What If Naruto Had a Dormant Dojutsu That Awakens with Blood Rage

The moon hung like a cracked porcelain plate over Konoha, its light threading between leaves and casting dappled shadows across the Hokage Monument. Twelve-year-old Naruto Uzumaki sat atop the Fourth Hokage's stone head, legs dangling precariously over the edge as he stared out at the village that despised him.

Blood. Something about the moonlight tonight made him think of blood.

He ran a hand through his spiky blond hair, frustrated by the strange headache that had been plaguing him since this morning's disaster at the Academy. Another failed jutsu, another round of laughter, another disappointed look from Iruka-sensei.

"Stupid eyes," he muttered, rubbing at them. They'd been itching all day, watering at odd moments. Probably from Sakura punching him for asking her out again.

A sudden movement in the forest beyond the village walls caught his attention. Naruto squinted. Was that... Mizuki-sensei? And what was that massive scroll strapped to his back?

Curiosity sparked, Naruto leapt to his feet. No one would miss him anyway. Following Mizuki might be more interesting than wallowing in self-pity atop a stone head.

Little did he know this decision would awaken something ancient, something sealed away within his blood—a power that neither the Fourth Hokage nor the Nine-Tails had anticipated.

"Don't move or I'll kill you where you stand, traitor!"

Iruka's voice shattered the forest's silence as Naruto crouched behind a massive oak, heart hammering against his ribs. He'd followed Mizuki deep into the forest, only to discover his Academy teacher confronting the silver-haired chunin who was now clutching what appeared to be the Scroll of Seals—one of Konoha's most sacred treasures.

"Iruka, always the Hokage's loyal dog," Mizuki sneered, his face contorting with malice. "You have no idea what secrets they've kept from you—from all of us."

"Return the scroll, Mizuki. This doesn't have to end with your death."

Mizuki laughed, the sound like brittle glass breaking. "Death? I'm not the one marked for death in this forest tonight." His hand slid to the giant shuriken strapped to his back. "But before I go, why don't we tell little Naruto the truth? I know you're hiding there, demon fox!"

Naruto flinched, his cover blown. How had Mizuki sensed him?

"Run, Naruto!" Iruka shouted, but the boy's feet seemed rooted to the ground as Mizuki's face twisted into a cruel smile.

"Do you want to know why everyone in the village hates you, Naruto? Why they whisper when you pass? Why parents pull their children away?"

"Mizuki, stop! It's forbidden!" Iruka lunged forward, but Mizuki was faster, hurling a kunai that embedded itself in Iruka's thigh, bringing him down with a pained cry.

"Twelve years ago, the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked our village," Mizuki continued, his eyes never leaving Naruto's. "The Fourth Hokage couldn't kill it, so he did the next best thing—he sealed it into a newborn baby. That baby was you, Naruto! You ARE the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

The words hit Naruto like physical blows. Memories flashed through his mind—the cold stares, the whispers, the loneliness that had defined his existence. His head throbbed violently, the pain behind his eyes intensifying until he could barely see.

"No..." he whispered, clutching his head. "That's not... I'm not..."

"You're a monster, Naruto! A demon that should have been killed at birth!" Mizuki reached for his giant shuriken. "I'll finish what the Fourth started!"

The massive star-shaped blade spun through the air, aimed directly at Naruto's frozen form. Time seemed to slow. He could see each rotation of the blade, count the milliseconds until it would tear through his flesh and bone.

"NARUTO!" Iruka screamed, somehow finding the strength to launch himself forward.

Blood sprayed across Naruto's face as the shuriken embedded itself in Iruka's back. His teacher had used his own body as a shield.

"Why?" Naruto whispered, staring up at Iruka's pain-contorted face hovering inches from his own.

Blood dripped from Iruka's mouth onto Naruto's cheek as he smiled. "Because we're the same, Naruto. I was the class clown too, you know... trying to get attention after my parents died. I should have been there for you sooner. I'm sorry."

Something snapped inside Naruto's mind. The pain behind his eyes exploded outward, and suddenly, the world looked different—sharper, brighter, with streams of something like colored smoke flowing from every living thing. Rage boiled in his veins, but it wasn't the Nine-Tails' chakra—this was something else, something older.

"I'll kill you," Naruto whispered, but his voice wasn't his alone. There was an echo to it, as though something ancient spoke through him. His vision swam with crimson light. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Mizuki stepped back, sudden fear etching across his features. "What—what's happening to your eyes?"

Naruto couldn't answer. The world had transformed into streams of light and color, time itself fragmenting around him. He could see Mizuki's next move before the traitor himself knew what it would be.

"What are you?" Mizuki screamed, hurling his second giant shuriken.

Naruto didn't dodge. He simply tilted his head slightly, and the deadly weapon sailed past, missing by millimeters. Then he was moving, faster than he'd ever moved before, his hands forming seals he'd never been taught.

"Ketsuryu no Jutsu!" The words tore from his throat without conscious thought, and the blood on his face—Iruka's blood—lifted into the air, forming needle-sharp projectiles that multiplied exponentially.

Mizuki tried to run, but it was too late. A thousand blood-needles pierced his body from every angle, and his scream echoed through the forest before cutting off abruptly. He collapsed, not dead but immobilized, every nerve ending singing with pain.

Naruto stood over him, eyes burning with an unearthly light—not the red of the Nine-Tails, but something else: a deep crimson iris with black, flame-like patterns spiraling outward from the pupil.

"What are you?" Mizuki repeated, terror replacing the arrogance in his voice.

Naruto tilted his head, studying the pathetic creature before him with detached curiosity. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. Then darkness claimed him, and he collapsed beside Iruka's bleeding form.

The Hokage's pipe smoke curled toward the ceiling of the hospital room as he gazed down at the unconscious boy. The medical ninja had stabilized both Naruto and Iruka, but the boy's condition was more complex than simple chakra exhaustion.

"Well?" the Third Hokage asked, his weathered face grave.

The white-haired man beside him frowned, adjusting the scroll tucked under his arm. "It's as you feared, Sarutobi-sensei. The Ketsuryūgan has awakened."

"I had hoped Kushina's bloodline would remain dormant," the Hokage murmured. "Minato sealed the Nine-Tails with that expectation."

"The Uzumaki clan's dōjutsu was thought extinct after Uzushiogakure's destruction," Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, replied. "Even Kushina never manifested it. But the blood rage—the emotional trigger required for activation—it must have been the stress of learning about the Nine-Tails while watching Iruka nearly die."

"Two kekkei genkai in one body," the Third sighed heavily. "The Ketsuryūgan and the Nine-Tails' chakra. If our enemies learn of this..."

"It gets worse," Jiraiya interrupted. "According to the intelligence I've gathered, Orochimaru has been experimenting with dōjutsu. If he learns that the legendary Blood Dragon Eye has resurfaced in Konoha—in the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, no less..."

"We must keep this secret as long as possible," the Third decided. "Not even Naruto can know the truth yet. He's not ready."

"And the blood manipulation jutsu he spontaneously performed? That's not something we can easily hide."

"We'll attribute it to the Nine-Tails' influence for now. Most shinobi are unfamiliar with the Ketsuryūgan's abilities." The Hokage placed a gnarled hand on Naruto's forehead. "I'm sorry, Naruto. More secrets to bear. But someday, you'll understand why."

As if in response, Naruto's eyelids fluttered, and for just a moment, a flash of crimson spirals appeared before fading back to his normal cerulean blue.

On the bed, Naruto dreamed of blood dragons soaring through an endless sky, and a woman with hair as red as the setting sun, whispering words he couldn't quite hear.

"Focus, you idiot!" Sakura's voice cut through Naruto's concentration, causing the leaf on his forehead to flutter to the ground. Three weeks had passed since the incident with Mizuki, and Team 7 was attempting chakra control exercises under Kakashi's lazy supervision.

"I was focusing until you yelled!" Naruto protested, rubbing his temples. The headaches had been coming more frequently, especially during chakra manipulation.

Sasuke, naturally, had mastered the exercise within minutes and now sat beneath a tree, watching his teammates with thinly veiled contempt.

"Perhaps if you spent less time daydreaming about ramen and more time on fundamentals," Kakashi suggested without looking up from his orange-covered book, "you might actually improve."

Naruto scowled, snatching the leaf from the ground. The truth was, ramen was the furthest thing from his mind lately. Ever since that night in the forest, he'd been plagued by strange dreams—a woman with fiery red hair, villages built atop whirlpools, and always, always, the sensation of blood moving like liquid metal at his command.

He'd tried asking the Third Hokage about what had happened with Mizuki, but the old man had been frustratingly vague, attributing Naruto's mysterious jutsu to the Nine-Tails' chakra leaking through in a moment of extreme emotion. It didn't feel right, but what did Naruto know? He was just a genin who couldn't even keep a leaf stuck to his forehead.

"Let's try something different," Kakashi suddenly announced, snapping his book shut. "Combat training."

Sasuke's eyes gleamed with interest, while Sakura looked apprehensive.

"Sasuke and Naruto, you'll spar first. Taijutsu only—no ninjutsu or genjutsu."

"Finally," Sasuke smirked, rising to his feet with fluid grace. "Something worthwhile."

Naruto bounced on his toes, excitement temporarily overwhelming his discomfort. Beating Sasuke would be the perfect way to impress Sakura and forget about these weird headaches.

They squared off in the clearing, Sakura and Kakashi watching from the sidelines. Naruto charged first—he always did—throwing a wild haymaker that Sasuke easily sidestepped. The Uchiha countered with a sweep kick that should have taken Naruto's legs out from under him, but somehow, Naruto jumped at exactly the right moment.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. That wasn't Naruto's usual sloppiness.

They exchanged blows, Naruto's typical berserker style gradually shifting into something more... calculated. He was still aggressive, still unpredictable, but there was a precision to his movements that hadn't been there before.

"When did the dobe learn to fight like this?" Sasuke thought, barely blocking a strike aimed at his solar plexus. The irritating thing was, Naruto didn't even seem aware of the change.

The spar intensified, sweat beading on both boys' foreheads as they pushed themselves harder. Naruto's headache returned with a vengeance, but he ignored it, focused entirely on the rhythm of combat.

Then, Sasuke landed a solid punch to Naruto's face, splitting his lip. The taste of copper flooded Naruto's mouth, and something strange happened—the world slowed down, colors intensifying and blurring at the edges of his vision. He could see the minute twitches in Sasuke's muscles telegraphing his next move, could almost predict where he would be seconds before he got there.

"What the hell?" Naruto thought, narrowly evading a kick that would have connected squarely with his ribs. The pain behind his eyes crescendoed, and for a heartbeat, he saw not Sasuke before him, but streams of blue light flowing through a human-shaped vessel. Chakra pathways.

The moment passed as quickly as it came, but it left Naruto disoriented. Sasuke capitalized immediately, dropping him with a spinning kick to the chest.

"Winner: Sasuke," Kakashi announced, though his visible eye was fixed curiously on Naruto.

"You okay?" Sakura asked as Naruto climbed to his feet, spitting blood onto the grass. Her tone held genuine concern, which was unusual enough to make Naruto look twice at her.

"Yeah, just bit my tongue," he lied, not understanding himself why he didn't want to mention the strange vision.

Across the clearing, Sasuke was staring at him with an intensity that made Naruto uncomfortable. Had the Uchiha noticed something?

"Enough for today," Kakashi decided. "Tomorrow, we start water walking."

As they gathered their gear, Sasuke deliberately brushed past Naruto. "Whatever trick you were trying to pull," he murmured, "it won't be enough. You're still dead last."

Naruto opened his mouth for a retort, but Sasuke had already moved on. The strange thing was, it hadn't felt like a trick. It had felt like... awakening.

That night, Naruto dreamed of a village built on water, its buildings spiraling upward like the shells of great sea creatures. People with hair in shades of red moved through the streets, their eyes occasionally flashing crimson when they turned toward the sun.

In his dream, a woman knelt before him, her long scarlet hair pooling around them both like spilled wine. "The Blood Dragon Eye awakens only in moments of extreme emotion," she told him, her face blurring whenever he tried to focus on her features. "Usually rage or grief. That's why many called it the Rage Eye, though that's not entirely accurate."

"Who are you?" dream-Naruto asked.

The woman smiled sadly. "Someone who should have been there to teach you these things in person."

She reached out, touching his forehead with cool fingers. "The Ketsuryūgan allows its wielder to manipulate blood—their own or others'. It can see chakra pathways and predict movements, similar to the Sharingan, but its true power lies in blood manipulation and the ability to cast powerful genjutsu on those who look directly into it."

"Ketsu...ryūgan?" Naruto repeated, the unfamiliar word heavy on his tongue.

"The Blood Dragon Eye. Our family's dōjutsu, passed down through the Uzumaki line, though it manifests rarely." Her form began to dissolve like mist. "Be careful, Naruto. There are those who would kill for such power. Trust only—"

The dream shattered as Naruto bolted upright in bed, a kunai clutched in his hand though he didn't remember reaching for it. Someone was in his apartment.

"Impressive reflexes for a genin," came a familiar drawl.

Kakashi stood by the window, moonlight casting his silver hair in an ethereal glow. He looked relaxed, hands in pockets, but there was a tension around his visible eye that put Naruto on edge.

"Kakashi-sensei? What are you doing in my room at..." Naruto glanced at his clock, "...two in the morning?"

"I noticed something interesting during your spar with Sasuke today." Kakashi's tone was casual, but his eye never left Naruto's face. "Your eyes changed color for a split second after he split your lip."

Ice flooded Naruto's veins. "What? No way. My eyes are blue."

"Usually, yes." Kakashi moved closer, his shadow stretching across Naruto's bed. "But not always, it seems. The Hokage asked me to keep an eye on you—no pun intended—after the incident with Mizuki. He mentioned you might experience some... unusual effects from drawing on the Nine-Tails' chakra."

Relief washed over Naruto. So that was it—just the fox acting up. "Yeah, I've been having these weird headaches and sometimes things look different, but it's no big deal."

Kakashi hummed noncommittally. "Describe 'different.'"

"Just... sharper, I guess. And sometimes I see this blue light moving in people." Naruto shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "It happened today when I tasted blood, but only for a second."

Something unreadable flashed across Kakashi's face. "I see. Well, if it happens again, let me know immediately. Using the Nine-Tails' chakra without proper training can be dangerous."

He moved back toward the window, then paused. "Naruto, have you ever heard of a dōjutsu called the Ketsuryūgan?"

The word from his dream sent a jolt through Naruto's body. "Ketsu-what? No. Is it like Sasuke's Sharingan?"

Kakashi studied him for a long moment before eye-smiling. "Just curious. Get some sleep. Water walking is difficult even without chakra disruptions."

After Kakashi left, Naruto lay awake for hours, the woman's words from his dream echoing in his mind. Our family's dōjutsu. Was it possible he had a kekkei genkai of his own? And if so, why would Kakashi and the Hokage hide it from him?

The idea that he might possess a power even remotely comparable to Sasuke's Sharingan was both exhilarating and terrifying. If it was true, he'd finally have something special, something that set him apart beyond the demon sealed in his gut.

But if it was true, why keep it secret? Unless this Ketsuryūgan was something dangerous, something people feared even more than the Nine-Tails.

Naruto touched his fingertips to his eyes, imagining them shifting from blue to blood-red with spiraling patterns. "Blood Dragon Eye," he whispered into the darkness of his apartment. The words felt right on his tongue, as though he'd been born to speak them.

Across the village, in the Hokage's office, the Third stood at the window, pipe smoke wreathing his aged face as he gazed toward Naruto's apartment building.

"He's beginning to suspect, isn't he?" he asked without turning.

Kakashi materialized from the shadows. "Yes. The dōjutsu activated briefly during training today. And he's having dreams—he mentioned details about the Ketsuryūgan that aren't in any accessible records."

"Genetic memory," the Hokage sighed. "The Uzumaki clan was known for it. It's how their sealing techniques survived even after Uzushio's destruction."

"With respect, Hokage-sama, I don't think we can keep this from him much longer. If the Ketsuryūgan activates during a mission..."

"I know." The Third turned, his face grave in the lamplight. "But there are complications. The Nine-Tails' chakra and the Ketsuryūgan don't merely coexist within him—they interact. According to Jiraiya's research, the demon's chakra amplifies the dōjutsu's abilities to potentially dangerous levels."

"All the more reason to train him properly," Kakashi argued. "Before he discovers it by accident and hurts himself or others."

The Hokage was silent for a long moment. "Very well. After the upcoming Chunin Exams, if he shows further signs of awakening, we'll tell him the truth. In the meantime, watch him carefully, Kakashi. Especially around blood."

Neither man spoke what they both feared: that others might notice Naruto's awakening power before they could properly prepare him to control it. Others like Danzo, with his endless appetite for kekkei genkai. Or worse—Orochimaru, whose interest in the Uchiha's eyes might easily extend to other dōjutsu.

And so, as Naruto tossed and turned in his bed, dreaming of crimson eyes and blood that moved like living mercury, the pieces were already in motion for a confrontation that would shake the foundations of the shinobi world.

Cold tendrils of mist curled around Team 7 as they escorted the bridge builder Tazuna through Wave Country. What should have been a simple C-rank mission had rapidly deteriorated when they encountered the Demon Brothers, missing-nin from Kirigakure who had nearly killed Naruto with their poisoned gauntlets.

The poison was gone now, purged from his system thanks to the Nine-Tails' healing abilities and his own dramatic self-stabbing. But something lingered—a strange, metallic taste in the back of his throat, a heightened awareness of the blood pulsing through his veins.

"Stay sharp," Kakashi murmured as the mist thickened around them. "This isn't natural fog."

Naruto's hand drifted to his kunai pouch, his senses hyperalert. Since the encounter with the Demon Brothers, his headaches had intensified, and twice he'd caught reflections of himself with crimson-tinged irises in still water before they faded back to blue.

A sound cut through the fog—something heavy spinning through the air. Naruto's muscles tensed before his brain fully registered the threat.

"GET DOWN!" Kakashi shouted, tackling Tazuna as a massive sword cleaved the air where their heads had been moments before, embedding itself in a tree trunk with a meaty thunk.

A figure materialized atop the blade's handle—a tall, muscular man with half his face wrapped in bandages and a slashed Kirigakure headband.

"Zabuza Momochi," Kakashi identified him, sliding his own headband up to reveal his Sharingan eye. "Demon of the Hidden Mist."

Naruto's breath caught. This was a real battle, not academy spars or tree-climbing exercises. His heart hammered against his ribs, pumping adrenaline-laced blood through his system.

"Kakashi of the Sharingan," Zabuza's voice floated through the mist. "No wonder the Demon Brothers failed. Hand over the bridge builder, and I might let your cute little genin live."

"Manji formation!" Kakashi ordered. "Protect Tazuna!"

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura leapt into position around the bridge builder, kunai raised defensively. The mist thickened further, obscuring even their own hands before their faces.

"Eight points," Zabuza's disembodied voice recited. "Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, subclavian artery, kidneys, heart. Which vital organ do you want to lose first?"

A wave of killing intent washed over them, so potent that Naruto saw his own death reflected in multiple gruesome scenarios. Beside him, Sasuke raised his kunai toward his own throat, eyes wide with terror.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi's voice cut through the paralysis. "Don't worry. I'll protect you with my life. All of you."

The tension broke as Zabuza appeared suddenly in the middle of their formation, his massive sword already swinging toward Tazuna. "Too late!" he growled.

Kakashi intercepted the blow, driving a kunai into Zabuza's abdomen—only for the missing-nin to dissolve into water.

"A water clone!" Sakura gasped.

The real Zabuza materialized behind Kakashi, sword already in motion. "Die!"

The blade cut through Kakashi's torso—which also dissolved into water.

"He copied my Water Clone Jutsu through the mist?" Zabuza's surprised voice was the last thing he uttered before Kakashi appeared behind him, kunai at his throat.

"It's over," Kakashi stated coldly.

But it wasn't. Another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi, the one at knife-point dissolving into water. The missing-nin's sword slashed through the air, forcing Kakashi to leap backward—straight into the lake.

"Sensei!" Naruto shouted as Zabuza appeared above Kakashi, hands flashing through seals.

"Water Prison Jutsu!" Water rose around Kakashi, forming a perfect sphere that trapped him inside. Zabuza kept one hand in the prison, maintaining the jutsu while creating another water clone to deal with the genin.

"Run!" Kakashi ordered from within his liquid prison. "His clone can't go far from his real body! Take Tazuna and go!"

The water clone of Zabuza chuckled darkly, advancing on the three genin and their client. "Playing at ninja, are we? When I was your age, my hands had already been bathed in blood."

Naruto knew the story—how Zabuza had slaughtered his entire graduating class before he was even a genin. The "Bloody Mist" graduation exam.

Blood. Always back to blood.

The clone moved with blinding speed, kicking Naruto in the chest and sending him flying. His headband went spinning off into the mist.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried out as he hit the ground hard, blood filling his mouth where he'd bitten his tongue.

The metallic taste triggered something. The pain behind his eyes that had been simmering for weeks exploded outward, and suddenly, Naruto could see through the mist as if it weren't there. More than that—he could see the chakra flowing through Zabuza's water clone, could see the connection between it and the real Zabuza maintaining the Water Prison.

"You're not shinobi," the clone taunted, stepping on Naruto's fallen headband. "You're just children playing games."

Naruto rose slowly to his feet, his back to the clone. When he turned, Sasuke's eyes widened in shock.

Naruto's eyes had transformed—deep crimson with black, flame-like patterns spiraling outward from his pupils. They weren't the Sharingan, but something else entirely.

"I'm not playing anymore," Naruto growled, his voice carrying an echo that sent chills down his teammates' spines.

The water clone hesitated, sensing something had changed. "What are those eyes? Another Kekkei Genkai?"

Naruto ignored the question, his transformed eyes fixed on the clone's chest, where water flowed like blood through artificial veins. Without fully understanding what he was doing, Naruto raised his hand toward the clone.

"Ketsuryū: Shinku Kansū!" Blood Dragon: Crimson Control!

The water in the clone's body suddenly froze, then began to tremble violently. The clone's eyes widened in shock as it realized it could no longer move.

"Impossible," it gasped. "Only the descendants of—"

Naruto clenched his fist, and the water clone exploded outward, droplets hanging suspended in the air like diamonds before splashing harmlessly to the ground.

From his prison, Kakashi watched in stunned silence. "The Ketsuryūgan," he thought. "It's fully awakened."

But Naruto wasn't done. His eyes shifted to the real Zabuza and the water prison holding Kakashi captive. The distance was too great for a direct attack, but Naruto could see now—truly see—how the jutsu worked. The water prison wasn't solid; it was constantly flowing, Zabuza's chakra moving the water molecules to maintain the sphere's integrity.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called, his voice still carrying that strange echo. "I need a distraction!"

For once, the Uchiha didn't argue. Something in Naruto's transformed eyes told him this wasn't the time for rivalry. He nodded once, hands already forming seals.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke exhaled a massive ball of flame that streaked toward Zabuza, who smirked beneath his bandages.

"Pathetic," the missing-nin muttered, creating another water clone one-handed to intercept the fire.

But the fireball was only a distraction. Naruto had already cut his palm with a kunai, blood welling up and dripping to the ground. His hands formed seals he'd never been taught, movements guided by something buried deep in his genetic memory.

"Ketsuryū no Jutsu: Chiryū Ranbu!" Blood Dragon Technique: Blood Flow Wild Dance!

The drops of blood on the ground suddenly multiplied, spreading outward like a crimson stain before rising into the air, forming a sinuous dragon shape that coiled and twisted as it streaked toward Zabuza.

The missing-nin's eyes widened in recognition and fear. "That technique—it can't be!"

The blood dragon slammed into the water prison, not attacking Zabuza directly but merging with the water itself. For a moment, the entire sphere turned pink, then red, as Naruto's blood mixed with the water.

"Now I control it," Naruto whispered, his crimson eyes glowing with power.

He clenched his fist, and the blood-infused water prison shattered, freeing Kakashi while simultaneously wrapping around Zabuza's arm like a crimson snake, immobilizing him.

"What the hell are you?" Zabuza snarled, struggling against the blood binding.

Before Naruto could respond, senbon needles flashed through the air, embedding themselves in Zabuza's neck. The missing-nin went limp, the blood restraint losing its form and splashing back into the lake as Naruto's concentration broke.

A masked figure appeared in a nearby tree. "Thank you for your assistance. I've been tracking Zabuza for weeks."

"A Hunter-nin from Kirigakure," Kakashi identified, pulling his headband back down over his Sharingan.

As the masked nin collected Zabuza's body and disappeared in a swirl of leaves, Naruto swayed on his feet, the crimson fading from his eyes as exhaustion overwhelmed him. Using the Ketsuryūgan and blood manipulation techniques had drained him more thoroughly than any training ever had.

"Naruto," Sasuke approached cautiously, "what was that?"

Before Naruto could formulate a response, Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll discuss it once we're somewhere safe. For now, just know that you did well."

The praise barely registered as darkness encroached on Naruto's vision. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was Sakura's face, her green eyes wide with a mixture of fear and awe.

"Ketsuryūgan," he thought as he collapsed. "The Blood Dragon Eye. My inheritance."

And somewhere in the back of his mind, the Nine-Tails stirred, intrigued by this new development in its host.

In a cave deep in the forests of Wave Country, the hunter-nin removed the senbon from Zabuza's neck, bringing the missing-nin back to consciousness with a pained groan.

"That was too close, Haku," Zabuza growled, rubbing his neck.

"My apologies, Zabuza-sama," the masked nin replied, setting aside the false hunter outfit. "I didn't expect Kakashi to have backup from a Ketsuryūgan wielder. I thought that bloodline was extinguished with Uzushiogakure's fall."

"It was supposed to be." Zabuza sat up slowly, wincing. "The blood manipulation techniques were feared even in Kirigakure. That's why the Mizukage joined the alliance to destroy Uzushio during the wars."

Haku's gentle face grew troubled behind the mask. "If word spreads that an Uzumaki with the Ketsuryūgan exists in Konoha..."

"Every village with a grudge against the Uzumaki clan will be hunting the boy," Zabuza finished grimly. "And every power-hungry shinobi who covets kekkei genkai."

"Like Orochimaru-sama?"

"Especially Orochimaru." Zabuza's eyes narrowed. "This complicates things. We'll need a new strategy to deal with Kakashi... and the blood-eyed demon he's training."

In the shadows of the cave, neither noticed the small white snake that had been listening to their conversation, its eyes gleaming with unnatural intelligence before it slithered away, bearing news to its master of an unexpected prize in Wave Country.

Kakashi sat beside Naruto's prone form, concern etched in the visible portion of his face. They had made it to Tazuna's house, but the young genin had yet to regain consciousness after his confrontation with Zabuza.

"Will he be okay?" Sakura asked, her voice unusually quiet. The image of Naruto's transformed eyes and the blood dragon he'd summoned had shaken her to the core.

"Yes," Kakashi replied, though his tone lacked its usual confidence. "He's suffering from severe chakra exhaustion. Using powerful techniques without proper training can have this effect."

Sasuke leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, but his attention remained fixed on Naruto. "Those weren't the Nine-Tails' eyes," he stated flatly. "I've seen the demon's chakra leak before. This was different."

Kakashi sighed. He'd hoped to avoid this conversation until after they returned to Konoha, but circumstances had forced his hand. "You're right. What Naruto manifested today wasn't the Nine-Tails' power, but something else entirely—a dōjutsu called the Ketsuryūgan."

"Blood Dragon Eye," Sakura translated, her academic mind quickly processing the name. "I've never read about that in any of the kekkei genkai texts."

"You wouldn't have," Kakashi confirmed. "The Ketsuryūgan was the closely guarded bloodline limit of certain members of the Uzumaki clan from Uzushiogakure, the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools. When that village was destroyed during the wars, the bloodline was thought extinct."

Sasuke pushed away from the wall, suddenly more interested. "So the dobe has a dōjutsu of his own."

"Not just any dōjutsu," Kakashi corrected. "The Ketsuryūgan grants abilities that, in some ways, rival both the Sharingan and the Byakugan. It allows the user to see chakra networks, predict movements, and—as you witnessed—manipulate blood and blood-infused liquids."

"Like Zabuza's water prison," Sakura realized. "Naruto infused it with his own blood to take control of it."

Kakashi nodded. "The Ketsuryūgan's true power lies in blood manipulation jutsu—techniques that were feared throughout the shinobi world for their brutality and effectiveness. With sufficient training, a wielder can control anyone whose bloodstream contains even a drop of the user's blood."

Sasuke's eyes widened fractionally. Even the Sharingan couldn't do that.

"But if Naruto has this powerful bloodline," Sakura began, brow furrowing in confusion, "why didn't anyone tell him? Why didn't it activate until now?"

"The Ketsuryūgan typically awakens in moments of extreme emotional distress—usually rage or grief. It's often referred to as the 'Rage Eye' for this reason," Kakashi explained. "As for why Naruto wasn't told..." He hesitated, weighing his words carefully. "That decision came from the highest levels of Konoha's leadership."

"You mean the Hokage didn't want him to know," Sasuke stated bluntly.

Kakashi's visible eye sharpened. "The Third had his reasons, which aren't mine to share. But you should know that Naruto's situation is... complicated. The interaction between the Nine-Tails' chakra and the Ketsuryūgan is unprecedented."

"Is that why his techniques seemed so powerful?" Sakura asked. "That blood dragon he created was unlike anything I've ever seen."

"Precisely. The Nine-Tails' chakra amplifies the Ketsuryūgan's abilities to potentially dangerous levels. Without proper training, Naruto could harm himself or others."

A soft groan from the futon interrupted their conversation. Naruto's eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first, then sharpening as consciousness returned.

"What... happened?" he croaked, attempting to sit up.

Kakashi placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Easy. You've been unconscious for nearly a day."

Memories flooded back—the fight with Zabuza, the strange power surging through his veins, the blood dragon, the masked hunter-nin. "My eyes," Naruto whispered, raising trembling fingers to his face. "They changed."

"Yes," Kakashi confirmed gently. "We need to talk about that."

An hour later, Naruto sat on the dock outside Tazuna's house, legs dangling over the water as he struggled to process everything Kakashi had told him. The sun was setting, casting long golden reflections across the bay.

"Ketsuryūgan," he murmured, testing the word on his tongue. It felt right, familiar somehow, like a name he'd always known but had forgotten.

He peered into his reflection in the still water below. Normal blue eyes stared back at him, no hint of the crimson spirals that had manifested during battle. According to Kakashi, the dōjutsu only activated under specific emotional triggers, particularly rage, but could eventually be activated at will with training.

"An Uzumaki bloodline," he whispered to himself. For the first time in his life, Naruto had a tangible connection to his heritage—not just a surname, but a power that flowed through his veins, linking him to a clan, a history.

"How do you feel?"

Naruto turned to find Sasuke standing behind him, hands in pockets, face carefully neutral.

"Weird," Naruto answered honestly. "Like... I've been wearing someone else's shoes my whole life, and suddenly found out I had my own pair all along."

Sasuke sat beside him, a respectful distance away. For several minutes, they watched the sunset in silence.

"The Hokage knew," Naruto finally said, unable to keep the hurt from his voice. "He knew I had this bloodline and never told me."

"Hn," Sasuke acknowledged. "Adults keep secrets they think will protect us. Doesn't mean they're right."

Coming from Sasuke, the closest thing to empathy Naruto had ever heard from him, the words carried weight.

"Does it... change anything? Between us?" Naruto asked hesitantly. Their rivalry had defined much of his academy days, with Sasuke as the prodigy and Naruto as the dead last. But now, with a kekkei genkai of his own...

Sasuke snorted. "You're still a dobe who couldn't hit a stationary target at point-blank range."

Despite everything, Naruto found himself grinning. "And you're still a teme with a duck-butt haircut."

The familiar insults were oddly comforting in the midst of so much change.

"But," Sasuke added, his tone shifting, "the Ketsuryūgan is a powerful dōjutsu. If you learn to use it properly..." He trailed off, but the implication was clear. Naruto might become a worthy rival after all.

"I'm going to master it," Naruto declared, blue eyes shining with determination. "And then I'll use it to protect my precious people and become Hokage."

Sasuke stood, brushing off his shorts. "We'll see. Zabuza's still alive, by the way."

"What? How do you know?"

"Kakashi figured it out. Hunter-nin dispose of bodies on the spot; they don't carry them away. We have about a week before he recovers enough to attack again."

Naruto leapt to his feet, momentarily forgetting his exhaustion. "Then we need to train! I have to figure out how to activate the Ketsuryūgan at will!"

"Which is why Kakashi sent me to get you. Training starts at dawn."

As they headed back to the house, Naruto felt a strange mix of emotions—excitement at discovering his bloodline, apprehension about controlling it, hurt at the secrets kept from him, and determination to master this new power.

What he didn't know was that news of his awakened dōjutsu was already spreading, carried by a white snake through the shadows, toward a man whose obsession with kekkei genkai would soon bring chaos to Naruto's world.

The week that followed was the most intense training period of Naruto's young life. While Sasuke and Sakura continued refining their tree and water walking, Kakashi focused on helping Naruto understand the basics of his newly awakened dōjutsu.

"The key to activating the Ketsuryūgan at will is to recall the emotional state that triggered it initially," Kakashi explained as they sat cross-legged in a clearing, away from the others. "But unlike the Sharingan, which typically activates through trauma, the Ketsuryūgan responds primarily to rage."

"Like when I thought Zabuza was going to kill everyone," Naruto recalled, remembering the burning fury that had coursed through him.

"Exactly. But rage uncontrolled is dangerous, especially with your... tenant." Kakashi deliberately avoided saying "Nine-Tails" aloud. "You need to find a way to channel that emotion without losing yourself to it."

Naruto closed his eyes, trying to recapture the feeling. The problem was, he wasn't naturally an angry person. Despite the villagers' treatment, despite the loneliness and rejection, his default response had always been to smile, to prove them wrong through perseverance rather than anger.

"I can't seem to get mad enough," he admitted after several fruitless attempts.

Kakashi considered this. "Perhaps we're approaching this wrong. The histories describe the Ketsuryūgan as the 'Rage Eye,' but that might be oversimplified. What other emotions were you feeling when it activated?"

Naruto thought back to the moment. "Fear, definitely. And... desperation. I felt like I'd die, like everyone would die, if I didn't do something."

"Protective instinct," Kakashi mused. "That makes sense for an Uzumaki. They were known for their fierce loyalty and devotion to those they considered family."

"So instead of trying to get angry..."

"Try focusing on what you're fighting for—who you're protecting."

Naruto nodded, closing his eyes again. He pictured Iruka bleeding for him, Sakura's determined face as she stood guard over Tazuna, Sasuke putting himself in harm's way against Haku, Kakashi trapped in the water prison. People who had acknowledged him, fought alongside him, believed in him when no one else would.

"I fight to protect them," he whispered, feeling something stir behind his eyes—not pain this time, but warmth that spread outward like ripples in a pond.

When he opened his eyes, Kakashi's visible eye widened slightly. "Well done."

Naruto rushed to a nearby puddle, peering at his reflection. Crimson eyes with black, flame-like spirals stared back at him. "I did it!"

"Impressive for your first conscious activation," Kakashi praised. "Now, let's see what you can perceive with those eyes."

The training that followed revealed that the Ketsuryūgan's visual abilities were indeed similar to the Sharingan in some respects. Naruto could see chakra pathways, predict movements by detecting minute muscle twitches, and pierce through basic genjutsu. But the dōjutsu had limitations—it couldn't copy techniques or see through solid objects like the Byakugan.

Its true power, as Kakashi explained, lay in blood manipulation.

"The Ketsuryūgan allows you to control any liquid containing blood—whether it's your own, an enemy's, or even blood-infused water," Kakashi instructed, cutting his palm and letting several drops fall into a bowl of water, which immediately took on a pinkish tint. "Try moving just the blood within the water, separating it from the rest."

Naruto struggled with this exercise. While he could feel the blood calling to him, isolating it from the surrounding water required precision he hadn't yet developed.

"You're trying to use brute force," Kakashi observed after Naruto's fifth failed attempt left him panting. "The Ketsuryūgan is about finesse, not power. Think of the blood as an extension of yourself, responding to your will rather than your chakra."

By the end of the week, Naruto had made progress. He could activate the Ketsuryūgan at will, though maintaining it still drained him quickly. He could perform basic blood manipulation, creating simple shapes and movements from his own blood, though nothing as complex as the blood dragon he'd summoned against Zabuza.

"That technique," Kakashi had explained, "was likely pulled from genetic memory combined with the Nine-Tails' chakra amplifying your abilities. Don't expect to replicate it easily."

The evening before their anticipated confrontation with Zabuza, Team 7 gathered around Tazuna's table for dinner. The atmosphere was tense but determined.

"Remember," Kakashi instructed, "Zabuza now knows about Naruto's Ketsuryūgan. He'll be prepared for it, which means his accomplice will likely target Naruto specifically to prevent him from using blood manipulation."

"The fake hunter-nin," Sasuke recalled. "Any information on his abilities?"

"Based on the senbon and the precision of the temporary death state, I'd guess he's either a medical ninja or has a kekkei genkai of his own," Kakashi theorized. "Be prepared for anything."

Naruto fidgeted with his chopsticks. "Kakashi-sensei, there's something I don't understand. If the Uzumaki clan was so powerful, with their sealing techniques and the Ketsuryūgan, why were they wiped out? Why isn't Uzushiogakure still around?"

A shadow passed over Kakashi's face. "Fear, Naruto. The other villages feared Uzushio's power, particularly their fuinjutsu mastery. During the wars, several nations allied specifically to destroy Uzushiogakure, overwhelming them through sheer numbers."

"So my clan was feared enough that it took multiple villages to take them down," Naruto processed this, a mixture of pride and sorrow washing over him.

"Yes. And that's why you must be careful now that your Ketsuryūgan has awakened," Kakashi warned. "If word spreads, there are those who would seek to either control or eliminate that power."

"Let them try," Naruto declared, blue eyes flashing crimson momentarily. "I'm through being underestimated."

Later that night, as his teammates slept, Naruto stood on the roof of Tazuna's house, practicing activating and deactivating his dōjutsu. Each time the crimson spirals manifested, he felt more connected to them, as though awakening a part of himself that had always been there, dormant beneath the surface.

In the pale moonlight, he sliced his palm with a kunai, watching as the blood welled up black in the darkness. With his Ketsuryūgan active, he could see it glowing with his own chakra signature.

"Ketsuryū: Gyōketsu no Jutsu," he whispered, attempting one of the techniques Kakashi had described from the old records.

The blood lifted from his palm, forming a small, razor-sharp crescent in the air before him. It wasn't much—nothing like the blood dragon—but it was progress. His progress, his power, his birthright.

Tomorrow, he would face Zabuza and his accomplice again. Tomorrow, he would show the world that Naruto Uzumaki was more than just the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.

He was the last known wielder of the Ketsuryūgan. And he would make his fallen clan proud.

The mist rolled in thick and impenetrable as Team 7 escorted Tazuna to the bridge the following morning. Construction had halted when they arrived—the workers lay scattered across the incomplete structure, unconscious but alive.

"He's here," Kakashi warned, lifting his headband to reveal his Sharingan.

Sasuke's hands moved to his kunai pouch. Sakura stepped closer to Tazuna, determination etched on her face. And Naruto—Naruto closed his eyes briefly, focusing on the protective instinct Kakashi had helped him identify. When his eyes opened, they gleamed crimson with black spirals.

"Impressive control for a novice," Zabuza's voice echoed through the mist. "But it won't save you this time, blood-eyes."

The mist parted slightly, revealing Zabuza and the masked accomplice standing thirty paces away. Zabuza's massive sword rested easily on his shoulder, while the hunter-nin stood perfectly still, senbon glinting between their fingers.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto murmured, "I can see through the mist with these eyes. They're preparing to separate us."

Kakashi nodded slightly. "As expected. Sasuke, you handle the masked one. Naruto, stay back and support from distance with your new techniques. Sakura, guard Tazuna."

"Actually," Zabuza drawled, "I think we'll change things up today." His hands blurred through seals. "Water Style: Kirigakure Sensory Disruption Jutsu!"

The mist around them suddenly became charged with chakra, forming a dome-like structure that effectively cut them off from each other.

"A modification of the Hidden Mist Jutsu," Kakashi realized too late. "It creates separate battlefields within the mist."

Before any of them could react, the mist solidified into walls, cutting Naruto off from his team. He found himself in what appeared to be a circular arena of fog, the bridge beneath his feet the only solid thing visible.

"Just you and me, Ketsuryūgan wielder," the masked ninja's soft voice came from somewhere in the swirling whiteness. "My master wishes to understand your abilities better."

Naruto drew a kunai, his crimson eyes scanning the mist. "Who are you? And why are you helping someone like Zabuza?"

The masked figure stepped forward, becoming visible about ten paces away. "My name is Haku. I serve Zabuza-sama because he gave me purpose when the world saw me as nothing but a cursed child to be discarded."

"Cursed child?" Naruto repeated, something in the phrase resonating with his own experiences.

"Like you, I possess a kekkei genkai that others feared," Haku explained, removing the mask to reveal a face of androgynous beauty. "In Kirigakure, those with bloodline limits were hunted and slaughtered after the civil wars. My own father tried to kill me when he discovered my abilities."

Despite their opposition, Naruto felt a connection to this stranger. "I understand being hated for something you were born with."

Haku's gentle smile held genuine sadness. "Then you understand why this battle pains me. We are alike, you and I—both possessing gifts that others fear, both finding precious people we would die to protect."

"If you understand that, why fight for Gato? He's destroying this country!"

"Because Zabuza-sama is my precious person," Haku answered simply. "Just as your teammates are yours. And for him, I will even become a weapon."

Hands moving through unfamiliar seals, Haku stomped one foot on the bridge. "Ice Style: Crystal Ice Mirrors!"

The moisture in the air froze instantly, forming a dome of ice mirrors that surrounded Naruto. Haku stepped backward into one of the mirrors, their image suddenly reflecting in every frozen surface.

"Another kekkei genkai," Naruto realized, Ketsuryūgan eyes darting from mirror to mirror.

"Correct. The Hyōton, or Ice Release, passed down through my mother's clan," Haku's voice echoed from every direction. "Few have seen these mirrors and lived to tell about it."

Senbon flew from multiple directions simultaneously, moving faster than normal eyes could track. But Naruto's Ketsuryūgan could perceive the projectiles' trajectory. He managed to dodge most of them, though several embedded themselves in his arms and legs.

Blood trickled from the wounds, and Naruto felt the familiar connection to it, the power of the Ketsuryūgan responding to his will. But before he could utilize any blood manipulation, another volley of senbon struck from his blind spot.

"You cannot defend from all directions," Haku observed, moving between mirrors at incredible speed. "And your blood techniques, while powerful, require concentration that I will not allow you."

Naruto gritted his teeth, plucking senbon from his flesh. Each needle drew blood—blood that he could potentially use, if only he could focus long enough.

"A test, then," Haku decided. "Show me the extent of your dōjutsu's power. Perhaps then I can understand why my master's associate is so interested in those eyes of yours."

"Your master's associate?" Naruto questioned, trying to buy time as he formulated a plan.

"A man with serpent eyes who believes all kekkei genkai should be his to possess," Haku answered cryptically. "He was most intrigued to learn of a surviving Ketsuryūgan wielder."

Orochimaru. It had to be. Naruto had heard whispers about the snake Sannin's obsession with bloodline limits.

Another barrage of senbon interrupted his thoughts, and this time, several struck dangerously close to vital points. Naruto dropped to one knee, blood flowing more freely now.

"Your dōjutsu shows you the attacks coming, but your body isn't fast enough to evade," Haku observed. "Unlike the Sharingan, the Ketsuryūgan doesn't enhance physical abilities."

Naruto's mind raced. Haku was right—seeing the attacks wasn't enough if he couldn't move quickly enough to avoid them. But perhaps he didn't need to avoid them at all.

He closed his eyes, focusing not on the senbon but on the blood now pooling around him on the bridge. The Ketsuryūgan's power surged behind his eyes.

"Ketsuryū: Chijūsō!" Blood Dragon: Blood Shield!

The blood on the bridge suddenly lifted and solidified into a crimson barrier around Naruto, intercepting the next volley of senbon. The needles hung suspended in the shield, unable to penetrate further.

Haku's eyes widened behind their mask. "Fascinating. You can manipulate blood into solid forms."

"That's not all," Naruto growled, hands forming the seal Kakashi had taught him. "Ketsuryū: Chiryū no Ame!" Blood Dragon: Rain of Blood!

The shield exploded outward, transforming into hundreds of tiny droplets that shot toward every ice mirror simultaneously. Where each droplet struck, the ice began to sizzle and melt, Naruto's chakra-infused blood eating through Haku's kekkei genkai like acid.

"Impossible!" Haku gasped, forced to leap from a dissolving mirror to one still intact. "The Ketsuryūgan can counter other bloodline limits?"

Naruto hadn't known this himself, but he seized on the advantage. "Surrender, Haku. I don't want to kill you."

"Nor I you," Haku replied sadly. "But I cannot fail Zabuza-sama." Their hands blurred through seals again. "Ice Style: Tundra Restoration!"

The melting mirrors suddenly reformed, freezing the blood droplets within their structure. The ice took on a pinkish hue, but remained solid.

"A temporary fix," Haku acknowledged. "But enough to finish this." They formed another hand seal. "Thousand Flying Ice Needles of Death!"

The frozen blood within the mirrors extracted itself, forming ice needles that pointed inward at Naruto from every direction. With a gesture from Haku, they launched simultaneously.

Time seemed to slow as Naruto's Ketsuryūgan registered the incoming death. There were too many to dodge, too many to block, even with another blood shield. But something deep within his genetic memory stirred, a technique he'd never learned but somehow knew.

"Ketsuryū: Chikatsubame!" Blood Dragon: Blood Swallow!

The remaining blood on the bridge shot upward, forming a bird-like shape that encircled Naruto's body. As the ice needles struck, the blood swallow spun rapidly, creating a centrifugal force that deflected the projectiles outward, many of them embedding in the ice mirrors themselves.

More importantly, the spinning blood generated intense heat from friction, creating a pocket of warm air around Naruto that began to melt the mirror dome from the inside.

Haku, sensing the shift in momentum, abandoned the melting dome and appeared directly before Naruto, senbon poised for a killing strike. "You are truly impressive, Ketsuryūgan wielder. In another life, we might have been friends."

Before either could move, a massive explosion rocked the bridge from elsewhere in the mist. The chakra-infused fog wavered, then began to dissipate.

"Zabuza-sama!" Haku gasped, attention momentarily diverted.

Naruto seized the opening, his hand darting forward to grasp Haku's wrist. Blood from his self-inflicted kunai wound smeared across Haku's skin.

"Ketsuryū: Chibaindo!" Blood Dragon: Blood Bind!

The small amount of blood on Haku's wrist suddenly expanded, wrapping around their arm like a crimson snake, immobilizing them from shoulder to fingertips.

"My blood is inside you now," Naruto explained, his Ketsuryūgan blazing. "I can feel it moving through your veins. One command from me, and it could rupture your arteries from within."

It was a bluff—Naruto hadn't mastered such precise internal blood manipulation—but Haku didn't know that.

"You've won this round," Haku acknowledged, ceasing their struggles against the blood bind. "But our battle is not what should concern you."

The mist had cleared enough for Naruto to see across the bridge. There, Kakashi stood with lightning chakra crackling around his hand—the Chidori—while Zabuza lay wounded and bound by Kakashi's ninja hounds. But beyond them, at the far end of the bridge, stood an army of mercenaries led by a small man in an expensive suit.

"Gato," Haku identified the man. "He never intended to pay Zabuza-sama. He planned to let us weaken you, then kill all of us with his hired thugs."

The businessman stepped forward, tapping his cane on the bridge. "Demon of the Mist? Pathetic! Look at you now, about to be gutted by Konoha's Copy Ninja."

Zabuza snarled through his bandages, struggling against the ninken holding him. "You traitorous worm!"

"Business is business," Gato shrugged. "Why pay one expensive missing-nin when I can hire fifty cheap thugs?" He gestured to the rough-looking men behind him, all armed with an assortment of weapons. "Kill them all. But bring me the boy with the red eyes. My new business partner has offered a fortune for those pretty little peepers of his."

Haku tensed beside Naruto. "Release me," they requested softly. "If we don't work together, none of us will survive this."

Naruto hesitated only briefly before dissolving the blood bind. "Truce?"

Haku nodded, retrieving their senbon. "Truce. And Naruto... thank you for not killing me when you could have."

Together, they ran to join Kakashi and the others as Gato's men began their advance. Sakura and Sasuke had regrouped with Tazuna behind Kakashi, while Zabuza had been freed from the ninja hounds but remained gravely injured.

"We need a plan," Kakashi stated, his Sharingan scanning the approaching mercenaries. "I'm low on chakra, and none of you are fresh either."

"I still have enough for one big technique," Naruto offered, his Ketsuryūgan gleaming.

"As do I," Haku added, stepping to Zabuza's side protectively.

"Then here's what we'll do," Kakashi decided, quickly outlining a strategy.

As Gato's men charged across the bridge, Team 7 plus their former enemies prepared to make their stand. Sasuke's hands flashed through familiar seals.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive ball of flame roared toward the mercenaries, forcing them to scatter. In their confusion, Haku struck.

"Ice Style: Ground Freeze!"

The wet bridge surface instantly froze over, causing many of the charging men to slip and fall. Those who maintained their footing found themselves facing Sakura and Kakashi, who engaged the front lines with taijutsu, preserving their remaining chakra.

But it was Naruto who would deliver the decisive blow. Standing at the center of the bridge, he raised both hands skyward, Ketsuryūgan blazing with power.

"Everyone! Fall back behind me!" he shouted to his allies.

As they disengaged and retreated, Naruto focused on all the blood that had been spilled during the battles—his own, Haku's, Zabuza's, even the mercenaries'. It called to him, resonating with the power in his eyes.

"Ketsuryū Ōgi: Chiryū Hokakyu!" Blood Dragon Ultimate Technique: Blood Dragon Capturing Sphere!

All the blood on the bridge suddenly lifted into the air, coalescing into a massive, swirling vortex above Naruto's head. The mercenaries stopped their advance, watching in horror as the blood took shape—forming into an enormous dragon with glowing eyes and gaping maws.

"Is this the power of the Ketsuryūgan?" Sasuke whispered, watching with his newly awakened Sharingan.

"No," Kakashi answered gravely. "This is something more. The Nine-Tails' chakra is amplifying his bloodline abilities."

Indeed, red chakra had begun to seep from Naruto's body, mixing with the blood dragon above. The construct grew larger, its features more defined, as though becoming semi-sentient.

"What's happening to me?" Naruto thought, feeling the Nine-Tails' presence pushing against his consciousness. "I can't... control it much longer..."

Just as the blood dragon began to writhe erratically, threatening to collapse, a hand gripped Naruto's shoulder. Haku stood beside him, channeling their own chakra.

"Focus," they instructed. "Your rage gives it power, but your will gives it direction."

Gritting his teeth, Naruto regained control, directing the blood dragon toward Gato and his men. The massive construct swooped down upon the mercenaries, who broke formation and fled in terror. Some were caught in the dragon's maw, their weapons useless against the semi-liquid beast.

Gato himself tried to escape, but the blood dragon's tail wrapped around him, lifting him high above the bridge.

"Please!" the businessman begged, all arrogance gone. "I can pay you! Whatever you want!"

Naruto's Ketsuryūgan fixed on the man who had caused so much suffering to Wave Country. "You can pay with your life," he growled, the Nine-Tails' influence darkening his voice.

The blood dragon's jaws opened wide, preparing to consume Gato whole.

"Naruto, stop!"

Sakura's voice cut through his rage-induced trance. She stepped forward, eyes filled with concern. "This isn't you. Don't let the power change who you are."

Her words reached something essential in Naruto, a core of identity that even the combined influence of the Nine-Tails and the Ketsuryūgan couldn't corrupt.

With tremendous effort, he redirected the blood dragon, having it deposit Gato roughly on the bridge before dissolving back into ordinary blood that splashed harmlessly to the surface.

"Gato of Gato Shipping," Naruto declared, his voice steady despite his exhaustion, "you will stand trial for your crimes against Wave Country."

The businessman collapsed in a sniveling heap as villagers, led by Inari, appeared at the bridge's edge, armed with farming tools and makeshift weapons. They had come to fight for their home, only to find the battle already won.

As the adrenaline faded, Naruto's Ketsuryūgan deactivated, his eyes returning to their normal blue. The strain of controlling such a powerful technique, amplified by the Nine-Tails' chakra, overwhelmed him. His knees buckled, and he would have collapsed if not for Sasuke catching him.

"Show-off," the Uchiha muttered, but there was a new respect in his voice.

Haku knelt beside the gravely injured Zabuza, who had watched the entire display with widened eyes.

"It seems we backed the wrong employer, Haku," the Demon of the Mist coughed.

"What will you do now, Zabuza?" Kakashi asked, pulling his headband back down over his Sharingan.

The missing-nin gazed at Naruto, who was being supported by his teammates. "The boy has impressive power, but lacks control. The Ketsuryūgan is not a toy to be wielded carelessly."

"And you would know?" Kakashi challenged.

"I fought in the purges," Zabuza revealed grimly. "I've seen what a fully-mastered Ketsuryūgan can do. The boy has potential to surpass even the legendary Ketsuryūgan wielders of old Uzushio."

"Then you understand why others will come for him," Kakashi stated rather than asked.

Zabuza nodded weakly. "The snake has already caught his scent. You won't be able to hide those eyes for long."

As the villagers took custody of the defeated Gato and his remaining thugs, Team 7 found themselves in an unexpected alliance with their former enemies. Haku tended to Zabuza's wounds while Kakashi kept a watchful eye on them both.

"You fought well, Naruto Uzumaki," Haku said softly as they applied medicinal herbs to Zabuza's injuries. "Few have ever seen my ice mirrors and lived, let alone countered them."

"Your ice techniques were amazing too," Naruto replied, still supported by Sasuke and Sakura. "I've never seen anything like them."

A moment of understanding passed between the two kekkei genkai wielders—both outcasts, both feared for the blood that ran in their veins.

"Perhaps we will meet again," Haku suggested with a gentle smile. "Under more favorable circumstances."

"I'd like that," Naruto agreed. Then, more solemnly: "Haku, what did you mean about Gato's 'business partner' being interested in my eyes?"

Haku's expression grew troubled. "There are those who collect kekkei genkai, Naruto-kun. Who believe that all bloodline limits should belong to them alone. The man I spoke of has white skin like a corpse and eyes like a snake."

"Orochimaru," Kakashi confirmed, having overheard. "One of the legendary Sannin, now a missing-nin and enemy of Konoha. If he's learned about the Ketsuryūgan's reemergence..."

"Then we need to get Naruto back to the village immediately," Sakura concluded, her analytical mind quickly grasping the implications.

"Not yet," Tazuna interjected, approaching the group. "The bridge still needs to be completed, and after what you've all done for Wave Country, I'd be honored if you'd stay for its official opening."

Kakashi considered this request, weighing the risk against their mission obligations. "We'll stay," he decided after a moment. "Naruto needs time to recover anyway. But we'll maintain heightened security."

The days that followed were a strange mix of celebration and vigilance. The bridge neared completion, with the entire village contributing to the effort now that Gato's oppression had ended. Team 7 divided their time between guard duty and helping with construction, while Naruto continued practicing with his Ketsuryūgan under Kakashi's supervision.

Zabuza and Haku, surprisingly, remained in Wave Country as well. The missing-nin was too injured for immediate travel, and as Zabuza put it, "better the devil you know than the snake waiting in the shadows."

On the morning of the bridge's completion, Naruto stood at its center, gazing out over the water that now connected Wave Country to the mainland. His Ketsuryūgan was active, not for combat but for practice—Kakashi had suggested he try maintaining it for longer periods to build his chakra reserves and control.

"Beautiful view," Haku commented, joining him at the railing. Their injuries had largely healed, though Zabuza would bear new scars from his encounter with Kakashi.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, then hesitated before asking, "Haku, what will you and Zabuza do now? You're still in the Bingo Book, right?"

Haku's smile held a hint of sadness. "Zabuza-sama and I have decided to remain hidden for a time. There are... developments in Kirigakure that suggest the bloodline purges may be ending. Perhaps someday, we can return home."

"Or you could come to Konoha," Naruto suggested impulsively. "I mean, our village accepts people with kekkei genkai. Look at me and Sasuke."

"A kind offer, but a complicated one." Haku's eyes drifted to where Zabuza stood talking with Kakashi, their conversation appearing tense but not hostile. "For now, we will make our own path. But I wanted to give you something before we part ways."

They handed Naruto a small scroll bound with ice-blue silk. "This contains what little I know about dōjutsu control. While the Hyōton is different from your Ketsuryūgan, some principles of kekkei genkai mastery are universal."

Naruto accepted the scroll reverently. "Thank you, Haku. I hope we meet again someday."

"I believe we will," Haku replied with certainty. "Those who share the burden of special blood often find their paths crossing."

As the sun reached its zenith, the villagers gathered for the bridge's official opening ceremony. Tazuna, as chief architect, gave a speech praising the courage of the Konoha shinobi who had freed Wave Country from Gato's tyranny.

"And so," the old bridge builder concluded, "it is my honor to christen this structure 'The Great Naruto Bridge,' named after the young hero who showed us that even the smallest person can change the course of the future."

Naruto's eyes widened, the Ketsuryūgan deactivating from pure shock. "They... named it after me?"

"Don't let it go to your head, dobe," Sasuke muttered, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward.

Sakura smiled warmly. "You deserve it, Naruto. You saved everyone."

As the celebration continued around them, Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Enjoy this moment," he advised quietly. "But be prepared for what's coming. Once we return to Konoha, the Hokage will want to discuss your training going forward. The Ketsuryūgan makes you a target, but with proper guidance, it can also make you one of Konoha's greatest assets."

Naruto nodded solemnly, understanding that his life had irrevocably changed. He was no longer just the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki or the dead-last prankster. He was Naruto Uzumaki, wielder of the Ketsuryūgan, the last scion of a fallen clan, and now, the namesake of a bridge that symbolized hope and freedom.

As Team 7 departed Wave Country the following day, Naruto cast one last look at the Great Naruto Bridge stretching behind them. Zabuza and Haku had disappeared during the night, leaving only a note promising that their paths would cross again.

"Ready to go home?" Kakashi asked, noting Naruto's contemplative expression.

"Yeah," Naruto replied, turning toward the road ahead. "I've got a lot to learn about these eyes of mine."

What none of them realized was that news of the Ketsuryūgan's reappearance had already reached Konoha—and not just the Hokage's ears. In the shadows of the village, other interests had taken note, including a man with bandages covering one eye and arm, whose ambitions for Konoha's future had just found a new piece for his board.

And far away, in a hidden laboratory, a pale-skinned figure with serpentine eyes examined the molted skin of a small white snake, a cold smile spreading across his face as he absorbed the information it had brought him.

"Ketsuryūgan," Orochimaru hissed with pleasure. "How fortuitous. Perhaps I've been focusing on the wrong Konoha genin after all..."

The journey back to Konoha was uneventful, yet Naruto could feel the subtle shift in his teammates' behavior. Sakura asked him questions about the Ketsuryūgan with academic curiosity, while Sasuke observed his practice sessions with intense focus, his newly awakened Sharingan occasionally active as if trying to understand the mechanisms of a rival dōjutsu.

Kakashi was more direct. "The moment we reach the village gates, you'll be summoned to the Hokage," he informed Naruto as they made camp on their final night on the road. "He'll want a full report on your awakening, and then decisions will need to be made about your training."

"What kind of decisions?" Naruto asked, poking at the campfire with a stick.

"The Ketsuryūgan isn't like normal ninjutsu that any jōnin can teach," Kakashi explained. "Its techniques were specific to the Uzumaki clan, most of whom perished when Uzushiogakure fell. Written records are scarce, and living masters..." He trailed off meaningfully.

"So how am I supposed to learn to use it properly?"

"There may be scrolls in the Hokage's private library. And there's one person who might know more than most about Uzumaki clan techniques."

"Who?"

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled in what might have been a smile. "Let's just say he's a wandering novelist with unusual research habits."

Before Naruto could press for details, Sasuke approached, sitting across the fire from them. "Teach me how to counter it," he said without preamble.

"Counter what?" Naruto asked, though he knew perfectly well what Sasuke meant.

"Your dōjutsu. The blood techniques." Sasuke's dark eyes reflected the dancing flames. "If we're going to be teammates, I need to know how to fight alongside a Ketsuryūgan wielder... and how to defend against one if necessary."

The implication—that Sasuke was preparing for the possibility that Naruto might lose control—hung unspoken in the air between them.

"Fair enough," Naruto agreed after a moment, surprising both Sasuke and Kakashi with his maturity. "The main weakness seems to be that I need blood outside the body to manipulate. If you can prevent me from drawing blood—either my own or an opponent's—you limit what I can do."

"And the genjutsu component?" Sasuke pressed. "Kakashi mentioned your eyes can cast illusions."

"Theoretically," Kakashi interjected. "Naruto hasn't manifested that ability yet."

"But if I did," Naruto continued, warming to the strategic discussion, "your Sharingan would probably be the perfect counter. It can see through most genjutsu, right?"

Sasuke nodded thoughtfully. "And fire techniques might be effective against your blood constructs—heating the blood until it evaporates."

"Exactly!" Naruto grinned, genuine excitement in his voice. "And I'll need to find counters for your techniques too. We could be the ultimate team—your Sharingan for copying techniques and seeing through illusions, my Ketsuryūgan for blood manipulation and tracking chakra flow."

Kakashi watched this exchange with mild surprise. The revelation of the Ketsuryūgan had somehow shifted the dynamic between the two boys—not eliminating their rivalry, but transforming it into something more productive, more partnership-oriented.

"Don't forget about me," Sakura chimed in, joining them by the fire. "I've been doing some reading on medical ninjutsu. If I could learn to control the flow of blood within the body for healing purposes, it might complement your external blood manipulation, Naruto."

"That's brilliant, Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed.

As Team 7 discussed potential combat strategies incorporating their various skills, Kakashi found himself revising his assessment of their future. Perhaps this team could become something special after all—not just three talented individuals but a truly synergistic unit.

The Hokage's office was unusually crowded when they arrived in Konoha the following afternoon. In addition to the Third himself, Naruto found himself facing several jōnin he recognized—Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yūhi, Might Guy—along with two elders he vaguely remembered as the Hokage's advisors.

"Welcome back, Team 7," the Third greeted them, pipe smoke curling toward the ceiling. "I understand your C-rank mission experienced some... complications."

"That's putting it mildly, Lord Hokage," Kakashi replied, delivering a concise summary of their encounters with Zabuza and Haku, carefully emphasizing Naruto's awakening of the Ketsuryūgan and his control of it during the final battle.

As Kakashi spoke, Naruto noticed the elders exchanging significant glances, while the other jōnin studied him with varying degrees of surprise and calculation.

"So it's confirmed then," the female elder, Koharu, stated once Kakashi finished. "The Uzumaki boy has awakened the Blood Dragon Eye."

"Yes," the Hokage confirmed, then addressed Naruto directly. "Would you be willing to demonstrate, Naruto?"

Feeling suddenly self-conscious under so many evaluating gazes, Naruto nodded. He closed his eyes, focusing on the protective instinct that had become his trigger. When he opened them again, the room was bathed in the enhanced perception of the Ketsuryūgan, every person's chakra network visible as flowing streams of color and light.

A murmur ran through the assembled jōnin.

"Remarkable," the Third commented, leaning forward to examine the crimson spirals. "And you can maintain this state for how long?"

"About fifteen minutes now," Naruto answered. "It's getting easier with practice."

"And the blood manipulation techniques?"

"I can perform basic constructs and some combat applications," Naruto explained, deliberately vague about the full extent of what he'd done on the bridge. Something in the elders' expressions made him cautious.

The male elder, Homura, cleared his throat. "Given the sensitive nature of this development, perhaps we should continue this discussion more... privately."

"Agreed," the Third nodded. "Kakashi, you will remain. The rest of Team 7 is dismissed—except for Naruto, of course."

Sasuke looked like he might protest, but a slight head shake from Kakashi silenced him. As his teammates filed out, Sakura squeezed Naruto's arm reassuringly.

Once the door closed, the atmosphere in the room shifted palpably.

"Deactivate your dōjutsu, Naruto," the Hokage instructed gently. "We have much to discuss, and there's no need to strain yourself."

As his eyes returned to their normal blue, Naruto felt suddenly vulnerable, a sensation he didn't care for.

"Am I in trouble?" he asked bluntly.

"Not at all," the Third assured him. "But your awakening presents both opportunities and challenges for Konoha."

"The Ketsuryūgan was one of Uzushiogakure's most closely guarded secrets," Homura explained, adjusting his glasses. "Its reappearance will draw attention—some of it unwelcome."

"Like Orochimaru," Naruto stated, causing several of the adults to stiffen in surprise. "Zabuza and Haku mentioned he might be interested in my eyes."

The Third exhaled a long stream of smoke. "Yes, Orochimaru would certainly covet such a dōjutsu. But he's not the only threat. There are other villages, other factions, who would either seek to acquire your power or eliminate it permanently."

"Which is why," Koharu continued, "we must discuss your training going forward. The Ketsuryūgan must be properly developed if it's to become an asset to Konoha rather than a liability."

Something in her tone made Naruto bristle. "These eyes are part of my heritage—my clan's legacy. They're not just some weapon for the village."

"All kekkei genkai serve their villages, boy," Homura countered sharply. "The Sharingan, the Byakugan—all are cultivated for Konoha's benefit."

"That's enough, Homura," the Hokage interjected, his voice gentle but firm. "Naruto is right. The Ketsuryūgan is his birthright, not merely a military asset." He turned to Naruto with a softer expression. "However, proper training is essential, not just for Konoha's security but for your own protection. Without control, the Ketsuryūgan can be dangerous to both its wielder and those around him."

"I understand that," Naruto acknowledged. "But who's going to train me? Kakashi-sensei said there aren't any living masters."

"There are scrolls," the Third replied. "Ancient texts preserved from Uzushiogakure before its fall. They contain techniques and training methods specific to the Ketsuryūgan."

"And," Kakashi added, "I've sent a message to a certain individual who may have additional insights into Uzumaki clan techniques."

The Hokage nodded. "Yes, Jiraiya may indeed have useful knowledge. In the meantime, you will continue regular missions with Team 7, but with additional specialized training sessions."

"Who will oversee these sessions?" Koharu asked, a calculating edge to her voice.

"I will," the Hokage declared, surprising everyone in the room. "As one of the few still living who witnessed the Ketsuryūgan in action during the wars, I am best positioned to guide Naruto's development."

Homura frowned. "With all due respect, Hiruzen, your duties as Hokage—"

"Are precisely why I must take personal interest in the cultivation of a reborn kekkei genkai," the Third finished firmly. "My decision is final."

Naruto felt a surge of gratitude toward the old man. Whatever political currents were swirling around his eyes, at least the Hokage seemed to have his best interests at heart.

"There is one more matter," Koharu said, refusing to be silenced. "The question of security. If Orochimaru or other villages learn of the Ketsuryūgan's reemergence..."

"They almost certainly already have," Kakashi pointed out. "Our confrontation in Wave Country wasn't exactly subtle."

"All the more reason to consider protective measures," Homura insisted. "Perhaps the boy should be removed from active duty until his control is absolute."

"No," Naruto stated flatly, surprising himself with his own boldness. "I'm a shinobi of Konoha. I won't be locked away like some forbidden scroll."

The Third smiled slightly. "Naruto speaks wisdom beyond his years. Sequestering him would only attract more attention and deprive him of the real-world experience necessary to truly master his abilities." He rose from his chair, signaling the end of the discussion. "Naruto will continue with Team 7, with supplementary training under my supervision three times weekly. Kakashi will coordinate with me on his development."

Though the elders clearly had more to say, they recognized the Hokage's tone of finality and held their tongues.

"Now," the Third continued, "I believe the Chunin Exams are approaching. Kakashi, have you considered nominating your team?"

The question effectively changed the subject, shifting the focus away from Naruto's dōjutsu to the upcoming examinations.

"I have," Kakashi confirmed. "And recent events have only strengthened my conviction that they're ready."

As the conversation moved to exam logistics, Naruto's thoughts drifted to what lay ahead. Training with the Hokage himself, developing his Ketsuryūgan's abilities, potentially facing the dangers his bloodline would attract—it was overwhelming, yet exhilarating.

One month later, as Team 7 gathered to receive their Chunin Exam registration forms, Naruto felt both stronger and more burdened than before. The training sessions with the Third had been illuminating but grueling. From the ancient Uzumaki scrolls, he had learned that the Ketsuryūgan's true potential went far beyond simple blood manipulation—it could create complex genjutsu affecting the target's perception of time itself, control the iron content within blood to form weapons of unparalleled sharpness, and even, according to some obscure references, summon creatures known as Blood Dragons from a realm beyond their own.

Most of these advanced techniques remained theoretical for Naruto, requiring levels of chakra control he had yet to master. But his progress had impressed even the skeptical elders, who now watched his training sessions with calculating interest rather than suspicion.

The only concerning development had been the Nine-Tails' increased activity. Each time Naruto activated the Ketsuryūgan, he could feel the fox stirring within its seal, its chakra reaching out toward his dōjutsu as if drawn to it. The Hokage had explained that this was not unexpected—the Nine-Tails' chakra naturally amplified kekkei genkai abilities, but also made them more difficult to control.

"Ready for the exams?" Sakura asked as they left the Academy building, registration forms in hand.

"Born ready!" Naruto grinned, his enthusiasm genuine despite the weight of secrets and responsibilities he now carried.

Sasuke merely grunted in affirmation, but his eyes held a determined gleam. The past month had seen a subtle shift in their rivalry—less antagonistic, more mutually challenging. They had even begun sparring regularly, Sharingan against Ketsuryūgan, each pushing the other's dōjutsu abilities to new limits.

"Just remember," Sakura cautioned, "your eyes are still secret from most of our peers. The Hokage said to avoid using them unless absolutely necessary during the exams."

"I know, I know," Naruto sighed. "Keep the Ketsuryūgan hidden unless it's life or death. Boring, but I get it."

What none of them realized was that forces were already converging on Konoha, drawn by whispers of the Blood Dragon Eye's reemergence. Among them, a pale-skinned Sannin making final adjustments to his plans for the Chunin Exams—plans that now included not just the last loyal Uchiha, but also the unexpected prize of a reborn Uzumaki dōjutsu.

And in the shadows of Konoha itself, a bandaged elder met with masked ANBU operatives who answered not to the Hokage but to him alone.

"Watch the Uzumaki boy closely during the exams," Danzo instructed. "If his control wavers, if the Nine-Tails' influence manifests alongside the Ketsuryūgan... you know what to do."

"Yes, Lord Danzo," the Root operatives replied in unison.

The stage was set for the Chunin Exams, but the true test would not be of Naruto's skills as a shinobi, but of his ability to control the ancient power awakening in his blood—a power that might save Konoha or condemn it, depending on whose hands ultimately guided its development.

The first phase of the Chunin Exams—the written test overseen by Ibiki Morino—passed without incident. Naruto had managed to answer a few questions through sheer determination and a bit of luck, then had boldly declared his ninja way when presented with the tenth question. His confidence had inspired others to stay, leading to their collective pass.

It was in the second phase, however, that things began to unravel.

The Forest of Death loomed around Team 7, its massive trees blocking out much of the sunlight, creating a perpetual twilight beneath the canopy. They had been in the forest for nearly a day, having already secured an Earth scroll to complement their Heaven scroll, and were making their way toward the central tower.

"We should rest soon," Sakura suggested, noting the deepening shadows. "Set up traps, take shifts for sleeping."

Sasuke nodded in agreement, but Naruto had grown increasingly distracted over the past hour. A persistent headache throbbed behind his eyes—the familiar pressure that often preceded his Ketsuryūgan's activation, but different somehow. Sharper. More insistent.

"Naruto?" Sakura prompted when he didn't respond. "Are you listening?"

"Something's wrong," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "I can feel... something watching us."

Sasuke instantly went on alert, Sharingan activating as he scanned their surroundings. "I don't see anything."

"It's not something you can see with the Sharingan," Naruto insisted, the pressure building until he could barely think through it. "It's like... killing intent, but colder. More patient."

As if summoned by his words, a sudden gust of wind—far too powerful to be natural—tore through the clearing where they stood. Naruto and Sakura were thrown in one direction, Sasuke in another, the team effectively separated.

When Naruto regained his footing, he found himself alone with Sakura in a dense thicket, no sign of Sasuke nearby.

"We need to find him," Sakura said urgently, already heading in the direction they'd last seen their teammate.

"Wait," Naruto grabbed her arm, the pressure behind his eyes reaching a crescendo. "That wind jutsu—it was deliberate. Someone's hunting us."

Before Sakura could respond, a figure emerged from the shadows before them—a tall, thin woman with unnaturally pale skin and a Grass Village headband. Her smile was predatory, tongue flicking out to moisten her lips in a distinctly serpentine gesture.

"My, my," the woman purred, her voice sending chills down Naruto's spine. "What have we here? I was hoping to find Sasuke-kun first, but perhaps fate has other plans."

"Who are you?" Sakura demanded, kunai raised defensively.

The woman ignored her, eyes fixed on Naruto with disturbing intensity. "I've heard such interesting rumors about you, Naruto-kun. About those special eyes of yours."

Alarm bells rang in Naruto's mind. This was no ordinary genin competitor. The killing intent radiating from her was jōnin-level at minimum, and something about her chakra signature felt wrong—as if multiple signatures were layered over each other.

"Sakura," he murmured quietly, "run and find Sasuke. This person... they're not what they seem."

"Oh, I don't think your little friend will be going anywhere," the woman chuckled, hands forming seals with blinding speed. "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Serpents shot from her sleeves, far too many to dodge in the confined space. Several wrapped around Sakura before she could react, binding her in place while others struck at Naruto.

The pain behind his eyes exploded outward, and the Ketsuryūgan activated instinctively. With his bloodline limit engaged, Naruto could see the chakra animating the snakes—and something else, something that made his blood run cold.

"You're not from Grass," he realized, evading the snakes with newfound precision. "Your chakra... it's like the snakes are extensions of you."

The woman's smile widened to unnatural proportions. "How perceptive those eyes make you. I had intended to test Sasuke-kun's Sharingan first, but perhaps a preliminary examination of the legendary Ketsuryūgan is in order."

She lunged forward with impossible speed, fingers outstretched toward Naruto's face—toward his eyes. He barely managed to duck, slashing at her arm with a kunai as he rolled away.

The blade connected, tearing through the false Grass ninja's sleeve and drawing a line of blood across her forearm. The scent of copper filled the air, and Naruto felt the familiar pull of the Ketsuryūgan responding to exposed blood.

"Ketsuryū: Chisaki!" Blood Dragon: Blood Bloom!

The droplets of blood from the woman's wound suddenly expanded, flowering outward like crimson blossoms that wrapped around her arm. Her eyes widened in genuine surprise and—was that delight?

"Magnificent," she hissed, making no effort to free herself from the blood restraint. "Such control at your age!"

With her free hand, she formed a single seal, and the blood binding suddenly sizzled and dissolved, overcome by a surge of chakra that made Naruto's Ketsuryūgan ache with its potency.

"But still so undeveloped," she continued, advancing slowly. "Like an uncut gem requiring the proper... artisan."

Naruto backed away, hands forming the cross seal for his signature technique. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A dozen clones materialized around him, each with active Ketsuryūgan, creating a disorienting field of crimson eyes that launched themselves at the disguised enemy.

The woman dispatched them with casual ease, her body moving with an inhuman flexibility that allowed her to evade attacks from multiple directions simultaneously.

"A crude application of exceptional tools," she commented, dispelling the last clone with a precise strike to its throat. "Shadow clones with dōjutsu? Interesting concept, but wasted on basic taijutsu."

Naruto's mind raced. This opponent was clearly beyond his current abilities. He needed to free Sakura, find Sasuke, and retreat. The Ketsuryūgan allowed him to see the chakra points in the snakes binding Sakura—if he could disrupt them...

"Ketsuryū: Chisenbon!" Blood Dragon: Blood Needles!

Using his own blood from a quickly bitten thumb, Naruto formed dozens of needle-thin projectiles that shot toward the snake constructs wrapped around Sakura. Each needle targeted a specific chakra point, severing the connection between the snakes and their summoner.

The snakes dissolved into mud, freeing Sakura who immediately leapt to Naruto's side, eyes wide with fear but stance resolute.

"How clever," the woman praised, but her attention had already shifted elsewhere. "It seems Sasuke-kun has come looking for his teammates. Perfect timing."

Sasuke dropped from the trees above, landing between Naruto and the disguised enemy, Sharingan blazing. "Who are you?" he demanded. "Those techniques aren't genin-level."

"No, they're not," the woman agreed, reaching up to her face. "And neither is this."

She peeled away a section of skin from her cheek, revealing paler flesh beneath and a slitted, golden eye that Naruto recognized from descriptions in Konoha's Bingo Book.

"Orochimaru," he breathed, the name sending a chill through all of Team 7.

"The very same," the Sannin confirmed, his disguise now partially removed to reveal his true face. "How honored you must feel, to have attracted my personal attention."

"What do you want?" Sasuke demanded, though he had begun to tremble slightly in the face of such overwhelming killing intent.

"Originally? Just you, Sasuke-kun. The last loyal Uchiha, with such delicious potential." Orochimaru's golden gaze shifted to Naruto. "But now I find myself presented with an unexpected bonus—a reborn Ketsuryūgan. The universe is so generous sometimes."

"You can't have either," Sakura declared, her voice remarkably steady despite her fear.

Orochimaru chuckled. "Brave little kunoichi. But you misunderstand. I'm not here to take them—not yet. This is merely... an evaluation."

He moved again, this time too fast for even dōjutsu-enhanced perception to track. One moment he stood ten paces away, the next he was directly before Sasuke, fingers pressed to the Uchiha's forehead.

"Five Elements Seal!" he hissed, and Sasuke collapsed, unconscious before he hit the ground.

"Sasuke!" Naruto and Sakura cried in unison.

Naruto launched himself at Orochimaru, rage building in his chest. The Ketsuryūgan burned hotter, its spirals spinning faster as his emotions intensified.

"That's it," Orochimaru encouraged, easily avoiding Naruto's attack. "Let the rage fuel those beautiful eyes. Show me what the Blood Dragon Eye can really do!"

Something in Orochimaru's taunting tone triggered a memory from the Hokage's warnings during their training sessions: The Ketsuryūgan responds to rage, but rage unchecked leads to blood-madness. Control your emotions, or they will control you.

With tremendous effort, Naruto reined in his fury, focusing instead on the protective instinct that had become his anchor. His friends needed him clear-headed, not berserk.

"Smart boy," Orochimaru observed, seeming genuinely impressed. "Most Ketsuryūgan wielders your age would have succumbed to blood-rage by now."

"I'm not most wielders," Naruto replied, hands forming seals for another blood technique. "And I won't let you hurt my friends!"

Sakura had moved to Sasuke's side, checking his vitals while maintaining a defensive position. Her green eyes met Naruto's crimson ones, a silent communication passing between them—a plan they had developed during the past month of training together.

"Ketsuryū: Chijūsō!" Naruto called out, forming a blood shield around himself from the cuts he'd sustained during the fight.

Simultaneously, Sakura performed a series of hand seals. "Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique!"

It was a basic genjutsu, not nearly powerful enough to fool a Sannin under normal circumstances. But Sakura had cast it not on Orochimaru directly, but on the blood shield Naruto had created, which was still connected to his chakra network.

The Ketsuryūgan amplified the genjutsu, using the blood as a medium to carry the illusion directly to Orochimaru's senses as the shield suddenly exploded outward, showering the area—and the Sannin—with chakra-infused blood droplets.

For a fraction of a second, Orochimaru's perception faltered, caught off-guard by the unexpected collaboration. It was just enough time for Naruto to grab Sasuke while Sakura hurled a smoke bomb.

"Clever combination," Orochimaru's voice drifted through the smoke, sounding more amused than angry. "The Ketsuryūgan's ability to transmit genjutsu through blood contact... most impressive for ones so young to discover."

Naruto and Sakura retreated through the trees, carrying the unconscious Sasuke between them. The Ketsuryūgan allowed Naruto to navigate even through the thick smoke, perceiving the chakra signatures around them.

"He's toying with us," Sakura whispered as they leapt from branch to branch. "He could have killed us at any time."

"Which means he wants something," Naruto replied grimly. "The question is what."

They found temporary shelter in the hollow trunk of a massive tree, large enough to conceal all three of them. Sakura examined Sasuke more thoroughly while Naruto kept watch, his Ketsuryūgan scanning for any sign of pursuit.

"His chakra's disrupted," Sakura reported worriedly. "That Five Elements Seal must have done something to his chakra network. And there's something else..."

She pulled down the collar of Sasuke's shirt, revealing an angry red mark on the side of his neck—three tomoe arranged in a circle, pulsing with malevolent chakra.

"What is that?" Naruto asked, his dōjutsu perceiving the foreign energy flowing from the mark into Sasuke's system.

"I don't know, but it's interfering with his natural chakra flow," Sakura's medical knowledge, though basic, was enough to recognize the danger. "We need to get him to the tower, to find a jōnin or medic-nin."

A slow clapping sound echoed through their hiding place. "Very astute, little kunoichi."

Orochimaru's face emerged from the wood of the tree itself, as if the solid matter were liquid to him. "But I'm afraid your examination of my gift will have to wait."

Naruto pushed Sakura behind him, crimson eyes narrowing. "What did you do to Sasuke?"

"I gave him a sample of power—power he will seek out when he awakens," Orochimaru explained casually. "As for you, Naruto-kun..."

The Sannin's neck suddenly elongated, stretching unnaturally as his head shot forward with fangs bared. Naruto tried to dodge, but Orochimaru's speed was overwhelming. The fangs sank into his shoulder, right at the juncture with his neck.

White-hot pain exploded through Naruto's body, radiating outward from the bite. It felt as though liquid fire was being injected directly into his veins.

"NARUTO!" Sakura screamed, watching in horror as her teammate collapsed to his knees, clutching the bite mark.

"Consider it a gift," Orochimaru smiled, retracting his head to its normal position. "A catalyst for those beautiful eyes of yours."

The pain was excruciating, unlike anything Naruto had ever experienced. His Ketsuryūgan blazed with increased intensity, the spirals spinning so rapidly they seemed to merge into a solid crimson disk. Blood leaked from the corners of his eyes, trailing down his cheeks like tears.

"What's happening to him?" Sakura demanded, torn between staying beside the unconscious Sasuke and helping Naruto.

"An experiment," Orochimaru replied, watching with clinical interest as Naruto writhed in agony. "The Cursed Seal of Heaven, modified specifically for a Ketsuryūgan wielder. Will his Uzumaki vitality and the Nine-Tails' chakra reject it? Or will it bond with his blood-limit and create something... unprecedented?"

Naruto could barely hear them through the roaring in his ears. The pain had localized around his eyes, as if someone were trying to carve them out from the inside. He could feel the Nine-Tails stirring within its seal, its chakra surging protectively against the foreign invasion.

"Fighting already?" Orochimaru observed. "The fox doesn't want to share its vessel. Fascinating."

Through a haze of pain, Naruto saw Sakura place herself between him and the Sannin, kunai raised despite her obvious terror. The sight of his teammate's courage triggered something deep within him—not rage this time, but determination. He would not fall here, would not become another of Orochimaru's experiments.

With tremendous effort, Naruto focused on the conflicting energies within him. The Ketsuryūgan allowed him to perceive his own internal chakra network, to see the corrupting influence of Orochimaru's seal spreading from the bite mark. But he could also see the Nine-Tails' chakra fighting against it, creating a kind of stalemate centered at the point where they met.

"Ketsuryū: Naimen Chiseigyo," he gasped, instinctively naming a technique he'd never been taught. Blood Dragon: Internal Blood Control.

Using his dōjutsu's connection to his own blood, Naruto attempted to isolate Orochimaru's corrupting chakra, to contain it within a specific region rather than letting it spread. It was like trying to separate oil from water with his bare hands, but gradually, he managed to create a barrier within his own bloodstream.

"Impossible," Orochimaru breathed, genuine surprise crossing his features. "He's containing the cursed seal through sheer force of will?"

The pain remained intense, but Naruto had gained a measure of control. He struggled to his feet, blood still leaking from his eyes, but his expression resolute.

"I won't... be your... experiment," he managed through gritted teeth.

Orochimaru studied him with newfound respect. "Perhaps you're more interesting than I initially thought, Naruto-kun. To resist a cursed seal specifically designed for your blood type..."

A sudden explosion from outside their hiding place drew the Sannin's attention. "It seems our time together must end for now. Pity." He began to sink into the tree trunk. "We'll meet again, when those eyes of yours have had time to... adapt to my gift."

After Orochimaru disappeared, Naruto collapsed beside his teammates, the strain of containing the cursed seal overwhelming him. The last thing he saw before consciousness fled was Sakura's terrified face hovering over him, and beyond her, a figure in green spandex charging into their hiding place.

Naruto awoke to the sterile white ceiling of what could only be a hospital room. The pain had subsided to a dull ache centered around the bite mark on his neck, though his eyes still felt hot and strained, as if he'd been staring at the sun.

"He's awake," came Sakura's relieved voice from somewhere to his right.

Turning his head required more effort than it should have, but Naruto managed to see Sakura sitting beside his bed, looking exhausted but unharmed. Beyond her, leaning against the wall, was Sasuke, his expression unreadable but a similar bandage visible on his neck.

"What happened?" Naruto croaked, his throat painfully dry.

"Rock Lee found us after Orochimaru left," Sakura explained, offering him a cup of water. "His team helped us get to the tower. You and Sasuke have been unconscious for two days."

"Two days?" Naruto bolted upright, then immediately regretted it as pain lanced through his body. "The exams—"

"We still passed the second phase," Sasuke interjected. "Barely made it within the time limit."

"But the preliminaries for the third phase start tomorrow," Sakura added. "The medical team says neither of you should compete, but..." She trailed off, glancing at Sasuke.

"We're competing," the Uchiha stated flatly, no room for argument in his tone.

Naruto nodded in agreement, then noticed something odd about his vision. Everything seemed... sharper somehow, with subtle variations in color he hadn't perceived before. "My eyes feel different."

Sakura bit her lip nervously. "The medical team noticed some changes in your chakra pathways, particularly around your eyes. They think it's related to whatever Orochimaru did to you, but they're not sure exactly what he did or why."

"He called it the Cursed Seal of Heaven, modified for a Ketsuryūgan wielder," Naruto recalled, reaching up to touch the bandaged bite mark. "I managed to contain it somehow, keep it from spreading through my system."

"Using your dōjutsu to control the blood flow," Sakura nodded. "The Hokage was impressed when I described what you did. He said most shinobi would have been completely overwhelmed."

"The old man was here?" Naruto asked, surprised.

"He examined both your seals personally," she confirmed. "He placed additional sealing formulas over Sasuke's mark, but said yours was... different. As if your Ketsuryūgan and the Nine-Tails' chakra had already created a natural containment."

Sasuke pushed away from the wall, approaching Naruto's bed. "Show me," he demanded.

"Show you what?"

"Your eyes. Activate your dōjutsu."

Naruto hesitated, then focused on the now-familiar sensation of the Ketsuryūgan's awakening. The pressure built behind his eyes, but instead of pain, he felt a strange resonance, as if the cursed seal were harmonizing with his bloodline limit rather than fighting it.

When he opened his eyes, Sakura gasped and Sasuke's Sharingan activated instinctively.

"What?" Naruto asked, alarmed by their reactions. "What's wrong?"

Sakura fumbled for a small mirror in her pouch, handing it to him with trembling fingers. "Your eyes... they've changed."

Naruto stared at his reflection in shock. His Ketsuryūgan had indeed transformed. The crimson base remained, but the black spiral patterns had become more complex, with additional rings that resembled ripples spreading outward from his pupils. Most disturbing of all, three tomoe marks—identical to those in Sasuke's Sharingan—now floated within the outermost ring of each eye.

"What did he do to me?" Naruto whispered, horror and fascination mingling in his voice.

"He mentioned an experiment," Sakura recalled, watching Naruto's altered dōjutsu with scientific curiosity despite her concern. "Something about combining the cursed seal with your Ketsuryūgan."

"It's not just visual," Sasuke noted, his own Sharingan studying Naruto intently. "Your chakra pattern has changed. It's more... structured now."

An urgent knock at the door interrupted their discussion. Kakashi entered, his visible eye widening slightly at the sight of Naruto's transformed dōjutsu.

"So it's true," he muttered, approaching the bed cautiously. "The Hokage wanted me to check on you both, but I see you're already testing your new... modifications."

"Kakashi-sensei, what's happening to me?" Naruto demanded, a note of fear creeping into his voice.

The jōnin sighed, perching on the edge of the bed. "Based on what Sakura reported and the Hokage's examination, it appears Orochimaru has attempted to create a hybrid dōjutsu by introducing elements of his cursed seal—which contains fragments of his own DNA—into your Ketsuryūgan."

"Is that even possible?" Sakura asked, academic interest momentarily overriding her concern.

"Theoretically, no," Kakashi admitted. "Dōjutsu are genetic traits that normally can't be artificially altered. But Orochimaru has been experimenting with kekkei genkai manipulation for decades, and with the Ketsuryūgan's unique connection to blood..." He shrugged. "We're in uncharted territory."

"Can it be reversed?" Naruto asked, still staring at his reflection.

Kakashi's silence was answer enough.

"So I'm stuck with these freaky hybrid eyes," Naruto finally said, deactivating the dōjutsu with an effort. "Great."

"Not necessarily 'stuck with,'" Kakashi corrected. "More like... adapting to. The good news is that your Uzumaki vitality and the Nine-Tails' chakra seem to be preventing the cursed seal from exerting the usual negative influence on your personality."

"Unlike mine," Sasuke muttered, touching his own sealed mark.

"The preliminary matches start tomorrow," Kakashi continued, returning to the immediate concern. "Neither of you should participate, but I know that's a futile argument. So instead, I'll offer some advice: use only what you need to win, nothing more. The fewer people who witness your... new abilities, the better."

"Especially with foreign shinobi from multiple villages present," Sakura added, understanding the implications.

Kakashi nodded. "Exactly. The Hokage has already increased security due to Orochimaru's infiltration, but we can assume he has accomplices both inside and outside the village. Keep your cards close until the final phase, where revealing your true capabilities is unavoidable."

After Kakashi departed, Team 7 sat in contemplative silence. Each member bore new burdens—Sasuke with his cursed seal, Naruto with his hybrid dōjutsu, and Sakura with the knowledge that her teammates had been marked by one of the most dangerous missing-nin in the shinobi world.

"We should get some rest," Sakura finally suggested, rising from her chair. "Tomorrow will be challenging enough without exhaustion."

Sasuke nodded curtly, moving toward the door. He paused in the doorway, not turning around. "Don't hold back tomorrow, Naruto. Whatever those eyes can do now... we'll need every advantage."

After they left, Naruto lay back, staring at the ceiling. He activated his transformed Ketsuryūgan again, testing how it felt, how it perceived the world differently. The changes weren't just cosmetic—his visual acuity had increased dramatically, and he could now perceive subtle details in chakra flow that had been indistinct before.

More concerning was the faint whisper at the edge of his consciousness, a voice too quiet to make out but persistent nonetheless. It wasn't the Nine-Tails; he knew that presence all too well. This was something new, something introduced by Orochimaru's curse.

"I won't let you control me," Naruto whispered to the empty room. "Whatever you are, whatever he intended, these eyes are mine. And I'll use them to protect my precious people, not serve his twisted ambitions."

As if in response, the mark on his neck pulsed once, sending a brief flare of pain through his system. But Naruto's resolve held firm, his Ketsuryūgan's connection to his bloodstream allowing him to once again isolate and contain the foreign chakra.

He would adapt. He would overcome. And perhaps, just perhaps, he would turn Orochimaru's "gift" against him when the time came.

The preliminary matches for the Chunin Exam's third phase were held in a large arena within the tower at the Forest of Death's center. Balconies ran along either side, providing space for teams and their senseis to observe the matches below.

Naruto stood with Team 7, acutely aware of the curious glances from other competitors. Word of his and Sasuke's condition had spread, though the details remained classified. Most assumed they had simply been injured during the forest phase—which wasn't exactly wrong.

"Remember what I said," Kakashi murmured as the first match was announced. "Reveal only what's necessary to win."

Naruto nodded, resisting the urge to activate his dōjutsu just to scan the room. He could feel multiple intense gazes on him—the Hokage from the judges' platform, several ANBU hidden in the shadows of the upper gallery, and most disturbingly, the jōnin-sensei from Sound Village, whose chakra signature felt eerily familiar even to Naruto's normal perception.

The preliminaries proceeded with a series of increasingly brutal matches. Sasuke fought first among Team 7, facing a chakra-absorbing shinobi from the Hidden Sound. Despite his cursed seal threatening to activate mid-battle, Sasuke managed to win using only his Sharingan and a taijutsu combination inspired by Rock Lee's fighting style.

Sakura's match against Ino ended in a mutual knockout, though both girls had displayed impressive tactical thinking and resilience. Now, as the electronic board randomized for the next selection, Naruto found himself mentally preparing for his own match.

"Naruto Uzumaki vs. Kiba Inuzuka," Hayate Gekko, the sickly proctor, announced.

Kiba grinned confidently as he and his ninken partner, Akamaru, leapt into the arena. "Lucky! We got the dead last, Akamaru!"

Naruto descended more cautiously, hyperaware of the many observers. Kiba was an accomplished tracker with enhanced senses—not an ideal opponent for someone trying to hide a kekkei genkai.

"You should just forfeit, Naruto," Kiba taunted as they faced each other. "I can smell the medication on you. You're still recovering from whatever beat you up in the forest."

Naruto forced a cocky grin. "Takes more than that to keep me down, dog-breath."

"Begin!" Hayate called, jumping clear of the combatants.

Kiba immediately dropped to all fours, chakra visibly flowing through his body as he activated his clan's Beast Mimicry technique. His nails lengthened into claws, his features becoming more feral.

"Fang Over Fang!" he growled, spinning into a whirlwind of claws and teeth alongside Akamaru.

Naruto dodged the initial attack, but the dual drills curved midair, homing in on his scent. One caught his shoulder, tearing through his jacket and drawing blood.

The moment his blood was exposed, Naruto felt his Ketsuryūgan stir in response, eager to activate. He resisted, creating shadow clones instead to confuse Kiba's sense of smell.

"Not bad," Kiba admitted, dispersing several clones with well-placed strikes. "But Akamaru and I can still track the real you by your blood scent."

The duo launched another coordinated attack, this time taking out all of Naruto's clones and leaving him cornered against the arena wall, bleeding from multiple shallow cuts.

In the stands, Hinata Hyūga watched with growing concern. "Naruto-kun is holding back," she whispered, her Byakugan active. "His chakra is behaving strangely."

Beside her, her teammate Shino nodded. "Logical. After facing Orochimaru in the forest, he would be cautious about revealing new abilities."

Kiba closed in for what he clearly believed would be the finishing blow, not realizing he was playing directly into Naruto's desperate strategy. As his claws raked across Naruto's chest, drawing more blood, the blond genin made his decision.

"Sorry, Kakashi-sensei," he thought. "Can't win this one by holding back."

His eyes changed, crimson spirals with tomoe marks blazing to life. The transformation was subtle enough that only those specifically watching for it would notice immediately, but its effect was profound.

Naruto could now see Kiba's movements before he made them, could perceive the chakra flowing through the Inuzuka's pathways, could even detect the artificial soldier pill Akamaru had consumed by the altered chemical composition of the ninken's blood.

More importantly, he could now control the blood that had been spilled during the fight.

"Ketsuryū: Chisei Hebi," he whispered, keeping the technique name quiet enough that only Kiba could hear it. Blood Dragon: Blood Control Snake.

The droplets of blood on the arena floor suddenly moved with purpose, slithering like crimson serpents toward Kiba and Akamaru. Before either could react, the blood wrapped around their ankles, hardening into restraints.

"What the—?" Kiba struggled against the binding, eyes widening as he finally noticed Naruto's transformed eyes. "Your eyes! What happened to your eyes?"

In the stands, gasps and murmurs spread as more observers noticed the change. Hinata's Byakugan allowed her to see the full extent of the transformation, while the Hokage exchanged concerned glances with Kakashi.

"A dōjutsu?" Kurenai Yūhi, Kiba's sensei, whispered in surprise. "Since when does Naruto have a bloodline limit?"

"That's not a standard dōjutsu," Asuma Sarutobi replied grimly. "Look closer at the pattern."

Below, Naruto maintained his focus on the blood restraints, careful not to draw more power than necessary from his newly modified Ketsuryūgan. The cursed seal on his neck remained dormant, though he could feel it pulsing in response to the dōjutsu's activation.

"Surrender, Kiba," he suggested, genuinely reluctant to harm his former classmate. "I don't want to take this further."

Kiba snarled defiantly, flexing against the blood bindings. "Like hell! What kind of freaky jutsu is this anyway?"

"The kind you can't break," Naruto replied, tightening the restraints slightly to prove his point. The blood hardened further, climbing higher up Kiba's legs, while separate tendrils wrapped around Akamaru, immobilizing the ninken completely.

Realizing he was outmatched, Kiba reluctantly raised a hand. "I forfeit," he growled, frustration evident in his voice.

"Winner: Naruto Uzumaki!" Hayate announced.

As Naruto released the blood technique, allowing the liquid to return to its normal state, he deactivated his dōjutsu as quickly as possible. But the damage was done—too many had seen the distinctive crimson eyes with their unnatural patterns.

"The Ketsuryūgan," someone whispered from the balcony. "The Blood Dragon Eye of Uzushiogakure."

Naruto returned to the Team 7 balcony, hyperaware of the increased attention now focused on him. Kakashi's expression was carefully neutral, but there was concern in his visible eye.

"That complicates things," the jōnin murmured as Naruto rejoined them.

"I had to use it," Naruto defended himself. "Kiba had me cornered."

"I'm not criticizing your decision," Kakashi clarified. "Just noting that our strategy of keeping your abilities secret is no longer viable."

Across the arena, on the opposite balcony, the Sound jōnin was watching Naruto with undisguised interest, tongue flicking across his lips in a disturbingly familiar gesture.

"Orochimaru," Naruto realized, the cursed seal on his neck pulsing in response to its creator's attention. "He's still here, disguised as that Sound jōnin."

Before he could alert Kakashi, a commotion broke out as the electronic board selected the next match: "Hinata Hyūga vs. Neji Hyūga."

The bitter confrontation between the Hyūga cousins temporarily diverted attention from Naruto, allowing him a moment to collect himself. The strain of using his modified dōjutsu, even briefly, had left him with a throbbing headache and an uncomfortable warmth around the cursed seal.

"You need to be careful with those eyes," Sasuke murmured beside him, voice pitched low enough that only Naruto could hear. "They're drawing on the cursed seal's power, whether you intend it or not."

"How can you tell?" Naruto asked, surprised by Sasuke's insight.

"Because mine does the same thing." Sasuke's hand drifted to his own sealed mark. "It wants to be used. It feeds on chakra expenditure, especially when emotions run high."

Below, the match between Hinata and Neji had turned brutal, with the latter systematically dismantling his cousin's defenses while psychologically tormenting her. When Hinata collapsed from internal injuries but still attempted to rise, Naruto found himself gripping the railing so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Don't count her out yet!" he shouted, drawing surprised looks from those nearby. "Hinata, show him what you're made of!"

The timid Hyūga heiress glanced up at Naruto's voice, a faint blush coloring her cheeks despite her injuries. With renewed determination, she rose to her feet, Byakugan blazing as she faced her cousin once more.

Though her second effort ultimately failed, with Neji striking decisively to end the match, Hinata's courage had made an impression. As medical ninja carried her from the arena, Naruto found himself unexpectedly moved by her resilience.

The preliminaries continued, with matches becoming increasingly strategic as competitors observed and adapted to each other's techniques. Throughout it all, Naruto remained acutely aware of the disguised Orochimaru's presence, as well as the ANBU who had subtly increased their numbers in the upper gallery.

After the final match concluded, the victorious genin assembled before the Hokage to draw lots for the tournament pairings of the exam's third phase. Naruto found himself matched against Neji Hyūga in the first round—a challenging opponent, but one he now had personal motivation to defeat.

As the gathering dispersed, the Hokage beckoned Kakashi and Team 7 to follow him to a private chamber adjacent to the arena. Two ANBU guards stood at attention outside, while inside, Jiraiya of the Sannin waited, arms crossed and expression unusually serious.

"Well, that was subtle," the white-haired sage commented sarcastically as they entered, eyes fixed on Naruto. "I leave the village for a few months, and you develop a hybrid dōjutsu connected to my former teammate's cursed seal. Trying to make my life interesting, kid?"

"It wasn't exactly planned," Naruto retorted, immediately liking the straightforward manner of the Sannin.

"Indeed it wasn't," the Hokage agreed gravely, taking a seat at the small conference table. "But now we must deal with the consequences. Word of the Ketsuryūgan's reemergence will spread quickly, especially with its... unusual modifications."

"Orochimaru is still in the building," Naruto reported, rubbing his sealed mark. "Disguised as the Sound jōnin."

"We know," Jiraiya confirmed. "But moving against him now, with so many foreign shinobi present, risks triggering whatever larger plan he's set in motion. For now, we watch and prepare."

"And train," Kakashi added. "You have one month before the tournament finals. All three of you will need specialized preparation."

The Hokage nodded. "Kakashi will continue working with Sasuke, focusing on controlling the cursed seal and developing his Sharingan abilities."

"And me?" Naruto asked, though he suspected the answer given Jiraiya's presence.

"You're coming with me, kid," the Toad Sage confirmed. "Between your modified Ketsuryūgan and the Nine-Tails, you need training that only I can provide."

"What about Sakura?" Naruto questioned, not wanting his female teammate left behind.

The Hokage smiled slightly. "Tsunade may be absent from Konoha, but her methods are not. Sakura has shown aptitude for medical ninjutsu and precise chakra control—skillsets that will complement your team's more combat-oriented abilities. She will train under specialists at the hospital."

"And in the meantime," Kakashi concluded, "we'll continue investigating Orochimaru's cursed seals and what they might mean for both of you."

As the meeting adjourned, Jiraiya pulled Naruto aside. "Meet me at the hot springs tomorrow at dawn. Pack for a month—we won't be staying in the village."

"We're leaving Konoha?" Naruto asked, surprised. "But what about—"

"Security," Jiraiya cut him off. "Those eyes of yours are now a beacon to every power-hungry shinobi in the Five Great Nations. Better to keep you moving and off the grid while you learn to control them."

The logic was sound, but Naruto couldn't help feeling like he was being kept away from something important. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Jiraiya's expression softened slightly. "Plenty, kid. But some truths are better revealed through training than words. Come tomorrow, and I'll start filling in the gaps in your understanding—both of that dōjutsu and your heritage."

"My heritage?" Naruto perked up. "You knew my parents?"

"Dawn," Jiraiya repeated, offering nothing more as he turned to leave. "Don't be late."

The following morning found Naruto at the hot springs, backpack loaded with supplies for a month's training. Jiraiya was nowhere to be seen, but a small messenger toad sat on a nearby rock, ribbiting impatiently.

"About time, Naruto-boy," the toad croaked in a surprisingly deep voice. "Jiraiya-sama said to tell you to follow me. And to warn you that the training ahead won't be anything like what you've experienced before."

"I'm ready," Naruto declared, adjusting his hitai-ate with determination. "Lead the way, frog."

"I'm a toad," the messenger corrected irritably, hopping toward the village gates. "First lesson: know the difference."

Their journey took them northeast, away from Konoha and into increasingly remote mountainous terrain. The messenger toad, who introduced himself as Gamatsubo, proved to be a demanding traveling companion, insisting on a punishing pace while periodically quizzing Naruto on shinobi fundamentals.

"Jiraiya-sama said to test your baseline knowledge," Gamatsubo explained after a particularly difficult question about chakra nature transformation. "He can't build on a weak foundation."

"Where exactly are we going?" Naruto asked as they made camp on the third evening, having seen no sign of the Sannin himself.

"To the place where blood and eyes intersect," the toad replied cryptically. "A sacred site known only to the Sage of Mount Myōboku and the last guardians of Uzushio's legacy."

The next morning, they crested a ridge to find Jiraiya waiting beside a small, crystal-clear lake nestled in a hidden valley. Behind him, partially concealed by mist, stood the ruins of what appeared to be a shrine or small temple, its stone architecture reminiscent of the few images Naruto had seen of Uzushiogakure.

"Welcome to Ketsuryū-ji," Jiraiya greeted them, unusually solemn. "The Temple of the Blood Dragon, one of the last intact sanctuaries of the Uzumaki clan's secret traditions."

Naruto stared in wonder at the ancient structure, feeling an inexplicable connection to the weathered stones and faded spiral carvings. "How did you know about this place?"

"Your mother brought me here, years ago," Jiraiya revealed, watching Naruto's reaction closely. "Kushina Uzumaki was one of the few who knew of its existence, though she never manifested the Ketsuryūgan herself."

"My mother..." Naruto breathed, the name settling in his chest like a precious stone. "You knew her?"

"I was her husband's sensei," Jiraiya confirmed, a shadow of old grief crossing his features. "Which is a conversation we'll have in detail, but not just yet. First, we need to address those eyes of yours."

He led Naruto toward the shrine, explaining as they walked. "The Ketsuryūgan is one of the oldest documented dōjutsu, predating even the Byakugan according to some records. Its connection to blood made it particularly suited to sealing techniques, which became the Uzumaki clan's specialty."

"But what about these tomoe marks?" Naruto asked, activating his dōjutsu so Jiraiya could examine the changes. "And the extra rings?"

Jiraiya studied the modified eyes with a frown. "That's Orochimaru's work. The tomoe are clearly influenced by the Sharingan component of his cursed seal, while the additional rings... those might represent an amplification of the original spiral pattern."

They reached the temple entrance, where weathered stone dragons flanked a doorway barely visible beneath centuries of vines and moss. Ancient seals, their ink long faded but chakra still active, glowed faintly as Naruto's Ketsuryūgan gazed upon them.

"The temple recognizes your blood," Jiraiya noted with satisfaction. "Good. That means we can access the inner sanctum."

Inside, the air was cool and still, as if time itself moved differently within these walls. Faded murals depicted red-eyed warriors manipulating blood in battle, creating constructs and creatures of impressive complexity. At the chamber's center stood a stone basin filled with what appeared to be liquid metal, its surface reflecting Naruto's transformed eyes with unnatural clarity.

"The Blood Mirror," Jiraiya identified it, gesturing for Naruto to approach. "A sacred tool used to train young Ketsuryūgan wielders in the finer aspects of their gift. Look into it, and it will show you truths about your dōjutsu that I cannot teach."

Hesitantly, Naruto stepped forward, peering into the metallic liquid. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, as if responding to his Ketsuryūgan, the surface began to ripple, forming images that played out like living memories.