The forest hummed with the quiet chirping of cicadas, sun filtering in through the thick canopy above. The trail leading to the rendezvous point was barely visible, but Kakashi had been here before. His team followed behind, steps muffled by years of training—well, except for Naruto.

“Sensei, who are we meeting again?” Naruto’s voice cut through the relative silence like a thrown kunai. “Is it another weirdo from ANBU? 'Cause last time that guy talked in riddles and I still don’t get what he said!”

Sasuke grunted, barely masking his irritation. “Just pay attention, idiot.”

Sakura sighed. “Naruto, can you not start yelling before we even get there?”

Kakashi didn’t answer. He stopped at the edge of a clearing, one hand in his pocket, the other lifting to signal quiet. Ahead, a figure stood in the center of the open space, head tilted curiously as if listening to the wind. Their form shimmered subtly—like light seen through water—but it wasn’t until Kakashi stepped forward that the details resolved.

The figure’s body was human in shape, but only barely. Their hair, thick and flowing, looked like it was made of some kind of pink gel or liquid silk, shifting with each movement. Their skin had the same glossy sheen, as though they hadn’t fully solidified, like a wax figure caught mid-melt.

Naruto’s mouth opened. Sakura stepped back instinctively. Even Sasuke’s eyes narrowed with unease.

Kakashi’s eye stayed locked on the stranger. Calm, calculating. His Sharingan under the forehead protector twitched—just a flicker.

"So," he said, voice casual but firm, "you’re the one they sent."

The figure didn’t speak but gave a small nod. As they did, their form flickered—suddenly shorter, bulkier, hair darker—and then returned to its original shape like water snapping back into place. The imitation had been brief, but unmistakable. Kakashi had seen that transformation before. It wasn’t just a henge. It felt… biological.

Kekkei genkai, definitely. Experimental, maybe. Dangerous, likely.

He tilted his head. "You can mimic others. Faces. Bodies. Abilities." A statement, not a question. "But not at full strength. And there’s a limit to the punishment you can take while holding the form, right?"

Behind him, Naruto leaned closer to Sakura and whispered, “Is that thing even a person?”

Kakashi didn’t respond to that. He stepped forward again, his tone neutral, but layered with something unreadable beneath.

"You’ll be joining us for a while. Observation and integration. Think of it like a test," he said. "You’ll learn from them—" he nodded slightly toward his team— "and they’ll learn from you."

Kakashi gave a faint, unreadable smile beneath his mask. “Let’s see if you can keep up.”