The orphanage was a simple structure nestled between the civilian district and the training fields. Children chattered in the halls, some roughhousing, others curled up in corners with worn storybooks. It was a place of faded laughter and quiet survival.
Noir found himself in a small room with a futon, a wooden desk, and a cracked mirror. Spartan, but clean. He didn't complain.
"You'll start at the Ninja Academy next week," the matron said. "Even without memories, your chakra levels are high enough for training. Maybe you'll remember something after."
Noir only nodded, staring out the window.
The Academy... that means Naruto's about to start too. Maybe already has.
He knew the timeline loosely: Naruto was twelve when the story began, already in the Academy, hated and mocked. Sasuke was brooding. Sakura was crushing. The Nine-Tails attack had already happened. And somewhere in the shadows… Orochimaru, Danzo, Itachi, and Akatsuki were all waiting for their turn to strike.
Noir needed power—and time.
---
That night, Noir focused on the Kuraseigan again.
Sitting cross-legged in the moonlight, he breathed in deeply, drawing chakra through his tenketsu. At first, it was like coaxing a flame in a storm—resisting, flickering. But slowly, the chakra began to respond.
He opened his eyes. The air warped slightly.
Kuraseigan: Partial Activation.
The world dulled in color, like a dream just beginning to fade. Time stilled.
This time, he experimented.
He reached toward a falling candle near the edge of the desk—and time shifted. The candle froze mid-fall, then reversed back to the edge.
A second passed, and reality resumed.
So I can rewind small moments. Three seconds at most… maybe longer with training.
But that wasn't all.
Noir closed his eyes again. Another pulse. The room blurred, then—snap!—he was across it, standing near the door.
Teleportation. Short-range spatial jumps.
He sat down hard, sweating. His chakra reserves were still shallow. But the potential was undeniable.
Noir grinned slightly, staring at his glowing reflection in the mirror.
"I'm not just going to survive this world," he whispered. "I'm going to rule it."
---
The next day, he was taken to the Academy for evaluation.
"Iruka-sensei!" a voice chirped. A young boy with bright blonde hair and whisker marks ran past, wearing goggles and a wide grin.
Noir blinked.
That's Naruto.
He watched the boy trip, laugh, and get scolded all in a single breath. Other kids laughed at him. Some mocked. Noir watched in silence.
"New kid," Iruka called, motioning him forward. "You're Tsukihana Noir, right? I got your files. Let's test you."
Noir stepped into the yard calmly. The children paused. Some stared at his hair. Others whispered about his eyes.
Let them whisper, Noir thought. It'll keep them watching the wrong things.
Iruka handed him a paper. "Just some basics—chakra control, a few hand signs. Let's see what you can do."
Noir nodded.
He focused.
Chakra swirled through his fingers with surprising ease. Clone Jutsu. One hand seal, then another—and poof—a solid clone appeared. Not perfect, but stable.
Iruka raised an eyebrow. "That's... advanced for someone without memory."
Noir just offered a quiet smile. "Guess I'm a fast learner."
He kept the Kuraseigan inactive, but part of him itched to test it again.
Later, during physical drills, he scanned the crowd: Sasuke Uchiha—quiet, focused, full of pride. Sakura Haruno—still obsessed. Shikamaru. Choji. Ino. All familiar.
But it was Naruto who caught his attention.
The boy's chakra… it was a storm. Unrefined, wild, but vast.
No wonder the world feared the Nine-Tails, Noir thought. He's a living nuke, wrapped in skin and loneliness.
Their eyes met once—just once—and Naruto's grin faltered.
"Hey, new guy," he said. "Your eyes are kinda cool."
Noir blinked.
"Thanks," he said simply.
Naruto smiled wide and ran off again.
Noir turned away—but not before noting a shift in the wind. Something watched him from the trees beyond the academy wall.
A shadow moved—and vanished.
An ANBU? Already?
Noir stepped into the sunlight, forcing his heartbeat to slow.
They've noticed me. Time to start playing the long game.
---
[End of Chapter 2 ]