The Academy felt different today.
Not loud.
Not chaotic.
Just… wrong.
Like a cold breeze drifting through a room with all the windows shut.
Ethan noticed it the moment he stepped through the front doors. The air carried a faint tension, the kind that didn't come from kids stressing over graduation exams. This one was sharper. Focused. A thin thread of danger weaving through the hallways.
The Panel stirred behind his senses—quiet, alert.
[Node Warning: Subtle timeline disturbance detected]
Cause: Unknown (Local origin)
Ethan didn't need a name.
He already suspected one.
---
Morning Training — Something Off
Naruto tackled him from behind before he even set down his bag.
"ETHAN! Sasuke! You guys ready to train after class?! I wanna blow stuff up again!"
"You mean controlled bursts, Naruto," Ethan corrected.
Naruto grinned. "Yeah! Controlled exploding!"
Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Idiot."
But the mood felt… forced. Naruto was bright as usual, but there was a restless spark under the excitement. Sasuke noticed it too—his eyes flicked to Naruto more than once, studying him.
Ethan caught every detail.
Naruto's chakra was uneven today.
Spiking.
Agitated.
Not from training.
From something emotional.
Something someone said.
---
Iruka Arrives — And Someone Else Does Too
Iruka entered the classroom with his usual brisk but kind energy, greeting the students, settling the chaos. Except he wasn't alone.
Mizuki followed behind him.
And Ethan immediately felt the shift.
Mizuki smiled too broadly.
Spoke too cheerfully.
His chakra was calm… but his eyes weren't. They were sharp, restless, calculating—focused on Naruto a little too long.
As the class got underway, Ethan positioned himself subtly between Naruto and Mizuki's line of sight. Just in case.
Naruto didn't notice.
Sasuke noticed everything.
Iruka wrote on the board while Mizuki circled the class like a hawk pretending to be a pigeon.
When Naruto spoke up—too loudly, as always—Mizuki leaned down and gave him the kind of smile adults used when they wanted something, not when they cared.
"You've got potential, Naruto. You just need someone to guide you properly."
That single phrase set Ethan's instincts roaring.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
Ethan's chakra tightened in his core, a silent readiness.
Naruto, oblivious, beamed proudly.
Iruka glanced back, expression darkening for just a moment—concern, suspicion, something.
Mizuki didn't notice Iruka.
But he noticed Ethan.
He looked at him like he was evaluating a chess piece.
And Ethan met his eyes without blinking.
Something in Mizuki's expression twitched.
A flicker of irritation?
Or recognition that Ethan wasn't a normal civilian kid?
He moved on.
---
Lunch — Naruto Quiet for Once
Naruto didn't talk much during lunch.
That alone was alarming.
He poked at his food, frowning hard, muttering things Ethan only partially caught:
"…never good enough… Iruka-sensei always…"
"…maybe I should show them…"
"…prove I can be a real ninja…"
Mizuki's words had hit him already.
Ethan sat beside him.
"You're not thinking straight," Ethan said quietly.
Naruto blinked. "Huh?"
"Whatever someone told you today… don't take it at face value."
Naruto looked confused, then uncomfortable—then defensive.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!"
But his chakra was a storm.
Sasuke sat across from them, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded but listening.
"Dead last shouldn't try to act mysterious," he muttered.
Naruto snapped back automatically, but even that lacked fire.
Something was spiraling.
And Ethan knew who was pulling the thread.
---
After Class — Mizuki Makes His Move
The bell rang.
Kids flooded out.
Naruto was halfway down the hall before Ethan caught his sleeve.
"Wait."
Naruto turned, eyes too bright, almost feverish.
A shadow slid across the doorway—Mizuki.
Watching.
Listening.
Pretending to sort papers.
Ethan lowered his voice.
"If anyone tells you they've discovered a 'special path' for you… or that there's a shortcut to becoming a ninja…"
Naruto froze.
"…don't trust them."
Naruto stared at him.
Sasuke stopped too, silent but very much present.
Then Mizuki called out, his voice friendly—too friendly.
"Naruto! Could I speak with you for a moment?"
Iruka exited the teachers' office right then, catching the end of it. His brows furrowed. His eyes flicked to Ethan, to Naruto, to Mizuki.
He opened his mouth to say something—
—but Mizuki spoke first.
"It's about… your performance. Privately."
Naruto hesitated, looking between them all.
Ethan didn't move.
Sasuke didn't blink.
Naruto swallowed hard.
"I… okay."
He followed Mizuki.
Iruka visibly tensed.
Ethan's stomach twisted.
---
Panel Alert
[Timeline Hazard Rising]
Early manipulation attempt detected.
Target: Naruto Uzumaki
Origin: Mizuki
Deviation Level: Moderate (manageable)
Recommendation: Monitor. Intervene only when Naruto's safety is compromised.
Ethan closed the alert with a breath he didn't feel.
Sasuke looked at him.
"What was that about?"
"Trouble," Ethan murmured. "And it's starting now."
Sasuke's eyes flashed with icy seriousness.
"For Naruto?"
Ethan nodded.
Sasuke clicked his tongue, annoyed—but alert.
"…Then we watch him."