As The Kyuubi no Yoko in Naruto

Graduation was approaching, and with it came increased pressure from the academy instructors. But for Naruto, the real challenge wasn't in the classroom - it was in the compound's empty halls.

The spirits, as he thought of them, had grown wary. Where once he caught glimpses of past training sessions and techniques, now he mostly saw fleeting shadows.

The chakra imprints had learned to recognize his gaze, and they recoiled from it. Some would rather disperse temporarily than let themselves be perceived.

"You're doing it again, dobe," Sasuke said over breakfast, rice bowl halfway to his mouth. "The corners aren't going anywhere."

Naruto forced a laugh, but his eyes kept drifting. In the kitchen doorway, a flicker of what might have been his friend's aunt dispersed like smoke rather than let him see her clearly.

"Just thinking about the graduation exam," Naruto lied, pushing his own rice around. "The clone jutsu is still giving me trouble."

Sasuke set down his chopsticks. "We can practice after academy today. Your chakra control has gotten better, even Iruka-sensei noticed."

"Yeah, about that..." Naruto hesitated. How could he explain that his improved control came from nightly lessons with a man who he began to think lately might not even be real. "Maybe we could work on something else? Like that fire jutsu you've been practicing?"

"The Great Fireball? You're not ready for that." Sasuke's tone wasn't mocking, just matter-of-fact. "Besides, it's an Uchiha technique."

A flicker of movement caught Naruto's eye - another imprint, this one lingering longer than usual. For a brief moment, he saw hands forming seals, but the vision scattered as soon as the imprint noticed his attention.

"I could try," Naruto insisted, remembering the fragment of technique he'd glimpsed. "I've been watching you practice."

"Watching isn't enough. There's more to it than just the hand seals." Sasuke stood, gathering their breakfast dishes. "Come on, we'll be late for academy."

The walk to school took them through the village's awakening streets. Shopkeepers setting up their stalls turned away as the boys passed, their whispers following like shadows.

"Did you hear? They still live together in that cursed compound..."

"The demon child and the last Uchiha..."

"Can't believe the Hokage allows..."

Naruto had grown used to the whispers, but lately they carried a different weight. He understood fear better now, could almost taste it in the air when villagers saw them approach.

"Ignore them," Sasuke muttered, walking closer to his friend. "They don't understand anything."

At the academy, their classmates gave them the usual wide berth. Even the girls who once fawned over Sasuke kept their distance now, though their gazes still followed him with mixture of admiration and unease.

"Alright class," Iruka began, "today we'll be reviewing the transformation technique. Remember, this will be part of your graduation exam."

As students lined up to demonstrate, Naruto felt the familiar warmth in his mind, his dream-father's voice offering quiet guidance.

"Watch how their chakra flows," the voice whispered. "See how it shapes reality itself. Understanding this is more valuable than any single jutsu."

"Naruto! You're up next."

Stepping forward, Naruto formed the seals, but something unexpected happened. As his chakra molded for the transformation, he caught a glimpse of something beyond - layers of reality shifting, the technique's true nature revealed in ways he hadn't seen before.

The transformation was perfect, too perfect. His copy of the Third Hokage didn't just look right - it felt right, down to the subtle ways chakra moved through the aged body.

"Excellent work, Naruto," Iruka said, though his eyes held a hint of concern. "You've been practicing."

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto grinned, dropping the transformation. Behind him, he heard Sasuke shift slightly, recognizing something off in the performance.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of lectures and exercises. During lunch, Naruto and Sasuke sat in their usual spot under a tree, away from others.

"How did you do that?" Sasuke finally asked. "The transformation. It was different from your usual attempts."

Naruto poked at his lunch. "I just... saw it differently this time. Like I could feel how it was supposed to work."

"Like with the fire jutsu you want to learn?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What aren't you telling me, dobe?"

Before Naruto could answer, a flicker of movement caught his attention. Near the academy building, an imprint was forming - clearer than any he'd seen in weeks. The figure of a young Uchiha, practicing hand seals...

"Naruto?" Sasuke's voice pulled him back to the present. The imprint had already scattered, leaving only a lingering sense of unease.

"Sorry, teme. Just got distracted." Naruto forced himself to focus on his lunch. "And I'm not hiding anything. I've just been training hard."

"Hn." Sasuke clearly didn't believe him, but let the subject drop. For now.

After classes ended, they headed to the training grounds instead of going straight home. Other students quickly cleared the area upon seeing them approach, a fact that didn't escape either boy's notice.

"Show me," Sasuke demanded once they were alone. "Show me how you want to attempt the Great Fireball."

Naruto hesitated. The seals he'd glimpsed from the imprint were clear in his mind, but attempting an Uchiha technique felt wrong somehow. Not because of clan secrets, but because the imprints themselves seemed to resist his learning.

"I don't know if-"

"You brought it up this morning. Now prove you weren't just talking big, dobe."

Taking a deep breath, Naruto formed the seals. Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger. The chakra molded differently than for academy techniques, requiring more precision, more control.

Nothing happened.

"See? It's not just about-" Sasuke stopped mid-sentence as Naruto tried again, this time letting his other senses guide him. The way his dream-father had taught him to feel chakra's flow.

A small flame sputtered from his lips, nothing like Sasuke's impressive fireballs, but definitely not nothing.

"How?" Sasuke's Sharingan activated instinctively, studying his friend. "Who taught you the seals?"

"I told you, I watched you practice." Naruto's voice came out defensive. "I just... figured it out."

Before Sasuke could press further, an ANBU appeared in a swirl of leaves. "Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke. The Hokage requires your presence."

The walk to the Hokage Tower was tense. Naruto could feel Sasuke's questioning glances, but kept his eyes forward. In the shadows of buildings, he caught glimpses of imprints scattering at their approach, as if warning him.

"Father," he called silently to the warm presence in his mind. "What do I do?"

"Truth is a weapon, kit," came the gentle response. "Choose carefully when to reveal it."

The Hokage's office felt smaller than usual, more confining. The old man sat behind his desk, pipe smoke creating patterns in the air that seemed to move unnaturally to Naruto's enhanced perception.

"Naruto," the Third began, "your teachers report significant improvements in your performance. Would you care to explain?"

Naruto tilted his head, adopting his most innocent expression. "Is something wrong, Jiji? I've just been training really hard! Sasuke's been helping me too!"

The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed slightly, pipe pausing halfway to his lips. The boy's chakra control should be naturally poor - the sheer volume of his reserves, combined with the Nine-Tails' influence, should make fine manipulation nearly impossible. Yet here he was, performing perfect transformations.

"No, nothing's wrong," the old man said carefully. "I'm merely curious about your training methods. Your chakra control has improved significantly."

"Oh! Well, I practice a lot at night," Naruto grinned, bouncing slightly on his feet. "And sometimes my father helps me in my dreams! He explains things really well-"

"Naruto." The Third's voice carried a sharp edge, making both boys tense. "We've discussed this before. These dreams-"

"But they help!" Naruto protested, his voice carrying a hint of desperation that wasn't entirely feigned. "He shows me how to feel the chakra, how to make it work right!"

Sasuke watched the exchange silently, his mind working through implications. The dreams Naruto mentioned, the impossible knowledge of techniques, the way his friend sometimes seemed to see things that weren't there...

"And this... father figure," the Third continued, choosing his words carefully, "what exactly does he teach you?"

"Just normal stuff! Like how to not use too much chakra, and how to feel when it's flowing right." Naruto's eyes widened earnestly. "Is that bad? Should I not be getting better?"

The question hung in the air, a subtle challenge hidden beneath childish confusion. How could the Hokage say it was wrong for a student to improve? That better control was somehow wrong?

"No, Naruto," the Third finally sighed. "Improvement is not bad. You may both return to your training. Just... be careful with what techniques you attempt."

As they left the office, Sasuke cast one last look at his friend. The dobe was hiding something - or was hidden something from, something that made even the Hokage uneasy. But for now, he kept his questions to himself.

Behind them, the Third Hokage gripped his pipe tightly, watching smoke curl through the air. He was getting increasingly more frustrated by the day.

The Demon Fox was playing at something, he just couldn't see it all yet. For once in his long life, Hiruzen Sarutobi since his ascent to being Hokage, was truly afraid.