What If Hagoromo Trains Naruto for the Chunin Exams

The moon hung impossibly large over Konoha, its silvery light bleeding through Naruto's curtains and painting his small apartment in ghostly hues. He tossed in his sleep, sheets tangling around his legs like hungry serpents. Inside his mindscape, something ancient stirred.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Naruto's eyes snapped open to the familiar flooded corridor of his inner realm. The pipes overhead groaned with the weight of chakra, but instead of the oppressive red glow that normally permeated this place, a strange white-gold light pulsed through the metal veins, beckoning him forward.

"Weird," he muttered, splashing through ankle-deep water toward the light. "This isn't the stupid fox's doing."

The corridor widened unexpectedly, and where the Nine-Tails' cage should have been, Naruto found himself standing on what appeared to be the surface of a lake that stretched infinitely in all directions. Above him, the sky swirled with galaxies and constellations he'd never seen before.

"Naruto Uzumaki." The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, resonating not just in his ears but through his entire being.

A figure materialized before him—floating cross-legged above the water's surface. An elderly man with pale, wrinkled skin and strange protrusions from his head that resembled horns. His eyes were the most captivating feature—concentric ripples that seemed to contain universes within them.

"Who the heck are you, old man? And how'd you get in here? This place is usually the fox's territory."

The stranger's lips curved into a gentle smile. "I am Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. Though some have called me the Sage of Six Paths."

Naruto squinted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Never heard of you."

"I am not surprised. My story has faded into myth over the centuries." Hagoromo uncrossed his legs and descended until his feet touched the water's surface, creating no ripples. "I have been watching you, Naruto Uzumaki, since the moment of your birth. You carry not only the Nine-Tails within you but also the hopes of a world that has forgotten its way."

"Look, if this is about the fox—"

"This is about far more than just the Nine-Tails, though he is part of it." Hagoromo raised a hand, and suddenly the water beneath them transformed into a swirling vortex of images—Naruto fighting Mizuki, standing against Zabuza, protecting his friends on the bridge in the Land of Waves.

"A storm approaches, Naruto. Events have been set in motion that threaten not just your village, but the very fabric of peace in this world. And you are not ready."

Naruto bristled. "Hey! I'm plenty ready! I've been training hard and—"

"You have heart," Hagoromo interrupted, his rippled eyes softening. "More heart than perhaps any soul I have witnessed in a thousand years. But heart alone will not be enough for what is coming."

The water-screen showed a flash of a pale face with serpentine eyes, a glimpse of red clouds on black cloaks, and finally, the shattered ruins of what looked horrifyingly like Konoha.

"What... what is all this?" Naruto whispered, his brashness momentarily silenced.

"Possibilities. Shadows of what may come." Hagoromo's staff tapped once against the water, and the images vanished. "You face the Chunin Exams soon, do you not?"

Naruto nodded, surprised. "Yeah. Kakashi-sensei just entered our team."

"It is there that the first threads of this dark tapestry begin to weave together." Hagoromo stared intently at Naruto. "I have never interfered directly in the affairs of the living since my death, but the confluence of forces aligning against you and what you represent has compelled me to break my own rule."

"What are you saying, old man?"

"I am saying, Naruto Uzumaki, that I wish to train you. To prepare you not just for these exams, but for the role you must play in the salvation of this world."

Naruto's mouth fell open. "You... train me? But you're, like, inside my head or something, right? How's that gonna work?"

Hagoromo chuckled, and the sound resonated through Naruto's body like the gentle toll of a massive bell. "Time flows differently here, in the space between spaces. What might be a month of training in this realm could pass as a single night in your waking world."

"So I could get super strong overnight?" Naruto's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"It is not quite so simple. Your spirit may learn here, but your physical body must still adapt to the knowledge and power you gain. That will take time and practice in the waking world. But yes, you would have an advantage few could comprehend."

Naruto paced across the water, his mind racing. "Why me? I mean, I know I'm gonna be Hokage someday, but there are loads of stronger ninja out there right now."

Hagoromo's expression grew solemn. "Because, Naruto Uzumaki, you are the child of prophecy. The confluence of bloodlines, circumstances, and most importantly, the purity of your spirit has marked you as the one who might break the cycle of hatred that has plagued this world since my own sons began it."

"Child of prophecy? That sounds... heavy."

"It is. Which is why I offer you a choice." Hagoromo extended his hand. "Take my offer of training, and I will show you truths about yourself, the world, and the power that sleeps within you that would otherwise take decades to discover. Or refuse, and continue on the path you currently walk. Either way, destiny will find you."

The water beneath them rippled suddenly, and a massive red eye opened in the depths—the Nine-Tails, watching, listening.

"What about him?" Naruto asked, gesturing toward the submerged presence.

"Kurama and I are... old acquaintances. His cooperation would be beneficial but is not required."

"Kurama? The fox has a name?"

A rumbling growl vibrated through the water. "The old man talks too much," came a deep, resonant voice from below.

Hagoromo smiled. "All beings deserve the dignity of their true name, Kurama. Even you."

Naruto looked between the ancient sage and the churning water concealing the Nine-Tails. Then, with characteristic decisiveness, he thrust his hand forward to grasp Hagoromo's.

"Alright, Sage guy. Let's do this! Train me to be the strongest ninja ever!"

The moment their hands touched, the water world around them exploded into fragments of light that swirled into a vortex of cosmic energy. Naruto felt himself being pulled into a realm of pure knowledge and power that defied comprehension.

The last thing he heard before his consciousness fully transferred to this new plane was Hagoromo's voice:

"So it begins."

Dawn broke over Konoha with unusual brilliance, shafts of gold piercing through Naruto's window like celestial spears. His eyes snapped open, body jackknifing upright with such force that his blanket flew across the room.

"Holy crap!" he gasped, clutching his head as memories flooded in—not memories of dreams, but of training. Endless training. Hagoromo's teachings compressed into what felt like years of instruction, all crammed into a single night.

He staggered to his feet, legs trembling beneath him. His reflection in the bathroom mirror stopped him cold—same blond hair, same blue eyes, same whisker marks—but something was different. A subtle luminescence seemed to radiate from beneath his skin, and when he channeled the slightest bit of chakra, he could see tiny golden particles dancing around his fingertips.

"Did that really happen?" he whispered.

It did, came Hagoromo's voice, unexpectedly clear in his mind. Though our most intensive training occurred in the spiritual plane, I remain connected to you. Think of me as... a passenger, for now.

"You're in my head? All the time?" Naruto blurted out loud.

Only when necessary. Your privacy remains your own. I will guide you through implementing what you've learned and help you navigate the challenges ahead.

Naruto exhaled loudly, bracing himself against the sink. "So all that stuff you showed me—chakra control, those weird symbols, the history lessons—I need to actually practice that stuff now?"

Yes. Your spirit has absorbed the knowledge, but your physical form must adapt to it. Begin with the breathing techniques I taught you. They will help align your chakra network with the new pathways we've established.

Naruto nodded, moving to the center of his cluttered apartment. He sat cross-legged on the floor, hands forming the unique mudra Hagoromo had shown him—not quite a standard hand sign, but something older, more primal.

His breathing slowed, deepened. On each exhale, he visualized his chakra flowing not just through the standard pathways, but through the refined network Hagoromo had mapped within him—channels that connected more directly to nature energy without requiring the stillness of Sage Mode.

As he breathed, something extraordinary happened. The plants on his windowsill—mostly neglected, half-dead things—suddenly straightened, leaves unfurling with renewed vigor. Dust particles in the air began to glow and orbit around him in lazy spirals.

A knock at the door shattered his concentration.

"Naruto! We're going to be late for team meeting!" Sakura's impatient voice cut through his wooden door.

"Coming!" he called, scrambling to his feet. He grabbed his orange jumpsuit, then hesitated.

The weights, Hagoromo reminded him. Attach them as I showed you.

Naruto nodded, pulling out four seemingly ordinary strips of cloth from under his bed. Hagoromo had instructed him to prepare these physical items before their training began. He wrapped them around his wrists and ankles, forming a specific seal with his chakra. Instantly, he felt the weight kick in—not lead or metal, but compressed gravitational chakra, invisible to anyone else.

"This is gonna take some getting used to," he muttered, already feeling the strain as he moved toward the door.

Begin with thirty percent capacity. Increase by five percent each day. Your body must adapt gradually.

Sakura was mid-knock when he yanked the door open, nearly causing her to stumble forward.

"Finally! What were you—" She stopped, blinked, and leaned closer to peer at his face. "Naruto? Are you okay? You look... different."

He grinned, scratching the back of his head. "Just had a really good night's sleep! Ready for training?"

She continued to stare suspiciously as they walked. "Did you do something to your hair? Or... I don't know, you just seem—"

"Sakura! Naruto!" Sasuke's voice called from ahead. He stood at their usual meeting bridge, arms crossed, expression characteristically impatient.

The moment Naruto laid eyes on his rival, a shock of awareness coursed through him. With his newly sensitized chakra perception—a gift from Hagoromo's training—he could sense something dark and foreign embedded in Sasuke's chakra network, concentrated around his neck.

The cursed seal, Hagoromo's voice confirmed in his mind. Orochimaru's corrupt influence has already taken root. This is earlier than in the timelines I observed.

"Orochimaru?" Naruto whispered under his breath.

A fallen student of the Third Hokage. His ambitions mirror those of my son Indra at his worst. He covets the Uchiha's eyes and seeks to corrupt Sasuke's path.

Naruto's steps faltered as they approached the bridge. The implications were staggering. According to Hagoromo's teachings, Sasuke was the reincarnation of Indra, while Naruto himself carried Asura's spiritual energy—the eternal rivals, brothers locked in conflict across generations.

"Hey! Earth to Naruto!" Sakura waved her hand in front of his face. "What's wrong with you today? You're spacing out worse than usual."

"Sorry," he mumbled, forcing his attention back to the present. "Just thinking about the Chunin Exams."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly. "Since when do you think ahead?"

The old Naruto would have exploded at the insult, but the night's training had altered more than just his chakra. He simply shrugged, a small smile playing at his lips. "People change."

Before either teammate could respond, a swirl of leaves announced Kakashi's arrival. The silver-haired jonin appeared on the bridge railing, his visible eye curved in a smile. "Sorry I'm late. A black cat crossed my path, so I had to—"

"LIAR!" Sakura shouted automatically.

Kakashi paused, his eye falling on Naruto with subtle intensity. "Interesting," he murmured, so quietly that only Naruto's enhanced senses caught it.

He notices the change in your chakra signature, Hagoromo observed. Kakashi Hatake has a sharper perception than most.

"Well," Kakashi continued brightly, hopping down from the railing, "since the Chunin Exams start tomorrow, I thought we'd have a light training session today. Just some sparring to keep you loose."

Naruto's heart raced. This would be his first opportunity to test his new abilities in the physical world.

"Sasuke, Naruto—you two first," Kakashi directed, gesturing to an open area beside the bridge. "Taijutsu only, no ninjutsu or weapons."

As they took their positions opposite each other, Sasuke smirked. "Try to make this interesting, loser."

Naruto just smiled, settling into a stance that was definitely not his usual wild brawler's posture. This was the First Celestial Breathing Stance that Hagoromo had drilled into him—feet positioned precisely shoulder-width apart, weight distributed evenly, hands open rather than clenched.

Sasuke's smirk faltered slightly at the unfamiliar stance.

"Begin!" Kakashi called.

Sasuke launched forward with impressive speed, aiming a high kick at Naruto's head—a move that would normally connect or force Naruto into a clumsy dodge.

But Naruto didn't dodge. He barely seemed to move at all. One moment Sasuke's foot was hurtling toward his face, the next it was passing through empty air as Naruto shifted just enough for the attack to miss by millimeters.

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock, leaving him momentarily off-balance. Naruto could have counterattacked then—Hagoromo's training had shown him precisely where to strike—but he hesitated, still adjusting to his new capabilities.

That hesitation gave Sasuke time to recover. He spun, launching a flurry of punches and kicks that would have overwhelmed the old Naruto. But now, each attack seemed to move in slow motion. Naruto weaved between them with an effortless grace that belied the weight seals hampering his movement.

"What the hell?" Sasuke growled, frustration building as none of his attacks connected.

From the sidelines, Kakashi lowered his book, his full attention now on the spar. Sakura stood beside him, mouth slightly open in disbelief.

Now, Hagoromo instructed. Show a fraction of your offensive capability. Remember—restraint.

Naruto nodded almost imperceptibly, then shifted from pure defense to offense in the space between heartbeats. He moved inside Sasuke's guard with a burst of speed that left an afterimage, his open palm striking Sasuke's sternum with precisely controlled force.

The impact was minimal—just enough to push Sasuke back several feet without causing pain—but the technique was flawless. A perfect application of the Gentle Palm Flow, a taijutsu style that predated even the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist.

Sasuke skidded backward, eyes wide with disbelief. Then anger flashed across his features, and his hands instinctively began forming seals despite Kakashi's rules.

"That's enough," Kakashi intervened, appearing between them in an instant. His eye moved from Sasuke to Naruto, calculating. "Impressive, Naruto. You've been holding out on us."

Naruto scratched the back of his head, attempting to look casual. "Just got lucky, I guess."

"Luck doesn't explain that stance or that palm strike," Kakashi countered, his tone light but his gaze intense. "Those aren't Academy techniques."

Careful, Hagoromo cautioned. Reveal too much too quickly, and you'll draw unwanted attention before you're ready to handle it.

"I, uh, found some old scrolls," Naruto improvised. "Been practicing at night sometimes."

Kakashi seemed skeptical but didn't press further. "Well, whatever you're doing, keep it up. But remember—teamwork remains our priority. New skills are only valuable when they support your comrades."

Relief washed over Naruto at the subject change. "Right! Teamwork!"

As they continued training, Naruto carefully modulated his performance—showing improvement but nothing as dramatic as that first exchange with Sasuke. Yet he couldn't help noticing how Sasuke's expression had darkened, the cursed seal on his neck pulsing almost imperceptibly with each frustrated glance thrown Naruto's way.

The seal feeds on negative emotions, Hagoromo explained. Your sudden improvement threatens his self-image as the team's prodigy. This could accelerate Orochimaru's corruption.

"So what do I do?" Naruto whispered when the others weren't looking.

For now, observe. The time to act will come soon enough. Tonight, we continue your training. The Forest of Death holds greater dangers than you know.

As the sun began its descent toward the horizon, casting long shadows across the training ground, Naruto felt a strange certainty settle in his bones. The Chunin Exams looming tomorrow weren't just a promotion opportunity anymore—they were the first battlefield in a war he was only beginning to understand.

And somewhere, in the shadows between worlds, ancient eyes were watching with growing interest.

Night fell over Konoha like a heavy curtain, bringing with it an unnatural stillness. The usual symphony of nocturnal insects had gone silent, as if the very creatures of the forest sensed something amiss in the air.

In his apartment, Naruto sat cross-legged on the floor, eleven perfect shadow clones arranged in a circle around him. Each clone maintained the exact same meditative pose, breathing in synchronized rhythm. This was no ordinary shadow clone training.

The Celestial Mirror Formation, Hagoromo directed. Each clone must maintain perfect harmony while executing a different chakra control exercise.

Sweat beaded on Naruto's forehead as he mentally assigned each clone a specific task—one manipulating water in a bowl without touching it, another compressing air between its palms until it glowed, a third drawing intricate seal patterns with pure chakra.

In the physical realm, only hours had passed since their training began, but in the spiritual plane where Hagoromo's consciousness guided him, Naruto had experienced what felt like months of instruction.

"I still don't get why I need to learn all this fancy chakra control," Naruto grumbled, even as his clones executed their tasks with increasing precision. "Couldn't you just teach me some super-powerful jutsu to blast through the exams?"

Power without understanding is like a kunai without a handle—dangerous primarily to its wielder, Hagoromo responded. The techniques I will teach you require a foundation unlike anything modern shinobi build upon. Your enormous chakra reserves have allowed you to brute-force techniques despite poor control. We are reengineering that foundation entirely.

One of the clones lost concentration, its water exercise collapsing into a puddle. The disruption rippled through the formation, causing three other clones to falter.

"Damn it!" Naruto growled.

Again, Hagoromo instructed calmly. Perfection is not the goal. Improvement is.

As Naruto reset the formation, a flicker of movement at his window caught his attention. A small messenger toad clung to the glass, its webbed foot tapping impatiently.

"One of Pervy Sage's?" Naruto wondered aloud, dispelling his clones to approach the window.

The moment he opened it, the toad hopped inside, regurgitated a tiny scroll onto his floor, and disappeared in a puff of smoke without a word.

Naruto unfurled the damp scroll cautiously.

Suspicious, Hagoromo noted. Jiraiya's toads typically deliver messages verbally, not in written form.

The message was brief, written in a hasty scrawl: "Training Ground 44, sector 7, midnight. Come alone. Information about the seal. -J"

"Pervy Sage wants to meet in the Forest of Death? That's weird."

This is not from Jiraiya, Hagoromo stated with certainty. It's a trap.

Naruto frowned. "How can you be sure?"

The chakra residue on the scroll carries traces of snake essence, not toad. And Jiraiya would never sign with just an initial—it lacks the dramatic flair he's known for.

"So someone's trying to lure me out there. The night before the exams start." Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Orochimaru?"

Possibly. Or one of his agents. Either way, this presents an opportunity.

"An opportunity to get ambushed?"

An opportunity to confront a threat on your terms, rather than being surprised by it tomorrow. But we must prepare properly.

For the next hour, Naruto worked under Hagoromo's guidance to create something he'd never attempted before—a chakra doppelgänger. Unlike a shadow clone, this construct would contain only the barest fraction of his consciousness, designed to fool even sensor-type ninja into believing it was the real Naruto.

Meanwhile, the real Naruto would be employing one of Hagoromo's most ancient techniques: the Celestial Cloak, a method of bending light and chakra around the body to become virtually undetectable.

"This is so much harder than regular clones," Naruto muttered as his hands formed the thirty-second hand seal in the complex sequence.

Modern ninjutsu has sacrificed subtlety for efficiency, Hagoromo explained. These older techniques require more preparation but are far less detectable to contemporary sensing methods.

By eleven-thirty, Naruto was ready. His doppelgänger—a perfect replica down to the chakra signature—headed toward Training Ground 44 via the main paths, deliberately making enough noise to be noticed.

The real Naruto, wrapped in the Celestial Cloak that rendered him nearly invisible, took to the rooftops, racing ahead to reach the meeting point first and conceal himself in the canopy above.

The Forest of Death lived up to its name even at night. Massive trees towered overhead, their gnarled branches creating a dense ceiling that blocked most of the moonlight. Unfamiliar sounds echoed through the darkness—the slithering of enormous serpents, the chittering of insects large enough to devour small mammals, the occasional screech of predators claiming victims.

Sector 7 was a small clearing containing the ruins of what might have once been a guard outpost. Now, only crumbling stone foundations remained, partially reclaimed by the forest's aggressive vegetation.

Naruto settled into position on a high branch overlooking the clearing, his Celestial Cloak causing the very air around him to distort slightly.

Expand your senses as I taught you, Hagoromo instructed. Feel for chakra signatures.

Naruto closed his eyes, extending his awareness beyond physical sight. The technique was similar to a sensor-type's ability, but with a crucial difference—where most sensors detected chakra like radar pings, Hagoromo's method allowed Naruto to experience the very nature of the chakra he sensed.

The forest bloomed in his mind's eye—every living thing glowing with distinctive energy signatures. Animals burned bright with primal, uncomplicated chakra. Plants pulsed with slow, steady rhythms.

And there—approaching from the east—a human signature. No, not quite human. The chakra writhed and twisted unnaturally, like thousands of tiny snakes coiling around a central core of dark, pulsating energy.

Orochimaru, Hagoromo confirmed gravely. One of the most corrupted souls I have witnessed in this era. He has twisted natural law through forbidden techniques, attempting to cheat death itself.

"What's he want with me? I thought he was after Sasuke."

The Nine-Tails, perhaps. Or he may have sensed the change in your chakra and grown curious. Regardless, observe carefully. Knowledge of one's enemy is as valuable as any technique.

Minutes passed in tense silence. Then, right on schedule, Naruto's doppelgänger entered the clearing, looking appropriately cautious but determined.

A figure materialized from the shadows—not wearing the face of the legendary Sannin, but that of a Genin from another village. Despite the disguise, Naruto could see the twisted chakra signature writhing beneath the human facade.

"Ah, Naruto-kun. How punctual." The disguised Orochimaru's voice held a sibilant quality, like dry scales sliding against stone. "I was concerned you might ignore my invitation."

The doppelgänger crossed its arms, maintaining a safe distance. "Cut the crap. You're not Pervy Sage. Who are you, and what do you want?"

A low chuckle escaped the disguised ninja. "Perceptive. I'd heard you were rather... slow-witted." The figure's head tilted, studying the doppelgänger with unsettling intensity. "But something's changed about you recently, hasn't it? Your chakra has... evolved."

From his hidden position, the real Naruto tensed. Even in disguise, Orochimaru had detected the alterations to his energy signature.

Remain calm, Hagoromo cautioned. The doppelgänger is performing its role perfectly.

The doppelgänger shifted into a defensive stance. "I don't know what you're talking about. What do you want?"

"Want?" The disguised Orochimaru smiled, revealing teeth that seemed too sharp for a human mouth. "To satisfy my curiosity, primarily. You see, I've had my eye on your little team for some time—particularly the Uchiha, of course. But lately..." He took a step forward, and the air around him seemed to distort slightly. "Lately, I've detected something fascinating emanating from you. An ancient chakra that shouldn't exist in this era."

The doppelgänger maintained its composure, but the real Naruto felt a chill race down his spine. Orochimaru could sense Hagoromo's influence.

"I'm just a genin," the doppelgänger insisted. "Nothing special."

"Oh, we both know that's not true, Naruto-kun. You've always been special—the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. But this..." Orochimaru raised one hand, forming a seal Naruto didn't recognize. "This is different. Let's have a closer look, shall we?"

What happened next unfolded in microseconds. The disguised Orochimaru's neck elongated impossibly, his head shooting toward the doppelgänger with fangs extended. Simultaneously, a second Orochimaru—this one undisguised—burst from the treeline behind the doppelgänger, hands already completing a different jutsu.

A shadow clone, Hagoromo noted with interest. He anticipated deception.

The doppelgänger reacted exactly as programmed—attempting to evade but deliberately leaving an opening. The second Orochimaru's palm slammed into its back, fingers glowing with eerie purple chakra.

"Five-Element Unseal!" he cried.

The technique struck the doppelgänger, which reacted with a convincing show of pain before collapsing to its knees. But instead of disrupting the Nine-Tails' seal as intended, the jutsu simply passed through the construct, causing it to flicker momentarily.

Both Orochimarus froze, realization dawning in their serpentine eyes.

"A decoy," the original hissed, scanning the surroundings. "But not a shadow clone. Something more... elaborate."

From his hidden position, Naruto prepared to flee. The ruse had served its purpose—revealing Orochimaru's interest and tactics without exposing himself to actual danger.

Wait, Hagoromo cautioned. Watch how he responds. This will reveal much about his methods and priorities.

The doppelgänger began to dissolve, its form breaking down into particles of golden light rather than the smoke of a standard shadow clone. Orochimaru's eyes widened at the sight, genuine surprise crossing his features.

"Fascinating," he whispered, catching some of the dissolving light particles in his palm. "This technique... it resembles the Creation of All Things style. But that's impossible unless..." His gaze sharpened, scanning the forest canopy with new intensity. "Unless he's found a connection to..."

Orochimaru suddenly bit his thumb, slamming his palm to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"

A massive snake erupted from the earth, its body as thick as a tree trunk, scales gleaming darkly in the moonlight. Orochimaru leaped onto its head, forming a rapid series of hand signs.

"Find him," he commanded. "That chakra signature cannot hide from your senses."

The snake's tongue flicked out, tasting the air. Its massive head began to swing toward Naruto's hiding spot.

Now we depart, Hagoromo decided. You've gathered enough intelligence.

Naruto prepared to retreat, but at that moment, a new chakra signature burst into his awareness—familiar, powerful, and approaching fast.

A blur of movement, and suddenly a white-haired figure stood between Orochimaru's snake and the trees where Naruto hid.

"Fancy meeting you here, old friend," Jiraiya said, his usual jovial tone hardened to steel. "Sending fake messages in my name? That's low, even for you."

Orochimaru's face split into a mirthless smile. "Jiraiya. Always interfering at the most inopportune moments." His eyes flickered toward Naruto's hiding place. "We'll have to continue our discussion another time, Naruto-kun. I know you're watching."

With that, he and his snake dissolved into mud, a substitution jutsu placing him far from the clearing.

Jiraiya remained tense for several moments before calling out: "You can come out now, kid. He's gone—for real this time."

Naruto hesitated.

You can trust Jiraiya, Hagoromo assured him. But be cautious about how much you reveal. Even allies may not understand the path you must walk.

Naruto released the Celestial Cloak, dropping lightly to the ground before Jiraiya. The Sannin's eyes widened slightly at the technique.

"That's some cloaking jutsu, Naruto. Definitely not Academy standard." Jiraiya crossed his arms, studying him with newfound intensity. "Want to explain why Orochimaru's suddenly taken an interest in you? And how you created that doppelgänger? That wasn't any shadow clone technique I've ever seen."

Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "I've been... training differently lately."

"Differently how? And with whom?" Jiraiya's tone made it clear he wouldn't accept evasion.

A partial truth, Hagoromo suggested. Jiraiya is a valuable ally whose support you will need.

Naruto took a deep breath. "I found some old scrolls about advanced clone techniques and chakra control. With the Chunin Exams coming up, I wanted to get stronger."

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed skeptically. "Scrolls that happen to contain techniques that haven't been seen since the Sage of Six Paths era? Try again, kid."

Naruto's shock must have shown on his face because Jiraiya's expression softened slightly.

"I've been around a long time, studied more forbidden jutsu than most people know exist. That golden chakra signature, the way your doppelgänger dissolved—those aren't techniques found in any scroll accessible to genin. Not even to most jonin."

He will not let this go, Hagoromo observed. Jiraiya's knowledge is more extensive than I anticipated.

Naruto hesitated, then decided on a bolder approach. "What if I told you I've been getting... dreams? Training dreams, with someone showing me these techniques?"

Jiraiya's eyes sharpened with sudden intensity. "Someone like who?"

"An old man with weird eyes. Ripple eyes."

The blood drained from Jiraiya's face. "The Rinnegan," he whispered, almost to himself. Then, more firmly: "We need to talk, Naruto. But not here. Orochimaru may be gone, but his spies are everywhere."

As they leaped through the trees back toward the village, Naruto felt a strange mix of apprehension and relief. Jiraiya's reaction confirmed Hagoromo's significance in a way that made this all feel more real—more consequential.

Jiraiya was Nagato's teacher, Hagoromo explained as they traveled. And Nagato possessed the Rinnegan. This connects Jiraiya to my legacy more directly than most living ninja.

"Is that good or bad for us?" Naruto whispered.

Both, perhaps. His knowledge could provide valuable context for your training. But too much interference from outside sources could disrupt the delicate path we must walk.

They arrived at a small, nondescript apartment that Naruto assumed belonged to Jiraiya. The Sannin activated several security seals before gesturing for Naruto to sit.

"Start at the beginning," Jiraiya said gravely. "And don't leave anything out."

Naruto looked to Hagoromo for guidance.

Tell him of our connection, but not of the prophecy or the future visions, the Sage advised. Some burdens are yours alone to bear.

And so, in the quiet apartment with moonlight streaming through half-drawn curtains, Naruto began to explain his encounter with the legendary Sage of Six Paths—knowing that with each word, the path ahead grew both clearer and more dangerous.

Outside, unseen by either of them, a white snake slithered across the windowsill, its eyes gleaming with unnatural intelligence as it listened to every word.

The examination room buzzed with tension as genin from every hidden village sized each other up. Naruto sat between Sasuke and Sakura, his posture relaxed despite the weighted seals still active beneath his sleeves and pant legs. After his conversation with Jiraiya the previous night, he'd barely had time for sleep, let alone additional training.

Yet he felt more prepared than he could have imagined just days ago.

Remember, Hagoromo's voice echoed in his mind, the written portion of this exam is designed to test more than knowledge. It tests one's ability to gather intelligence undetected.

"I get it," Naruto whispered under his breath. "Cheating without getting caught."

Sakura shot him a confused look. "What are you muttering about?"

"Nothing!" he replied quickly. "Just, uh, giving myself a pep talk."

Across the room, Ibiki Morino, the examiner, finished distributing the test papers, his scarred face set in a permanent scowl. "You have one hour. Begin!"

Naruto flipped over his paper and immediately understood why Hagoromo had warned him. These questions were far beyond genin level—some even beyond what most chunin would know.

You could answer these conventionally, Hagoromo noted. Our training included much of this tactical information. But the true test is in demonstrating information-gathering skills.

Naruto glanced around subtly. All around him, genin were employing their unique abilities to cheat—Sasuke using his Sharingan to copy another examinee's pencil movements, Hinata activating her Byakugan, Gaara forming a third eye of sand.

Use the Whisper of Ages technique, Hagoromo suggested. It will allow you to perceive the knowledge being accessed by others without them detecting you.

Naruto formed a single, subtle hand sign beneath the desk, channeling chakra to his eyes in a pattern Hagoromo had taught him. The world around him shifted—not visually, but perceptually. Suddenly, he could see faint trails of chakra connecting various examinees to the sources of their answers, like glowing threads in a complex web.

It wasn't mind-reading exactly. Rather, it allowed him to perceive the pathways of information—which examinee was accessing which knowledge, and from where.

His gaze settled on a chunin plant several rows ahead—one of the ringers placed to provide correct answers. Following the threads of chakra, Naruto could see multiple genin tapping into this source. With delicate precision, he extended his own awareness along those same pathways, absorbing the knowledge without disrupting the other connections.

The answers flowed into his mind effortlessly, and he began writing, careful to paraphrase rather than copy exactly. No point in making it obvious he'd cheated from the same source as others.

Halfway through the test, something unexpected happened. A flicker of dark, writhing chakra caught his enhanced perception—something slithering beneath the floorboards. Naruto's pencil paused mid-word.

Orochimaru is watching, Hagoromo confirmed. His techniques allow him to project his consciousness through small animal vessels.

"What should I do?" Naruto thought back, careful not to speak aloud this time.

Continue as planned. Show enough skill to pass, but not enough to draw undue attention. The serpent seeks to understand your new abilities. Give it something to see, but not everything.

Naruto nodded imperceptibly, resuming his work. He deliberately left one question blank and answered another with partial information—enough to pass, but not to stand out as exceptional.

As the hour drew to a close, Ibiki announced the final question—the true test of courage disguised as an ultimatum. Naruto almost laughed at the familiar scenario. This time, instead of his impulsive outburst from the original timeline, he remained calm, steady in his resolve.

When Ibiki finally revealed the deception and passed those who remained, Naruto caught Sakura staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

"You're different," she said simply. "The old Naruto would have been yelling and making a scene through that whole test. But you just sat there... confident."

Before he could respond, the window exploded inward as Anko Mitarashi made her dramatic entrance. The purple-haired special jonin grinned maniacally as she announced the next phase of the exam—the Forest of Death.

She doesn't know it yet, Hagoromo observed, but she carries a fragment of Orochimaru's chakra in her curse mark. We must be cautious around her.

As they filed out toward Training Ground 44, Naruto felt a presence fall into step beside him. Hinata Hyuga walked with her head slightly bowed, fingertips pressed together nervously.

"N-Naruto-kun," she began hesitantly. "I... I just wanted to wish you good luck."

With his enhanced perception, Naruto could see her chakra pulsing with genuine affection—something he'd been oblivious to before Hagoromo's training. The realization made him smile warmly.

"Thanks, Hinata! You too! You're gonna do great, I know it."

Her cheeks flushed crimson at his unexpected encouragement, but before she could respond, a hand clamped onto Naruto's shoulder. He turned to find Kiba scowling at him.

"What's with you, Naruto? You smell... different." The Inuzuka's nose twitched suspiciously. "Akamaru says you smell like you've been near something ancient."

The sensory abilities of the Inuzuka clan are more acute than I anticipated, Hagoromo noted with concern. We must be more careful about masking our combined chakra signature.

"Just trying some new ramen flavors," Naruto deflected with a grin. "Special training diet!"

Kiba seemed unconvinced but was distracted when Anko began explaining the rules for the Forest of Death challenge. As she distributed consent forms, Naruto's enhanced senses picked up an unusual chakra signature approaching—disguised, but vaguely familiar.

A Grass ninja with unnaturally long hair slithered through the crowd, pausing briefly behind Sasuke. The moment their proximity registered, Naruto's suspicions crystallized.

Orochimaru, Hagoromo confirmed. He's disguised his chakra skillfully, but cannot completely hide his corrupted essence from your enhanced perception.

"We need to warn Sasuke," Naruto thought urgently.

No. Alerting him now would only change Orochimaru's approach, potentially making his actions more unpredictable and dangerous. Instead, we must prepare to intervene at the crucial moment.

After receiving their Heaven Scroll, Team 7 gathered at their assigned gate. The tension between them was palpable—Sasuke seemed more withdrawn than usual, occasionally rubbing the spot on his neck where the cursed seal would soon be placed if events proceeded as in the original timeline. Sakura kept glancing between her teammates, clearly sensing that something had shifted in their dynamic.

"So," she ventured, "what's our strategy once we get in there?"

"We move fast and stay together," Sasuke replied curtly. "The longer we're in the forest, the more dangerous it becomes."

Naruto nodded. "We should set up a recognition signal too—something only the three of us would know, in case we get separated or someone tries to impersonate one of us."

Both Sakura and Sasuke looked at him with surprise.

"That's... actually a good idea," Sakura admitted.

They quickly established a code phrase, just as the gates swung open and the second phase of the exam began.

The Forest of Death was even more ominous in daylight than it had been during Naruto's midnight encounter with Orochimaru. Massive trees blocked most of the sunlight, creating a perpetual twilight beneath the canopy. Strange cries echoed through the undergrowth, and more than once, the team glimpsed enormous predators slinking through the shadows.

We must reach the central tower before Orochimaru makes his move, Hagoromo advised. The concentration of proctors there would make it more difficult for him to act openly.

"Guys," Naruto said as they paused in a small clearing, "I think we should head straight for the tower."

Sasuke frowned. "We still need an Earth Scroll."

"We can ambush a team near the tower," Naruto explained. "Lots of teams will be heading there, and they'll be tired and maybe injured from their own fights."

Sakura looked impressed. "That's... surprisingly strategic, Naruto."

Sasuke seemed about to argue when a violent gust of wind suddenly tore through the clearing, separating the team members with hurricane force. Naruto was blown back nearly fifty meters, crashing through branches before regaining his footing mid-air with a technique Hagoromo had taught him.

It begins, Hagoromo said grimly. Orochimaru has made his move earlier than in the visions I showed you. Your changes to the timeline are already having ripple effects.

Naruto created a shadow clone to search for Sakura while he himself raced back toward where he'd sensed Sasuke's chakra. As he approached, he felt the distinctive, twisted energy of Orochimaru flaring with predatory intent.

He burst into a clearing just in time to see the disguised Orochimaru—still wearing the face of the Grass ninja—extending his neck impossibly, fangs bared as he lunged toward a paralyzed Sasuke.

Without hesitation, Naruto channeled chakra into his legs and pushed off with enough force to crack the branch beneath him. He intercepted Orochimaru mid-strike, his palm glowing with a technique Hagoromo had insisted he master for this very moment—the Severance Seal.

His hand connected with Orochimaru's outstretched neck, the seal pattern flaring golden against the Sannin's unnatural flesh. Orochimaru's head snapped back with a howl of pain and surprise, his neck retracting to normal length as the jutsu briefly disrupted his body modification techniques.

"Naruto!" Sasuke gasped, still struggling against the paralysis of Orochimaru's killing intent.

Orochimaru's disguise was beginning to slip, patches of his true face showing through like a melting wax mask. His yellow, serpentine eyes fixed on Naruto with a mixture of pain and fascination.

"You continue to surprise me, Naruto-kun," he hissed, his voice dropping its feminine disguise. "That technique... it shouldn't exist in this era."

"Get away from Sasuke," Naruto growled, positioning himself protectively in front of his teammate.

Orochimaru's tongue slithered out to lick his lips. "My business is primarily with the Uchiha boy. But I find myself increasingly intrigued by you. That chakra... it reminds me of legends even older than the founding of the hidden villages."

"Naruto," Sasuke managed to say through gritted teeth, "what is he talking about? What's going on?"

"Later," Naruto replied, not taking his eyes off Orochimaru. "Right now, we need to get out of here."

Orochimaru laughed—a sound like breaking glass. "You think I'll simply allow you to leave? How adorably naive." His hands blurred through signs faster than an ordinary eye could follow. "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Dozens of snakes erupted from his sleeves, shooting toward the genin with fang-filled mouths open wide.

Now, Hagoromo commanded. The Snake Banishment Seal.

Naruto's hands moved through twelve signs in rapid succession before clapping together. A wave of golden chakra pulsed outward, causing each snake to convulse and dissolve into ash before they could reach their targets.

Orochimaru's eyes widened in genuine shock. "Impossible," he whispered. "That technique was lost centuries ago."

Taking advantage of the Sannin's surprise, Naruto grabbed Sasuke—who was finally beginning to overcome the paralysis—and leaped backward into the dense foliage.

"We need to find Sakura and reach the tower," he urged as they put distance between themselves and Orochimaru. "That guy is way beyond genin level—he's not even chunin or jonin. He's something else entirely."

"How did you do that?" Sasuke demanded, his voice a mixture of awe and suspicion. "Those techniques..."

"I'll explain everything once we're safe," Naruto promised. "But right now, we need to—"

A massive snake erupted from the ground beneath them, its jaws wide enough to swallow them both. This was no summoned creature—it was Orochimaru himself, transformed.

The Eight Trigrams Barrier! Hagoromo instructed urgently.

Naruto thrust both palms downward, golden chakra erupting in eight distinct pillars that stabbed into the snake's open mouth. The creature shrieked in pain as the barrier expanded, forcing its jaws apart until they cracked.

The snake's form dissolved, revealing Orochimaru once more, his expression no longer amused but darkly furious.

"Enough games," he snarled. "I came for the Uchiha, but it seems I must deal with you first, Naruto-kun."

His killing intent flooded the area with such intensity that birds fell dead from the trees around them. Even with Hagoromo's training, Naruto felt the crushing weight of it pressing down on his mind.

Sasuke collapsed to his knees again, gasping for breath as the oppressive chakra overwhelmed his senses.

We cannot defeat him in direct combat, Hagoromo cautioned. Not yet. But we can deny him his prize.

Understanding immediately, Naruto formed a unique hand sign—thumb, index, and middle finger extended on both hands, crossed at the wrists. "Celestial Mirror: False Target Reflection!"

Golden light erupted around Sasuke, encasing him in a translucent bubble that rapidly hardened into what appeared to be solid crystal. Before Orochimaru could react, the crystal shattered, and Sasuke was gone—transported several hundred meters away by the space-time technique.

"NO!" Orochimaru roared, lunging forward with impossible speed. His hand wrapped around Naruto's throat, slamming him against a tree trunk with enough force to crack the massive timber. "What did you do?!"

Despite the crushing pressure on his windpipe, Naruto managed a defiant smile. "Put him... somewhere... you can't reach... snake freak."

Orochimaru's face contorted with rage. "You have no idea what forces you're interfering with, boy. The Uchiha is mine by right—the vessel I have selected for my ascension!"

"Not... happening," Naruto choked out.

The Sannin's grip tightened, and black spots began to dance at the edges of Naruto's vision. "Tell me where you sent him, or I will tear the information from your dying mind!"

Now, Naruto, Hagoromo's voice came with urgent clarity. The counterattack we prepared.

With his free hand, Naruto reached up and pressed his palm against Orochimaru's face. The contact lasted only an instant, but it was enough to activate the seal they'd prepared—the Karmic Viewer.

Orochimaru staggered backward as if struck, his eyes wide with horror as the jutsu forced him to witness fragments of his own future—the failures, defeats, and ultimate hollow victory that would never satisfy his craving for immortality.

The Sannin clutched his head, momentarily overwhelmed by the visions. "What... what abomination is this?!"

Taking advantage of the opening, Naruto formed another seal. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Hundreds of shadow clones burst into existence, surrounding Orochimaru in an orange army. But unlike his usual tactic of having them all attack at once, these clones began performing a synchronized sequence of hand signs.

The Thousand-Fold Sealing Grid, Hagoromo guided. Each clone must complete exactly thirty-six signs in perfect harmony.

As the clones' jutsu reached its climax, golden lines of chakra shot between them, forming a complex geometric pattern with Orochimaru at its center. The Sannin recovered enough to recognize the danger, his hands blurring through countermeasures.

"Summoning: Triple Rashomon!" he cried.

Three enormous demonic gates erupted from the ground around him, their metal surfaces covered in protective seals. But the golden grid sliced through them like paper, continuing to close in around Orochimaru.

"This is impossible!" he snarled, his calm facade completely shattered. "These techniques were lost even before my time! Who is teaching you?!"

The grid contracted to form a perfect sphere around him, sealing his movements and chakra temporarily. Naruto knew it wouldn't hold for long—Orochimaru was too powerful, too knowledgeable about breaking seals.

But it didn't need to hold forever. Just long enough.

With the last of his strength, Naruto formed one final sign, activating the Emergency Displacement technique that Hagoromo had insisted he prepare. Golden light engulfed him, and he felt himself being pulled away, just as the sealing grid around Orochimaru began to crack.

The last thing he heard was the Sannin's furious scream: "I will find you, Naruto Uzumaki! And when I do, you will tell me everything about these techniques and the one who taught them to you!"

Then darkness claimed him.

When Naruto regained consciousness, he found himself in an unfamiliar room within the central tower of the Forest of Death. Sasuke sat nearby, his expression unreadable, while Sakura paced anxiously.

"He's awake!" she exclaimed, rushing to his side.

Naruto groaned, every muscle in his body screaming in protest as he tried to sit up. Despite the tremendous power of Hagoromo's techniques, his physical body was still that of a genin, and the strain had taken its toll.

"How... how did I get here?" he managed to ask.

"I brought you," came a familiar voice from the doorway. Kakashi stepped into the room, his visible eye unusually serious. "After I found Sasuke wandering in a daze near the tower, babbling about you and some snake ninja."

Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who was watching him with an intensity that was almost unnerving.

"How did you do it?" Sasuke asked quietly. "Those techniques. That power. Where did it come from?"

Kakashi held up a hand. "Before we get into that, there's something you all need to know. The exams have been temporarily suspended."

"What? Why?" Sakura asked.

"Because we've confirmed that Orochimaru, an S-rank missing-nin and former Leaf shinobi, infiltrated the exams." Kakashi's gaze fixed on Naruto. "And according to Sasuke's account, you not only recognized him but managed to fight him off long enough for Sasuke to escape. Care to explain that, Naruto?"

The room fell silent, all eyes on him. Naruto looked to Hagoromo for guidance.

The time for total secrecy has passed, the Sage acknowledged. But reveal only what is necessary. The full truth would be too dangerous—for them and for you.

Naruto took a deep breath and began to explain—about the strange dreams, the ancient techniques, the cryptic warnings about dangers to come. He carefully omitted any direct mention of Hagoromo by name or the specific prophecies he'd been shown.

As he spoke, Kakashi's expression shifted from skepticism to concern to something approaching alarm.

"These techniques," the jonin interrupted finally. "Describe them again."

"Golden chakra formations. Seals that affect space and time. Barriers that can repel specific types of chakra." Naruto shrugged, trying to downplay their significance. "They're really chakra-intensive. I can only do a few before I'm wiped out."

Kakashi exchanged a look with someone standing just outside the doorway—Jiraiya, Naruto realized, sensing the Sannin's distinctive chakra signature.

"The Third Hokage needs to hear about this," Kakashi decided. "Immediately."

And so the ripples spread wider, Hagoromo observed solemnly. Each action changes the course of events in ways we cannot fully predict. But fear not—this divergence was inevitable. What matters now is how we navigate the new currents.

As Kakashi led them from the room, Sasuke fell into step beside Naruto, his voice low enough that only they could hear.

"You saved me back there," he acknowledged reluctantly. "But don't think this changes anything between us. Whatever power you've found... I'll find something greater."

The cursed seal that should have been on Sasuke's neck was absent—a critical divergence from the original timeline. But Naruto could sense the darkness still lurking in his teammate's chakra, a seed planted long before Orochimaru's interference.

The wheel of fate turns, Hagoromo mused. Sasuke's envy now has a new focus—your power rather than his brother's. This may yet save him... or drive him further into shadow.

As they walked toward the Hokage's office, Naruto caught a glimpse of the other teams who had reached the tower—including the Sand siblings. Gaara's pale eyes locked with his across the hallway, widening slightly as if sensing something familiar yet alien in Naruto's chakra.

Shukaku recognizes fragments of my essence, Hagoromo explained. Just as Kurama has begun to stir with greater awareness since our connection formed.

The Nine-Tails had indeed been unusually quiet since Hagoromo's arrival—observing, evaluating this unexpected development in its host.

The Forest of Death phase had been disrupted, but Naruto knew the true trial was just beginning. The written test had been passed not in ink, but in blood and golden chakra. And the echoes of that test would reverberate far beyond the boundaries of the exam itself.

As they approached the Hokage's office, Naruto steeled himself for the interrogation to come. The path Hagoromo had set him on was diverging rapidly from the future he'd been shown—for better or worse remained to be seen.

The Hokage's office felt unnaturally still, as if the very air had been compressed by the weight of Naruto's revelations. Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, pipe forgotten between his fingers, eyes sharp with an alertness that belied his advanced age. Beside him stood Jiraiya and Kakashi, while Team 7 sat in chairs arranged before the desk.

"Let me be certain I understand," the Third said, breaking the silence. "You've been experiencing what you describe as 'training dreams' that have somehow imparted ancient techniques to you—techniques that allowed you to temporarily hold your own against Orochimaru."

Naruto nodded, trying to look appropriately bemused by the whole situation. "That's about it, Old Man. I know it sounds crazy—"

"It doesn't sound crazy," Jiraiya interrupted. "It sounds impossible. These techniques you demonstrated..." He exchanged a glance with the Hokage. "They match descriptions in scrolls so old and forbidden that even I've only heard rumors of their existence."

Kakashi leaned against the wall, his visible eye fixed on Naruto. "The golden chakra manifestation particularly concerns me. According to Sasuke, it bore similarities to the First Hokage's Wood Release in its life-affinity, but with properties more akin to space-time manipulation."

The Third took a long draw from his pipe, then exhaled a perfect ring of smoke. "Naruto, I must ask you directly: is the Nine-Tails influencing you in any way? These abilities emerged quite suddenly."

A reasonable suspicion, Hagoromo noted. The half-truth we prepared should suffice.

"It's not the fox," Naruto said firmly. "Actually, since these dreams started, he's been really quiet. Almost like he's... watching. Waiting."

This wasn't a lie—Kurama had indeed maintained an unusual silence, observing the interaction between his host and the legendary progenitor of all chakra with wary interest.

The Third's fingers steepled beneath his chin. "Jiraiya, your assessment?"

The Toad Sage pushed away from the wall, approaching Naruto with uncharacteristic seriousness. "The seal is intact—stronger, if anything. Whatever's happening, it's not a deterioration of the Fourth's work." He hesitated, then added, "There's something else. Yesterday, when I encountered Naruto after his run-in with Orochimaru's scout, he mentioned dreams of a figure with ripple-pattern eyes."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

"The Rinnegan," Hiruzen whispered. "The dōjutsu of the Sage of Six Paths himself."

Sasuke, who had been silent until now, turned sharply toward Naruto. "The Sage of Six Paths? That's just a legend."

"Many legends have their roots in historical truth," the Third replied. "Though the details may be distorted by time."

Sakura looked between them all, clearly struggling to follow. "I don't understand. What does some ancient legend have to do with Naruto's new abilities?"

They approach the truth more quickly than anticipated, Hagoromo observed. It may be best to offer a version they can accept without revealing my direct involvement.

Naruto cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "In these dreams, I see this old guy with weird ripple eyes. He doesn't tell me his name, but he shows me these techniques, these ways of using chakra that feel... I don't know, purer somehow? Like I'm connecting to something that was always there but I couldn't see before."

This explanation contained enough truth to be convincing while omitting Hagoromo's active presence in his mind.

Jiraiya crossed his arms, expression troubled. "There's precedent for this. In the history of jinchūriki, there have been rare cases where the host experiences visionary dreams—usually interpreted as the Tailed Beast's memories bleeding through."

"But you said this isn't the Nine-Tails," Kakashi pointed out.

"Not directly," Jiraiya agreed. "But the Nine-Tails is the closest Tailed Beast to the Sage himself. If any of them retained memories of that era, it would be the Fox."

The Hokage nodded slowly. "A plausible theory. The seal may be allowing controlled bleed-through of ancient memories without compromising its primary containment function."

Naruto caught the subtle approval in Hagoromo's silence. This explanation—that he was somehow accessing ancestral memories through his connection to the Nine-Tails—provided a convenient cover for his rapidly developing abilities without revealing Hagoromo's direct intervention.

"Whatever the source," the Third continued, "these abilities protected a Leaf shinobi from Orochimaru. For that alone, we must be grateful." His gaze sharpened. "However, this development raises several concerns. First, Orochimaru's unusual interest in you, Naruto. Second, the potential instability of untested techniques. And third, the disruption to the Chunin Exams."

"What happens with the exams now?" Sakura asked.

"After consultation with the other village representatives, we've decided to proceed with a modified format," the Hokage explained. "The remaining teams that reached the tower will advance directly to the preliminary tournament phase, which will begin tomorrow."

"Now, as for you, Naruto..." His weathered features softened slightly. "While these new abilities are potentially valuable, they represent an unknown variable. I'm assigning Jiraiya to monitor your condition and help you stabilize these techniques."

Jiraiya nodded. "Kid's got a month before the final tournament anyway. Plenty of time for us to figure out what's going on and establish some control."

The mention of the tournament reminded Naruto of another critical divergence from the original timeline—Sasuke had escaped receiving Orochimaru's cursed seal. That single change would ripple outward in unpredictable ways.

The absence of the cursed seal alters much, Hagoromo confirmed, following Naruto's train of thought. Sasuke's path is no longer predetermined. His choices become truly his own again.

"There's one more thing," the Hokage added, his tone growing grave. "Until we better understand these abilities, I must ask you to use them only in cases of absolute necessity. The last thing we need is for other villages to develop an unhealthy interest in you."

Wise counsel, Hagoromo acknowledged. Though perhaps too late. Orochimaru's interest is already piqued, and others will follow.

"I understand, Old Man," Naruto agreed, though he knew limiting his use of Hagoromo's techniques might not be practical in the coming days.

As they were dismissed, Sasuke lingered in the doorway, waiting until Sakura had gone ahead before turning to Naruto.

"Those techniques saved both our lives," he said quietly. "But don't think I'll let you leave me behind. Whatever power you're tapping into... I'll find my own path to something greater."

There was determination in his voice, but notably absent was the bitter envy that had previously defined so much of his interaction with Naruto. Perhaps without Orochimaru's poisonous influence already corrupting his chakra, Sasuke's competitive spirit remained just that—competitive, not destructive.

A promising sign, Hagoromo noted. Without the cursed seal, his natural darkness is not being artificially amplified. The brotherly rivalry may yet remain just that—a rivalry, not a hatred.

Naruto grinned. "Looking forward to seeing what you come up with, Sasuke. But don't expect me to hold back in the tournament just because we're teammates!"

A hint of a smile—rare as a desert bloom—crossed Sasuke's face before he turned away. "Wouldn't dream of it."

As they parted ways, Jiraiya fell into step beside Naruto, waiting until they were alone in a secluded training field before speaking.

"Alright, kid. No more half-truths. What's really going on?"

Naruto hesitated. "What do you mean?"

"Cut the act." Jiraiya's expression was deadly serious. "I've spent decades studying the Sage's legacy. That 'ancestral memory' explanation might satisfy the others, but I know better. The techniques you used against Orochimaru weren't just ancient—they were pristine, unchanged by centuries of transmission. That's impossible unless..."

He trailed off, eyes widening slightly as he studied Naruto's face.

"Unless you're in direct contact with the source," he finished quietly. "He's speaking to you, isn't he? Not through dreams or memories, but directly. The Sage of Six Paths himself."

Naruto felt Hagoromo's surprise at Jiraiya's intuitive leap.

His insight surpasses expectations, the Sage admitted. The Toad Sage has clearly delved deeper into my legacy than most modern shinobi.

After a long moment of internal debate, Naruto nodded. "Yeah. He is."

Jiraiya didn't look triumphant at having his suspicion confirmed—only deeply troubled. "That changes everything. Is he... here now? Can he hear us?"

"He's always with me," Naruto explained. "Not controlling me or anything! More like... guiding. Teaching."

"And why you? Why now?"

You may tell him about the prophecy, Hagoromo permitted. But not about my sons' reincarnations or the specific futures I've shown you. Some knowledge is too dangerous, even for one as wise as Jiraiya.

"He says I'm some kind of 'child of prophecy,'" Naruto explained, watching Jiraiya's face pale. "That I have a role to play in breaking a cycle of hatred that's been going on since his own time."

"The child of prophecy," Jiraiya whispered. "The Great Toad Sage spoke of such a figure... a student of mine who would either save the world or destroy it."

"Well, I'm going for the saving part," Naruto assured him with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. The weight of destiny had begun to settle on his shoulders in ways his younger self could never have imagined.

Jiraiya paced for several moments, processing this revelation. "This complicates things enormously. If word gets out that the Sage himself has chosen you as his disciple—"

"Every village and missing-nin would be after me," Naruto finished. "Yeah, I figured that part out already."

"It's worse than that. Within Konoha itself, there are factions that would see you as either a threat to be controlled or a weapon to be wielded." Jiraiya's expression darkened. "Danzo, in particular, would stop at nothing to bring you under his influence."

"Who's Danzo?"

"A war hawk who believes himself the shadow protector of Konoha. He leads a faction called Root—officially disbanded, but in reality, still very much active." Jiraiya stopped pacing, fixing Naruto with a penetrating stare. "What exactly is the Sage teaching you? How far has your training progressed?"

Be honest but vague, Hagoromo advised. Jiraiya can be a valuable ally, but knowledge of specific techniques could be dangerous if extracted from him.

"Mostly chakra control so far," Naruto explained. "Ways of channeling and shaping chakra that aren't used anymore. Defense against specific types of attacks. A few space-time techniques for emergencies."

Jiraiya nodded slowly. "And your goal in the Chunin Exams?"

"Originally, just to pass and become a chunin. But now..." Naruto's expression grew more serious. "There are people here—other genin—who are important somehow. Connections I need to make. Especially with Gaara."

"The Suna jinchūriki?" Jiraiya looked alarmed. "That kid's mentally unstable and extremely dangerous."

"He's also alone and in pain," Naruto countered. "Like I was before Iruka-sensei and Team 7. The Sage says the bonds between jinchūriki are important for what's coming."

"And what exactly is coming?"

Naruto hesitated, unsure how much to reveal about the Akatsuki and their plans to collect the Tailed Beasts. Before he could decide, a new presence made itself known—a subtle but distinctive chakra signature approaching from the direction of the village.

"Someone's coming," he warned, turning toward the chakra source.

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, impressed by Naruto's sensory abilities. "That's Hyūga-level sensing. Another gift from your spiritual tutor?"

Moments later, a figure emerged from the trees—Neji Hyūga, his pale eyes narrowed with purpose as he approached.

"Uzumaki," he called, ignoring Jiraiya completely. "I would speak with you."

Jiraiya glanced between them, then shrugged. "We'll continue this discussion later, kid. Be careful what you reveal." With a hand sign, he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto turned to face Neji, curious about this unexpected visit. In the original timeline, they hadn't interacted until their match in the final tournament—a confrontation that had helped shift Neji's perspective on fate and destiny.

"What's up, Neji?" he asked casually.

The Hyūga prodigy stopped several paces away, studying Naruto with an intensity that suggested he was using his Byakugan even though the veins around his eyes weren't bulging.

"During the second phase of the exam, there was a massive chakra disturbance in the Forest of Death," Neji stated without preamble. "Golden light, visible even to those without dōjutsu. The proctors claim it was a security measure, but I know better." His eyes narrowed further. "It was you."

Interesting, Hagoromo mused. The Byakugan's sensitivity to chakra disruptions exceeds expectations. He must have perceived the techniques from some distance away.

"Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't," Naruto replied evasively. "What's it to you?"

"That chakra..." Neji's composure slipped slightly, revealing genuine confusion beneath. "It resembled nothing in the Hyūga archives. Ancient, yet new. Powerful, yet perfectly controlled. It defied everything I thought I knew about the nature of chakra itself."

He took a step closer, voice dropping. "I must know: what is it? Where did it come from? How did someone like you—someone fated to mediocrity—suddenly access a power that even the Hyūga elders couldn't identify?"

The familiar arrogance in Neji's tone might have angered the old Naruto, but now he recognized it as a defensive mechanism—a way for the caged bird to assert control in a world that had denied him freedom.

His fixation on fate stems from his own sealed circumstance, Hagoromo observed. Yet his insight is remarkable. The Hyūga truly are descended from Hamura's line, though diluted through the centuries.

"Maybe fate isn't as fixed as you think, Neji," Naruto suggested mildly. "Maybe the paths we walk can change in an instant, based on who we meet and what we learn."

Neji's eyes widened slightly at this unexpectedly philosophical response. Then his expression hardened again. "Platitudes. I want answers, not fortune cookie wisdom."

Naruto sighed. "Look, I'm still figuring this stuff out myself. All I can tell you is that chakra isn't just what the Academy taught us. It's deeper, older, connected to everything in ways most people have forgotten."

"Show me," Neji demanded suddenly.

"What?"

"Show me this power. I want to observe it with my Byakugan." There was an urgency in his voice that belied his controlled demeanor—the scientist in him desperate to understand this anomaly.

Naruto glanced around the clearing, confirming they were truly alone. Then he looked inward. Is it safe to demonstrate something small?

A minor technique should be acceptable, Hagoromo conceded. The Hyūga's visual insight might actually prove valuable in helping you refine your chakra control further.

With a nod, Naruto formed a simple hand sign—middle fingers extended, tips touching, the rest curled inward. "Celestial Style: Light Step."

Golden chakra flowed from his core, not through the standard pathways that Neji would be familiar with, but through a more ancient network—channels that predated the separation of physical and spiritual energies that defined modern chakra theory.

Neji's Byakugan activated instantly, the veins around his eyes bulging as he stared in undisguised astonishment.

Naruto took a single step forward, but instead of touching the ground, his foot landed on what appeared to be solid air, six inches above the grass. Another step raised him another six inches, and another, until he was walking up an invisible staircase that manifested as faint golden ripples with each footfall.

"Impossible," Neji breathed, his Byakugan tracking the unusual chakra flow. "You're not expelling chakra from your feet like water or tree walking. You're actually... reshaping the nature of space itself around your body."

Naruto smiled, impressed by Neji's analytical ability. "Pretty cool, right?"

"That's not just 'cool,'" Neji snapped, though there was more awe than anger in his voice. "That's fundamentally rewriting the principles of chakra manipulation as we understand them."

He moved closer, circling Naruto as he continued to ascend the invisible steps. "The chakra isn't just flowing through your network—it's expanding beyond your tenketsu, creating a field effect rather than a directed application."

His observations are impressively precise, Hagoromo noted with approval. The Byakugan's analytical capacity, combined with his natural insight, makes him an excellent study partner for these techniques.

That gave Naruto an idea. "Hey, Neji, want to try something?"

The Hyūga looked suspicious. "What?"

"If I show you more of how this works, would you be willing to help me refine it? Your eyes can see things about chakra flow that I can only feel. It could be helpful for both of us."

Neji stopped circling, clearly caught off guard by the proposal. "You would... share this knowledge? With me? Why?"

Naruto released the technique, dropping lightly back to the ground. "Because I think you're supposed to be part of this somehow. Call it a hunch."

More than a hunch, Hagoromo commented. In many of the potential futures I observed, Neji's fate was sealed early—a promising life cut short by sacrifice. His involvement now may alter that trajectory.

A complex series of emotions crossed Neji's face—suspicion, interest, caution, and undeniable curiosity. Finally, he gave a curt nod.

"Very well. I will observe your techniques and provide analysis. In exchange, you will explain the theoretical principles behind them, to the extent that you understand them." His tone made it clear he doubted Naruto's comprehensive grasp of the theory. "We begin tomorrow, after the preliminary tournament pairings are announced."

"Deal," Naruto agreed with a grin, extending his hand.

Neji hesitated before briefly accepting the handshake, his Byakugan still active. As their hands touched, his eyes widened again.

"Your chakra just... responded to me," he said, pulling his hand back as if burned. "It reached out, analyzed my chakra signature, and... adapted to it."

"Really? I didn't do that consciously."

The Harmonization effect, Hagoromo explained. My chakra within you naturally seeks to establish resonance with those who carry certain bloodlines or chakra signatures. The Hyūga, as descendants of my brother Hamura, trigger a stronger response than most.

Before either could discuss this further, a hawk circled overhead—the Hokage's summons.

"I must go," Neji said, composure returning. "Tomorrow, after the pairings. Do not speak of this arrangement to others." He turned to leave, then paused. "Especially not to my cousin. Hinata has her own path to walk."

As Neji disappeared back toward the village, Naruto felt a strange sense of accomplishment. This connection—formed far earlier than in the original timeline—represented the first major deviation in the web of relationships that would define the coming conflicts.

Small changes lead to greater ones, Hagoromo observed. By reaching Neji before bitterness fully calcifies his worldview, you create new possibilities. This is the essence of breaking cycles—interrupting patterns before they become fixed.

The sun was setting over Konoha, painting the Hokage Monument in deep gold and crimson. Tomorrow would bring the preliminary tournaments, with their critical matchups that would determine the finalists for the Chunin Exams.

But more importantly, tomorrow would bring choices—moments where Naruto's decisions would either reinforce the original timeline or shatter it completely, creating a new path forward.

As he headed back toward the village, a shadow detached itself from the trees behind him—a pale figure with red hair and a gourd on his back. Gaara had been watching the entire exchange with Neji, his expression unreadable but his chakra pulsing with confused interest.

Another thread in the tapestry begins to shift, Hagoromo noted as Gaara disappeared in a swirl of sand. The jinchūriki are drawn to you now, sensing my chakra through their Tailed Beasts. The symphony is beginning to assemble, note by note.

Naruto took a deep breath, feeling the weight of destiny pressing down on him even as new possibilities expanded before him like an endless horizon. The echoes of divinity that Hagoromo had awakened within him were spreading outward, touching lives and altering fates in ways he was only beginning to comprehend.

And somewhere in the shadows, golden eyes watched with covetous hunger, already plotting new approaches to claim the power that had so unexpectedly manifested in the boy he had dismissed as irrelevant.

The path to the chunin finals now wound through territories both familiar and utterly unknown. But one thing was certain—nothing would unfold exactly as before. The ripples of change had become waves, and soon they would become a tsunami that would reshape the very foundations of the shinobi world.

The preliminary arena hummed with tension as the remaining genin teams assembled before the Hokage and exam proctors. Naruto scanned the gathered ninja, noting significant differences from the original timeline—several teams that had previously been eliminated in the Forest of Death had somehow survived, while others who had advanced were now mysteriously absent.

Reality shifts to accommodate your interventions, Hagoromo explained. By preventing Orochimaru from marking Sasuke, you've created ripples that alter seemingly unrelated events.

Standing among the Konoha genin, Naruto could feel curious gazes fixed on him—some subtle, others blatant. News of his confrontation with Orochimaru had evidently spread despite the Hokage's attempts at discretion.

"Quite the celebrity now, aren't you?" Shikamaru murmured beside him. "Troublesome."

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Not like I asked for it."

"That's what makes it worse." Shikamaru's lazy gaze sharpened momentarily. "People who seek attention are predictable. Those who attract it without trying are wildcards."

Before Naruto could respond, Hayate Gekkō stepped forward, coughing into his hand before addressing the assembled genin. The chronically ill proctor explained the format of the preliminary matches, which would reduce the remaining participants to a manageable number for the final tournament.

As the electronic board began shuffling names for the first match, Naruto felt a subtle disturbance in the chakra behind him. He turned slightly to find Kabuto standing nearby, his chakra signature carefully modulated but still betraying traces of its true nature to Naruto's enhanced senses.

Orochimaru's spy, Hagoromo confirmed. Be wary—he is far more dangerous than he appears.

Kabuto caught Naruto's gaze and smiled pleasantly, adjusting his glasses. "Quite a performance in the forest, Naruto-kun. Everyone's talking about it."

"Didn't know I had an audience," Naruto replied carefully.

"In the ninja world, there are always watching eyes." Kabuto's smile never faltered, but something cold flickered in his eyes. "Especially when golden chakra lights up the forest like a beacon."

Before their conversation could continue, the electronic board stopped spinning: SASUKE UCHIHA VS. YOROI AKADO.

A familiar pairing, Hagoromo noted. But without the cursed seal, this battle will unfold differently.

Indeed, as the combatants took their positions, the difference was immediately apparent. Without Orochimaru's mark hampering his movements and chakra, Sasuke fought with fluid precision. When Yoroi attempted to drain Sasuke's chakra, the Uchiha responded not with desperate improvisation but with calculated counterattacks.

The match ended in minutes, with Sasuke securing victory through a cleaner, more precise version of the Lion's Barrage than he had managed in the original timeline.

As Sasuke returned to the balcony, slightly winded but otherwise unharmed, he caught Naruto's eye. A silent message passed between them—part challenge, part acknowledgment. Without the cursed seal's corruption, Sasuke's rivalrous nature remained competitive rather than destructive.

The board spun again: SHINO ABURAME VS. ZAKU ABUMI.

This match proceeded much as Naruto remembered, with Shino's insects blocking Zaku's air tubes and demonstrating the terrible price of underestimating an opponent.

As victors and losers alternated, Naruto noticed Gaara watching him intently from across the arena. The One-Tail jinchūriki's gaze held none of the murderous bloodlust from the original timeline—instead, there was confusion, curiosity, and something approaching recognition.

Shukaku senses my chakra within you, Hagoromo explained. As their creator, all Tailed Beasts carry an instinctive recognition of my energy signature. This disrupts the hatred Shukaku has been cultivating in Gaara.

The board spun again: NARUTO UZUMAKI VS. KIBA INUZUKA.

"All right!" Kiba whooped, pumping his fist. "Easy win for us, eh Akamaru?"

Naruto couldn't help grinning as he made his way to the arena floor. This match had been a turning point for him originally—a moment when he'd proven his growth to the doubters. Now, with Hagoromo's training, he could approach it entirely differently.

Restraint, Hagoromo cautioned as Naruto took his position. This is not a battle that requires my techniques. Rely on your own skills—improved by our training, but still recognizably yours.

Naruto nodded imperceptibly. Revealing too much here would draw unwanted attention and potentially deny him strategic surprise in the finals.

Hayate raised his hand, coughed, and called, "Begin!"

Kiba charged immediately, Akamaru at his heels. "Let's finish this quick! Fang Over Fang!"

The swirling attack tore toward Naruto, who waited until the last possible moment before sidestepping with a grace that surprised both Kiba and the spectators. The improved body control from Hagoromo's training made his movements fluid and precise where they once would have been barely adequate.

"Standing still won't save you!" Kiba snarled, skidding to a halt before launching into another attack.

This time, instead of dodging, Naruto met the attack head-on—not with a counter-jutsu, but with perfectly timed physical movements. He weaved between the twin drills of Kiba and Akamaru's Fang Over Fang, his hands striking out at exactly the right moments to disrupt their rotation.

Both Kiba and Akamaru crashed awkwardly to the ground, stunned by the precision of Naruto's counter.

"What the—" Kiba scrambled to his feet, genuine confusion in his eyes. "Since when can you move like that?"

"I've been training," Naruto replied simply, settling into a stance that, while not overtly exotic, contained subtle refinements from Hagoromo's instruction.

In the spectator area, he could sense multiple reactions—Kurenai's surprise, Kakashi's calculating assessment, Neji's intense Byakugan analysis, and Hinata's mixture of admiration and concern.

Kiba's eyes narrowed. "Training, huh? Well, so have I! Akamaru, let's show him our new technique!"

The small dog barked in agreement, leaping onto Kiba's back as they began a more complex variation of their transformation technique. Smoke enveloped them, and when it cleared, two feral Kibas stood ready, claws extended and fangs bared.

"Beast Human Clone: Predator's Pursuit!" they growled in unison.

This was different—a technique Kiba hadn't used in the original timeline. The two forms blurred into motion, moving not in synchronized drills but in complementary patterns, one herding Naruto toward the other's strike zone.

The timeline shifts to compensate for your growth, Hagoromo observed. Opponents unconsciously elevate their performance to match your perceived threat level.

Naruto found himself genuinely challenged by the improved coordination of Kiba's attack. Dodging one Fang Over Fang only positioned him for the other's strike. After narrowly avoiding a particularly vicious slash, he decided to change tactics.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Five perfect clones appeared around him, each moving with the same improved grace as the original. They engaged the dual Kibas, forcing them to divide their attention.

For several minutes, the battle appeared evenly matched—Naruto's clones displaying better coordination than ever before, while Kiba and Akamaru showed surprising tactical adaptation.

From the balcony, Shikamaru leaned forward, his lazy posture giving way to genuine interest. "Something's off," he muttered to Choji beside him. "Naruto's clones aren't fighting like they used to. Look at their positioning—they're maintaining perfect geometric spacing even while in motion."

Indeed, Naruto's clones moved in a formation that subtly resembled the points of a hexagram, with the original at the center. Though not overtly using Hagoromo's techniques, he had incorporated the underlying principles of positional harmony.

Kiba, sensing the unusual coordination, growled in frustration. "Enough messing around! Akamaru, Fang Destroyer!"

The two Kibas leapt high, spinning faster than before, their rotations generating visible chakra that formed the image of a massive wolf's head. The combined attack smashed through Naruto's clone formation, dispelling them all in a cloud of smoke.

When the smoke cleared, Naruto stood alone, breathing heavily but otherwise unharmed.

"Nice move," he acknowledged, genuinely impressed by Kiba's improvement. "But now it's my turn to get serious."

He formed a single hand sign—not one of Hagoromo's exotic mudras, but a standard clone seal with a subtle variation in finger positioning. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

The arena filled with Narutos—not the couple dozen he might have produced before, but a precisely arranged formation of exactly sixty-four clones, each standing at specific points that created a perfect geometric pattern across the arena floor.

Kiba and Akamaru faltered, momentarily overwhelmed by the sheer number of opponents. But it wasn't just the quantity that gave them pause—it was the eerie synchronization as all sixty-four Narutos inhaled and exhaled in perfect unison, their chakra pulsing like a single organism.

"Formation: Uzumaki Storm!" the Narutos called out together.

What followed wasn't the chaotic brawl that had characterized Naruto's fighting style before. Instead, the clones moved in waves—precise, coordinated assaults that flowed like water around Kiba and Akamaru's increasingly desperate counters.

Where the dual Kibas attacked, clones would part like a curtain, only to close around them from behind. When they tried to target the original Naruto, they found themselves unable to distinguish him from the perfect copies.

In the spectator area, Neji's Byakugan tracked the unusual chakra patterns with intense focus. "The distribution is perfect," he murmured, almost to himself. "Exact equal chakra in each clone, mathematically precise spacing, unified chakra circulation."

Gaara, standing nearby, stared with widened eyes as sand swirled agitatedly in his gourd. Something about Naruto's display was visibly unsettling the normally impassive Sand ninja.

Below, Kiba and Akamaru found themselves being systematically worn down. Each time they destroyed a clone, two more would seamlessly fill the gap in the formation. Their movements grew slower, their attacks less coordinated.

Finally, with a perfectly timed convergence, eight clones surrounded each Kiba, immobilizing them with synchronized holds.

"Give up, Kiba," Naruto called out, stepping forward from the formation. "You fought really well, but this match is over."

For a moment, defiance flashed in Kiba's eyes. Then, assessing his situation honestly, he slumped in the clones' grip. "Proctor, I surrender."

A ripple of surprised murmurs ran through the spectators. Naruto Uzumaki—the dead-last prankster—had just executed a victory with tactical precision that few chunin could match.

As the clones dispersed and Naruto helped Kiba to his feet, Hayate declared him the winner. Walking back to the waiting area, he could feel the weight of evaluating gazes from all sides.

"That was... different," Sakura commented as he rejoined them. "Since when do you fight so... elegantly?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, feigning embarrassment. "Just trying something new. Figured it was time to be less predictable, you know?"

Sasuke said nothing, but his eyes followed Naruto with new intensity—not jealousy, but analytical interest. Without the cursed seal's influence, his response to Naruto's growth was more measured, more curious than resentful.

You've maintained a reasonable balance, Hagoromo approved. Demonstrating growth without revealing our true capabilities.

The electronic board spun again: HINATA HYUGA VS. NEJI HYUGA.

A chill ran through Naruto as the familiar matchup appeared. In the original timeline, this fight had nearly killed Hinata and solidified Neji's reputation for cruelty. But now, after their recent conversation, would Neji's approach change?

As the Hyuga cousins took their positions on the arena floor, Naruto could sense the familiar tension between them. But something was subtly different—Neji's chakra lacked the murderous edge it had possessed before. His expression remained cold, but his eyes held calculation rather than blind hatred.

Hinata still trembled slightly under his gaze, but she activated her Byakugan with more resolve than Naruto remembered from before.

"Before we begin, Hinata-sama," Neji said, his voice carrying in the hushed arena, "I want to be clear: this is not personal. This is simply the path fate has set before us."

Hinata's stance faltered slightly at his unexpectedly civil tone. "N-Neji-niisan..."

"However," he continued, settling into his Gentle Fist stance, "I will not insult you by holding back. Prepare yourself."

The match began, and to everyone's surprise, Hinata attacked first—a bold strike that Neji easily deflected, but which demonstrated a courage few had seen from the shy heiress.

What followed was a display of Hyuga techniques that, while one-sided in Neji's favor, lacked the sadistic edge of the original timeline. Neji systematically shut down Hinata's chakra network with precision strikes, but deliberately avoided the more damaging internal organ hits he had employed before.

Naruto watched intently, recognizing that something had shifted in Neji's approach. He was still defeating Hinata, still proving his superiority as a fighter, but without the personal vendetta that had made their previous match so brutal.

"Strange," Kakashi murmured nearby. "Gai mentioned that Neji harbors intense resentment toward the Main Branch. Yet he's fighting with professional detachment rather than hatred."

When Hinata finally collapsed, unable to continue, Neji stood over her with an unreadable expression. "You fought well, Hinata-sama. Better than I expected." He turned to walk away, then paused. "Perhaps... perhaps fate is not as fixed as I once believed."

As medical ninja rushed to attend to Hinata, Naruto caught Neji's eye as he returned to the waiting area. A silent acknowledgment passed between them—their conversation had indeed altered Neji's path, if only slightly.

A small mercy creates ripples of its own, Hagoromo observed. By sparing Hinata unnecessary cruelty, Neji begins his own journey toward liberation from hatred earlier than before.

The matches continued, each showing subtle variations from what Naruto remembered. Gaara's battle with Lee unfolded similarly to the original timeline, but with a critical difference—at the moment when Gaara would have crushed Lee's arm and leg, he hesitated. The sand still captured Lee, but constricted with less force, leaving the enthusiastic ninja injured but not crippled beyond recovery.

Gaara senses the change in you, Hagoromo explained. His confusion regarding your nature extends to his own actions now. The pattern of violence is disrupted.

By the time the preliminary matches concluded, the finalists stood in a line before the Hokage: Naruto, Sasuke, Neji, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Shino, and Shikamaru—who had, despite his best efforts to lose strategically, found himself accidentally victorious again.

As they drew lots for the final tournament matchups, Naruto found himself paired against Neji in the first round—just as before. Sasuke would face Gaara, again echoing the original timeline.

Some threads of fate resist changing, Hagoromo noted. Critical conjunctions that must occur in some form across multiple possible futures.

The Hokage announced the one-month preparation period before the finals, during which the genin could train and develop new strategies. As the gathering dispersed, Jiraiya appeared at Naruto's side.

"Nice performance, kid. Subtle enough not to raise too many red flags, impressive enough to advance." He glanced around to ensure they weren't overheard. "Pack for a trip. We're leaving the village for your training."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere we can work with these new abilities of yours without attracting unwanted attention." Jiraiya's expression grew serious. "The Sage's techniques are too distinctive to practice openly in Konoha, especially with foreign ninja still in the village."

As they left the tower, Naruto sensed someone following them—a presence maintaining perfect shadow cover, chakra signature suppressed but not completely hidden from his enhanced perception.

Danzo's agent, Hagoromo identified. The war hawk has noticed you.

Naruto suppressed a shiver. Jiraiya had warned him about Danzo and his Root operatives—shinobi trained to abandon all emotion, serving as the village's darkest shadows.

"We're being followed," he whispered to Jiraiya.

The Toad Sage didn't break stride or give any indication he'd heard. "I know. Root has been watching since your performance in the Forest of Death. Another reason to get you out of the village—Danzo's interest is rarely beneficial."

They made their way through Konoha, taking a deliberately circuitous route that eventually brought them to the village hot springs. With a series of subtle hand movements too quick for most eyes to follow, Jiraiya created a momentary sensory distortion that allowed them to slip away from their tail.

"That won't fool them for long," Jiraiya warned as they hurried toward Naruto's apartment. "Pack quickly. We leave in thirty minutes."

As Naruto gathered his supplies, he thought about the changes already rippling outward from his actions. Sasuke without the cursed seal. Hinata spared the worst of Neji's wrath. Lee injured but not devastated. Small mercies that might lead to vastly different outcomes.

The thread of destiny unravels and reweaves itself with each choice, Hagoromo reflected. But the greatest challenges still lie ahead. Orochimaru's interest has only intensified after your encounter. The Akatsuki still move in shadow. And now Danzo turns his eye toward you as well.

Naruto zipped up his backpack, a determined expression settling on his face. "Then we'd better make this month count."

As he left his apartment, Naruto cast a final glance back at the village—the familiar skyline, the Hokage Monument, the Academy where his journey had begun. For reasons he couldn't fully articulate, he felt a premonition that when he returned, nothing would be quite the same.

The tournament of shadows had only just begun—both the official matches that would determine his rank advancement, and the deeper, more dangerous game being played by forces he was only beginning to comprehend.

With Hagoromo's wisdom guiding him and Jiraiya's protection surrounding him, he stepped forward into a future increasingly unmoored from the destiny he had once been shown—a future he would forge with his own hands, his own heart, and the ancient power that now flowed through his veins like liquid starlight.

Dawn painted the mountains in hues of amber and gold, mist clinging to the valleys like ghostly remnants of the night. Naruto stood atop a massive stone pillar, eyes closed in deep concentration as golden chakra swirled around him in complex geometric patterns. Below, a vast natural amphitheater of rock formed a perfect training ground, hidden from prying eyes by both distance and the genjutsu barriers Jiraiya had established upon their arrival three weeks ago.

"Again," Jiraiya called from a neighboring pillar, arms crossed as he observed with critical attention. "The transition between the third and fourth formations is still rough. You're letting the energy spike instead of maintaining the flow."

Naruto nodded without opening his eyes, dispersing the current pattern before beginning anew. His hands moved through a sequence of mudras that would have been unrecognizable to most modern shinobi—positions that hadn't been used since Hagoromo himself walked the earth.

Feel the natural resonance of each element as you channel it, Hagoromo guided. Earth provides structure, water adaptability, fire transformation, wind freedom, and lightning impulse. But the true power comes from harmonizing all five simultaneously.

Sweat beaded on Naruto's brow as he reached the critical transition point. This time, instead of forcing the change, he allowed the golden chakra to shift organically, letting each elemental aspect flow into the next like tributaries joining a river.

The geometric pattern expanded outward, forming concentric rings of luminous symbols that rotated in alternating directions. Each ring represented one of the five elemental natures, while the central point where they all connected contained the synthesis—Creation of All Things energy in its purest form.

Jiraiya straightened, no longer bothering to hide his amazement. "That's it," he murmured. "Perfect balance."

For thirty heartbeats, Naruto held the formation steady, his consciousness expanded to perceive each individual mote of chakra within the complex matrix. Then, with a controlled exhalation, he gradually dissipated the energy, returning it to the atmosphere without disturbance.

As the last golden particles faded, Naruto opened his eyes and grinned triumphantly. "I did it!"

"Not bad for a month's work," Jiraiya acknowledged, leaping across to Naruto's pillar with casual grace. "You've mastered in weeks what would take most shinobi decades—if they could do it at all."

Your progress exceeds even my expectations, Hagoromo added with quiet pride. The rate at which you integrate and implement these teachings is remarkable.

Over the past three weeks, their isolated training had progressed at an extraordinary pace. Free from the constraints of secrecy that had limited their practice in Konoha, Naruto had immersed himself completely in Hagoromo's teachings, with Jiraiya providing practical applications and occasional reality checks.

"The Five Elements Harmonization Technique is just the foundation," Jiraiya reminded him, handing over a water canteen. "The real challenge will be applying these principles in actual combat without overexerting yourself or revealing too much."

Naruto drank gratefully, the cool water soothing his parched throat. Despite his enormous chakra reserves and Hagoromo's efficient techniques, maintaining such complex energy manipulations still demanded tremendous concentration and stamina.

"I've been thinking about that," he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "For the finals, I should mostly stick to enhanced versions of my regular techniques, right? Shadow clones, wind manipulation, stuff people already know I can do."

Jiraiya nodded approvingly. "Smart. Save the exotic techniques for true emergencies. Your match with Neji won't require Hagoromo's higher arts—though I wouldn't underestimate him."

"I'm not," Naruto assured him, remembering the precision and power Neji had demonstrated against Hinata, even while holding back his most devastating strikes. "But I need to beat him without revealing everything. There'll be too many important people watching."

Indeed, Hagoromo concurred. The finals will draw observers from many villages, including potential enemies. Strategic restraint is essential.

Jiraiya's expression grew more serious as he gazed toward the horizon, where dark clouds were gathering. "There's something else we need to discuss. Something I've been putting off until you had better control."

"What is it?"

"The Chunin Exam finals aren't just going to be observed by the regular village delegates." Jiraiya's voice dropped. "My intelligence network reports that members of Akatsuki will also be present, disguised among the spectators."

A chill ran down Naruto's spine despite the morning warmth. Hagoromo had shown him visions of this organization—black cloaks with red clouds, containing some of the most dangerous missing-nin in the shinobi world, all pursuing the Tailed Beasts for a purpose even they didn't fully comprehend.

"Which ones?" he asked quietly.

"Uncertain. Possibly Itachi Uchiha and his partner. They've been showing increased interest in jinchūriki locations." Jiraiya's gaze sharpened. "This may actually be the first time they've had you in their sights. Originally, they weren't scheduled to move against you for at least another year."

The timeline accelerates, Hagoromo observed. Your increased prominence has drawn attention earlier than before.

"Is that bad?" Naruto asked internally.

Not necessarily. Earlier confrontation may disrupt their larger plans before they fully mature. But it also means facing powerful enemies before you've completed your training.

Jiraiya, unaware of the internal dialogue, continued: "There's more. The Third has received intelligence suggesting Orochimaru plans to attack during the finals, possibly in coordination with the Sand Village."

"Gaara," Naruto realized aloud. "They're going to use him as a weapon."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "That's the current theory, yes. How did you know?"

Naruto hesitated, unsure how much to reveal about the alternate timeline Hagoromo had shown him. "Just... connecting the dots. Gaara's a jinchūriki with serious control issues. If someone wanted to cause chaos in Konoha, he'd be the perfect weapon."

"Perceptive," Jiraiya allowed, though his expression suggested he suspected Naruto knew more than he was sharing. "In any case, this puts you in a complicated position. You need to perform well enough to earn promotion, while holding back your true capabilities, all while potentially facing both Akatsuki observation and a village-wide attack."

Naruto whistled softly. "No pressure."

"There's one more thing." Jiraiya's tone grew even more somber. "I've been ordered to bring you back to the village two days before the finals. The Hokage and Council wish to... evaluate your progress."

Danzo's influence, Hagoromo surmised. He seeks to assess your capabilities directly.

"You mean they want to see if I'm dangerous," Naruto translated, unable to keep a hint of bitterness from his voice.

Jiraiya didn't deny it. "The sudden emergence of ancient, powerful techniques in a genin—particularly a jinchūriki genin—raises legitimate security concerns. The Third has been protecting you from more invasive scrutiny, but Danzo and the other elders are insistent."

"What kind of evaluation are we talking about?"

"Nothing dangerous," Jiraiya assured him. "Mostly a demonstration of your current abilities under controlled conditions. I'll be present, along with Kakashi and the Hokage himself. But it's important that you show enough to satisfy their curiosity without revealing your full potential."

A delicate balance, Hagoromo acknowledged. We must appear transparent while maintaining strategic secrets.

Naruto sighed, gazing out at the gathering storm clouds. The simple dream of becoming Hokage had grown increasingly complex, entangled with prophecies, ancient powers, and political machinations he was only beginning to comprehend.

"One last run-through before the storm hits?" he suggested, changing the subject.

Jiraiya smiled slightly, recognizing the deflection but allowing it. "Let's try something practical this time. Combat application of the Five Elements Harmonization, but with minimal visual signature. Stealth is as important as power."

For the next hour, they worked on techniques that channeled Hagoromo's teachings through conventional-appearing jutsu—shadow clones with enhanced coordination, substitution techniques that manipulated space more subtly than standard versions, and taijutsu forms that incorporated celestial energy without visible golden manifestations.

As they practiced, the storm drew closer, dark clouds looming ever larger on the horizon—a fitting metaphor for the confluence of forces gathering around Naruto's future.

Two days before the Chunin Exam finals, Naruto stood in a specialized training chamber deep beneath the Hokage Tower. Circular walls of reinforced stone rose around a central area marked with complex seals designed to contain and measure chakra output. Above, a small observation gallery held the evaluation committee: the Third Hokage, flanked by Danzo, Homura, and Koharu. Kakashi and Jiraiya stood slightly apart, their expressions carefully neutral.

"Begin with a demonstration of your standard capabilities," the Third instructed, his voice echoing in the chamber. "Then progress to the more... recent additions to your repertoire."

Naruto nodded, settling into a relaxed stance at the center of the room. He had spent the journey back to Konoha carefully planning this demonstration with Jiraiya and Hagoromo—revealing enough to satisfy the Council without exposing his most significant abilities.

Remember, Hagoromo cautioned, Danzo sees power only as a tool to be controlled or eliminated. Show strength, but not enough to provoke drastic action.

Beginning with basic Academy techniques, Naruto demonstrated standard transformations, substitutions, and simple clones. He then progressed to shadow clones, performing the Multi Shadow Clone Technique with a control and chakra efficiency that drew approving nods from the Third and Kakashi.

Next came wind manipulation—slicing leaves, then creating invisible cutting blades that precision-sliced targets across the room. This was followed by enhanced taijutsu demonstrations against shadow clones, showing the improved form and strategy he had developed.

Throughout these demonstrations, Naruto maintained a careful balance—impressive enough to justify his tournament performance, but nothing that couldn't be explained by intensive training with a legendary Sannin.

"Now," Danzo spoke for the first time, his visible eye fixed on Naruto with unsettling intensity, "show us these golden chakra techniques we've heard reports of."

Naruto glanced at Jiraiya, who gave a subtle nod. It was time for the carefully rehearsed "reveal."

Taking a deep breath, Naruto formed three hand signs in quick succession—one standard, two slightly modified from conventional forms. Golden chakra began to shimmer around his hands, visible but far less dramatic than its true manifestation.

"Celestial Style: Barrier Palm," he announced, then struck the ground with an open hand.

Golden energy spread outward in a circle approximately three meters in diameter, forming a translucent dome that hummed with quiet power. Inside this barrier, Naruto created a shadow clone that immediately attacked him with a kunai. The blade bounced off his skin without leaving a mark—the barrier was protecting him from within as well as without.

"Interesting," Danzo murmured, leaning forward slightly. "The barrier appears to function on both sides simultaneously. Most unusual."

After maintaining the technique for thirty seconds, Naruto dispersed it with a hand sign. "I can hold it longer," he explained, "but it gets more chakra-intensive the longer it's active."

"What else?" Koharu prompted, her aged voice sharp with curiosity.

Naruto performed three more techniques—a movement enhancement that allowed him to briefly walk on air, a sensing ability that correctly identified chakra signatures through solid walls, and a modified shadow clone that could transform its nature to become temporarily intangible.

Each demonstration was carefully calibrated: impressive but not world-changing, novel but not incomprehensible, powerful but with clear limitations.

As he concluded, Naruto stood at attention, awaiting judgment. The council members conferred in lowered voices, while Kakashi studied him with thoughtful consideration.

Finally, the Third spoke. "These abilities are indeed remarkable, Naruto. Clearly beyond standard genin techniques, but not entirely without precedent. The chakra manifestation resembles certain historical accounts of the Sage of Six Paths era."

"Which raises the question," Danzo interjected smoothly, "of how a genin with traditionally poor chakra control suddenly accesses techniques that have been lost for centuries."

Jiraiya stepped forward. "As I explained in my report, the most likely explanation is ancestral memory access through the Nine-Tails connection. Similar phenomena have been documented in other jinchūriki, albeit rarely."

"And you're confident these abilities pose no threat to Konoha?" Homura asked, directing the question to both Jiraiya and the Hokage.

"On the contrary," the Third replied before Jiraiya could answer, "they represent a potential asset. Particularly given the intelligence regarding Orochimaru's planned assault during the finals."

Danzo's expression remained unreadable, but his chakra—which Naruto could now sense with Hagoromo's training—pulsed with calculated interest. "Perhaps a more thorough examination would be prudent. My research division has protocols for safely extracting and analyzing unusual chakra manifestations."

A chill ran through Naruto at the implication. Danzo was suggesting taking samples of Hagoromo's chakra for study—possibly for replication.

A dangerous proposition, Hagoromo warned. My chakra cannot be artificially duplicated without severe consequences, but the attempt itself would expose you to significant risk.

Fortunately, the Third was already shaking his head. "That won't be necessary, Danzo. Naruto has demonstrated sufficient control and loyalty. Additional invasive procedures would only risk destabilizing the very abilities that could prove valuable in the coming conflict."

Though Danzo didn't argue further, the tension in the room remained palpable. The war hawk wasn't convinced, merely temporarily outmaneuvered.

"You are dismissed, Naruto," the Third concluded. "Return to your regular preparations for the finals. Kakashi will resume oversight of your training until the tournament."

As Naruto left the chamber, he could feel Danzo's gaze boring into his back like a physical weight. Another player had officially entered the complex game surrounding his future—one whose moves would need to be carefully anticipated and countered.

Outside in the corridor, Kakashi was waiting, having slipped out during the council's final deliberations.

"That was an interesting performance," the jonin commented, his visible eye evaluating Naruto with new appreciation. "Carefully measured, showing just enough to satisfy without inviting deeper scrutiny. Not a strategy I would have expected from you previously."

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "I've been learning a lot lately. Not just techniques."

"So I see." Kakashi pushed off from the wall he'd been leaning against. "Walk with me. We should discuss your preparation for the finals."

As they strolled through the underground corridors, gradually making their way toward the surface, Kakashi maintained casual conversation about training schedules and tournament strategies. But once they emerged into a secluded courtyard, his demeanor shifted subtly.

"We're not being actively monitored here," he said quietly. "Now, off the record: how much of what you demonstrated in there was actually the limit of your abilities?"

Naruto hesitated, unsure how much to reveal even to Kakashi.

You can trust him with a partial truth, Hagoromo advised. His loyalty to the Third outweighs any obligation to report to Danzo.

"Maybe... twenty percent?" Naruto admitted. "The techniques are real, but toned down. Like using a trickle from a waterfall."

Kakashi nodded, unsurprised. "I suspected as much. The precision of your control suggested you were deliberately limiting output." He sighed, running a hand through his silver hair. "I won't ask for details you're not comfortable sharing. But as your sensei, I need to know: are you in control of these abilities, or are they in control of you?"

The question caught Naruto off guard with its perceptiveness. "I'm in control," he answered honestly. "But it's like... having access to a library where I can only read a few books at a time. There's so much more to learn."

"And the source of this library? These 'training dreams' you've described?"

Naruto chose his words carefully. "Let's just say it's someone who wants to help me protect the people I care about. Someone who's seen what happens when power is misused and wants to prevent history from repeating."

Kakashi studied him for a long moment, then eye-smiled slightly. "You've grown, Naruto. Not just in ability, but in wisdom." His expression turned more serious. "Be careful in the finals. Jiraiya has briefed me on the potential threats—both the anticipated invasion and other interested parties. Your primary goal should be survival and protecting the village, not winning the tournament."

"What about Sasuke?" Naruto asked. "If Orochimaru's planning something, he's still probably a target."

"Sasuke is being prepared separately," Kakashi assured him. "Without the cursed seal to exploit, Orochimaru's influence over him is significantly reduced. But you're right to be concerned. The dynamics of Team 7 have changed considerably these past weeks."

Indeed, during Naruto's month away, Sasuke had undergone his own intensive training with Kakashi. Without the cursed seal's corruption influencing his development, his progress had taken a different path—still focused on power, but without the self-destructive edge that had characterized his original journey.

"We should train together before the finals," Naruto suggested. "The whole team, I mean. If there's going to be an attack, we need to be coordinated."

Kakashi nodded approvingly. "I've already arranged for Team 7 to have exclusive use of Training Ground 3 tomorrow. Sakura has developed some interesting genjutsu applications in your absence. The three of you working in concert could be quite formidable."

As they parted ways, Naruto felt a renewed sense of purpose. The coming finals represented far more than a promotion opportunity—they were a crucible in which multiple destinies would be tested, a fulcrum point where the future might pivot dramatically in any direction.

That night, as he lay in his apartment bed staring at the ceiling, he reached out mentally to Hagoromo. "Do you think we're changing things for the better? Or just making everything more complicated?"

Both, perhaps, the Sage answered thoughtfully. The future is never a straight path, but a river with countless tributaries and currents. We have diverted the flow from its original course, but whether toward calmer waters or more turbulent rapids remains to be seen.

"Danzo worries me," Naruto admitted. "The way he looked at me... like I was a weapon he wanted to add to his arsenal."

With good reason. Danzo Shimura represents the shadow of the shinobi world—the belief that peace can only be achieved through absolute control. He will see my power within you as a means to fulfill his vision.

"What should we do about him?"

For now, observe. Danzo moves carefully, building his case before acting. We have time to understand his strategy before confronting it directly.

Naruto rolled onto his side, watching moonlight paint silver patterns on his wall. "And Orochimaru's invasion? The timeline's changed so much already. Will it still happen the way you showed me?"

The broad strokes remain likely, but details have shifted. Orochimaru's obsession with Sasuke has been partially redirected toward you. The Sand's involvement may differ with Gaara's altered mental state. Prepare for the familiar pattern, but remain adaptable to new developments.

Outside his window, a night bird called—three times, then silence. An ordinary sound, but it triggered Naruto's enhanced senses. Someone was watching his apartment.

Root, Hagoromo identified. Danzo wishes to monitor your activities more closely now that he's aware of your potential.

Naruto didn't visibly react, maintaining the appearance of a genin preparing for sleep. But inwardly, he recognized another escalation in the complex game surrounding him. The council meeting had confirmed what Jiraiya had warned: his growth had drawn the attention of forces within Konoha as potentially dangerous as those outside it.

Tomorrow would bring Team 7's reunion and final preparations. The day after, the Chunin Exam finals would begin, with all the chaos and opportunity they represented. And through it all, the golden chakra of the Sage of Six Paths would flow through him, a power that could either save the world or, if misused, tear it apart.

As sleep finally claimed him, Naruto dreamed not of glory or triumph, but of balance—standing at the center point of countless intersecting forces, seeking the path that would bring harmony rather than destruction. In the dream, Hagoromo stood beside him, staff in hand, gazing out at the potential futures with eyes that had witnessed a thousand years of humanity's struggles.

"The true test," the Sage said in the dream, "is not of power, but of heart. Remember that when the moment of choice comes."

The stadium erupted with cheers as the Chunin Exam finalists entered the arena, sunlight glinting off headbands representing villages from across the shinobi world. Naruto walked alongside his fellow competitors, acutely aware of the multiple layers of observation focused on them—not just the official judges and excited spectators, but hidden ANBU positioned strategically throughout the structure, disguised foreign agents assessing potential threats and opportunities, and somewhere, the cold, calculating eyes of enemies preparing to strike.

Three Kage present, Hagoromo noted as Naruto scanned the viewing box where the village leaders sat. Hokage, Kazekage, and Raikage. The latter's presence is unexpected—a deviation from the original timeline.

Indeed, alongside the Third Hokage and the supposed Kazekage (whom Naruto now recognized as Orochimaru in disguise thanks to Hagoromo's enhanced sensory training), sat A, the muscular Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure. His presence significantly altered the political dynamics of the event—and potentially Orochimaru's invasion plans.

"Attention to all competitors," Genma Shiranui announced, having replaced Hayate as proctor following the latter's "illness" (in reality, a tactical reassignment to security duties after uncovering evidence of the planned invasion). "The rules remain as explained previously. Matches continue until one competitor surrenders, is rendered unable to continue, or I determine a clear victor. Lethal force is discouraged but not prohibited."

As Genma reviewed the bracket, Naruto found himself maintaining the careful balance he had practiced—alert and focused, but projecting the casual confidence expected of his normal personality. Beside him, Neji stood with arms crossed, regarding the audience with cool detachment. Further down the line, Gaara's expression remained impassive, but his chakra fluctuated erratically—the internal battle between Shukaku's bloodlust and his own confused recognition of Hagoromo's energy within Naruto.

Gaara's instability increases the unpredictability of today's events, Hagoromo observed. Shukaku senses my presence but cannot comprehend it, which disrupts the control patterns Orochimaru's agents have established.

"All competitors except Uzumaki and Hyūga, please return to the waiting area," Genma instructed, signaling the start of the tournament.

As the others departed, leaving Naruto and Neji alone in the expansive arena, Naruto caught Sasuke's subtle nod of encouragement—another small but significant difference from the original timeline, where rivalry had prevented such gestures of teamwork.

"Remember our agreement," Neji said quietly as they took their positions. "Whatever happens here, our study of these techniques continues afterward."

Naruto nodded. During the preparation month, they had established a unique training arrangement. Neji's Byakugan provided invaluable insight into the chakra mechanisms of Hagoromo's techniques, while Naruto's access to the ancient knowledge helped Neji understand aspects of his own clan's abilities that had been lost over generations.

"Begin!" Genma called, leaping back to provide space for the combatants.

Unlike their encounter in the original timeline, neither competitor rushed forward immediately. Instead, they circled each other with measured steps, each assessing the other with new understanding.

"You've changed," Neji observed, Byakugan activated. "Your chakra flows differently now—more deliberate, less chaotic."

"So have you," Naruto replied, noting the subtle shifts in Neji's stance that incorporated elements of their training sessions. "Still believe fate determines everything?"

A ghost of a smile crossed Neji's face. "Let's find out."

With that cryptic response, he launched forward, palm striking toward Naruto's chest in the traditional Gentle Fist style. But where the old Naruto would have dodged clumsily or blocked ineffectively, this Naruto responded with a fluid counter-movement, redirecting the strike's energy while simultaneously creating distance.

In the stands, Hiashi Hyūga leaned forward with sudden interest. "That movement... it resembled our clan's Revolving Heaven defense, but without the chakra expulsion."

Beside him, Hinata watched with wide eyes. "N-Naruto-kun has improved so much."

The exchange of blows accelerated, Neji pressing his attack with precision strikes aimed at Naruto's chakra points. Naruto evaded most, deliberately allowed others to land in non-critical areas, and occasionally countered with strikes of his own—conventional in appearance but subtly enhanced by principles gleaned from Hagoromo's teaching.

To the untrained observer, it appeared as a high-level taijutsu match between two skilled genin. But those with keener perception—the jonin instructors, the Kage in their viewing box, and certain hidden observers—recognized that both combatants were deliberately constraining their true capabilities.

"Kakashi," Guy murmured from their position in the stands, "your student moves like he's had years of additional training. And Neji appears to be responding to patterns he recognizes."

Kakashi nodded slightly. "They've both grown considerably. Though I suspect we're still only seeing the surface of their development."

After several minutes of escalating exchanges, Neji managed to land a more solid hit, striking a tenketsu point in Naruto's shoulder. "Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms!" he announced, launching into the abbreviated version of his clan's signature technique.

Naruto weathered the assault, allowing himself to be driven backward as strikes closed chakra points throughout his network. When the sequence completed, he stood panting, arms hanging somewhat limply at his sides—a convincing display of a competitor significantly hindered but not defeated.

"You fought well," Neji stated, loud enough for nearby spectators to hear, "but fate has rendered its verdict. With your chakra network disrupted, you cannot continue effectively."

In the original timeline, this had been the moment where Naruto had shocked everyone by accessing the Nine-Tails' chakra to reopen his blocked tenketsu. Now, with Hagoromo's guidance, he had a different approach—one that would demonstrate growth without revealing his true capabilities.

"Maybe fate isn't what closes paths," Naruto replied, straightening despite his apparent injuries. "Maybe it's what opens new ones when the old ones are blocked."

With careful concentration, he began circulating his chakra through secondary pathways—ancient channels identified by Hagoromo that predated even the Hyūga clan's understanding of the human energy system. Golden energy flickered briefly beneath his skin, visible only as a momentary shimmer rather than the dramatic manifestation of his full power.

In the Kage box, the Raikage leaned forward with sudden interest. "What technique is that boy using? It resembles neither standard chakra manipulation nor bijū energy."

The disguised Orochimaru, hidden beneath the Kazekage's robes and facial coverings, narrowed his eyes. This was precisely the display he had been waiting for—confirmation that Naruto had indeed accessed the power that had so dramatically interfered with his plans in the Forest of Death.

On the battlefield, Neji's Byakugan widened in genuine surprise. "Impossible," he breathed. "You're channeling chakra through meridians that shouldn't exist."

Instead of responding verbally, Naruto formed a single hand sign—modified from the standard clone seal with subtle positioning changes that Hagoromo had taught him. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Twenty clones appeared in a perfect circle around Neji, each maintaining the same posture. To ordinary observers, this appeared to be Naruto's familiar technique. But Neji's Byakugan revealed the truth—each clone contained precisely balanced chakra, drawing from the alternative meridians rather than Naruto's partially blocked standard network.

"These aren't ordinary shadow clones," Neji announced, shifting into a defensive stance. "The chakra distribution is mathematically perfect."

The clones attacked in coordinated pairs, using conventional taijutsu but with timing and positioning that demonstrated advanced tactical awareness. Neji countered brilliantly, his Revolving Heaven technique dispersing several clones while his precision strikes eliminated others.

But with each exchange, it became clear that Naruto's strategic approach had evolved beyond recognition from his earlier fighting style. The remaining clones reformed into geometric patterns, creating overlapping fields of engagement that gradually restricted Neji's movement options.

"You're not just attacking randomly," Neji realized aloud. "You're establishing a containment matrix."

Naruto grinned. "Something like that."

As the final phase of his strategy unfolded, the remaining clones suddenly charged simultaneously—not directly at Neji, but at precisely calculated angles that forced him to defend in specific patterns. When he completed his rotation defense, he found himself standing exactly where Naruto had predicted, momentarily off-balance.

In that crucial opening, the real Naruto struck—not with a dramatic Rasengan or powerful technique, but with a perfectly timed palm strike to Neji's sternum, similar to the Gentle Fist but channeling a minute amount of Hagoromo's harmonizing energy rather than the disruptive force of the Hyūga style.

The impact itself appeared modest, but the effect was immediate. Neji's eyes widened as the foreign chakra briefly synchronized with his own network, creating a momentary resonance that disrupted his control. He staggered backward, caught himself, and then—to the surprise of many observers—smiled.

"I concede," he announced clearly, before Genma could declare a result.

A murmur of surprise rippled through the audience. Neji Hyūga, the prodigy who had never lost a match, voluntarily surrendering?

"Are you certain?" Genma asked, eyebrow raised.

Neji nodded. "My opponent has demonstrated superior strategy and unexpected techniques. Continuing would only result in my defeat through less dignified means." He turned to Naruto, bowing slightly. "Well fought, Uzumaki."

As Genma declared Naruto the winner, applause thundered through the stadium. In the stands, various observers reached their own conclusions about what they had witnessed:

Hiashi Hyūga contemplated the implications of chakra pathways unknown to his clan's extensive anatomical knowledge.

Jiraiya, disguised among the spectators, nodded in satisfaction at Naruto's restraint and strategic approach.

Danzo, watching from a secluded viewing box, categorized and analyzed each technique for future reference and potential exploitation.

And in the Kage booth, three very different reactions unfolded:

The Third Hokage smiled slightly, pride mingling with concern at Naruto's growth.

The Raikage leaned back, making a mental note to have his intelligence division compile a more detailed profile on Uzumaki Naruto.

The false Kazekage's fingers tightened imperceptibly on his armrest, golden eyes gleaming with covetous calculation behind his disguise.

As Naruto and Neji left the arena, they exchanged a knowing glance. Their match had served multiple purposes—demonstrating growth to the exam proctors, continuing their mutual education, and providing a controlled reveal of limited aspects of Naruto's new abilities.

"Next match: Sasuke Uchiha versus Gaara of the Desert!" Genma announced.

Naruto's smile faded as he climbed the stairs to the competitors' waiting area. This match had been the trigger point for the invasion in the original timeline. Would history repeat itself, or had the changes he'd implemented already altered the course of events too significantly?

Remain vigilant, Hagoromo cautioned. Orochimaru still intends to strike today, but the specific catalyst may differ. Your match has already altered his awareness and potentially his timing.

In the waiting area, Naruto found Sasuke preparing for his match, strapping on arm guards with methodical precision. Without the cursed seal's influence, the Uchiha's demeanor was different—focused and intense, but lacking the bitter edge that had previously characterized him.

"Congratulations," Sasuke offered without looking up. "Interesting technique against Neji."

"Thanks." Naruto leaned against the wall beside him. "Be careful with Gaara. He's... not stable."

Sasuke paused, glancing at Naruto with newfound respect. The acknowledgment of another's strength without jealousy or dismissal represented significant growth for the last Uchiha.

"I've been watching him," Sasuke confirmed. "His sand moves sometimes without hand signs or visible direction. And his chakra..." He frowned, searching for words. "It feels wrong. Divided somehow."

Your influence extends beyond your direct actions, Hagoromo observed. Sasuke's perceptive abilities have sharpened in response to your growth, pushing him to develop in different ways than before.

"Just don't push him too far," Naruto warned. "If he loses control..." He hesitated, unsure how much to reveal about Gaara's jinchūriki status.

"I know what he is," Sasuke stated flatly, surprising Naruto. "Kakashi briefed me. One-tail, right? Like you have the Nine-Tails."

The casual acknowledgment of Naruto's status—without fear or judgment—was yet another deviation from the original timeline. Without Orochimaru's corrupting influence and with Naruto's improved standing, Team 7's dynamics had evolved toward genuine comradeship rather than fractured rivalry.

"Yeah." Naruto nodded. "Just be ready for anything. This match might be more than just a tournament round."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly, picking up on the subtext. "You know something."

"Just a feeling," Naruto deflected, though his tone conveyed the seriousness of his concern.

After a moment of evaluation, Sasuke nodded. "I'll be careful." He finished his preparations and headed for the stairs, pausing briefly. "Watch closely. I've developed some new techniques too."

As Sasuke descended to the arena, Naruto moved to the viewing platform, positioning himself where he could observe both the match and the surrounding stadium. His enhanced senses, honed by Hagoromo's training, allowed him to detect subtle chakra disturbances throughout the structure—disguised ANBU maintaining security positions, sensors from various villages monitoring the proceedings, and the coiled tension of Sand and Sound ninja waiting for their signal.

When Gaara appeared opposite Sasuke in the arena below, Naruto focused on the Sand jinchūriki's chakra signature. The internal conflict was immediately apparent—Shukaku's chaotic energy pushing against Gaara's consciousness, but with a new element disrupting the familiar pattern. The One-Tail was agitated, not just with bloodlust, but with confusion.

Shukaku senses fragments of my chakra from your previous proximity to Gaara, Hagoromo explained. It recognizes its creator but cannot comprehend why that signature would reappear after centuries.

"Could that make him more unstable?" Naruto wondered silently.

Or potentially more receptive to intervention, if approached correctly. The connection between Tailed Beasts and their creator runs deeper than their imposed bonds with human hosts.

Below, Genma signaled the start of the match. Unlike the cautious opening of Naruto's battle with Neji, this confrontation began explosively—Gaara's sand erupting from his gourd in defensive tendrils while Sasuke immediately tested their reactivity with precision shuriken throws.

What followed was a demonstration of just how differently Sasuke had developed without the cursed seal. Instead of relying primarily on the Chidori as in the original timeline, this Sasuke displayed a more balanced approach. His fire techniques had evolved to incorporate aspects of lightning manipulation, creating blue-white flames that temporarily vitrified portions of Gaara's sand defenses.

"Fire and Lightning Release: Convergence," Kakashi identified from the stands, visible eye widened slightly. "He's combined elemental natures without a kekkei genkai. Impressive for his age."

Gaara's response grew increasingly aggressive as the match progressed, his sand attacks shifting from defensive counters to predatory tendrils seeking to crush rather than simply capture. Yet Naruto noticed something unusual—moments of hesitation where Gaara appeared to be fighting not just Sasuke but some internal conflict as well.

In the original timeline, Gaara had begun transforming into Shukaku's partial form relatively early in the match. Now, despite the battle's intensity, he maintained his human form, though his expression twisted with the effort of controlling the beast within.

The invasion plan required Gaara to initiate his transformation as a signal, Hagoromo noted. His resistance disrupts their timing.

In the Kage viewing box, the disguised Orochimaru shifted with growing impatience. The carefully orchestrated sequence of his invasion plan was unraveling—first Naruto's unexpected abilities, now Gaara's delayed transformation, and the complicating factor of the Raikage's unanticipated presence.

The battle below intensified. Sasuke, recognizing that conventional attacks were being absorbed by Gaara's constantly regenerating sand defenses, abruptly changed tactics. Drawing on the enhanced speed training Kakashi had provided—modeled after Lee's movements but adapted for the Sharingan's predictive capabilities—he began circling Gaara at velocities that left only blurred afterimages.

Gaara's sand struggled to track the movement, creating a spherical defense around its master. Sasuke seized this opportunity, charging his hand with the familiar chirping energy of Chidori—but with a crucial modification. Instead of focusing the lightning chakra into a piercing thrust, he spread it across his entire arm in a crackling network that resembled a web more than a blade.

"Lightning Release: Neural Disruption," he announced, striking Gaara's sand sphere with an open palm rather than penetrating fingers.

The lightning didn't physically break through as in the original timeline, but it didn't need to. The specialized technique conducted through the minerals in the sand, creating an electromagnetic pulse that briefly disrupted Gaara's chakra control from within.

The sand sphere collapsed, revealing Gaara on one knee, clutching his head in evident pain. Blood trickled from a small wound on his shoulder—not from Sasuke's attack, but self-inflicted by his own sand in the moment of destabilized control.

"Blood... my blood..." Gaara whispered, staring at the crimson liquid with a mixture of fascination and horror.

This was the critical moment—in the original timeline, seeing his own blood had triggered Gaara's partial transformation and the beginning of the invasion. But instead of the expected explosion of demonic chakra, something unexpected happened.

Gaara looked up, his eyes meeting Naruto's across the distance between the arena floor and viewing platform. In that moment of connection, something passed between the two jinchūriki—a recognition, a resonance facilitated by Hagoromo's chakra within Naruto.

"You..." Gaara breathed, his focus shifting entirely from Sasuke to Naruto. "What are you?"

Before Naruto could respond, multiple explosions rocked the stadium perimeter. White feathers began drifting through the air—a wide-area genjutsu designed to put civilian spectators to sleep, signaling the start of the invasion despite Gaara's deviation from the plan.

It begins, Hagoromo stated grimly. Orochimaru moves to his contingency plan rather than waiting for Gaara's transformation.

Throughout the stadium, chaos erupted as disguised Sand and Sound ninja revealed themselves, engaging with Konoha forces who had been prepared for the possibility of attack. In the Kage box, the false Kazekage made his move, taking the Third Hokage hostage and leaping to the stadium roof where a specialized barrier jutsu sprang into existence, isolating them for their fateful battle.

The Raikage, caught by surprise but quick to react, demolished the wall of his viewing box with a lightning-enhanced punch, creating an exit for himself and his bodyguards while shouting orders to remain neutral in what appeared to be an internal Land of Fire conflict.

Naruto released the subtle disruptive chakra pulse Jiraiya had taught him, dispelling the sleep genjutsu around himself and nearby allies. Below in the arena, Sasuke maintained his battle stance, eyes darting between Gaara and the erupting chaos around them.

"Naruto!" Kakashi appeared beside the viewing platform in a swirl of leaves. "The contingency plan is in effect. Find Sakura and execute defensive pattern three."

Naruto nodded, immediately creating shadow clones to locate his teammate amid the confusion. But before he could move to join them, a wall of sand erupted between him and Kakashi.

Gaara stood at the center of the arena, sand swirling around him in agitated patterns. But instead of the murderous transformation from the original timeline, his expression reflected confusion and internal conflict.

"You have answers," he called up to Naruto, voice strained with effort as he visibly fought for control against Shukaku's influence. "This power inside you... it speaks to what's inside me!"

This deviation from the expected sequence presented a critical choice point. In the original timeline, Naruto had pursued Gaara outside the village after his transformation, eventually battling him in his full Tailed Beast form. Now, with the invasion unfolding differently and Gaara still maintaining human form, the opportunity existed to potentially avoid that destructive confrontation entirely.

A pivotal moment, Hagoromo confirmed. Gaara stands at a crossroads between the path of destruction he walked before and a potential new direction. Your intervention now could redirect not just his fate but the entire flow of the invasion.

Naruto locked eyes with Sasuke, who had positioned himself strategically between Gaara and the stadium exit. A silent communication passed between teammates—Sasuke would maintain containment while Naruto attempted something unprecedented.

With decisive movement, Naruto leapt from the viewing platform, landing in the arena before Gaara. Around them, battles erupted throughout the stadium as Konoha's defenders engaged the invading forces. But in this small circle of relative calm, two jinchūriki faced each other—one consumed by lifelong isolation and pain, the other offering an alternative path.

"You're right, Gaara," Naruto confirmed, allowing a controlled measure of Hagoromo's chakra to manifest as a subtle golden aura around his hands. "I do have answers. And I can help you silence the voice that's been tormenting you your entire life."

Gaara's eyes widened, sand writhing around him in patterns that reflected his inner turmoil. "How... how could you possibly understand?"

"Because I'm like you," Naruto replied, tapping his stomach where the Nine-Tails' seal was located. "I carry a burden too. But it doesn't have to control you. The beast inside you—Shukaku—I know his true name. I know where he came from. And I know he wasn't always filled with hatred."

The mention of Shukaku's name caused a visible shock to run through Gaara. The sand's movements became more erratic, partly defensive and partly reaching toward Naruto as if drawn by an unseen force.

"Liar!" Gaara snarled, but the accusation lacked conviction. "No one knows Mother's true nature!"

"Not mother," Naruto corrected gently. "Shukaku. One of nine Tailed Beasts created by the Sage of Six Paths from the Ten-Tails. Brother to the Nine-Tails sealed inside me."

With each word, Gaara's resistance visibly weakened, confusion replacing rage in his expression. The invasion continued around them, but in this moment, something more significant than military victory hung in the balance—the potential redemption of a soul that had known only pain and isolation.

"Let me show you," Naruto offered, extending his hand. "Let me show you the truth about what's inside both of us."

As Gaara stared at the outstretched hand, the future balanced on a knife's edge—countless possible timelines branching from this single moment of choice. And in the distance, golden eyes watched with growing concern as an unexpected variable threatened to unravel carefully laid plans spanning decades.

The collision course of destiny had arrived at its intersection point, and the world held its breath to see which path would emerge from the chaos.

Gaara's hand trembled, suspended in the space between them. Sand particles swirled frantically around his fingers, alternately forming protective barriers and reaching toward Naruto like desperate tendrils seeking connection. Blood from his self-inflicted wound trickled down his arm, each crimson droplet crystallizing into ruby-like granules as it hit the agitated sand.

"This is a trick," he hissed, but uncertainty fractured his voice. "Another reason to prove my existence by killing you!"

"It's not," Naruto stepped closer, golden chakra now visibly pulsing around his extended hand. "Look deeper, Gaara. Shukaku recognizes this chakra. It's calling to something he hasn't felt in centuries."

Around them, chaos erupted in kaleidoscopic violence. Kunai whistled through air thick with smoke bombs and paper bombs. Jutsu collided in chromatic explosions that painted the stadium walls with momentary masterpieces of elemental fury. The synchronized assault of Sand and Sound ninja splintered against Konoha's hastily organized defense.

But in the eye of this hurricane, two jinchūriki stood locked in a moment of potential transformation.

Guide his hand to yours, Hagoromo instructed. I will establish a momentary tether between your mindscapes—enough for him to glimpse the truth without risking Shukaku's escape.

Naruto reached forward, fingertips almost brushing Gaara's—

A wall of sand erupted between them, violently knocking Naruto backward. But this wasn't Gaara's doing. Four figures landed in defensive formation around the red-headed jinchūriki—his siblings and their sensei, Baki.

"The plan has changed," Baki snapped, eyes darting between Gaara's unusual state and the surrounding battlefield. "We're extracting immediately."

"No!" Gaara's protest shocked his siblings. "He knows! He knows about Mother—about Shukaku!"

Temari's face drained of color at the forbidden name. "Gaara, you're not thinking clearly. We need to—"

Her words evaporated as a massive explosion rocked the eastern wall. Through the billowing dust, colossal three-headed snake summons smashed into Konoha's defensive barrier, their scales gleaming like poisoned opals in the midday sun.

"Time's up!" Baki seized Gaara's shoulder. "Kankuro, Temari—fallback protocol Crimson Sand. Now!"

Kankuro's puppets sprang to life, unleashing smoke bombs that belched purple-black clouds. When the acrid fog dissipated seconds later, the Sand ninja had vanished with their unstable weapon.

"Naruto!" Sasuke landed beside him, Sharingan blazing with three tomoe—the final stage unlocked during his month of training. "They're heading east, toward the forest boundary."

Naruto's mind raced through splintering possibilities. The original timeline had Gaara transforming here, devastating the village before being pursued. This new sequence threatened unknown consequences.

The connection was almost established, Hagoromo noted. Gaara's consciousness reached toward us despite Shukaku's resistance. This potential remains viable if you pursue him.

"We need to go after them," Naruto decided. "Gaara's the key to this invasion. If I can reach him—really reach him—we might stop this without the same casualties as before."

Sasuke nodded, requiring no further explanation. This version of Sasuke, unburdened by Orochimaru's curse and strengthened by healthier rivalry, trusted Naruto's judgment in a way his counterpart never had.

"Sakura's with Kakashi, evacuating civilians from the western quadrant." Sasuke flicked his wrist, uncoiling a length of wire with paper bombs attached. "I'll signal her to meet us at checkpoint seven."

A shadow fell over them as Genma dropped from above, deflecting a barrage of shuriken aimed at their position. "You two can't pursue alone. This is beyond a genin mission now."

"With respect, sir," Naruto countered, eyes reflecting golden determination, "we might be the only ones who can stop what's coming."

Before Genma could argue, reality bent around them. The air rippled as a perfect dome of translucent purple energy materialized atop the arena's roof. Inside this barrier, barely visible at this distance, two figures circled each other—the Third Hokage and Orochimaru, finally revealed as he shed the Kazekage disguise.

"The barrier jutsu," Genma breathed, face hardening. "Just like the intelligence predicted."

High above, trapped within the purple prison, the Third faced his fallen student. Orochimaru's serpentine eyes gleamed with triumph as he peeled away the last of his facial disguise, revealing the unnaturally smooth skin of his stolen body.

"So predictable, Sarutobi-sensei," he purred, voice carrying despite the barrier's containment. "Sacrificing yourself to save your precious village... again."

The Third's weathered face revealed nothing as he removed his ceremonial robes, revealing battle attire beneath. "Not a sacrifice, Orochimaru. A duty. One you abandoned long ago."

"Duty?" Orochimaru laughed, the sound like glass breaking. "I transcended such pedestrian concepts. While you clung to your duty, I pursued the ultimate truth of this world—immortality and the mastery of all jutsu."

The ancient Hokage's hands blurred through signs with shocking speed for his age. "And yet, here you are, attacking the very source of the knowledge you claim to treasure. Your pursuit has blinded you to wisdom, my student."

Their battle erupted in a concussive shockwave that sent ANBU scrambling away from the barrier's edge. Even from below, the chakra pressure felt like storm-front gravity, heavy and electric against the skin.

"We can't help him," Genma concluded grimly. "That barrier is impenetrable from outside. Four of Orochimaru's elite guard anchor the corners."

Naruto's gaze shifted between the rooftop battle and the direction Gaara had fled. Two critical conflicts, both potentially decisive for Konoha's future.

The Third followed this path once before, Hagoromo reminded him. His sacrifice sealed Orochimaru's arms but left the Snake Sannin alive to threaten many more lives. Gaara's transformation previously devastated large sections of the village and forest.

Decision crystallized like lightning in Naruto's mind. "We pursue Gaara. That's where we can make the biggest difference."

Sasuke was already moving, firing his signal flare toward Kakashi's last known position. "Let's go."

Genma hesitated, torn between protocol and pragmatism. "Take this," he finally decided, pressing a soldier pill into each of their hands. "I'll report that I authorized your pursuit as specialized response unit. Don't make me regret it."

They burst through the stadium's eastern exit, launching into the trees with chakra-enhanced speed. Behind them, battles fractured across Konoha's rooftops in deadly constellation patterns. Ahead, sand particles glinted in sunlight, marking their quarry's path.

"They're moving fast but erratically," Sasuke observed, Sharingan tracking the subtle traces. "Gaara seems to be fighting their extraction efforts."

Naruto nodded, feeling the distant turbulence in Gaara's chakra even at this range—a new sensitivity granted by Hagoromo's training. "He's resisting Shukaku's control while also fighting his siblings. The conversation we started has him questioning everything."

They accelerated through the canopy, a synchronized blur of orange and blue against emerald foliage. This coordinated pursuit represented another dramatic deviation from the original timeline, where Sasuke had been incapacitated early and Sakura taken hostage.

"There!" Sasuke pointed to a clearing ahead where a dust cloud erupted skyward. "They've stopped moving."

They approached with tactical caution, suppressing their chakra signatures as they positioned themselves at the clearing's edge. The scene before them froze their advance.

Gaara stood alone at the center, sand spiraling around him like a miniature galaxy. Ten meters away, Temari and Kankuro crouched behind a hastily erected barrier of puppets and fan-generated wind, their expressions locked in horrified fascination. Baki was nowhere to be seen.

"Get away from me!" Gaara's voice cracked with emotion—not rage but confusion. "Something's changing... I can feel it breaking apart inside!"

Half his face had transformed into Shukaku's tanuki features, but instead of the manic bloodlust that typically accompanied this partial manifestation, his expression conveyed profound internal struggle. The sand coating his skin repeatedly formed and dissolved, unable to maintain stability.

"It's working," Naruto whispered. "The connection we almost made disrupted Shukaku's control pattern."

"What exactly did you do to him?" Sasuke murmured, never taking his eyes from the volatile jinchūriki.

"Showed him another possibility," Naruto replied. "A relationship with his tailed beast that isn't built on fear and hatred."

His transformation is unstable, Hagoromo observed. Normally, Shukaku would seize any moment of vulnerability to dominate Gaara's consciousness. Something is interfering with this pattern—likely the residual resonance from our attempted connection.

A flash of pink caught Naruto's peripheral vision as Sakura landed silently beside them, her arrival demonstrating significant improvement in stealth techniques.

"Kakashi-sensei is handling a group of Sound jonin near the academy," she reported in hushed tones. "He ordered me to provide support but not engage directly."

She surveyed the clearing, quickly analyzing the situation. "Gaara's transformation is... different from what the intelligence briefing described. More chaotic, less directed."

"We need to complete what we started in the arena," Naruto decided, rising from their concealed position. "Cover me, but don't interfere unless absolutely necessary."

Sasuke and Sakura exchanged glances, then nodded. In this new timeline, their trust in each other had evolved beyond their original development. They moved to flanking positions, ready to support without question.

Naruto stepped into the clearing, allowing his presence to register fully with all parties. Temari immediately raised her fan in defensive position while Kankuro's fingers twitched, puppets clicking in response.

"Stay back, Leaf ninja!" Temari warned, her voice stripped raw with stress. "You have no idea what you're dealing with!"

"Actually, I do." Naruto continued forward at measured pace, hands open at his sides to project non-aggression. "Better than anyone else here."

Gaara's head snapped toward him, the human and tanuki eyes focusing with unnerving synchronicity. "You... came after me." Wonder and suspicion warred in his fractured voice. "Why?"

"To finish our conversation," Naruto replied simply, stopping ten paces away—close enough for connection, far enough to avoid triggering immediate defensive reaction. "The one about what we both carry inside us."

The sand around Gaara churned with increased agitation, but its movements now seemed less defensive and more... questioning. Tendrils rose and fell in patterns resembling reaching hands.

"He's lying, Gaara!" Kankuro shouted, though uncertainty strained his assertion. "This is some Leaf village trick!"

Naruto never broke eye contact with Gaara. "Shukaku, the One-Tail. Matatabi, the Two-Tails. Isobu, the Three-Tails. Son Gokū, the Four-Tails. Kokuō, the Five-Tails. Saiken, the Six-Tails. Chōmei, the Seven-Tails. Gyūki, the Eight-Tails. Kurama, the Nine-Tails." He took a deep breath. "Nine siblings created from the Ten-Tails by the Sage of Six Paths. Each with their own personality, their own power... and their own pain."

As the forbidden names echoed through the clearing, visible shock registered on every face—most dramatically on Gaara's, where the tanuki features momentarily receded as if Shukaku himself had been startled into retreat.

"How could you possibly know those names?" Temari whispered, fan lowering fractionally.

"Because I'm connected to the source," Naruto answered, allowing golden chakra to manifest visibly around his hands—not as attack but as demonstration. "The same source that created the Tailed Beasts centuries ago."

With deliberate movements, he seated himself cross-legged on the forest floor, hands resting on his knees in non-threatening meditation pose. "Gaara, I'm offering you something no one else can—understanding. Real understanding. Not fear, not control, not exploitation. Just truth."

For several heartbeats, the clearing held its breath. Then, miraculously, the sand around Gaara began to settle. The transformation receded further, leaving only a few patches of tanuki features on his face and arm.

"How?" It was the simplest question, stripped to its essence.

Naruto patted the ground before him. "Sit with me, and I'll show you."

From their concealed positions, Sasuke and Sakura watched in disbelief as Gaara—the murderous, unstable weapon of the Sand Village—slowly lowered himself to sit opposite Naruto. The sand contracted into a loose circle around them both, neither attacking nor fully retreating.

"What is he doing?" Sakura breathed.

"Something impossible," Sasuke replied, Sharingan capturing every detail of the extraordinary chakra patterns forming between the two jinchūriki.

In the center of the clearing, Naruto extended his hands, palms up. "Take my hands. I'll show you the truth about Shukaku, about yourself, and about what's possible beyond the path of pain you've been walking."

Gaara stared at the offered hands with the uncertainty of someone who had never experienced gentle human contact. "If this is deception..." His uncompleted threat hung in the air.

"It's not," Naruto promised. "It's the opposite—the removal of deceptions that have shaped your entire life."

With excruciating hesitancy, Gaara placed his hands in Naruto's. The moment contact completed, golden chakra erupted around them both, forming a perfect dome that obscured them from outside view.

Inside this sanctuary of energy, reality shifted. Both boys found themselves standing in a liminal space—not quite Naruto's sewer-like mindscape, not quite Gaara's desert dreamscape, but somewhere between and beyond both.

Before them towered two massive beings—the Nine-Tailed Fox, Kurama, his crimson fur flickering with barely contained power; and the One-Tailed Tanuki, Shukaku, his sand body marked with black curse seals and his eyes rolling with centuries of madness.

"What trick is this?!" Shukaku howled, thrashing against invisible constraints. "How dare you summon me, Kurama! How dare you expose me to this human filth!"

Kurama, surprisingly, remained silent, his massive red eyes fixed not on Shukaku but on the figure that materialized between the two jinchūriki—Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths, his astral form translucent but undeniably present.

"My children," Hagoromo's voice resonated with gentle authority that transcended the space. "How far you have fallen from what I intended."

Shukaku's thrashing faltered, sand body freezing in shocked recognition. "Im...impossible. You died centuries ago, old man!"

"Death is a transition, not an ending," Hagoromo replied, raising his ringed staff. "I have watched as humans corrupted my final gift to this world—turning my children into weapons, sealing you into sacrificial vessels, propagating the very cycle of hatred I sought to break."

He turned to Gaara, who stood transfixed by the cosmic drama unfolding before him. "Child of the desert, you have suffered needlessly. The voice you've called 'Mother' all these years is Shukaku, twisted by centuries of mistreatment and madness. But it was not always so."

With a gesture of his staff, Hagoromo conjured images in the space between them—visions of Shukaku as he once was, centuries ago. The tanuki appeared without the black curse markings, his sand golden rather than dull brown, his eyes clear and intelligent rather than manic.

"This is your true nature, Shukaku," Hagoromo stated. "Before generations of hatred and forced imprisonment corrupted your spirit."

The One-Tail stared at the image of his former self with uncharacteristic stillness. "Lies," he whispered, but without conviction. "Pretty lies..."

"Not lies," Naruto stepped forward. "Memories. The same way Kurama remembered when Hagoromo helped me connect with him."

Gaara watched this exchange with dawning comprehension. "All my life... the voice urging me to kill, to prove my existence through others' deaths... that was you?" He addressed Shukaku directly for the first time. "Not my mother?"

Shukaku's massive form seemed to shrink slightly, caught between defiance and unexpected shame. "Your pitiful mother died cursing your existence, boy! I merely gave direction to the hatred that created me!"

"No," Hagoromo corrected gently. "You perpetuated a cycle that wounded you both. The seal that binds you is flawed—allowing neither proper separation nor harmonious communion. It keeps you both trapped in mutual torment."

He turned to Naruto. "Show him what is possible. Show him what you and Kurama have begun to build."

Naruto nodded, closing his eyes in concentration. The mindscape shifted, revealing glimpses of his own journey—his early struggles with Kurama's influence, their gradual communication, and finally, the beginnings of reluctant cooperation that had started forming since Hagoromo's intervention.

"This is the path forward," Naruto explained to the astonished Gaara. "Not perfect control. Not complete freedom. But partnership. Respect. Understanding."

Gaara's eyes widened as possibilities he'd never conceived unfolded before him. "You mean... the sleepless nights, the constant voice, the pain... it could end?"

"Not instantly," Naruto cautioned. "But yes. It can change. You don't have to be a weapon. You don't have to kill to prove your existence. You exist because you matter—to yourself first, and eventually, to others."

Shukaku unleashed a roar that shook the mindscape. "Sentimental garbage! We are power incarnate! We are—"

"Lonely," Hagoromo interrupted softly. "You are lonely, my child. As you have been since I divided the Ten-Tails and gave you consciousness. This boy's loneliness mirrors your own—which is why you've been drawn to each other in such destructive patterns."

The tanuki's protests died in his throat, his massive form deflating as truth penetrated centuries of habitual rage.

"I won't lie to you, Gaara," Naruto continued. "This path isn't easy. But it's real. And it's yours to choose."

Outside in the clearing, Temari and Kankuro watched in stunned silence as the golden dome surrounding the two jinchūriki pulsed with rhythmic energy. Minute cracks appeared in Gaara's sand armor, falling away like a chrysalis shedding to reveal transformation beneath.

"What's happening to him?" Kankuro whispered, puppets forgotten at his sides.

"I don't know," Temari admitted, a fragile hope threading through her voice. "But he's not transforming further. He's... stabilizing somehow."

Inside the mindscape, Gaara stood at the precipice of decision, looking between Shukaku's massive form and Naruto's extended hand.

"How do we begin?" he finally asked, voice steadier than it had been in years.

"With acknowledgment," Hagoromo instructed. "Speak to Shukaku directly, using his true name. Recognize him not as a monster inside you, but as a being with his own existence and dignity—distorted though it has become."

Gaara turned toward the massive tanuki, straightening his posture despite the overwhelming presence looming above him. "Shukaku," he began, the name feeling strange on his tongue after years of 'Mother.' "I... I acknowledge you as separate from me. As having your own existence."

The One-Tail stared down at his host with conflicted emotion rippling across his sandy features. "Bold words from my prison warden," he growled, but the usual homicidal mania had retreated from his tone.

"Not a prison," Gaara countered with newfound conviction. "A shared existence. Whether we chose it or not, we're bound together. But that doesn't mean we must torment each other."

Shukaku snorted, sending dust clouds swirling. "Pretty thoughts. But the seal that binds us is designed for my subjugation, not cooperation. Your father made certain of that."

"The seal can be modified," Hagoromo interjected, stepping forward with staff raised. "Not removed—that would kill you both—but adjusted to allow clearer boundaries and communication. If you both permit it."

Kurama, who had remained unusually silent throughout the exchange, finally spoke, his rumbling voice directed at his tanuki brother. "It's not perfect, One-Tail. But it's better than madness. Better than being nothing but a weapon in human wars."

The Nine-Tails' unexpected endorsement seemed to impact Shukaku more than all previous arguments. The tanuki's swirling eyes narrowed, focusing properly on his surroundings perhaps for the first time in centuries.

"Very well," he finally conceded, though suspicion still laced his voice. "Adjust the seal, old man. But if this is trickery—"

"No tricks," Hagoromo promised, raising his staff. "Only the beginning of healing for both of you."

Golden light emanated from the Sage's staff, flowing toward Gaara's spectral form where it coalesced around his heart—the center point of Shukaku's seal. The light penetrated inward, illuminating the complex network of binding symbols etched into his very chakra network.

"The original seal was crafted from fear," Hagoromo explained as he worked. "Fear of Shukaku's power, fear of losing a military asset, fear of weakness. This modification introduces balance—clear boundaries that protect you both while allowing communication across those boundaries."

As the light intensified, Gaara gasped, feeling internal structures shifting like tectonic plates realigning after centuries of pressure. Shukaku roared once more, but this time in surprise rather than rage as the black curse markings on his body flickered and partially faded.

"There," Hagoromo lowered his staff. "The foundation is laid. The rest will be up to you both—daily choices to communicate rather than dominate, to understand rather than fear."

The mindscape began to dissolve around them, reality reasserting its boundaries. Before they fully returned to the physical world, Naruto grasped Gaara's shoulder.

"Remember, you're not alone anymore. There are nine of us—jinchūriki. We've all walked different paths of pain. But maybe, just maybe, we can find a better way forward... together."

The golden dome in the clearing slowly dissipated, revealing two boys sitting cross-legged, hands still connected. But the transformation was immediately apparent. Gaara's sand armor had completely fallen away, revealing his natural features. His eyes—previously ringed with sleepless shadows and manic intensity—now showed clarity and stunned wonder.

Most shocking of all, tears streaked down his cheeks, carving wet paths through the residual sand particles clinging to his skin.

"He's... crying?" Temari whispered in disbelief, taking an unconscious step forward. In all their years as siblings, she had never once seen Gaara shed tears.

The moment shattered as a massive explosion rocked the forest behind them. Trees toppled in domino succession as something massive plowed through the canopy toward the clearing.

"What now?" Sasuke muttered, springing from cover with kunai ready.

Through the newly created path of destruction emerged a sight that froze everyone in place. The Third Hokage, bloodied but standing, pursued by Orochimaru—no longer in human form but transformed into a massive white snake composed of hundreds of smaller serpents fused together.

"The barrier broke," Sakura realized aloud. "They've brought their battle here!"

Indeed, the legendary shinobi had crashed through the forest, their duel evolving beyond the confines of the stadium roof. The Third's face showed grim determination despite multiple injuries, his hands forming seals even as he evaded Orochimaru's monstrous lunges.

"Naruto!" he shouted upon spotting them. "Take your team and Gaara's siblings! Retreat to safe distance—now!"

Instead of obeying, Naruto rose to his feet, helping the still-disoriented Gaara up beside him. "No, Old Man! We can help!"

The distraction cost the Hokage a precious second of attention. Orochimaru's serpentine form whipped forward, jaws unhinging to impossible width as he struck. The Third barely deflected the attack with an earth wall jutsu, but the impact sent him tumbling across the clearing.

"Delightful!" Orochimaru's voice emerged from the writhing mass of snakes, distorted but recognizable. "My experiment with the jinchūriki AND my old sensei, all in one convenient location!"

His massive form coiled, yellow eyes fixing on Naruto and Gaara with predatory calculation. "The golden chakra techniques... and now some kind of jinchūriki synchronization?" His serpentine tongue flicked out, tasting the air. "So many fascinating research subjects for my collection."

The Third struggled to his feet, forming hand signs with desperate speed. "Summoning Jutsu: Monkey King Enma!"

In a burst of smoke, the massive white-furred monkey materialized, immediately transforming into the legendary adamantine staff. The Third caught the weapon with practiced precision, extending it to twice his height with a burst of chakra.

"Your pursuit of forbidden knowledge ends today, Orochimaru!" The old Hokage launched himself forward with surprising agility, staff becoming a blur of motion as he engaged the serpentine monstrosity.

"We have to help him," Naruto insisted, turning to Sasuke and Sakura who had emerged from cover to assess the new threat. "Team 7, formation Delta!"

Without hesitation, his teammates moved to flanking positions, their months of training and the new timeline's improved teamwork manifesting in perfect synchronicity.

"Wait," Gaara's voice halted them, surprisingly steady despite his recent transformation. "This is our battle too. Temari, Kankuro—defensive support pattern."

His siblings stared in shock, not at the request itself but at the clear, rational tone in which it was delivered. After a moment of hesitation, they nodded, moving into complementary positions.

Orochimaru laughed, the sound burbling unnaturally from his serpentine form. "How touching! The children think they can challenge me!" His massive body contracted, then expanded with explosive force. "Let me educate you on the difference between genin games and true shinobi combat!"

Hundreds of smaller snakes erupted from his main body, shooting toward the gathered ninja like venomous missiles. They never reached their targets.

A wall of sand erupted from the ground, intercepting the attack with precision that Gaara's previous defenses had never demonstrated. Simultaneously, wind blades from Temari's fan sliced through any serpents that breached the initial barrier, while Kankuro's puppets created a third layer of mechanical defense.

Team 7 launched from behind this protection, executing a coordinated attack that would have been impossible in the original timeline. Sasuke's fire techniques created an advance wall of blue-white flame, through which Sakura's precisely thrown kunai—enhanced with explosive tags—emerged at unpredictable angles. Naruto's shadow clones followed, using the distraction to close distance with the massive serpent.

Orochimaru's form writhed and split, attempting to evade the multi-pronged assault. Most of the attacks connected with substituted snake parts rather than vital areas, but the coordinated pressure prevented him from focusing solely on the Third.

"Impossible!" the Snake Sannin hissed as a particularly well-placed fire technique severed several of his composite snakes. "Mere genin shouldn't be able to—"

His protest cut short as the Third appeared above him, adamantine staff descending with earth-shattering force. The blow connected with Orochimaru's central mass, driving him into the ground with enough impact to create a small crater.

"Now, Naruto!" the Third called out, recognizing the strategic opening they'd created together.

Naruto's hands flashed through signs—not the standard sequences taught at the Academy, but the ancient mudras Hagoromo had shared. Golden chakra erupted around him, forming complex geometric patterns that hovered in the air like luminous circuit boards.

"Celestial Art: Corruption Purification Seal!"

The golden energy launched forward, wrapping around Orochimaru's serpentine form in constricting bands. Where the energy contacted his unnatural body, the component snakes began to break apart, unable to maintain their forced fusion.

"What is this technique?!" Orochimaru shrieked, his composite form unraveling at the edges. "This isn't Nine-Tails chakra! This is—"

"The power you've been seeking your entire misguided life," the Third interrupted, hands forming a final sequence of seals. "The true legacy of the Sage of Six Paths—not jutsu collection or immortality, but harmony and natural balance!"

Recognizing imminent defeat, Orochimaru's form contracted violently, the remaining snakes pulling inward to protect his core essence. "This isn't over, Sarutobi-sensei!" his voice bubbled from the writhing mass. "And you, Naruto Uzumaki—I'll discover your secrets yet!"

Before anyone could deliver a final strike, the ground beneath Orochimaru liquefied. His remaining snake components melted into the earth, executing an emergency escape jutsu that few shinobi could have countered.

As the Snake Sannin's presence vanished, the forest fell into sudden, disorienting silence. The Third Hokage dropped to one knee, breath coming in labored gasps as Enma reverted to monkey form to support his old partner.

"That... was not how I expected this battle to conclude," the aged leader admitted, accepting Naruto's offered hand to regain his feet. "Your intervention was both reckless and... decisive."

Naruto grinned, though exhaustion shadowed his expression. "Teamwork, Old Man. Isn't that what you've always taught us?"

The Hokage's gaze traveled from Naruto to Gaara, noting the Sand jinchūriki's transformed demeanor with astonishment. "And this... cooperation? How did you manage this when our intelligence suggested Gaara was to be the invasion's primary weapon?"

Before Naruto could formulate an appropriate explanation, new presences materialized at the clearing's edge—ANBU squads, led by Kakashi and accompanied by an imposing figure crackling with lightning chakra: the Fourth Raikage.

"Situation report," A demanded, his massive frame dwarfing even the ANBU captains beside him. "We detected S-class chakra signatures converging here, including Orochimaru's."

The Third straightened, resuming his role as Hokage despite his injuries. "Orochimaru has retreated. The Sand siblings have... defected from the invasion force, it seems." He cast a questioning glance toward Gaara, who nodded confirmation. "We should return to the village immediately to coordinate counter-offensive operations."

As the various ninja regrouped for return to Konoha, Naruto found himself walking beside Gaara, a step removed from the others.

"Everything's different now," Gaara said quietly, wonder still evident in his voice. "Quieter inside. Clearer. I can... think without his screaming."

"It'll get better," Naruto promised. "And sometimes harder in different ways. But you're on a new path now."

Gaara studied his own hands as if seeing them for the first time. "My father sent us here as weapons. Ordered me to transform and destroy your village once the signal came." His voice hardened with newfound resolve. "That won't happen now. Not ever."

"What will you do?" Naruto asked as they approached the village walls, where evidence of ongoing battle still flickered across distant rooftops.

Gaara's gaze fixed on the chaos with newfound clarity. "First, help stop this madness. Then..." He glanced toward his siblings, who watched him with cautious hope. "Then find a way forward that doesn't require us to be monsters."

As they passed through the village gates, the full scope of the invasion became apparent. Though Orochimaru's retreat and Gaara's transformation had disrupted the attack's central strategy, fighting continued throughout Konoha. Sand and Sound ninja battled Leaf defenders across rooftops and streets, though the coordinated assault had devolved into scattered conflicts without central direction.

More surprisingly, Lightning ninja from Kumogakure had entered the fray—not as additional invaders but as unexpected allies, engaging primarily with Sound forces.

"The Raikage made a battlefield decision," Kakashi explained, noting Naruto's confused expression. "When Orochimaru's deception was revealed, A determined that allowing a hostile takeover of the Land of Fire would destabilize the entire shinobi world. Classic balance-of-power politics."

Strategic assessment gave way to immediate action as Team 7, the Sand siblings, and the assembled jonin separated to address remaining conflict zones. The invasion that had once devastated Konoha now faltered, hamstrung by the disruption of its key components.

By sunset, the last pockets of resistance had been neutralized. The combined forces of Leaf and Cloud stood victorious, while surviving Sand ninja found themselves in the unexpected position of allied defectors rather than defeated enemies—thanks largely to Gaara's intervention on Konoha's behalf.

Atop the Hokage Tower, as medical ninja treated the wounded and damage assessment began, the Third Hokage surveyed his village. Unlike the original timeline, he stood alive—wounded but unbowed, having survived his confrontation with Orochimaru.

"You've altered destinies today, Naruto," he said quietly as the young genin joined him at the balcony edge. "Far more than you realize."

Naruto glanced sideways, surprised by the statement. "You know, don't you? About... him." He tapped his temple, indicating Hagoromo's presence.

The Third smiled wearily. "I suspected something beyond simple 'training dreams' or Nine-Tails influence. The techniques you displayed today have been lost for centuries. The chakra signature is unmistakable to those who've studied the ancient records." He sighed, gazing toward the Hokage Monument. "The Sage of Six Paths has chosen to intervene directly in our world's affairs. That can only mean one thing."

"What's that?" Naruto asked, though Hagoromo's silence suggested he already knew the answer.

"That the stakes are far higher than mere village conflicts or invasions," the Third replied, his weathered face solemn in the fading light. "Forces are gathering that threaten not just peace, but existence itself."

As night fell over Konoha—battered but unbroken—new constellations of possibility unfolded above them. The invasion's failure and the Third's survival represented massive deviations from the original timeline, their consequences rippling outward through the web of fate like stones cast into still water.

In his mindscape, Hagoromo observed these changes with both hope and concern. The immediate crisis had been averted with fewer casualties and greater cooperation than before. But the fundamental threats—Akatsuki, the shadowed manipulator behind them, and the eventual resurrection of threats thought long buried—remained on the horizon.

"We've changed things," Naruto thought toward the Sage as he watched recovery efforts spread throughout the village. "For the better, right?"

For now, Hagoromo acknowledged. But change is never simple, Naruto. Every deviation creates new challenges, new threats, new possibilities. We've altered the path, but the destination remains contested.

Below, in a temporary medical facility, Gaara sat quietly beside his sleeping siblings, experiencing the novel sensation of peaceful awareness without Shukaku's constant howling. Across the village, Sasuke cleaned his weapons with methodical precision, his path diverging ever further from the revenge-obsessed avenger he might have become. And somewhere in the shadows, Danzo contemplated the day's revelations with calculating interest, particularly the golden chakra techniques demonstrated by the Nine-Tails jinchūriki.

The fractured skies above Konoha mirrored the fractured timeline below—familiar constellations now arranged in new patterns, familiar players now moving along unfamiliar paths. The Chunin Exams had concluded not with promotion ceremonies but with battlefield alliances and unexpected transformations.

And through it all, the golden thread of Hagoromo's legacy continued to weave, binding past to future through the most unlikely of vessels—a orange-clad genin with whisker marks on his cheeks and determination burning in his heart.

Dawn exploded over Konoha, crimson light bleeding through shattered windows and crumbled walls. The village had survived, but wounds remained—gouged streets, scorched buildings, bandaged civilians clearing debris with resolute determination. One invasion repelled, but the ripples of change continued to spread like wildfire through dry grass.

Naruto stood atop the Hokage monument, golden chakra flickering beneath his skin like lightning trapped in amber. The village below resembled a kicked anthill, reconstruction crews scurrying with lumber and tools while medical ninja established field stations in parks and plazas.

Your actions have altered more than just buildings, Hagoromo observed, his spectral voice resonating through Naruto's consciousness. See how the Cloud ninja assist rather than retreat? How Sand shinobi rebuild alongside those they attacked yesterday? Small changes cascade into larger transformations.

"It's better this way," Naruto replied, watching a team of genin—Leaf and Sand working together—raising a fallen power line. "The Old Man's alive. Gaara's found a different path. Sasuke isn't—"

A presence materialized behind him with wind-rush suddenness. Naruto turned, unsurprised to find Jiraiya perched on a stone outcropping, arms crossed over his broad chest.

"Summoned to the Council chamber," the Toad Sage announced without preamble. "All of you. Team 7, Sand siblings, Kakashi, me, and you, especially." His expression remained carefully neutral, but tension radiated from his posture. "They've been deliberating all night."

"About what?" Naruto asked, though the answer crystallized even as he spoke.

"About everything. The invasion, the alliances, Gaara's transformation." Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "And those golden techniques you displayed rather dramatically in front of three Kage and about a thousand witnesses."

Naruto winced. So much for strategic restraint.

This confrontation was inevitable, Hagoromo noted. Perhaps better now, while the Third's influence remains strong, than later when others might seize control of the narrative.

Twenty minutes later, Naruto stood beside his teammates in a chamber deep beneath the Hokage Tower. Unlike the usual council room with its windows and ceremonial trappings, this space served purely practical purposes—reinforced walls inscribed with privacy seals, a circular table worn smooth by decades of tension-filled meetings, and only one entrance guarded by four masked ANBU.

The Third Hokage sat at the table's head, flanked by Koharu and Homura. Danzo occupied the space to their right, bandaged face impassive but visible eye sharp with calculation. Across from him sat the Fourth Raikage, A, his massive frame making the chair beneath him seem child-sized.

Most surprising was the final attendee—Gaara, representing Sand in the absence of their revealed-as-fraudulent Kazekage. His siblings stood behind him, while Baki knelt in formal surrender position near the wall, under guard but present as advisor.

"We face unprecedented circumstances," the Third began without preamble. "An invasion thwarted not through conventional warfare but through interventions that defy standard shinobi classification." His weathered gaze swept the assembled genin. "Particularly concerning you, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto stepped forward, feeling the weight of multiple calculated stares. "I did what was necessary to protect the village."

"What you did," Danzo interjected, leaning forward, "was demonstrate techniques that haven't been seen since the Warring States Era. Techniques connected to legends most consider mythological." His visible eye narrowed. "Techniques that alter fundamental aspects of our understanding of chakra itself."

The Raikage's fist crashed onto the table, leaving a spiderweb of cracks. "Enough diplomatic maneuvering. The boy channels the Sage's chakra. We all saw it." He fixed Naruto with an electrifying stare. "The question is how. And why now, when the Five Great Nations stand at a precipice."

Silence consumed the room, pressure building like atmospheric chakra before a lightning strike. Naruto glanced toward Jiraiya, who offered the barest of nods.

Tell them enough truth to satisfy, but not enough to endanger, Hagoromo advised. The full reality would create more danger than clarity.

Naruto squared his shoulders. "I've been contacted by the Sage of Six Paths."

The declaration detonated through the chamber. Koharu gasped audibly. Homura's weathered hands clutched the table edge. Even Danzo's disciplined façade cracked momentarily, his eye widening a fraction. Only the Third and Jiraiya maintained composure, having already suspected the truth.

"Preposterous," Homura recovered first. "The Sage is historical allegory, not—"

"He speaks truth," Gaara interrupted, his voice steady in a way that seemed to shock even his siblings. "I've experienced it directly. Yesterday in the forest, Naruto connected our mindscapes. I saw the Sage myself as he modified my seal." He touched his chest where the binding mark centered. "I've slept for the first time in years without Shukaku taking control."

This revelation sparked new tension, particularly from the Raikage. "Seal modification? Without authorization?" His chakra flared, electrical discharge crackling around his shoulders. "That's tampering with another village's military asset!"

"I'm not an asset," Gaara stated flatly. "I'm a person who was weaponized against my will." His pale eyes met the Raikage's without flinching. "As is your brother, Killer B."

A's expression darkened dangerously. "You know nothing of—"

"Eight-Tails. Gyūki," Gaara continued, unfazed. "Naruto showed me all nine Tailed Beasts, named them as siblings created from the Ten-Tails. Knowledge no one possesses except, apparently, the Sage himself."

The Third raised a hand, forestalling the Raikage's building outburst. "Naruto, you claim direct communication with the Sage of Six Paths. For what purpose has he reached out after centuries of silence?"

Choose your words carefully, Hagoromo cautioned. We cannot reveal the Akatsuki threat directly without explaining how we know of their future actions.

Naruto nodded minutely. "He's shown me visions of a threat coming—people hunting the Tailed Beasts, extracting them from jinchūriki, killing us in the process." He looked directly at Gaara, then toward the Raikage. "All nine of us are targets, including your brother."

The chamber erupted into cross-talk, questions firing from multiple directions. The Third's commanding voice finally cut through the chaos: "Enough! One at a time!"

Danzo seized the opening. "These techniques the Sage has shared—golden chakra manipulations, space-time distortions, mindscape connections between jinchūriki—represent potentially destabilizing military advantages." His tone remained measured despite the inflammatory content. "The balance of power between villages rests upon relatively equal distribution of force. If Konoha alone possesses these abilities—"

"I'm not giving them to Konoha," Naruto interrupted, drawing shocked stares. "I mean, I'll use them to protect the village, but the Sage isn't sharing this knowledge as a military advantage. He's preparing us—all of us—for something bigger."

"Something conveniently vague and unverifiable," Danzo noted with dangerous softness.

Sasuke stepped forward unexpectedly. "I've seen these techniques with my Sharingan. They're not standard ninjutsu or genjutsu. They operate on principles beyond what we currently understand." His intervention surprised Naruto—this version of Sasuke, developing without Orochimaru's corrupting influence, continued to forge a different path than his original counterpart.

The Raikage studied each speaker with calculating intensity before focusing on the Third. "Verification is possible." His massive frame straightened. "Permit Naruto Uzumaki to meet with Killer B. If these claims about jinchūriki connection are legitimate, my brother will confirm it."

The proposal landed like an explosive tag in still water. Sending Konoha's jinchūriki to Cloud Village—historically antagonistic despite current battlefield alliance—represented unthinkable risk under normal circumstances.

Before the Konoha Council could object, Jiraiya intervened. "A neutral location would be more appropriate. And additional security protocols to ensure everyone's comfort."

The Third nodded slowly. "A reasonable compromise. But this leaves many questions unanswered."

"Like what we tell the other villages," Sakura spoke up, surprising everyone with her political awareness. "Hidden Mist and Stone will demand explanations for what happened here, especially with Cloud suddenly allied with Leaf and Sand shinobi helping rebuild our village."

Danzo's eye gleamed with something approaching approval at her assessment. "Precisely the destabilization risk I referenced. Three Great Nations suddenly realigning while displaying previously mythological powers? War has started over far less."

"Then we tell them the truth," Naruto declared, drawing incredulous stares. "Not everything, but enough. The Sage has returned because something bigger than village rivalries is coming. We need to start working together instead of—"

"Naïve," Danzo cut him off. "The shinobi world doesn't change centuries of established order because a genin makes impassioned speeches."

"But it already has," the Third observed quietly, gesturing toward Gaara and the Raikage. "Traditional enemies cooperating, a jinchūriki controlling his Tailed Beast rather than being controlled by it. The old patterns are already fracturing."

The discussion spiraled through proposals and counterproposals, contingencies and security measures. Through it all, Naruto observed something remarkable—they were taking him seriously. Not as a troublemaking genin or a dangerous jinchūriki, but as a legitimate voice in matters of international consequence.

Finally, the Third raised a hand. "Enough for today. We will reconvene tomorrow after communicating with Stone and Mist representatives." His gaze swept the room before settling on Naruto. "In the meantime, Team 7 will provide a complete demonstration of these new capabilities under controlled conditions. The Raikage and I will observe personally."

As the meeting dissolved, participants filtering toward the exit, Naruto found himself intercepted by Danzo. The elder's visible eye studied him with unsettling intensity.

"The Sage chose an interesting vessel," he observed, voice pitched for Naruto's ears alone. "One might question whether a genin—even one with your... unique circumstances—possesses the wisdom to properly steward such power."

Naruto met his gaze steadily. "The Sage thinks I do."

"The Sage has been absent for centuries while the shinobi world built itself through sacrifice and discipline." Danzo's tone hardened fractionally. "Remember that his perspective may be... incomplete regarding modern realities."

Before Naruto could respond, the elder moved away, bandaged form disappearing through the chamber door with surprising grace for one so seemingly frail.

He will not relent, Hagoromo warned as Naruto exited into the corridor where his teammates waited. Danzo envisions a world ordered through absolute control. Our path threatens that vision fundamentally.

"Naruto," Sasuke's voice pulled him from internal dialogue. "We need to talk. All of us." His expression remained unreadable, but urgency threaded through his tone. "Something's happening with Sakura."

The pink-haired kunoichi stood several paces away, engaged in intense whispered conversation with Kakashi. Her hands trembled slightly, and beneath her practical combat attire, chakra pulsed in unusual patterns—visible to Naruto's Hagoromo-enhanced perception but likely imperceptible to most observers.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, moving toward them.

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled with concern. "It seems your connection with the Sage is having... unexpected ripple effects." He gestured subtly toward Sakura. "Show him."

The kunoichi extended her hand, palm upward. Concentration furrowed her brow as chakra gathered in her palm—not the standard blue-white energy of conventional techniques, but a faintly violet luminescence that shimmered with unusual density.

"It started during the invasion," she explained, voice tight with controlled panic. "When I was healing a wounded civilian. My chakra just... changed. Became more potent." The energy in her palm pulsed rhythmically. "I can feel injuries now, like seeing through skin and muscle to the damaged chakra networks beneath."

Naruto stared, shock rendering him momentarily speechless.

The Creation Rebirth principles, Hagoromo identified, surprise evident even in his ancient voice. Similar to techniques Tsunade later developed, but with different fundamental approach. This shouldn't be possible without direct instruction.

"But how?" Naruto whispered, both aloud and internally.

"That's what we need to figure out," Kakashi replied, misunderstanding the question's target. "And quickly, before the demonstration tomorrow. The last thing we need is another unexplained power manifestation in front of the Raikage and Council."

Something unforeseen is occurring, Hagoromo continued, mental voice vibrating with concentration. Your proximity to teammates, combined with my chakra's harmonizing properties... perhaps a resonance effect? Awakening latent potentials that otherwise would have developed years later, if at all?

The implications staggered Naruto. If simply working alongside him could accelerate or alter others' development...

"Sasuke," he turned sharply toward the Uchiha. "What about you? Anything strange with your chakra or abilities?"

Sasuke hesitated, an uncharacteristic uncertainty crossing his features. "My Sharingan sees... more. Not just copying techniques or tracking movement, but seeing into chakra structures themselves. How they're built, where connections form." His dark eyes narrowed. "During the fight with Gaara, I could see how his sand techniques functioned at their core—not just the hand signs or chakra expenditure, but the fundamental principles."

Analytical insight beyond standard Sharingan parameters, Hagoromo noted. Similar to capabilities Madara and Indra developed after decades of study.

"It's the golden chakra," Kakashi concluded, voice lowered as a group of medical ninja passed nearby. "Proximity exposure is causing accelerated development or mutation in existing capabilities." His visible eye reflected growing concern. "If this affects teammates, what about opponents? Enemies? Civilians?"

The question hung between them, unanswerable yet urgently requiring address. Before they could discuss further, Jiraiya appeared at the corridor's end, beckoning imperatively.

"The Third wants to speak with Naruto. Alone." His expression conveyed the non-negotiable nature of the summons. "The rest of you, head to Training Ground Seven and begin preliminary preparation for tomorrow's demonstration."

As his teammates departed with worried glances, Naruto followed Jiraiya through winding corridors that descended deeper beneath the Hokage Tower than he'd known existed. They eventually reached a circular chamber illuminated by seals rather than conventional lighting, walls lined with scrolls and artifacts of evident antiquity.

The Third Hokage stood at the chamber's center, examining an ancient stone tablet partially embedded in the floor. He looked up as they entered, dismissing the ANBU guards with a subtle hand gesture.

"Naruto," he greeted, weariness evident beneath his formal composure. "There are matters we must discuss without the political considerations that dominated the council meeting." He gestured toward the stone tablet. "Including this."

Naruto approached cautiously, Hagoromo's sudden intense focus flooding his consciousness with heightened awareness. The tablet featured inscriptions in a language he couldn't comprehend—angular symbols flowing across weathered stone in patterns that seemed to shift when viewed directly.

The Stone Tablet of the Six Paths, Hagoromo identified, mental voice hushed with recognition. Created during my lifetime to record crucial warnings and prophecies. But this version has been altered—specific passages modified to change crucial meanings.

"You can read it, can't you?" the Third asked, watching Naruto's face closely. "Or rather, he can."

Naruto nodded slowly. "Parts of it. Hagoromo says someone changed sections to manipulate the meaning."

The Third exchanged glances with Jiraiya. "As we suspected. This tablet has been the foundation of Uchiha clan doctrine for generations. If its contents were deliberately corrupted..."

The manipulations served specific purposes, Hagoromo confirmed through Naruto. To distort understanding of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, the Rinnegan's true nature, and most importantly, the relationship between Indra and Asura—my sons whose chakra continues through the Uchiha and Senju bloodlines.

"Someone very old and very powerful has been manipulating events for centuries," Jiraiya summarized grimly. "Someone who knew enough about the Sage's era to falsify historical records convincingly."

The Third turned fully toward Naruto, his gaze penetrating beneath bushy brows. "We need to know everything, Naruto. Not the sanitized version for the Council, but the complete truth. Why has the Sage returned now, after all this time? What exactly are you seeing in these visions? What future are we trying to prevent?"

The moment crystallized with decision's weight. How much to reveal? How much could this timeline bear knowing about its alternate path?

Tell them, Hagoromo decided after momentary deliberation. These two, at least, must understand the full scope of what we face. The manipulator behind everything—my mother's will continuing through the centuries, seeking resurrection.

Naruto took a deep breath and began speaking—about Akatsuki's original plans, about Pain and Obito, about Madara's manipulation and eventual betrayal by Black Zetsu. About Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, sealed primordial goddess of chakra, mother to Hagoromo himself, whose return would consume all living chakra on earth.

As revelations tumbled forth, the Third's expression transformed from skepticism to shock to grim acceptance. Jiraiya paced the chamber's perimeter, occasionally interjecting clarifying questions but primarily absorbing the horrifying scope of threat they faced.

"This future you describe," the Third finally said after Naruto finished, "it centers around Sasuke's corruption and defection? His pursuit of power through Orochimaru?"

"That was one crucial turning point," Naruto confirmed. "Without the cursed seal pushing him toward darkness, he's already developing differently. But Itachi remains a factor—Sasuke's desire for revenge could still be manipulated."

"And these Akatsuki members—they're already moving?" Jiraiya pressed. "Collecting bijū, preparing for the extraction ritual?"

"Yes, but they don't know their leader is being manipulated by someone else, who's being manipulated by Madara, who's being manipulated by Black Zetsu, who's actually working for Kaguya." Naruto shook his head at the byzantine complexity. "Multiple layers of deception spanning centuries."

The Third sank onto a stone bench, suddenly looking every day of his advanced age. "And in the original timeline, I died during this invasion, leaving Konoha vulnerable during critical early stages of this threat."

Naruto nodded solemnly. "Your death created openings that enemies exploited. Tsunade became Hokage, but transitional weakness allowed several major attacks to succeed."

Silence descended as both elder shinobi processed these revelations, mentally recalibrating decades of assumptions and strategies against this new apocalyptic context.

"The demonstration tomorrow becomes more significant," the Third finally said. "Not just political theater to satisfy the Raikage and Council, but our first opportunity to evaluate how these golden chakra techniques might counter threats like Akatsuki and ultimately Kaguya herself."

"There's something else," Naruto added hesitantly. "Something happening with my teammates. Sakura and Sasuke are developing abilities they shouldn't have yet—maybe from exposure to Hagoromo's chakra through me."

Jiraiya's expression sharpened. "What kind of abilities?"

Naruto described the observed changes—Sakura's medical insight, Sasuke's analytical Sharingan enhancement. "Hagoromo thinks it might be some kind of resonance effect, accelerating capabilities they would have developed years later."

The Third exchanged significant glances with Jiraiya. "If proximity to Hagoromo's chakra awakens latent potential in others..."

"Then what happens when Naruto connects with other jinchūriki, as planned with Killer B?" Jiraiya completed the thought. "We could be looking at exponential power escalation across multiple villages simultaneously."

"Or creating precisely the conditions for Kaguya's resurrection by concentrating and enhancing chakra in ways that make extraction more viable," the Third countered darkly.

Naruto felt the weight of unintended consequences pressing down like physical gravity. Every action to prevent disaster potentially created new vulnerabilities through unforeseen ripple effects.

This is the fundamental challenge of intervention, Hagoromo acknowledged. We cannot simply replace one predetermined path with another. Each change creates cascading possibilities, some worse than what we seek to prevent.

A sharp knock interrupted their deliberations. An ANBU operative materialized in the doorway, kneeling formally before speaking: "Hokage-sama, urgent development. Two Akatsuki members have been spotted entering Fire Country borders. Intelligence confirms identities as Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki."

The timing sent chills racing down Naruto's spine. In the original timeline, Itachi had appeared in Konoha shortly after the invasion, seeking the Nine-Tails jinchūriki. Now events accelerated, compressed by changes already implemented.

"Their trajectory?" the Third demanded.

"Directly toward Konoha, Hokage-sama. Estimated arrival within hours."

The Third's expression hardened with decision. "Double ANBU patrols. Implement security protocol Crimson Sky immediately. And locate Sasuke Uchiha—assign a full squad to ensure he remains unaware of his brother's approach."

As the ANBU vanished to execute these orders, Jiraiya turned to Naruto. "This changes everything. If Itachi is coming for you now, with the village still recovering from invasion..."

"It's because of the golden chakra," Naruto realized. "Reports about what happened during the invasion must have reached them already. They're moving faster than in the original timeline because I've drawn attention."

The Third nodded grimly. "We've lost the advantage of foreknowledge. Events are already deviating too significantly from your original experiences to predict with confidence."

"Then we create a new advantage," Naruto decided, determination settling through him like steel in forge fire. "We meet them on our terms, not theirs."

"Absolutely not," the Third countered immediately. "You are the primary target. Engaging directly plays into their objective."

Perhaps not, Hagoromo interjected through Naruto. In the original timeline, Itachi's true motives remained hidden—his actions serving Konoha from within Akatsuki, protecting Sasuke through elaborate deception. With proper preparation, this confrontation might create opportunity rather than vulnerability.

The Third's expression revealed deep skepticism, but strategic calculation sparked behind his eyes. "Elaborate."

What emerged over the next thirty minutes was not merely a defensive plan but a calculated counter-intelligence operation—using foreknowledge of Itachi's complex loyalties and Akatsuki's internal dynamics to potentially fracture the organization from within.

As preparations accelerated around them, Naruto felt the familiar whisper of destiny reshaping itself—threats converging earlier than expected, allies developing in unanticipated ways, and at the center, golden chakra continuing to ripple outward with consequences no one—not even the Sage of Six Paths himself—could fully predict.

Night fell over Konoha like a black curtain studded with distant stars. But beneath this celestial canopy, new constellations of possibility were forming—mortal stars whose alignment would determine whether primordial darkness consumed the world or a new dawn finally broke through centuries of manipulated shadow.

Midnight cloaked Konoha in deceptive tranquility, streetlights flickering like distant beacons through curtains of repair scaffolding. Naruto crouched on the western watchtower, pulse thrumming beneath his skin as charged anticipation electrified the air around him. The trap was set, pieces arranged on the board with meticulous precision—ANBU squads concealed in shadow-pockets throughout the village perimeter, Jiraiya's toad sentinels positioned along likely approach vectors, Kakashi and Gai stationed as secondary containment.

And at the center of this elaborate web, Naruto himself—the lure, the bait, the wildcard.

Remember, Hagoromo cautioned, his presence vibrating with unusual tension, Itachi operates on multiple levels of deception. His Tsukuyomi genjutsu can shatter minds with a glance. Maintain our connection regardless of what your senses perceive.

A flicker of movement across the rooftops snapped Naruto's attention southward. Nothing visible, yet his enhanced senses detected displaced air currents, the subtle compression of roof tiles under expert footfalls.

"They're here," he whispered into the throat mic connecting him to the operation's command network. "Southeast quadrant, moving north along the market district spine."

"Confirmed," came the Third's measured response from the secure command center. "Maintain position. Let them approach on their terms."

Naruto exhaled slowly, golden chakra humming beneath his skin like caged lightning, carefully suppressed to avoid premature detection. This confrontation would unfold differently than the original timeline—no accidental discovery in a roadside dango shop, no Sasuke's impotent rage upon learning of his brother's presence.

Without warning, reality inverted itself.

One moment Naruto stood vigilant on the watchtower; the next he found himself on a concrete platform surrounded by crimson sky and obsidian water. Inverted crucifixes dotted the nightmare landscape—the unmistakable architecture of Tsukuyomi.

"Impressive sensor abilities," came a smooth, measured voice behind him. "Most jinchūriki rely on their Tailed Beast's perception, yet you detected us through different means entirely."

Naruto turned slowly, facing the infamous missing-nin without visible alarm. Itachi Uchiha stood ten paces away, black cloak with red clouds hanging motionless in the windless mental realm. His Mangekyo Sharingan spiraled hypnotically, crimson against shadow-smudged features.

"Your genjutsu won't work as expected," Naruto stated calmly, golden chakra suddenly blazing around him like solar corona. "Not when I have him with me."

Surprise flickered across Itachi's normally impassive face as the illusory world shuddered, cracks spreading through the crimson sky like fracturing glass. Through these fissures, golden light poured in, disrupting and transforming the mental architecture.

"Impossible," Itachi whispered, genuine shock overwhelming his careful composure. "This isn't Nine-Tails chakra. This is..."

The illusory world shattered completely, reality reasserting itself with jarring abruptness. Naruto stood once more on the watchtower, but now Itachi materialized across from him, accompanied by his massive blue-skinned partner. Kisame Hoshigaki grinned sharktoothed menace, wrapped sword Samehada twitching eagerly on his back.

"Something interfered with your genjutsu, Itachi," Kisame observed with predatory amusement. "The Nine-Tails brat has unusual defenses."

Itachi's intense gaze never left Naruto, Sharingan analyzing the golden energy now visibly pulsing beneath the boy's skin. "That chakra signature... it shouldn't exist in this era." His voice remained controlled, but urgent calculation flickered behind his eyes. "Kisame, stand down. This situation requires reassessment."

The shark-nin's expression soured with disappointment. "Stand down? We came all this way to—"

"To confirm reports of unusual chakra manifestation during the invasion," Itachi cut him off smoothly. "Reports that appear significantly understated. Our orders didn't include direct confrontation against unknown variables."

Naruto seized the momentary tactical pause. "I know why you're really here, Itachi Uchiha. And I know why you joined Akatsuki after the clan massacre."

The words landed with precision impact. Kisame's hand drifted toward Samehada while Itachi's expression locked into unreadable stillness.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Itachi finally responded, "you've become something unexpected. Something outside our projections."

"You have no idea," Naruto countered, golden light intensifying around his hands. "But before your partner decides to test Samehada against this chakra, you should know I've spoken with the Third about your actual mission."

The statement detonated like a paper bomb in still water. Kisame's predatory focus snapped toward his partner, suspicion darkening his already menacing features.

"What's he babbling about, Itachi?"

Before either could continue, chakra signatures flared around them as ANBU squadrons materialized on surrounding rooftops, weapons drawn. Among them stood Kakashi, Sharingan exposed and focused on his former ANBU colleague.

"Surrounded and outnumbered," Kisame observed with casual threat, "but not necessarily outmatched."

Naruto stepped forward, ignoring multiple tactical signals to maintain distance. "You're not here for me, Itachi. You're here to verify Konoha's security after the invasion and update your intel for the Third. You've been working as a double agent since the beginning."

The revelation exploded through the standoff like lightning striking dry timber. Kisame's head swiveled toward Itachi, shark grin vanishing into dangerous calculation.

"What game are you playing, Itachi?" The bandaged sword twitched on his back, responding to its master's surging killing intent.

For the first time, Itachi's perfect composure slipped, genuine uncertainty fragmenting his controlled façade as impossible knowledge tumbled from the jinchūriki's lips.

Guide this carefully, Hagoromo cautioned within Naruto's mind. Itachi's conflicted loyalties present both opportunity and danger.

"The massacre was ordered by Danzo and the Council against the Third's wishes," Naruto continued, each word precision-targeted. "You spared Sasuke and joined Akatsuki to monitor them from within, while feeding information back to Konoha. But what you don't know is who's really controlling Akatsuki from the shadows."

Kisame's massive sword swung free of its wrappings, hungry edge leveled toward Itachi rather than Naruto. "Sounds like we need a private conversation, partner."

"This boy speaks nonsense," Itachi responded, voice steady despite the tactical deterioration. "Clearly attempting to divide us with fabrications."

"Then explain how I know about your illness," Naruto countered, drawing shocked attention from all present. "The disease you're hiding, slowly killing you while you plan to let Sasuke execute you as redemption."

Itachi's eyes widened fractionally—the equivalent of open-mouthed shock from anyone else.

The standoff fractured as Kisame lunged, not toward Naruto or the ANBU, but at Itachi himself, Samehada sweeping in a horizontal arc designed to separate head from shoulders. The Uchiha prodigy barely evaded, black cloak fluttering as he backflipped onto an adjacent roof.

"Kisame, this accomplishes nothing," Itachi attempted, but the shark-nin's predatory instincts had fully engaged.

"I smell truth in the brat's words," Kisame snarled, chakra flaring blue-violent around his massive frame. "And deception in yours. I hate being played, Itachi."

Chaos erupted as ANBU squads mobilized, attempting to contain the now-fratricidal Akatsuki pair. Kakashi flashed through hand signs, water dragon rising from a nearby cistern as Gai kicked through roof tiles in a blur of green, entering the fray with characteristic exuberance.

Naruto's hands flashed through mudras Hagoromo had taught him, golden chakra expanding outward in geometric patterns. "Celestial Art: Truth Revelation Barrier!"

The technique enveloped the combat zone in translucent golden energy, not attacking or restraining but simply preventing genjutsu and sensory deception within its boundaries. Inside this domain of enforced reality, Itachi's most powerful tools—illusion and misdirection—lost significant potency.

The Uchiha genius recognized the tactical shift immediately, Mangekyo Sharingan blazing as he reassessed against impossible variables. Decision crystallized in his expression a heartbeat before black flames erupted around him—Amaterasu manifesting as desperate escape mechanism rather than attack.

"Retreat protocol," he called to Kisame, though whether from genuine Akatsuki procedure or improvised deception remained unclear.

The shark-nin's response came as water-bullets spat with lethal velocity toward his partner. "No one likes a traitor, Itachi. Not even other traitors."

The confrontation spiraled toward deadly conclusion as elemental techniques collided overhead—water dragons clashing with ravens formed from shadow and flame, explosive tags detonating against hastily-raised earth walls. Throughout, golden light maintained the truth-field, preventing the sensory manipulations that might have otherwise allowed clean extraction.

Abruptly, Itachi disengaged, blood trickling from one eye as he locked gazes with Naruto through the chaos. "Protect Sasuke," he mouthed silently, before his form dissolved into circling ravens that scattered toward the village boundaries.

Kisame howled frustration, massive sword consuming ambient chakra from the techniques still reverberating through the impromptu battlefield. "This isn't finished, Nine-Tails brat!" he snarled toward Naruto before dissolving into water that cascaded across the rooftops, essence retreating toward the outer walls.

As suddenly as it had erupted, the confrontation concluded, leaving damaged buildings and bewildered ANBU in its wake. Naruto released the truth barrier, golden energy retracting into his palms as Kakashi landed beside him.

"That," his sensei observed dryly, "was not the containment strategy we discussed."

Before Naruto could respond, new chakra signatures blurred toward them—Sasuke at the forefront, eyes wild with desperate fury as he registered the scattered feathers and lingering black flames that marked his brother's brief presence.

"Itachi was here?" he demanded, Sharingan activated and spinning with agitation. "And no one told me?!"

Naruto felt temporal vertigo as past and future collided—this moment had occurred in the original timeline too, but under dramatically different circumstances. The divergence patterns accelerated with each interaction, timelines splintering into uncharted territory.

"Sasuke—" he began, but his teammate had already spotted a single black feather floating downward, tangible evidence of his brother's presence.

"You knew," Sasuke accused, rage and betrayal contorting his features as he rounded on Naruto and Kakashi. "You deliberately kept me away while he was here!"

Careful, Hagoromo cautioned. This moment could reestablish the original pattern of bitterness and isolation that led to Sasuke's defection.

Naruto stepped forward, truth crystallizing with sudden clarity. "Yes, we did."

The direct admission stunned Sasuke momentarily silent.

"We kept you away because we're implementing a different strategy regarding Itachi," Naruto continued, meeting his teammate's furious gaze without flinching. "There's more to the massacre than you know, Sasuke. Things purposely hidden from you."

"What are you talking about?" Suspicion and desperate hope warred across Sasuke's features.

"Not here," Kakashi intervened, eye darting toward shadows where Root ANBU might lurk. "Secure location, Team 7 only. Now."

Thirty minutes later, Team 7 assembled in a sealed underground chamber typically reserved for ANBU debriefings, walls inscribed with privacy jutsu that prevented even the most sophisticated eavesdropping techniques. The Third had authorized this unprecedented access, recognizing that Sasuke's potential defection represented critical vulnerability in their restructured strategy.

"This is classified beyond S-rank," Kakashi began without preamble once seals activated. "What you're about to hear contradicts official village history and implicates current Konoha leadership in sanctioned atrocity."

Sasuke stood rigid with tension, emotions barely contained beneath his surface. Sakura positioned herself strategically between her teammates, medical chakra humming subtly around her fingertips—prepared to intervene should Sasuke's reaction turn volatile.

Naruto inhaled deeply, then released the devastating truth: "The Uchiha massacre wasn't Itachi acting alone in madness. It was a mission, ordered by Danzo and the Council against the Third's objections, after your clan planned a coup d'état."

The words struck Sasuke with physical force, staggering him backward against the chamber wall. "Impossible," he whispered, but doubt already clouded his denial. "Itachi admitted—he said he did it to test his capacity—"

"A cover story," Kakashi confirmed gently. "Designed to focus your hatred solely on him rather than Konoha itself." The jonin's visible eye reflected somber knowledge. "I suspected portions of this truth due to my ANBU background, but lacked confirmation until recently."

Sasuke's knees buckled, rage and foundation-shattering confusion overwhelming his composure. "Why would he—why would they—" Coherent questions failed against overwhelming revelation.

"To preserve your innocence," Naruto supplied, crouching before his teammate. "Itachi loves you, Sasuke. Everything—the massacre, joining Akatsuki, encouraging your hatred—it was all to protect you while positioning himself to gather intelligence on threats to Konoha."

Sasuke's Sharingan flared with emotional turbulence, tomoe spinning in agitated patterns. "You're lying," he accused, desperation threading through disbelief. "This is some trick to—"

"To what?" Sakura interjected with unexpected sharpness. "To manipulate you how, exactly? What possible advantage comes from inventing such an elaborate alternative to established events?"

Her logical challenge penetrated where emotional appeals couldn't. Sasuke's brilliant tactical mind engaged despite emotional turmoil, analyzing purpose and motive behind such revelations.

"If this were true," he managed through gritted teeth, "where's the proof? Why reveal it now?"

"Because events are accelerating," Naruto answered. "Itachi's presence tonight confirms external threats are moving faster than anticipated. Your brother is dying, Sasuke. Terminal illness, carefully hidden. His original plan involved you killing him, believing him a monster, then discovering the truth later through prepared contingencies."

Sasuke surged upward, grabbing Naruto's collar with white-knuckled intensity. "How could you possibly know any of this?!"

"Because I've seen how it plays out," Naruto answered quietly. "I've been shown what happens if we follow the original path. Where it leads for you, for Itachi, for everyone."

Kakashi intervened with gentle firmness. "The source of Naruto's knowledge is another classified matter, but its reliability has been confirmed through multiple verifications, including tonight's confrontation."

Sasuke released Naruto's collar, backing away as though proximity physically burned. "I need—" he started, voice cracking with suppressed emotion. "I can't just accept—"

"You'll speak directly with the Third tomorrow," Kakashi assured him. "He'll confirm what we've shared and provide additional context. Until then, you remain under protective observation."

"You mean house arrest," Sasuke translated bitterly.

"I mean protection," Kakashi corrected. "From those who might exploit your emotional state for their own purposes." His single eye communicated volumes about specific elders who might view a destabilized Uchiha as opportunity rather than crisis.

As the meeting concluded, security protocols guiding them back toward village residential areas, Naruto felt timeline connections straining against intervention's weight. The confrontation with Itachi had unfolded dramatically differently, Sasuke now possessed critical truth years ahead of schedule, and Akatsuki's internal cohesion had fractured prematurely.

We navigate uncharted waters now, Hagoromo observed as they walked through predawn streets. Each deviation creates new threats and opportunities impossible to predict from original patterns.

Dawn crept over the horizon as Team 7 reached the intersection where their paths would diverge toward separate homes. Sasuke paused, emotional turmoil momentarily controlled beneath practiced stoicism.

"Tomorrow's demonstration," he said quietly. "It's still happening?"

Naruto nodded, somewhat surprised by the question. "As far as I know. The Third and Raikage will observe our capabilities, especially these golden chakra techniques."

Sasuke's expression hardened with unexpected determination. "Good. I'll be there." His gaze locked with Naruto's, communicating volumes through intensity alone. "I need to understand everything that's happening. All of it."

The declaration carried layers of meaning—not just about techniques or timeline alterations, but fundamental shifts in perspective regarding power, vengeance, and purpose. Without another word, he turned toward the Uchiha compound, ANBU shadows discreetly maintaining protective distance.

Sakura watched him go, violet-tinged chakra briefly flickering around her hands. "Is he going to be okay?"

"I don't know," Naruto admitted. "In the original timeline, learning about Itachi drove him further toward revenge, not understanding. But everything's different now."

Kakashi sighed wearily, visible eye betraying rare emotional exhaustion. "Rest while you can. Tomorrow's demonstration becomes more significant with each complication." He fixed Naruto with pointed assessment. "Especially now that we're navigating without reliable future coordinates."

As Team 7 separated toward much-needed rest, Naruto felt pressure building like atmospheric chakra before lightning strike—Akatsuki mobilized earlier than expected, Sasuke's foundational motivations disrupted, unforeseen chakra mutations affecting his teammates, and tomorrow's demonstration potentially triggering international consequences beyond prediction.

We cannot control all variables, Hagoromo counseled as Naruto collapsed onto his apartment bed. We can only maintain principled intention while adapting to evolving circumstances.

Naruto's consciousness faded toward exhausted sleep, golden chakra momentarily visible beneath his skin as it worked autonomously to replenish depleted reserves. The last thought that crossed his mind before darkness claimed him wasn't strategic calculation or apocalyptic concern, but simple human connection—Sasuke's face as foundations crumbled beneath him, Sakura's quiet determination as new powers manifested, Kakashi's steadfast presence amid chaos.

The timeline stretched and warped around these connections, fate's tapestry unraveling and reweaving with each choice, each revelation, each moment of genuine understanding replacing manipulation and deception. Whether this created stronger fabric or irreparable tears remained to be seen—but the golden thread continued to shimmer through the pattern, illuminating possibilities previously hidden in shadow.

Dawn would bring new challenges, but also new potential. The demonstration would showcase not just techniques but intentions—establishing trajectory toward either catastrophic confrontation or unprecedented cooperation against threats that transcended village divisions and historical rivalries.

Golden light pulsed one final time beneath Naruto's skin before settling into regenerative rhythm, visible briefly through his apartment window like distant star signaling across unfathomable darkness—hope's persistence amid uncertainty's vastness.

Morning exploded across Konoha in shards of brilliant light, piercing through Naruto's window with merciless intensity. He bolted upright, heart hammering against his ribs as disjointed fragments of prophetic dreams dissolved like mist. Today wasn't just any day—it was demonstration day, judgment day, the axis upon which multiple futures might pivot with devastating consequences.

They're already gathering, Hagoromo's voice resonated through his consciousness. Can you feel them?

He could. Chakra signatures converged on Training Ground Eleven like predators drawn to wounded prey—the Third and his ANBU guardians, the Raikage's crackling electrical presence, Danzo's carefully suppressed yet unmistakable darkness. And others, unexpected: diplomatic observers from Stone and Mist materializing overnight, foreign sensors and specialists positioned strategically throughout the village, hungry for glimpses of the golden power that had disrupted Orochimaru's invasion.

Naruto's feet hit the floor with determined purpose. No time for breakfast. No time for doubt.

"Let them watch," he muttered, golden energy already humming beneath his skin as he dressed. "Let them see."

Halfway across the village, Sasuke knelt before his clan's memorial shrine, incense smoke coiling around him like serpents of remembrance. His hands trembled slightly as he traced his brother's name on a private scroll—not with hatred but with bewildered grief. The foundations of his existence had cracked beneath him, vengeance's certainty replaced by labyrinthine complexity.

The shrine door slid open without warning.

"You're late," came Kakashi's voice, unusually somber. "The others are already at the training ground."

Sasuke didn't turn, fingers still tracing characters with obsessive precision. "Tell me something, sensei. If you'd known the truth about Itachi all along, would you have told me?"

Silence stretched between them, taut with ethical weight.

"No," Kakashi finally admitted. "Some truths destroy more than they heal without proper context."

Sasuke absorbed this, Sharingan activating unconsciously as emotional turmoil spiked his chakra. "Then what's changed? Why now?"

"Everything's changing," Kakashi answered simply. "And quickly. Now come—they're waiting."

Across the village, beneath ancient trees creaking with whispered secrets, Training Ground Eleven transformed into diplomatic theater. Elevated platforms framed the central arena where ANBU specialists made final adjustments to chakra-measuring equipment. The Raikage paced like a caged lightning bolt, massive frame vibrating with contained energy as his advisors whispered urgent counsel. The Third sat motionless, pipe smoke creating prophetic patterns in morning light.

Sakura arrived first, steps faltering as she registered the assembled dignitaries, sensors, and strategic observers. Her heart jackhammered against her ribs, violet-tinged chakra instinctively gathering around her fingertips.

"Quite the audience," she murmured as Naruto appeared beside her, materializing from swirling leaves in a transportation technique he definitely hadn't known before Hagoromo's arrival.

"More than expected," he confirmed, gaze sweeping the assemblage. He spotted Cloud ninja, Sand representatives including Gaara and his siblings, and—most surprisingly—three hooded figures bearing Stone insignia, their presence suggesting unprecedented diplomatic interest. "The ripples are spreading faster."

"Speaking of ripples," Sakura whispered urgently, "something's happening with the new chakra manifestation. Last night I touched a withered plant, and it—"

Her explanation shattered as the Third's voice boomed across the training ground with chakra-enhanced resonance: "Let us begin!"

The audience crystallized into focused silence, all eyes locking onto Team 7 as Sasuke and Kakashi arrived in a blur of movement. The four positioned themselves at the training ground's center, backs straight despite weight of observation pressing down like physical force.

"The purpose of today's demonstration," the Third announced carefully, "is to document and analyze recently manifested capabilities displayed during the invasion crisis. These abilities represent potential significant advancement in our understanding of chakra principles."

The Raikage snorted, muscular arms crossed over his massive chest. "Skip the diplomatic varnish, Hiruzen. We're here to see the golden techniques that incapacitated Orochimaru and stabilized the One-Tail jinchūriki. Everything else is secondary."

Tension crackled through the audience. The Third's expression tightened fractionally before he nodded toward Team 7. "Proceed with the demonstration sequence. Begin with standard capabilities as baseline."

What followed transformed the morning into legend.

Team 7 moved through preliminary demonstrations with mechanical precision—shadow clones, fire techniques, standard medical applications—establishing comparative baseline before transition into newfound abilities. The audience watched with calculated assessment, sensors recording chakra signatures for later analysis.

Then everything changed.

"Phase Two," Kakashi announced, stepping clear as his students moved into triangular formation.

Golden light erupted around Naruto's hands, not the faint shimmer from previous public displays but radiant cosmic energy that cast impossible shadows and bent ambient light. Geometric patterns materialized in the air around him—concentric circles inscribed with symbols no modern shinobi recognized, rotating in counter-synchronous harmony.

"Celestial Resonance Activation," he announced, voice overlaid with harmonic depth that wasn't entirely his own.

The golden energy pulsed outward, washing over his teammates in synchronized waves. Where it touched, transformation followed—Sasuke's Sharingan evolving into intricate patterns never before documented, tomoe merging and separating in kaleidoscopic precision; Sakura's chakra circulatory system becoming briefly visible beneath her skin, violet luminescence following the golden energy's path through meridians even the Hyuga had never mapped.

Gasps erupted from the audience. Sensors recoiled as measuring equipment overloaded, delicate instrumentation shattering under pressure of energies defying quantification. The Raikage leaned forward with electric intensity, while Danzo's visible eye narrowed to calculating slit.

"Observe," Kakashi directed clinically, "harmonized chakra manifestation across distinct genetic expressions. What follows represents novel applications enabled by this resonance."

The demonstration escalated beyond all expectation. Sasuke executed fire techniques that manifested as blue-white constructs—phoenixes, dragons, warriors—that maintained semi-autonomous existence after creation. Sakura pressed her palms to the ground, violet energy propagating outward in concentric rings that caused withered training ground vegetation to explosively regenerate, seedlings erupting into flowering maturity within heartbeats.

At the center, Naruto maintained the golden energy distribution, his body becoming translucent with power as Hagoromo's influence manifested more directly than ever before. When he spoke, dual voices resonated across the training ground:

"This represents fragmentary potential only—the beginning of reclaiming understanding lost for centuries."

Among the observers, comprehension dawned with varying consequences—academic fascination from research specialists, strategic calculation from military leaders, religious awe from those with spiritual inclination. The Raikage's chakra spiked with conflicted emotion, while the Third maintained impassive dignity despite the spectacular display's implications.

Then disaster struck without warning.

One moment Sasuke stood executing controlled demonstrations; the next he collapsed, blood streaming from over-strained eyes as he clutched his head in evident agony. The Sharingan patterns destabilized, tomoe spinning chaotically before his eyes rolled backward, unconsciousness claiming him mid-technique.

Simultaneously, the golden energy connecting Team 7 fluctuated violently. Sakura's regenerative field inverted, plants withering to dust as she struggled to maintain control, violet chakra darkening toward ominous blackish-purple at her fingertips.

"Something's wrong," Naruto gasped, golden patterns fracturing around him as connection destabilized. "The resonance is—"

His explanation vanished as foreign chakra signature materialized within the training ground—impossible breach of multiple security layers—and a swirling orange mask emerged from apparent empty space.

"Fascinating display," came modulated voice through spiral-patterned mask. "Such power deserves... proper audience."

The intruder's sudden appearance detonated chaos through the assembly. ANBU materialized from concealment, weapons drawn. The Raikage's lightning armor activated with thundercrack intensity. Danzo rose with surprising agility, bandaged arm twitching beneath restrictive wrappings.

"Obito Uchiha," Naruto identified instantly, golden chakra stabilizing as Hagoromo's influence reinforced his consciousness against shock. "Or should I call you Madara, as you've been presenting yourself to Akatsuki?"

The masked figure's posture shifted imperceptibly—subtle tells betraying genuine surprise at being identified so precisely. "My reputation precedes me. How unexpected." His voice contained lethal amusement. "Though not as unexpected as the Sage's chakra flowing through a genin vessel. That was quite the timeline alteration."

The statement froze blood in Naruto's veins. Timeline alteration. Obito knew. Somehow, impossibly, he recognized the intervention.

Before anyone could react, Obito's hand extended toward the collapsed Sasuke. "I came for a glimpse of these rumored techniques, but perhaps I'll take a more substantial souvenir. The last loyal Uchiha would make valuable addition to my collection."

The Third's hands blurred through seals with age-defying speed. "Secure Sasuke! Priority Alpha!"

ANBU converged on the unconscious Uchiha, but their movements appeared bizarrely languid against Obito's space-time manipulation. His outstretched hand passed through the first ANBU as though interacting with ghost rather than solid matter, defensive techniques proving useless against his intangibility.

"Stand down," Obito advised with cold amusement. "You cannot touch what exists between dimensions."

The Raikage disagreed violently, launching himself with lightning-enhanced velocity that cracked the earth beneath his feet. His massive fist, wreathed in electrical chakra intense enough to ionize surrounding air, swung directly through Obito's incorporeal form before cratering the ground beyond.

"Physical attacks are meaningless," Obito taunted, fingers inches from Sasuke's collar. "This outcome was determined the moment I arrived."

"No," Naruto countered with sudden certainty. "It wasn't."

Golden chakra erupted around him with solar intensity, geometric patterns reforming with altered configuration—connections between points creating three-dimensional lattice that expanded outward in pulsing waves. The technique resembled nothing previously demonstrated, its complexity suggesting Hagoromo had assumed direct influence.

"Celestial Path: Dimensional Anchor!"

The golden energy collided with Obito's phase-shifted form, something unprecedented occurring at the intersection. Where intangibility should have allowed the energy to pass harmlessly through, instead connection formed—golden filaments adhering to dimensional boundaries themselves rather than physical matter.

Obito froze, genuine shock emanating from behind his mask. "Impossible. You can't—"

The technique completed its deployment, golden energy wrapping around Obito's form in complex bindings that somehow maintained connection despite his intangibility. For perhaps the first time since acquiring Mangekyo abilities, Obito Uchiha found himself genuinely constrained.

"Your dimension-shifting isn't absolute," Naruto explained, strain evident in his voice as maintaining the technique demanded extraordinary concentration. "It creates specific phase variance that normal matter and energy can't interact with. But this chakra isn't normal—it predates the dimensional boundaries themselves."

Comprehension and fury radiated from the masked figure as implications registered. With violent determination, Obito activated his Mangekyo's spatial distortion—the swirling vortex that normally allowed instantaneous transportation. Golden filaments stretched but didn't break, creating bizarre visual distortion as they maintained connection across dimensional boundaries.

"Restrain him!" the Third commanded as this momentary advantage presented itself.

What followed defied conventional battle parameters. The Raikage's lightning techniques, ANBU containment seals, and Kakashi's hastily-deployed Earth techniques—all coordinated to exploit the golden energy's momentary anchoring effect. For precious seconds, Obito's legendary intangibility faltered against this unprecedented combination.

Then everything shifted again.

"Enough observation," Obito declared, single Sharingan blazing through mask opening. His hands formed seal configuration unlike any standard technique, chakra surging with ominous density. "This venue has become inconvenient."

Space collapsed around him in violent implosion, dimensional boundaries shredding under forced manipulation. The golden filaments strained against this absolute distortion before breaking with audible crystalline fracture. Obito's form began disappearing into swirling vortex, transportation jutsu activating despite partial restraints.

"We will meet again, Sage-vessel," he promised as darkness consumed his form. "Sooner than you might expect."

The vortex collapsed with vacuum-seal finality, leaving only disturbed air and lingering chakra residue as evidence of his presence. Silence crashed across the training ground, observers frozen between combat readiness and stunned disbelief at witnessing legendary missing-nin appear and escape despite unprecedented defensive concentration.

Naruto staggered, golden energy receding as extraordinary chakra expenditure exacted its toll. Kakashi caught him before he collapsed entirely, while medical teams converged on the still-unconscious Sasuke and the disoriented Sakura.

"Get them to secure medical facility immediately," the Third ordered, weathered features hardened into wartime commander rather than diplomatic figurehead. "Full sensor sweep of the village perimeter. I want interdiction teams at all approach vectors."

The Raikage approached with thundercloud expression, massive arms crossed over his chest. "That was Obito Uchiha—supposedly dead for over a decade—wearing Akatsuki colors and demonstrating space-time techniques that shouldn't exist." His voice carried accusation beneath inquiry. "You want to explain how he penetrated multiple security perimeters to casually observe a supposedly controlled demonstration?"

Before the Third could formulate diplomatic response, Danzo interjected with deceptive mildness. "More importantly, the jinchūriki identified him instantly, by name and alias. Almost as if he expected this encounter."

All eyes shifted toward Naruto, who leaned heavily against Kakashi while medical ninja examined him. The golden chakra had receded entirely, leaving him pale and depleted but conscious.

"Explanations can wait," the Third deflected, authority momentarily reasserted through crisis protocol. "Security breach takes precedence over demonstration analysis. We reconvene once perimeter integrity confirms no additional infiltrators."

The gathering dissolved into controlled chaos—medics evacuating Team 7, ANBU securing the training ground perimeter, diplomatic observers huddling with their respective security details. Through it all, Danzo watched Naruto with unblinking intensity, calculations almost visibly forming behind his visible eye.

As medical ninja transported them toward secure treatment facility, Naruto managed to whisper to Kakashi: "He knows about the timeline change. Obito knows we've altered something."

The jonin's visible eye widened fractionally before professional composure reasserted itself. "Save your strength. We'll address implications once you're stabilized."

But stabilization proved unexpectedly challenging. Within the secure medical facility, specialized sensors documented anomalous chakra fluctuations throughout Team 7—Sasuke's ocular pathways showing unprecedented development acceleration coupled with structural instability; Sakura's new healing capabilities spontaneously activating and deactivating without conscious control; Naruto's chakra network simultaneously containing both golden energy and Nine-Tails influence in dynamic, sometimes competitive interaction.

"It's the resonance effect," Tsunade observed, having arrived in response to emergency summons from the Third. Her return to Konoha represented another significant timeline deviation—originally, she'd returned only after the Third's death to assume Hokage position. Now she moved between diagnostic equipment with brisk efficiency, blonde pigtails swinging as she examined results with narrowed eyes.

"The what?" Kakashi questioned from his position against the wall, visible eye tracking her movements.

"Resonance effect. Chakra harmonics transferring between interconnected systems," she explained impatiently, adjusting Sasuke's IV drip. "Naruto's golden chakra isn't just enhancing his own capabilities—it's accelerating development in those with prolonged exposure. Their systems aren't evolutionarily prepared for such rapid advancement."

From his bed, Naruto struggled upright despite medical restraints. "They're going to be okay, right? This isn't permanent damage?"

Tsunade's expression softened slightly. "They should stabilize with proper treatment. But this acceleration needs management before more serious consequences develop." She fixed Naruto with penetrating assessment. "Meanwhile, you need to explain exactly what happened with Obito Uchiha. That dimensional anchoring technique shouldn't be possible according to every chakra theory I've studied."

Careful, Hagoromo cautioned within Naruto's mind, their connection weakened but intact despite chakra depletion. Revelations must be measured against potential consequences.

Before Naruto could formulate appropriate response, the facility door slammed open with enough force to crack surrounding wall. The Raikage ducked his massive frame through the entrance, expression thunderous and two bodyguards flanking his imposing presence.

"Enough secrecy," he demanded without preamble. "An S-rank international criminal penetrated multiple security layers to casually observe powers that rewrite our understanding of chakra fundamentals. Then departed equally casually after being identified by name by a genin who shouldn't possess such knowledge." Lightning chakra crackled around his shoulders, scorching the doorframe. "I want explanations. Now."

Behind him appeared the Third and Jiraiya, their expressions suggesting this confrontation had been anticipated but not prevented. Diplomatic necessity demanded transparency where security protocols might have preferred discretion.

Tsunade stepped between the Raikage and her patients, medic's authority momentarily superseding political hierarchy. "These children are under medical quarantine until chakra stabilization completes. Your interrogation can wait."

"Children?" The Raikage's laugh held bitter disbelief. "That one—" he pointed at Naruto, "—just manifested techniques that anchored an intangible opponent across dimensional boundaries. That's not child capability. That's not even Kage capability." His massive frame seemed to expand with conviction. "That's something else entirely."

Silence crystallized around his declaration, truth vibrating through the medical facility with uncomfortable resonance. Whatever Team 7 was becoming transcended standard classification within the shinobi world's carefully maintained power structures.

"You're right," Naruto acknowledged unexpectedly, drawing surprised attention from all present. With evident effort, he pushed himself fully upright, golden chakra flickering weakly beneath his skin as determination overrode physical depletion. "This isn't normal genin capability. It's not even normal jinchūriki capability."

Jiraiya moved forward with warning in his eyes, but Naruto shook his head minutely. The time for carefully managed revelations had passed when Obito breached village security with apparent ease.

"I've been in contact with the Sage of Six Paths," he continued, voice strengthening as conviction overrode caution. "He's showing me techniques from his era because something's coming—something that threatens everyone, regardless of village allegiance or personal power."

The Raikage's expression shifted from aggressive demand to calculating assessment. "The Sage of Six Paths is historical mythology, not active entity."

"Yet you just witnessed his chakra signature manifesting through this vessel," Danzo observed from the doorway, having materialized silently during the confrontation. His visible eye gleamed with disturbing intensity. "A signature that multiple sensors have now confirmed matches fragmentary records from the Warring States Era."

Naruto recognized the strategic positioning underneath Danzo's apparent support—claiming knowledge ownership to maintain involvement in whatever followed. The war hawk played multilayered games even in crisis scenarios.

"The Sage has shown me visions of what's coming," Naruto continued, focusing on the Raikage rather than Danzo. "Akatsuki isn't what it appears. They're being manipulated by Obito, who's being manipulated by someone else, all working toward resurrecting an entity that would consume all living chakra." He gestured toward the window, where village reconstruction continued under afternoon sunlight. "Village rivalries won't matter if that happens. Nothing will."

The bold declaration hung in charged silence, its implications expanding through the room like invisible pressure wave. The Third's weathered face remained carefully neutral, though concern shadowed his eyes. Jiraiya's expression communicated complex warning—narrative proceeding faster than strategic revelation had intended.

The Raikage's response surprised everyone. Instead of dismissive denial or aggressive challenge, he studied Naruto with narrowed, calculating eyes before asking simply: "Can you prove any of this?"

A crucial moment, Hagoromo noted within Naruto's consciousness. Truth without verification appears as manipulation or delusion. Yet how does one prove prophetic warning?

Naruto considered his options, golden chakra strengthening slightly as determination fueled recovery. "I can't prove future threats directly. But I can demonstrate connection with the Sage through techniques that haven't existed for centuries." He straightened further, resolve overriding medical caution. "And I can prove knowledge I shouldn't possess—about the Eight-Tails, about your brother Killer B, about the partial transformation techniques he's developed that no one outside Cloud should know about."

A's eyes narrowed dangerously. "How could you possibly—"

"Because I've seen it," Naruto interrupted, commitment to transparency now overriding diplomatic caution. "Just like I've seen what happens if Akatsuki succeeds in collecting all Tailed Beasts. Just like I saw Obito's abilities before he demonstrated them today."

From his bed across the room, Sasuke stirred into semi-consciousness, Sharingan activating autonomously as chakra disruption continued despite medical intervention. "Itachi," he murmured, drawing surprised attention. "Ask him about Itachi."

The seemingly non-sequitur comment actually provided perfect segue. Naruto seized the unexpected opportunity. "Last night Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki infiltrated Konoha on Akatsuki business. I knew they were coming and why. Just like I knew Itachi has been working as double agent since the massacre, feeding information back to Konoha while monitoring Akatsuki from within."

This revelation detonated fresh shock through the room. The Third's expression tightened with displeasure at sensitive intelligence being disclosed without authorization. Danzo's visible eye narrowed to dangerous slit, calculations visibly accelerating behind carefully controlled façade.

"You're claiming prophetic foreknowledge," the Raikage summarized, skepticism evident but not absolute. "Convenient position that's difficult to disprove."

"Then let me offer verification you can confirm immediately," Naruto countered, focusing directly on A's imposing presence. "Your brother has seven swords, trains on an island within waterfall, and has developed rap-style communication with his Tailed Beast that the Cloud Village elders find embarrassing but tolerate due to his perfect control."

The Raikage's expression transformed through shock, suspicion, and reluctant consideration. These specific details about Killer B's training methods and idiosyncrasies weren't merely classified—they were intentionally obscured even within Cloud Village to protect their jinchūriki's capabilities.

"This proves nothing conclusively," Danzo interjected smoothly, recognizing dangerous momentum building toward interstate cooperation outside his direct influence. "Intelligence networks obtain restricted information regularly. More compelling would be demonstration of these supposed Sage techniques under controlled—"

"Enough," Tsunade interrupted with medical authority. "My patients require stabilization treatment without political theater disrupting recovery protocols." She focused specifically on the Raikage. "You've received preliminary explanation. Further demonstration will follow once medical clearance confirms no lasting damage from chakra disruption."

The standoff lingered through tense seconds before the Third intervened with diplomatic precision. "A formal briefing will be provided to all relevant parties once medical assessment concludes. In the meantime, I suggest our security forces concentrate on preventing additional infiltration rather than interrogating those who helped identify the threat."

The Raikage's massive frame remained motionless through several heartbeats before he nodded curtly. "Eight hours. Then I expect comprehensive explanation, whether medical clearance exists or not." He turned with surprising grace for one so physically imposing, pausing at the threshold to add: "And if Akatsuki is targeting jinchūriki as you claim, perhaps B should be informed directly. Jinchūriki to jinchūriki."

The suggestion carried revolutionary implications—direct communication between villages' most closely-guarded military assets, outside traditional diplomatic channels. With that gauntlet thrown, the Raikage departed, bodyguards following his thunderous presence through corridors now scorched with residual lightning chakra.

As the room settled into relative calm, medical staff resuming treatment protocols, Naruto exchanged loaded glances with his instructor and the village leadership. The timeline acceleration continued—events compressed into days that originally unfolded across years, alliances forming prematurely while threats materialized ahead of schedule.

"You've altered the board configuration significantly," Danzo observed with deceptive mildness before departing silently, bandaged form dissolving into shadow at the corridor's end.

Tsunade waited until security seals reactivated before rounding on the remaining leadership. "Would someone care to explain exactly what's happening? I return to examine unusual chakra manifestations and find dimensional intruders, prophetic genin, and international incidents blossoming like toxic mushrooms."

"It's complicated," Jiraiya offered with characteristic understatement.

"Simplify it," she countered sharply, hands glowing with diagnostic chakra as she resumed examining Team 7's fluctuating conditions.

The Third sighed, suddenly appearing every day of his advanced age. "The short version: Naruto has indeed been contacted by the Sage of Six Paths, who has shown him potential futures we're attempting to prevent. This includes Akatsuki's true purpose, multiple threats to village security, and apocalyptic outcomes should certain events proceed unchecked."

Tsunade's hands paused mid-examination, disbelief warring with empirical evidence of the golden chakra still visible beneath Naruto's skin. "That's the simplified version?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Kakashi confirmed from his position against the wall. "The complete version involves time-alteration, prophetic visions, and entities sealed for millennia potentially returning to consume all living chakra."

Tsunade's expression suggested she questioned her decision to return to Konoha at all. Her attention returned to her patients, professional focus overriding philosophical objections to increasingly bizarre circumstances.

"Their chakra systems are stabilizing, but structural changes appear permanent," she finally announced after completing thorough examination. "Whatever this resonance effect is, it's accelerating natural development pathways rather than creating artificial capabilities. They're essentially experiencing concentrated evolutionary pressure."

"Is it dangerous?" the Third asked, concern evident beneath administrative composure.

"Everything significant is dangerous," Tsunade replied pragmatically. "But manageable with proper monitoring and gradual adaptation rather than sudden chakra surges like today's demonstration." She fixed Naruto with stern assessment. "Which means no more channeling cosmic energy through unprepared physical vessels without medical supervision."

From his bed, Sasuke managed full consciousness, Sharingan deactivated but awareness fully returned. "Itachi," he repeated more clearly, focusing on the village leadership. "He was here last night. What happened?"

The question refocused attention on immediate tactical concerns rather than metaphysical implications. Jiraiya moved closer, checking security seals once more before responding.

"Itachi and Kisame infiltrated the village, presumably to assess reports of unusual chakra manifestations during the invasion. Naruto's knowledge of Itachi's true allegiance created unexpected confrontation between the Akatsuki partners. Kisame attempted to eliminate Itachi upon learning of potential betrayal. Both escaped during the confusion."

Sasuke absorbed this with surprising calm, suggesting his emotional processing had evolved significantly since yesterday's revelations about the massacre's true nature. "And now Obito Uchiha—supposedly dead for years—appears wearing the same organization's colors." His analytical mind engaged despite physical weakness. "How many Uchiha are actually involved with Akatsuki?"

"At least two confirmed," Kakashi answered, visible eye reflecting complex emotion regarding his former teammate's unexpected survival. "Possibly more if certain historical anomalies prove connected."

"The bigger question," the Third interjected, "is how to proceed given these accelerating developments. The Raikage's suggestion of direct jinchūriki communication represents unprecedented diplomatic opening, but carries significant security implications."

Naruto pushed himself fully upright, golden chakra stabilizing as his recovery accelerated beyond normal parameters. "We should do it. Connecting with Killer B was always crucial in the original timeline—he taught me how to harmonize with the Nine-Tails instead of fighting against him." His expression hardened with conviction. "If Akatsuki is moving faster than before, we need all jinchūriki prepared and coordinated, not isolated and vulnerable."

The Eight-Tails jinchūriki achieved unusual harmony with his Tailed Beast, Hagoromo confirmed through their connection. His insights would prove valuable for accelerating your own partnership with Kurama.

The Nine-Tails stirred at the mention of his true name, consciousness brushing against Naruto's with unusual awareness. Since Hagoromo's arrival, the fox had maintained watchful silence, observing developments with calculating patience rather than his previous antagonistic interruptions.

"It's not that simple," the Third cautioned. "Jinchūriki represent village military assets. Direct communication outside diplomatic channels creates dangerous precedent."

"With respect, Old Man," Naruto countered with unexpected formality, "thinking of jinchūriki as weapons rather than people is exactly what created this vulnerability in the first place." The statement carried weight beyond his years, Hagoromo's ancient wisdom influencing perspective. "Nine isolated targets are easily eliminated one by one. Nine connected allies present significantly more challenging objective."

Silence followed this declaration, its implications resonating through established shinobi world order. Jinchūriki had always been carefully controlled, their interactions limited to prevent alliance formation outside village authority structures.

"He's right," Jiraiya acknowledged reluctantly. "If Akatsuki's targeting all nine, traditional isolation protocols actually facilitate their strategy rather than preventing it."

The Third's weathered face reflected complex calculation—decades of administrative wisdom wrestling with unprecedented circumstances requiring adaptive response. "We will consider direct jinchūriki communication under specific security protocols," he finally concluded. "But first, Team 7 requires complete recovery and comprehensive debriefing regarding today's demonstration anomalies."

As if summoned by administrative decision, medical alarms suddenly blared throughout the facility. Sensors monitoring Sakura's condition spiked into warning configurations as violet chakra erupted around her unconscious form, medical equipment short-circuiting under unexpected energy surge.

"She's destabilizing again," Tsunade announced, hands already glowing with diagnostic chakra as she moved swiftly to the girl's bedside. "The resonance effect's creating feedback loop in her system."

Naruto felt the disruption like phantom pain across previously established chakra connection, golden energy responding autonomously to teammate distress. Before conscious decision formed, he found himself beside Sakura's bed, hands outstretched as golden filaments extended toward her fluctuating chakra network.

"Wait!" Tsunade barked. "We don't know if additional exposure will exacerbate—"

"It won't," Naruto interrupted with certainty born from Hagoromo's guidance. "The resonance needs stabilization, not isolation."

Before anyone could prevent it, golden chakra connected with violet disturbance, creating visible circuit completion as energy balanced between the two systems. Unlike earlier uncontrolled surge during the demonstration, this interaction followed deliberate harmonization principles—golden energy adapting to violet disruption rather than overwhelming it, supporting natural pattern formation instead of accelerating development.

Sakura's erratic vital signs stabilized as visual manifestation of the chakra interaction revealed something extraordinary—the golden energy wasn't simply suppressing problematic growth, but guiding it toward sustainable integration. Three-dimensional patterns formed between them, revealing chakra architecture unlike anything observed in modern medical practice.

"Remarkable," Tsunade breathed, medical objection transforming to scientific fascination as diagnostic scans documented the stabilization process. "The golden chakra's serving as structural framework while her system adapts to accelerated capabilities."

"That's exactly it," Naruto confirmed, Hagoromo's understanding flowing through their connection. "The resonance effect isn't harmful itself—just too rapid without proper support framework."

As the stabilization continued, Sakura regained consciousness, green eyes widening as she perceived the visible chakra connection between herself and Naruto. "I can see it," she whispered with wonder. "Not just your chakra, but the structure underneath. The pathways and connections."

"Accelerated medical sensory development," Tsunade identified, watching her instruments with professional assessment. "Similar to techniques that took me decades to develop, but expressing through completely different pathway architecture."

The successful intervention with Sakura created obvious corollary—Sasuke required similar stabilization to prevent further ocular system disruption. When Naruto moved toward his bed, however, the Uchiha's expression reflected complex hesitation.

"Wait," he requested, stopping Naruto mid-movement. "Before you do this—before whatever's happening continues changing us—I need to know something." His dark eyes reflected uncharacteristic vulnerability beneath determined focus. "Are we becoming weapons in someone else's war? Even the Sage's?"

The question penetrated through immediate medical concerns to fundamental ethical heart of their situation. Were they becoming instruments of higher purpose, autonomy gradually subsumed by cosmic intervention?

A legitimate concern, Hagoromo acknowledged within Naruto's consciousness. One each must answer individually through informed choice rather than directed mandate.

Naruto considered carefully before responding: "The Sage is showing possibilities, not controlling outcomes. The golden chakra accelerates what's already within you—it doesn't replace your nature with something artificial." His expression reflected deeper understanding than his years should permit. "You remain Sasuke Uchiha, just as I remain Naruto Uzumaki. What we choose to become with these capabilities remains our decision."

Something shifted in Sasuke's expression—tension releasing as existential concern addressed directly rather than diplomatically avoided. He nodded once, permission granted for stabilization to proceed.

As Naruto extended golden chakra toward his teammate, connections forming between their disparate energy systems, a new understanding crystallized among all witnesses. What had begun as simple preparation for Chunin Exams had evolved into something transcending traditional shinobi classification—timeline intervention carrying consequences beyond strategic calculation or administrative control.

The Third watched with inscrutable expression, pipe forgotten between age-spotted fingers as implications expanded beyond political management. Jiraiya's features reflected calculation beneath surface nonchalance, strategic mind reconfiguring mission parameters against accelerating developments. Tsunade's medical focus remained paramount, yet philosophical questions visibly formed behind professional concentration.