Chapter 10: Endangered?
Itsuki Tanaka!! Hey Itsuki are you listening to me?!
While Itsuki's mind are in Chaos, someone tap his shoulder. "Hey Tanaka, Iruka Sensei is Calling you and he's angry now."
Itsuki snapped and look at the boy who tap his shoulder then looked at Iruka.
"I've been calling you many times and you're not answering me. Give me a good explanation why are you ignoring my call, itsuki."
"U-uhhhh" Itsuki's mind became more chaos. He didn't know what to say or he could say because he's afraid or he's in Danger. Itsuki's thought "what should I say?" As Iruka impatient grew "ahhh I know"
"I-it's because just remember my Mother and Father who died. I'm sorry Sensei for being close minded during your class." Itsuki say that whit sad face and tone like he really lost his parents.
*Iruka "o-ohhh I see. It's fine and I'm sorry hear what happened to your parents Tanaka."
*Itsuki's mind* "I can't believe that would work, I don't even know if this body has a parents or family. Why do I feel like I'm some kind of jerk."
Istsuki seated on his chair and his thought shifted on his current main problem.
----
The academy's halls buzzed with chatter and laughter as students dispersed after the day's lesson, heading home or lingering to chat. Itsuki, however, lingered in the quiet corners of his mind. The day had been uneventful on the surface, but the subtle shifts in the way people treated him were becoming more noticeable with each passing hour.
He could feel eyes on him—more than usual. It wasn't paranoia, it was observation. Years of being a youth in a world full of nuances had sharpened his instincts, and his newfound life in the Naruto universe had only enhanced his awareness. Something was off, though it wasn't obvious. Not yet.
Naruto, Kiba, and Shikamaru's words echoed in his head as he packed up his things.
*Created your own Taijutsu*, *You're a genius*.
Itsuki wasn't sure how to feel about it all. He wasn't supposed to stand out this much. If anything, he had intended to lie low, blend in, and avoid attention until he could understand his situation more fully. But now, the whispers among the students had spread, and worse, his spars with Kiba and Naruto had ignited curiosity—dangerous curiosity. And not just from his peers.
He exited the classroom, trying to ignore the furtive glances from the other students. As he walked down the narrow street towards his apartment, the shadow of the Hokage Mountain looming in the distance, a nagging feeling clung to him. He couldn't shake the sense that someone was watching him, that something had shifted in the village since the spar.
---
From the dim, hidden corridors beneath Konoha, a pair of cold, calculating eyes watched Itsuki's every movement through reports. Danzo Shimura sat quietly, fingers intertwined, as he examined the file of this mysterious transfer student.
"*Itsuki Tanaka...*"
The name was unfamiliar, and that in itself was already suspicious. He had entered the academy late—very late. But that wasn't what had piqued Danzo's interest. No, it was the reports of his abilities, the whispers that had reached his ears from the ANBU watching the academy. A boy who had supposedly created his own Taijutsu? That was unusual. And in a village where unusual often meant dangerous, Danzo had made it his business to know every potential threat or asset before they had a chance to grow.
"Report."
One of Danzo's Root members knelt before him, masked and silent. His presence, a shadow in the dimly lit room, exuded a sense of quiet obedience, his loyalty unquestioning.
"The boy, Itsuki Tanaka. What do we know about him?"
The masked shinobi hesitated briefly. "He is an orphan. No known ties to any prominent clan. He transferred into the academy two years later than the others and has shown remarkable physical and mental capabilities, despite his lack of formal training before entering the academy."
"Remarkable, how?" Danzo's voice was cold, devoid of emotion.
"During a sparring session, it was reported that he demonstrated a unique form of Taijutsu—one that he claims to have invented himself. He easily outmaneuvered other students, including Kiba Inuzuka and Naruto Uzumaki. No chakra-based abilities were observed, but his physical skills were far beyond what one would expect of an ordinary academy student."
Danzo's fingers tapped the edge of his desk thoughtfully. "A boy with no clan, yet such talent. Either he is hiding something… or he is something."
"What kind of Taijutsu is it?"
"I heard it called Boxing. It only used hands and some kind of Footworks. That's only what I heard, Master Danzo."
Danzo leaned back, his eyes narrowing slightly. He wasn't one to act rashly, but something about this boy didn't sit right with him. He knew the importance of keeping an eye on potential threats, but he also knew that overt action could draw unnecessary attention.
For now, he would not intervene directly. A student creating a Taijutsu was not enough to warrant immediate action. But he would be watched. Carefully.
"Assign someone to monitor him," Danzo ordered, his voice quiet but firm. "No contact. Observe only. If he shows signs of anything beyond normal, I want to know immediately."
The masked shinobi bowed deeply and vanished from sight, leaving Danzo alone with his thoughts. "Boxing, what a weird and Interesting name."
---
As Itsuki neared the edge of the village, the weight of unseen eyes seemed to lessen. The busy streets of Konoha opened up into quieter alleyways, the noise of the marketplace fading as he entered the less-traveled parts of the village near his apartment. The sun was setting, casting long shadows over the rooftops, and Itsuki felt a strange sense of calm despite the day's strange tension.
"Maybe it's nothing," he muttered to himself. But even as he said it, he couldn't shake the feeling of being observed, of something just out of reach watching him from the shadows.
*But who would care about me?* he thought. *I've kept a low profile... at least, I've tried to.*
His mind wandered back to the sparring match, to Naruto's loud proclamations about his "Boxing Taijutsu." Damn Naruto for having a big mouth. He hadn't intended to attract so much attention. Now it seemed like half the class thought he was some kind of prodigy. The truth was more complicated. He hadn't even scratched the surface of what he could do. "I shouldn't have say that I created that Naruto, instead I should have say that someone or my Father is the one who teaches me that. Sighed."
As he opened the door to his small apartment, Itsuki let out a long sigh. His apartment was sparse, just a bed, a desk, and a few basic belongings. Being an orphan in Konoha hadn't exactly afforded him luxury, but it was enough. Enough to train, enough to survive.
He walked to the window, staring out at the darkening sky, his reflection faintly visible against the glass. His silver-white hair glowed in the dim light, a stark contrast to the warm colors of the sunset.
*I didn't ask for this,* he thought bitterly. *This wasn't supposed to be my life.*
For a moment, he felt a pang of longing for his old world, for the family and life he had left behind. But that feeling had dulled over time, buried under the weight of this new reality. Two years had passed, and he had come to terms with his existence here. Yet, the loneliness of being trapped in a world where no one knew the real him still gnawed at him sometimes.
"I thought I already overcame it and moved on them, but this feeling of loneliness and missing my mother who always worried about me and won't stop talking when she punishes me and my Father who's always Nonchalant but cares a lot and my sweet sister who always called me Big brother."
Suddenly, a rustling sound from outside his window snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned sharply, eyes scanning the rooftops, the streets, but saw nothing.
Still, that feeling of being watched persisted.
Itsuki's instincts screamed at him—someone *was* there, someone was watching. But why? And who? Is it root or anbu? His chakra remained steady, undisturbed. He wasn't in immediate danger, but the knowledge didn't make him feel any less uneasy.
Stepping away from the window, he made his way to the center of the room and sat down, crossing his legs. He hadn't been able to tap into the true potential of his eyes yet, but his chakra control was steadily improving. He closed his eyes and began to focus, letting his chakra flow through his body in gentle waves.
*I need to be ready,* he thought. *If Danzo or anyone else comes after me, I need to be able to defend myself.*
He could feel it—deep within him, something powerful stirring, waiting for the right moment to awaken. His Infinite Mirror Eyes, a gift he didn't fully understand yet, but one he knew would change everything when the time came.
For now, he would train, observe, and keep his head down. But if Danzo or anyone else thought he was just another orphan to be used or discarded, they were sorely mistaken.
Because Itsuki was done being a passive observer in this world.
He was going to survive.
And when the time came, he would be ready.
---
Meanwhile, from a distant rooftop, the masked figure assigned by Danzo watched Itsuki through the narrow slit of his mask, blending seamlessly with the shadows. His orders were clear—observe, report, do not engage. But even from this distance, he could sense it—something about this boy was different.
He wouldn't underestimate him.
LESSON LEARNED: DON'T TAKE SOMETHING THAT ISN'T YOURS AND DON'T.