Konoha Year 66, Autumn — Hidden Grove Training Grounds
Leaves danced around Rafael as the wind whispered secrets.
He crouched in silence.
One trembling green leaf was pressed flat against his forehead. Sweat beaded at his temples.
"Control the flow. No more. No less."
His fingers formed a half-seal unconsciously. This wasn't a jutsu. It was chakra precision.
He wasn't learning from Konoha's textbooks.
He was recreating what he remembered—science disguised as myth.
---
Flashback: Earth Science — Cellular Conductivity
> "The chakra network mimics the nervous system," he whispered to himself. "Impulse-based regulation. Flow can be directed, but friction increases with instability."
The leaf fluttered.
Then fell.
He clicked his tongue.
"Too much flow in the frontal meridians."
He closed his eyes.
Breathed again.
Adjusted.
The leaf stuck.
He smiled faintly.
Step one: Mastered.
---
Scene: Hinata's Arrival
"You're doing it again," Hinata said softly from behind a tree.
He didn't look up. "Good. You're early."
She stepped forward shyly. "Is… is that leaf training?"
"It's a model," he replied. "To understand chakra adhesion." He picked up a stone, then placed it on the back of his hand.
It stuck.
Hinata's eyes widened.
"You're not just pushing chakra…?"
"No," Rafael said. "I'm regulating it. Chakra isn't just glue. It's energy. It vibrates. That resonance determines whether it attracts or repels."
He walked toward a tree.
Then calmly began walking up the trunk.
Without hand signs. Without effort.
Hinata gasped.
---
Training Together: Chakra Walking
"You try," he said.
Hinata gulped and approached the tree.
Her foot slipped.
Twice.
Then a third time.
"No. You're pushing chakra like a hose," he said. "Refine it. Don't flood."
"I—I'm trying—!"
He stepped beside her.
Pressed a finger against her back.
"Focus on your feet. Feel the bark. Adjust in real-time. Feedback loop."
She inhaled.
Then again.
Her foot stopped sliding.
She stood—upright—two feet off the ground.
Eyes wide. Heart racing.
"I—I did it!"
He gave a rare nod.
"Good."
---
Advanced Phase: Water Walking Theory
"Next," Rafael said, leading her to a creek nearby, "we'll try this."
Hinata stared at the slow-moving stream.
"But… I've only just started…"
"This is different," he explained. "Tree walking is adhesion."
He stepped onto the water surface.
And sank to the knees.
"…and this," he muttered, soaking wet, "is repulsion."
Hinata stifled a laugh.
He sighed, brushing hair out of his face.
---
Monologue: Chakra Mechanics
> "Chakra flows outward through the feet. To walk on water, you must push chakra while counteracting downward gravity. Too much and you bounce. Too little and you sink."
He tried again.
This time he lasted five seconds.
Hinata reached out in worry.
He waved her off.
"I'm close."
---
Scene Break: Hiruzen's Office — Telescopic Surveillance
In the Hokage Tower, the Third Hokage adjusted his crystal ball with a gloved hand.
The image focused: Rafael balancing shakily on the water's surface. Hinata cheering quietly from the edge.
"You see it?" Hiruzen asked.
Koharu and Homura, standing nearby, frowned.
"He's teaching chakra theory to a Hyuga girl."
"Not teaching," Hiruzen corrected. "Guiding."
Danzo entered silently from the shadows.
"Your pet grows bold."
Hiruzen didn't turn.
"He's growing," he said simply.
Danzo's eye narrowed.
"We've posted Root. They're watching."
"And?"
"He's… abnormal."
"I know."
---
Scene: Root Observation Post
From a hidden perch in the woods, two Root operatives observed silently through chakra lenses.
"He's teaching chakra feedback theory," one whispered. "Where did he learn that?"
"Unknown. His records are civilian."
"Danzo-sama will want a detailed report."
The other nodded grimly.
"And the Hyuga girl?"
"Showing rapid growth."
"Should we interfere?"
"Not yet."
---
Evening Training — Rasengan Phase 1
Rafael held a round rubber ball in his palm.
Hinata watched curiously.
"What's that?"
He answered without looking. "A lesson I've been waiting years to apply."
She tilted her head.
He raised the ball.
"Rasengan."
He pressed chakra into it. It wobbled, then popped.
Failure.
"Again."
---
Monologue: Rasengan Memory
> "Jiraiya taught Naruto through three steps. Rotation. Power. Containment."
"Naruto was clumsy. But I remember the process."
"If I can reproduce it now—step by step—I'll have my first A-rank technique before graduation."
He crushed another ball.
Hinata offered a new one.
"You're… rotating chakra inside it?"
He nodded. "It has to spin in multiple directions. Like a whirlpool fighting itself."
His fingers trembled.
"Containment comes last."
---
Week Progression: Rasengan Evolution
Each day, he destroyed more balls.
And each day, he refined the rotation.
Then power.
Then finally—he used a chakra shell to hold it all.
It didn't form the Rasengan. But it was close.
He called it:
> Proto-Rasengan: Stage 2.7
---
Perception Training — Hiashi's Bookmark
Night fell.
Hinata went home.
Rafael sat alone, eyes closed.
And activated Protagonist's Bookmark.
> Target: Hiashi Hyuga
Accessing: Perception Layer
Duration: 1 Minute
He felt it.
Eyes that could pierce skin, see chakra coils, detect lies through heartbeat rhythm.
He focused.
And tried to replicate it.
---
Meditation Technique: Chakra Sense
He sat in silence.
Slowly mapping chakra flow without Byakugan.
Every ant. Every breeze. Every cricket step.
He began to distinguish the shape of chakra not just in size—but in emotion.
It was crude.
But growing.
> "I'll develop a weaker form of Byakugan perception without the dojutsu," he whispered. "Then I'll enhance it further."
---
End Scene: Root Operatives Reporting
Root Operative knelt in front of Danzo.
"He's imitating the Byakugan without having it."
Danzo's eye narrowed.
"He has the Hyuga Head bookmarked," the agent said.
"Impossible."
"He predicted Hiashi's step patterns before he even moved."
Danzo's fingers clenched the cane.
"He's evolving faster than expected."
He turned.
"Activate deeper surveillance."
---
Final Scene: Rafael's Reflection
By the creek again.
Water under his feet.
A leaf on his forehead.
A chakra ball spinning in his hand.
Three elements.
Three principles.
Control. Power. Awareness.
He looked up at the stars.
"Let them watch," he whispered. "The longer they stare… the more they become part of my stage."
And the Proto-Rasengan spun faster.
---
The Proto-Rasengan spun faster.
It shimmered like a tiny blue comet in Rafael's palm, its unstable rotation feeding off pure willpower. But he let it fade—fingers curling gently around the chakra before it burst.
He exhaled, slow and even.
Then turned to the small firepit a few meters away, where Hinata Hyūga sat hugging her knees, her eyes watching him quietly.
The fire crackled softly. Her gaze didn't waver.
Hinata's Gift: The Precision of the Byakugan
"Your chakra control's improving," Rafael said as he sat beside her. "You're not wasting nearly as much."
Hinata looked down. "I-I'm still slow. Compared to you..."
He shook his head.
"You're not built for raw force," he said. "Your chakra is fine, controlled, like a thread through a needle."
She blinked.
He pointed at her pale eyes. "Byakugan doesn't just see. It tracks—blood vessels, tenketsu, movement pathways. You can learn medical jutsu faster than almost anyone."
"Medical…?"
"Precise chakra control. Accurate tenketsu strike mapping. Surgical-level vision. It's the same skill set."
She sat straighter, lips parted in surprise.
"You could also master long-distance weaponry—senbon sniping, archery, maybe even chakra-coated needles. The Hyūga never taught you this?"
She shook her head, almost ashamed.
Rafael's voice lowered. "Then I'll teach you."
Food, Tools, and Survival
The stew they shared was thin. Barely flavored.
Rafael stirred it in silence.
"You… don't have much," Hinata said softly.
"No."
She bit her lip. "The mission board isn't giving you tasks?"
"I'm still an academy student," Rafael replied flatly. "No missions. No stipends. No clan support."
"Then how…?"
"I fish behind the Hokage Mountain," he said. "Hunt wild animals. Sell the fur. Dry the meat."
Her eyes widened. "Alone?"
"Blind luck helps," he said with a faint smirk. "A wild boar slipped on wet moss and fell off a ledge. Broke its leg. My spear just finished the job."
She didn't laugh.
Instead, she quietly pulled a cloth pouch from her sleeve.
Inside—smoked fish. Rice. Three ration pills. Dango crumbs.
He blinked. "You—"
"I had extra," she said quickly, looking away. "It's not much."
"I'll pay you back," he murmured, staring at the food.
"You don't have to."
He didn't argue.
Instead, he took the pouch and set it beside his scroll. "Thank you."
Scavenged Arsenal
He unrolled his tool scroll—frayed at the edges.
Seven old shuriken.
Two chipped smoke bombs.
One scratch-made flash tag.
She winced. "Those are... all you have?"
He shrugged. "They work. Just need polish and some wire."
Hinata hesitated.
"I'll ask Father if I can... give you a few of mine. Temporarily."
His eyes met hers.
That quiet, stubborn softness was stronger than steel.
"…Thanks."
Dreams Bigger than the Village
After Hinata fell asleep near the campfire, Rafael remained awake.
Gazing at the stars.
Planning.
"I need money. Power. Knowledge."
He flexed his hand, chakra flowing between his fingertips.
GENETICS.
To understand dōjutsu. How chakra bloodlines could be grafted, evolved, or synthesized.
ENGINEERING.
Imagine chakra-reactive phones, chakra storage batteries, enhanced prosthetics.
He could recreate Earth's tech with shinobi materials.
"The Academy can't teach me this. But merchants, black market scrolls, rogue scrolls in Root storage…"
He smirked.
"One day, I'll sell chakra-powered phones to nobles… and steal their scrolls during shipment."
He looked over at Hinata.
"And one day… Karin Uzumaki. I'll bring her to my side."
Flashback — Academy Entrance Ceremony
Konoha Year 66, Spring.
Children gathered in front of the grand academy doors.
To his left—Naruto Uzumaki, wild and loud, declaring he'd be Hokage.
To his right—Sasuke Uchiha, brooding in silence, still untouched by tragedy.
Rafael observed them quietly.
"So these are the pillars of the future. But I'm the one with the Protagonist Trait."
Inside the hall, Hiruzen Sarutobi projected himself through a genjutsu illusion.
"Children of Konoha," the old man began. "You are the future flames. From today, the Will of Fire burns in each of you…"
"Brainwashing," Rafael muttered silently. "Subtle. Refined. Dangerous."
Rows of students filed in.
He took an open seat beside a girl with pale eyes.
Hinata.
She gasped softly when he sat next to her.
But he said nothing. Not yet.
Iruka's Introduction — First Declaration
"Alright, settle down!"
Iruka Umino entered with a clipboard.
"Let's introduce ourselves. Name, hobbies, and your dream."
The first few went by in whispers.
Then it was Rafael's turn.
He stood slowly.
The room went quiet.
"Rafael Gojo," he said.
Pause.
"I like food. Training."
He turned his head—met Hinata's eyes.
"And… I like her."
Half the class gasped.
Hinata nearly passed out.
But Rafael's gaze stayed steady.
"My dream?" he said at last.
"To become the strongest shinobi alive—"
He smiled faintly.
"—and to build an empire no one can ever take from me."
Iruka blinked.
"…Thank you, Gojo-kun."
The room stared.
Some in awe. Some confused. Others… afraid.
But one truth remained—
His story had already begun.
Present — The Fire Still Burns
The firewood popped.
The sky shimmered with distant constellations.
Hinata mumbled in her sleep, curled beside the tree.
And Rafael?
He stared at the stars.
"Hinata… Karin… strength… my empire…"
The Proto-Rasengan spun again.
This time—faster.