same team!" Naruto said quickly, the possibility suddenly crystal clear in his mind, though he couldn't explain how he knew. "And teammates should get along, right?"

Something in his earnest expression must have reached her. With a sigh that suggested tremendous sacrifice, Sakura nodded. "Fine. But no funny business!"

As they walked, Naruto felt a strange certainty settling into his bones. He was going to be on a team with Sakura—and with Sasuke Uchiha, though that prospect was far less exciting. The knowledge had simply appeared in his mind during that momentary slip in time, as undeniable as his own name.

"Do you ever feel like you know something's going to happen before it does?" he asked suddenly.

Sakura gave him an odd look. "You mean like déjà vu?"

"No, more like..." Naruto struggled to find the words. "Like seeing the future, I guess."

"That's impossible," Sakura said dismissively. "No one can see the future."

Naruto fell silent. How could he explain what he didn't understand himself?

The classroom buzzed with excitement as newly graduated genin awaited their team assignments. Naruto sat beside Sasuke, having claimed the seat before anyone else could. Sakura sat on Sasuke's other side, shooting Naruto triumphant looks for securing the coveted position next to their class's prodigy.

"As if I wanted to sit next to you anyway," Naruto muttered.

Sasuke ignored him, arms crossed and expression impassive as always.

Iruka entered, clipboard in hand and a proud smile on his face despite the bandages visible beneath his vest. "Starting today, you are all ninja," he began. "The path ahead will be difficult. You face challenges that will test not just your skills, but your character."

As Iruka spoke, Naruto's head began to throb again. The classroom wavered around him, multiple versions overlapping like transparent images stacked atop one another. In one version, Iruka was already announcing teams. In another, he was reprimanding Naruto for some unseen misbehavior.

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, willing the visions to stop. When he opened them again, everything had stabilized—but Sasuke was staring at him with undisguised suspicion.

"What's wrong with you?" the Uchiha asked quietly.

"Nothing," Naruto hissed back. "Mind your own business."

"You look like you're about to pass out," Sasuke persisted. "Your eyes were glowing."

Before Naruto could respond, Iruka's voice cut through their whispered exchange: "Team 7: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno—"

"Yes!" Naruto pumped his fist, ignoring Sakura's groan of disappointment.

"—and Sasuke Uchiha."

"YES!" Sakura's mood reversed instantly.

Naruto slumped in his seat. Just as he'd foreseen—though the foreknowledge brought little joy now that it was confirmed.

"Told you," he muttered to no one in particular.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed further. "Told who what?"

But Naruto just shook his head, unwilling to explain the inexplicable.

Hours passed. One by one, jōnin instructors arrived to collect their teams until only Team 7 remained in the empty classroom.

"Where is he?" Sakura complained, pacing by the window. "Everyone else is gone already!"

Naruto, bored beyond endurance, had resorted to balancing an eraser on top of the partially open door—a childish prank to punish their tardy instructor.

"He's not going to fall for that," Sasuke said from his seat. "He's a jōnin."

"Yeah, Naruto," Sakura agreed, though her inner self was clearly hoping the prank would succeed.

Another headache bloomed behind Naruto's eyes. The classroom fractured again, showing multiple versions of the next few minutes. In most, a silver-haired jōnin fell for the prank. In some, he avoided it. In one particularly strange version, the man was accompanied by a ninja hound that sniffed out the trap.

"He's coming," Naruto said with absolute certainty. "And he's going to fall for it."

Sasuke and Sakura exchanged concerned glances.

"How would you know that?" Sakura asked.

Before Naruto could answer, footsteps approached in the hallway. The door slid open, and right on cue, the eraser fell, bouncing off silver hair and leaving a chalk dust cloud.

"First impression," the jōnin said flatly, dark eye surveying them from above his mask, "I hate you all."

Naruto doubled over laughing, but inside, a chill ran through him. How had he known exactly what would happen? The visions were becoming more specific, more accurate.

"Meet me on the roof," their new teacher said, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

As they gathered their things, Sasuke stepped close to Naruto. "How did you know he was coming at that exact moment?" he demanded.

Naruto forced a grin. "Lucky guess!"

"No," Sasuke insisted. "You knew. Just like you weren't surprised at all about our team assignment. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing!" Naruto backed toward the door. "Race you to the roof!"

He fled before Sasuke could press further, heart pounding with more than exertion. The Uchiha was too observant by half. If these strange abilities continued, keeping them secret would become increasingly difficult.

"Let's introduce ourselves," the jōnin said once they were all seated on the rooftop. "Names, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future."

"Why don't you go first, Sensei?" Sakura suggested. "To show us how it's done."

"Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate... I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future... never really thought about it. As for my hobbies... I have lots of hobbies."

"That was totally useless," Sakura whispered. "All he told us was his name."

But Naruto was barely listening. As Kakashi spoke, another vision had superimposed itself over reality—the jōnin standing in a different pose, wearing the standard Konoha flak jacket but with the addition of the Hokage's ceremonial hat.

Future Hokage? Naruto thought, the possibility both surprising and irritating. That's my dream!

"You're up, Blondie," Kakashi said, snapping Naruto back to the present.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" he declared, adjusting his headband proudly. "I like instant ramen, but I like the ramen at Ichiraku that Iruka-sensei buys me even more! I hate the three minutes you have to wait after pouring hot water into instant ramen. My hobby is eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them. And my dream..."

Another flash of insight hit him, accompanied by pain so sudden he nearly gasped. Multiple futures branched before him—Hokage, yes, but also other paths. A red cloak with black flames. A white cloak like the Fourth's. A dark place with red clouds.

He shook his head, forcing the visions away. "My dream is to become Hokage! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody important!"

Kakashi's visible eye widened fractionally, something unreadable passing across his masked face. "Interesting," he murmured.

As Sakura and Sasuke took their turns, Naruto massaged his temples, trying to ease the lingering pain. These visions were becoming intrusive, disorienting. What if they happened during a mission? During a fight?

"Good," Kakashi said when they had all finished. "You're each unique and have your own ideas. Tomorrow, we'll have our first mission."

"What kind of mission?" Naruto asked eagerly.

"A survival exercise."

"But we already did survival exercises at the Academy," Sakura protested.

Kakashi's eye crinkled in what might have been a smile beneath his mask. "This isn't like your previous training. Of the twenty-seven graduates, only nine will be accepted as genin. The other eighteen will be sent back to the Academy. This exercise has a 66% failure rate."

Shock rippled through the team. Naruto felt his newfound confidence wavering.

"That's crazy!" he exclaimed. "Then what was the graduation test for?!"

"That? Just to select candidates who might become genin," Kakashi replied casually. "Tomorrow's test will determine if you actually deserve the title. Bring your ninja gear and meet at Training Ground Three at 5 AM."

He turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, and don't eat breakfast. You'll throw up."

As Kakashi vanished in another puff of smoke, dread settled in Naruto's stomach. After all he'd been through to get the headband, he might still fail? It wasn't fair!

"This sucks!" he vocalized.

"Shut up, Naruto," Sakura snapped, though her own face betrayed similar anxiety. "We just need to pass this test. How hard can it be?"

Sasuke said nothing, but his jaw was set in grim determination.

As they descended from the roof, another pain spike hit Naruto. This time, the vision was crystal clear—three wooden posts in a clearing, Kakashi holding up two small bells, all three of them failing because they couldn't work together.

Bells. The test involved bells.

"We need to work as a team," Naruto blurted.

Sakura and Sasuke both stopped, turning to stare at him.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked.

"Tomorrow's test. It's about teamwork," Naruto insisted, the certainty of it settling into his bones. "If we don't work together, we'll all fail."

"How could you possibly know that?" Sasuke demanded, dark eyes intense.

Naruto faltered. How did he know? He couldn't explain the visions without sounding insane.

"Just... a feeling," he finished lamely. "Forget it."

He hurried away, leaving his confused teammates behind. Whatever was happening to him, he needed to get it under control—fast.

That night, Naruto dreamed.

He stood in an endless white space, featureless except for a giant grandfather clock that towered before him, its pendulum swinging with hypnotic rhythm. The clock face had no numbers, only intricate patterns that matched what he'd seen in his eyes during the forest confrontation.

"Hello?" he called, his voice echoing strangely. "Anyone here?"

The pendulum swung. Tick. Tock. With each movement, the white space rippled, showing glimpses of different realities, different moments in time—past, present, future, all bleeding together.

"What is this place?" Naruto whispered.

"The confluence of moments," a voice answered—familiar yet unidentifiable. "The place between seconds, where all possibilities exist simultaneously."

Naruto spun, trying to locate the speaker. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"You already know who I am," the voice replied. "Just as you already know who you are."

The clock hands began to spin wildly, faster and faster. Pain erupted behind Naruto's eyes.

"The Temporal Eye awakens," the voice continued. "A gift and a curse of the Namikaze bloodline."

"Namikaze?" Naruto repeated, the name striking a chord deep within him. "What's that got to do with me?"

The clock chimed, the sound reverberating through Naruto's very being. "Everything," the voice answered. "And nothing. The future is fluid, the past immutable. You stand at the convergence, able to see both."

"I don't understand!"

"You will." The white space began to fracture, reality bleeding through the cracks. "But understanding comes with a price. To see all paths is to risk losing your own."

The clock face shattered, each fragment showing a different possible future for Naruto—some glorious, others terrible, all equally real.

"Wait!" Naruto cried as the dream began to disintegrate. "I still don't understand what's happening to me!"

"Time will tell," the voice answered, fading along with the dream. "Time always tells."

Naruto jerked awake, gasping for breath, his sheets soaked with sweat. The dream clung to him like cobwebs, its meanings just beyond his grasp.

"Namikaze," he repeated, the name feeling right on his tongue though he couldn't place why. "Temporal Eye."

Dawn was still hours away. Naruto lay back, staring at his ceiling, his mind racing with questions that had no answers.

Tomorrow, he would face Kakashi's test. Whatever these strange abilities were, they'd given him insight into what awaited. Team 7 needed to work together to pass.

But would Sasuke and Sakura believe him if he told them? Or would they dismiss him as they always had?

Naruto rolled onto his side, watching the moonlight cast long shadows across his small apartment. One thing was certain—his life had changed irrevocably in that forest clearing. For better or worse remained to be seen.

Dawn broke over Konoha, painting the Hokage Monument in hues of gold and amber. In his office, Hiruzen Sarutobi had not slept. Scrolls and documents littered his desk, each detailing fragments of a legacy long hidden.

A soft knock interrupted his research.

"Enter," he called, hastily covering the most sensitive materials.

Kakashi Hatake stepped into the office, hands in his pockets, posture deliberately casual. "You wanted to see me, Lord Hokage?"

"Yes." Hiruzen gestured to the chair across from him. "I assume you've met your new team?"

"If you can call them that," Kakashi replied, making no move to sit. "At the moment, they're just three kids with delusions of ninja grandeur."

"And Naruto? Your impression?"

Something shifted in Kakashi's visible eye. "Loud. Undisciplined. But... there's something about him that seems familiar."

"Besides his resemblance to his father?"

Kakashi stiffened almost imperceptibly. "We don't speak of that."

"Circumstances change," Hiruzen said, his aged fingers tapping a folder on his desk. "There have been... developments."

"What kind of developments?"

Hiruzen hesitated, weighing how much to reveal. "During the incident with Mizuki, Naruto displayed abilities that cannot be attributed to the Nine-Tails. Abilities reminiscent of the Fourth's more... unusual talents."

Kakashi's eye widened slightly. "You don't mean—"

"The Temporal Eye. Yes."

A heavy silence fell between them, broken only by the distant sounds of the village coming to life.

"That's impossible," Kakashi finally said. "It's just a legend, a rumor among ANBU. Even Lord Fourth never fully manifested it."

"And yet, Iruka's report is quite specific. Electric blue eyes with clock-like patterns. Movement that seemed to anticipate events before they occurred. Perfect execution of an advanced jutsu he had just learned." Hiruzen fixed Kakashi with a pointed stare. "Sound familiar?"

Kakashi's mind flashed back to a battlefield years ago—Minato moving with impossible precision, seeming to know where enemy attacks would land seconds before they did. He'd always attributed it to his sensei's extraordinary speed and reflexes, but there had been moments... instances where Minato's eyes had changed, glowing with an unearthly blue light.

"What do you want me to do?" Kakashi asked quietly.

"Observe him. Test him. If the bloodline is truly awakening, he'll need guidance only you can provide."

"I'm not qualified for this," Kakashi protested. "I don't know anything about dōjutsu beyond my Sharingan, and that was a transplant."

"You're the only one who's witnessed the ability firsthand, however briefly," Hiruzen countered. "And you're the only one I trust with this secret." He slid a sealed scroll across the desk. "Minato's notes on the phenomenon. Read them, memorize them, then destroy them."

Kakashi accepted the scroll with evident reluctance. "And if the ability manifests during training?"

"Use your judgment. The village must not know—not yet. Too many would seek to exploit such power." Hiruzen's expression darkened. "Both within our walls and beyond them."

"Understood." Kakashi tucked the scroll into his vest. "Anything else I should know?"

Hiruzen considered the question. "Just one thing. According to Minato's research, the ability comes with a cost. Temporal displacement—experiencing multiple potential realities simultaneously—can be... disorienting. Potentially damaging to the psyche if not properly managed."

"Great," Kakashi muttered. "As if the kid didn't have enough problems."

"Indeed." Hiruzen reached for his pipe. "There's one more thing you should be aware of. The ability appears to manifest most strongly in moments of extreme stress or emotional distress."

"Like when someone he cares about is threatened," Kakashi surmised, thinking of Iruka.

"Precisely." Hiruzen struck a match, the small flame illuminating the deep lines of his face. "Which means your bell test tomorrow may prove more revealing than usual."

Kakashi's eye crinkled in what might have been a smile beneath his mask. "I'll keep that in mind."

The training ground lay quiet in the pale morning light, dew still clinging to the grass. Three wooden posts stood sentinel in the clearing, just as Naruto had seen in his vision.

He arrived last, having overslept despite his best intentions. Sakura and Sasuke were already waiting, both looking tired and hungry.

"You're late!" Sakura snapped when she spotted him.

"So is Kakashi-sensei," Naruto pointed out, scanning the empty field. "Told you we should've eaten breakfast."

"He specifically told us not to," Sakura retorted, though her growling stomach somewhat undermined her conviction.

Sasuke stood apart from them, hands in his pockets, seemingly indifferent to both the early hour and his empty stomach. However, his dark eyes tracked Naruto with unusual intensity.

"What?" Naruto demanded when he caught Sasuke staring.

"Yesterday," Sasuke said without preamble. "How did you know about the teamwork thing?"

Naruto froze. He'd hoped Sasuke had forgotten that slip-up. "I didn't say anything about teamwork."

"Yes, you did," Sakura chimed in. "You said we need to work as a team or we'll all fail. How could you possibly know what the test involves?"

Trapped, Naruto scrambled for a plausible explanation. "I, uh... overheard some older ninjas talking about it! Yeah, that's it!"

"Liar," Sasuke said flatly. "You've been acting strange since yesterday. Your eyes keep... changing."

"Changing how?" Sakura asked, suddenly concerned. "Naruto, are you sick?"

"I'm fine!" Naruto insisted, backing away from their scrutiny. "Just didn't sleep well, that's all."

Before they could press further, a puff of smoke announced Kakashi's arrival. "Morning, everyone," he said cheerfully, as if he weren't three hours late.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto and Sakura shouted in unison.

"Sorry about that. A black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way around." Kakashi's visible eye curved into what they were learning to recognize as a smile. "Now then, let's get started."

He pulled two small bells from his pocket, just as Naruto had foreseen. "Your task is simple. Get these bells from me before noon. Anyone who doesn't get a bell fails and goes back to the Academy."

"But there are only two bells," Sakura pointed out.

"Very observant," Kakashi replied dryly. "That means at least one of you will definitely fail."

The revelation sent a ripple of tension through the group. Naruto felt Sasuke and Sakura's competitive spirits rising, exactly as Kakashi intended. The jōnin was deliberately setting them against each other.

But Naruto knew better, thanks to his vision. This was a test of teamwork, designed to see if they could put aside individual desires for the greater good.

Now he just had to convince his teammates.

"Begin!" Kakashi announced, tying the bells to his waist.

Sasuke and Sakura immediately leapt for the trees, concealing themselves among the foliage. Naruto, however, stood his ground.

"You know," Kakashi observed, "you're a bit odd compared to the others."

"The only odd thing here is your haircut!" Naruto retorted, pointing dramatically. "Let's fight fair and square!"

Even as he spoke, his headache returned—a dull throb that quickly intensified. The clearing seemed to waver, showing multiple versions of the next few moments. In each, Naruto attacked alone and was soundly defeated. Sometimes by being launched into the air, sometimes by a humiliating poke to his backside, once by being dunked headfirst into the nearby river.

All failures. All because he tried to fight alone.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Naruto adjusted his strategy. He needed to find Sasuke and Sakura, convince them to work together. But first, he needed to put on a show for Kakashi—make the jōnin think he was just the impulsive idiot everyone expected.

"Prepare to be surprised!" Naruto shouted, charging forward with deliberate recklessness.

Kakashi sighed, pulling out an orange book. "Ninja Battle Tactics, Lesson One: Taijutsu."

The fight went exactly as Naruto had foreseen—a series of embarrassing counters culminating with Kakashi's ridiculous "Thousand Years of Death" technique that sent Naruto flying into the river.

Underwater, Naruto smiled grimly. Perfect. Now Kakashi would underestimate him, which would make it easier to set up the real plan.

He formed hand signs beneath the surface. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A dozen clones burst from the water, charging Kakashi from all directions. The jōnin barely looked up from his book as he dispatched them one by one.

What he didn't see was the real Naruto slipping away into the forest, searching for his teammates.

Sakura crouched in the underbrush, trying to formulate a plan. Kakashi was clearly out of their league—she'd watched him humiliate Naruto without even trying. How was she supposed to get a bell?

"Psst! Sakura!"

She nearly screamed as Naruto's face suddenly appeared upside down from a tree branch above her. "Naruto! What are you doing? He'll find us!"

"He's busy with my clones," Naruto whispered. "Listen, we need to work together."

"Why would I team up with you? There are only two bells. Every ninja for themselves!"

"That's what he wants us to think," Naruto insisted. "The real test is teamwork. None of us can beat him alone, but together, we might have a chance."

Sakura's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How do you know that?"

Another spike of pain hit Naruto. Multiple timelines flashed before him—Sakura believing him, Sakura rejecting him, Sakura finding Sasuke trapped in the ground and becoming caught in a genjutsu herself.

"Because it makes sense," he said quickly. "Think about it—have you ever heard of a one-person or two-person genin team? They're always groups of three plus a jōnin sensei. This whole bell thing is just to divide us."

Uncertainty flickered across Sakura's face. "That... actually makes sense. But what about the bells? There are still only two."

"We'll figure that out after we get them," Naruto said. "First, we need to find Sasuke."

A rustle in the bushes behind them made them both freeze. Sasuke emerged, his expression contemplative.

"I heard everything," he said. "And I agree with the idiot, for once."

"You do?" Naruto and Sakura asked in unison, equally shocked.

"Kakashi is a jōnin. We're fresh out of the Academy. The power gap is too wide for any of us individually." Sasuke's tactical mind was clearly working through the problem. "Working together is our only logical option."

"So you're in?" Naruto grinned, relief washing over him.

"For now," Sasuke qualified. "But that doesn't explain how you knew this was a teamwork test before it even started."

Naruto swallowed hard. The pressure of Sasuke's intense gaze made the headache worse, threatening another vision. "Lucky guess?"

"We'll discuss your 'lucky guesses' after we pass," Sasuke said, making it clear the matter wasn't settled. "For now, we need a plan."

The three huddled together, quickly devising a strategy to take on their jōnin sensei.

Kakashi stood in the clearing, seemingly absorbed in his book. The last of Naruto's clones had dispelled several minutes ago, and the forest had gone suspiciously quiet.

"Hmm," he mused aloud. "Did they finally figure it out?"

His enhanced hearing caught the subtle shift of air as shuriken sliced toward him from behind. Without looking up from his book, he stepped sideways, letting the weapons embed themselves in the ground where he'd been standing.

Sasuke emerged from the trees, hands already forming signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

An Uchiha using fire techniques already? Kakashi thought, impressed despite himself. He leapt clear of the massive fireball, only to find Sakura waiting in his landing zone, fist cocked back for a punch.

Coordinated attacks? Interesting.

He easily blocked Sakura's strike, but it had served its purpose—distracting him just long enough for dozens of Naruto clones to burst from the surrounding forest.

"Get him!" they shouted in unison, converging from all directions.

Kakashi's visible eye widened slightly. This level of teamwork was unexpected so early in the test. Perhaps there was hope for this group after all.

He deflected the first wave of clones, his movements deliberately casual to maintain his aloof demeanor. "Not bad," he called out. "But still not good enough."

Then he saw it—a flicker of blue light in the real Naruto's eyes as the boy focused intensely on the battle. Just for an instant, clock-like patterns formed in his irises.

In that moment of distraction, Sasuke's kick connected with Kakashi's side, sending him stumbling directly into Sakura's path. She launched a barrage of kunai, forcing him to dodge in the only clear direction—right into the waiting arms of Naruto's clones.

They're actually working together effectively, Kakashi realized as he substituted himself with a log to escape. And Naruto's movements... he's anticipating where I'll be.

From the safety of a nearby tree, Kakashi observed the three genin regrouping. They'd clearly planned this attack, with each playing to their strengths—Sasuke's ninjutsu, Sakura's precision, and Naruto's overwhelming numbers.

Most surprising was Naruto himself. The boy's usual chaotic fighting style had been replaced with something more strategic, more precise. His clones weren't just rushing in blindly but were positioning themselves to limit Kakashi's escape routes.

Almost as if he could see what Kakashi would do before he did it.

The Hokage's warning echoed in Kakashi's mind: "The ability appears to manifest most strongly in moments of extreme stress or emotional distress."

Perhaps it was time to apply a little more pressure.

"Did we get him?" Sakura panted, scanning the forest for signs of their sensei.

"No," Sasuke replied tersely. "Substitution jutsu."

Naruto created another batch of clones to search the area. "He's good," he admitted. "But our plan is working. We've got him on the defensive."

"How are you doing that?" Sasuke demanded suddenly.

"Doing what?"

"Predicting his movements. You keep positioning your clones exactly where he's about to go. Not where he is, but where he will be."

Naruto laughed nervously. "Just good instincts?"

"Naruto," Sakura said slowly, "your eyes are glowing."

His hand flew to his face. "What? No, they're not!"

But he could feel it—the burning sensation behind his eyes, the strange clarity that came with it. The visions were coming more frequently now, showing him fragments of immediate futures. Kakashi circling behind them. Kakashi underground. Kakashi in the trees directly above—

"MOVE!" Naruto shouted, tackling his teammates aside just as Kakashi dropped from the canopy, landing exactly where they had been standing.

"Impressive reflexes," Kakashi remarked, eye fixed on Naruto. "Almost as if you saw me coming."

Naruto scrambled to his feet, positioning himself protectively in front of his teammates. "Just a lucky guess."

"Three lucky guesses in a row?" Kakashi stepped forward. "Let's test those instincts of yours."

He vanished, reappearing instantly behind Naruto. But the boy was already moving, ducking under the chop aimed at his neck.

"Too slow!" Naruto taunted, though his head was pounding with effort.

Kakashi increased his speed, attacking from multiple angles in rapid succession. Each time, Naruto managed to evade—sometimes narrowly, sometimes with room to spare. His movements weren't those of an Academy student but of a fighter who could see attacks before they landed.

Sasuke and Sakura watched in astonishment as their teammate—dead last in the class—moved with impossible precision against a jōnin.

"Now!" Naruto shouted suddenly.

Taking the cue, Sasuke launched another fireball, forcing Kakashi to jump. Sakura, anticipating this, threw kunai with explosive tags attached, detonating them in midair near their teacher.

The explosion sent Kakashi hurtling toward the ground—directly into the path of Naruto and his remaining clones, who had positioned themselves in a perfect interception formation.

"Gotcha!" Naruto grinned, his hands already reaching for the bells.

Time seemed to slow as his fingers brushed the metal surface. He could see multiple outcomes branching before him—success in some, failure in others. In one particularly clear vision, Kakashi countered at the last second, dispelling all his clones and sending the real Naruto flying.

Not this time, Naruto thought fiercely.

With every ounce of concentration he possessed, he focused on the successful timeline, trying to force it into reality. His eyes burned like twin suns, the clock pattern fully manifested. For just an instant, it felt as if he existed between moments—between the tick and the tock of the universe's grand timepiece.

His fingers closed around both bells just as his vision went white with pain.

Kakashi's eye widened in genuine surprise as Naruto snatched both bells from his waist. The boy had moved with precision that should have been impossible for a genin—anticipating not just where Kakashi was, but where he intended to be.

The Temporal Eye, Kakashi thought. It's really awakening.

Then he noticed Naruto's expression contort in pain. The blue glow in the boy's eyes intensified to blinding brightness before abruptly extinguishing. Naruto swayed on his feet, bells clutched in his fist, before his knees buckled.

Kakashi caught him before he hit the ground.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried, rushing to her teammate's side. Even Sasuke looked concerned, hovering close by.

"He's alright," Kakashi assured them, though he wasn't entirely certain. "Just exhausted."

Naruto's eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first before settling on the bells still clutched in his hand. A weak smile spread across his face. "We did it," he whispered.

"Yes," Kakashi confirmed, genuinely impressed. "You did."

Helping Naruto to sit up against one of the training posts, Kakashi addressed the team. "Well, this is unexpected. Not only did you figure out the true purpose of the test—teamwork—but you actually managed to take the bells."

Sakura beamed with pride, while Sasuke allowed himself a small, satisfied smirk.

"However," Kakashi continued, "there are still only two bells. So who gets sent back to the Academy?"

Naruto looked down at the bells in his hand, then held them out to his teammates. "They do," he said simply.

"What?" Sakura gasped. "But you're the one who got them!"

"Because of your plan," Naruto countered. "And Sasuke's fireballs, and your kunai throws. I just happened to be the one who grabbed them." He pushed the bells toward them insistently. "Take them. I can wait another year."

Sasuke and Sakura exchanged glances, a silent communication passing between them.

"No," Sasuke said finally, pushing Naruto's hand away. "We did this as a team. We either all pass or all fail."

"That's right!" Sakura added, surprising herself with how strongly she felt. "The three of us worked together. It wouldn't be right to leave you behind."

Kakashi watched the exchange with growing approval. "Are you sure? This could be your only chance to pass."

"We're sure," Sasuke answered for all of them.

A moment of tension hung in the air before Kakashi's eye crinkled into a smile. "In that case... you all pass!"

"What?" the three genin exclaimed in unison.

"The purpose of this test was to see if you could put the team's needs above your own individual desires. By working together and then being willing to sacrifice your success for each other, you've demonstrated the most important quality of a Konoha ninja." Kakashi's voice grew serious. "In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum. But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

The words settled over the clearing like a benediction.

"Team 7 officially begins its duties tomorrow," Kakashi announced. "Be at the bridge at 8 AM sharp."

As Sakura cheered and even Sasuke allowed himself a small smile, Kakashi's gaze lingered on Naruto. The boy was attempting to stand, using the training post for support, his face still pale from whatever strain his mysterious ability had placed on him.

This would require careful monitoring. If the Temporal Eye continued to develop, Naruto would need guidance to control it without destroying himself in the process.

"Naruto," Kakashi said quietly, once Sasuke and Sakura had moved away. "A word?"

The boy approached cautiously, clearly anticipating a reprimand. "What's up, Sensei?"

"That was an impressive display of... instinct," Kakashi said carefully, watching for Naruto's reaction. "Almost as if you could see what I was going to do before I did it."

Naruto's gaze dropped to the ground. "Just got lucky, I guess."

"Is that why your eyes were glowing blue with clock patterns?"

The boy's head snapped up, fear and confusion warring on his face. "You... you saw that?"

"I did." Kakashi placed a reassuring hand on Naruto's shoulder. "And I want you to know, you're not going crazy. There's a name for what's happening to you."

"There is?" Hope bloomed in Naruto's voice. "What is it?"

Kakashi glanced around, ensuring they weren't overheard. "It's called the Temporal Eye. A very rare dōjutsu."

"Like Sasuke's Sharingan?"

"Similar in concept, but very different in application. Instead of copying techniques, it allows the user to perceive time differently—to see moments before they occur."

Relief washed over Naruto's face. "So I'm not imagining things. These visions, the headaches, seeing things before they happen..."

"All consistent with the awakening of the Temporal Eye," Kakashi confirmed. "But Naruto, this needs to remain a secret for now. Such abilities would make you a target for enemies both inside and outside the village."

Naruto nodded solemnly. "I understand. But... where did it come from? Why me?"

Kakashi hesitated. The boy deserved answers, but the Hokage's orders were clear—Naruto's parentage was still classified at the highest level. "It's a bloodline ability," he said finally. "That's all I can tell you for now. But I promise, when the time is right, you'll learn everything."

"A bloodline?" Naruto's eyes widened. "You mean... from my family? My parents?"

The hope in his voice was almost painful to hear. Kakashi squeezed his shoulder gently. "Yes. But that's all I can say for now. Just know that you come from a remarkable lineage, Naruto. One day, you'll understand everything."

Tears welled in Naruto's eyes. All his life, he'd been alone—an orphan with no knowledge of his origins, no connection to anything beyond himself. The revelation that he carried a bloodline, a gift passed down from parents he'd never known, felt like finding a piece of himself he hadn't known was missing.

"Will you... will you help me control it?" he asked quietly.

"I'll do my best," Kakashi promised. "It won't be easy. This ability comes with risks—the strain it places on your mind, the confusion of seeing multiple possible futures."

"I don't care," Naruto said firmly. "If it's part of my family, my heritage, then I want to master it. I need to."

Kakashi nodded, recognizing the determination that so often reminded him of both Minato and Kushina. "Then we'll work on it together. Gradually, carefully."

"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei."

As Naruto rejoined his teammates, a smile stretching across his face despite his exhaustion, Kakashi couldn't help but wonder what Minato would think of his son now. The legacy of the Yellow Flash lived on in more ways than anyone had anticipated.

The winds of change were indeed blowing through Konoha. Whether they would bring fortune or calamity remained to be seen.

But one thing was certain—Naruto Uzumaki was no longer just the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki or the village pariah. He was the inheritor of a legendary dōjutsu, the bearer of a power that could reshape the very fabric of destiny.

Time would tell what he would make of such a legacy.

Time always tells.

The sunrise had barely crested the horizon when Naruto jolted awake, a scream dying in his throat. Sweat drenched his sheets. His heart hammered against his ribs like it was trying to escape.

This was the third time he'd awakened this morning.

Or was it the fourth?

The first time, he'd knocked his alarm clock off the nightstand, shattering it against the floor. The second time, a bird had perched on his windowsill, singing until he threw a pillow at it. The third time—or was it a dream?—he'd gotten up, brushed his teeth, and stepped into the shower only to find himself suddenly back in bed, as if he'd never moved at all.

"What's happening to me?" he whispered, pressing his palms against his temples.

The clock on his wall read 6:30 AM. Team assignments were today. He needed to get ready, to put his best foot forward. This was his chance to finally be acknowledged.

Naruto swung his legs over the edge of the bed, and a wave of vertigo hit him so hard he nearly vomited. The room spun, fracturing into multiple overlapping images—himself still in bed, himself in the bathroom, himself already dressed and eating breakfast.

"Stop it," he growled, squeezing his eyes shut. "Just stop."

When he opened them again, the world had stabilized. One reality. One timeline. He released a shaky breath and forced himself to stand.

The bathroom mirror revealed dark circles under his eyes. "You look terrible," he told his reflection. For a split second, he thought his reflection smiled back differently, but he blinked and it was normal again.

As he brushed his teeth, memories flickered through his mind—Team 7, Kakashi-sensei, the bell test, his eyes glowing blue with clock patterns.

But none of that had happened yet. Today was just team assignments.

Wasn't it?

The Academy classroom buzzed with excitement. Fresh graduates preened, headbands gleaming on foreheads, arms, belts—each placement a statement of individuality. Naruto adjusted his own proudly as he entered, his face breaking into a wide grin despite his exhaustion.

"Hey! What are you doing here, Naruto?" Shikamaru called out lazily from his seat. "This meeting's only for those who passed."

Naruto pointed to his headband with his thumb. "See this? I graduated too!"

Shikamaru looked unconvinced but was too unmotivated to press the issue, returning to his slouched position.

Naruto scanned the room, his gaze landing on the empty seat next to Sasuke. Perfect. He began making his way toward it when a stabbing pain lanced through his head. The classroom wavered, overlapping images assaulting his vision—himself sitting beside Sasuke, a confrontation, an accidental...

"No way," he muttered, freezing mid-step.

He saw it with perfect clarity—someone would bump him from behind, sending him toppling forward. His lips would collide with Sasuke's in an accidental kiss, triggering outrage from the Uchiha's fan club.

The vision faded, leaving Naruto shaken in the middle of the aisle. It couldn't be real. Just a weird daydream, a product of his exhaustion.

Yet as he resumed walking, he felt a prickle of awareness at the base of his skull. He was three steps from Sasuke's desk when he heard movement behind him—someone standing suddenly, the scrape of a chair.

Without thinking, Naruto sidestepped. A boy rushing past clipped his shoulder instead of hitting him squarely in the back. Naruto stumbled but didn't fall forward. No embarrassing kiss. No angry mob of girls.

"Watch it," he snapped at the boy, who mumbled an apology.

Sasuke glanced up, eyes narrowing slightly. "What are you looking at, loser?"

"Nothing special," Naruto retorted, sliding into the seat beside him. His heart raced. Had he really just seen the future? Changed it?

A commotion at the door drew his attention as Sakura and Ino burst into the room, arguing about who had arrived first. Their eyes locked on Naruto sitting next to their precious Sasuke, and matching expressions of outrage bloomed on their faces.

"Move it, Naruto!" Sakura demanded, storming toward them. "I want to sit next to Sasuke!"

"Why would he want to sit next to you?" Ino challenged, elbowing her former friend aside.

As they bickered, Naruto felt another headache building. The classroom fragmented again—multiple versions of the next few minutes playing out simultaneously. In some, he refused to move and got punched by Sakura. In others, he relented immediately. In the strangest version, he transformed into Sasuke and left the real Uchiha tied up in a storage closet.

The pain intensified, a silent scream building behind his eyes. Too many possibilities, too many futures colliding in his mind.

"Fine," he said abruptly, standing up. "Take the seat. I don't care."

Sakura looked momentarily stunned by his easy capitulation before triumph replaced her surprise. "Well... good!" She slid into the vacated spot, shooting Ino a victorious glance.

Naruto moved to another empty seat, rubbing his temples. Something was very wrong with him. These visions, these headaches—they were getting worse, more frequent. And sometimes, like with the almost-kiss, they showed things that then didn't happen.

Because he changed them?

The implications sent a chill down his spine.

Iruka entered the classroom, clipboard in hand, a proud smile on his scarred face despite the bandages still visible beneath his vest. The room quieted immediately.

"Beginning today, you are all ninjas," he began, his voice carrying easily to every corner. "But you're still genin—the lowest of the low. The hard journey that lies ahead has just begun."

As Iruka continued his speech, Naruto's attention drifted. He'd heard all this before—or had he? The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming, like watching a play whose script he'd already memorized.

"Next, I'll announce the three-man teams," Iruka declared.

Naruto perked up. This was it. The moment he'd both dreaded and anticipated. Somehow, he knew already—Team 7, Kakashi-sensei, the bell test. But how could he know things that hadn't happened?

"Team 7," Iruka called out. "Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto held his breath.

"Sakura Haruno."

"Yes!" The exclamation burst from him before he could stop it, earning a groan from Sakura.

"And Sasuke Uchiha."

"No!" Sakura's dismay transformed instantly to delight, while Naruto slumped in his chair.

It had happened exactly as he'd... remembered? Foreseen? The distinction blurred in his mind, past and future colliding like opposing currents.

As Iruka finished announcing the teams, Naruto caught Sasuke watching him with undisguised suspicion. Had the Uchiha noticed something? His strange behavior, the moment of precognition with the almost-kiss?

"Your jōnin instructors will meet you after lunch," Iruka concluded. "Until then, you're dismissed."

Students began filing out, chattering excitedly about their team assignments. Naruto remained seated, paralyzed by the implications of what was happening to him.

"Hey." Sasuke's voice snapped him back to the present. The Uchiha stood beside his desk, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable. "What's wrong with you today?"

"Nothing," Naruto lied automatically.

"You're acting weird. Weirder than usual." Sasuke's dark eyes bored into him. "Earlier, you moved before that guy even bumped into you. Like you knew it was going to happen."

Naruto forced a laugh. "Just good reflexes!"

"Reflexes react to things that have already happened," Sasuke countered. "Not things that haven't happened yet."

"Whatever, I got lucky." Naruto stood abruptly. "I'm going to get lunch. See you later, teammate." He emphasized the last word with sarcastic cheer, hoping to distract from the uncomfortable scrutiny.

Sasuke didn't follow, but Naruto could feel those calculating eyes on his back as he left the classroom.

Lunch passed in a blur. Naruto ate alone, as usual, his mind racing with questions he had no answers for. When he returned to the classroom, most of the other teams had already been collected by their jōnin instructors.

Hours ticked by. Sakura paced anxiously near the window while Sasuke sat motionless, fingers steepled before him. Naruto fidgeted in his seat, the sense of repetition growing stronger with each passing minute.

"He's late," Sakura complained for the dozenth time.

"No kidding," Naruto muttered. A mischievous impulse seized him. He knew what would happen—or what should happen—next. The eraser in the door, Kakashi falling for the simple prank.

Grabbing a chair, he positioned it near the door and snatched the blackboard eraser. "This'll teach him to be late," he declared, wedging the eraser in the partially open door.

"Grow up, Naruto," Sakura scolded, though Inner Sakura was cheering the prank on. "Our teacher's a jōnin, an elite ninja. He's not going to fall for such a simple booby trap."

"A jōnin wouldn't get caught in such an obvious trap," Sasuke agreed from his seat.

But Naruto knew better. Another headache bloomed as multiple versions of the next few minutes unfolded in his mind—in most, Kakashi fell for the prank. In a few, he caught the eraser. In one peculiar variant, he was accompanied by a small pug who warned him of the trap.

The pain peaked, then subsided as the visions settled on a single outcome—the most likely timeline.

"He'll fall for it," Naruto said with absolute certainty, returning to his seat.

Footsteps approached in the hallway. All three genin tensed, eyes fixed on the door as it slid open.

Time seemed to slow. Naruto watched the eraser fall in excruciating detail—the small puff of chalk dust as it connected with silver hair, the momentary pause as gravity pulled it to the floor, the soft thud as it landed.

Kakashi Hatake stood in the doorway, chalk dust settling on his shoulders, his visible eye surveying the room with apparent disinterest.

"Hmm, how should I put this?" he said flatly. "My first impression of you guys... I hate you."

Naruto burst out laughing, partly from the successful prank, partly from the eerie accuracy of his prediction. Sakura apologized profusely while Sasuke looked mildly shocked that a jōnin had fallen for such a simple trap.

But beneath his laughter, Naruto felt a growing unease. He had known—not guessed, not hoped, but known—exactly what would happen. And judging by the calculated look Sasuke was giving him, he wasn't the only one who'd noticed.

The rooftop offered a panoramic view of Konoha, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the village. Team 7 sat in a semicircle before their new sensei, who leaned casually against the railing.

"Let's begin with introductions," Kakashi suggested. "Your likes, dislikes, dreams for the future, hobbies, things like that."

"Why don't you go first, Sensei?" Sakura prompted. "Show us how it's done."

"Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate... I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future... never really thought about it. As for my hobbies... I have lots of hobbies."

"That was totally useless," Sakura whispered to her teammates. "All he told us was his name."

But Naruto hardly registered her complaint. As Kakashi had spoken, another vision had superimposed itself over reality—the jōnin wearing the Hokage's ceremonial hat, standing atop the Hokage Tower, addressing a crowd below.

The image was so vivid, so detailed, it couldn't be mere imagination. This was something else, something more concrete. A glimpse of a future that might come to pass.

"You with the attitude problem," Kakashi's voice cut through his thoughts. "You're up first."

Sasuke gave his introduction—revenge, ambition, the restoration of his clan. Then Sakura's turn came, her answers revolving almost entirely around the boy beside her.

"And lastly, the blonde," Kakashi nodded toward Naruto.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" he declared, adjusting his headband proudly. "I like instant ramen, but I like the ramen at Ichiraku that Iruka-sensei buys me even more. I hate the three minutes you have to wait after pouring hot water into instant ramen. My hobby is eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them."

He paused, another flash of insight hitting him, accompanied by pain so sudden he nearly gasped. Multiple futures branched before him—Hokage, yes, but also other paths. A red cloak with black flames. A white cloak like the Fourth's. A dark place with red clouds.

The visions were becoming more specific, more detailed. No longer just moments ahead but years, decades.

He shook his head, forcing the images away. "And my dream is to become Hokage! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody important!"

Kakashi's visible eye widened fractionally. "Interesting," he murmured.

The jōnin went on to explain their first mission—a survival exercise, not the D-rank missions Naruto had been expecting. The revelation that only nine of the twenty-seven graduates would become genin, that the rest would be sent back to the Academy, sent a ripple of tension through the team.

"That's crazy!" Naruto exclaimed, though a part of him had expected this twist. "What was the graduation test for anyway?!"

"That? Just to select candidates who might become genin," Kakashi replied casually. "I decide whether you pass or fail. Be at Training Ground Three at 5 AM, and bring your ninja gear."

He turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, and don't eat breakfast. You'll throw up."

As Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke, dread settled in Naruto's stomach. He'd seen this before—lived it before—in his visions. The bell test. The need for teamwork. The struggle to overcome their individual desires for the greater good.

"This sucks," he vocalized, more from the confusion of his predicament than the challenge ahead.

"Shut up, Naruto," Sakura snapped. "We just need to pass this test. How hard can it be?"

As they descended from the rooftop, Naruto found himself walking behind his teammates. Sasuke's back was rigid with determination, Sakura hovering near him with obvious adoration. Neither seemed to notice Naruto's internal struggle, the war being waged inside his mind as past, present, and future blurred together.

Until Sasuke stopped abruptly, turning to face him. "You knew he would fall for that trap," the Uchiha stated, no question in his voice.

"What? No, I—"

"You said 'he'll fall for it' right before it happened. Like you knew."

Sakura glanced between them, confusion etched on her face. "What are you talking about, Sasuke?"

"Naruto's been acting strange all day," Sasuke continued, dark eyes never leaving Naruto's face. "Avoiding things before they happen. Knowing things he shouldn't know."

"That's ridiculous," Sakura dismissed, though uncertainty crept into her voice. "Right, Naruto?"

But Naruto couldn't answer. Another headache was building, white-hot pain lancing through his skull. The street around them fractured into multiple versions of itself—one where they continued walking in silence, one where he confessed everything, one where Sasuke activated his Sharingan to try to see what was wrong with him.

"I need to go," he managed, backing away from them. "See you tomorrow."

He fled before either could respond, racing through the streets of Konoha as if demons pursued him. In a way, they did—demons of time and possibility, of futures that might be and pasts that seemed to repeat.

What was happening to him? And more importantly, how could he control it?

Night fell over the village, stars appearing one by one in the velvet sky. Naruto lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, too afraid to sleep. What if he woke up again to the same morning? What if time was looping around him, trapping him in an endless cycle of the same day?

A soft tap at his window made him jolt upright. A figure crouched on the ledge outside—silver hair gleaming in the moonlight.

Kakashi?

Naruto scrambled to open the window. "Sensei? What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk," Kakashi said simply, slipping into the apartment with fluid grace.

"About what?" Naruto asked, though a part of him already knew.

"Your eyes." Kakashi settled cross-legged on the floor, gesturing for Naruto to sit opposite him. "I saw them change during our introduction today. Just for a moment, but it was unmistakable."

Naruto's breath caught in his throat. "You... you saw that?"

"Blue light, clock-like patterns in the irises," Kakashi confirmed. "The same eyes that were described in Iruka's report of your confrontation with Mizuki."

"What's happening to me?" Naruto whispered, the question that had been tormenting him finally given voice.

Kakashi's expression softened slightly beneath his mask. "You're experiencing the awakening of a very rare dōjutsu—an eye technique, like the Uchiha's Sharingan or the Hyūga's Byakugan. But yours is... different."

"A dōjutsu?" Naruto repeated, hope and confusion warring in his voice. "But I don't come from a clan. I'm nobody."

"That's not true," Kakashi said quietly. "Your lineage is... complicated. But the ability is real. It's called the Temporal Eye."

"Temporal... like time?"

Kakashi nodded. "It allows the user to perceive time differently—to see moments before they occur, to glimpse possible futures. In its most advanced form, it might even allow manipulation of temporal perception."

The explanation hit Naruto like a physical blow. It made sense—the visions, the headaches, the sense of déjà vu. He wasn't going crazy. This was a real ability, a bloodline technique.

"So I'm seeing the future?" he asked, needing confirmation.

"Not exactly," Kakashi corrected. "You're seeing possible futures. Probabilities. The most likely outcomes based on current circumstances. But those outcomes can change if the circumstances change."

"Like when I avoided bumping into Sasuke today," Naruto realized. "I saw what would happen, and I changed it."

"Precisely." Kakashi seemed impressed by his quick understanding. "The future isn't fixed, Naruto. It's fluid, constantly reshaping itself based on our choices. What your eyes show you are the most probable paths, but not the only ones."

"Is that why I keep getting these killer headaches? And sometimes feel like I'm living the same day multiple times?"

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed with concern. "You're experiencing temporal displacement—side effects of perceiving multiple timelines simultaneously. Your brain isn't wired to process that kind of information."

"Will it get worse?" Naruto asked, fear creeping into his voice.

"Possibly," Kakashi admitted. "But with training, you can learn to control it, to access the ability deliberately rather than having it trigger randomly."

Hope bloomed in Naruto's chest. "You'll train me? You know how this works?"

"I have... some familiarity with the phenomenon," Kakashi said carefully. "Enough to help you develop basic control. But Naruto, this must remain a secret. Such an ability would make you a target for enemies both inside and outside the village."

"Sasuke already suspects something," Naruto confessed. "He noticed me avoiding things before they happened."

"We'll deal with that if necessary," Kakashi assured him. "For now, focus on understanding what triggers the ability. When do the visions come? What emotions precede them?"

Naruto thought about it. "Usually when I'm stressed or scared. Or when something important is about to happen."

"That tracks with what we know," Kakashi nodded. "Strong emotions can trigger dormant bloodline traits. The challenge will be learning to access the ability without the emotional trigger—to call upon it at will."

"How do I do that?"

"Meditation, for starters. Focusing your chakra to your eyes, similar to how the Uchiha activate their Sharingan." Kakashi rose to his feet. "But that's for another time. Tomorrow, you have a test to pass."

"The bell test," Naruto said without thinking.

Kakashi went very still. "What did you say?"

Too late, Naruto realized his mistake. "I mean... you mentioned bells earlier, right? When you were explaining the test?"

"I didn't," Kakashi said slowly. "I never mentioned bells."

Naruto swallowed hard, caught in the lie. "I saw it," he admitted. "In a vision. Two bells, three of us. We have to get the bells from you before noon, or we get sent back to the Academy."

Kakashi's eye widened slightly. "Impressive. Your ability is developing faster than anticipated if you're seeing that level of detail."

"So I'm right? That's the test?"

"Yes," Kakashi confirmed. "But knowing the parameters doesn't guarantee success. The true purpose of the test is—"

"Teamwork," Naruto finished for him. "We need to work together, even though there are only two bells."

Now Kakashi looked genuinely surprised. "Very good. Perhaps you've seen more than you realize."

"I saw us failing because we couldn't work together," Naruto explained. "And I saw us succeeding when we did."

"Then you have an advantage," Kakashi said. "Use it wisely. But remember, Naruto, even with your eyes, the future isn't guaranteed. It's shaped by choices—yours and others'. Sasuke and Sakura haven't seen what you've seen. Their decisions are still their own."

The implication was clear—knowing the solution didn't ensure his teammates would cooperate.

"I understand," Naruto nodded. "I'll try to convince them."

"Good." Kakashi moved back toward the window. "One more thing. After tomorrow's test, we'll begin your training properly. The Temporal Eye is a powerful tool, but it comes with risks. Using it too much, too quickly, could damage your mind."

"Damage? How?"

"Temporal displacement," Kakashi explained. "The more you use the ability, the more fractured your perception of time becomes. In severe cases, users have reported experiencing multiple timelines simultaneously, unable to distinguish which is real."

A chill ran down Naruto's spine. "Is that why I felt like I woke up multiple times this morning? Like I was living the same day over and over?"

"Likely, yes. Your consciousness may have been slipping between parallel possibilities." Kakashi's voice grew serious. "Be careful, Naruto. This power is as much a curse as it is a blessing."

With those ominous words, Kakashi slipped back out the window, disappearing into the night as silently as he had come.

Naruto remained seated on the floor, mind reeling from the revelations. A dōjutsu. A bloodline trait. Something passed down from parents he'd never known, a connection to a heritage he'd been denied.

For the first time in his life, Naruto felt a tangible link to his origins. He wasn't just an orphan, a pariah, a vessel for the Nine-Tailed Fox. He was the inheritor of a powerful bloodline, a legacy that ran in his veins.

But with that knowledge came new questions. If this ability was genetic, who had passed it to him? Who were his parents? And why had their identities been kept from him his entire life?

Sleep eluded him as he pondered these questions, the pieces of his identity shifting and rearranging like a complex puzzle. As dawn approached, he finally drifted into an uneasy slumber, his dreams filled with ticking clocks and branching paths, each leading to a different future.

The predawn air carried a bite that cut through Naruto's orange jumpsuit as he made his way to Training Ground Three. Despite Kakashi's warning, he'd eaten breakfast—his visions had shown that the "no breakfast" rule was a ploy to weaken them, nothing more.

Sakura and Sasuke were already waiting in the clearing, both looking tired and hungry. They acknowledged his arrival with nods, too sleepy for their usual banter.

"Did either of you eat?" Naruto asked bluntly.

"Kakashi-sensei told us not to," Sakura reminded him, though her growling stomach undermined her conviction.

"It's a trick," Naruto said with certainty. "He wants us weak for the test."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "How would you know that?"

"Think about it," Naruto countered, avoiding the direct question. "Why would he want us to fight on empty stomachs? Ninja need their strength."

Logic seemed to sway Sasuke, who produced a rice ball from his pocket. "I brought this just in case," he admitted, taking a bite.

Sakura hesitated, torn between following orders and the obvious sense in Naruto's argument. Her hunger won out, and she accepted half of Sasuke's rice ball with a grateful smile.

"There's something else you should know," Naruto pressed his advantage. "This test—it's designed to pit us against each other. But the only way to pass is to work together."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked, confused.

"Trust me," Naruto insisted. "When Kakashi-sensei gets here, he'll explain the rules. There will be two bells, and three of us. He'll say only those who get a bell pass."

"How could you possibly know that?" Sasuke demanded.

Another headache bloomed behind Naruto's eyes, multiple futures branching before him. In some, he confessed everything about his emerging ability. In others, he lied or deflected. In the most vivid, he demonstrated the Temporal Eye's power by predicting Kakashi's imminent arrival.

"Because he's standing in that tree right now, listening to everything we say," Naruto pointed directly at a dense patch of foliage thirty feet away. "Isn't that right, Kakashi-sensei?"

Silence stretched for a heartbeat. Then, with a rustle of leaves, Kakashi dropped from the exact spot Naruto had indicated, his visible eye widened with genuine surprise.

"Impressive awareness," the jōnin remarked casually, though his gaze lingered on Naruto with newfound interest. "Or was it something else?"

Sasuke and Sakura stared between their teammate and teacher in shock. How had Naruto detected a jōnin's presence when they hadn't sensed anything?

"Just a lucky guess," Naruto shrugged, though the smirk on his face suggested otherwise.

Kakashi approached, pulling two small bells from his pocket. "As Naruto seems to have anticipated, your task is simple. Get these bells from me before noon. Anyone who doesn't get a bell fails and goes back to the Academy."

"But there are only two bells," Sakura pointed out, anxiety creeping into her voice.

"Very observant," Kakashi replied dryly. "That means at least one of you will definitely fail."

Naruto caught Sasuke's gaze, a silent message passing between them. The Uchiha's eyes narrowed, but he gave an almost imperceptible nod. He was willing to consider Naruto's teamwork theory, at least for now.

"Begin!" Kakashi announced, tying the bells to his waist.

All three genin disappeared into the surrounding forest, concealing themselves among the dense foliage. Naruto quickly located his teammates, bringing them together in a small clearing out of Kakashi's immediate range.

"Listen," he whispered urgently. "I know it sounds crazy, but this is a test of teamwork. None of us can beat him alone, but together, we might have a chance."

"Why should we believe you?" Sakura challenged, though her tone lacked conviction. Naruto's correct prediction of the bells and Kakashi's location had shaken her certainty.

"Because it makes sense," Sasuke interjected, surprising them both. "Genin teams are always groups of three. The bell shortage is just to divide us, make us compete instead of cooperate."

Relief washed over Naruto. "Exactly! So we need a plan."

As they huddled together, formulating a strategy, Naruto felt a surge of hope. Perhaps this time, with his foreknowledge, they could pass the test more efficiently, with less struggle than in the visions he'd seen.

But a nagging worry persisted in the back of his mind—Kakashi's warning about the dangers of relying too heavily on the Temporal Eye. The more he used it, the more his perception of reality would fracture.

Yet how could he not use such an advantage? The ability to see attacks before they happened, to anticipate enemy movements, to choose the optimal path among countless possibilities—it was too valuable to ignore.

The true challenge, he realized, would be balance. Using the gift without being consumed by it. Seeing the future without losing sight of the present.

As Team 7 finalized their plan, Naruto resolved to find that balance—for his own sake and for his team's. The future was fluid, shaped by choices. And right now, he chose to embrace his emerging power, risks and all.

The Temporal Eye was awakening. And with it, a new chapter in Naruto Uzumaki's destiny.

Their plan was simple but effective. Sakura would create a distraction, drawing Kakashi's attention. Sasuke would engage him directly, pushing the jōnin into a predetermined position. And Naruto, with his shadow clones, would launch the final assault from multiple angles, giving them the best chance to snatch the bells.

What Naruto hadn't told his teammates was the additional advantage he brought to the table—his ability to see Kakashi's movements before they happened.

As they moved into position, Naruto closed his eyes, focusing his chakra as Kakashi had instructed. Flow to my eyes, he commanded silently. Show me what will happen.

For a moment, nothing changed. Then, slowly, a warmth built behind his eyes, spreading outward until his entire field of vision tingled with energy. When he opened them again, the world looked different—sharper, more vibrant, with faint ghostly images overlaying reality, showing movements seconds before they occurred.

The Temporal Eye had activated, deliberately this time rather than in response to stress or fear. Progress.

Sakura launched the first phase of their attack, hurling kunai from her hiding spot. As expected, Kakashi dodged easily, his movements almost lazy.

Three steps back, then right, Naruto observed, watching the jōnin's ghostly afterimage move before his physical body followed.

"Now, Sasuke!" he called.

The Uchiha burst from concealment, hands already forming signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive sphere of flame erupted from Sasuke's mouth, forcing Kakashi to leap aside—directly into the path Naruto had foreseen. The jōnin landed precisely where they wanted him, between a large oak and a boulder that limited his escape routes.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto's voice echoed through the clearing as dozens of copies materialized, surrounding Kakashi from all sides.

The clones attacked in perfect synchronization, each anticipating Kakashi's counters before he made them. It was like watching a choreographed dance—the jōnin would begin a movement, and Naruto's clones would already be responding to its completion.

Kakashi's visible eye widened as he realized what was happening. "The Temporal Eye," he murmured, too low for the others to hear. "He's actually using it consciously."

The coordinated assault pushed Kakashi to move faster, to take the fight more seriously. He dispatched clone after clone, but for each one destroyed, another seemed to know exactly where he would be next.

Meanwhile, the real Naruto circled behind, observing the battle through eyes that saw seconds into the future. He could perceive Kakashi's next five moves with perfect clarity—a roundhouse kick to dispel the clones on his left, a substitution jutsu to escape the right flank, a counterattack from above.

"Sasuke, up!" Naruto shouted.

The Uchiha responded instantly, hurling shuriken toward the branch where Kakashi would reappear after his substitution. The jōnin was forced to abort the technique mid-execution, landing awkwardly.

"Sakura, now!" Naruto called.

She emerged from hiding, timing her attack perfectly with Sasuke's next fireball. Caught between two assaults and surrounded by clones that seemed to anticipate his every move, Kakashi found himself genuinely pressured.

"Impressive teamwork," he acknowledged, deflecting a kunai with his own. "But still not good enough."

He formed a hand sign, and the ground beneath their feet began to shift. "Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"

Naruto saw it coming a split second before it happened—Kakashi would pull Sasuke underground, then target Sakura, leaving Naruto's clones without coordination.

"Jump!" he shouted to his teammates.

Both responded instantly, leaping clear of the earth technique. Kakashi's surprise was evident in his widened eye.

"How did you—" he began, but Naruto was already moving, his steps guided by the ghostly images of his own future actions.

The world around Naruto seemed to operate at half-speed. He could see Kakashi's next three moves with crystal clarity—a backward leap to create distance, followed by a water jutsu to disperse the remaining clones, then a flanking maneuver to separate the team.

"Sasuke, right side!" Naruto called out. "Sakura, be ready with kunai on his left!"

His teammates responded without hesitation, their trust in his strange prescience growing with each accurate prediction. Sasuke intercepted Kakashi's flanking attempt with another fireball, while Sakura's perfectly timed kunai barrage forced the jōnin to adjust his trajectory.

Naruto felt a surge of elation. It was working! The Temporal Eye gave them an unprecedented advantage—the ability to counter techniques before they were even executed, to position themselves optimally for each phase of battle.

But as the fight progressed, the strain began to mount. Each prediction, each glimpse of the immediate future, sent lances of pain through Naruto's skull. The world around him started to fragment again, multiple possible outcomes overlapping like transparent images stacked atop one another.

In one timeline, they successfully snatched the bells. In another, Kakashi outmaneuvered them completely. In a third, the exercise was interrupted by an unexpected visitor.

"Focus," Naruto muttered to himself, forcing his vision to stabilize on the most probable outcome. "Stay present."

But the pain only intensified. His control was slipping, the Temporal Eye drawing more chakra than he could safely channel. The edges of his vision darkened, tunneling inward.

"Naruto!" Sakura's voice seemed to come from very far away. "The bells!"

Through his narrowing field of vision, Naruto saw his opportunity—Kakashi momentarily distracted by Sasuke's aggressive taijutsu, the bells exposed at his waist. This was their chance, the moment his foresight had shown would offer the highest probability of success.

"Now!" he shouted, launching himself forward.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Naruto could see his own hand reaching for the bells, could see Kakashi beginning to turn, awareness dawning in his visible eye. Too late. Naruto's fingers closed around both bells, yanking them free with a triumphant jingle.

The moment his skin contacted the metal, something strange happened. The pain in his head peaked, then vanished completely. The fractured visions collapsed into a single reality—the present moment, sharp and clear.

"Got them!" Naruto crowed, holding the bells aloft as he skidded to a halt several feet away.

Kakashi straightened, visible eye crinkling in what might have been a smile beneath his mask. "Well done," he acknowledged. "Though your methods were... unusual."

Sasuke and Sakura converged on Naruto, equal parts shocked and impressed by their success. But Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed as he studied Naruto's face.

"Your eyes," he said quietly. "They were glowing blue."

Naruto's hand flew to his face, panic rising in his chest. He'd been so focused on the bells, on using his ability to secure their victory, that he'd forgotten to conceal the physical manifestation of the Temporal Eye.

"It's nothing," he insisted, blinking rapidly as if to clear something from his vision. "Just the sunlight."

Sasuke looked unconvinced, but before he could press further, Kakashi intervened.

"The bells," he reminded them. "There are two, and three of you. Who gets sent back to the Academy?"

Naruto looked down at the prizes clutched in his fist. Despite their successful teamwork, the final test remained. Would they revert to selfish competition, or maintain their unity?

"We worked together to get them," Naruto said finally, holding the bells out to his teammates. "So Sasuke and Sakura should keep them. I can try again next year."

"What?" Sakura gasped, genuinely shocked by his selflessness. "But you're the one who caught them!"

"Because of your distractions and Sasuke's attacks," Naruto countered. "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

The irony of that statement wasn't lost on him. Being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time was precisely what the Temporal Eye facilitated.

Sasuke studied Naruto for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, to everyone's surprise, he shook his head. "Keep them," he said. "Or give them back to Kakashi. We did this as a team. Either we all pass, or none of us do."

"That's right!" Sakura added, her voice firm despite her obvious desire for a bell. "The three of us worked together. It wouldn't be fair otherwise."

Kakashi observed this exchange with growing approval. "Is that your final decision?" he asked. "You'd all rather fail together than have two of you succeed?"

"Yes," all three responded in unison.

A moment of tension hung in the air before Kakashi's eye crinkled into a full smile. "Then you all pass!"

"What?" they exclaimed together.

"The purpose of this test was never about the bells," Kakashi explained. "It was to see if you could put the team's needs above your own individual desires. By working together and then being willing to sacrifice your success for each other, you've demonstrated the most important quality of a Konoha ninja." His voice grew serious. "In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum. But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

Relief washed over the team, followed quickly by excitement. They had passed! They were officially genin!

As Sakura cheered and even Sasuke allowed himself a small smile, Kakashi approached Naruto, speaking quietly so only he could hear. "That was reckless," he admonished. "Using the Temporal Eye so extensively, so soon."

"But it worked," Naruto defended, though a lingering headache reminded him of the cost.

"This time," Kakashi conceded. "But pushing too hard, too fast, could damage your mind permanently. We need to train you properly, to build your endurance gradually."

"When do we start?"

"Tonight," Kakashi decided. "After your teammates have gone home. Meet me at Training Ground Seven at sunset."

Naruto nodded eagerly, both excited and nervous about formal training for his emerging ability. As Kakashi dismissed them for the day, promising to meet the following morning for their first mission, Naruto found himself walking between Sasuke and Sakura, a position that would have been unthinkable just days ago.

"How did you do that?" Sasuke asked abruptly.

"Do what?" Naruto feigned ignorance.

"You knew exactly where Kakashi would be, every time," Sasuke pressed. "You called out his movements before he made them. And your eyes were glowing."

"Glowing?" Sakura repeated, peering at Naruto's face. "I didn't notice anything."

"It was subtle," Sasuke admitted. "But definitely there. Blue light, strange patterns."

Naruto's mind raced. Should he tell them? Kakashi had warned him to keep the ability secret, but these were his teammates. They'd witnessed his strange behavior, his impossible predictions. How long could he maintain the pretense?

Another headache bloomed, multiple possible futures unfolding before him. In some, he confessed everything, and his teammates reacted with varying degrees of acceptance, disbelief, or envy. In others, he continued to deflect, causing growing suspicion and distrust.

Before he could decide which path to take, Sasuke spoke again, his voice uncharacteristically hesitant. "Is it... a bloodline trait? Like the Sharingan?"

The question caught Naruto off guard. "Why would you think that?"

"Because normal people can't see the future," Sasuke said bluntly. "And that's what you were doing, wasn't it? Seeing what would happen before it did."

Naruto glanced at Kakashi, walking several paces ahead of them. The jōnin gave an almost imperceptible nod—permission to share a version of the truth.

"Yes," Naruto admitted finally. "It's a dōjutsu. It just... awakened recently. During the fight with Mizuki."

"A dōjutsu?" Sakura repeated, her academic mind immediately intrigued. "But those are clan abilities. You're not from a clan, are you?"

"I don't know," Naruto confessed, the truth of his ignorance evident in his voice. "I never knew my parents or where I came from. This is all new to me too."

"What does it do?" Sasuke asked, a hint of something—curiosity? envy?—coloring his tone. "Besides predicting movements."

Naruto hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "It lets me see... possibilities. Different versions of what might happen next. The most likely outcomes."

"So you see the future?" Sakura clarified, fascinated despite her usual dismissiveness toward Naruto.

"Not exactly," Naruto corrected, remembering Kakashi's explanation. "I see possible futures. Probabilities. And they can change if circumstances change."

"Like when you warned us about Kakashi's earth technique," Sasuke realized. "You saw it before he executed it, so we jumped, and the future changed."

"Exactly," Naruto nodded, relieved they were understanding.

"That's... incredible," Sakura admitted, looking at Naruto with new respect. "No wonder you were so confident about the teamwork strategy."

"Does it have a name?" Sasuke asked. "This dōjutsu?"

"The Temporal Eye," Naruto said, the name still strange on his tongue. "At least, that's what Kakashi-sensei called it."

"Wait, Kakashi-sensei knows about this?" Sakura looked toward their teacher's back.

"He recognized it," Naruto explained. "Said he'd seen it before, though it's really rare."

This wasn't a complete lie, though it omitted Kakashi's personal connection to the ability through Minato. But that information wasn't Naruto's to share, especially when he didn't fully understand it himself.

Sasuke fell silent, processing this revelation. Finally, he spoke again. "Is that why you've been acting strange? Having headaches? Spacing out?"

Naruto nodded reluctantly. "It's... disorienting. Seeing multiple versions of what might happen, all at once. Sometimes I get confused about what's real and what's just a possibility."

"That sounds dangerous," Sakura said, concern evident in her voice. "Does it hurt?"

"Sometimes," Naruto admitted. "Especially when I try to use it deliberately, like today."

"You shouldn't have pushed yourself so hard just for a test," she scolded, her medic's instinct surfacing. "What if you'd damaged something?"

"Kakashi-sensei is going to help me train," Naruto assured her. "Learn to control it better, use it safely."

"Good," Sasuke said unexpectedly. "A power like that... it's valuable to the team. But not if it destroys you in the process."

Naruto stared at him, shocked by what almost sounded like concern from the usually aloof Uchiha. "Thanks, I think?"

They had reached a crossroads in the village, where their paths home diverged. Sasuke paused, looking at Naruto with renewed intensity.

"Tomorrow," he said. "Show me how it works. A spar, just you and me."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Naruto hesitated. "Kakashi-sensei said I should limit usage until I've had proper training."

"Fine. After you've trained, then," Sasuke amended. "I want to see it in action. Understand its capabilities."

The request shouldn't have surprised Naruto. Of course Sasuke, with his analytical mind and competitive spirit, would want to study a new dōjutsu, assess its strengths and weaknesses. But there was something else in his request—a hint of the connection they shared as possessors of rare eye techniques.

"Deal," Naruto agreed. "Once I've got better control."

With nods of farewell, the team separated, each heading home to rest after their successful test. But as Naruto walked alone, his mind buzzed with implications. His teammates now knew about his ability, at least in part. That knowledge would change their dynamic, their expectations of him.

Would they come to rely too heavily on his foresight? Would Sasuke's competitive nature drive him to push Naruto beyond safe limits? Would Sakura's analytical mind ask questions he couldn't answer about his mysterious lineage?

Only time would tell. And ironically, despite his emerging ability to glimpse the future, these longer-term questions remained shrouded in uncertainty.

Sunset painted the sky in hues of orange and gold as Naruto arrived at Training Ground Seven. The clearing was empty, no sign of Kakashi yet. Typical.

Naruto settled cross-legged on the grass, closing his eyes and trying to quiet his racing thoughts. After a day of revelations and new connections, his mind buzzed like a disturbed beehive.

"Focus on your breathing," a voice instructed from directly behind him.

Naruto jumped, whirling to find Kakashi standing there, orange book conspicuously absent for once.

"Don't do that!" Naruto complained. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," Kakashi replied cryptically. "Your situational awareness needs work."

"I thought you were going to teach me about the Temporal Eye, not basic ninja skills."

"The two are connected," Kakashi explained, settling across from him. "The dōjutsu builds on your natural senses, extending them beyond normal perception. The stronger your baseline awareness, the more effectively you can interpret what the Temporal Eye shows you."

That made sense, Naruto supposed. "So where do we start?"

"With the fundamentals. Close your eyes."

Naruto complied, feeling slightly foolish sitting there with his eyes shut.

"Now, channel a small amount of chakra to your eyes," Kakashi instructed. "Not a surge, just a steady trickle. Like threading a needle."

Naruto concentrated, directing his chakra as instructed. At first, nothing happened. Then, gradually, he felt a warmth building behind his eyelids, a gentle tingling sensation.

"Good," Kakashi's voice came from somewhere to his left now. "Keep that flow steady. Don't increase it, no matter what happens next."

"What's going to happen next?" Naruto asked nervously.

His answer came in the form of something whistling through the air toward him. Pure instinct made him duck, the kunai sailing over his head to embed itself in a tree behind him.

"Hey!" he protested, eyes flying open. "What was that for?"

"You relied on your ears, not your eyes," Kakashi observed, now standing several paces away. "Close your eyes again. This time, try to see the attack before it comes."

"How am I supposed to see anything with my eyes closed?"

"The Temporal Eye doesn't see with ordinary vision," Kakashi explained patiently. "It perceives possibilities, probabilities. Time itself. Your physical eyes are just the conduit."

Naruto frowned but closed his eyes again, channeling chakra as before. This time, he tried to push beyond the darkness, to sense rather than see.

Another projectile whistled toward him. This time, instead of ducking blindly, Naruto tried to perceive its path. A faint image formed in his mind—a shuriken spinning through the air, its trajectory clear despite his closed eyes.

He leaned right, feeling the weapon pass harmlessly by his left shoulder.

"Better," Kakashi approved. "Again."

They continued this exercise for nearly an hour—Kakashi launching various projectiles from different angles, Naruto trying to perceive their paths with his eyes closed. Gradually, his success rate improved. The images in his mind grew clearer, more detailed, extending further into the potential future.

"Enough," Kakashi called finally. "Open your eyes."

Naruto did so, blinking against the last rays of sunset. To his surprise, the headache that had lingered throughout the day had subsided, replaced by a pleasant warmth behind his eyes.

"How do you feel?" Kakashi asked.

"Good," Naruto realized, somewhat surprised. "Better than before, actually. The headache's gone."

"That's the difference between controlled usage and panic-induced activation," Kakashi explained. "You've been channeling steady, measured amounts of chakra rather than the erratic surges triggered by stress or fear."

"So I just need to practice control?"

"It's more complicated than that," Kakashi cautioned. "The Temporal Eye responds to emotional states as well as chakra flow. Strong emotions—fear, anger, desperation—can trigger more powerful manifestations, but with less control and greater mental strain."

"Like when I fought Mizuki," Naruto recalled. "I was terrified for Iruka-sensei, and suddenly I could see everything, predict all of Mizuki's movements."

"Precisely. Emotional triggers create powerful but unstable activations. What we're working toward is controlled, deliberate usage that doesn't require extreme emotional states."

Naruto nodded, understanding the distinction. "So these exercises..."

"Are to help you develop the neural pathways necessary for conscious control," Kakashi confirmed. "With practice, you'll be able to activate the ability at will, without relying on adrenaline or fear as catalysts."

"How long will it take? To master it completely?"

Kakashi's expression grew serious. "Years, potentially. And 'mastery' might be too ambitious a goal, at least initially. The full capabilities of the Temporal Eye are... largely theoretical."

"What do you mean?"

"The accounts of its abilities vary widely," Kakashi explained carefully. "Some sources suggest it merely allows precognition—seeing seconds into the future. Others claim more extensive temporal perception, even limited manipulation of personal time flow."

"Manipulation?" Naruto repeated, intrigued. "Like, actually changing time?"

"Not exactly. More like altering your perception of it. Moving faster than normal by existing partially between moments. Or seeing injuries before they occur and thus avoiding them."

"That sounds incredibly useful for a ninja," Naruto observed.

"It would be," Kakashi agreed. "If it didn't come with equally significant risks."

"The headaches and confusion?"

"Those are just the beginning," Kakashi warned. "Extended use can lead to temporal displacement—experiencing multiple timelines simultaneously, unable to distinguish which is real. In severe cases, users have reported physical symptoms as well—rapid aging, or conversely, moments where their body seems to exist out of sync with the world around them."

A chill ran down Naruto's spine. "Has anyone ever... gotten stuck? Between times?"

"There are stories," Kakashi admitted. "But they're just that—stories. Legends. The ability is so rare that documented cases are minimal."

Which wasn't exactly reassuring, Naruto thought. He was essentially navigating uncharted territory, with only Kakashi's limited knowledge as a guide.

"For now," Kakashi continued, "we focus on the basics. Control, endurance, interpretation. Learning to access the ability without damaging yourself in the process."

"And once I've mastered the basics?"

"Then we explore the more advanced applications," Kakashi promised. "But Naruto, I need your word that you won't practice without supervision. At least until we've established safe parameters."

Naruto wanted to object—how was he supposed to improve without practice?—but the serious tone in Kakashi's voice gave him pause. The jōnin wasn't being overprotective; he was genuinely concerned about the risks.

"I promise," Naruto agreed reluctantly. "No unsupervised practice."

"Good. Same time tomorrow, after team training." Kakashi rose fluidly to his feet. "And Naruto... well done today. Both with the bell test and with controlling your ability during this session."

The unexpected praise brought a grin to Naruto's face. "Thanks, Sensei."

As Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves, Naruto remained seated, processing everything he'd learned. The Temporal Eye was even more complex than he'd initially realized—more powerful, but also more dangerous.

Yet despite the risks, excitement bubbled in his chest. This was his heritage, his bloodline. A connection to his unknown past and a tool for shaping his future. With proper training, he could harness this ability to protect his friends, serve his village, and perhaps one day, fulfill his dream of becoming Hokage.

The path ahead would be challenging, the balance between power and safety precarious. But for the first time in his life, Naruto felt a sense of purpose beyond simple acknowledgment. He wasn't just the village pariah anymore, or even just the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.

He was Naruto Uzumaki, bearer of the Temporal Eye. And time itself would bend to his will.

Morning dawned bright and clear, birds singing cheerfully outside Naruto's window. He stretched, pleasantly surprised to find that he'd slept through the night without fractured awakenings or confusing time loops. Perhaps Kakashi's training was already helping to stabilize his perception.

As he prepared for the day—his first official day as a genin of Team 7—Naruto couldn't help but feel a bubbling excitement. Despite the complications of his emerging dōjutsu, things were looking up. He had passed the bell test, formed the beginnings of real connections with his teammates, and begun training to control his mysterious ability.

For once, the future—or futures—looked promising.

He arrived at the designated meeting bridge right on time, finding Sasuke already there, leaning against the railing with his usual stoic expression. Sakura joined them minutes later, her greeting to Sasuke enthusiastic, her acknowledgment of Naruto noticeably warmer than before.

"Good morning, Naruto," she said with a small smile. "How are you feeling today? Any headaches?"

The concern in her voice was new, a product of yesterday's revelations about his dōjutsu. "I'm fine," he assured her. "Actually slept pretty well."

"That's good," she nodded. "You should take it easy today. First missions are usually just D-ranks anyway—nothing that would require... you know." She tapped beside her eye meaningfully.

"I know," Naruto agreed. "Kakashi-sensei said the same thing. No unnecessary usage."

Sasuke, who had been silently observing this exchange, finally spoke. "Did the training help? Last night?"

Naruto blinked in surprise. "How did you know about that?"

"I saw you two at Training Ground Seven when I was on my evening run," Sasuke explained with a shrug. "Didn't want to interrupt."

"Oh." Naruto wasn't sure why the idea of Sasuke observing his training bothered him. "Yeah, it helped. Basic control exercises, mostly."

"Good," Sasuke said simply.

An awkward silence fell over the team as they waited for their chronically late sensei. Naruto found himself studying his teammates with new eyes. Yesterday, they had been reluctant partners thrown together by circumstance. Today, there was something more—a tentative bond forged through shared experience and mutual revelation.

Sakura kept shooting curious glances at Naruto when she thought he wasn't looking, clearly intrigued by the discovery of his dōjutsu. Sasuke's attention was more subtle but equally focused, his analytical mind no doubt cataloging everything he'd observed of the Temporal Eye's capabilities.

"Hey," Naruto broke the silence eventually. "About yesterday... thanks for believing me. About the teamwork thing."

"You were right," Sasuke acknowledged with surprising candor. "Even without your... ability, it was the logical approach."

"And it worked!" Sakura added brightly. "We passed on our first try. That's pretty impressive, right?"

"Indeed it is," Kakashi's voice came from above them. They looked up to find him perched on one of the bridge's arches, visible eye curved in a smile. "Many teams fail multiple times before figuring out the true purpose of the test."

"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto and Sakura accused in unison.

"Sorry about that. A black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way around." Kakashi jumped down to join them on the bridge. "Now then, ready for your first mission as Team 7?"

Despite their annoyance at his tardiness, all three genin nodded eagerly. Whatever mundane D-rank awaited them, it was still their first official mission as ninja of the Hidden Leaf.

As they followed Kakashi toward the mission assignment desk, Naruto felt a subtle shift in his perception. For just a moment, he glimpsed multiple paths stretching before them—some bright and full of triumph, others dark with challenges yet to come.

The Temporal Eye offered a window into these possibilities, a glimpse of what might be. But the choice of which path to walk remained his own.

And today, with his team beside him and his newfound abilities beginning to take shape, Naruto chose to walk the brightest path of all—the one where possibilities became probabilities, and probabilities became destiny.

Time would unfold as it would. But with the Temporal Eye to guide him, Naruto Uzumaki would no longer be merely subject to its flow.

He would navigate its currents, chart its eddies, and perhaps—just perhaps—bend its course to forge a future worthy of the legacy he had only begun to discover.