The Konoha sun shone with a familiar intensity on Naruto's face—but it was no longer the same sun.
Through the Eye of the Multiverse, every ray of light was a dance of energy particles, every shadow a well of distinct vibrations.
The day after his successful exam, the news of his promotion had spread throughout the village, stirring more surprise than celebration.
"Naruto passed? Unbelievable…" some murmured.
"That kid… he's craftier than we thought," others sneered.
Naruto heard it all, saw their auras—and remained unmoved. Their opinions were no longer daggers to his heart, merely passing breezes.
His first objective as a Genin was to avoid raising suspicion.
Balance was paramount, as the Multiverse had warned him.
He had to remain the loud, impulsive, slightly incompetent Naruto—at least on the surface.
It was a constant effort.
During the initial meetings of Team 7, he observed Sasuke and Sakura with great care.
Sasuke—trapped in his shell of vengeance—his dark violet aura pulsing with latent power.
Sakura—brimming with green energy, a blend of perseverance and bright intellect, though her chakra remained unrefined.
Naruto could see their potentials, their inner blocks, their future paths unfolding before him like astral maps.
The first real challenge came with the survival test of Kakashi Hatake, the infamous "Copy Ninja."
Facing a Jōnin of such elite caliber, Naruto knew he had to tread carefully.
The temptation to use his cosmic powers—to snatch the bells in a flash, to slip through dimensions, or manipulate time itself—was strong.
But no.
Secrecy was his greatest shield.
He played his part to perfection.
He used the Harem no Jutsu, a technique of his own invention—one that, in Kakashi's eyes, was a ridiculous yet oddly clever prank.
He let himself get caught in the rope trap, exactly as expected.
He acted frustrated, jittery, impulsive.
And yet, he couldn't help subtly manipulating the environment using the energy of Space—so delicately that even Kakashi didn't notice.
Without consciously realizing it, Kakashi tripped over a "poorly placed" root, was slightly delayed by an "unexpected" gust of wind.
Micro-adjustments, imperceptible nudges, that—combined with the efforts of Sasuke and Sakura—allowed the team to cooperate just a little more effectively, despite their friction.
Watching it all unfold through the Eye of the Multiverse, Naruto saw the invisible chakra threads connecting them, how their energies intertwined.
He saw the potential of their team—far beyond what even Kakashi could imagine.
When Kakashi tied them to the posts and threatened to deprive them of food, Naruto felt a surge of indignation.
"Sharing is the rule," he thought, instinctively recalling the importance of balance.
Instead of allowing his body to sustain itself, as he easily could, he played the role of the hungry fool—grumbling, complaining, yet offering his bentos to his teammates.
A simple act of solidarity, but it warmed Kakashi's aura, making his chakra hum with a quiet sense of approval.
Naruto spent the following days secretly training.
At night, beneath the protective veil of darkness, he explored the vastness of his abilities.
He learned to manipulate the Energy of Life, healing small wounds in an instant, accelerating the growth of plants in neglected gardens.
He experimented with the Thread of Time, slowing raindrops to study them in detail—only to quickly realize that greater manipulations could be disastrous.
With the Energy of Creation, he conjured perfect miniature objects—leaves, pebbles—only to dissolve them moments later using the Void of Destruction.
The experience of Chaos proved the hardest to control—an instinctive force, primal and untamed.
He had to restrain it constantly, but in doing so, it granted him fleeting glimpses into the unpredictable fabric of existence.
His body had become a conduit, his consciousness a bridge. The Eye of the Multiverse was his compass. He could now see the layers of chakra, the natural energies flowing through the world, the souls of living beings. He could perceive echoes of the past and whispers of the future—threads of fate he knew not to sever lightly. He was the guardian of balance—not only of the Multiverse, but of his own world as well.
Secrecy was a necessity. The power he held was too immense to be understood, too vast not to inspire fear.
As he drifted to sleep, his forehead protector resting on his bedside table, Naruto thought of his dream to become Hokage. It was no longer just a title—it was a monumental responsibility, a chance to use his powers to protect his world without revealing their source.
The path ahead would be long, and lonely.
But he was ready to walk it—hidden in the shadows of his secret.