Morning sunlight filtered through Konoha's Academy windows, soft and golden, casting wide, gentle stripes across the old wooden floors. The room hadn't changed much in months—same creaking desks, same chalk dust in the air, same faint smell of old scrolls and Iruka's tea.
But the students had changed.
And Ethan felt it the moment he stepped inside.
Naruto sat at his usual spot—legs bouncing, grin crooked, eyes bright with a confidence he hadn't possessed even two weeks prior. The chakra in him wasn't a wild bonfire anymore; it hummed, coiled, and pulsed with the beginnings of real direction.
He sensed Naruto noticing him—Naruto always noticed him first lately—and the blonde immediately waved his entire arm like a semaphore signal.
"Ethan! Over here! I saved you a seat!"
Ethan smiled, moving toward him.
Not far away, Sasuke sat like a shadow carved out of calm steel—quiet, posture perfect, eyes half-lidded but alert. If Naruto was a bright sunrise, Sasuke was a drawn bowstring. Focused. Sharp.
And beneath that cool expression, Ethan felt it:
Sasuke's chakra was tighter now, cleaner, compressed like water under pressure. Their movement drills had changed him. Their rotation drills had sharpened him. The chakra burst technique he'd stumbled into—his own variation—had lit a fuse behind his eyes.
Not rivalry.
Not jealousy.
Readiness.
The academy wouldn't know what hit it.
Shikamaru and Choji lounged in the back; Ino was polishing her handwriting; Kiba was trying to teach Akamaru a trick Iruka definitely banned indoors; Hinata peeked at Naruto, looked away quickly, peeked again.
Everyone felt different today.
Because everyone knew what week it was.
Exam week.
And the entire academy buzzed like a hive preparing for a storm.
---
Iruka Arrives — And the Room Snaps to Attention
Iruka slid the classroom door open and froze.
The class actually looked… focused.
He blinked slowly, suspicious.
"…Did I walk into the wrong classroom?"
Naruto grinned. "Nah! We're just READY!"
Kiba chimed in, "Speak for yourself, Naruto! I bet you still mess up the clone jutsu!"
"HEY! I—well—uh—Ethan's helping me, so I'll be fine!"
Iruka raised a brow. "Is that so?"
Naruto puffed out his chest like a rooster on a mission.
Ethan stayed silent, though Iruka caught his eye with a knowing look.
Iruka had been a shinobi far too long to miss the subtle signs:
Naruto's posture, Sasuke's chakra stability, even Sakura and Ino's improving control.
Something was influencing this class for the better.
And Iruka hadn't complained for a single second.
---
Panel Notification — Quiet as a Whisper
As Iruka began outlining the exam structure on the board, Ethan felt the Panel stir against his inner perception:
[NARUTO NODE — PROGRESSION MARKER]
Academy Phase: 84%
Stabilization Targets:
• Uzumaki Naruto — SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT DETECTED
• Uchiha Sasuke — GROWTH TRAJECTORY STABLE
Deviation Risk: LOW (Current Path Acceptable)
Recommendation:
Continue subtle shaping.
Avoid events that disrupt core academy exam outcomes.
Ethan exhaled softly.
Good.
He was still walking the line.
Still safely within the rails of the timeline.
Still making them better—without breaking the world that needed them.
---
Iruka Briefs the Exams
"Listen up," Iruka said, drawing a diagram of the test breakdown.
1. Written Exam
2. Basic Ninjutsu
3. Transformation & Clone Techniques
4. Precision Control Test
5. Final Evaluation
A ripple of anxiety passed through the room.
Even Sasuke exhaled slowly.
Anyone could choke on a test.
Even a genius.
Except maybe Shikamaru. He might nap through it.
Naruto swallowed audibly.
Ethan nudged his shoulder lightly.
"You've got this," he whispered.
Naruto tightened his fists. "Yeah. I do."
---
Lunch Break — The Pre-Exam Energy Shifts
Lunch was loud—even louder than usual.
Naruto inhaled food like it was an exam event.
Sasuke ate in calm silence.
Ethan ate lightly, mind drifting.
Everywhere around him, students whispered:
"What if I fail?"
"I can't do the clone! I just can't!"
"My dad said if I fail again I'm not allowed to—"
"Do you think the Mizuki rumor is true?"
"Shut up! Don't talk about that guy!"
Ethan's ears sharpened at that.
Mizuki.
The name slid into his awareness with the subtle weight of a future disaster.
Naruto hadn't stolen the scroll yet.
The night wasn't here.
But the timeline always pressed in quiet ways.
Naruto caught his expression and nudged him.
"Hey. You okay?"
Ethan smiled. "Just thinking."
"About the exam?"
"About everything that comes after."
Naruto blinked. "But isn't the exam the big one?"
"No," Ethan said gently. "It's just the door."
Naruto thought about that for a long moment, eyes distant.
"…Then let's walk through it together."
Ethan nodded.
---
Sasuke Approaches
When Naruto left to spar with Kiba, Sasuke stepped beside Ethan.
Not hostile.
Not tense.
Just… present.
"You're training with him again today," Sasuke said.
"Yes."
Sasuke folded his arms. "Good. He needs it."
Ethan tilted his head. "You do too."
Sasuke smirked faintly. "I know."
There was no bitterness in him anymore.
Not toward Ethan.
Not toward Naruto.
They were three sides of a shifting triangle, held together by effort, quiet trust, and the unspoken fact that all three were rising faster because of each other.
Sasuke added, almost grudgingly:
"Keep him from falling apart during the clone exam. He'll listen to you."
Ethan nodded. "He listens to both of us."
Sasuke's smirk softened into something close to a smile.
"…He does."
---
Evening Training — The Final Push
As the sun dipped behind Hokage Mountain, the three of them ended up in Training Ground Three—Ethan guiding rotation drills, Naruto exploding occasionally, Sasuke perfecting his burst technique with frightening precision.
Every burst from Sasuke cracked small divots in the dirt.
Every successful rotation from Naruto made the air shimmer faintly.
Every correction Ethan gave wove the two of them tighter into the path they needed.
Naruto stumbled once, skidding onto his hands and knees.
Ethan knelt beside him.
Sasuke stopped mid-stance.
"Naruto," Ethan said softly, "look at me."
Naruto looked up, panting.
"Why do you want to pass the exam?"
Naruto didn't smile.
Didn't joke.
Didn't shout.
He swallowed and whispered:
"…So I can stand with you guys."
Sasuke's gaze softened, almost imperceptibly.
Ethan felt the Panel hum at the bond alignment.
He placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"Then you will."
Naruto grinned again—small, real, honest.
Sasuke looked away, cheeks faintly pink.
"Idiot," he muttered softly. "We're not leaving you behind."
Naruto froze.
"…Even you, Sasuke?"
Sasuke scoffed. "Yes. Even me."
Naruto looked like someone had handed him the entire world.
---
Nightfall — Exams Tomorrow
As they walked home, the atmosphere felt different.
Naruto was buzzing with excitement.
Sasuke was silent with focus.
Ethan walked between them, senses open, mind calm.
Tomorrow, the Academy would test them.
Tomorrow, Ethan's job became even more delicate.
Tomorrow, the Naruto Node would step toward its first major branching point.
But tonight?
Tonight was just three boys walking down a lantern-lit street, their shadows long and their futures unwritten.
The calm before the storm.
The breath before the leap.
The last night they were simply academy students.