Morning sunlight poured through the window of the small apartment Ryo had been given. He sat at the edge of the bed, staring at his right hand. The faint mark near his wrist had faded again, almost invisible now, but he could still feel it, a strange pulse deep beneath the skin.
Every time it throbbed, he remembered the flash of power from the forest. The look on Sarada's face when she told him to control it. The fear in his own chest when the ground cracked under his feet.
He closed his fist slowly. "What are you?" he muttered.
A knock came at the door.
"Ryo, you awake?" It was Sarada's voice.
He blinked, a little surprised. "Yeah, come in."
The door slid open, and Sarada stepped inside, already wearing her mission outfit. "Sensei wants to see us. He said it's important."
Ryo grabbed his jacket and followed her out. "Did something happen?"
"You'll see," she said simply.
They walked through the busy morning streets of Konoha. Vendors were opening stalls, steam rising from fresh dumplings. Kids in academy uniforms ran past shouting. It all looked so normal that Ryo almost forgot about the strange things that had happened just the night before.
Almost.
When they reached the Hokage's office, Mitsuki was already there along with Konohamaru. But this time, Naruto himself stood by the window, his cloak brushing lightly against the floor as he turned to face them.
Ryo stiffened a little. Even after a few encounters, he still couldn't get used to being near him.
Naruto's expression was calm, but his tone was serious. "You three did well yesterday. But there's something you should see."
He motioned toward the desk, where a sealed scroll lay open. Inside was a piece of cloth, burned at the edges, marked with a faint black symbol, a circle broken by several jagged lines.
Sarada frowned. "What is that?"
Naruto's blue eyes narrowed. "That mark appeared on the attackers you fought. We've identified traces of chakra that don't belong to this world. It's unstable... like it's leaking through something."
Ryo's heart skipped. "You mean... like a portal?"
Naruto looked at him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "That's one possibility. We've seen strange activity beyond the borders lately, distortions in the flow of natural energy. We thought it was just a coincidence, but after what happened to you..."
Konohamaru stepped forward. "We can't ignore the connection anymore."
Sarada turned toward Ryo. "So it's tied to him."
Naruto gave a small, reassuring smile. "Maybe. But don't take it as blame, kid. Sometimes the storm doesn't choose where it lands."
Ryo nodded weakly. "Still... I want to help. If this thing started when I got here, I need to figure out how to stop it."
Naruto studied him for a long moment before answering. "That's good. Then you'll help us by learning to control that power. We'll start training, properly this time."
"Training?" Ryo asked, trying not to sound too nervous.
Naruto's grin returned, warm but sharp. "You didn't think being part of Sarada's team meant paperwork, did you?"
Even Konohamaru chuckled at that. "We'll start in the old training fields. Sarada, Mitsuki, you'll assist. Let's see what Ryo's capable of when he's not panicking in a forest."
Sarada smirked. "That'll be interesting."
---
The training ground was wide and open, the air thick with the smell of grass and sweat. Ryo stood in the center while Konohamaru and the others watched.
"Alright," Konohamaru said, stretching his arms. "We'll begin with chakra control basics. Focus your energy to your palms and try to climb that tree."
Ryo looked at the tall tree in front of him. "Without using hands?"
"Without falling," Konohamaru corrected.
Sarada crossed her arms. "It's not that hard once you get the balance right. Just control how much chakra you push out."
"Easy for you to say," Ryo muttered.
He tried once... and immediately slipped, landing flat on his back. Mitsuki, as always, didn't laugh, but his slight smile made it clear he wanted to.
"Too much chakra," Konohamaru called out. "Try again, but smaller."
Ryo exhaled, focusing. He remembered the strange pulse in his wrist, that unfamiliar rhythm. What if he used that instead?
He let it rise, like calling out to something inside him. This time, when he placed his foot on the tree, he felt the surface bend slightly under him, like the world itself was reacting.
The bark cracked faintly, but he didn't fall. He took another step... then another.
"Hey... he's doing it," Sarada said, eyes widening slightly.
Konohamaru nodded. "Not bad. But keep it stable"
The words cut off as the tree suddenly splintered. The ground shuddered under Ryo's feet, and a small shockwave rippled outward, scattering leaves and dust.
Ryo stumbled down, gasping. The mark on his wrist glowed faintly again before fading.
Konohamaru sighed. "And that's what happens when you push too much."
Ryo wiped his forehead. "Sorry... I didn't mean to"
"Don't apologize," Naruto said, appearing behind them. No one had noticed him approach. "That reaction tells us something. The energy you're using isn't normal chakra, it's responding to emotion more than intent."
Ryo blinked. "Emotion?"
"Yeah," Naruto said, walking closer. "You were scared during the mission, right? That's when it first appeared. But now, you were focused, maybe even a little frustrated. It reacted differently."
Ryo thought about it. "So it's alive?"
Naruto gave a slow nod. "Maybe not alive... but connected. Some powers have a will. You'll need to understand it before it understands you first."
Sarada glanced at him. "Sounds like you're talking about the Nine-Tails."
Naruto smiled faintly. "Maybe I am."
For a moment, Ryo couldn't tell if that was meant as a joke or a warning.
---
Training continued through the afternoon. Ryo managed to stabilize his chakra once, just enough to make a few successful runs up the tree. But every time he tried to draw on the deeper energy, the mark pulsed and his control slipped.
By sunset, he was lying flat on the grass, exhausted.
Sarada stood nearby, drinking from her canteen. "You improved fast. Still a long way to go, though."
Ryo rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the encouragement."
Mitsuki looked up at the sky. "At least you didn't blow up the tree this time."
"That's progress," Konohamaru added, grinning.
Naruto chuckled quietly. "Good work, everyone. Ryo... come see me tomorrow morning. There's someone you should meet."
Ryo sat up. "Who?"
Naruto's expression turned thoughtful. "Someone who once dealt with energy that didn't belong in this world either."
Then he disappeared in a blur of motion, leaving the team staring after him.
Sarada turned to Ryo. "You think he means?"
"Probably," Ryo said, still catching his breath. "But whoever it is... sounds like trouble."
---
That night, as he walked home, the mark on his wrist pulsed again. But this time, it wasn't just a faint beat.
It spoke.
Not in words, but in a wave of feeling, recognition, almost warmth... then something darker underneath.
A faint whisper echoed inside his mind.
You're not the only one who crossed the line between worlds.
Ryo froze. The street around him blurred for a second, like ripples on water. He blinked, and everything was normal again.
But his heart wouldn't slow down.
If what the voice said was true... then he wasn't alone.
And whoever else had crossed over, might already be watching him.
---
The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of wet leaves after last night's rain. Ryo walked toward the Hokage's office with his hands in his pockets, trying not to think about the voice that had whispered to him.
He barely slept. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw flashes, strange images of another forest, someone standing in the dark, eyes glowing faintly. He couldn't tell if it was memory, dream, or warning.
When he reached the office, Naruto was waiting by the door, wearing his usual calm smile.
"Morning, Ryo. You look like you lost a fight with your bed."
Ryo scratched the back of his neck. "Didn't sleep much."
"Good," Naruto said lightly. "Then you're ready to learn something new."
They walked together down a narrow path that led away from the main streets. It was quieter there, far from the shops and noise. The Hokage's expression turned more serious with each step.
"Where are we going?" Ryo asked.
"To meet someone who might understand what's happening to you," Naruto said. "He's not from Konoha originally, but... he's helped us before when things crossed from other realms."
Ryo frowned. "Other realms?"
Naruto gave him a quick glance. "You think you're the first one who fell through the cracks between worlds?"
That shut him up.
They stopped at the entrance of a quiet shrine surrounded by moss-covered stones. Inside stood a man wearing a long black cloak with a red cloud symbol, faded but unmistakable.
Ryo froze.
Naruto spoke first. "He's not your enemy. Not anymore."
The man turned, pulling back his hood. His face was calm, his left eye glowing faintly red.
"Uchiha Itachi," Ryo breathed.
But that couldn't be right. Itachi was dead.
The man gave a faint smile. "A remnant. A chakra projection, sustained by the Hokage's jutsu. Nothing more."
Ryo's heart pounded. Even a shadow of Itachi carried an aura that made him tense.
Naruto folded his arms. "Itachi's helped us maintain balance in the barrier seals after the war. When strange energy appears, he can sense it."
Itachi nodded once, his gaze steady on Ryo. "The energy within you... is foreign, but not chaotic. It's searching for something."
Ryo swallowed hard. "Searching?"
"Yes," Itachi said softly. "A link. A reflection of itself. You did not arrive alone."
The words sent a chill through him. "You mean there's someone else here?"
Itachi's expression didn't change, but his tone grew sharper. "Not someone. Something. It carries the same frequency as your mark, but twisted, like a shadow cast in reverse."
Naruto frowned. "We've detected disturbances near the border of the Land of Rivers. It could be connected."
Ryo clenched his fists. "If it's tied to me, I should go."
Naruto shook his head. "Not yet. You're not ready."
"But"
Itachi raised a hand. "Naruto is right. Whatever crossed over is adapting fast. Confronting it now would only feed its growth. You must first learn to stabilize the bond between your chakra and the foreign energy."
Ryo took a slow breath. "How?"
Itachi stepped closer. "Through balance. You must treat the energy not as a weapon, but as a partner."
He placed two fingers on Ryo's wrist, right above the faint mark. For a brief moment, the world seemed to fade away.
Ryo was standing in darkness, no floor, no sky, just endless black. Before him floated a single light, faint and white, pulsing like a heartbeat.
This is what lies within you, Itachi's voice echoed in his mind. A piece of something vast, pulled through the cracks of space.
Ryo stepped closer, feeling warmth and pressure at the same time. The light trembled, as if aware of him.
"It's... alive," he whispered.
It reacts to will. But it is drawn to conflict, to chaos. That is why you must give it purpose before it finds one of its own.
The light flared suddenly, showing brief flashes, a silhouette in the dark, someone with eyes just like his, reaching out through the void.
Then the image shattered.
Ryo gasped, stumbling back into the real world. Naruto caught his shoulder. "Easy."
Itachi lowered his hand. "It reacted strongly to him. That confirms it."
Naruto's expression darkened. "So it really is another presence."
Itachi nodded. "Something from his world, perhaps drawn here at the same moment. If left unchecked, it could merge with local chakra sources, or worse, rewrite them."
"Rewrite?" Ryo repeated.
Itachi's gaze met his. "You could call it corruption. The line between reality and story... is thin when the barrier weakens."
Ryo's mind spun. "Then it's my fault this happened."
Naruto stepped forward. "No. It's not about fault. You didn't ask for this. What matters is what you do next."
Ryo looked at his wrist again, the mark faintly glowing under the morning light. "Then I'll fix it. Whatever it takes."
Itachi gave a small nod of approval. "Then begin by understanding what you hold. It's not power, it's connection. You're tied to something beyond yourself. Find the balance, or it will find you first."
Naruto smiled faintly. "Looks like you've got your first big test, huh?"
Ryo sighed. "You make it sound simple."
Naruto chuckled. "It never is. But you're not alone."
The mark pulsed again, slower this time, almost like it was listening.
---
Later that day, Ryo walked through the village, replaying everything in his head. Sarada and Mitsuki were waiting near the training field, probably wondering where he'd gone.
He decided to keep the Itachi part quiet for now. Even saying the name felt unreal.
But the thought that something, or someone, else had crossed into this world made his stomach twist. He wasn't just an outsider anymore. He was a bridge, whether he liked it or not.
As he turned down a quiet alley, a faint shimmer crossed his vision. For an instant, the world flickered again, like two realities overlapping.
And standing at the far end of the alley was a figure wearing a black jacket similar to his own.
Ryo froze.
The man lifted his head slowly. His face was blurred by light, but Ryo could feel the chill of familiarity.
Then a whisper reached his ears, the same voice that had spoken inside his mind the night before.
"So... you're the one who took my place."
The world rippled, and the figure vanished.
Ryo's mark burned painfully.
He dropped to one knee, clutching his wrist, his breathing sharp and uneven. For a second, he saw his reflection in a broken window, but the eyes staring back weren't his own.
They glowed faintly red.
---
When Ryo finally returned to his room that night, he didn't turn on the lights. He sat by the window, staring at the moon above the Hokage Monument.
He couldn't stop thinking about Itachi's words.
A reflection.
A link.
If someone else had crossed into this world... then maybe that was the real beginning of his story.
Outside, the wind shifted, rustling the trees. Somewhere far beyond the village, a thin rift of light shimmered briefly in the sky before disappearing into darkness.
Ryo felt it. A distant pull, like gravity.
And in that silent night, he whispered to himself, almost as a vow.
"I'll find you. Whatever you are."
The mark on his wrist pulsed once, like a heartbeat answering his own.
---