The day at the Academy ended the same way it always did—sun dipping behind tiled roofs, kids spilling out into the dirt courtyard like a noisy river, laughter and arguments blending into that warm civilian-chaotic Konoha background noise.
But Ethan felt it before he saw anything.
A… pressure.
A shift.
Not chakra—something subtler.
Narrative pressure.
The world itself tightening a screw.
His Panel flickered.
---
[SYSTEM ALERT — NARUTO NODE DIVERSION PROJECTION]
Local Actor Identified: Mizuki (Chūnin, Instructor)
Threat Level: Moderate (Escalating)
Deviation Forecast:
• Targeting: Naruto Uzumaki
• Manipulation Phase: Imminent
• Expected Timeline Divergence: +48 hours sooner than canon
Recommended Action:
Stabilize Naruto's emotional state
Monitor Mizuki
Do NOT provoke early conflict unless required
---
Ethan exhaled once, steady and slow.
So it was starting.
The Mizuki Incident—the early drama where Naruto is tricked into stealing the Scroll of Seals. Canonically, a low-risk but emotionally defining moment. But now? The Panel reading said Mizuki was moving faster, earlier.
And he had no idea why.
Or rather—he had several ideas, all of them bad.
A stronger Naruto because of Ethan's training?
Naruto having friends earlier?
Naruto becoming less manipulable?
That would force a predator like Mizuki to act sooner.
Which meant things were delicate.
Very delicate.
---
Iruka's Goodnight
"Alright everyone! Don't forget your chakra rotation homework!" Iruka called out.
Naruto groaned loud enough for the Hokage Monument to echo it.
Sasuke rolled his eyes but didn't leave, waiting silently under the eaves—he wanted Ethan and Naruto for more practice, even if he would die before admitting it out loud.
Ethan gave Iruka a polite wave.
Iruka smiled, tired but warm.
A good man.
One of the few anchors Naruto had.
And Mizuki was about to use that anchor like a knife.
Ethan's jaw tightened slightly.
---
Watching the Edges
The courtyard emptied.
Kids scattered.
Sasuke stalked off, muttering something about "if Naruto skips, I'm training alone."
Naruto waved and ran after him, grin wide and careless.
Ethan stayed behind.
He let the crowd thin, let silence gather, let the Panel settle.
Then—
He felt it.
A presence.
A soft landing on a branch overhead, soundless but not spiritless.
Irritatingly smug chakra.
Mizuki.
Ethan didn't look up.
Didn't acknowledge him.
Didn't break the illusion that he was just a quiet civilian kid packing up books.
But his senses sharpened, Teen-Wolf instincts sliding under his skin like a second awareness.
Mizuki wasn't watching the school.
He wasn't watching Iruka.
He was watching Naruto leave.
The angle, the stillness, the intent in his breath—
Ethan read them like a book.
Predatory patience.
A man deciding the moment to bait a child.
---
The Panel Speaks Again
[ALERT: Threat Actor Intent Spike Detected]
Mizuki intention markers: • Anticipation
• Frustration
• Opportunity hunting
• Rogue contact risk: rising
Deviation Probability: 33% → 47%
Ethan swallowed once.
That number rising meant something bigger was happening.
Someone else might be involved.
Someone pushing Mizuki or pressuring him.
Danzō?
A foreign agent?
A fluke?
Or… was this simply the ripple effects of Ethan's arrival?
The Panel dimmed, waiting for his action.
---
Ethan Breaks the Stillness
Without looking at Mizuki, Ethan stepped toward the school gate.
Calm.
Civilian.
Unthreatening.
But purposeful.
And Mizuki felt it.
Ethan heard the faint intake of breath from the branch—surprise? No. Not surprise.
Annoyance.
As if Ethan's presence interfered with some early plan.
Good.
Let him be annoyed.
Let him be delayed.
Naruto needed every second of normalcy, of foundation, of connection.
Ethan wasn't going to let Mizuki yank that away prematurely.
Not without a fight.
---
The Quiet Walk Through Konoha
Ethan walked through the marketplace, letting the warm smells of steamed dumplings and grilling fish settle the tension in him.
He passed by old men drinking tea, kunoichi gossiping, shopkeepers sweeping their stoops.
This was the Konoha Naruto loved.
The Konoha that often didn't love him back.
But Naruto was changing.
Naruto had friends.
Sasuke. Ethan. Even Iruka had become more protective recently.
That made Mizuki more desperate.
Ethan stopped by the river bridge, leaning on the rail, letting the water noise steady him.
The Panel projected another line.
---
[MISSION THREAD UPDATE — NARUTO CORE ARC]
Mizuki Event Trigger Window: 2–4 days (accelerated)
Naruto's current stability: High
Sasuke influence: Moderate
Iruka protective proximity: Strong
Projected Outcome WITHOUT interference:
Naruto avoids Mizuki → fails to steal scroll → canon diverges → no Forbidden Technique exposure → long-term growth stunted → future arcs destabilize.
Panel Recommendation:
Do NOT derail the incident entirely.
Ensure Naruto reaches the scroll—but safely.
Strategic Intervention Needed: • Protect Iruka
• Keep Naruto emotionally stable
• Let the event occur
• Control the danger
---
Ethan closed his eyes.
Right.
He couldn't prevent the event.
He had to shape it.
Guide it.
Control the damage.
But above all—
Keep Naruto alive and whole.
---
Night Falls Over Konoha
The sky deepened into indigo. Lanterns lit the village in warm pools of light. The air cooled with the scent of pine and street-vendor broth.
Ethan headed home—
But he wasn't alone.
Not truly.
His senses caught the faintest hint of a figure ghosting rooftops behind him.
Mizuki again.
Tracking him.
Testing boundaries.
Seeing if the "quiet kid" would be a problem.
Ethan didn't react.
Didn't look back.
Didn't show fear.
Instead, he gave the softest, smallest smile—just enough that Mizuki might see it if he was watching closely.
A message.
You're not hunting a child.
You're hunting prey that hunts back.
The shadow paused.
Then vanished.
---
[SYSTEM: Divergence Delay Achieved]
Mizuki action window extended: +12 hours
Deviation Probability: 47% → 38%
---
Ethan let out a slow breath.
A small victory.
But the real game was only beginning.
The Mizuki Incident was approaching.
Naruto's life was entering its first true pivot.
And Ethan was going to make sure it shaped him into strength—
not tragedy.