That last adventure had been entertaining, sure—but Elias couldn't have cared less about what was happening outside right now. He had far more pressing matters, chief among them: mastering the golden energy he called COSMO!
He already possessed a tremendous advantage: his physical prowess was extraordinary, he did not need to train it at all, it was constantly at its apex. With perfect chakra control added to the mix, his power only continued to rise. Rather than letting the excess energy—constantly generated at peak performance—go to waste, he refined it and stored it deep within his useless organs.
The more he studied his constitution, the more certain he became: his body had been designed to break the being he meant to be, destroy his purpose. It was a prison masquerading as flesh—a divine structure retooled to resemble something familiar and mortal, likely to protect the world from witnessing the full eldritch horror of a fourth or even fifth-dimensional being. Something cosmic had been forced into the shape of an animal.
Elias hadn't abandoned his plans to strike either. Far from it.
But now, he waited—like a hunter in the tall grass, claws sharpened, fangs bared, awaiting the moment his prey dropped its guard. There was no point in rushing, he would perfect himself first. The best predator struck not when provoked, but when assured of the kill...
Meanwhile, Naruto remained hospitalized for several days, still not displaying even a tenth of a jinchūriki's expected regenerative properties. He missed the team assignment meeting, and only discovered via a message that he'd been placed on a team with Sakura and Sasuke and for sure his new teammates were not exactly thrilled by the news.
The team's first official meeting was delayed—eventually held without Naruto. As for the legendary Bell Test, it occurred even later, and with Naruto still wrapped in bandages. Despite everything, they did manage to pass the test… though Sakura and Sasuke, both holding grudges, were highly reluctant to share their food with him. The following missions were tedious, low-ranking D-tasks—fetch quests, lost pets, and village errands, in company of a creepy weirdo.
Naruto ended up isolated again.
He was completely lovestruck, constantly trying to impress the girl, but his erratic behavior and frequent mumbling only frightened her. His twitchy glances and strange mutterings made her question whether he was even mentally stable. If Kakashi hadn't already read the surveillance reports detailing Naruto's… condition, he might've sent him straight back to Hiruzen without a second thought.
But Naruto was his master's son. Some one he witnessed growing while part of the ANBU team.
Kakashi held onto hope that the "weird kid" might eventually grow out of it—and, at the very least, stop talking to his imaginary friend in public.
Despite everything, Kakashi kept his focus on teamwork. He refused to teach his students anything except formations, believing they weren't ready.
Sakura, having come from a civilian background knew only the basic academy techniques. Sasuke, meanwhile, practiced his clan's jutsu without supervision, channeling raw talent but no structure. Team Seven was, by all accounts, a circus—each member carrying heavy flaws, conflicting personalities, and unrealistic dreams.
Even the "Professor" himself—Hiruzen Sarutobi—was tempted to send Naruto to Root. But every time he considered it, he'd glance at Minato's stone statue, staring down at him in silent judgment.
After multiple failed attempts, and thanks to Sasuke's proximity during missions, Elias—assisted by the ever-faithful Hubert Cumberdale—finally unraveled the mystery of the strange chakra embedded within the boys, and learnt how to untagle this mysterious intenty from them.
At first, the foreign energy seemed harmless—barely distinguishable from their own. But after a detailed analysis conducted by Marjory Stewart-Baxter and her reliable assistant Jeremy Fisher, the truth emerged:
This symbiote-like entity subtly altered DNA at a molecular level, modifying behavior, enhancing capacities, and influencing elemental affinities.
It was invasive. Deliberate. Some thing or some one implated it intentionaly into them, but who? When? So then... who was the real alien here?
The only thing more disturbing than the energy itself was the uncanny synchronization it had inside the two boys. Though their chakra signatures were slightly different and housed in separate bodies, they mirrored each other perfectly. Every small movement made by one was often mimicked—subconsciously—by the other.
Elias couldn't afford to take chances.
He knew how to destroy them. He had the knowledge. He had the tools. But he would need to act on both simultaneously. The only opportunity would come when Kakashi made a mistake—when the team was out of the village and the boys were vulnerable.
Until then, Elias would wait.
And while he waited, the fox knitted.
Yes, he was weaving himself a nice, warm jumper for the cold seasons to come. Winter was coming, and he sure as hell wasn't going to be the one to catch a cold. And they wouldn't supect a cute little fox in a nice warm cozy jumper, would they?