Hope exists — but it is fragile

Haruto woke up like any other morning. The sunlight crept softly through the window, warming the room, but he barely noticed. Stretching and rubbing his eyes, he swung his legs off the bed and went about his usual routine.

He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and splashed cold water on his skin. The motions were automatic, familiar, comforting. Once he felt fresh, he wandered back into the room.

His gaze fell on the mirror in the corner. He caught a glimpse of himself—still sleepy, still messy-haired—but something tugged at him, some unplaceable feeling. Memories surfaced, uninvited:

People calling his eyes cute… his younger self laughing… fleeting moments of warmth that were gone now.

A lump formed in his throat. Tears welled up and blurred his vision, hiding the subtle changes that had taken place. Silver shimmered faintly behind the wetness, but he didn't notice.

He wiped his face, trying to shake off the sudden surge of emotion, and turned away.

Before he could fully leave, a familiar warmth wrapped around him from behind. Akari's arms held him gently, her presence steadying him.

"Haruto…" she whispered softly. "Your eyes… they've changed."

He froze, blinking against her words. "Changed… how?"

She guided his gaze back toward the mirror. Slowly, clearly now, he saw it himself—two silver eyes staring back, reflecting a version of him he hadn't yet realized.

Haruto blinked, staring at his reflection. Slowly, a smile tugged at his lips. His silver eyes—the eyes he had once thought lost forever—had returned. A warmth spread through his chest, and for the first time in so long, he felt whole again.

"Aka… they're back," he whispered, his voice trembling with disbelief and joy. "My silver eyes… they've returned."

His happiness was contagious, bubbling up so strongly he could barely contain it. Before Akari could say anything, he darted toward the door, his heart racing with excitement.

"Wait, Haruto!" Akari called, but he only laughed, the sound bright and free, as he ran down the stairs.

At the bottom, Ayame looked up from the breakfast table, her eyes widening in surprise. "Haruto? What's—"

Without a second thought, he threw himself into a hug, holding her tightly. Then, spinning slightly, he wrapped his arms around Kaito as well, grinning from ear to ear.

"My eyes! They're back!" he shouted, his silver gaze sparkling in the morning light. "They've returned! All of it… everything is back!"

Ayame and Kaito blinked, stunned for a moment, before their expressions softened into smiles. Akari caught up, standing just behind him, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder, sharing in the unspoken relief and joy.

For the first time in years, laughter and warmth filled the room. Haruto's silver eyes gleamed brightly, reflecting not just the sunlight, but the hope and happiness he had thought were gone forever.

After the joyful reunion, the triplets sat down for breakfast. The table was filled with simple food, but none of them cared much about it—Haruto's happiness was infectious, and even Ayame and Kaito found themselves smiling wider than usual.

"I can't believe it… your eyes really are back," Ayame said, shaking her head with a laugh.

Kaito nodded, still a little stunned. "It suits you… more than ever."

Haruto beamed, shoveling a piece of toast into his mouth. "I feel… amazing today!" he exclaimed, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice.

Breakfast finished, they quickly got ready for the Academy. Haruto zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, practically bouncing as he did so. Akari, holding his hand gently, guided them toward the front door.

"Be careful today," she said softly, though her eyes sparkled with amusement at Haruto's energy.

"I will! Don't worry!" Haruto chirped, his silver eyes gleaming. He turned to the triplets, grinning. "Let's go!"

The walk to the Academy was filled with chatter and laughter. Haruto's happiness seemed to radiate, pulling the others along with him. When they reached the Academy gates, he hugged Akari tightly.

"Bye, Aka! I'll see you later!" he called, practically bouncing on his toes.

"Take care, Haruto," she replied, smiling warmly as she waved.

Once inside, the triplets headed straight to their classroom. Haruto, still brimming with excitement, dropped his bag near his desk—and without even sitting down, dashed toward the washroom.

He caught sight of his reflection and couldn't help but grin ear to ear. His silver eyes sparkled brilliantly, more alive than they had in years. He touched his face lightly, as if confirming it was really him, and laughed softly to himself.

"This… this is amazing," he whispered, staring at his reflection, feeling a surge of hope and happiness that he hadn't felt in a long time.

Haruto pushed open the classroom door, still breathing fast from running back. His excitement was overflowing, impossible to hide. The moment he spotted Daigo at the front arranging some scrolls, Haruto couldn't stop himself.

"Daigo Sensei!!"

Daigo looked up—just in time for Haruto to rush forward and wrap him in a tight hug.

"Whoa— Haruto?" Daigo steadied himself, clearly surprised. "What's gotten into you this early?"

Haruto pulled back slightly, eyes shining. "Sensei… look!"

Daigo's gaze lifted—and froze. The morning light caught Haruto's face perfectly, revealing two bright silver eyes looking back at him.

"…Your eyes," Daigo said quietly. "They're back."

Haruto nodded quickly, smile shaking with pure happiness. "They returned this morning… Sensei, they really came back!"

Daigo placed a warm, steady hand on Haruto's shoulder.
"Good. Very good, Haruto. Hold onto this feeling."

The classroom erupted with soft excitement.

Yuna let out a tiny gasp, leaning forward eagerly.
Kaito smiled wide, looking genuinely proud of him.
Ayame's eyes went big and bright, hands pressed lightly to her chest.
Souta almost stood up before Misaki grabbed his sleeve to pull him back down.
Misaki whispered loudly to Izumi, "His eyes look so cool!"
Izumi nodded quickly, trying to act calm but failing.
Arashi blinked once, then gave a small smirk like, Interesting.
Amaya stared in quiet surprise, her expression softer than usual.

Haruto hurried back to his seat, practically bursting with happiness.

Daigo cleared his throat—one firm "Ahem!" that made the class straighten instantly.

"Alright, settle down," he said, though a tiny smile tugged at his lip. "We'll talk more about Haruto's eyes later."

Silence fell. Everyone sat up, waiting.

Daigo stepped fully to the front, tapping the board.

"Everyone. Open your notebooks. Today, we begin your first proper lesson on Fire Style."

The room went completely quiet—full of excitement and focus.

Daigo turned back to the class, picking up a piece of chalk.

"Alright," he began, "before we start anything advanced, a simple question."
He tapped the board.
"When you're near fire, what should you do?"

Hands slowly lifted—
but Haruto spoke first, loud and confident:

"Touch it."

The whole class froze.

Misaki immediately slapped her forehead.
"That is such a bad idea!" she burst out.
"You'll burn your hands off!"

Haruto crossed his arms stubbornly.
"You guys can't touch it… but I can touch fire."

Half the class gasped.
The other half looked at him like he'd gone completely wild.

Daigo raised a brow. "Oh? You can, huh?"

He walked toward Haruto slowly.

Haruto sat up straighter, suddenly unsure.

Daigo stopped right in front of him and held out his hand.
A small flame flickered to life in Daigo's palm—warm, bright, controlled.

Haruto's eyes widened.
"H–Hey—wait—"

Daigo moved his hand slightly closer (but still safe distance).

Haruto panicked instantly.

"AHHH! FIRE! FIRE! GET IT AWAY!"
He scrambled back in his seat, waving his arms dramatically.

The entire class burst into laughter, some falling over their desks.

Daigo let the flame disappear and sighed, though a smile pulled at his face.

"Haruto," he said, walking back to the board,
"let's save the fire touching for when you're not screaming."

More laughter filled the room.

Daigo tapped the board again.

"Now then—let's continue. Fire Style basics."

The class settled—still chuckling—but their eyes were locked on him, ready for the lesson.

Daigo tapped the board once more.

"Alright, let's go over the basic Fire Style techniques."

He drew simple diagrams: hand signs, airflow direction, chakra flow.

"This," he said, pointing, "is the foundation of every fire technique you'll ever learn.
If you can't control your breathing and chakra release, you'll burn your eyebrows off before you burn anything else."

A few kids touched their eyebrows nervously.

Daigo demonstrated slowly, moving his hands through the sequence.

"Remember—
Fire Style is not about strength.
It's about control, timing, and precision."

He made a tiny flame spark at his fingertips—
small enough not to scare Haruto again.

"Basic ignition," he said. "We're not doing this today. Just watch."

The class nodded, completely focused.

Time passed as Daigo explained each element: fire, water, lightning, earth, wind—what made each one different, and the basics of their chakra nature.

Eventually, Daigo placed the chalk down and faced the class seriously.

"Listen up."

The room fell completely silent.

"Tomorrow is your final exam."

A few students straightened up instantly.

"This exam will test your basic understanding of chakra releases—fire, water, lightning, earth, wind, and so on."
He looked around the room.
"Study well. After this exam, you'll be promoted to the next year. I don't want anyone failing."

He turned back to the board and began writing the important points:

Chakra shaping

Elemental control basics

Release identification

Hand-seal accuracy

Stability and breathing

"Memorize these," Daigo said. "They will come tomorrow."

Just then—

BRRRING!
The academy bell rang.

Chairs screeched. Bags rustled.
Students shot up, packing everything as fast as they could.

Haruto practically bounced out of his seat, too excited to walk. He slung his bag over his shoulder and bolted out the door.

"Aka!!" he shouted the moment he saw her outside.

Akari barely had time to turn before Haruto threw his arms around her in a tight hug.
She laughed softly, patting his back.

Kaito and Ayame stumbled out moments later, out of breath from sprinting after him.

"Haruto—slow… down…" Kaito wheezed.

Ayame nodded rapidly, hands on her knees. "You're too fast…"

Haruto just grinned, still hugging Akari.

Together, the triplets and Akari began walking home, the glow of Haruto's silver eyes shining the whole way.

The walk home was peaceful, Haruto still glowing with excitement.
When they reached the house and stepped inside, he immediately looked up at Akari.

"Aka, did Brother Renjiro come back from his mission?"

Akari nodded, removing her sandals.
"Yes. Renjiro returned early this morning. He was exhausted, so he's sleeping."

Haruto's eyes softened with relief.

They all washed up, and soon the family gathered for lunch.
The table was lively—Haruto talking nonstop about Daigo's lesson, Kaito correcting him every few sentences, and Ayame smiling at both of them.

After lunch, the triplets scattered.

Haruto grabbed his favorite book—Shizue Aragi's Adventures—plopped down on the floor cushion, and opened it immediately.

Kaito, already flipping through his notes, glanced at him.
"Haruto, come on. Study. The exam is tomorrow."

Ayame nodded firmly.
"He's right. If you fail, you'll cry later."

Haruto didn't look up.
"I won't fail… and this book is important."

Ayame sighed. Kaito just shook his head and kept studying.

Time passed quietly until soft footsteps sounded from the hallway.
Renjiro appeared, stretching and yawning, still looking tired from his mission.

Haruto's book hit the floor instantly.

"BROTHER RENJIRO!"

Haruto ran forward and hugged him tightly. As he looked up, his silver eyes caught the light.

Renjiro froze for a split second… then smiled warmly, his expression filled with relief and happiness. He gently ruffled Haruto's hair.

"…Your eyes are back," he said softly. "I'm glad."

Haruto nodded excitedly, his eyes shining even brighter.
"Tell me about Fire Style! Daigo Sensei started teaching today!"

Renjiro chuckled and sat down with him, explaining the basics, sharing stories from his academy days, and giving little tips that Haruto soaked up like a sponge.

Evening arrived, and they ate dinner together—warm, calm, and full of laughter.

Afterward, Haruto didn't waste a second.
He darted to his room, grabbed his futon and pillow, and started dragging them toward Akari's room like always.

But—

As he lifted the futon into his arms, he suddenly froze.

Knock.

A sharp, unexpected tap on his window.

Not the door.
Not the hallway.

The window.

Haruto slowly turned his head.

The room was quiet. The window curtains swayed slightly.

Another knock.
Soft. Slow.
Right against the glass.

Haruto froze, his futon and pillow clutched tightly in his arms.
His heart began to pound so loudly he was sure it could be heard.

"W-Who's there…?" he asked, his voice shaky.

For a moment, there was no answer.

Then a voice came from outside the window.

"I'm friendly," it said calmly.
"I just want to talk."

Haruto swallowed hard.

The voice sounded… familiar.
Too familiar.

Slowly, with trembling hands, he slid the window open.

And his breath stopped.

Standing outside was a boy who looked exactly like him.
Same face.
Same build.
Same eyes staring back at him.

"L-Listen—" the boy started.

Haruto cut him off immediately.
"Why do you look like me?"

The boy's expression grew serious.

"We don't have time," he said. "Listen carefully."

Haruto felt cold all over.

"Hunters will attack," the boy continued quietly.
"And Ayame will die because of it."

Haruto's chest tightened.

"I want you to protect her," the boy said. "You have to."

Haruto shook his head slightly. "What… what are you talking about?"

"If you fail," the boy went on, his voice firm, "you'll do what you always do.
You'll lock yourself away.
You'll cry alone."

Haruto's hands trembled.

"And if you do that," the boy said, looking straight into his eyes,
"I'll come and beat you up."

Haruto blinked.

"…What?"

The boy sighed.
"Not with fists," he said. "I mean I won't let you break like that again."

Haruto's voice cracked.
"How do you know all this? Who are you?"

The boy turned his back to him, the night wind brushing past.

"I don't know everything," he said. "But I know this will happen."

He glanced back over his shoulder.

"Don't tell anyone I warned you, Haruto. I trust you."
A small smile appeared.
"And I know you can protect her."

He stepped back.

"My name is Itachi."

And then—he was gone.

Haruto slammed the window shut, his whole body shaking. He grabbed his futon and pillow and hurried into Akari's room, laying the futon down by himself.

He lay there alone, staring up at the ceiling, his body still trembling.

He stared up at the ceiling, unable to stop shivering.

"…Am I scared because he said he'll beat me up?" he whispered to himself.

He swallowed.

"No…"
His silver eyes trembled.

"I'm scared because… if he told the truth…
then I really have to protect Ayame."

Downstairs, the house slowly grew quiet.

Akari looked at Ayame and Kaito, who were still sitting at the table with their books open.

"Alright," Akari said gently, "it's late. You both need to sleep."

Kaito tightened his grip on his notebook.
"But Aka, tomorrow's exam is important. I want to get the top rank."

Ayame nodded firmly.
"Me too. I'm not sleeping until I finish revising."

Before Akari could reply, slow footsteps approached from the hallway.

Renjiro appeared, still looking tired, rubbing the back of his neck.
"That's enough for today," he said calmly. "You'll think better after sleep."

"But—" Kaito started.

Renjiro placed a hand on his head.
"No 'but.' Come on."

Ayame and Kaito exchanged a look, then reluctantly closed their books. Renjiro guided them toward his room, lightly steering them along.

"You can study more tomorrow," he added. "For now, rest."

Upstairs, Akari quietly slid open the door to her room.

Haruto was already asleep on the futon, curled slightly, his silver eyes hidden behind closed lids. His breathing was uneven, and every now and then, soft murmurs slipped from his lips.

"…Ayame… hunters… don't…"

Akari froze for a moment, concern tightening her chest.

She knelt beside him, gently adjusting the blanket over his shoulders.
"It's okay," she whispered softly. "You're safe."

Haruto stirred slightly but didn't wake, his voice fading into quiet breathing.

Akari lay down nearby, watching him for a moment before closing her eyes.

The house finally settled into silence—
unaware of the warning that now rested in Haruto's dreams.

The kitchen was filled with the warm scent of breakfast cooking. Akari moved efficiently, humming softly as she prepared the morning meal. Pots clanged gently, eggs sizzled, and steam rose from a small kettle of tea.

Kaito and Ayame were seated at the table, still in their night clothes, heads bent over their notebooks. Pens scratched across pages as they hurriedly revised everything they could for the day's exam.

"Alright, you two," Akari said, turning from the stove. "Go get ready. I'm going to wake Haruto."

Akari slid open the door to Haruto's room quietly. Morning light spilled across the floor, stopping at the edge of his futon.

Haruto lay there, his red hair spread messily across the pillow. A thin sheen of sweat covered his face and neck, even though the room was cool. His brow was slightly furrowed, and soft, serious murmurs slipped from his lips as he slept.

Akari slowed, worry tightening in her chest.

She knelt beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Haruto… wake up."

His eyes fluttered open — silver catching the light for a brief instant. He pushed himself up and sat on the futon, rubbing his face.

Akari searched his expression. "Are you okay?"

Haruto looked up at her and nodded. "I'm fine, Aka."

Her shoulders relaxed slightly, though concern still lingered in her eyes.

"Get ready," she said gently. "Breakfast is almost done."

Haruto nodded again, standing up as the last traces of unease from his sleep faded away.

The house slowly filled with movement.

Water ran in the washroom as the triplets went through their morning routine. Haruto splashed his face with cold water, the lingering heaviness from his sleep finally easing. He stared at his reflection for a brief moment, silver eyes calm now, then turned away.

Kaito brushed his teeth with one hand while holding his notebook in the other, mumbling facts under his breath. Ayame stood near the mirror, tying her hair neatly, her book open on the counter as she reviewed the last few points.

Soon, all three of them gathered at the table.

Akari set the plates down, the simple breakfast warm and comforting. Haruto sat quietly and began eating, focused and calm. Across from him, Kaito and Ayame barely touched their food, eyes still glued to their notes.

"Eat properly," Akari reminded them gently.

"We are," Kaito replied quickly, though his eyes never left the page.

Ayame nodded in agreement. "Just one more time."

Haruto watched them for a moment, then smiled faintly and continued eating, his mind steadying itself for the exam ahead.

The morning felt normal—almost peaceful—yet beneath it all, a sense of importance hung in the air.

Today mattered.

Breakfast finished, Akari cleared the table while the triplets gathered their things. Bags were slung over shoulders, notebooks finally tucked away.

Kaito adjusted his bag strap. "Okay. No more revising now."

Ayame nodded firmly. "Yeah. We'll handle it."

Haruto stood between them, calmer than before. The strange heaviness from the night was gone, replaced by quiet excitement.

Outside, the morning air was cool and fresh. The path toward the academy was already filled with students walking in small groups.

Akari walked with the triplets until the academy gates came into view. She stopped there and turned to face them, her expression gentle but proud.

"Good luck," she said warmly. "All three of you."

Haruto smiled brightly. "I'll do my best, Aka."

Kaito grinned. "We'll make you proud."

Ayame nodded once. "Don't worry."

Akari waved as they ran ahead toward the gates. "Stay focused—and don't rush."

The triplets hurried inside, their footsteps echoing across the academy grounds. The building buzzed with quiet tension: students whispering, teachers moving through the halls, the weight of the exam day pressing down on everyone.

Haruto took a deep breath as they entered.