Training Ground 7 was empty except for three kids and one secret far older than all their ages combined.
The wind didn't blow.
The trees didn't sway.
Even the insects felt like they were holding their breath.
Ethan stood in the small clearing, palms loose at his sides, face calm…but this was the most dangerous thing he'd done since stepping into the Naruto Node.
Not dangerous for him.
Dangerous for the timeline.
For them.
Naruto bounced in place, unaware of the weight in the air.
Sasuke watched Ethan with the sharp, cold eyes of someone who grew up too fast.
Ethan took a breath.
"Both of you… I need to show you something today. Something important."
Naruto nodded immediately.
"Okay!"
Sasuke didn't nod.
But he didn't leave either.
Ethan raised his hand.
Space rippled beside him—
a silent distortion, a doorway with no hinges.
A clear pocket dimension folded open like a quiet breath.
Naruto's eyes bugged out.
"WHOA—WHAT IS THAT?!"
Sasuke's fingers twitched toward a kunai.
"…Space-time manipulation?"
"No," Ethan said, voice low but steady.
"It's my Taming Space. And before anything happens, you need to hear this clearly: it only works on someone who chooses it. Someone who accepts it with their mind or their instincts. I can't force it. I physically can't."
Naruto leaned forward with wide eyes.
"Like… a bond? A pact?"
"Exactly," Ethan said.
Sasuke's gaze hardened.
"And you want to use that on us."
"I need to," Ethan corrected softly.
"I need to know whether your chakra reacts to me. This world revolves around you two. If my ability interacts with your lives in a way I don't understand, I could destabilize everything."
Sasuke looked down at the ground.
"…So it's about the timeline."
"And about your safety," Ethan said. "Both of you."
That part made Sasuke flinch—
subtle, almost invisible—
but Ethan noticed.
Naruto, meanwhile, puffed out his chest proudly.
"If it's to keep us safe, then DUH, just do it!"
Sasuke shot him a look.
"You can't agree to something you don't understand, Naruto."
"Sure I can," Naruto retorted stubbornly. "I trust Ethan!"
The words hit harder than the boy realized.
Ethan swallowed, chest tightening.
"…Thank you," he whispered.
---
I. Naruto Goes First — Instinctive Acceptance
Naruto marched right up in front of Ethan and planted his feet like he was posing for a dramatic painting.
"I'm ready! Hit me with the space-thingy!"
"It's not going to hit you," Ethan said, smiling. "But close your eyes."
Naruto did.
Ethan raised his hand.
The Taming Space shimmered—gentle, careful, respectful.
It touched Naruto's chakra—
—and Naruto's body glowed with a soft, warm pulse.
The system whispered:
[TAMING SPACE: INSTINCTIVE ACCEPTANCE DETECTED]
Subject: Uzumaki Naruto
Emotional State: Open / Trusting / Unafraid
Bond Level: 100% willing
Status: SUCCESSFUL TAMING (Type: Instinctive Bond)
A bright thread of energy shot from Naruto's chest to Ethan's palm—
slow, steady, natural.
Naruto blinked.
"Whoa… that felt weird. Warm. Like ramen. But less salty."
Ethan laughed softly.
"It means you accepted the bond on instinct. Without hesitation."
Naruto grinned.
"'Cause you're my teammate! And my friend!"
That word again.
Friend.
Ethan felt his throat tighten.
---
II. Sasuke: A Different Kind of Acceptance
Ethan turned to Sasuke carefully.
"You don't have to do this."
Sasuke's jaw clenched.
"I know."
He walked forward.
Slow.
Measured.
Controlled.
Sasuke stood directly in front of Ethan, black eyes steady, dull with old grief but sharp with present resolve.
"Before you do it," Sasuke said quietly, "answer me something."
Ethan nodded.
"You said this bond only forms with consent."
"Correct."
"You won't use it to control me."
"Never."
"You won't use it to weaken me."
"Never."
"…You won't stop me from getting stronger."
"Not even if I wanted to," Ethan said. "Which I don't."
Sasuke exhaled.
Lips tight.
Eyes stern.
But he gave the smallest nod Ethan had ever seen.
"I accept it," Sasuke said.
"On my terms. Not as a servant. Not as a pet. Not as anything lesser."
Ethan nodded back.
"As an equal."
Sasuke hesitated—
then gave a second, infinitesimal nod.
That was all the permission the Taming Space needed.
Ethan raised his hand—
and the bond touched Sasuke's chakra.
Instead of warmth, it felt like cold metal becoming hot for the first time.
Controlled.
Disciplined.
Tense.
But open.
The system responded:
[TAMING SPACE: MENTAL CONSENT CONFIRMED]
Subject: Uchiha Sasuke
Emotional State: Guarded / Rational / Accepting
Bond Level: 100% deliberate
Status: SUCCESSFUL TAMING (Type: Consent Bond)
A thin, precise thread of light zipped to Ethan's palm—sharp as a blade, clean as a seal.
Sasuke exhaled, tension leaving his shoulders.
"…It didn't hurt."
"It wouldn't," Ethan said.
Sasuke nodded once.
"Good."
---
III. Aftermath — New Bonds, New Future
Naruto immediately threw an arm around Sasuke.
"WE'RE LIKE A REAL TEAM NOW!"
"Get off," Sasuke muttered.
But he didn't shove him away as hard as usual.
Ethan let out a slow, steady breath.
The bond threads glowed faintly between them.
One warm like a hearth-fire.
One sharp like a blade's edge.
Two opposites.
Two anchors.
Two future legends.
And now—
two of Ethan's taming bonds.
Not owned.
Not controlled.
Connected.
The Panel flashed in his vision:
[NEW BONDS REGISTERED]
• Uzumaki Naruto — Instinctive Bond
• Uchiha Sasuke — Consent Bond
Node Stability: +12%
Host Synchronization: +4%
Future Compatibility: EXCELLENT
Ethan closed his eyes for a moment.
Naruto's bright enthusiasm.
Sasuke's quiet acceptance.
Two lives tied to him now.
Two worlds depending on him.
When he opened his eyes again, he felt unmistakably—