"I'm Akira Sato. I like sleeping and playing games. My dream is to peacefully grow old lying down."
Akira stated his dream out loud.
This immediately made Minato Namikaze and Kakashi, who didn't know him well yet, take notice.
Yes, unlike many others, he wasn't dreaming of becoming Hokage.
That kind of ambition was just something to fantasize about if you weren't part of the Hokage's line.
Even someone as mighty as Madara Uchiha never had a real shot at the seat, so Akira didn't believe anyone outside that circle could truly aim for it.
This point was proven again in the future — even in the "Boruto" series, it was always someone from the Hokage line taking the position.
What a "democracy," right?
You could say a lot of things in anime become quite unsettling when you think them through carefully.
After introductions, Minato walked with them while explaining some real-world ninja knowledge:
combat techniques, battlefield traps, and things like that.
These weren't things taught in the academy — they were constantly evolving, and relying solely on school-taught material was a quick road to disaster.
The job of the squad leader was to use their experience to guide the newcomers, helping them avoid unnecessary detours.
It was thanks to the success of this system that it became the mainstream in the ninja world.
Akira felt he was already learning a lot.
For example, small tips on forming hand seals that allowed him to perform ninjutsu faster —
this had definitely been one of his weaknesses.
The Uchiha clan wasn't about to offer him personal guidance, and the school didn't teach these refinements.
Even his Summoning Jutsu had been acquired thanks only to his "big white thigh" connection (favor from someone powerful); otherwise, he wouldn't have had a chance.
Ninjutsu!
Only after stepping into the real ninja world did he truly understand how hard it was to obtain.
The academy only taught basic D-rank jutsu like the Clone, Transformation, and Substitution techniques.
Anyone who knew more had either learned it from their clan or been taught directly by a master.
So both Akira and Koji Yamanaka listened intently.
Only Kakashi seemed a bit disinterested.
After all, his father was the famous "White Fang of the Leaf,"
and he had been trained from a young age — these things were already old news to him.
Soon, they arrived at the training grounds.
There were many such areas around Konoha; you just needed to reserve them ahead of time.
Even the major ninja clans had their own private training grounds.
To be clear, a "training ground" was often nothing more than an open space with a few target dummies and logs.
Why?
Because ninjas had such destructive power that if the area were built up too well,
the repair costs alone would drive people mad.
That's why these rough, simple spaces were the best choice.
The key was ensuring there were no ordinary villagers nearby.
"Alright, let's begin the test!"
Minato announced the start of the assessment.
If it were any other squad leader, they probably wouldn't bother going to such lengths.
After all, a squad leader's official duty was only to help fresh genin get familiar with their new profession —
there was no obligation to personally train them unless they found someone especially promising.
But with someone like Minato, who was diligent and responsible,
this was a massive stroke of luck for the students.
Why?
Because when he offered guidance, it was real —
he might even pass down valuable jutsu.
This was why having a good teacher was so critical.
They went through kunai throwing, physical conditioning, close combat technique, chakra extraction, hand seal speed, the basic three jutsu… and more.
Every one of these was fundamental.
Being a ninja wasn't just about mastering powerful techniques.
Many strong fighters had lost their lives on the battlefield simply because they lacked solid basics.
One of the most famous examples was Nawaki Senju.
Despite being the direct heir of the Senju clan, he died in battle because of something as simple as an explosive tag trap.
Keep in mind, he was the "prince" of the Senju,
and his teacher was none other than Orochimaru of the Legendary Sannin.
His bloodline and background were nearly unmatched.
Yet due to lacking in fundamentals, he easily fell —
this showed just how critical the basics were.
"Alright, I've got a good sense of your abilities now.
Starting tomorrow, I'll set up individualized training plans for each of you."
Minato looked over the panting trio in front of him, making his internal assessments.
Kakashi's talent was clearly the highest.
Koji Yamanaka came second.
The weakest was Akira Sato.
That someone like Akira could even handle the Summoning Jutsu seemed impossible on the surface.
It wasn't just a matter of difficulty in learning it.
The key issue was that, given Akira's physical capacity,
he should never have had enough chakra to pull it off.
He was a civilian, after all!
Akira's background wasn't exactly a secret.
His surname was only "Uchiha" because of adoption into the clan —
so while it was normal for pure Uchiha children to pull off C-rank jutsu at a young age,
that didn't mean Akira should be able to do it.
A ninja clan's advantages weren't just knowledge,
but also bloodline.
They carried both acquired and inherited strengths,
passing benefits down from generation to generation.
Of course, even though Minato noticed this discrepancy,
he didn't pry.
Ninjas never dug into each other's secrets.
That was it for today.
Their first mission wouldn't come until tomorrow.
"These are your forehead protectors — congratulations on officially becoming Konoha genin.
Tomorrow, meet in front of the Hokage's building.
Dismissed!"
Minato tossed the forehead protectors to them, gave the order, and left.
Keep in mind: the ninja profession was run like a military.
Orders from above were absolute.
Even if you were ordered to die, you couldn't disobey.
Yes, it was that cold-blooded.
White Fang had been driven to death precisely because he chose to save people during a mission.
This was a man so powerful he could practically match the Hokage,
and even the Legendary Sannin bowed to him —
but even he was forced to his death.
That's how harsh the consequences of breaking the rules were.
So if a subordinate disobeyed an order,
even immediate execution wasn't seen as unreasonable.
And as for fears of abuse of power?
Not much to worry about.
Ninjas had plenty of ways — through secret techniques and genjutsu —
to ensure the truth came out and prevent false accusations.
After dismissal, the three students went their separate ways.
Normally, Akira would head back to his rented space to continue his research.
But now, he had no choice but to return to the Uchiha compound.
Even though the Uchiha clan had negotiated with the village on his behalf,
he still worried that someone like Danzo might come after him regardless.
Back at the clan compound, a senior Uchiha woman from the main family greeted him.
"Lady Mei has gone on an emergency mission.
Your things have already been set up for you."
The Uchiha clan worshipped strength.
In the past, they had looked down on Akira because he was considered "useless."
But now that they knew he had defeated Kakashi,
their attitude had shifted considerably.
Before, they wouldn't have even acknowledged him.
"Got it. Thanks, Aunt Mukō."
Akira thanked her and quickly headed to his new living quarters.
He wasn't surprised to hear that Mei Uchiha had gone off on a mission.
She was famous for being a mission fanatic —
that's how she had become a "special jōnin" at such a young age.
Once she completed enough missions and further honed her strength,
she'd naturally ascend to full jōnin rank.
And in Konoha, the difference between a jōnin and a non-jōnin was like heaven and earth —
a jōnin could even vote on who became the next Hokage.
For Mei to become a legitimate family head,
the first requirement was reaching jōnin rank.
For now, she was only one in name.
Once she became head of the family,
she'd hold power over hundreds, second only to the clan leader.
Of course, if you had the kind of overwhelming personal strength that Madara Uchiha had once wielded,
you could simply force the clan to submit to you.
Akira hurried down to the basement and froze.
Brand-new, high-quality experimental equipment was neatly arranged everywhere,
along with a huge collection of books and scrolls.
Many of the books and scrolls were authentic Uchiha clan materials.
As one of the great elite clans of the ninja world,
the Uchiha's resources were astonishing.
Akira pulled out one scroll and immediately felt like he'd hit the jackpot.
"The Nature and Dissection of Chakra!"
Then he saw the author.
Madara Uchiha!
Holy crap — Akira almost wanted to say it out loud.
When it came to understanding chakra,
this man, known as the "Shura of the Ninja World,"
definitely surpassed even the so-called God of Shinobi.
Sure, Hashirama Senju was stronger,
but that guy didn't exactly have the brains to write something like this.
This was worth it!
Just this one scroll alone was more valuable to Akira than all his personal "side projects" combined.
And this was only one piece of the treasure trove here.
Eagerly, he turned back to the shelves and kept exploring.