"So that's how it is…"
The deep voice of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage of Konoha, echoed through the sparsely lit classroom. His sharp, battle-worn eyes were locked onto the young boy in front of him—Shouta Kazuki.
Something about this child… intrigued him.
Hiruzen had lived long enough to recognize potential when he saw it, and the aura surrounding Shouta wasn't ordinary. The feeling he gave off was something even experienced shinobi couldn't ignore.
Shouta shifted slightly, glancing away. He knew that the Hokage's gaze was drilling into him, analyzing every word he spoke.
"So, Shouta…" Hiruzen continued, his voice calm yet expectant. "Did you discover anything else interesting? Any special findings? Anything… unusual?"
Shouta scratched the back of his head, pretending to be lost in thought.
"Something interesting?" He paused dramatically. "Oh! Yeah, actually, there was something weird!"
Instantly, Hiruzen's eyes sharpened. His grip on his pipe tightened, though his expression remained composed.
"So, it is true."
A hushed silence fell over the room. The students—Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and the others—held their breath, waiting for his next words. Even Danzo Shimura, standing quietly in the background, narrowed his gaze.
Shouta continued, his voice lowering slightly, as if hesitant.
"It's hard to explain, but… I felt something was off."
"Off?" Hiruzen pressed.
"Yeah. It was like I left too early—like I wasn't supposed to come back yet. Something… no, someone was calling me. But the next thing I knew, I was back here."
The Third Hokage remained silent, but his mind was racing.
Left too early?
This was highly unusual. Even those who entered summoning realms through contracts never described such a phenomenon. Was the realm rejecting Shouta? Or… was it testing him?
Across the room, Shimura Danzo frowned.
His sharp instincts told him that this boy was hiding something. Something powerful. He had initially considered recruiting Shouta into Root, the secret organization that operated in Konoha's shadows. But now, if Hiruzen had taken interest in the boy, things would be… complicated.
Meanwhile, Sasuke Uchiha, leaning against his desk with arms crossed, narrowed his eyes.
He felt it the moment Shouta returned. That brief flicker of energy—something ancient, something familiar. It reminded him of his own Uchiha lineage.
"Is this guy… one of us?"
Sasuke didn't believe in coincidences.
But before he could voice his suspicions, Hiruzen reached out and gently ruffled Shouta's hair.
"Shouta," the Hokage said warmly, "if you ever experience something like this again, I want you to tell me immediately. Understood?"
Shouta hesitated. He knew what the old man was doing—testing his honesty, keeping a close watch.
But instead of pushing back, he grinned and nodded. "Sure, Grandpa Hokage!"
Hiruzen chuckled. "Good."
But deep inside, the Third Hokage was already making plans.
"I need to speak to Jiraiya about this."
Jiraiya, one of the legendary Three Sannin, had also stumbled upon a summoning realm when he was young. If anyone could understand this phenomenon, it was him.
"Perhaps Jiraiya should meet this boy…"
Before he could continue, a sudden voice exploded in the room.
"SHOUTA!!! THAT WAS SO AWESOME!!!"
A blond blur tackled Shouta from the side—Uzumaki Naruto, his eyes practically shining with excitement.
"Dude! What the heck happened?! One second, you were here, and the next—POOF! GONE! Was that some kind of crazy jutsu?! How'd you do it?!"
Naruto's enthusiasm was contagious, and soon, the rest of the students crowded around, their curiosity evident.
Even Iruka-sensei, standing at the front of the room, sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had planned to continue the lesson, but seeing how invested the class was in Shouta's story, he relented.
"Fine," Iruka muttered, waving his hand. "Everyone take a break. Just don't get too carried away."
"YOSH! YOU'RE THE BEST, IRUKA-SENSEI!" Naruto whooped.
But just as he was about to start bombarding Shouta with more questions, his expression shifted.
His blue eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Wait a sec."
Shouta blinked. "What?"
Naruto suddenly leaned closer, studying his face.
"Something's weird about you…"
Shouta tensed.
Naruto was an idiot most of the time, but when it came to sensing chakra, his instincts were razor-sharp.
"You feel… different," Naruto muttered. "It's kinda like… Sasuke."
At that moment, Sasuke's eyes snapped toward them.
A cold shiver ran down Shouta's spine.
The last thing he wanted was Sasuke figuring out the truth.
But it was already too late.
The moment Naruto mentioned it, Sasuke had sensed it too. That familiar presence, that same ancient power that ran through his own blood.
Sasuke's fists clenched.
"No way. Is this guy—?!"
Meanwhile, Danzo, still watching from a distance, smirked.
"Interesting. Very interesting."
Shouta forced a laugh, trying to deflect. "Hahaha! What are you talking about, Naruto? I'm the same as always!"
But Naruto didn't seem convinced.
Sasuke, however, was convinced—convinced that something wasn't right.
He didn't trust easily. And right now, Shouta Kazuki was an unknown factor.
For Sasuke, that was unacceptable.
As the room filled with excited chatter, Danzo turned and disappeared into the shadows.
His mind was already working on his next move.
If this boy truly holds something special…
"I will make sure Konoha controls it."
And so, the seed of suspicion had been planted.
And once that seed took root—there would be no turning back.