The drop wasn't dramatic this time. No blinding white, no ripping sensation, no sense of being pulled sideways through the bones of a universe. Just a single breath—an inhale—and Ethan opened his eyes beneath a sky that was too blue, a blue that felt young and loud and full of motion.
The Panel flickered once behind his eyelids as if saying:
[NARUTO NODE: INITIATED]
Then the world hit him all at once.
Warm wind.
Chalk dust.
Children shouting.
Wooden sandals clacking across packed earth.
A bell ringing in the middle distance.
He was standing in front of the Konoha Ninja Academy, except he wasn't a visitor, he belonged here—right down to the scratchy fabric of the secondhand shirt and the slightly-too-big sandals strapped to his feet.
His reflection in the academy window showed a boy of about eight. Dark hair. Sharp eyes. Civilian softness in his arms, but quiet steel already in his posture. The system hadn't de-aged him randomly; it had configured him to blend into the history here.
His new identity whispered itself to him:
Ethan Koyama.
Civilian orphan.
Academy entrant, Class 1-A.
Same roster year as Uzumaki Naruto.
He could feel the faint tug of the Taming Space—small, compact, obediently quiet—but everything else was muted. Nen was subdued to a passive hum. Reiatsu sat folded neatly under his ribs. Haki flickered like a heartbeat instead of a roar. The world's physics pressed around him with a very clear, very shinobi warning:
Do not break the timeline.
Blend. Learn. Adapt.
He stepped forward—and immediately a blur of sun-orange slammed into his side.
"HEY—WATCHIT!"
Ethan didn't fall, but only because his body reacted with too much training, catching his balance between an instinctive Soulstep twitch and a very controlled academy-level wobble. The kid who'd bumped him spun around, blue eyes blazing, blond hair a chaotic mess.
Naruto.
Loud.
Untamed.
Unloved by most of the village.
And yet—bright.
Naruto narrowed his eyes at Ethan, ready to fight the way lonely children are always ready. "You new?"
"Yeah," Ethan said, adjusting the strap of his paper-thin backpack. "Arrived this morning."
Naruto stared. Then sniffed. Then grinned with sudden, explosive warmth. "Well—I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Believe it!" He threw his hands up like he expected applause.
Ethan blinked. "…Okay."
"That's it?" Naruto blinked at him. "Usually people are like 'shut up Naruto' or 'go away Naruto' or 'stop climbing the roof Naruto.' But you're just 'okay.' That's weird."
"It's a good name."
Naruto's grin spread so fast it nearly split his face. "RIGHT? Come on—we're gonna be late!"
He grabbed Ethan's sleeve and dragged him toward the academy doors with the brute determination of a puppy hauling a tree branch.
---
Inside the Academy
The classroom was controlled chaos—kids yelling, scribbling, chasing each other. Ethan scanned faces, quietly burning them into memory:
• Shikamaru, half-asleep already.
• Choji, offering snacks with zero shame.
• Sakura, practicing writing her name perfectly.
• Ino, pretending not to be watching her.
• Kiba, boasting loudly at a confused puppy.
• Hinata, nervous hands folded tightly together.
• Sasuke—silent, sharp, alone.
And Naruto… bouncing like a rubber ball in too-small clothes.
A pulse of chakra fluttered through the air, subtle, present everywhere at once. It wasn't reiatsu. It wasn't Nen. It wasn't ki. It felt like a living network, woven into the world's soil and sky. His Panel whispered behind his eyes:
---
[WORLD BACKGROUND SYNC — NARUTO]
Chakra Classification Loaded
• Physical Energy — high synergy with Enhancement/Nen
• Spiritual Energy — moderate synergy with Willpower + Reiatsu
• Molded Chakra — compatible with spiritual frameworks
• Nature Transformation — gating locked (Academy Level)
• Jutsu Access — pending timeline permission
---
Ethan exhaled. Good. Nothing overwhelming. Nothing flashy. The system was holding him to the level of an academy kid unless he deliberately spent otherwise. That kept him safe. That kept the timeline intact.
He took an empty seat near the window.
Naruto flopped down next to him. "Teacher's late," he said, already drumming his fingers. "He's always late."
As if summoned by Naruto's impatience, a man walked in—scarred nose, brown hair, tired eyes. Iruka Umino. Warm. Strict. Lonely in his own way.
"Alright everyone, settle down!" Iruka barked.
Half the kids kept shouting. Naruto threw a paper airplane.
Iruka's temple vein pulsed.
Ethan sat straight, hands folded quietly. Observing. Learning the rhythm of this world.
---
First Lesson — Chakra Basics
Iruka tapped the chalkboard. "We're starting from the beginning today. Even if your clan already taught you basics, we review it here."
He drew three words:
Physical Energy
Spiritual Energy
Chakra
"Chakra is the combination of body and mind. Today, I'll test your baseline levels. Don't worry—no one fails this. It's just to know where you're starting."
Kids lined up.
Kiba bragged.
Sasuke pretended not to care.
Naruto looked like he was about to explode from nerves.
Ethan stepped into line quietly.
The chakra-measuring paper felt dry, brittle in his palm. Ethan breathed slowly and let the tiniest, smallest trickle of energy flow—just spiritual, no system interference, no cross-world leaks.
The paper twitched.
Then crinkled slightly.
Nothing more.
Iruka nodded approvingly. "Good. Controlled. Civilian baseline but stable."
Perfect. Exactly what he wanted.
Then Naruto slapped his piece of paper in half accidentally.
Iruka sighed.
---
Lunch Break
Ethan sat under the academy tree where the breeze sliced through the heat. Naruto plopped down beside him without asking permission, already digging into a bento box that looked suspiciously donated rather than packed.
"You're quiet," Naruto said with half a mouthful of rice.
"You're loud."
Naruto snorted. "Heh. Yeah."
They ate in comfortable silence for a moment.
Then Naruto glanced at him sideways. "You don't look at me weird."
"Why would I?"
"Most people do." Naruto picked at the rice, voice dropping. "They look at me like… like I'm something bad."
Ethan felt the words land like stones. He'd felt the same thing in other worlds—versions of prejudice, suspicion, unspoken fear. Naruto's was heavier. Older. Crueler.
Ethan met his eyes. "You're not something bad."
Naruto blinked hard. "Heh. Yeah. I mean. Obviously."
But the tremor in his voice said everything.
Ethan took a slow breath.
Mission Accepted, the Panel whispered, soft enough to be emotion instead of command.
Not a mission that paid PP.
Not a mission that altered timelines.
A personal mission.
Protect Naruto Uzumaki's heart without changing his path.
Be a friend without becoming a distortion.
Grow without casting shadows.
Ethan nodded to himself and stood. "Come on. We'll be late to taijutsu drills."
Naruto scrambled after him, instantly energized. "You're good at this school stuff, huh?"
"Maybe."
"Then you can help me study!"
"…Maybe."
Naruto beamed.
---
Afternoon — First Taijutsu Drills
The training yard was dusty and sunlit. Kids lined up in uneven rows as Iruka explained basic stances. Ethan watched everyone with quiet precision—the way this world moved, the way their bodies carried chakra, the way potential glimmered even at their age.
When Iruka paired them up for sparring, Naruto bounced excitedly.
"Ethan! Let's spar! Let's spar!"
Ethan tightened his sandals and stepped forward.
He kept his body exactly where an eight-year-old should be.
He kept his strength precisely civilian-level.
He let Naruto rush him with clumsy enthusiasm.
But he also didn't lose.
He blocked softly.
Redirected gently.
Let Naruto trip only when he was already laughing.
Iruka watched from the shade, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
When the drill ended, Naruto collapsed onto the ground with a puff of dust. "You're pretty good," he said between gasps.
"You too," Ethan said.
"Liar," Naruto wheezed. "But thanks."
Ethan let himself smile.
---
Evening — The Orphan Dormitories
His assigned room was tiny—two tatami mats, one window, one thin blanket. The sunset painted the walls orange. Kids yelled somewhere down the hall. Someone argued about sandals. Someone else practiced hand seals way too loudly.
Ethan sat on the floor, cross-legged, steady.
The Panel rose behind his eyes like a quiet companion.
---
[NARUTO NODE — INITIAL ALIGNMENT]
Chakra Capacity: Civilian Genin-Seed
Chakra Control: Above-average potential (due to cross-world discipline)
Timeline Impact: Minimal
Stealth Rating: High
Blending Status: Optimal
Recommended Path:
Learn as a civilian.
Grow within local limits.
Let relationships anchor integration.
---
Suzu fluttered faintly within the Taming Space—curious.
Aoi radiated calm.
Both stayed hidden.
Ethan exhaled and leaned back against the wall.
Tomorrow would be academy lessons.
And shadowed treatment toward Naruto.
And slow training toward chakra control.
And maybe his first accidental contact with the Uchiha.
Everything here was a spark waiting to become a flame.
He closed his eyes.
Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru…
Classmates today.
Shinobi tomorrow.
And Ethan—
somewhere between them and destiny.
The world of shinobi waited, breathing in the dark.