Hokage Office – After the Mission
The atmosphere was tense.
The air hung heavy, the scent of tobacco smoke curling lazily from Hiruzen's pipe, weaving slow, ghostlike spirals toward the ceiling. Beyond the paper-paneled windows, the first light of dawn crept in, casting long, golden shadows that stretched across the floor like quiet sentinels.
Tenzo stood at attention, his voice steady but low as he recounted the mission. Every detail. From the ambush to the massacre.
Kakashi stood beside him, arms folded, face unreadable.
Johan stood in silence, head slightly bowed.
Hiruzen said nothing at first. He just listened, eyes narrowed, pipe crackling faintly in the silence.
When Tenzo finished, the Hokage exhaled a long stream of smoke, as if releasing the weight of what he'd heard.
"…Team Ro did a good job," he said quietly.
His eyes lingered on Johan. There was something more there than praise. Worry. Wonder.
"You've earned some rest," he said. "Take a few days off. All of you."
He paused.
"Kakashi. Stay."
The others bowed slightly, murmuring thanks. Johan moved last. His steps were silent, heavy. He didn't meet Kakashi's eyes.
Then they were gone.
The door closed behind them with a soft thud, and a deeper quiet settled over the room.
Hiruzen turned, gaze sharp now, cutting through the air like a blade.
"What do you think, Kakashi?" he asked. "About all this. About him."
Kakashi sighed, long and tired. He didn't speak right away.
He moved toward the window, looked out over the rooftops of the village.
"He's good," Kakashi said finally. "Too good."
There was weight in his voice. Admiration and apprehension blended like bitter tea.
"I've seen prodigies, Lord Hokage. Seen what they can become… what they can lose in becoming it. Johan, he has the potential to surpass even Minato-sensei."
Hiruzen blinked, eyes flicking toward Kakashi in surprise. That name still held weight.
"…I think so too," Hiruzen murmured. "But you're worried."
Kakashi nodded, slowly. "I saw myself in him, today. Not the man I am now. The boy I used to be. Cold. Detached. Focused on the mission at any cost."
There was pain in his voice, buried under the mask.
Hiruzen's voice softened. "But he's not you."
"He's a kind child, just like Minato. But deep inside… he carries pain. Buried, restrained. The trauma... it's carved into every step he takes. Every life he ends, Even the way he fights.."
Kakashi's shoulders slumped slightly.
Hiruzen stepped forward, placing the pipe down gently.
"Even Minato," he said, "as kind as he was, was feared across the world. Power breeds fear. And fear... becomes armor."
He paused.
"But Johan… he protects. I see how he watches Naruto. How he moves when his brother is in danger. That bond, they draw strength from each other."
Kakashi's gaze lowered. "It's good to have someone close. I forgot what that felt like… for a long time."
Hiruzen looked at him then, really looked. Not as a subordinate, but as someone who'd carried too much for too long.
"It's a wound," Hiruzen said. "To lose those bonds. But it's also the reason we keep fighting."
Kakashi gave the faintest nod. There was guilt in his silence.
The old Hokage stepped back behind his desk, voice shifting.
"Konoha still breathes because of people like you… because of them. We have bright flames rising, ones that may surpass us, guarding the Leaf long after we're gone. One of them might even wear the Hokage's mantle one day… if you still choose to turn it down."
Kakashi gave a dry chuckle, rubbing the back of his head, avoiding Hiruzen's amused stare.
"Not my thing," he muttered. "Count me out."
Hiruzen let out a low, warm laugh, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "You're starting to sound like Jiraiya," he said, a hint of fondness in his voice.
Kakashi laughed a little.
Their laughter faded, leaving behind a quiet stillness. For a long moment, the two stood in silence, the only movement the slow drift of smoke curling through the air. Outside, the wind stirred gently, whispering through the leaves like an old lullaby.
Inside, the ghosts remained.
But so did the hope.
---
After stepping out of the Hokage's office,
Johan made his way to the top of the Hokage faces and stood there, looking down over the village below.
The stone visages stared ahead, unmoving, unfeeling. But he felt everything.
The soft breeze brushed against his face, cool against the faint warmth of dried blood still clinging to his collar. The village below was quiet, peaceful, for now.
He whispered, more to himself than anyone else, "I have to become much stronger… so that I'm ready when something like this happens again."
His voice carried no drama. Just truth. Cold, quiet, and unshakable.
Two years. That's all. Then the canon begins. Or what's left of it. Twisted, bent, fractured by his very presence.
Of course things will change. Because he's here. But he didn't care. Couldn't care.
The light didn't reach all corners of the village. Some shadows were older than war. And he could feel them watching. Waiting.
He wasn't a hero who would save them. But whoever stood against him... he would make sure their lives became a living hell. He would take their happiness, their peace, just as ruthlessly as what had been taken from him...
---
[Time Skip – Two Years Later]
In a dense forest far from Konoha, the air was thick with the sharp scent of scorched earth.
Two groups clashed violently, chakra-infused weapons, kunai, and jutsu tearing through trees, earth, and bodies alike. Fire met water, wind clashed with earth. Screams echoed through the trees, steel bit into flesh, and chakra sparked in midair.
The fight was balanced. brutal, but even.
Until he arrived.
A blur of movement landed silently on a high branch above the battlefield. Eyes sharp, unblinking. Calm.
The enemy forces paused, some scoffing at the sight.
"Hah... what's this? A kid?" one sneered. "Konoha must be scraping the bottom now."
Laughter followed. But not from all of them.
Their leader's eyes narrowed. "Shut up. If he's ANBU at that age, he's not someone you laugh at. Be careful."
A shadow stepped back and moved toward the boy. masked, composed, and silent as falling ash.
"Captain, you're back," the figure said respectfully.
The enemy froze.
One of them, pale and trembling, muttered, "Wait… he's the one leading them?"
Before they could process it, Johan raised a hand.
His fingers curled slightly, barely a gesture, yet the shift in atmosphere was instant, oppressive, suffocating, final.
A ripple of chakra spread across the forest like a silent scream.
And just like that, everyone stopped moving.
Paralyzed. Minds gripped in an invisible, suffocating genjutsu. Fear frozen on their faces.
Statues.
Johan's voice cut through the stillness like a knife.
"Finish it."
No hesitation. His team moved like ghosts.
Moments later, the clearing was silent again. this time, permanently.
Masu Sarutobi, wearing a monkey mask, approached Johan, admiration in his voice.
"Captain, your genjutsu... it's overwhelming. No one even realized they were trapped."
Tatsuma Aburame stepped forward, his moth mask glinting faintly. He gave a small, near-imperceptible nod. "Efficient," he whispered, emotionless.
Ryo Yamanaka, the one in the pig mask, stood beside them. Quiet. Observing.
Johan glanced at them, the mask of command slipping just enough for something warmer to emerge.
"Let's go," he said. "The mission's complete."
As they turned to leave, Ryo spoke up, voice casual. "You're in a hurry today, Captain. Something special?"
Johan paused.
A brief silence.
Then, in a softer tone, he replied, "My brother is graduating from the Academy today. I'm not missing it."
The mood shifted. Wariness replaced by warmth. A quiet ripple of respect passed through the team.
"Congratulations, Captain," Masu said sincerely.
"Yeah," Tatsuma added, barely above a whisper.
Ryo gave a thumbs up. "Tell him we said good luck."
Johan smiled a real, brief smile. "Thanks… really."
They disappeared into the trees, moving like shadows toward home.
---
As they traveled, Johan's smile faded.
His eyes hardened.
His thoughts twisted inward.
'It's been two years… So much has changed. I've become stronger. Faster. And captain of anbu Team Zero. I've made allies… friends.'
The word tasted foreign on his tongue.
His gaze drifted toward his team, moving ahead of him through the branches.
'Friends who would die for me without question. Loyal. Obedient. Effective.'
A pause.
'Good tools. Every shinobi needs them.'
He didn't smile now. Only stared into the forest ahead, wind in his hair, blood drying under his armor.
The village loomed in the distance, bathed in soft golden light. A symbol of peace. A lie they all agreed to protect.
Johan didn't believe in peace.
But he did believe in Naruto.
And for him... he'd become anything the world needed.
Even if that meant being the nightmare for the ninja world.