The days after the forest encounter passed in a blur.
Classes resumed. Sparring drills continued.
But now, everything felt different.
The air in the Academy felt heavier. The glances people gave me felt longer. My every move felt watched.
Because I knew the truth:
I was no longer the only out-of-place soul in this world.
And I wasn't sure I was the most dangerous one anymore.
---
"You've been off lately," Shikamaru said one morning.
We sat under a cluster of trees just outside the training field, skipping class for a bit of quiet. The clouds above drifted lazily—his favorite sight in the world.
"Just tired," I replied.
He grunted. "You don't sleep enough."
He wasn't wrong. Ever since the paper appeared, and especially after meeting that boy in the forest, my sleep had been shallow. I kept dreaming of timelines cracking like glass. Of characters screaming in ways they never had before.
"Do you think fate is fixed?" I asked him suddenly.
Shikamaru blinked. "What kind of philosophical nonsense is that?"
"I'm serious."
He tilted his head back. "No. I think fate's just a lazy excuse for people who don't want to try. But also... if you fight it too hard, the world punches back."
My heart skipped.
"Where did you hear that?"
He shrugged. "Nowhere. Just a feeling."
---
Later that day, Iruka announced something new.
"A ranked chuunin will accompany each class on a D-rank observation mission. You'll be responsible for support roles, field behavior, and teamwork tracking."
The class buzzed with excitement.
Even Naruto looked like he might combust.
"Think it'll be something cool like catching bandits?" he whispered to Sasuke.
"It's a D-rank," Sasuke replied flatly. "It'll be a farmer's lost goat."
---
We were assigned to help escort a merchant caravan just beyond the east gate.
Simple. Easy.
Or it should've been.
I recognized the name of the chuunin escort immediately: Genma Shiranui.
A senbon in his mouth. Cool and casual.
But sharp as a blade underneath it all.
He raised an eyebrow at me when we met on the training field. "You Nara kids always look like you're thinking five steps ahead. You planning to outwit the goats?"
"Only if they make a move," I deadpanned.
He chuckled and ruffled my hair. "You'll do fine."
---
Our team included Naruto, Hinata, and a quiet boy named Tetsuo, who hadn't made much of a mark yet.
The merchant was cranky. The trail was muddy. The goats were, indeed, stubborn.
But as we made our way down the narrow wooded path, something twisted in my gut.
A shift. A crack.
I scanned the treetops without being obvious.
And I saw it.
A glint of metal.
Too high. Too fast. Too deliberate.
"Trap," I whispered.
Then yelled.
"DOWN!"
---
A hail of kunai rained from above.
Genma moved like lightning, deflecting half before they even hit the ground.
Naruto dove with Hinata behind a tree. I grabbed Tetsuo and rolled behind a cart.
The merchant screamed. "What the hell?! I thought you said this was a safe route!"
Genma's voice rang sharp. "Bandits. Smart ones."
But I knew better.
These weren't ordinary bandits.
Their movements were too clean. Their spacing too practiced.
They were testing us. Or me.
---
Two figures dropped from the trees. Both masked. Both fast.
Genma met them head-on, blades clashing in sparks.
I turned to Naruto and Hinata. "Stay close. Protect the merchant."
Naruto bristled. "What? No way! I can help!"
"I know you can. But that guy's depending on you." I pointed to the terrified merchant.
He hesitated. Then nodded.
I turned to the left path where the third enemy had begun to flank.
And I moved.
---
My hands blurred through signs.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu."
My chakra shot along the forest floor, snaking forward under leaves and roots.
The figure dodged—just in time.
Not a bandit. Definitely trained.
He darted toward me with speed that didn't belong in a D-rank ambush. I rolled sideways, pulling a kunai from my pouch, blocking a strike to my ribs.
He was toying with me.
I needed to counter. Think.
---
"Above you!" shouted a voice.
Shikamaru?
No. That voice was unfamiliar.
I twisted—and caught sight of another attacker. But before I could react, a blur slammed into him from the side.
The second enemy hit the tree trunk and didn't get up.
The boy from the forest—the other reincarnator—stood there, breathing hard.
He met my eyes. "You're welcome."
Then vanished again.
---
By the time Genma had downed the final assailant, the forest had fallen silent.
Three attackers. Two disabled. One dead. No clan markings. No ID.
Genma knelt beside one, checked his pulse, and swore under his breath.
"They're too good for this rank. This wasn't random."
His eyes landed on me.
"Did you notice anything strange?"
I swallowed. "They moved like they knew us. Like they wanted to see what we'd do."
He narrowed his eyes. "That's not a normal answer from an academy student."
I shrugged. "I'm a Nara."
That seemed to satisfy him—for now.
---
Back at the village, Iruka praised us for quick reactions. Naruto was thrilled to have "faced real danger." Hinata was shaken but smiling. Tetsuo barely spoke.
I stayed quiet.
Because deep down, I knew:
That wasn't a mission. It was a message.
Someone had sent them.
Someone was watching me closely.
And the other reincarnator?
He had chosen to interfere—again.
Why now?
Was he warning me? Helping me? Or making sure I stayed within the lines?
---
That night, I stood on the rooftop, looking down at the darkened village.
Shadows shifted across tiled roofs.
Lines blurred.
Truth and lies whispered in equal measure.
And somewhere out there, in the quiet of the night...
The game was beginning.
And I was already a piece on the board.
---
[End of Chapter 5]