Chapter 3: The Awakening
But tonight, something felt… different.
His head throbbed faintly, a dull ache that had been growing worse throughout the day. At first, he chalked it up to the usual stresses of adjusting to this new world, but now, as the pain intensified, he couldn't ignore it anymore. He placed a hand on his forehead, trying to steady his breathing. The pressure behind his eyes built up like a storm threatening to break.
"What's going on?" Itsuki muttered, gritting his teeth. He had dealt with headaches before, but this was different. There was something deeper, something beyond the physical pain. It was as though something inside him was shifting, awakening.
The world around him began to blur. The colors of the sky, the trees, even the distant lights of the village seemed to swirl together. His vision flickered in and out, like a faulty television screen. His heart pounded in his chest as he pressed his hands against his eyes, trying to block out the disorienting sensations.
But then, it happened.
A sudden, sharp pulse shot through his head, forcing his eyes wide open. And in that moment, everything changed.
The world snapped into focus—crystal clear, sharper than anything he had ever experienced before. He could see everything. The individual blades of grass swaying in the wind. The faintest movement of the leaves in the trees. The distant flicker of a firefly, far off near the village, barely visible to the naked eye.
But it wasn't just clarity. There was… something more. There was a depth to his vision that hadn't been there before. He could feel the energy around him, the chakra in the air, the life force of the village itself. It was overwhelming, yet oddly familiar, as if a part of him had always known it was there, just out of reach.
"What… is this?" Itsuki whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of awe and fear.
He blinked, and the world shifted again. This time, the colors of his vision changed. A deep red hue bled into the edges of his sight, and for a split second, he saw them—six distinct tomoe, spinning lazily within his irises, overlapping with an ethereal blue glow. They seemed to pulse with life, as though they were attuned to something far beyond his comprehension.
Instinctively, he knew this wasn't normal. This wasn't a part of the world as he knew it from the anime or manga. This was something new, something entirely his own. But he didn't understand it—not yet.
He closed his eyes tightly, forcing the strange sensations to subside. Slowly, the world returned to normal, the overwhelming clarity fading until his vision was back to its regular state.
Itsuki's heart raced as he sat there, still processing what had just happened. His mind was filled with questions, but he knew one thing for certain: whatever had just awakened within him, it was powerful. And dangerous.
---
Over the next few weeks, Itsuki couldn't stop thinking about that moment. The clarity, the energy, the strange tomoe—he had seen them before. The Sharingan. He knew the signs from the anime. But there was more. The blue aura, the overwhelming clarity of vision—it reminded him of another power: the Six Eyes from *Jujutsu Kaisen*. But that shouldn't be possible… right?
Yet, here he was, stuck in the world of *Naruto*, reincarnated as a child, with a combination of powers that defied everything he thought he knew about this universe.
As the days passed, Itsuki began to experiment in secret, trying to summon the strange eyes at will. He would stare at his reflection in the mirror, focusing until he could feel the shift in his vision. Eventually, after much effort, he could bring them forth at will—his Infinite Mirror Eyes.
With each awakening, he learned more. The tomoe gave him a glimpse of the Sharingan's potential—heightened perception, the ability to track movements, and even a slight increase in his reaction time. But the blue glow, the essence of the Six Eyes, offered something entirely different. He could see chakra, not just as a vague energy field, but as intricate patterns and flows within people and objects.
It was a strange fusion, one that gave him insight into the very mechanics of the world around him. Chakra networks, movements, intentions—everything became clearer, more understandable.
Still, he was careful. He didn't fully understand the scope of his power, and he wasn't about to reveal it to anyone. Not yet. This world was dangerous, and he knew better than to expose his abilities before he was ready.
But with every day that passed, he grew stronger. His control over his eyes improved, though they still drained his energy if he used them for too long. There were limits, and those limits forced him to train diligently, both physically and mentally, to prepare for whatever lay ahead.
---
Two years later...
Itsuki stood in front of the Academy gates, his hands buried in the pockets of his simple, worn-out clothes. The years had changed him. He had grown taller, leaner, and stronger. His once-depressed mind had been replaced with quiet resolve. His new world was no longer a prison—it was a place of opportunity.
Over the two years, Itsuki had come to terms with his eyes, though they remained a mystery in many ways. He had grown familiar with the tomoe and the Sharingan's abilities, but the full potential of the Six Eyes eluded him. He could see chakra, understand its flow, but he couldn't yet tap into the full reserves of energy that he sensed within him.
He still hadn't told anyone about his abilities. Not the caretakers at the orphanage, not the other children, and certainly not any of the shinobi he occasionally saw patrolling the streets. This was his secret to keep.
But now, standing at the gates of the Academy, he knew things were about to change. He would be joining the Academy two years late, with a strange power that set him apart from everyone else. And sooner or later, someone would notice.
As he stepped into the classroom, his mind was calm, focused. He was no longer the lost, disoriented boy who had been brought into this world. He was Itsuki Tanaka, a student of Konoha's Ninja Academy—and he had a purpose.