Drop Some power stones! If you like the chapter! It helps to keep me motivated to upload more!đź’Žđź’Žđź’ŽÂ
------
Akio's term as Acting Hokage lasted only a month before Hiruzen returned from the battlefield.
When he came back, his face was pitch-black with frustration—it clearly hadn't gone well.
Akio greeted him with a smile. "What happened? Who made you this mad?"
Hiruzen let out a long sigh and said nothing.
Akio didn't press him, but after some time, the full story spread around.
Hiruzen had left Konoha and headed straight for the Land of Rain, intending to clear that small nation from the battlefield. Unexpectedly, he ran into stiff resistance.
Upon reaching the battlefield, the leader of the Land of Rain, Hanzo, appeared and personally engaged Hiruzen. Although Hiruzen had the upper hand in their fight, he lacked the sheer destructive power Hanzo possessed.
Hanzo's summoned beast, the salamander, was especially effective in large-scale battles. Even with Tsunade's antidotes, Konoha suffered heavy losses. Hanzo also wasn't someone Hiruzen could easily defeat—despite several battles, he couldn't gain the upper hand.
In the end, Hiruzen had no choice but to strike a deal with Hanzo: neither of them would directly participate in the war.
Although both men knew the real situation, the story circulating in the ninja world was very different. Everyone believed Hanzo had repelled the Hokage.
For a small village leader to drive back the Hokage of the Fire Country—the strongest of the Five Great Nations—Hanzo's fame skyrocketed. Smaller villages idolized him, and the title of "Demi-God Hanzo of the Salamander" began to spread.
"Poor Hiruzen," Akio thought with a smirk. "He became a stepping stone for Hanzo this time."
"Great-Grandpa! I did it!" came Nawaki's voice from a distance. Akio turned to him with a smile.
"You did it? One month—decent timing," Akio nodded. During this time, he had taught Nawaki the now widely-known Rasengan.
"Show me."
"Right! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Akio raised an eyebrow. The use of a shadow clone to form the Rasengan felt oddly familiar.
"Rasengan!"
The technique formed swiftly. Nawaki slammed it into a nearby wall.
Akio's mouth twitched as he looked at the hole in the wall. The scene brought a strange sense of déjà vu.
"Nawaki, why'd you hit the wall?"
Nawaki blinked, then chuckled sheepishly.
Akio sighed. "You've been spending too much time with your sister…"
"But who taught you to use a shadow clone for the Rasengan?"
Nawaki scratched his head. "Great-Grandpa, doesn't it make it easier?"
"True enough," Akio thought. No wonder Tsunade thinks Naruto reminds her of Nawaki. Their thought process really is similar.
"Great-Grandpa, can I go to the battlefield now?" Nawaki was clearly eager after learning a new "secret technique."
"Your classmates pulling you into it again?" Akio teased.
Nawaki blushed. "No, I just want to go on my own."
Akio shook his head. "You're still lacking in many ways. You need more tempering." He had gradually recalled that Nawaki died after falling into a trap, killed by explosive tags—something a Rasengan couldn't solve. Akio knew he still had to teach him battlefield awareness.
Nawaki looked disappointed. "How long will it take, Great-Grandpa?"
Akio's tone turned serious. "The battlefield isn't a game. You're still too young."
Nawaki hesitated. "But there are plenty of genin who just turned ten already fighting… As Hashirama Grandpa's grandson…"
Akio softened. Clearly, being the grandson of the First Hokage was weighing heavily on him.
"Don't be in such a hurry. The battlefield may train people, but with my guidance, you won't fall behind. What you need now is a strong foundation—not live combat. When the time is right, even if you don't want to go, I'll make you go."
Nawaki nodded. "Then how long, Great-Grandpa, before I can fight?"
"What's the rush? A year or two…"
Nawaki's expression shifted. "That long? Won't the war be over by then?"
"All the better if it is!"
Nawaki muttered under his breath, "Then how will I earn merit? How can I become Hokage…"
Akio blinked. He had nearly forgotten—Nawaki's dream was to become Hokage.
"Why do you want to become Hokage?"
Nawaki lifted his head. "The village is the treasure Grandpa left behind. I want to protect it."
"Hashirama's treasure, huh?" Akio nodded. "Protecting it requires strength! I won't go easy on your training from now on!"
Nawaki nodded firmly.
Akio settled back into life in Konoha. He practiced Gentle Fist daily and trained Nawaki. As for the two Hyūga boys from the clan, they'd already been sent to the battlefield—something that caught Akio off guard.
"At this age, Hiashi shouldn't have been in the branch family yet. Sending both main family heirs into battle… What is the Hyūga Clan thinking?"
Unbeknownst to him, his own influence had caused the Hyūga to hesitate in their division between main and branch families. Since both boys were more or less Akio's disciples, they had decided to send them to the frontlines and decide based on their performance.
Time passed. In the blink of an eye, it was September of Konoha Year 30—a new semester at the Ninja Academy.
Akio arrived at the school early, convinced he might run into an "old acquaintance."
Sure enough, among the group of new students, his eyes locked onto a boy with golden hair.
Minato Namikaze!
Akio smiled and walked over, giving the boy a pat on the shoulder.
Minato turned around, beaming with youthful energy. "Hi, Grandpa! Can I help you?" He clearly didn't recognize Akio.
Akio nodded. "Yes, young man. I see your bone structure is extraordinary and your chakra pathways are clear—you'll become someone great. I have a ninja scroll here. I won't charge you—it's yours, free of cost!"
With that, he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to Minato.
"Remember, it's a secret technique. Open it only when no one else is around," Akio added.
Minato looked a bit confused, but smiled warmly. "Thank you, Grandpa!"
Akio nodded. "So polite. Good kid." Then he walked away, disappearing without a trace.
The entrance ceremony went on, but Akio had already lost interest. Of course, that paper wasn't the Flying Thunder God Technique—Minato was far too young to learn it anyway. Instead…
Minato was taken to his classroom by the teacher in charge. After introducing himself and getting to know his classmates, the teacher began lecturing about ninja history and the basics of chakra control.
As he listened, Minato kept thinking about the strange old man from earlier. Curiosity gnawed at him.
When no one was watching, he sneaked a look at the "secret scroll."
"You have extraordinary talent, but the name 'Minato Namikaze' may bring you misfortune. Young man, consider changing it."
Minato's face froze. He turned the paper over several times but found no trace of a real jutsu.
"So he was just a crazy old man?" Minato looked disappointed.
"Minato Namikaze, why don't you tell the class what I just explained?" the teacher suddenly called out.
Minato panicked and stood up. "Sorry, sensei, I spaced out."
"Sit down and pay attention!"
And just like that, on his very first day, Minato Namikaze made a poor first impression.
---
For early access to advanced chapters visit my P@treon:
P@treon/ Dexy3
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!