"Tides of the Hidden Leaf: Naruto and the Shark Summoning Contract"

The kunai struck with deadly precision, embedding itself into the center of the target with a satisfying thunk. Naruto Uzumaki's triumphant grin lasted exactly two seconds before his shadow clone's shuriken veered wildly off-course, disappearing into the dense forest canopy.

"Dammit!" Naruto dispelled the clone with a frustrated hand sign, the phantom memory of its failure washing over him in a wave of disappointment. Three hours of training, and he'd only managed to synchronize attacks with his shadow clones for a handful of successful strikes. The midday sun beat down mercilessly through gaps in the forest canopy, sweat dripping from his forehead protector as he flopped onto his back in the small clearing.

"This is impossible," he muttered, staring up at the clouds drifting lazily across the blue Konoha sky. "How am I supposed to become Hokage if I can't even get my clones to throw straight?"

Training alone had seemed like a brilliant idea this morning. No Sasuke to show him up with his perfect technique, no Sakura to sigh in disappointment, no Kakashi-sensei arriving hours late only to bury his face in that perverted book. Just Naruto and his shadow clones, perfecting the combination attacks that would finally earn him the recognition he deserved.

The reality had proven considerably less glorious.

A distant crash of waves broke his self-pitying reverie. The sound was oddly out of place – they were miles from the coast, somewhere in the eastern forests outside Konoha's walls. Naruto sat up, brow furrowed. He'd wandered farther than intended, but not that far.

He sprang to his feet. "What the hell?"

Curiosity propelled him forward, fatigue forgotten as he bounded through the trees toward the mysterious sound. The terrain began to slope downward, trees thinning as the earth beneath his sandals grew increasingly rocky and uneven. Another crash echoed through the forest, closer now, with an unmistakable rhythm that could only be water striking stone.

Naruto skidded to a halt at the edge of a steep embankment. Below, nestled between jagged outcroppings, a narrow inlet stretched from what appeared to be an underground river. The water churned violently against the rocks, creating the crashing sound that had caught his attention.

"Weird. I didn't know there was water out here." He squinted against the sunlight reflecting off the turbulent surface. Something was off about the scene, though he couldn't immediately place what.

Then it hit him – the water was flowing uphill.

"What the—" Naruto rubbed his eyes, certain he was seeing things. But no, the impossible current continued surging against gravity, climbing the rocky channel before disappearing into a dark crevice in the cliff face.

His eyes gleamed with mischievous interest. Kakashi-sensei had warned them repeatedly about following strange phenomena without backup, but when had Naruto Uzumaki ever backed down from a mystery? Besides, he reasoned, this could be the perfect opportunity to discover some awesome new technique to finally impress Sakura and wipe that smug look off Sasuke's face.

Decision made, he channeled chakra to his feet and began cautiously descending the steep slope. The rocks were slick with spray, forcing him to concentrate on each step. One slip would send him tumbling into the churning waters below – and while Naruto couldn't swim well under normal circumstances, these violent, gravity-defying currents promised something far worse than a simple dunking.

Halfway down, a stone shifted beneath his weight. Naruto windmilled his arms desperately as he lost his footing, a startled yelp escaping his lips as he plummeted toward the water. Pure instinct took over; his hands flew through familiar signs.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Three clones materialized in midair, forming a chain that grabbed the original Naruto seconds before he hit the surface. With a mighty heave, they swung him toward the rocky shore, where he landed in an ungraceful heap.

"That was close," he gasped, heart hammering in his chest as he dismissed the clones. "Too close."

The near-death experience should have been enough to send him retreating to safer ground. Instead, it only heightened his determination. He'd already risked his neck getting this far – might as well see where this weird water led.

The narrow stone shoreline provided just enough space to edge along the inlet toward the cliff face. The roar of water grew deafening as Naruto approached the crevice, which revealed itself to be the mouth of a cave partially submerged beneath the impossible current. Cold spray drenched his orange jumpsuit, but he pressed on, squeezing through the opening.

Darkness enveloped him immediately. Naruto froze, waiting for his eyes to adjust. The passage widened after several yards, opening into a cavern where the water pooled into an underground lake before continuing its journey through another tunnel. Oddly, the tumultuous current stilled once inside, the surface as smooth as glass despite its violent entry.

More surprising was the soft blue luminescence that permeated the space, emanating from crystalline formations embedded in the cavern walls. They pulsed with gentle rhythm, almost like a heartbeat, casting ethereal reflections across the water.

"Whoa..." Naruto breathed, momentarily forgetting his soaked clothes and aching muscles. The cavern was beautiful in an alien way, like nothing he'd ever seen in the forests around Konoha.

A memory surfaced unbidden – being six years old, hiding from villagers' cold stares beneath Konoha's bridge, watching water flow beneath his dangling feet. The stream had been his sanctuary then, the one place where he could pretend the rippling surface whispered friendly secrets meant only for him.

"Look at that demon child," a woman's voice had carried from above. "Sitting there like he belongs."

"Shh," her companion had warned. "You know we're not supposed to talk about... that."

Young Naruto had slipped into the shallow water then, not caring about his soaked sandals, wading until the voices faded and only the gentle current remained. For hours, he'd played alone, imagining the water accepted him when no one else would.

A sharp pain jolted him back to the present – he'd clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug crescents into his palms. "Stupid," he muttered, shaking off the unwelcome memory. That was the past. He was a ninja now, with friends and a team. He wasn't that lonely kid anymore.

The pulsing light seemed to intensify as he moved deeper into the cavern, drawing him toward the far wall where the blue glow concentrated into a brilliant point. As Naruto approached, he realized the light emanated from a small alcove carved into the stone, illuminating what appeared to be...

"A scroll?"

Ancient and weathered, it rested on a raised stone dais, bound with a faded blue cord. Strange symbols adorned the outer casing – not the familiar markings of standard ninja scrolls, but something more primal. They resembled shark fins and waves, interlocking in patterns that seemed to shift when viewed from different angles.

Naruto approached cautiously, half-expecting traps. This had all the hallmarks of a forbidden artifact, the kind Iruka-sensei had warned students about in the Academy. Mysterious cave? Check. Weird glowing lights? Check. Ancient scroll that practically screamed "dangerous forbidden technique"? Definite check.

The responsible thing would be to report this to the Hokage immediately.

Naruto reached for the scroll.

His fingers hesitated a hairsbreadth from its surface. A faint buzzing sensation tingled up his arm, not quite chakra but something similar. The crystal lights pulsed faster, their rhythm matching the sudden acceleration of his heartbeat.

"Whatever you are," he whispered to the scroll, "you'd better be worth it."

The moment his skin contacted the weathered casing, a shock of cold energy surged through his body. Naruto gasped, nearly dropping the scroll as images flashed behind his eyes – vast oceans, dark depths, sleek shapes moving with lethal precision through midnight waters. The visions vanished as quickly as they'd appeared, leaving him disoriented but unharmed.

The scroll felt unnaturally heavy in his hands, as if it contained more than just paper and ink. With trembling fingers, Naruto untied the cord. The binding released with surprising ease, almost as if the scroll had been waiting for him.

As it unrolled, Naruto's excited grin faded into confusion. The inner parchment contained no technique instructions, no hand signs or chakra diagrams – only a large circular design covered in arcane symbols, with a series of empty lines radiating from the center. At the top, characters in an ancient script spelled out words he somehow understood despite never having seen them before:

THE COVENANT OF TEETH AND TIDE

Beneath it, in more familiar script:

Blood freely given binds the contract eternal. Those who seek power from the deep must offer what flows within. Sign your name and press your mark to summon the children of the ancient seas.

"A summoning contract?" Naruto breathed, excitement rekindling. He'd seen Kakashi-sensei summon his ninja dogs, and the old pervy sage had promised to teach him toad summoning eventually, but this... this was something else entirely. Something rare and powerful, if the elaborate setup was any indication.

He bit his lip, considering. Taking unknown scrolls from mysterious caves definitely fell under the category of "monumentally stupid ideas." On the other hand, this could be his chance to finally acquire a technique impressive enough to earn Sasuke's respect and Sakura's admiration.

"Children of the ancient seas," he repeated, trying to decipher the cryptic description. "What does that even mean? Giant fish? Sea monsters?"

The glowing crystals pulsed insistently, as if urging him to decide.

Naruto sat cross-legged before the scroll, weighing his options. The responsible choice would be returning to the village and reporting his discovery. But if he did that, the scroll would undoubtedly be confiscated, studied by jōnin and ANBU for months before anyone deemed it safe enough to use. By then, someone like Sasuke would probably be given priority to sign it.

The thought of his rival smugly flaunting yet another powerful technique settled the matter.

"Alright," Naruto declared, fishing a kunai from his weapons pouch. "Let's do this."

Before second thoughts could interfere, he pricked his thumb with the blade's point. Blood welled from the small wound – bright red against his sun-tanned skin. With decisive movements, he signed his name on the first empty line: NARUTO UZUMAKI.

The characters gleamed wetly in the blue light. Following instinct, Naruto pressed his four bloodied fingertips and thumb beneath his signature, leaving a perfect handprint.

For several heartbeats, nothing happened. Then the blood began to move.

Crimson lines slithered across the parchment like living things, extending from Naruto's signature to connect with the circular design at the center. The ancient symbols pulsed as they absorbed his blood, the entire contract glowing with the same blue luminescence as the surrounding crystals.

"Whoa..." Naruto breathed, equal parts fascinated and alarmed. This was definitely not how normal summoning contracts worked, at least not according to Academy textbooks.

The water behind him began to churn.

Naruto whirled around just as the previously calm pool erupted into a violent whirlpool. The scroll dropped from his fingers, rolling back into a tight cylinder as if yanked by invisible hands. Before he could grab it, the strange artifact shot across the stone floor and plunged into the churning waters.

"Hey! Get back here!" Naruto lunged after it, stopping short at the pool's edge. The whirlpool expanded rapidly, its epicenter glowing with the same blue light as the crystals. From its depths rose a sound unlike anything he'd ever heard – part roar, part song, reverberating through the cavern with such force that loose stones tumbled from the ceiling.

The rational part of Naruto's brain (admittedly not the dominant section) screamed at him to flee. Instead, he stood transfixed as the whirlpool's glow intensified to blinding brilliance.

Something was emerging from the depths.

A massive shape breached the surface – sleek, powerful, and undeniably predatory. In the split second before chaos erupted, Naruto registered a dorsal fin taller than he was, rows of teeth like gleaming daggers, and eyes as ancient as the ocean itself.

Then the creature lunged.

Naruto's body reacted before his mind could process the danger. He leapt backward, hands forming signs for Shadow Clone Jutsu, but his fingers fumbled the sequence as raw power surged from the water and slammed into him like a physical blow.

The impact sent him flying across the cavern. His back struck stone with bone-jarring force, driving the air from his lungs. Stars exploded across his vision as he slid to the ground, gasping for breath that wouldn't come.

Through blurred vision, he watched the massive shape sink back beneath the turbulent surface. The whirlpool collapsed in on itself, water settling with unnatural quickness until the pool was once again a placid mirror reflecting the crystal lights.

"What... the hell... was that?" Naruto wheezed as his lungs finally remembered how to function.

Silence answered him. The cavern appeared exactly as it had when he entered – serene, mysterious, showing no evidence of the chaos that had erupted moments before. Only the scroll was missing, presumably lost to the depths.

Naruto struggled to his feet, wincing at the sharp pain in his ribs. Nothing felt broken, but he'd definitely be sporting impressive bruises tomorrow. He approached the water cautiously, half-expecting another attack, but the surface remained undisturbed.

"Great," he muttered. "I found a super-rare summoning contract and lost it in five seconds flat. That's gotta be some kind of record."

As his reflection came into view on the water's surface, Naruto froze. Something was different. He reached up to touch his neck, fingers brushing against an unfamiliar object that definitely hadn't been there before.

A pendant hung from a thin cord around his throat – a single shark tooth, unnaturally large and brilliantly white except for blue markings that matched the symbols from the scroll. The tooth was warm to the touch, pulsing faintly with the same rhythm as the crystal lights.

"No way..." Naruto breathed, excitement overpowering his pain and confusion. The contract hadn't been lost after all – it had been accepted. The pendant was proof that whatever creature he'd glimpsed had acknowledged him as its summoner.

A grin spread across his face as possibilities raced through his mind. Wait until Team 7 saw what he could do now! He'd have to figure out exactly what he'd signed up for, of course, but that was a problem for tomorrow. For now, he had a seriously cool new jutsu to master.

His celebration was cut short by a sudden wave of exhaustion that nearly drove him to his knees. The cavern spun around him as chakra depletion hit with the subtlety of a Flying Raijin kick to the head. Whatever had happened with the summoning contract had drained him more thoroughly than producing a hundred shadow clones.

"Gotta... get back..." he mumbled, staggering toward the cave entrance. Each step felt like wading through cement, his limbs leaden and unresponsive. By sheer stubbornness, he made it to the narrow passage before his legs finally gave out.

As consciousness faded, Naruto felt the strange tooth pendant grow warmer against his skin. The last thing he registered before darkness claimed him was a curious sensation – as if he were sinking into deep water, yet somehow still able to breathe.

Dreams chased Naruto through unconsciousness – vast oceanic expanses where sunlight barely penetrated, pressure that should have crushed his bones yet somehow felt comforting, and always, always, the presence of ancient predators gliding through the gloom. They circled him with primordial curiosity, neither friendly nor hostile, simply... evaluating.

One approached – larger than the others, its skin marked with scars of countless battles. A voice that wasn't quite a voice resonated directly into Naruto's mind:

"So small, this new summoner. So young. Yet the ocean flows in his veins, though he knows it not."

Another joined the first, smaller but no less deadly:

"He carries a greater predator within. The nine-tailed destroyer. His blood sings with power."

"The contract is sealed," pronounced a third voice, ancient beyond measure. "Whether wise or foolish, time will tell. The Clan of Fathomless Teeth accepts his offering."

The dreams shifted, becoming fragmented memories – not his own, but borrowed from minds utterly alien to human experience. Hunting in lightless depths. The copper tang of blood in water. The unbreakable bonds of pack hierarchy. The relentless pursuit of prey across vast distances. Ancient migrations following pathways written in instinct older than humankind.

Through it all pulsed a single undeniable truth: these creatures were the perfect hunters, evolutionarily refined over countless millennia to occupy their position at the apex of their world. And now, somehow, Naruto had connected himself to their legacy.

"—to! Naruto!"

The voice penetrated the oceanic depths of his unconsciousness, familiar and urgent. Naruto struggled toward it, fighting against currents that seemed determined to keep him in the dark waters of his dreams.

"Naruto, wake up!"

His eyelids felt sealed shut, impossibly heavy. With monumental effort, he forced them open, blinking against harsh sunlight that replaced the comforting gloom of the deep.

Iruka-sensei's concerned face swam into focus, hovering above him. "Thank goodness! Can you hear me?"

"Iruka...sensei?" Naruto croaked, his throat painfully dry. He tried to sit up, only to be gently pushed back down.

"Don't move yet," Iruka cautioned. "You're severely chakra depleted. What happened? We've been searching for hours after you missed your team meeting."

Reality reassembled itself in pieces. The training session. The strange water. The cave. The scroll.

The contract.

Naruto's hand flew to his throat, fingers finding the shark tooth pendant still hanging there. Not a dream, then.

"I... got lost," he lied, avoiding his former teacher's penetrating gaze. "Was training too hard, I guess."

Iruka's expression made it clear he wasn't buying the explanation, but he didn't press further. "You're lucky I found you. This area isn't on any of the training ground maps. What possessed you to come all the way out here?"

Naruto glanced around, realizing they were at the base of the embankment where he'd first heard the crashing water. Of the cave entrance, there was no sign – just solid rock face where the crevice had been.

"I just... wanted somewhere quiet," he mumbled.

Iruka sighed, helping Naruto to a sitting position. "You had Kakashi worried, you know. Well, as worried as he ever looks, anyway. And your teammates—"

"Sasuke was worried about me?" Naruto interrupted, perking up despite his exhaustion.

"He called you an idiot who was probably stuck upside-down in a tree somewhere," Iruka admitted with a small smile. "But he did join the search."

"That's practically a declaration of friendship from him," Naruto grinned weakly.

Iruka produced a canteen, helping Naruto drink. The cool water revitalized him somewhat, though his chakra reserves remained dangerously low. As he drank, Naruto debated whether to tell Iruka about the scroll. His former teacher had always been the one adult in Konoha he could trust completely.

But something held him back – the same instinct that had led him to sign the contract in the first place. This was his discovery, his power to master. For once in his life, Naruto had something special that wasn't handed to him by teachers or forced upon him by circumstance.

"Thanks for finding me, Iruka-sensei," he said instead, tucking the pendant beneath his jumpsuit before the chunin could question it.

"Can you stand? We should get you to the hospital to be checked out."

Naruto grimaced. "No hospitals. I'll be fine after some rest and ramen."

"Naruto—"

"Please, Iruka-sensei? You know how fast I heal. By tomorrow I'll be good as new." This, at least, wasn't a lie. The Nine-Tails' chakra ensured his recovery rate far exceeded normal human limits, a fact both of them knew well.

Iruka hesitated, then sighed in resignation. "Fine. But you're coming back to my place tonight where I can keep an eye on you. And if you're not significantly better by morning, it's straight to the medical ninjas. Deal?"

"Deal!" Naruto agreed quickly, relieved to avoid immediate medical attention. Doctors had a nasty habit of asking too many questions and running tests that might reveal his new... connection.

With Iruka's help, he managed to stand, though his legs trembled like a newborn fawn's. The journey back to Konoha passed in a blur of leaning heavily on his former teacher and focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. By the time they reached Iruka's small apartment, night had fallen over the Hidden Leaf, and Naruto was running on fumes.

"Straight to bed," Iruka ordered, helping him to the spare futon always kept ready for these impromptu visits.

Naruto didn't argue. He collapsed onto the bedding, barely managing to kick off his sandals before sleep claimed him once more.

Morning arrived with the gentle sounds of Iruka preparing breakfast in the adjoining room. Naruto opened his eyes, momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliar ceiling before remembering the previous day's events.

The first thing he did was check for the pendant. His fingers closed around the shark tooth, relief washing over him when he confirmed it was still there. In the clear light of morning, he examined it properly for the first time.

The tooth was approximately three inches long, impossibly sharp, and pure white except for the intricate blue markings that seemed to shift like water when viewed from different angles. Despite its apparent age, the surface was smooth and unblemished, warm to the touch in a way that ordinary objects weren't.

More surprising was how completely his chakra had recovered overnight. Naruto flexed his fingers, feeling energy flowing through his pathways as strongly as ever – perhaps even more so. Whatever connection the contract had forged seemed to have enhanced his natural regenerative abilities.

"You're looking better," Iruka observed from the doorway, carrying a tray with steaming bowls. "Hungry?"

"Starving!" Naruto confirmed, quickly tucking the pendant back under his shirt. He accepted the offered bowl of miso soup and rice, devouring it with his usual lack of table manners.

Iruka watched him with fond exasperation. "Slow down before you choke. There's plenty more."

Naruto paused between mouthfuls. "Thanks for taking care of me, Iruka-sensei."

The chunin's expression softened. "That's what family does, isn't it?" he said quietly, ruffling Naruto's already disheveled hair.

The simple statement hit Naruto with unexpected force. Family. It was still a foreign concept to someone who'd grown up an orphan, shunned by most of the village. Iruka had been the first to truly see him as more than the Nine-Tails' vessel, the first to acknowledge his existence as Naruto Uzumaki rather than just the demon container.

For a brief moment, Naruto considered coming clean about everything – the cave, the scroll, the contract. The words hovered on the tip of his tongue, his innate honesty warring with his desire to keep this new power to himself.

Before he could decide, a sharp knock sounded at the door.

"That'll be Kakashi," Iruka said, rising to answer it. "I sent word that I'd found you."

Naruto groaned. His jōnin sensei might affect an air of perpetual boredom, but he had an uncanny ability to see through deception. If anyone would notice something different about Naruto, it would be Kakashi.

Sure enough, the silver-haired ninja stood at the doorway, visible eye curved in what might have been a smile or a frown – impossible to tell with most of his face covered.

"So the runaway returns," Kakashi drawled, stepping inside. "Gave us quite the scare, Naruto."

"Sorry, sensei," Naruto mumbled, suddenly very interested in the dregs of his soup.

Kakashi's gaze lingered on him a beat longer than comfortable, as if taking inventory of any changes. "Feeling recovered enough for training? The rest of the team is waiting at the bridge."

"You're really going to make him train after chakra exhaustion?" Iruka protested.

"Light training only," Kakashi assured him, that enigmatic eye-smile never wavering. "Besides, Naruto's stamina is legendary. I'm sure he's already bounced back."

As if to prove the point, Naruto jumped to his feet with exaggerated energy. "I'm totally fine! Let's go!"

The sooner he escaped Kakashi's too-observant eye, the better. In the familiar chaos of Team 7 training, he could blend in, pretend nothing had changed while secretly planning how to test his new summoning abilities.

Iruka looked unconvinced but didn't argue further. "Just don't overdo it, alright? And Kakashi, keep an eye on him."

"Don't I always?" the jōnin replied innocently.

Naruto gathered his things quickly, thanking Iruka again before following Kakashi into the bright Konoha morning. They walked in silence for several blocks, the younger ninja growing increasingly nervous under his sensei's sideways glances.

Finally, in a quiet side street, Kakashi stopped abruptly.

"So," he said conversationally, "want to tell me what really happened yesterday?"

Naruto's heart skipped a beat. "Wh-what do you mean? I told Iruka-sensei—"

"Yes, you fed him some story about getting lost and training too hard," Kakashi interrupted, visible eye narrowing. "Iruka might believe that, but I know you better. Your chakra signature completely disappeared for hours, Naruto. That doesn't happen from simple exhaustion."

Cold sweat beaded on Naruto's forehead. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"And that," Kakashi tapped his own neck in the exact spot where the hidden pendant lay against Naruto's skin, "is new."

Naruto's hand flew to his throat protectively. "It's just... a good luck charm I found."

"Really? Because it looks remarkably like a summoning token to me."

The blunt assessment left Naruto speechless. He'd underestimated just how perceptive his sensei could be.

Kakashi sighed, his posture relaxing slightly. "Look, I'm not going to force you to tell me everything. But whatever you've gotten yourself into, you should know that summoning contracts aren't toys. They're binding agreements with powerful entities that have their own agendas."

"I didn't—"

"Save it," Kakashi cut him off with a dismissive wave. "Just promise me one thing: if whatever you've signed starts causing problems – for you or anyone else in the village – you'll come to me immediately. No heroics, no trying to handle it yourself. Deal?"

Naruto swallowed hard, nodding reluctantly. "Deal."

Kakashi studied him a moment longer, then turned to continue toward the training grounds. "Oh, and Naruto?" he added over his shoulder. "Jiraiya was planning to teach you toad summoning, you know. He'll be... interested in your new acquisition."

The subtle warning wasn't lost on Naruto. Sooner or later, he would have to come clean about the contract. But not yet – not until he understood exactly what he'd signed up for and learned to control whatever power came with it.

The shark tooth pendant seemed to pulse against his skin, a reminder of the choice he'd made and the connection he'd forged. Whatever consequences followed, they were his to face.

As they approached the bridge where Sasuke and Sakura waited, Naruto touched the hidden pendant one last time, a fierce grin spreading across his face. Soon enough, everyone would see what Naruto Uzumaki could do with the power of the deep on his side.

The seas themselves would answer his call, and not even the Nine-Tails' legacy would define him anymore.

He had a new path now – one carved by teeth and tide.

Three weeks of waiting, and still nothing.

Naruto glared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, yanking the shark tooth pendant from beneath his shirt. The strange artifact hung innocently against his chest, its blue markings catching the early morning light, mocking him with its silence. He'd tried everything short of smashing it with a hammer—channeling chakra into it, meditating with it, sleeping with it clutched in his palm, even submerging himself in Konoha's public baths until his skin pruned and other patrons complained.

Nothing. Not a whisper of the oceanic power he'd glimpsed in that hidden cave.

"Some contract," he muttered, flicking the tooth with his finger. "Maybe I just hallucinated the whole thing."

But the phantom memory of that massive shape breaching the underground pool's surface—sleek and predatory—remained too vivid to dismiss. And Kakashi-sensei had recognized the pendant immediately as a summoning token. There had to be a way to activate it.

A sharp knock at his apartment door shattered his brooding.

"Naruto! We're going to be late for the mission briefing!" Sakura's voice carried the promise of violence if he made her wait any longer.

"Coming!" He hastily tucked the pendant back under his shirt and grabbed his equipment pouch, giving his apartment a final once-over. Instant ramen cups littered every surface, dirty laundry formed questionable sculptures in corners, and his unmade bed resembled a battlefield. The typical chaotic nest of a thirteen-year-old ninja living alone.

Perfect.

He flung open the door to find Sakura mid-knock, her expression already transitioning from irritation to outright anger.

"You're supposed to be ready! Kakashi-sensei specifically said—" She stopped, wrinkling her nose. "Ugh, what's that smell?"

Naruto sniffed himself self-consciously. "What smell?"

"Like...salt water? Fish?" She leaned closer, then recoiled. "Have you been dumpster-diving behind the seafood market again?"

"What? No!" He defensively crossed his arms. "And that was ONE time, to rescue a cat!"

Sasuke materialized behind Sakura, hands thrust deep in his pockets, perpetual scowl firmly in place. "Let's go. Some of us don't enjoy wasting time."

Naruto bristled instantly. "No one asked you, jerk."

"Hn." The Uchiha turned away, dark eyes dismissive as always.

The familiar dynamic snapped into place: Sasuke's cold disdain, Sakura's divided attention between scolding Naruto and stealing glances at her crush, and Naruto's own desperate need to prove himself to them both. Team 7's dysfunctional harmony.

Except something felt different today. The shark tooth pendant pulsed warm against Naruto's skin, responding to his spike of emotion. He pressed a hand against his chest, startled by the sudden heat.

"What's wrong with you?" Sakura asked, noticing the gesture.

"Nothing!" Naruto flashed his trademark grin, hiding his confusion behind bravado. "Race you to the Hokage Tower!"

He bolted past his teammates, using the sudden sprint to distract them from his strange behavior. The pendant's warmth faded as he ran, but the incident left him unsettled. Was anger the key to activating the contract? Or was it something else about his interaction with Sasuke?

By the time Team 7 assembled before the Third Hokage, Naruto had filed away the question for later experimentation. The old man sat behind his desk, pipe smoke wreathing his weathered face as he sorted through mission scrolls.

"Ah, Team 7." The Hokage's eyes crinkled with his smile. "Punctual as always, I see."

Kakashi, remarkably present and only fifteen minutes late, chuckled from behind his ever-present book. "We're making progress."

The Hokage selected a scroll, unfurling it with practiced ease. "I have a C-rank mission that should suit your team's capabilities. A merchant caravan requires escort from the eastern border to Takigawa, a small town three days' journey from here."

"Another escort mission?" Naruto groaned. "When do we get to do something exciting?"

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed, elbowing him sharply.

"The mission may seem routine," the Hokage continued, unperturbed by the outburst, "but the area has seen increased bandit activity recently. The caravan carries valuable medicinal herbs that could attract unwanted attention."

Kakashi accepted the mission scroll. "Understood. When do we depart?"

"Immediately. The caravan leader, Takahashi, awaits you at the east gate."

As they filed out of the Hokage's office, Naruto felt a flutter of excitement despite his earlier complaints. A C-rank mission meant potential danger, which meant potential opportunities to test his still-mysterious summoning ability under genuine combat conditions.

"Pack for a week-long mission," Kakashi instructed. "Meet at the east gate in one hour."

The caravan proved significantly less impressive than Naruto had imagined. Three weathered wagons loaded with crates and barrels, pulled by equally weathered horses and manned by a handful of civilian merchants who looked like they'd rather be anywhere else.

Takahashi, the caravan leader, was a round-faced man with perpetually worried eyes that darted constantly between the ninja escorts and the surrounding forest as they traveled. "Are you sure four of you will be enough? The bandits in these parts are particularly vicious, you know."

"Don't worry!" Naruto threw his hands behind his head, walking backward to face the merchant. "You've got the future Hokage protecting you! No bandit would dare—"

His reassurance ended abruptly as he tripped over an exposed root, landing hard on his backside. Sasuke snorted. Sakura rolled her eyes. Kakashi didn't even look up from his book.

"Very impressive, future Hokage," Sasuke drawled.

Heat flooded Naruto's face as he scrambled to his feet. "I did that on purpose! To demonstrate...uh...how to break a fall!"

"Sure you did."

The shark tooth pendant warmed again, responding to Naruto's embarrassment and anger. This time, he felt something else beneath the heat—a strange pressure, like the deep-water sensation from his dreams after signing the contract. It lingered for several seconds before receding, leaving him momentarily dizzy.

Kakashi's visible eye flicked toward him, narrowing slightly. The jōnin had noticed something, though he made no comment.

The first day of travel passed uneventfully, much to Naruto's disappointment. They made camp alongside the caravan as twilight painted the forest in deepening shadows. After a bland dinner of travel rations, Kakashi assigned watch rotations.

"Sasuke, you'll take first watch. Then Sakura, myself, and Naruto will finish the night." He flipped another page in his book. "Questions?"

"Why am I always last?" Naruto complained.

"Because you're the hardest to wake up," Sakura pointed out.

Naruto couldn't argue with that logic, though he suspected Kakashi's arrangement had more to do with keeping him under observation during the quietest hours. The jōnin hadn't mentioned the pendant again since their conversation three weeks ago, but Naruto often caught his sensei watching him with unreadable intensity.

Sleep claimed him quickly that night, exhaustion from the day's journey dragging him into dreams of dark water and circling predators. The now-familiar voices whispered at the edges of his consciousness:

"The boy has not called us."

"He knows not how."

"The blood price remains unpaid."

"Soon, the need will arise. Then we shall see if he is worthy."

Naruto jerked awake to Kakashi's hand on his shoulder. The jōnin's expression was grave in the pre-dawn light.

"Your watch," he said quietly. "And Naruto? Stay alert. Something doesn't feel right."

The warning sent adrenaline coursing through Naruto's veins, instantly banishing the last cobwebs of sleep. He nodded, uncharacteristically serious as he took up position at the camp's perimeter.

The forest held its breath in the hour before sunrise. Mist clung to the ground, transforming familiar shapes into ghostly approximations of themselves. Naruto settled cross-legged on a fallen log, senses stretched to their limits as he scanned the surrounding area.

The shark tooth pendant grew steadily warmer against his skin, its heat almost uncomfortable now. Naruto pulled it out, staring at the blue markings that seemed to pulse in rhythm with his heartbeat.

"What are you trying to tell me?" he whispered.

As if in answer, a thin tendril of mist rose from the ground, coiling like a living thing before his eyes. Naruto blinked, convinced he was seeing things—until the mist shaped itself into a crude approximation of a dorsal fin.

"What the—"

The warning came too late. The forest erupted in a storm of movement and sound. Dark figures materialized from the mist, silent as shadows. A high-pitched scream—Takahashi—cut through the pre-dawn stillness, followed by the clash of metal against metal.

"Ambush!" Naruto shouted, leaping to his feet and forming a familiar hand sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A dozen clones popped into existence around him, orange-clad army springing into action as the camp descended into chaos. Through the confusion, Naruto caught glimpses of his teammates responding with professional precision: Sasuke's hands blurring through fire jutsu signs, Sakura positioning herself protectively before the terrified merchants, Kakashi appearing and disappearing across the battlefield with deadly efficiency.

The attackers weren't ordinary bandits. They moved with ninja-like coordination, faces obscured by cloth masks, weapons gleaming with the ugly sheen of poison. Rogue ninjas, then, or very well-trained mercenaries.

A massive figure crashed through Naruto's clone perimeter, scattering three duplicates into puffs of smoke. The man towered over Naruto, corded muscles rippling beneath scarred skin, wielding a sword nearly as tall as its owner.

"Found one of the real ones," the giant rumbled, yellowed teeth bared in a feral grin. "Tiny little leaf ninja. I'm gonna enjoy this."

Naruto backpedaled, creating more clones to buy himself space. "Who sent you? What do you want?"

The giant laughed, cleaving through another clone with terrifying ease. "The herbs are just a bonus. We're here for the Uchiha brat. Our employer pays top dollar for those fancy eyes."

Ice formed in Naruto's stomach. These weren't random bandits—this was a calculated attack targeting Sasuke specifically. The mission parameters had been a setup from the start.

Across the clearing, Sasuke battled three attackers simultaneously, Sharingan blazing as he anticipated and countered their movements. He was holding his own, but even Naruto could see his teammate's chakra reserves depleting with each exchange.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted. "They're after your—"

The giant's sword whistled through the air, nearly separating Naruto's head from his shoulders. Only ingrained reflex saved him, his body dropping into a roll that carried him beneath the lethal arc.

"Pay attention to your own fight, brat," the giant snarled, reversing his grip for a downward strike that would cleave Naruto in two.

Time slowed. The sword descended, moonlight gleaming along its poisoned edge. Naruto's muscles locked in sudden terror as he realized he couldn't dodge in time. In that frozen moment, the shark tooth pendant burned against his chest like a brand, its heat searing through cloth and skin.

Call us.

The voice resonated directly into his mind—ancient, predatory, expectant.

The blood price. Pay it, and we will come.

Understanding crashed over Naruto with the force of a tidal wave. Without conscious thought, his teeth sank into his thumb, drawing blood that welled bright and red in the pre-dawn light. His hands flashed through unfamiliar signs that his body somehow remembered, even if his mind did not.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

He slammed his bloodied palm against the ground. Chakra surged from his core, more than he'd intended to channel, draining from him in a sudden rush that left him lightheaded. Black symbols spiraled outward from his hand, forming an intricate pattern that pulsed with blue light.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened.

Then the earth beneath his palm liquefied, transforming instantly into swirling water that erupted upward in a geyser of impossible force. The giant stumbled backward, sword forgotten as the torrent rose between him and his intended victim.

The water column twisted, condensing into a shape that defied logic—as if the liquid itself were gaining mass and solidity with each passing second. A sleek form materialized within the aqueous pillar, powerful muscles rippling beneath skin the color of deep ocean trenches. Fins extended like blades from a streamlined body. A mouth filled with razored teeth snapped at the air, tasting it with primal hunger.

Where there had been only forest floor moments before, a shark now hovered impossibly in mid-air, suspended in a cocoon of water that flowed continuously around its six-foot frame. Not the massive creature Naruto had glimpsed in the cave, but impressive nonetheless—and very, very real.

The giant attacker froze, sword hanging limply from nerveless fingers. "What...the hell..."

The shark's head swiveled toward Naruto, intelligent eyes fixing him with an assessing stare. Unlike the black, depthless gaze Naruto had expected, these eyes shone bright blue, almost luminescent in the dim light.

"You called, and I answer." The voice was female, young by the standards of her kind, resonating directly into Naruto's mind rather than emerging from the rows of deadly teeth. "I am Kaiko, hunter of the Abyss Clan. Why have you summoned me, land-walker?"

Naruto gaped, momentarily forgetting the battle raging around them. "You...you can talk?"

The shark made a sound suspiciously like a snort. "Did you expect mindless beasts? We are the Clan of Fathomless Teeth, not common fish."

"Right. Sorry. I just—" Naruto's stammered apology cut short as the giant attacker recovered from his shock, raising his massive sword once more.

"Demon brat!" he roared, charging forward. "I'll kill you and your water lizard both!"

Kaiko's reaction was instantaneous and lethal. Her water cocoon surged forward like a tidal wave, engulfing the charging giant. Within the liquid prison, she moved with blinding speed, streamlined body twisting in a graceful arc that brought her rows of teeth into devastating contact with the attacker's sword arm.

Blood bloomed like crimson clouds in the churning water. The giant's scream emerged as a cascade of bubbles as Kaiko released him, allowing his limp form to collapse to the forest floor. He wasn't dead—Naruto could see the ragged rise and fall of his chest—but the mangled remains of his arm ensured he wouldn't be swinging any swords in the near future.

"Efficient," Kaiko commented, circling back to hover before Naruto. "Though I left him alive. Was that your wish?"

"Yes," Naruto managed, fighting nausea at the brutal efficiency of the attack. "We need prisoners for questioning."

"As you command." The shark's mental voice held a note of amusement. "Though he may prefer death once the blood loss pain sets in."

Across the clearing, the battle had momentarily paused as both sides registered the impossible appearance of a floating shark. Kakashi recovered first, capitalizing on the distraction to incapacitate two more attackers with precise strikes.

"Naruto!" Sakura's shocked voice cut through the chaos. "What did you DO?"

"Made a new friend?" he offered weakly, gesturing toward Kaiko, who bared her teeth in what might have been a smile or a threat display.

The moment of distraction cost him. A new attacker materialized from the mist at Naruto's back, kunai aimed for his unprotected spine. Naruto sensed the danger too late, twisting awkwardly as the blade descended.

Kaiko's water surged between them, but even her supernatural speed couldn't intercept the strike completely. The kunai sliced across Naruto's shoulder instead of piercing his heart, drawing a pained cry from the young ninja.

The shark's response was immediate and devastating. Her water cocoon exploded outward, engulfing both Naruto and his attacker in a sphere of churning liquid. Unlike the giant, Naruto found he could breathe within the strange water—it filled his lungs but somehow supplied oxygen, an alien but not unpleasant sensation.

His attacker wasn't so fortunate. Kaiko circled the struggling ninja with predatory patience, herding him away from Naruto with precise movements of her powerful tail.

"Shall I end this one?" she inquired casually, as if discussing the weather rather than a man's life.

"No!" Naruto projected the thought forcefully, unsure if she could hear him within the water sphere. "Just...incapacitate him."

The shark made that snorting sound again. "You land-walkers and your mercies." Nevertheless, she adjusted her approach, ramming the attacker with her blunt snout rather than her teeth. The impact sent the man tumbling through the water sphere and back into open air, where he collapsed unconscious beside his one-armed companion.

The water receded, depositing Naruto gently on solid ground. He coughed reflexively, though his lungs were perfectly clear, the strange breathing experience leaving no lasting effects.

"Your wound," Kaiko noted, circling closer to inspect his bleeding shoulder. "The blade was poisoned."

Naruto's eyes widened in alarm, hand flying to the injury. Already, numbness was spreading from the cut, his fingers tingling unpleasantly.

"Can you help?" he asked, panic rising.

"I am a hunter, not a healer," Kaiko replied, though she sounded genuinely regretful. "But perhaps..."

She circled him once, water trailing from her fins to brush against the poisoned wound. Where it touched, the numbness receded slightly, the water taking on a greenish tinge as it drew toxins from his bloodstream.

"That will slow it," she explained, "but you require proper treatment. The poison is designed to paralyze, not kill. You have time."

The remaining attackers, seeing their companions so easily defeated and the appearance of an impossible water-dwelling predator, broke ranks and fled into the forest. Kakashi made no move to pursue, instead rushing to Naruto's side with uncharacteristic urgency.

"Poisoned blade," Naruto explained through gritted teeth, the initial numbness giving way to burning pain.

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed as he examined the wound. "Sakura! My pack—the green vial!"

As Sakura hurried to comply, Kakashi turned his attention to the hovering shark. "So. This is what you've been hiding."

Kaiko regarded the jōnin with evident curiosity. "The boy's teacher. You smell of dogs and lightning."

"And you're not a toad," Kakashi replied dryly. "Naruto, care to explain?"

"Kinda busy being poisoned here," Naruto deflected, wincing as Sakura returned with the antidote.

"Hold still," she instructed, professional demeanor overriding her shock at the floating shark as she administered the medicine with surprising gentleness. "This will neutralize most poisons common to this region."

Sasuke approached cautiously, Sharingan still active as he studied Kaiko with undisguised fascination. "A water-based summoning creature. I've never seen anything like it."

"She's a shark," Naruto corrected irritably, "not an 'it.' And her name's Kaiko."

The Uchiha ignored him, addressing the shark directly. "What clan do you belong to? What are your combat capabilities?"

Kaiko's water cocoon rippled with what might have been amusement. "Curious little one, aren't you? I answer to my summoner, not to eyes that steal secrets."

Sasuke stiffened at the implicit rebuke, but before he could respond, Kakashi placed a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Questions can wait," the jōnin advised. "We need to secure the prisoners and check the caravan for casualties." His gaze swept the clearing, assessing damage and threats with professional efficiency. "Naruto, can you dismiss your...friend? We don't want to attract more attention than necessary."

Naruto realized he had no idea how to properly end the summoning. "Uh, Kaiko? How do I...?"

"Simply release the chakra binding us," she replied. "Though I can depart of my own accord when my purpose is fulfilled." She circled him once more, water brushing against his injured shoulder. "The poison recedes. You will recover."

"Thanks for saving me," Naruto said, genuinely grateful despite the chaotic introduction. "Will I...can I call you again?"

Something like approval flickered in those luminescent blue eyes. "You have paid the blood price and proven worthy of a first summoning. I will answer when called." She paused, adding with what sounded suspiciously like humor, "Though perhaps next time, try not to wait until a blade is at your back?"

With that, her water cocoon collapsed, splashing harmlessly to the forest floor. For a brief moment, Naruto thought he glimpsed a much smaller form—no larger than his palm—darting into a puddle before vanishing completely.

The silence that followed felt deafening after the chaos of battle. Three unconscious attackers lay scattered across the clearing, while the rest had fled into the forest. The caravan members huddled together, wide-eyed and trembling but apparently unharmed.

Kakashi was the first to break the silence. "Well," he drawled, visible eye curved in what might have been a smile, "that was certainly an interesting first field test of your new summoning contract."

"You KNEW?" Sakura rounded on their sensei, indignation overriding her usual deference. "You knew Naruto had a...a shark summoning contract and you didn't tell us?"

"I suspected," Kakashi corrected mildly. "Though I didn't expect quite such a...dramatic demonstration."

Naruto winced, anticipating the explosion of questions that would inevitably follow. His shoulder throbbed despite the antidote, a reminder that the danger hadn't entirely passed. The attack had been specifically targeted at Sasuke—a complication that raised alarming questions about their supposedly routine mission.

"Later," Kakashi said, correctly reading Naruto's exhaustion. "For now, we secure the site, treat injuries, and prepare to move. Whoever sent these attackers may have reinforcements waiting."

"They were after Sasuke," Naruto blurted, remembering the giant's words. "The big guy told me they wanted his eyes."

All eyes turned to the Uchiha, who received this information with characteristic stoicism. Only the slight tightening of his jaw betrayed any reaction to learning he'd been the primary target.

"Hardly surprising," he said after a moment. "The Sharingan has always attracted unwanted attention."

"Which means this mission was compromised from the start," Kakashi concluded grimly. "Someone knew Team 7's composition and planned accordingly." He turned to Takahashi, who had finally emerged from hiding behind one of the wagons. "Did you request our team specifically?"

The merchant shook his head vehemently. "No! I asked for any available ninjas! I didn't even know who would be assigned until you arrived yesterday!"

"Then the leak came from within Konoha," Sakura said quietly, giving voice to the uncomfortable conclusion they'd all reached.

Kakashi nodded once, sharp and decisive. "Change of plans. Sasuke, you and I will transport the prisoners back to Konoha for interrogation. Naruto and Sakura will continue the escort mission with the caravan."

"What?" Naruto protested. "But if they're after Sasuke—"

"Then separating him from the caravan is the best way to ensure everyone's safety," Kakashi finished firmly. "Besides, you're injured, and Sakura has the medical knowledge to monitor your condition. The remaining journey is relatively straightforward, and the caravan still needs protection."

The logic was sound, but Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that Kakashi had ulterior motives for the arrangement. Splitting the team seemed risky, especially after such a coordinated attack.

"I don't need a babysitter," Sasuke muttered, echoing Naruto's unspoken objection.

"Consider it a training opportunity," Kakashi replied smoothly. "You'll help me extract information from the prisoners. Practical experience in interrogation techniques."

The prospect of learning new skills mollified the Uchiha somewhat, though he still cast a lingering glance at Naruto—not concern, exactly, but something adjacent to it. For all their rivalry, they were still teammates.

"Don't get yourself killed by a fish," Sasuke said, the closest thing to farewell he ever managed.

"It was a SHARK," Naruto corrected indignantly. "And she saved my life, so show some respect!"

"Hn." Sasuke turned away, already helping Kakashi secure the unconscious prisoners.

Sakura approached Naruto, medical supplies in hand. "Let me check that wound again before we move out. The antidote should be working, but we need to clean and bandage the cut properly."

As she worked, her touch professional but gentle, Naruto caught her stealing glances at the shark tooth pendant now visible through his torn shirt.

"So," she finally said, voice carefully neutral, "a shark summoning contract. That's...unusual."

"Yeah." Naruto offered no further explanation, unsure how much to reveal about the cave and the mysterious scroll. The memory felt strangely private, a rare discovery that belonged to him alone.

Sakura, surprisingly, didn't press further. She finished bandaging his shoulder in thoughtful silence, then began packing away the medical supplies.

"I think it's cool," she said suddenly, not meeting his eyes. "Different, but cool. The way that shark—Kaiko—moved was amazing. Like she was dancing."

The unexpected approval warmed Naruto more than he cared to admit. "Yeah, she was pretty awesome, wasn't she? And she can talk! Well, not out loud, but directly into my mind, which is even cooler!"

A small smile tugged at Sakura's lips. "Just don't get too reckless with your new power, okay? Summoning clearly drains a lot of chakra, even with your reserves."

"Me? Reckless?" Naruto placed a hand over his heart in mock offense, then winced as the movement pulled at his injured shoulder.

"Yes, you," she retorted, but the familiar exasperation held a new note of something like respect. "Come on, we need to help the merchants repack. The sooner we get moving, the better."

As they worked alongside the still-shaken caravan members, Naruto found his thoughts returning to Kaiko and the brief but intense connection they'd shared. Unlike the dismissive or fearful relationships many summoners had with their creatures, the shark had treated him as an equal—challenging and direct, but not disrespectful.

The pendant rested cool against his skin now, its earlier heat completely dissipated. Naruto touched it thoughtfully, remembering the strange sensation of breathing underwater within Kaiko's protective sphere. For those brief moments, he'd experienced life as the sharks did—fluid, weightless, unbound by the limitations of land.

It had felt, oddly enough, like coming home.

"You're smiling," Sakura observed as they finished securing the last wagon. "What are you thinking about?"

Naruto's grin widened. "Just that this mission got a lot more interesting than escorting herbs."

"Only you would consider an ambush by poison-wielding mercenaries 'interesting,'" she sighed, but her tone lacked its usual bite.

An hour later, they parted ways with Kakashi and Sasuke, who headed back toward Konoha with the bound prisoners while Naruto and Sakura continued eastward with the caravan. The forest seemed peaceful again, morning sunlight filtering through the canopy to dapple the road ahead.

But Naruto remained alert, shark tooth pendant warm against his skin—not with warning this time, but with a new awareness of the connection it represented. Whatever force had drawn him to that hidden cave, whatever destiny the shark clan had glimpsed in his blood, one thing was certain: his life as a ninja had irrevocably changed.

He had called, and they had answered. The covenant of teeth and tide had been honored.

And somewhere in the depths beyond human reckoning, ancient eyes watched his progress with newfound interest.

Midnight claimed Konoha like a thief, dragging shadows across rooftops and painting the village in brushstrokes of moonlight and darkness. Most citizens slept soundly behind locked doors and shuttered windows—most, but not all.

One shadow moved with deliberate purpose, leaping silently from building to building with practiced ease. Orange jumpsuit abandoned for blacks that melted into the night, Naruto Uzumaki was a ghost among ghosts, unseen and unheard as he raced toward the village outskirts.

Three days since returning from the disastrous escort mission. Three days of evading questions from curious comrades, enduring Sasuke's calculating stares, and dodging Kakashi-sensei's too-knowing eye. Three days of impatient waiting, the shark tooth pendant burning against his skin with increasing urgency each night until sleep became impossible.

Tonight, the calling reached fever pitch.

Naruto vaulted the village wall between patrol rotations, a trick learned from years of pranking ANBU guards. The forest beyond welcomed him with whispers of wind through leaves and the distant chorus of night creatures. He didn't slow until reaching a secluded clearing beside a small lake several miles from Konoha's boundaries—far enough that curious eyes wouldn't follow, close enough to return before dawn.

Perfect for what he had planned.

Moonlight scattered across the lake's surface like broken glass, rippling with each breath of wind. Naruto approached the water's edge, heart hammering against his ribs as he drew the shark tooth pendant from beneath his shirt. It pulsed in his palm, warm and alive, responding to the proximity of its element.

"Okay," Naruto muttered, rolling up his sleeves, "let's try this again."

His first summoning had been pure instinct, born of desperation and survival. Replicating it under controlled conditions proved more challenging than expected. For three nights he'd practiced in his tiny apartment bathroom, biting his thumb and slamming his palm against the wet floor until his neighbors threatened eviction. Nothing had happened—not even a puff of smoke or ripple of chakra.

But here, with real water and space to work, things would be different. They had to be.

Naruto bit down hard on his thumb, drawing blood that gleamed black in the moonlight. The copper taste filled his mouth as he flashed through hand signs that felt both foreign and strangely familiar.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

His bloodied palm slapped against the lake's surface. Chakra surged from his core, blue energy spiraling outward in expanding rings across the water. For one breathless moment, nothing happened—then the lake erupted.

Water shot skyward in a twisting column that towered thirty feet above the surface before collapsing back with the force of a small tsunami. Naruto stumbled backward, drenched and sputtering, as waves crashed against the shore.

"What the hell?" he gasped, wiping water from his eyes. "That wasn't supposed to—"

"You used too much chakra."

The voice—not in his mind this time but audibly slicing through the air—froze Naruto mid-complaint. He spun toward the lake, where a figure now stood atop the settling surface.

Not Kaiko, his first summon, but something—someone—altogether different.

A tall, broad-shouldered man with skin the color of deep ocean trenches regarded Naruto with unnerving stillness. No, not quite a man—the humanoid figure had distinctly shark-like features: gill slits pulsing at his neck, small fins protruding from his forearms, and eyes entirely black except for pinpricks of cold blue light where pupils should be. Silver-gray hair swept back from his forehead like a dorsal fin, and when he spoke again, his mouth revealed rows of triangular teeth.

"The amount of chakra needed for summoning," the shark-man continued in a voice like waves grinding stones to sand, "depends on what you wish to call forth. For one of my station, your output was... excessive."

Naruto gaped, momentarily forgetting the dozens of questions fighting for priority in his mind. "You're... you're human? I mean, you look—"

"I am Samehada, Elder Sage of the Abyss Clan," the figure interrupted, striding toward shore with liquid grace. "This form is merely a courtesy for land-dwellers. Would you prefer I manifest in my true shape?"

"No! I mean—this is fine!" Naruto backpedaled hastily, remembering Kaiko's six-foot frame and imagining how much larger an "Elder Sage" might be. "I just didn't know sharks could look like... people."

Samehada's expression remained impassive, but something like amusement flickered in those strange eyes. "There is much you don't know, Naruto Uzumaki. That is why I have answered your call."

The shark-man reached the shore, water streaming from a form that stood nearly seven feet tall. Up close, Naruto noticed other details—webbing between the figure's fingers, the textured quality of his skin that resembled microscopic scales, the way he moved with predatory economy, no motion wasted.

"You know my name," Naruto said, suddenly uneasy despite initiating the summons.

"We know all who sign our covenant." Samehada seated himself on a boulder at the water's edge, motioning for Naruto to join him. "The blood you offered speaks louder than words. It carries memory, intention, truth."

Naruto perched awkwardly on a nearby rock, trying to appear calm while his mind raced. This wasn't how summoning contracts were supposed to work—at least not according to what little he knew from Academy lessons. Summoned creatures were tools, weapons, extensions of the ninja's will. They didn't initiate conversations or appear in human-like forms or talk about blood memories.

"Why did you answer instead of Kaiko?" he asked, latching onto the most immediate question.

"Kaiko is a warrior, skilled in battle but young in wisdom." Samehada's gills fluttered in what might have been a sigh. "You seek understanding, not combat. Such questions fall to those of us who remember the deeper currents of history."

"How did you know that's what I wanted?"

"Your blood carries your intentions, child. I told you this." The shark-man gestured toward the pendant around Naruto's neck. "And that token connects us always. We feel your need, your curiosity, your frustration these past nights."

Naruto's hand flew to the pendant, suddenly self-conscious. "You've been... watching me?"

"Sensing. There is a difference." Samehada tilted his head, studying Naruto with unblinking intensity. "You are not what we expected when the covenant activated after centuries of silence."

"Sorry to disappoint," Naruto muttered, stung by what sounded like criticism.

Samehada's mouth curved in what might have been a smile, though the expression did nothing to soften his predatory appearance. "I did not say disappointing. Merely... unexpected. Small, yes. Young, certainly. But there is something else about you. Something ancient beneath the surface, like a predator circling in deep water."

The casual reference to the Nine-Tails sent a chill down Naruto's spine. "What do you know about me?"

"Blood tells many tales." The shark-man's voice lowered, resonating with power that vibrated through Naruto's bones. "Yours speaks of loneliness and determination. Of a burden carried since infancy. Of power caged within power." He leaned forward, those pinprick eyes seeming to look through Naruto rather than at him. "We know what dwells within you, child of whirlpools."

Panic flared in Naruto's chest. The Nine-Tails was his most closely guarded secret, forbidden to discuss by the Hokage's decree. If these shark summons could somehow sense it—

"Relax, little summoner." Samehada leaned back, breaking the moment of tension. "Your secret is safe in the deep. We have no interest in land-dwellers' politics or prejudices."

"Then why mention it at all?" Naruto demanded, fear making his voice sharper than intended.

"Because it is why the covenant accepted you." The shark-man gestured toward the lake, where moonlight danced across rippling water. "Our clan has been without a summoner for generations, not from lack of candidates but from lack of compatibility. We are creatures of elemental power, ancient and proud. We do not serve the weak or timid."

Naruto bristled at the implied insult. "I'm not weak!"

"No," Samehada agreed with surprising readiness. "You are not. The nine-tailed demon within you ensures that—but more importantly, your spirit matches its strength. Few vessels could contain such power without breaking. Fewer still would maintain their own identity separate from their burden."

The unexpected praise caught Naruto off-guard. Throughout his life, the Nine-Tails had been treated as a shameful secret, a dangerous contaminant that made him less than human in many villagers' eyes. To hear it described as a source of strength rather than weakness was... disorienting.

"So that's why the contract chose me? Because of the Nine-Tails?"

"Partly." Samehada's gills fluttered again. "But there is more. Your chakra carries the echo of salt water and whirlpools—the signature of your Uzumaki bloodline. Your clan once dwelled near the sea, maintaining ancient pacts with water-dwelling creatures. That affinity still lives in your veins."

This revelation hit Naruto like a physical blow. Information about his clan was scarce; most records had been lost when Uzushiogakure was destroyed. To learn his family had connections to the ocean, to water-based summoning creatures—it was a piece of his identity he'd never known existed.

"Tell me about them," he demanded, leaning forward eagerly. "About the Uzumakis and their connection to your clan."

Samehada shook his head, silvery hair rippling like water. "That is a tale for another moonrise. I came to explain our covenant and the power it grants you, not to dredge up sunken histories."

Disappointment crashed through Naruto, but he nodded reluctantly. There would be time for those questions later—assuming he could summon the shark-sage again.

"Alright, then tell me about your clan. Kaiko mentioned the 'Clan of Fathomless Teeth,' but she didn't explain much else."

"Kaiko is young," Samehada said with the universal tone of elders discussing youth. "She knows battle, not lore." He stretched out a webbed hand, and water from the lake rose in response, shaping itself into a three-dimensional map that hovered in the air between them.

"The Abyss Clan—or Clan of Fathomless Teeth, in the ancient tongue—dwells in the deepest trench of the eastern sea, far beyond land-dwellers' exploration." The water-map reshaped itself, showing underwater topography with startling detail. "Our domain is called Shinkai, the Deep City, built in darkness where pressure would crush human bones to powder."

The liquid model shifted again, forming the suggestion of structures nestled along the walls of an oceanic canyon—a hidden civilization in the most hostile environment imaginable.

"For millennia, we have ruled the deep waters, evolving in both body and chakra manipulation. Some of us, like myself, can assume land-compatible forms for limited periods. Others, like Kaiko, require a water medium to manifest fully in your world."

"You said you were without a summoner for generations," Naruto prompted. "Why? What happened to the last one?"

A ripple of something like discomfort passed through Samehada's stoic features. "The Hidden Mist Village happened. They sought to weaponize our power, to turn us into mindless tools of slaughter. When we refused to be controlled, they hunted our summoners to extinction and attempted to create artificial contracts that would bind us against our will."

The water map collapsed, splashing back into the lake. "We severed all connections to the human world and retreated to the deepest trenches. The original contract—the one you found—was hidden away where no Mist ninja would think to look: far inland, in Fire Country territory."

"But if you hated humans so much, why create a new contract at all? Why not just stay hidden forever?"

Samehada's expression grew distant, his gaze fixed on something beyond the physical world. "Because isolation leads to stagnation, even for immortal beings. We are hunters, explorers, seekers of knowledge. And there are... changes coming to the world. Currents shifting in ways not seen for a thousand years. We wished to have a voice in what emerges from those tides."

The cryptic statement raised more questions than it answered, but before Naruto could press further, Samehada rose abruptly.

"Enough history. You summoned me to understand your new power, not to hear old grievances. It is time you learned what the covenant offers—and what it demands in return."

The shark-man stepped back onto the lake's surface, motioning for Naruto to follow. After a moment's hesitation, Naruto channeled chakra to his feet and stepped onto the water, maintaining the surface-walking technique Kakashi had taught Team 7.

"The Abyss Clan consists of five primary lineages," Samehada explained, leading Naruto toward the center of the lake. "Each with different abilities suited to different purposes. Learn them well, for choosing the wrong summons for a situation could prove... unfortunate."

He raised his hand, and water rose in five distinct columns before them. Each column shaped itself into a different shark silhouette, suspended and slowly rotating for Naruto's inspection.

"The Swift-Fins," Samehada indicated the first shape, sleek and streamlined with a distinctive crescent tail, "are our scouts and messengers. Fastest of our kind, they can traverse great distances almost instantaneously through connected water bodies. Their chakra consumption is minimal, making them ideal for reconnaissance or delivering communications."

The second water shape was broader, with a blunt, powerful head and massive jaws. "The Crushers are our front-line warriors. What they lack in speed, they compensate for in raw power and durability. Their skin contains natural armor that repels most physical attacks, and their jaws can shatter stone."

"Like Kaiko?" Naruto asked.

"Kaiko is young but promising, transitioning between Scout and Crusher classes. Her hybrid nature makes her versatile, if somewhat... impulsive."

The third shape was the strangest—a broad, flat body with wing-like fins and an oddly shaped head. "The Sensors detect chakra fluctuations and emotional states across vast distances. They can identify genjutsu, track targets through solid barriers, and disrupt chakra networks with precisely calibrated electrical discharges."

"They can shoot electricity?" Naruto's eyes widened with excitement.

"Among other abilities," Samehada confirmed with the faintest hint of pride. "The fourth lineage, the Depths," he gestured toward a massive, bulky silhouette with a square-ish head, "specialize in environmental manipulation. They can create water from trace moisture, control temperature and pressure, and generate currents powerful enough to alter weather patterns in localized areas."

The final water shape was the largest and most intimidating—a perfect predator's silhouette with every line engineered by evolution for maximum lethality. "And lastly, the Elders. We are few, ancient beyond your reckoning, masters of all skills possessed by the other lineages and some that belong to us alone."

"Which one are you?" Naruto asked, though he suspected the answer.

Samehada's lips pulled back in a smile that displayed entirely too many teeth. "I am one of seven Elder Sages who govern the Abyss Clan. In my true form, I would barely fit within this entire lake."

The water sculptures collapsed simultaneously, sending ripples across the lake's surface. Naruto tried to process everything he'd learned, mind racing with possibilities. Each shark type offered different tactical advantages, different applications in combat and reconnaissance.

"How do I summon a specific type? Do I need different hand signs or—"

"Intent," Samehada interrupted. "Focus your chakra with clear purpose. Visualize what you need—speed, strength, detection—and the covenant will draw the appropriate clan member to your call. The amount of chakra determines the size and power of the individual who answers."

Naruto frowned, remembering his failed attempts in his apartment. "But I tried summoning for three nights and nothing happened."

"You tried summoning without water," Samehada corrected. "Our covenant differs from those of land-dwelling creatures. We require our element to manifest fully in your world. The greater the water source, the stronger our connection."

"So I can only summon near lakes or oceans?"

The shark-sage shook his head. "Any water will suffice, though the volume affects what can be summoned. A cup of water might bring forth a Scout the size of your finger—useful for carrying messages or poison, perhaps, but little else. This lake could support a moderate-sized Crusher or several Scouts. An ocean would allow even Elders to manifest at full strength."

He gestured toward the shore. "Additionally, your blood serves as a catalyst—it carries your chakra and intent into our realm. The more freely given, the stronger the connection."

Naruto glanced at his thumb, where the small bite wound had already healed thanks to the Nine-Tails' influence. "So more blood equals more power?"

"To a point," Samehada cautioned. "But beware becoming dependent on greater sacrifices for greater returns. Some summons will demand more than you should give. Blood has power beyond what most humans comprehend—particularly your blood, Nine-Tails vessel."

A chill settled in Naruto's stomach at the ominous warning. "Are there... risks to this contract I should know about?"

Samehada's expression grew grave. "All power carries risk, child. Our covenant is ancient and complex, not a simple transaction of chakra for service like modern summoning contracts." He moved closer, looming over Naruto with sudden intensity. "We are not tools or weapons to be wielded blindly. We are partners who choose to answer worthy calls. Remember this distinction, for it may save your life."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that unlike your friend's insects or your teacher's dogs, we retain free will within the summoning bond. We can refuse calls if we deem them unworthy. We can withdraw from battle if we disagree with your purpose. And we can claim blood price beyond the initial summoning if the situation demands it."

The implications sent Naruto's thoughts spinning. A summoning contract with creatures that made their own judgments, that might refuse his call in a critical moment if they disapproved of his actions—it was simultaneously fascinating and terrifying.

"Then why would anyone choose your contract over others?" he asked bluntly.

Samehada actually laughed—a sound like water rushing through narrow caverns. "Because what we offer in return far exceeds the capabilities of lesser summons. Because we bring knowledge lost to human understanding for millennia. Because we grant our true partners abilities that transcend ordinary limitations." His voice lowered to a rumble. "And because those we deem worthy receive our absolute loyalty, which cannot be broken by any genjutsu, mind control, or bribery."

He raised a webbed hand, and water rose from the lake to envelop Naruto before he could react. The liquid cocoon surrounded him completely, suspending him a foot above the lake's surface. Panic flared briefly until Naruto realized he could breathe normally despite being fully submerged—the same strange water-breathing sensation he'd experienced during Kaiko's protective bubble.

"This is your first gift," Samehada's voice resonated directly into Naruto's mind as it had with Kaiko. "The ability to breathe within our element. A small thing, perhaps, but it may save your life one day."

The water receded, depositing Naruto gently back onto the lake's surface. He gasped reflexively despite not having been deprived of oxygen, the sensation of liquid-breathing too alien for his body to fully accept.

"That's... convenient," he managed, trying to sound nonchalant while his heart hammered against his ribs.

"It is merely the beginning," Samehada replied. "As our bond strengthens through use and trust, other abilities will manifest. Your affinity for water-based techniques will increase. Your perception underwater will sharpen. Your body may even adapt in subtle ways to better channel our combined chakra."

"You mean I'll grow gills or something?" Naruto asked, half-joking, half-alarmed.

"Nothing so dramatic. But changes nonetheless." Samehada's gills fluttered in what Naruto was beginning to recognize as amusement. "The covenant reshapes both parties over time. Even we are not immune to its influence."

The eastern horizon had begun to lighten imperceptibly, the first hint of approaching dawn. Samehada noticed it too, his expression shifting as he glanced toward the sky.

"Our time grows short," he said. "I must return to the depths before daylight weakens my manifestation. But before I go, there is something you should see—something that will help you understand the true nature of our covenant."

Without warning, the shark-sage's form dissolved into water that crashed back into the lake. Before Naruto could react, the entire lake's surface began to churn, whirlpools forming and merging into a massive vortex at the center.

"What the—" Naruto stumbled backward as the vortex expanded, threatening to drag him in. He channeled more chakra to his feet, anchoring himself to the violently shifting surface.

From the vortex's heart rose a new shape—not Samehada returning, but something far more terrifying. A massive shark head breached the surface, larger than Naruto's entire body, jaws lined with teeth each the size of kunai. Its skin wasn't the slate gray of normal sharks but a deep blue-black that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Luminescent blue markings, similar to those on Naruto's pendant but vastly more complex, covered its hide in swirling patterns that pulsed with power.

The creature regarded Naruto with an eye the size of his head—ancient, intelligent, and utterly alien.

THIS IS THE TRUE FACE OF THE ABYSS CLAN, a voice thundered directly into Naruto's mind with such force that he nearly lost his footing. REMEMBER IT WELL, CHILD OF WHIRLPOOLS, FOR FEW LAND-DWELLERS HAVE GAZED UPON OUR ELDERS AND LIVED TO SPEAK OF IT.

The massive shark began to sink back beneath the surface, its enormous body still mostly concealed by the churning vortex. As it descended, a final message reverberated through Naruto's consciousness:

LEARN OUR WAYS. HONOR OUR COVENANT. AND WHEN THE TIME COMES, REMEMBER THAT THE DEEPEST CURRENTS SHAPE ALL TIDES, SEEN AND UNSEEN.

The vortex collapsed with explosive force, sending a wave radiating outward that crashed over Naruto and swept him to shore. He landed in an ungraceful heap on the grassy bank, soaked and disoriented but unharmed.

By the time he regained his bearings and looked up, the lake had returned to perfect stillness. No evidence remained of the massive creature or the shark-sage or anything unusual at all—just a peaceful body of water reflecting the pre-dawn sky.

Only the shark tooth pendant, pulsing warm against Naruto's chest, confirmed he hadn't imagined the entire encounter.

He flopped onto his back, staring up at stars that were rapidly fading with approaching daylight. His mind raced with everything he'd learned—the five shark lineages, the water requirement for summoning, the Uzumaki connection to ocean-dwelling creatures, the covenant's strange properties.

And beneath it all, a nagging question: why had this ancient, powerful clan chosen him specifically? Yes, he carried the Nine-Tails, and apparently had some Uzumaki affinity for water, but those seemed insufficient reasons for creatures who had deliberately hidden themselves from human contact for generations.

What were these "changes coming to the world" that Samehada had mentioned? What role did the sharks expect him to play in whatever cosmic shift they anticipated?

Dawn broke over the forest, painting the sky in watercolor hues of pink and gold. Naruto sat up, suddenly aware of how little time remained before his absence would be noticed in the village. He needed to return, to process everything he'd learned, to begin practicing with his new understanding of the summoning contract.

As he rose to leave, something caught his eye—a small object glinting in the shallow water at the lake's edge. He bent to retrieve it, finding a second shark tooth identical to his pendant but slightly smaller.

A gift for the pink-haired one, Samehada's voice whispered faintly in his mind. Her strength runs deeper than the surface shows. She may be needed when tides turn.

Naruto stared at the tooth in confusion. Sakura? What did his shark summons want with his teammate?

Before he could question further, the voice faded completely, leaving him alone with the mysterious second pendant and far more questions than answers.

He pocketed the tooth, decision made. He would return to Konoha, practice his summoning with his new knowledge, and wait for the right moment to approach Sakura with this strange gift. Whatever game the Abyss Clan was playing extended beyond him alone—that much was clear.

As Naruto raced back toward the village, the rising sun at his back, one thought crystallized with absolute certainty: his life had veered irrevocably from its expected course. Whatever destiny had awaited Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, had been swept away by currents older and deeper than human understanding.

A new path stretched before him now—one carved by teeth and tide, leading into uncharted waters.

And despite everything—the risks, the unknowns, the ominous warnings—Naruto couldn't suppress a grin of pure excitement as he bounded through the forest.

After all, he'd never been one to fear the deep end.

Death slithered through the Forest of Death, wearing a stolen face.

Naruto crashed through the underbrush, lungs burning, muscles screaming with every desperate leap. Behind him, the impossible enemy—the nightmare with a human mask—pursued with the fluid grace of a predator who knew its prey couldn't escape.

This was no ordinary Chunin Exam opponent. This was something else entirely.

The shark tooth pendant blazed against Naruto's chest like a miniature sun, its warning heat nearly unbearable. Whatever hunted them through Training Ground 44 radiated wrongness that even the distant Abyss Clan could sense across their mystical connection.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted over his shoulder. "We can't outrun it!"

Ahead, his teammate staggered between the massive trees, clutching his neck where that monstrous being had sunk its fangs. Sakura supported him, her face a mask of determination despite the terror in her eyes. Three days into the Forest of Death's survival challenge, and Team 7 faced something far beyond genin-level threats.

"Keep moving!" Sakura urged, half-dragging Sasuke's increasingly limp form. "We just need to reach the tower!"

A high, cold laugh sliced through the forest canopy. The sound crawled across Naruto's skin like poisoned silk, promising pain beyond imagining.

"Run all you want, little leaves," called the creature wearing a Grass ninja's face. "It makes the hunt so much more entertaining."

The forest floor exploded upward. Roots and earth fountained into the air as something massive tunneled beneath them. Naruto leapt instinctively, chakra surging to his feet as he barely escaped the eruption. Sakura wasn't as fortunate—the ground crumbled beneath her, separating her from Sasuke who tumbled in the opposite direction.

"No!" Naruto twisted mid-air, creating shadow clones that dived toward his falling teammates. One clone managed to grab Sakura's wrist, the other missed Sasuke by inches.

A pale hand shot from the settling dust, catching Sasuke by the throat before he hit the ground. The Grass ninja—or whatever inhabited that stolen skin—emerged from the destruction with unnatural fluidity, golden snake-like eyes fixed on the Uchiha with naked hunger.

"Fascinating," the creature purred, studying Sasuke's pain-contorted face. "The curse mark takes hold so beautifully. Your brother would be impressed at your capacity for suffering."

"Let him go!" Naruto landed on a nearby branch, rage and terror battling for dominance as he formed the familiar cross-shaped hand sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A dozen Narutos materialized throughout the clearing, each brandishing kunai with deadly intent. They attacked in perfect synchronization—a testament to Team 7's months of training—only to be dispatched with contemptuous ease. The enemy moved like liquid between solid states, body contorting impossibly as it eliminated clone after clone without releasing Sasuke.

"Ah, the Nine-Tails vessel," those serpentine eyes shifted toward Naruto, filling him with primal dread. "So noisy, so crude. Your power is wasted on such an unworthy container."

"Orochimaru," Sasuke choked out, recognition and horror dawning through his pain. "One of the... Legendary Sannin."

The name hit Naruto like a physical blow. Orochimaru—S-rank missing-nin, former Leaf shinobi turned monster, one of the most dangerous criminals in the ninja world. They weren't facing a genin or even a jonin, but a nightmare that made hardened ANBU quake.

No wonder the pendant burned with warning.

"Let him go," Naruto repeated, desperation clawing at his throat as his remaining clones regrouped. "Your fight's with me!"

Orochimaru laughed—a sound like dying things slithering through dead leaves. "So eager to die? Very well. I had planned to save you for later, but perhaps a demonstration of futility would be educational for young Sasuke."

The Sannin's neck elongated impossibly, stretching across the clearing with serpentine fluidity. Fangs gleamed with venom as that nightmarish head shot toward Naruto faster than even trained eyes could track.

Time slowed to a crawl.

The shark tooth pendant blazed with blue-white light, searing through Naruto's jumpsuit. The Forest of Death receded, replaced by a momentary flash of midnight ocean depths and ancient eyes watching from abyssal darkness. A voice like the pressure of ten thousand fathoms pressed into his consciousness:

THE SNAKE-TAINTED ONE APPROACHES. CALL US NOW.

Naruto's body moved on pure instinct. His teeth sank into his thumb, drawing blood that spattered across the tree bark. Hands flashed through signs, chakra surging from his core with desperate intensity.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

The forest canopy groaned as moisture ripped from vegetation for fifty yards in every direction. Water materialized from seemingly nowhere, condensing into a swirling sphere that intercepted Orochimaru's striking head mere inches from Naruto's throat.

Within the liquid barrier, a streamlined shape materialized—not Kaiko or any shark Naruto had seen before. This summon was approximately four feet long with a peculiarly shaped head, its body patterned with stripes that pulsed with electric blue chakra. It moved with uncanny precision, intercepting the Sannin's attack with a force that shouldn't have been possible for its modest size.

"A summoning contract?" Orochimaru's stretched neck recoiled, genuine surprise flickering across those serpentine features. "How... unexpected."

The striped shark circled within its water sphere, intelligent eyes fixed on the Sannin with predatory focus. Unlike Kaiko's straightforward aggression or Samehada's ancient wisdom, this summon radiated something else entirely—a disorienting energy that made reality seem to waver around its sleek form.

I am Tatsumi of the Sensor lineage, the shark's voice resonated directly into Naruto's mind. This opponent reeks of serpent chakra and stolen bodies. His presence offends the natural order.

"Can you help us?" Naruto asked aloud, acutely aware of how outmatched they were against a Sannin.

I cannot defeat such an enemy, Tatsumi admitted. But I can confuse and disorient. My kind specializes in disrupting chakra perception and sensory input.

As if demonstrating, the shark's stripes flashed with intensified brilliance. The water sphere expanded rapidly, filling the clearing with a fine mist that distorted light and sound in nauseating waves. Through this disorienting haze, Naruto glimpsed Orochimaru's expression shifting from amusement to mild irritation as the Sannin finally released Sasuke, who crumpled to the forest floor.

"A shark summoning contract," Orochimaru mused, golden eyes narrowing as he studied the phenomenon. "I believed those were extinct after the Hidden Mist purges. How fascinating that one found its way to Konoha's jinchūriki."

The Sannin took a step toward Naruto, only to hesitate as Tatsumi's influence intensified. The mist pulsed with chakra that interfered with spatial perception, making distances impossible to judge accurately. Even for a shinobi of Orochimaru's caliber, the effect was disorienting.

Get your teammates and flee, Tatsumi urged. I cannot maintain this disruption for long against one so powerful.

Naruto didn't waste the opportunity. Shadow clones materialized through the mist, grabbing both Sasuke and Sakura as the original Naruto prepared to retreat. Whatever this Chunin Exam had become, survival now took precedence over completion.

Orochimaru's laughter cut through the disorienting haze. "Running again? How disappointing. But no matter—I've accomplished what I came for." His serpentine gaze fixed on Sasuke's unconscious form. "The curse mark is planted. We'll see if he's worthy of my attention when it blooms."

With unexpected swiftness, the Sannin turned away, melting into the forest as though losing interest in the confrontation entirely. The abrupt withdrawal made no tactical sense—until Naruto detected approaching chakra signatures. Powerful ones.

"ANBU incoming," Sakura gasped, clearly sensing the same. "They must have detected the fighting."

The snake-one fears discovery more than he desires immediate victory, Tatsumi observed, still circling within his water sphere. His plans require secrecy for now.

The shark's stripes dimmed as the mist began to dissipate. I must return, summoner. My chakra wanes in this dry environment.

"Wait!" Naruto approached the water sphere urgently. "Sasuke's been bitten—marked somehow. Can your clan help him?"

Tatsumi circled closer, studying the unconscious Uchiha with those intelligent eyes. The mark is beyond my abilities to cleanse. It carries a fragment of the snake-one's essence, corrupting your teammate from within. Only the Elders might know methods to combat such contamination.

"Then I'll summon an Elder!" Naruto bit his thumb again, ready to attempt a larger summoning.

Not here, not now, Tatsumi cautioned. You lack sufficient water sources, and the chakra required would leave you defenseless. Take your team to safety first. The mark will not kill immediately—it tests its host before consuming them.

Before Naruto could argue further, the shark began to dissolve, its physical form losing cohesion as the water sphere collapsed. One last gift before I depart, summoner. The snake-one's scent is now known to our clan. We will sense his presence should he approach you again.

With that, Tatsumi vanished completely, water splashing harmlessly to the forest floor. The shark tooth pendant cooled against Naruto's chest, its warning heat subsiding to normal warmth.

In the distance, black-cloaked figures moved through the trees with ANBU efficiency. Naruto gathered his injured teammates, mind racing with implications. Orochimaru in the Chunin Exams. A curse mark on Sasuke. Shark summons capable of sensing specific enemies.

The Forest of Death had just become considerably more complicated.

"You said what?" Sakura's incredulous voice echoed through the cramped confines of their assigned room in the central tower. Five days had passed since the Orochimaru encounter, and Team 7 had managed to obtain their second scroll and complete the forest challenge with mere hours to spare.

Naruto winced, glancing toward the door to ensure their conversation remained private. "I told the proctor I wanted to fight Kiba in the preliminary matches."

"Why would you—" Sakura's question cut short as understanding dawned. "The shark summons. You're planning to use them in your match."

"Not just use them," Naruto corrected, unable to suppress his excitement despite their precarious situation. "Reveal them publicly. Once everyone sees what I can do, they'll have to acknowledge me as a serious contender!"

Sakura sighed, running fingers through her pink hair—shorter now after her dramatic self-administered haircut during their forest battle with the Sound ninja. That fight had changed something fundamental in her, stripping away layers of hesitation and self-doubt.

"It's tactically unsound," she said finally. "Revealing your trump card in preliminaries means you'll lose the element of surprise for the finals."

"I know, but—" Naruto paused, weighing his words carefully. He couldn't explain the true reason: the increasingly urgent pressure from the shark clan to make their existence known. Each night since the forest, his dreams had been filled with oceanic depths and whispered imperatives:

The time approaches. The world must remember we exist. The snake-one's emergence accelerates the current's shift.

Instead, he reached beneath his shirt, extracting the second shark tooth pendant—the one Samehada had instructed him to give Sakura. "There's something else. Something I've been waiting for the right moment to show you."

Sakura's eyes widened as he held out the tooth. "What is that?"

"A gift. From the shark clan." Naruto extended his hand, offering the pendant. "They... they specifically requested I give this to you. Said something about 'strength running deeper than the surface shows.'"

Suspicion flashed across Sakura's face. "Is this some kind of prank, Naruto? Because after everything we've been through, it's not funny."

"No prank," he assured her earnestly. "I swear on my dream of becoming Hokage. The shark summons believe you have potential they can help unlock."

Hesitantly, Sakura reached for the pendant. The moment her fingers touched the tooth, a visible shiver ran through her body. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"It's... warm," she whispered. "And it feels like..."

"Like ocean depths you've never seen but somehow remember?" Naruto finished for her. "Yeah, that's how mine felt too."

Sakura stared at the pendant, conflict evident in her expression. Recent events had forced rapid evolution in her self-perception—from the forest battles to Sasuke's curse mark to her own surprising resilience. The girl who had entered the Chunin Exams fixated on romance and appearance had been replaced by someone harder, more focused, more aware of her own mortality.

"What exactly would this connect me to?" she asked finally.

"Not the full summoning contract," Naruto clarified. "That's something else entirely. But the pendant creates a link to their realm. It offers protection, warning, maybe even communication eventually."

He touched his own pendant. "Mine warned me about Orochimaru before we even knew who he was. Called him 'the snake-tainted one.' They can sense danger in ways we can't."

Sakura's practical nature asserted itself as she considered the strategic advantages. "And there's no... cost? No drawback?"

Naruto hesitated. Samehada had never specified what the pendant might require from Sakura, but the Elder's cryptic comment about "when tides turn" suggested future expectations.

"I don't think so," he said finally. "Not immediately, anyway. But the shark clan doesn't do anything without purpose. They think you'll be important somehow."

That seemed to decide her. Sakura slipped the cord over her head, tucking the pendant beneath her dress where it wouldn't be visible during combat. "If it helps protect us against threats like Orochimaru, I'll take any advantage available."

A comfortable silence fell between them, broken only by the distant sounds of other teams moving through the tower corridors. The unspoken question hung in the air—what about Sasuke?

Their teammate had been immediately quarantined upon reaching the tower, ostensibly for medical evaluation. In reality, Naruto suspected ANBU involvement, especially after spotting Kakashi-sensei conferring urgently with masked operatives shortly after their arrival.

"Do you think he'll be allowed to continue the exams?" Sakura asked, giving voice to their shared concern.

"If they understood how dangerous that mark is, they'd pull him immediately," Naruto replied grimly. "The fact that they haven't means either they don't realize what Orochimaru did, or..."

"Or they're letting it play out for some reason," Sakura finished, lips pressing into a thin line of disapproval.

The door slid open with sudden force, revealing the subject of their conversation. Sasuke stood in the threshold, paler than usual but standing under his own power. Dark shadows beneath his eyes suggested sleepless nights, and a high-collared shirt concealed the mark on his neck.

"They've called us for the preliminary matches," he stated flatly. "It's starting now."

His gaze lingered momentarily on Naruto with uncharacteristic intensity. Something had shifted in the Uchiha's demeanor—a new edge of barely-contained violence that hadn't existed before the forest. The curse mark's influence, perhaps, or simply the psychological impact of facing someone like Orochimaru and surviving.

"Sasuke, should you be—" Sakura began, concern evident in her voice.

"I'm fighting," he cut her off with finality. "Don't try to stop me."

The three genin made their way through the tower's winding corridors in tense silence, each lost in private thoughts. When they emerged into the central arena where the preliminary matches would be held, Naruto was struck by how few teams had survived the forest challenge. Eight teams total—twenty-four candidates where over a hundred had entered.

The remaining rookies clustered together near the arena's edge, exchanging information in hushed voices that fell silent as Team 7 approached. News of their forest encounter had evidently spread, drawing curious and apprehensive stares.

"Is it true?" Ino demanded immediately, addressing Sakura. "You guys fought Orochimaru in the forest?"

Sakura's hand moved unconsciously toward her hidden pendant before she caught herself. "We survived an encounter," she corrected carefully. "I wouldn't call it a fight."

Kiba pushed forward, nostrils flaring as he studied Team 7 with unnerving focus. Beside him, Akamaru whimpered softly, pressing against his master's leg.

"You smell different," the Inuzuka stated bluntly, eyes narrowing as he addressed Naruto specifically. "Like salt water and... something else. Something not human."

Naruto tensed, the shark tooth pendant warming against his skin in response to his sudden anxiety. He'd forgotten about the Inuzuka clan's enhanced sense of smell—a complication he hadn't anticipated.

"Been swimming lately, loser?" Kiba pressed, genuine confusion beneath his typical antagonism.

Before Naruto could formulate a response, movement at the arena's center drew everyone's attention. The exam proctors had arrived, led by Hayate Gekkō whose perpetual cough punctuated his explanation of the preliminary rules.

"Due to the unexpectedly high number of candidates remaining," Hayate explained between coughs, "we will hold one-on-one elimination matches. Winners advance to the final tournament one month from today."

An electronic board on the wall activated, names scrolling rapidly before settling on the first match:

SASUKE UCHIHA vs. YOROI AKADŌ

Naruto watched with growing unease as Sasuke stepped into the arena, the curse mark's dark energy visibly straining against whatever seal had been placed to contain it. Throughout the match, his teammate struggled not just against his opponent's chakra-draining technique, but against the corrupting influence attempting to consume him from within.

When Sasuke finally prevailed using a modified version of Lee's taijutsu, the visible effort it took to force the curse mark into submission left him collapsed and immediately removed from the arena by Kakashi.

The matches continued in rapid succession. Shino defeated Zaku through strategic use of his destruction beetles. Kankuro overpowered Misumi with his puppet technique. Sakura and Ino fought to a mutual knockout, neither advancing.

Through it all, Naruto waited impatiently, the shark tooth pendant growing steadily warmer against his skin. By the time the electronic board finally displayed his match—NARUTO UZUMAKI vs. KIBA INUZUKA—the tooth burned with almost painful intensity.

Show them, the now-familiar voice of the shark clan whispered through his consciousness. The time has come.

Kiba leapt into the arena with characteristic brashness, Akamaru yipping excitedly at his side. "Finally! An easy win!"

Naruto descended more deliberately, hyperaware of the audience surrounding them. Not just fellow genin but jonin instructors, proctors, and—most significantly—the Hokage himself observing from a raised platform. Whatever happened in this match would be witnessed by the village's highest authorities.

Exactly as the shark clan intended.

"Begin!" Hayate announced, jumping clear as Kiba immediately launched into his signature Fang Over Fang technique, transforming himself and Akamaru into twin drilling torpedoes that tore through the arena floor toward Naruto.

Instead of dodging, Naruto bit his thumb decisively, hands flashing through now-familiar signs as he slammed his bloodied palm against the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

The effect was instantaneous and dramatic. The arena's concrete floor liquefied beneath his palm, water erupting in a geyser that intercepted Kiba's attack mid-flight. The Inuzuka crashed through the liquid barrier, momentum disrupted as he tumbled awkwardly to a halt.

"What the—" Kiba's confusion turned to alarm as something materialized within the water column—a hammerhead shark approximately five feet long, its distinctive T-shaped head swiveling with unsettling precision as it studied the stunned audience.

Gasps and exclamations erupted from the spectators. Even Hayate momentarily forgot his role as proctor, staring openmouthed at the impossible apparition hovering in midair.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Naruto announced with undisguised satisfaction, "meet Tatsumi of the Abyss Clan!"

The hammerhead shark circled within its water sphere, electric blue markings pulsing along its flanks. You enjoy dramatic entrances, summoner, Tatsumi's mental voice carried a note of amusement. The audience's shock nourishes me. Their disorientation strengthens my abilities.

"That's a summoning animal?" Kiba scrambled to his feet, Akamaru growling defensively beside him. "Since when does the dead-last have a summoning contract?"

Instead of answering, Naruto grinned and made a simple hand sign. Tatsumi responded immediately, the water sphere expanding to encompass the entire fighting area in a fine, chakra-infused mist. Within this haze, the shark's markings began to pulse with increasing intensity.

The effect on Kiba was immediate and dramatic. The Inuzuka staggered, hands flying to his head as his enhanced senses betrayed him. Scents, sounds, and visual cues distorted unpredictably within Tatsumi's influence, rendering Kiba's greatest strengths into debilitating weaknesses.

"What... are you... doing?" Kiba growled through clenched teeth, eyes squeezed shut against sensory overload.

"Tatsumi specializes in disrupting sensory perception," Naruto explained, circling his disoriented opponent with newfound confidence. "For someone with enhanced senses like yours? It's particularly effective."

In the spectator area, alarmed conversations broke out among the jonin instructors. Naruto caught fragments of their urgent discussion:

"—shark summoning contract—" "—thought they were extinct after the Mist purges—" "—how did Uzumaki acquire—" "—dangerous connection—"

Exactly the reaction the shark clan had anticipated. Their existence, long hidden from the ninja world, now announced on the most public stage available. Whatever game they played extended far beyond a simple genin match.

Kiba hadn't surrendered to disorientation entirely. With a snarl of determination, he activated his Four Legs Technique, dropping to all fours as feral chakra enhanced his physical capabilities. "Akamaru! Formation B!"

The ninken transformed into a perfect copy of his master, and both launched into coordinated attacks that relied more on instinct than sensory input. It was an impressive adaptation—but not enough against Tatsumi's abilities.

The hammerhead shark's stripes flashed with blinding intensity. The mist condensed suddenly, forming liquid tendrils that intercepted both Kiba and Akamaru mid-leap. Within these water prisons, the shark circled with predatory grace, herding rather than attacking.

I have no quarrel with the dog-child or his companion, Tatsumi communicated to Naruto. Shall I render them unconscious or merely restrain them?

"Just hold them," Naruto decided. Defeating Kiba was necessary, but humiliating him served no purpose.

The shark complied, maintaining the water prisons while gradually reducing the disorienting sensory effects. After several minutes of futile struggle, Kiba finally admitted defeat, collapsing to his knees when released from the liquid restraint.

"Winner: Naruto Uzumaki!" Hayate announced, still eyeing the hovering shark with undisguised fascination.

As the match concluded, Tatsumi's water sphere began to contract, the shark's physical form gradually dissolving back into its element. The purpose is accomplished, summoner. They have seen us. They remember we exist. The currents shift as intended.

"Wait," Naruto whispered urgently. "What currents? What exactly are you planning?"

But the shark had already vanished, water splashing harmlessly to the arena floor as the last trace of the summon disappeared. The shark tooth pendant cooled against Naruto's chest, its mission apparently complete.

The aftermath was immediate and chaotic. As Naruto climbed the stairs back to the spectator area, he found himself surrounded not by his fellow genin but by jonin instructors—Kurenai, Asuma, and several ANBU operatives who materialized with alarming suddenness.

"Naruto Uzumaki," one masked ANBU stated flatly, "you will accompany us immediately for questioning regarding your unauthorized summoning contract."

"What? Why?" Naruto protested, searching the crowd for Kakashi's familiar silver hair. "There's no rule against summoning during the exams!"

"The issue isn't the technique but the specific contract," Asuma explained, unusually serious. "Shark summons have... historical significance that raises security concerns."

Before the confrontation could escalate further, a commanding voice cut through the tension.

"That will not be necessary." The Third Hokage descended from his observation platform, aged face unreadable as he studied Naruto. "Young Uzumaki will continue participating in the exams. His summoning, while unexpected, breaks no regulations."

The ANBU hesitated visibly. "Lord Hokage, protocol dictates—"

"I am well aware of the protocols regarding extinct summoning contracts," the Hokage interrupted smoothly. "And I am choosing to override them in this instance." His gaze remained fixed on Naruto with unsettling intensity. "However, Naruto will join me for tea immediately following the conclusion of today's matches. We have much to discuss."

Relief and apprehension warred within Naruto as the ANBU reluctantly withdrew. A private meeting with the Hokage meant he wasn't being arrested—but also guaranteed difficult questions about the contract's origin.

Questions he wasn't entirely sure he could answer truthfully without violating whatever agenda the shark clan pursued.

The remaining preliminary matches proceeded with an undercurrent of tension following Naruto's dramatic revelation. Gaara's brutal defeat of Lee cast a pall over the proceedings, but couldn't entirely dispel the whispered conversations about shark summons and their historical significance.

Most intriguing was Gaara's reaction. Throughout the remaining matches, the Sand genin's attention remained fixed on Naruto with unwavering focus. Those ringed eyes studied him with a mixture of calculation and something almost like... recognition.

As the preliminaries concluded and participants dispersed to recover before the finals, Gaara intercepted Naruto in an empty corridor.

"You," the redhead stated in that emotionless monotone, "are like me."

Naruto tensed, acutely aware of being alone with the unstable Sand ninja who had nearly killed Lee. "What do you mean?"

"You contain something powerful," Gaara continued, stepping closer. "Something ancient. Something that speaks to you when others cannot hear."

The shark tooth pendant warmed against Naruto's chest—not with warning but with curiosity. Whatever the sharks sensed in Gaara, it wasn't perceived as a threat.

"And your new allies," Gaara's eyes dropped to where the pendant lay hidden beneath Naruto's jumpsuit, "they recognize what dwells within us both. They are... drawn to it."

Before Naruto could formulate a response, sand swirled around Gaara's feet. "We will meet again in the finals," the Sand ninja stated with absolute certainty. "Then we will see whose monster is stronger—yours or mine."

With that cryptic declaration, Gaara vanished in a swirl of sand, leaving Naruto alone in the corridor with a growing sense of unease. The implication was clear—somehow, Gaara knew about the Nine-Tails. Worse, he believed the shark summons were connected to Naruto's status as a jinchūriki.

Was he right? Had the Abyss Clan chosen Naruto precisely because of the tailed beast he contained?

The pendant offered no answers, merely a steady warmth that neither confirmed nor denied Gaara's assessment.

A gentle hand on his shoulder startled Naruto from his thoughts. He turned to find Sakura, her expression a complex mixture of concern and newfound respect.

"That was..." she hesitated, searching for the right word, "impressive. Terrifying, but impressive."

Naruto managed a weak smile. "Yeah, Tatsumi tends to have that effect."

"The rumors are spreading already," Sakura informed him, falling into step beside him as they moved through the tower corridors. "I've heard everything from you being secretly trained by Mist ninja to making a deal with water demons."

"Let them talk," Naruto replied with more bravado than he felt. "Better than being ignored."

Sakura's hand moved unconsciously to her own hidden pendant. "My... connection... feels different after your match. Stronger somehow. Like it's more awake."

The observation sent a chill down Naruto's spine. Whatever purpose the shark clan had in revealing themselves publicly, it clearly extended beyond simple recognition. Something had been activated or accelerated by today's events—something that involved not just Naruto but Sakura as well.

"The Hokage wants to meet with me," he said, changing the subject. "About the summoning contract."

"Be careful what you reveal," Sakura cautioned immediately. "We still don't know enough about the shark clan's motives or why they chose you specifically."

Her strategic mind had already grasped the complex political implications—something Naruto tended to overlook in favor of more direct approaches.

"What should I tell him?" he asked, genuinely uncertain.

Sakura considered the question with the seriousness it deserved. "The truth, but not all of it. Tell him you found the contract by accident. Don't mention the cave specifically—keep the location vague. And definitely don't tell him about my pendant unless he asks directly."

"What about the sharks' connection to the Nine-Tails? Gaara seemed to think—"

"Absolutely not," Sakura interrupted firmly. "That creates too many security concerns. The moment they think your summons might influence or interact with the Nine-Tails, they'll restrict your access to the contract completely."

She wasn't wrong. The village authorities already watched Naruto with perpetual suspicion regarding the tailed beast he contained. Adding an unknown summoning clan with unclear motives and mysterious powers would only intensify that scrutiny.

They reached the tower's main exit, where Sakura would return to the village while Naruto headed toward his meeting with the Hokage. Before they parted, she fixed him with an unusually serious gaze.

"Naruto, whatever happens next—whatever the sharks are planning—we're a team. Don't try to handle everything alone."

The sentiment struck deeper than she likely intended. Throughout his life, Naruto had faced most challenges in isolation, relying on his own stubbornness and the Nine-Tails' involuntary power to survive. Having teammates who genuinely cared about his wellbeing remained a novel experience.

"I won't," he promised, and meant it.

As Sakura departed, Naruto turned toward the Hokage's temporary office within the tower. The shark tooth pendant pulsed gently against his skin—not with warning or urgency but with something that felt almost like satisfaction.

The first ripples had spread across the surface of the ninja world. Whatever tidal changes the Abyss Clan anticipated, they had begun in earnest with today's revelation.

And Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage and accidental catalyst, stood at the epicenter of forces he was only beginning to comprehend.