Disclaimer: This story is 100% AI-generated fanfiction based on the Naruto universe. Characters, settings, and lore belong to Masashi Kishimoto. No copyright infringement intended.
Training Ground 3 – Twilight
Kakashi perched in the shadow of a gnarled oak, Sharingan flickering as he watched Naruto hurl a barrage of shadow clones at a weathered training post. Each clone dissolved in a puff of smoke the moment it struck, their chakra spiking erratically—orange flaring gold, gold bleeding black.
"Dammit!" Naruto punched the post, knuckles splitting. The scar on his cheek pulsed like a second heartbeat, casting jagged shadows across the dirt. "Why won't you just work?!"
Kakashi's eye narrowed. Through the Sharingan, Naruto's chakra resembled a storm—chaotic, laced with tendrils of alien energy that twisted like serpents. Minato's seal is unraveling, he realized. And the boy doesn't even know.
The Confrontation
"You gonna stare all night, or actually teach me something?!"
Naruto's voice cracked across the field. He stood panting, hands on his knees, glaring at the tree line where Kakashi lurked.
Kakashi stepped into the open, hands raised in mock surrender. "Maa, Naruto… I was just admiring your… enthusiasm."
"Cut the crap!" Naruto stormed forward, scar glowing. "Why are you always watching me?! The Hokage's orders? Scared I'll blow up the village?!"
"Maybe I'm just invested in my future Hokage." Kakashi's eye curved into a smile. "Gotta make sure you don't trip over your own sandals during the inauguration."
"Stop lying!" Naruto's fist clenched, golden chakra licking his wrist. "I'm not stupid! I see the way everyone looks at me now—like I'm a bomb about to explode!"
For a heartbeat, Kakashi saw Minato—really saw him—in the jut of Naruto's jaw, the fire in his blue eyes. Same stubbornness. Same reckless hope.
"You're not a bomb," Kakashi said quietly. "You're a bridge. And bridges… they hold things together."
Naruto flinched, the gold in his chakra dimming. "Bridges can burn."
Minato's Grave – Midnight
The moon hung low over the memorial stone, its surface slick with dew. Kakashi knelt, fingertips brushing the engravement: Fourth Hokage – Namikaze Minato.
"You never told me about the rifts," he murmured. "Was this your plan all along? Use him as bait? As a sacrifice?"
Wind rustled the leaves. Somewhere in the forest, a branch snapped.
"He's just like you," Kakashi whispered, voice hardening. "Too kind. Too willing to die for everyone else."
He stood, turning to leave—and froze.
A single crow perched on a nearby tombstone, its feathers tipped in gold. The creature tilted its head, one gleaming eye fixed on Kakashi.
"You," Kakashi breathed, reaching for a kunai.
The crow croaked, a sound like grinding bones, and exploded into a swirl of golden ash.
Back in his apartment, Kakashi unrolled the Yuki no Mōmoku scroll. The spiral symbols glowed faintly, revealing a new line of text:
"The bridge burns at dawn."
Outside Naruto's window, the crow watched.