In the dim light of early morning, before the sky had yet to fully brighten, two small figures appeared on a wooded path just outside Konoha Village.
It was Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha.
Both boys walked with their heads drooping, trudging somewhat listlessly through the trees. They had been forced to wake up far too early. The Academy was closed for two days – a rare holiday – yet here they were, summoned at this ungodly hour for some kind of "special training."
Naruto, especially, found it hard to accept. If it weren't for the fact that "Fat Uncle" Tatsuya had treated him to ramen so many times, he definitely wouldn't have agreed to this.
Beside him, Sasuke's expression wasn't pleased either. He couldn't understand why his older brother, Itachi, had specifically asked Tatsuya Akimichi to be his training instructor. Tatsuya's reputation in Konoha was considerable now, Sasuke knew, but he didn't believe for a second that his own father or brother were any less skilled. However, since both his father and Itachi had agreed to the arrangement, Sasuke felt he had no grounds to refuse. Still, he thought irritably, the time set for this training was undeniably, unreasonably early.
They walked in silence, pointedly ignoring each other. Having already developed a strong mutual dislike at the Academy, they certainly weren't about to put on a friendly face for each other in private. The thought of having to spend potentially a long time training alongside this arrogant jerk made Naruto feel sick to his stomach. He secretly resolved to himself that, somehow, he would definitively outshine Sasuke during this training.
Sasuke, for his part, was equally unhappy about Tatsuya arranging for him to train alongside Naruto. In his view, Naruto was nothing more than the trouble-making dead last of their class. Training with him would undoubtedly just drag him down.
Lost in their own disgruntled thoughts, they walked on in silence until they soon reached their destination: an open area in the mountain forest. In the center of the clearing, several wooden posts with targets were set up, clearly intended for shuriken and kunai practice.
In the dim pre-dawn light, the two boys looked around for a long time but saw no sign of Tatsuya.
"Tch!" Both Naruto and Sasuke couldn't help but let out simultaneous, quiet sounds of annoyance, expressing their displeasure at Tatsuya's apparent tardiness.
Deciding to make the most of the wait, they each found a sturdy wooden post to lean against, squatting down with the intention of catching a quick nap before their instructor arrived. Leaning back against the rough wood, the two rivals quickly drifted off. For boys their age, falling back asleep required no preparation or mental effort whatsoever.
Unseen by the sleeping boys, Tatsuya stood quietly within the deep shadows of the dense nearby woods, watching them. A faint smile touched his lips.
Alright, he thought, amused. They didn't start fighting on the way here, and at least they arrived on time. He could sense their underlying resistance to this training. Sasuke's reluctance likely stemmed from the inherent Uchiha arrogance, while Naruto probably looked down on Tatsuya's 'mere' Chunin rank. After all, Naruto constantly declared he was going to be Hokage; to him, a simple Chunin like Tatsuya must seem far too weak to be a worthy teacher.
Tatsuya could roughly guess their thoughts, but he didn't particularly care about their current attitudes. They were still just first-year Academy students. This wasn't like after graduation, where gaining their Jonin sensei's approval was crucial for their advancement. If he simply stopped the training now, they probably wouldn't lose much sleep over it.
So, Tatsuya decided, today's first lesson will be about recognizing the value of a rare opportunity.
Time passed slowly. By the time Naruto and Sasuke finally stirred and woke from their naps, the sky had fully brightened into day. Still looking slightly groggy and confused, they both pushed themselves to their feet.
"Awake now?"
Just then, a calm voice sounded seemingly right beside their ears.
Naruto and Sasuke both jumped violently, spinning around towards the source of the voice. There, standing easily atop one of the wooden target posts some distance away, was Tatsuya, quietly observing them.
"Teacher," Sasuke managed, quickly straightening up. "F-Fat Uncle!" Naruto stammered, doing the same.
Although they both held rather dismissive attitudes towards this training session, being caught red-handed slacking off right at the start was still somewhat embarrassing.
"Naruto," Tatsuya said gently, his gaze shifting to the blond boy, "from now on, call me 'Teacher' like Sasuke does."
Naruto mumbled a low, reluctant "Oh," clearly not thrilled about it. Truthfully, he thought 'Fat Uncle' sounded much friendlier.
Tatsuya noted Naruto's slightly sullen expression but simply waved a hand dismissively. "Alright! Since you've both had your nap, it's time to begin today's lesson."
He then turned his attention to Sasuke. "Sasuke, do you know why your brother specifically asked me to guide your training, and more importantly, why your father agreed to it?"
Sasuke remained silent for a moment, then shook his head mutely.
"It's because," Tatsuya stated simply, a faint, almost unnoticeable smile on his lips, his tone utterly matter-of-fact, "my strength surpasses that of both your father and your brother."
These words, spoken so calmly, hit Naruto like a physical blow. He stared, wide-eyed and shocked. In Konoha, everyone knew the Uchiha were a powerful, noble clan. Their clan head, Fugaku, was naturally incredibly strong – certainly far, far stronger than an average Jonin, in Naruto's estimation. And Fat Uncle— no, Teacher Tatsuya— was claiming to be even stronger than that?! But isn't he just a Chunin? Naruto had never, ever considered Tatsuya to be a high-level expert. Partly because Tatsuya had never displayed his true strength in front of him, and partly because Naruto's own social circle was very limited. Tatsuya's actual accomplishments and reputation were mostly known among ninja who had reached a certain level of experience and rank; Naruto simply had no way of knowing the true history and power of this supposed "Chunin."
Sasuke remained silent, his expression unreadable. Although he was deeply reluctant to believe Tatsuya's claim, a part of him suspected it was likely the truth. He could infer as much just from the profound respect both Shisui and Itachi always showed towards Tatsuya whenever they interacted.
Looking at the silently contemplating Sasuke and the utterly stunned Naruto, Tatsuya continued calmly, "Since I have now agreed to guide your training, I will naturally give it my all. So now, I will teach you your first lesson." His voice took on a new intensity. "And that is... to let you experience firsthand just how powerful a truly strong shinobi in this world can really be!"
Without waiting for their reaction, Tatsuya brought his hands together in a simple seal. Instantly, an intense, powerful aura erupted from his body, pressing down on the clearing. Simultaneously, a majestic wave of immense energy surged outwards from within him – the raw, potent natural energy of the Dragon Vein, contained within his body.
As this vast natural energy overflowed the seal holding it, it immediately mixed with Tatsuya's own considerable chakra stores, instantly transforming into refined Sage Chakra. Distinctive purple markings, like hardened eyeshadow, rapidly formed around the corners of Tatsuya's eyes. He had entered Sage Mode almost instantaneously.
Upon entering Sage Mode, Tatsuya's already formidable aura didn't diminish; instead, it surged exponentially higher. Wave after wave of immense natural energy continued to pour out of him. While a small portion blended with his internal chakra to sustain the Sage Mode state, the vast remainder overflowed directly out of his physical form, coalescing above him into a massive, swirling vortex of pure, visible energy.
As this vortex of natural energy continued to condense and draw power from the surroundings, a colossal figure began to slowly take shape around Tatsuya – an energy giant easily reaching a staggering hundred meters in height. This titan, composed of swirling, translucent blue-purple energy, had its immense hands clasped together as if in prayer. Only its upper body manifested, resembling a gigantic Buddhist Arhat statue, and it radiated an absolutely overwhelming, world-shaking pressure that made the very air tremble. Naruto and Sasuke could only stare upwards, frozen in sheer, unadulterated awe and terror.