The Academy courtyard buzzed with a strange kind of electricity—anticipation mixed with dread.
Not chakra.
Not danger.
Exams.
The final week before graduation had officially begun.
Iruka had posted the schedule that morning, and half the class reacted like they were facing execution.
Written exam →
Physical assessment →
Shuriken test →
Transformation test →
Clone Jutsu → the single greatest natural disaster in Naruto Uzumaki's life.
And Ethan knew exactly why.
Because this week wasn't just schoolwork.
This was the tipping point.
Canon compression was starting—Naruto's crisis, Mizuki's manipulation, the scroll incident.
It all began with one thing:
Naruto failing Clone Jutsu.
Ethan stood beside Naruto as the crowd thickened around the board.
Naruto's face twisted into determination, then dread, then determination again.
"THIS IS IT!" Naruto announced, slamming his fist into his palm.
"This week—THIS WEEK—I'm gonna PASS every single test!"
Kiba snorted. "You mean fail slightly less?"
"Shut up, dog-boy!"
Sakura sighed. "Naruto, the written exam alone is—"
"I'LL STUDY SO HARD MY BRAIN EXPLODES!"
Ethan smiled faintly. "Please don't explode your brain."
But inside, he was already calculating how to stabilize Naruto through the tests—specifically the Clone Jutsu, the linchpin event.
---
The Panel Stirred
A faint pulse rippled through Ethan's senses like a whisper pressed against the back of his mind.
---
[NARUTO NODE – WEEK OF CRITICAL EVENTS]
Status:
Canon compression alert: Primary divergence risk approaching.
Anchor Target:
Naruto Uzumaki (Linked)
Projected Crisis:
Clone Jutsu Failure → Emotional Collapse → Mizuki Intervention → Scroll Incident.
User Action:
• Support stability
• Maintain anchor bond
• Mitigate excessive divergence
• Allow canonical crisis unless lethal deviation occurs
Recommendation:
Prepare the anchor.
---
Ethan exhaled softly.
It was happening.
---
Morning Training Grounds
Iruka was already there, arms crossed, looking like a man preparing for a hurricane.
"Alright! Today we warm up for the exam. Everyone will perform basic Clone Jutsu in front of me."
A unified groan rolled across the field.
Iruka raised an eyebrow.
"That reaction tells me all I need to know."
Naruto nudged Ethan. "Hey… hey, don't let me embarrass myself alone."
Ethan offered a reassuring smile.
"You won't be alone."
"Yeah? You mean you're failing with me?!"
"No."
Naruto deflated dramatically.
---
Demonstrations Begin
Sakura → perfect.
Ino → very good.
Shikamaru → half-asleep but adequate.
Kiba → sloppy but acceptable.
Choji → good enough.
Sasuke → disgustingly perfect, complete with disdainful head tilt.
And then—
"Naruto Uzumaki."
Iruka said the name gently. Too gently. Like a nurse calling the next patient for a shot.
Naruto swallowed, took a step forward—
—and Ethan felt the kid's chakra wobble.
Too much surface tension.
Too uneven.
Too hyper.
He leaned down. "Naruto. Breathe."
Naruto sucked in air like he was drowning.
Ethan steadied a hand on his shoulder.
"You're not alone. I'm right here."
Naruto blinked fast—once, twice—
and nodded.
He stepped forward.
---
Naruto's Clone Jutsu
Naruto formed the ram seal.
His chakra surged.
Too fast.
Too uncontrolled.
Ethan's heart squeezed.
Iruka braced himself.
"Clone Jutsu!"
Poof—
A limp, pale, barely-human husk flopped onto the ground like wet laundry.
Silence.
Numb, painful silence.
A few kids snickered.
Kiba tried (and failed) to hide a grin.
Sasuke didn't laugh, but he watched Naruto with a quiet, cold curiosity.
Naruto's smile wavered.
Ethan's fists clenched.
Iruka forced a sympathetic smile.
"W-well… better than yesterday."
Naruto didn't respond.
He walked back to the line slowly—too slowly.
Head down.
Shoulders folded inward like paper.
And that's when Ethan felt the Panel ping again, hard.
---
[EMOTIONAL ANCHOR DESTABILIZATION]
Naruto Uzumaki – Distress Level: HIGH
Risk trajectory: Negative spiral toward canon crisis point
Recommended: Immediate intervention
---
Ethan didn't wait.
---
Training After Class
Naruto sat on the swing outside the Academy—the iconic one.
Ethan approached quietly.
"You held it together longer today."
Naruto didn't look up. "Didn't matter."
"It did to me."
Naruto blinked, surprised. "Why?"
"Because you're improving. And because you're not alone."
Naruto stared at the ground. "I just… I really wanna graduate. I wanna show everyone I'm not… some loser."
"You're not a loser."
"You're just saying that."
"I don't say things I don't mean."
Naruto's throat tightened. "Then why can't I do one stupid Clone Jutsu?"
Ah. There it was—the heart of the crisis.
Ethan sat next to him.
Close, but not crowding.
"Because the Clone Jutsu is the worst possible match for your chakra type. Too delicate. Too subtle. Of course you struggle."
Naruto's eyes widened. "W-wait… so I'm not bad? It's just the jutsu?"
"You're not bad," Ethan said firmly. "Your chakra is strong. Loud. A lot. You need jutsu that fit that."
Naruto sniffed.
"…This is why I like you, Ethan. You don't treat me like I'm dumb."
Ethan smiled softly. "You're not dumb either."
Naruto wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
"So… what do I do?"
Ethan stood.
Extended his hand.
"Train with me every day this week."
Naruto grabbed it instantly.
"YES!"
---
A Promise in the Setting Sun
The Academy bell echoed once, long and low.
The sky burned orange.
Naruto grinned like the world had just given him a second chance.
Ethan tightened his grip just slightly.
Because he wasn't just holding Naruto's hand.
He was holding the stability of the entire node.