Dream

"Desolate and incapable of sustaining life" would be a correct way to describe the once-great land.

Two people were confronting each other, standing at a distance. 

One had blond hair, wore a black cape, and carried a sword. He crouched with one knee down while keeping the other foot on the ground.

"I didn't think you'd go this far, Kawaki," his voice was ice-cold, as if it had reached absolute zero.

"I'll send you to the place where I sent the Seventh, Boruto," the voice declared. The person identified as Kawaki stood with a staff in hand, his eyes equally cold as the other.

"I don't suppose you will stop this instance," another voice interjected with authority. Both Kawaki and Boruto looked toward the sky, not sensing the man until he floated down.

"Nagato," Kawaki muttered as he pointed the staff at him. "Don't worry, it's good that you came out here voluntarily. I'll send you with him."

As Boruto looked at Nagato, he couldn't see the warmth that was in his brother's eyes before "that" incident. His eyes were as cold as both his and Kawaki's. It saddened him that his brother's eyes no longer held that kindness from before.

"Was this the only possible outcome?" He asked his opponent, Kawaki, once again. "That's right, the age of shinobi... is over." Kawaki answered.

"I'm still..." He took out a scratched headband and wore it, tying it tightly around his forehead as a mark raced from his right hand to his forehead, revealing a white eye in his right eye. "A shinobi!"

"That's enough! You fools!" Nagato floated upwards into the air once again. His blue eyes flashed red before revealing a Red Rinnegan with six tomoes inside it on his right eye. A massive outward force was unleashed as it opened, sending the atmosphere reeling.

A black rod, standing as tall as him, materialized in his right hand. He twirled it briefly before leveling it at the two of them. "Or I'll be compelled to intervene, and I won't hesitate," he warned sternly.

The two combatants on the ground disregarded Nagato's warning and charged at each other. With an almost deafening clash, they locked their weapons. Nagato descended rapidly, his weapon arcing over the duel, resulting in a cataclysmic explosion that sent rocks and dust flying, obliterating the Hokage faces.

...

...

...

"Haah!" Jolting awake from his dream was Nagato Uzumaki. "What was that just now?" He huffed as he calmed his ragged breathing.

He remembered the sequence from the first episode of the show, but he didn't remember seeing any more than this mysterious Kawaki and Boruto. And he certainly was not there. What was with his eyes? He didn't know why and how he had a Rinnegan, with six tomoe no less, and that force when it was activated.

He didn't know what or how it would happen in the future. He only had knowledge until the Chunin Exams where Boruto cheated, but that was because he didn't train as much. Now, he doubted that Boruto would cheat.

"The graduation exams are three months away at most. Good thing I mastered Rasengan," he remembered his training with Boruto, which was five months ago. His chakra had grown with him spending more and more time on training, and he had gained proficiency in his Byakugan.

His Byakugan seemed to be a superior version of the normal ones, with a slight shade of teal inside it, he felt a cold chill down his spine as he remembered his eyes from the dream, it was cold....Way too cold

Walking out of the house, Nagato planned to go to the training place where Kakashi had called him yesterday. As he entered the training ground, he noticed that no one was there, recalling Kakashi's habit of being late. 

Suddenly, a kunai came hurtling towards him. He swiftly turned around, activating his Byakugan. The kunai was no match for the force of his Byakugan, and it fell harmlessly at his feet.

"So, that's how you want to play, huh?" Veins popped up on Nagato's forehead as his white Byakugan eye began scanning every corner of the training ground with ease.

"Found you!" Nagato swiftly threw a kunai that hit the ground, glowing brightly before exploding. The explosion revealed a baffled Kakashi who had used an earth jutsu to hide while his shadow clone had thrown kunai at his student.

"Heh, pretty good," Kakashi complimented Nagato as he jumped up from inside the hole caused by the explosion.

"Now, come at me!" Kakashi challenged, putting his right hand in his pocket and extending his left hand forward, palm facing him.

Using his Swift Style, a combination of Lightning and Wind Release, Nagato disappeared from Kakashi's view. He reappeared behind Kakashi with incredible speed and swiftly dropped an exploding tag on the ground before vanishing again.

Kakashi, while acknowledging Nagato's speed, managed to keep up with his movements. His years of experience and the training he had undergone made it possible for him to track Nagato's swift actions. When the explosion occurred, Nagato expected Kakashi to employ a substitution jutsu, which indeed happened.

Turning around just in time to dodge a kunai that could've cut open his throat, he felt death looming over him for the first time in his life.

This had a remarkable effect as his body became a blur, with adrenaline surging through him. He sensed Kakashi's killing intent, causing the hairs on his neck to stand up.

Kakashi had indeed released a small-scale killing intent to gauge his student's reaction.

What he observed didn't disappoint him either. His student was prepared to take a life if necessary, even though Kakashi knew these were peaceful times. One could never be too cautious.

Avoiding a kunai and jumping back, he swiftly made some hand signs. "Water Style: Water Bullets!" he chanted as he unleashed dozens of high-speed water bullets. Of course, he anticipated that Nagato would evade them.

Nagato skillfully weaved through the water bullets, but he didn't anticipate them scattering and falling all over the place.

Sensing something amiss, he turned around upon hearing birds chirping, only to realize it was a Chidori! "Shit!" he cursed as the lightning coursed through the water, electrocuting him.

After a moment to regain his composure, he teleported to the kunai he had thrown at Kakashi earlier, sinking to his knees as he took deep breaths.

"And that's how you die at wars!" Hearing Kakashi's cheerful voice, Nagato looked up, only to realize that a kunai was pointed at his neck.

"I guess I'm still an academy student after all," he said sheepishly, avoiding eye contact with his teacher.

"Come on, we train till night!" Kakashi suddenly seemed to channel his inner Might Guy.

"Hai! Sensei!" Nagato enthusiastically followed the path of a certain pink-haired protagonist as he raised his hand and yelled.

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I'm opting to bypass the graduation exam and providing a brief overview of the missions before delving into the Chunin exams. So what do you guys think?

Feel free to leave some power stones, and don't hesitate to provide constructive criticism and suggestions. Your feedback will be appreciated!

God bless you and good luck

 ~Your friendly neighborhood author.