Andrew rummaged through his memories, and in a strange daze he thought he actually caught glimpses of Kushina—her smile, her fiery red hair, her fierce temper. But those were only remnants of his previous life's recollections, not the emotions of the present. They felt distant, almost like watching a play where he was no longer a participant.
The Third Hokage's words about Kushina and Naruto's safety were true, of course, but Andrew didn't let them weigh on him. Why should I? he thought coldly. I'm not here to play coach. Kakashi already has three kids under him. If Andrew felt like it, he could intervene, maybe contact Naruto on a good day. If not, he could remain hidden in the background. That was the easy part of his role—appearing only when necessary.
With that thought, Andrew gave a faint, dismissive glance, then followed Kakashi as the silver-haired Jōnin led the way to the academy.
---
At the ninja school, nearly every student from Naruto's graduating class had already been collected by their assigned Jōnin instructors. Only Team 7 remained in the classroom, waiting with growing impatience.
Haruno Sakura sat restlessly, her green eyes darting toward Sasuke.
"Sasuke," she muttered, her voice tinged with worry, "why hasn't our instructor arrived yet? He's not going to forget about us… right?"
Her words carried a hint of nervous affection. She wanted to sound casual, but her voice betrayed her anticipation.
Sasuke, however, remained aloof. He shot her a fleeting glance with his dark eyes before turning away, his expression cold and unreadable. His face carried the trademark Uchiha indifference, a mask that discouraged closeness.
"Little Sakura, ignore him," Naruto interrupted with a grin, hands tucked behind his head. "That's just how Sasuke is. He's like that with everyone, not just you. Don't take it personally."
He chuckled, and the silly grin lightened the tension in the air. It wasn't just for Sakura's sake—Naruto was also protecting Sasuke, saving him from the awkwardness of rejecting someone directly.
---
But beneath these surface interactions, the currents of fate had already shifted.
The Sage of Six Paths had interfered once before to force the world's timeline back onto its original track. Yet despite his efforts, not all changes could be undone. Some ripples remained permanent.
For one, the Uchiha clan was still intact, thriving as a powerful force in the shinobi world rather than wiped out in a massacre.
And Naruto—though he still bore the Nine Tails' burden—had lived a far different childhood. With Jiraiya's mentorship and Sasuke's companionship, his path had diverged. He was no longer the same lonely outcast of the original story.
Sasuke, too, had grown in new ways. With the support of his family and their shared teachings, his progress had only accelerated. By this point in the original timeline, he should have awakened a single tomoe in his Sharingan. Instead, Sasuke now wielded a fully developed three-tomoe Sharingan, sharp and deadly. The young Uchiha was already far beyond his peers, even capable of surpassing most Chūnin instructors.
Naruto, unwilling to be left behind, had followed closely. Under Jiraiya's guidance he had already learned Summoning Jutsu earlier than expected, mastered his Multiple Shadow Clones, and developed stronger taijutsu by sparring constantly with Sasuke.
The story was still the same story, the characters still the same—but their strength, their bonds, their potential had evolved into something completely different.
---
Outside the classroom, Kakashi and Andrew perched silently atop a treetop, observing.
Through the Byakugan, Andrew watched Naruto carefully. His expression remained calm, though his eyes narrowed slightly when he noticed something unusual.
"Oh," Andrew muttered under his breath, "Jiraiya left the Eight Trigrams Seal with such a wide gap. The Nine Tails' chakra leaks constantly. Is this what the Third Hokage was worried about?"
Kakashi turned his lone visible eye toward him, waiting for an explanation.
Andrew wasn't alarmed, though. "The seal is frayed, yes. But this isn't about the Nine Tails trying to devour Naruto. Quite the opposite—the chakra is mixing with Naruto's naturally. They're already building a connection. Naruto and Kurama are on the path toward becoming the perfect Jinchūriki."
This truth, however, was hidden from the rest of Konoha. To them, the leaked chakra was a disaster waiting to happen. That was why the Third Hokage stayed wary, why some even whispered of keeping an Uchiha nearby as a countermeasure.
But Andrew's Byakugan and Sharingan gave him a clearer view. He even sensed the faint imprint of Sasuke's chakra within Naruto's seal. So Sasuke helped him bridge the gap? Interesting.
Still, one question nagged him. Kurama seemed unusually cooperative. Could the Sage of Six Paths have tampered with Ashura's chakra to smooth this bond?
Andrew sighed inwardly. "Forget it. As long as I don't interfere too heavily with Naruto, it won't cause problems. The Sage is watching anyway. I'll just do my own part."
---
"The Nine Tails' power is overwhelming," Kakashi muttered. "And with Akatsuki still out there, the danger is…"
"Don't start with me," Andrew interrupted coldly. "You sound just like the Third Hokage. You really admire him, don't you?"
Kakashi fell silent. Since learning the truth—that his friend Obito had been behind the Nine Tails' attack and the death of Minato and Kushina—his voice often faltered. His loyalty to the village ran deep. It wasn't so much admiration for the Third Hokage as it was a desperate desire to atone and protect Konoha from future harm.
Andrew's gaze sharpened. "Listen carefully. Team 7 is your squad. Unless Naruto faces something truly extraordinary, I won't step in. My concern is Sasuke's training. That's where I'll interfere."
He didn't wait for Kakashi's reply. Instead, he walked straight toward the classroom door.
---
Inside, Naruto had grown impatient. When Kakashi failed to appear for too long, he had set up a simple trap at the door—a childish prank meant to shock their tardy teacher.
But Naruto's trap was nothing against Andrew. The moment he pushed open the door, a surge of lightning erupted, disintegrating the trap and shattering the classroom blackboard into dust.
The three genin froze.
Sasuke's eyes widened first. "Senior Andrew!" he exclaimed, rising to his feet and bowing slightly. Sasuke remembered vividly the time Andrew had trained him briefly. Though never officially his teacher, Sasuke had learned much under Andrew's harsh guidance.
Naruto reacted next. He, too, knew Andrew's reputation. But more than that, he felt Kurama stir violently within him. The Nine Tails itself recoiled at Andrew's presence. If even Kurama felt fear, how could Naruto dare to act recklessly?
Sakura, meanwhile, could only tremble in awe. The raw power of Andrew's lightning had terrified her.
Andrew let his sharp gaze pass over them, and then he smirked. "So… you're already setting traps for your teacher? Not bad. That kind of cunning is necessary in the shinobi world."
His tone was half critical, half approving. He didn't despise Naruto for the prank—in fact, he respected it. But compared to real battle tactics, it was still far too childish.
Sasuke clenched his fists and asked eagerly, "Senior Andrew, are you going to be our guiding Jōnin?"
His voice carried a rare excitement. The Sharingan was powerful, yes, but Sasuke knew how difficult it was to grow without proper direction. If Andrew was truly going to guide them, it could mean unlocking his clan's potential even faster.
Naruto and Sakura both looked at Andrew with a mix of awe and uncertainty, waiting for his answer.
---
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