Morning sun.
Cold air.
It didn't feel like the Hidden Leaf.
It felt like something older was watching through the trees.
He got dressed.
Moved without thought.
The eye hadn't stopped glowing all night.
He kept it hidden.
But it wasn't just glowing now.
It was pulsing.
Breathing.
As if it had a heartbeat of its own.
In the mirror, he saw himself.
His reflection looked back… and smiled.
But he wasn't smiling.
He blinked.
The image snapped back.
Normal again.
Almost.
His eye flickered.
Lines danced in the iris—symbols like broken seals.
The ring on his finger was hot.
He could barely touch it.
And it whispered one word.
"Trial."
He stepped outside.
Konoha looked the same.
But he could see the difference.
Chakra trails across rooftops.
Veins under the ground.
People's fear buried under their skin.
The dojutsu was unlocking things he didn't understand yet.
But he knew one thing.
It came at a cost.
At the Academy, Iruka called him aside.
Private conversation.
Alone in the hallway.
Iruka's eyes were serious.
"There's someone who wants to meet you."
"Who?"
"Just follow me."
They walked toward the Hokage's Tower.
Past guards.Through halls with thick air.Silence that felt too long.
Then—
The door opened.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood by the window, pipe in hand.
He didn't turn around.
Just spoke.
"So… you're the boy with the ring."
He froze.
"…How do you know about it?"
Sarutobi finally turned. His face was calm. Tired.
But his eyes weren't.
They were searching him like a weapon being inspected.
"You've triggered something. Old chakra. Forbidden type. Something… forgotten."
He didn't respond.
Didn't blink.
Sarutobi stepped closer.
"Where did you get it?"
He didn't lie.
"An old man gave it to me."
Sarutobi nodded slowly. "That old man… was not from this world anymore."
The room grew colder.
Sarutobi continued, "Do you know what that ring really is?"
He shook his head.
Sarutobi placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You're wearing the seal of the Nine Cracks. A dojutsu born from pain, sealed long before even my time."
He frowned. "What does it do?"
The Hokage exhaled smoke.
"It shows you the truths people hide… and it breaks you every time you uncover one."
Outside, Anko waited.
She leaned against a wall, tossing a kunai in the air.
As he exited, she stood upright.
"So, the old man told you, huh?"
He nodded.
She looked at his eye.
"You're on the second crack now."
He paused. "There are more?"
Anko gave him a strange smile.
"There are nine."
Then she handed him a scroll.
"Study this. It's forbidden, so don't get caught."
He took it without question.
"Iruka vouched for you," she said.
Then she leaned closer.
"Don't make him regret that."
Back home.
He opened the scroll.
It was written in blood-red ink.
The Nine Cracks were listed.
Each one had a name.
Each one had a toll.
1st Crack — Awakening2nd Crack — Seeing Through Lies3rd Crack — Reflection Reversal4th Crack — Mind Echo5th Crack — Memory Surge6th Crack — Spirit Split7th Crack — Reality Fracture8th Crack — Soul Burn9th Crack — Truth Eater
His fingers trembled as he read the last one.
Truth Eater.
What did that even mean?
Would he become… a monster?
Suddenly.
A knock on the door.
Soft. Slow.
He opened it.
No one there.
Just a single black feather.
Floating.
He picked it up.
It dissolved in his hand.
His vision blurred for a moment—
And then a figure appeared inside the room.
Cloaked in shadow.
Face hidden.
Eyes… not human.
"You've begun your descent," the figure said.
"Who are you?"
The voice whispered. "One who failed the same trial."
The figure extended its hand.Fingers... cracked like broken glass.
"Join us. Or be devoured."
He stepped back.
"I'm not like you."
The figure tilted its head.
"No… not yet."
Then vanished into smoke.
The room returned to normal.
But everything felt different now.
More fragile.
More... real.
Next morning.
He passed Sasuke in the hallway.
They exchanged no words.
But something passed between them.
Understanding.
Curiosity.
Hate.
Friendship.
All wrapped into one silent moment.
Training ground.
Team sparring session.
Iruka paired him with Hinata.
He didn't speak.
She tried to smile.
But her face showed worry.
"Your chakra… it's different today."
He nodded. "I know."
They began.
At first, simple taijutsu.
Dodge. Counter.
Then something changed.
Hinata hesitated—he moved too fast.
She slipped.
He caught her—
But in that instant… his eye activated on its own.
He saw everything inside her.
Veins.
Chakra coils.
Emotions.
And… a memory.
Of her childhood.
Of pain.
Of being abandoned by her own clan.
He gasped.
Let her go.
She stumbled back.
Tears in her eyes.
"You… saw it?"
He looked down.
"I didn't mean to."
She said nothing more.
Just left.
Alone again.
He sat by the training post.
Ring warm.
The third crack was close.
He could feel it.
And something told him…
He wasn't ready for what came next.
But it wouldn't wait.
Because far away—
Inside a hidden cave—
A pair of red eyes opened.
Sharingan.
And the voice behind them whispered:
"Begin the hunt."