The night after awakening Paimon felt… different.
The air in Konoha was still and heavy, like the wind was holding its breath. Even the insects had gone quiet.
Naruto lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His room was dark, but his right eye glowed faintly beneath the bandage — that strange ring of gold circling the red iris. He lifted his hand, looking at the ring's dim shimmer.
"So," he whispered softly, "now I can hear truth?"
"Among other things," Shax replied from within. "But do not think of it as hearing with your ears. You will sense it — the tremor in a person's heart, the false note in their voice. Sound carries more than words."
Naruto smiled faintly. "So I can tell when people lie to me, huh? That's actually kinda cool."
"Perhaps. But truth is not always a blessing. Some lies are gentle. Some truths can cut deeper than any blade."
Naruto frowned. "You really know how to ruin good news, don't you?"
"I simply know what you will soon learn."
Naruto rolled his eyes and pulled the blanket over his face. "Good night, creepy wind ghost."
"Good night, reckless Magus."
A New Sound
The next morning, Naruto walked through the village feeling… different.
Every sound around him carried meaning now. The laughter of children had tiny quivers of joy; the shopkeepers' voices held hints of tiredness and worry; even the rustle of leaves above him whispered faintly — alive, full of stories.
It was overwhelming at first.
He heard too much.
He covered his ears. "Make it stop, Shax!"
"You cannot stop truth once heard," Shax said calmly. "You must learn to filter it. Focus your will — narrow your mind to one sound at a time."
Naruto took a deep breath and did as told. Slowly, the noise quieted until he could focus on a single sound — a voice ahead, calm and kind.
Iruka-sensei stood near the mission board, talking to another chunin. His words carried faint waves of emotion — genuine concern, not lies.
Naruto smiled. "Okay… that's better."
He walked toward him. "Hey, Iruka-sensei!"
Iruka turned, surprised. "Naruto! Haven't seen you in a few days. You've been training again, haven't you?"
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe a little."
Iruka smiled. "You look tired. Don't overdo it."
For a moment, Naruto focused on his voice — and froze.
There was something… strange. Not a lie exactly, but a hesitation, a tiny tremor in his words. Iruka was hiding something.
Naruto's stomach tightened. "Sensei… everything okay?"
Iruka blinked, then smiled again. "Of course. Just busy with missions lately. Don't worry about me."
But Naruto heard it — the small vibration behind his tone, the one that said I'm not telling you everything.
He didn't push it. Instead, he nodded and forced a grin. "Right! I won't bother you then."
As he walked away, his curiosity grew. "Shax," he whispered under his breath, "why would Iruka lie?"
"Humans lie for many reasons — fear, duty, or to protect. Sometimes they even lie to themselves."
Naruto frowned. "Protect who?"
"Perhaps you."
That thought stayed in his mind the rest of the day.
The Marked Bodies
By evening, strange rumors spread through the village.
Two jonin had been found unconscious near the forest border — their chakra drained completely, strange marks burned into their necks. They were alive, but barely.
Naruto overheard the gossip at Ichiraku while eating his ramen.
"—They said it looked like a seal mark," one villager whispered. "Black symbols, like claws around the skin!"
"Was it an enemy attack?" another asked.
"No one knows. The ANBU are already searching."
Naruto slurped his noodles, pretending not to listen, but his heart raced. Seal marks… like the ones from the Senju compound.
He finished quickly and left, ignoring Teuchi's cheerful goodbye.
"You are curious," Shax noted.
"Wouldn't you be? What if it's connected to the ring?"
"Then you should not rush in blindly."
Naruto smirked. "Have we met? That's kind of my thing."
"Unfortunately, yes."
The Forest Again
Night fell fast. The forest outside Konoha was dark and still when Naruto arrived. The air smelled faintly of ash and something sharp — like burnt metal.
He crouched beside a tree where faint scorch marks cut into the bark. Strange black symbols — half-burned — were visible on the ground.
They looked familiar.
Naruto reached out to touch one, but Shax's voice stopped him sharply.
"Do not touch that!"
Naruto froze. "What is it?"
"A residue of forbidden spirit seals. Whoever did this was trying to open a gate."
"A gate to what?"
"The same realm you glimpsed — the Hall of Spirits."
Naruto's stomach tightened. "Someone's trying to summon one?"
"Or free one."
He stood quickly, scanning the trees. The forest was silent, but his right eye burned faintly under the bandage. He felt something watching him.
Then he heard it — a whisper carried by the wind.
Faint, low, almost gentle, but wrong somehow.
"Magus…"
Naruto spun around. "Who's there?!"
No answer.
The whisper came again, closer now. "The seal cracks… the throne returns…"
The wind rushed past, cold as ice. The trees shivered though no storm blew.
"Back away," Shax said urgently. "Now!"
Naruto jumped back just as the ground beneath him split open — a black fissure glowing with red light. From it rose a shadowy hand, long and skeletal, reaching for him.
Without thinking, Naruto formed a quick seal and pushed his chakra through the ring. "Shax!"
Wind exploded outward, cutting through the shadow. The fissure closed with a sharp crack, leaving only scorched earth.
Naruto landed hard, panting. "What… what was that?!"
"A spirit fragment. Someone attempted a summoning here recently. The link remains unstable."
"Someone's summoning them? The other spirits?"
"Yes. And they will not stop until they find you."
Naruto clenched his fists. "Then we find them first."
"That curiosity of yours will lead to ruin one day."
"Maybe. But not today."
Hidden Investigation
The next morning, Naruto pretended to go about his day as usual — ramen, small talk, training. But his mind was racing.
He wanted to know who was summoning spirits.
And why Iruka had lied.
That evening, he followed his sensei quietly after class ended. Iruka moved through the streets calmly, but Naruto noticed small things — the way he glanced behind him twice, the faint tension in his shoulders.
Iruka stopped near an old building — one Naruto had never noticed before, its roof covered in ivy, its door sealed with paper tags.
He knocked twice.
The door opened slightly, and a masked figure — ANBU — let him inside.
Naruto crouched behind a wall, heart pounding. "Shax… what's going on?"
"He is not betraying you," Shax said slowly. "He is reporting."
"Reporting what?"
"You."
Naruto's eyes widened. "What?!"
"The Hokage watches over you, but others wish to monitor your… changes. Iruka reports to both."
Naruto's chest tightened. "He's spying on me?"
"Not by choice. He believes it keeps you safe."
Naruto looked down. "Safe from who?"
"From yourself."
He sat there quietly, trying to understand. Part of him wanted to be angry — but deep down, he understood. If he were Iruka, maybe he'd be worried too.
Still, curiosity burned in him stronger than ever.
He crept closer, using his new sense of sound. The voices inside were muffled, but he focused — narrowing his mind until he could hear clearly.
"—The seal marks match ancient scripts," a voice said. "We believe it's connected to the child's power."
Iruka replied, "But Naruto wouldn't hurt anyone. He's not like that."
"He doesn't need to mean harm," the ANBU voice said. "If the ring continues awakening, the other spirits will come. We can't allow that."
Naruto's hands trembled. They were talking about sealing him.
"You see now," Shax said softly. "Fear breeds cages."
Naruto whispered, "They think I'm dangerous…"
"You are. But danger is not always evil."
He took a deep breath. "Then I'll show them. I'll prove I can control this power — before they try to seal me again."
"And if they succeed before you are ready?"
Naruto smirked. "Then I'll just break their seal."
"I almost admire your recklessness."
Echoes in the Night
That night, Naruto returned to the forest clearing where he trained. The air was colder than usual, the stars half-hidden by clouds.
He held out his hand. The ring shimmered faintly. "Alright, Paimon. I think it's time I learn what this sound power can do."
A faint whisper echoed in the air.
"Truth is a blade — and sound is its edge."
The air vibrated. Tiny ripples of sound danced across his fingertips.
Naruto concentrated, sending his chakra through them. A high-pitched tone filled the clearing — sharp enough to make leaves tremble and small stones shift.
He grinned. "Okay… that's cool."
He tried again, focusing harder. The tone grew stronger — then shattered into a loud boom that threw him backward into a bush.
"Ow!"
"You pushed too hard," Shax said, amused.
"Yeah, no kidding." Naruto rubbed his head and laughed. "But I felt it — like my voice could cut the air itself!"
"In time, it will. But remember Paimon's words: truth cuts both ways. When you shout your truth, it may wound others too."
Naruto frowned. "You mean… if I use it wrong, it can hurt people?"
"It already has."
Naruto froze. "What?"
"The bodies you heard about — the jonin. The seals near the forest. They were struck by uncontrolled sound waves — echoes from your awakening."
Naruto's blood ran cold. "You're saying… I did that?"
"Not consciously. The moment you called Paimon, the ring resonated through the spirit plane. Those nearby were caught in its vibration. They survived only because your bond remains incomplete."
Naruto's hands shook. "I didn't mean to…"
"Intent does not erase consequence."
Naruto sat in silence, staring at the ground. "Then I really am dangerous."
"No," Shax said firmly. "You are powerful. Danger is only power without direction. Learn control, Naruto, or others will control you."
Naruto took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Then teach me. I won't let anyone get hurt again."
"Very well. But the next lesson will take you beyond the village. The Valley of Echoes calls to the ring. That is where your true training must continue."
Naruto looked up at the sky. The clouds were shifting, the moon breaking through.
"The Valley of Echoes…" he whispered.
"A place where sound becomes spirit. And where something old waits — something that remembers the first Magus."
Naruto smiled slightly. "Sounds dangerous."
"It is."
"Good," Naruto said, standing. "Then that's where I'm going."
"You do not even know where it is."
"I will."
"Curiosity," Shax sighed, "will be your death."
"Maybe," Naruto said with a grin, "but it'll make a great story first."
The wind swirled around him, carrying a faint whisper — like laughter from both spirits at once.
The Shadow Watches
Far away, deep beneath the Hokage Monument, Danzo sat in silence before a map of Konoha.
Red ink marked the forest area. A faint smile crossed his face.
"So," he murmured, "the boy continues to awaken."
Beside him, a Root agent knelt. "Shall we move, Lord Danzo?"
"Not yet. Let him play with his power. The more he uses it, the easier it will be to take. When he leaves the village… we strike."
The agent bowed and vanished.
Danzo looked up at the flickering candle. "The Magus reborn," he whispered. "Even gods fall when leashed."
Naruto stood on the cliff overlooking the forest, the wind blowing through his hair. The village lights glimmered far behind him.
He didn't know what waited in the Valley of Echoes.
He didn't know who was summoning spirits, or what truth Iruka was hiding.
But one thing burned clear in his heart — the fire of curiosity.
And in that curiosity, his destiny was already moving toward something vast and dangerous, something the world hadn't seen in a thousand years.
The wind carried a final whisper:
"Seek, Magus. The shadows wait for you."
Naruto smiled. "Then let them wait. I'm coming."