The hum of cicadas echoed softly through the air. Morning light filtered through the tall windows of the Ninja Academy, casting golden streaks across wooden floors that creaked gently under worn sandals. A faint breeze drifted in, carrying with it the earthy scent of fresh dew and damp soil.
By the window, in the far corner of the classroom, stood Asmodeus.
Black hair, pale skin, and eyes white as bone—no irises, no visible pupils. Just a strange, quiet glow.
He stood there silently, arms folded, expression unreadable. There was no dramatic posture, no scowl of superiority. Just calm. Like still water hiding a strong current beneath.
He didn't draw attention with noise.
He drew it by simply being there.
A few students stole glances, unsure whether to ignore him or ask questions. But something in their instincts told them not to speak.
He wasn't supposed to be here.
The graduation had ended three days ago. Team rosters had been finalized. Excited genin filled the streets, dreaming of missions and glory. Yet somehow, today…
Team 7 had four members.
"What do you mean we've got another guy?!"
Naruto Uzumaki's voice rang out with the subtlety of a gong. "It was supposed to be us three! Me, Sasuke, and Sakura!"
Sakura crossed her arms tightly. "I saw the team sheet. His name wasn't on it."
Her gaze flicked toward the window. Her voice lowered a little. "Who even is he?"
Asmodeus didn't look at them, but he heard it all.
He watched their body language.
Naruto's fiery, emotional energy.
Sakura's cautious curiosity.
Sasuke's… stillness.
The Uchiha stood with his back to the wall, eyeing Asmodeus in silence. Not with suspicion—but with assessment. There was a flicker in his expression. A subtle shift in weight. The kind a warrior makes when he senses someone dangerous.
Asmodeus finally looked up.
Just a fraction—just enough to let the light catch the curve of a faint, almost lazy smirk.
He didn't force tension.
He let it build.
He had seen this exact moment before.
Every movement. Every word. The way Naruto's hands flailed, the slight pinch in Sakura's brow, the way Sasuke's chin lifted just slightly when he felt someone might be better than him.
He remembered it all.
This time, he was inside it.
"Alright, settle down."
Iruka entered, clipboard in hand, looking half-exhausted already. He walked to the front of the room, but paused for the briefest second when his eyes landed on Asmodeus.
A breath. A hesitation.
Then his voice resumed. Smooth. Official.
"You'll meet your jonin instructor soon—Kakashi Hatake. But before that, I need to clarify something."
He turned to Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke.
"This is Asmodeus. He's not a transfer. He didn't fail the exams. His assignment comes directly from the Hokage's office. That's all you need to know."
Naruto blinked. "Wha—? That's all? Just like that?!"
Sakura whispered, "Special orders from the Hokage...?"
Sasuke didn't say a word. His arms were still crossed. But his eyes narrowed slightly.
Iruka handed Asmodeus a sealed letter—red wax, engraved with the Leaf's crest.
"Take this. Go wait on the roof. Your sensei will be there shortly."
Asmodeus gave a slight nod, stepping out without a word. But not before casting a quick glance back at the room—just enough for Sasuke to catch it.
The rooftop breeze was steady. A single crow glided overhead, circling lazily in the sky.
Naruto lay on his back, staring at the clouds. "I hope our sensei's not lame... I want missions. Real ones. Not chores."
Sakura sat nearby, close enough to Sasuke that it was obvious. She glanced at Asmodeus now and then but tried not to look too interested.
Asmodeus stood near the railing, cloak fluttering lightly. He stared out over the village—not with nostalgia, but with thought.
He could feel Sasuke analyzing him. It wasn't hostile—just that calculated, Uchiha way of measuring worth.
He respected it.
"…So what's your deal?" Naruto finally asked, sitting up with a grunt. "You've been quiet this whole time. You mute or something?"
Asmodeus didn't answer right away.
Sakura added, "Maybe he's just not a talker, Naruto."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "We're supposed to be a team. That means talking! Communicating! Not being a creepy statue."
Finally, Asmodeus turned his head. His voice was smooth. Low. Calm—but firm.
"Sorry, I Just got Lost in Thinking"
Naruto blinked. "…Huh?"
Sakura frowned. "That's kind of rude, don't you think?"
Asmodeus's expression softened—just a touch. A quiet chuckle slipped out. Controlled. But real.
"Maybe." He looked toward the clouds. "But you'll understand soon enough."
Sasuke glanced sideways. That laugh—it wasn't mocking. It was calculated. Like someone playing along for now.
Hours passed.
Naruto had shouted and pouted and almost climbed down the wall.
Sakura groaned. "He's so late…"
Sasuke looked ready to leave altogether.
Asmodeus? Still leaning against the railing, arms crossed. Watching. Thinking. Listening.
Then—
Poof.
A burst of smoke.
From it stepped a silver-haired man in a face mask, orange book in one hand and a sleepy eye visible above.
"Yo."
Naruto jumped. "YOU'RE LATE!"
Kakashi blinked slowly. "I got lost on the road of life."
Sakura stared. Sasuke clicked his tongue.
But Kakashi… paused. Just slightly. When his eye met Asmodeus.
He recovered quickly, but the shift was there.
He knows. Asmodeus thought. Good. Let him wonder.
Kakashi smiled. "Let's get to know each other. Come down to the training field."
As they started moving, Asmodeus trailed behind, hands tucked in his sleeves. His posture was relaxed, almost too relaxed. But his steps were deliberate. Silent.
Kakashi glanced back once. Then again.
Asmodeus didn't look at him.
But his smile widened ever so slightly.
This game had just begun.
And Asmodeus?
He was already two steps ahead.
Training Ground – The Bell Test Begins
The training field was silent—peaceful, almost too peaceful.
Tall trees bordered the open field, casting shifting shadows over the grass. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves, and a lone timer sat ticking on a rock beside Kakashi, who stood calmly with two bells swaying from his hip.
"This is your true test," Kakashi said, tone neutral. "Two bells. Only two of you will pass."
Naruto's mouth fell open. "WHAT?! But there's four of us!"
Sakura blinked. "Wait—how does that even—?"
Kakashi flipped a page of his book with disinterest. "Come at me with the intent to kill. Fail, and you go back to the Academy."
Silence dropped like a blade.
Naruto clenched his fists. "Tch! This is totally unfair!"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, calculating.
Asmodeus? He stared at the bells—not surprised, not panicked. Just… reading between the lines.
He already understood the game.
Kakashi's visible eye lingered on him for a moment longer than the others.
Then—
"Begin."
Naruto charged first, all loud energy and zero stealth.
"YAAAH! I'm gonna get those bells!"
Kakashi vanished.
A substitution log slammed into Naruto mid-air, and he face-planted with a groan.
Sakura yelped. Sasuke moved into the trees like a shadow, cautious and sharp.
Asmodeus had already disappeared.
No sound. No movement. Just gone.
But unlike the others, Kakashi felt something.
A pressure. A presence.
He can't see me, Asmodeus thought. But he feels me.
He crouched silently on a thick branch above, golden eyes following Kakashi's every step. His breath was steady. Heartbeat calm. He observed the way Kakashi moved—how he favored his left side, the fraction of delay in his backstep, the subtle lift in his shoulder before tossing a kunai.
He didn't strike. Not yet.
Sasuke leapt from behind a tree and launched three kunai. Kakashi parried with minimal effort.
"Not bad," he said.
Sasuke lunged. "Fire Style—Fireball Jutsu!"
A blaze of fire tore through the clearing, casting flickering light through the smoke.
But Kakashi wasn't there.
Sasuke spun—too late. A foot swept him off balance, and Kakashi flipped him down hard.
"Too predictable," Kakashi muttered.
Sasuke gritted his teeth, humiliated.
Suddenly, Kakashi stiffened.
There it is again… that presence.
Asmodeus stepped out from behind a tree—calm, quiet, but not cold. Just focused.
"You've been watching," Kakashi said, eye narrowing.
"I like to understand my opponent," Asmodeus replied. Then, with a smirk: "Makes victory cleaner."
Naruto, covered in scratches and twigs, looked over. "Whoa—wait, when did you get here?!"
Asmodeus chuckled faintly. "I've been here. You just make a lot of noise."
Naruto huffed. "HEY!"
Asmodeus Moves – Strength and Strategy
Suddenly, Asmodeus vanished—this time with visible speed.
Kakashi barely tracked the movement as a kunai scraped past his mask. He flipped backward, surprised.
Asmodeus followed, faster.
Kakashi blocked the first hit, ducked the second—but Asmodeus's physical strength staggered him. His arm trembled from the parried blow.
He's stronger than the Uchiha… this isn't normal genin power.
Asmodeus didn't relent.
Each strike was calculated—not wild, but still intense. The blows came with precise angles, trained efficiency, and subtle unpredictability. His footwork was advanced. His physical power pushed Kakashi on the back foot.
Kakashi jumped back, dust skidding under his sandals.
Who the hell is this kid?
Asmodeus didn't press. He stopped.
"Done?" Kakashi asked.
"No," Asmodeus replied, voice calm. "Just thinking."
He vanished again—this time above.
Kakashi spun too late. A glint of metal. The bell jingled.
A kunai rested right at Kakashi's ribs.
Not touching. But close enough.
Kakashi blinked.
"You could've taken it."
"I could've," Asmodeus said, stepping back and sheathing his blade. "But that's not the point of the test, right?"
Kakashi stared… then slowly smiled.
Later, three of them were tied to wooden posts. Naruto flailed. Sakura pouted. Sasuke sulked.
Asmodeus leaned casually nearby, arms crossed.
Kakashi looked at them all. "Those who break the rules are scum…"
"…but those who abandon their comrades are worse," Asmodeus finished, his tone smooth, eyes half-lidded.
Kakashi paused. "You knew."
Asmodeus tilted his head. "It wasn't hidden well."
Naruto blinked. "Wait—THAT was the point?!"
Sasuke glanced sideways at Asmodeus, frustrated. He figured it out before me… again.
Kakashi untied the rest. "You all pass. Even you," he said with a curious look at Asmodeus. "Surprise addition."
They received bentos. Naruto cheered. Sakura sighed with relief.
Asmodeus sat under a nearby tree, close but not overbearing. He opened his food slowly.
"You gonna eat that, quiet guy?" Naruto asked.
"Mm." Asmodeus popped a bite into his mouth. "I'm not skipping meals for you, dobe."
Naruto blinked—then laughed.
Sasuke gave a small grunt that could almost be called a smirk.
Sakura just shook her head.
And Kakashi? He looked up at the golden-haired boy with narrowed eyes.
There's something about him… something dangerous. And controlled.
But for now—Kakashi smiled.
Let the story begin.