The map the ANBU operative left was crude—nothing but an inked path through alleys and rooftops, ending near the edge of the training grounds, just outside the main walls of Konoha. No signature. No instructions.
Kuro stood on the orphanage rooftop again, the village wrapped in night, moonlight dancing across tiled roofs and gently swaying trees.
"A test. Designed to expose my skill or lure me in. Or both."
He tightened the cloth around his wooden sword, adjusted the strap around his chest, and took one last breath.
[Side Quest Activated: The Watcher in the Mask][Objective: Traverse designated route without detection. Time Limit: Until Dawn.]
No further guidance. That was the system's way. Kuro didn't mind.
Midnight Traverse
He moved like water over stone.
No chakra flared. No sudden bursts of movement. He avoided the rooftops at first—too exposed. Instead, he weaved through back alleys, low fences, and narrow corridors, his breathing locked into the Silent Shadow Breathing form.
At one point, two chuunin passed just twenty feet ahead of him, chatting casually while returning from patrol. Kuro froze behind a rain barrel, controlling even the pulse in his neck.
"Movement draws sight. Breath draws sound. Even stillness must have rhythm."
They passed. He moved again.
By the time he reached the edge of the training grounds, the stars had shifted, and the first hint of sunrise colored the horizon in amber.
The final mark on the map led him to an abandoned dojo, half-covered in moss and ivy, the paper walls weathered by time. It must have predated even the Third Hokage's tenure.
The doors creaked open on their own.
Inside, the ANBU stood with his mask still on, arms folded.
"You took longer than expected," he said.
"I took the quietest route," Kuro answered plainly.
The man chuckled. "You're honest. But what are you?"
Kuro paused. "A shadow that doesn't belong."
"Not quite a ninja. Not quite a samurai. But something else.""You moved without chakra. Your strikes… they echo. You're an oddity, boy."
The man tossed a small black cloth toward him. A symbol was stitched into it: a half-circle eye.
"You passed. For now. This dojo—use it. Train here. No one comes."
"Why help me?" Kuro asked.
The ANBU shrugged. "Because anomalies interest us. And because I see a storm coming. Better to shape the blade before it's drawn."
Then he was gone again—like smoke before fire.
System Notification
[Hidden Location Unlocked: Abandoned Dojo – Safe Zone][New Function Available: Martial Memory Playback – Shadow Forms][New Passive Skill: Shadow Cloak (Rank F) – Conceal presence passively in non-combat][Quest Completed: The Watcher in the Mask – Rewards Granted]→ +1 Stealth Skill Point→ +1 Silent Blade Point→ Hidden Questline "Eyes Without Voice" Unlocked
Kuro felt the system's warmth pulse across his spine. For a moment, he stood taller—not in pride, but in purpose.
"This is the dojo where Jin Mu Won would have trained—alone, far from his enemies, mastering the quiet."
He had that chance now.
And he would take it.
Three Months Later – Academy Progress
The orphanage became a formality. He spent most of his nights at the hidden dojo, practicing martial footwork, shadow step patterns, and long-form breathing cycles.
By day, he remained the quiet student. Iruka praised his written work. He never stood out in chakra exercises—he deliberately lagged behind in clone techniques and substitution drills.
But in taijutsu?
None could touch him.
Not even Sasuke Uchiha, who once challenged him during sparring.
Kuro dodged five blows, landed one, and let the match end in a draw. Sasuke didn't speak to him again for a week.
Naruto, on the other hand, remained curious.
"Why don't you ever get mad?" he asked one afternoon. "Everyone else gets annoyed when they lose or mess up."
"Anger's too loud," Kuro replied.
Naruto blinked. "You talk weird, you know that?"
Then he grinned.
"I like it."
New Technique Unlocked
[Technique Acquired: Flow Disruption Palm – Rank D]A precision palm strike that destabilizes chakra circulation temporarily. Functions like a pressure point attack but with minimal chakra use.
[Template Progression: Jin Mu Won – Intermediate Template 12%]
Kuro began testing this new technique in secret, using it on practice dummies filled with chakra-simulating paper seals. The results were promising.
Even a brief touch caused the dummy's core seal to flicker.
"This world may revolve around chakra, but it flows like any energy—rhythmic, reactive. If I can learn to manipulate it without controlling it directly…"
He would become untouchable.
A Glimpse of ANBU
One evening, while returning from the abandoned dojo, Kuro spotted three masked figures on a rooftop near the Hokage's tower.
ANBU again—but this time not his "watcher."
They were carrying a scroll, sealed in four layers of chakra containment.
"Heavy security. Classified contents."
Kuro memorized the formation, movement pattern, and timing of each step. His mind stored it like puzzle pieces.
Not to steal.
But to understand.
Every shinobi moved differently based on their nature affinity. Every footfall, every pause revealed their element, their habit, their training.
"One day I'll fight them—not out of malice. But because the path ahead demands it."
He disappeared again into the dark.
Late Autumn – Unexpected Invitation
Iruka gathered the class one day with an unusual announcement.
"We've been selected to demonstrate our academy progress to several visiting chuunin and jounin instructors. You'll each pair up to perform taijutsu and jutsu."
Groans filled the room.
"Yes, Naruto, this includes you."
"What?!" the blond shouted. "Come on!"
Kuro was paired with Hinata Hyuga—quiet, gentle, but from a clan known for their powerful Byakugan and precise Gentle Fist style.
She bowed politely when they were matched. He returned the bow.
When the demonstration began, Hinata struck fast and fluidly—her palm movements aiming for vital chakra points. Kuro danced around them, never striking back fully, merely redirecting.
It looked choreographed—but it wasn't.
They moved like wind circling water, never colliding, only weaving.
When it ended, applause followed—not because it was flashy, but because it was clean.
"Excellent form," a jounin commented. "You—Takashi, right? Where did you learn your control?"
"I just watch closely."
Another half-truth. Always.
[Skill Synced: Flow Observation – Compatible with Gentle Fist Detected][Hidden Trait Progressing: Energy Harmonization (Martial-Chakra Fusion Seed)]
That Night – Message in the Dojo
He returned to the abandoned dojo after the demonstration, only to find a scroll pinned to the post.
A single sentence was written in elegant calligraphy:
"If you walk both worlds, be careful not to fall between them."
There was no signature. No symbol. But it chilled him more than any masked ANBU.
Someone else knew what he was.