Weeks passed.
He was given a small apartment near the orphan district, sparse but his own. He learned the rhythm of Konoha by sound: children laughing at training grounds, the creak of rope bridges, the late-night hum of patrols.
He joined the Academy early, though under restriction — he trained with dulled kunai, supervised by ANBU in the shadows. Yet even half-blind, his reflexes were unnatural. His hand always seemed to be where danger wasn't.
Sometimes, when no one was watching, he'd sit by the window and pull his blindfold halfway, just enough to peek at the chakra threads glowing around the village. They looked like constellations stitched into living cloth.
"Threaded through worlds," he murmured once, touching the glass.
He didn't notice the dark-haired boy watching from the street below — Sasuke Uchiha, barely a few years younger, eyes narrowing at the strange figure who smiled at things unseen.
Part V: The Hokage's Note
Classified Report: Tanaka IshiAge: Estimated 8–9Origin: UnknownKekkei Genkai: Unconfirmed — ocular in natureObservations: Displays mild chakra instability when blindfold removed. No evidence of malice, but emotional detachment noted.Recommendation: Continue surveillance. Potential asset or risk.
Hiruzen folded the report and sighed. "A boy cursed with sight," he muttered. "And yet… perhaps a chance for redemption."
Outside, the night wind stirred the paper lanterns, and somewhere in the dark, a child hummed softly — a tune from a world long gone.
End of Chapter 2 – The Boy in Bandages