Naruto a Silent Change.

The heavy atmosphere inside the Hokage's office seemed to press against the walls, as if the air itself had frozen in disbelief. The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had weathered countless storms in his lifetime, sat behind his desk, his wrinkled hands trembling slightly as his eyes remained fixed on the boy before him.

Naruto Uzumaki stood there, confusion and exhaustion clouding his expression, while the terrifying ripple-patterned eyes — the Rinnegan, which only existed in ancient legends — slowly faded from his gaze, returning to the familiar ocean-blue that everyone knew.

The moment the Rinnegan vanished, it was as if the immense pressure in the room also dissolved. Yet, the lingering shock in Hiruzen's heart refused to fade.

The legendary dojutsu said to be possessed by the Sage of Six Paths… had appeared within the vessel of the Nine Tails.

How was this even possible?

Kakashi, who stood beside Naruto, silently observed the Hokage's expression, his usual lazy demeanor replaced by something far more serious. He had seen countless monsters on the battlefield, but what he witnessed from Naruto today...

It was beyond anything he could comprehend.

The terrifying insight, the overwhelming control over the battlefield, and the way Naruto read through every attack before it even happened...

That wasn't the power of a simple shinobi anymore.

That...

Was the power of a god.

"This... This is impossible..."

Hiruzen's voice trembled slightly as he spoke.

"...The Rinnegan... shouldn't exist in this world anymore..."

Naruto, who stood there, looked confused and lost. His hands clenched into fists as frustration and fear mixed within him.

"I... I don't know what happened, Jiji... I was just fighting... and then... my eyes changed... I could see everything... feel everything... I knew where they'd move... and how they'd attack before they even did..."

Kakashi's eyes darkened.

"...That's the power of the Rinnegan."

Naruto turned toward him with wide eyes.

"The Rinnegan...?"

Kakashi nodded.

"The eyes said to belong to the Sage of Six Paths himself. An ancient power that governs life and death... and possesses the ability to control the world itself."

Hiruzen's heart grew heavier as Kakashi's words filled the air.

This power…

It wasn't something meant to exist in this era.

And yet... It awakened within Naruto Uzumaki.

The worst part was...

Naruto himself didn't understand what he had awakened.

And that…

Made him even more terrifying.

Naruto's trembling voice broke the silence.

"Jiji... Am I... some kind of monster...?"

Hiruzen's eyes softened as he looked at the boy who had suffered endlessly since the day he was born.

The boy who bore the burden of the Nine Tails...

And now, awakened the most forbidden and legendary dojutsu in history.

"...No, Naruto," Hiruzen spoke with rare gentleness. "You are not a monster... but the world... will not see it that way."

Kakashi's Cold Warning

"For now..." Kakashi's calm voice echoed in the room, drawing everyone's attention.

"We must hide this. From the village... from the council... from everyone."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.

"If the higher-ups learn that Naruto possesses the Rinnegan... they'll view him as a threat to the entire shinobi world."

"...A threat...?" Naruto's voice cracked slightly.

Kakashi lowered his head.

"Naruto... you don't understand the weight of these eyes. The Rinnegan... is a power that could destroy nations... and reshape reality itself."

The young blond's fists tightened as he bit his lip.

"...Why... Why is it always me...?"

No one in the room had an answer to that.

And in that very moment...

Deep within Naruto's subconscious, within the darkness of his mind...

A cold, ancient voice echoed once more.

"This world has yet to witness... your true awakening."

Naruto's body stiffened slightly, hearing that strange voice again.

The same voice...

The one that spoke to him when he first lost control on the bridge.

Kakashi noticed Naruto's sudden daze.

"...Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head.

"...It's nothing."

Hiruzen's Final Decision

"From this moment forward," the Hokage's voice became heavy with authority,

"...No one shall know about this. Not even the other Jonin. Not even Jiraiya... or the council."

Naruto looked up, confused.

"Why...?"

Kakashi answered coldly.

"If the world discovers you possess the Rinnegan... you'll become a target for every village... every assassin... every monster that walks in the shadows."

Naruto's heart tightened.

At that moment...

As if mocking them all...

Naruto's chakra fluctuated violently, and once again...

The Rinnegan's ripple pattern flashed within his eyes.

Kakashi's Sharingan activated instantly.

"...It's appearing again...!"

But just as quickly as it came...

The Rinnegan vanished once more.

Hiruzen's sharp gaze locked onto Naruto.

"...The Rinnegan... is hiding within your body... like a sleeping beast."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes.

"...No. It's not the Rinnegan that's unstable. It's... Naruto's chakra that's rejecting it."

The Hokage's eyes trembled.

"...The Nine Tails... It's interfering with the Rinnegan's awakening..."

Naruto's heart pounded violently in his chest.

"...What... the hell... is happening to me...?"