Akira Sato knew from the start that Minato Namikaze was truly a treasure of a teacher.
It wasn't just that Minato himself was incredibly strong and had a great personality — the key was his insane connections.
His own teacher was Jiraiya! That meant he was part of the Hokage faction, the strongest political bloc in the Hidden Leaf.
And his girlfriend, Kushina Uzumaki, was a powerhouse in the sealing arts — basically unrivaled in her field.
Having such a team leader was honestly like a dream come true.
At the very least, the two types of jutsu knowledge Akira was eager for were now within reach.
When Akira returned to the Uchiha clan compound, as usual, Uchiha Mei was nowhere to be seen.
Ever since graduating, she'd spent most of her time outside the village on missions. If there were such a thing as a "workaholic" title, she'd have won it by now.
But it couldn't be helped. She had to reach jonin rank as soon as possible.
Why? Because with Danzo scheming outside the clan and Uchiha Shuu, a rival within the clan eyeing the position of head, any "accident" could end the life of this Uchiha genius.
It's worth noting: the only reason the new clan leader wasn't targeting her, the former leader's daughter, was because she was engaged to Akira Sato — an outsider.
If she married outside the clan, she might still become a branch head, but the position of clan leader would be permanently out of reach.
That's precisely why her grandfather had arranged the engagement: purely for her survival.
Since she wasn't home, though, it was actually a good thing.
At least Akira didn't have to worry about anyone interrupting his research.
Plus, placing his laboratory within the Uchiha compound was definitely safer than anywhere else.
The Uchiha compound was strictly off-limits to Root operatives.
At this time, the Uchiha clan hadn't yet been driven to the village's outskirts after the Nine-Tails incident — they were still considered a strong and influential clan.
Just as Akira finished organizing the materials he'd brought back, a summons arrived, calling him to the Hokage's office.
The Hokage's office!
Even though it was just on the second floor of the Hokage Tower, not many people could go up there.
Even among jonin, not everyone had access.
But Minato Namikaze was definitely an exception.
After he reported the details of the mission and turned over the confiscated ninja tools, the Hokage's rewards were immediately ready.
Akira, who had been eagerly waiting for this moment, naturally hurried to the Hokage Tower.
On his way there, he noticed the streets were livelier than usual.
The Chunin Exams were about to start.
Every time the exams came around, it was the most bustling time for the village.
That's because nobles and high-ranking figures from every country would flood in, bringing huge profits to the village.
This is why the Five Great Ninja Villages all competed to host the Chunin Exams — it wasn't just about fame or showcasing strength; there were very real economic benefits.
Of course, the Chunin Exams weren't held jointly every year — only once every few years.
This year, the Hidden Leaf was the host.
Akira occasionally saw patrol members from the village's police force on the streets, but villagers avoided them like the plague.
The police force's reputation was terrible.
The Uchiha were known for enforcing the rules without mercy and carrying themselves with an arrogant attitude, so it was no surprise their reputation was bad.
On top of that, certain figures were secretly fueling the negative rumors.
It could only be said:
When it came to political maneuvering, Danzo was always several steps ahead of the Uchiha.
As for the proud Uchiha? They scoffed at all of it, not caring in the slightest.
It perfectly proved the saying:
Weakness isn't the obstacle to survival — arrogance is.
When Akira arrived at the Hokage Tower, he saw his two teammates arriving quickly as well.
"Akira!"
Yamaoka Koji, dressed in fresh clothes, gave him a slight nod in greeting.
As for Kakashi, naturally, he wore his usual stone-faced expression.
Once Kakashi had closed off his heart, it was nearly impossible for anyone to break through his walls.
"Let's go — Minato-sensei is waiting for us inside!"
Akira led the way into the Hokage Tower.
The first floor of the tower wasn't just for villagers; merchants also came and went, and occasionally ninja passed through.
But none of that had anything to do with them. They headed straight for the side staircase.
The two ninja guarding the stairs had obviously been informed in advance. One of them silently led the way.
Even though the building's layout was simple and it was impossible to get lost, someone still had to accompany them.
If they were trusted members of the Hokage faction, that would be a different matter.
Soon, they arrived at the Hokage's office.
"Hokage-sama, Team Three has arrived!"
The escorting ninja knocked on the door and announced their presence.
"Come in!"
The voice of Hiruzen Sarutobi came from inside.
After the door was opened, the escort quietly left, making no move to enter.
There was no fear of anyone causing trouble in the Hokage Tower, after all.
Even though they hadn't seen anyone along the way, ANBU operatives were constantly monitoring the building, ensuring not even a bird could sneak inside unnoticed.
Akira and his team stepped into the spacious, well-lit office.
The first thing they saw was the enormous, semicircular Hokage desk piled high with documents, standing before a clear glass window.
And behind it, wearing the Hokage's ceremonial hat, was Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.
Minato Namikaze stood before the desk.
"Hokage-sama!" three voices in unison
Akira and his teammates greeted respectfully.
They definitely didn't dare act like Naruto from the anime, treating the Hokage casually.
Naruto had special privileges — he was a jinchuriki, and his parents had legendary status. They had none of that.
"No need for formalities. You completed this mission excellently. On behalf of the village, I'm here to grant you some rewards!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi got straight to the point about why he had summoned them.
It was no wonder, really.
This was how the Will of Fire worked — Hiruzen was a master at psychologically conditioning (or some might say, brainwashing) his people with praise and occasional rewards from a young age.
It was almost impossible to resist.
"As for rewards, they can be a B-rank jutsu or something else,"
Minato added with a gentle smile.
This was one of the big benefits of having a good teacher present.
Without his guidance, they wouldn't even know what kind of reward they were allowed to ask for.
But with his hint, they understood the upper limits.
"Hokage-sama, I'd like to request secret medicine resources that can enhance physical abilities!"
Kakashi spoke up first.
For him, lacking jutsu wasn't the issue — his main shortcoming was his own body, so this was the best choice.
Since Sakumo Hatake's death had been ruled a suicide, there was no compensation from the village, leaving Kakashi seriously short on resources.
"Hokage-sama, I want to request a method for increasing my chakra!"
Yamaoka Koji quickly voiced his request.
Note: there are many ways to increase chakra reserves — otherwise, the chakra levels of ninja clans wouldn't vastly exceed those of civilian ninja.
But all those methods were tightly guarded secrets.
Normally, they'd never have access.
As for why he didn't ask for a jutsu?
Because even if they handed Koji a B-rank jutsu, it would take who knows how long to master, and the sheer chakra demands meant he probably wouldn't even be able to use it.
"Hokage-sama, I would like to request medical ninjutsu knowledge!"
Last in line, Akira made his request.
At this point, he was at least Minato's student, so asking for medical ninjutsu knowledge was completely within reason.
One important thing to note:
Just because Akira obtained medical ninjutsu didn't mean the Uchiha clan obtained it.
As previously stated, any jutsu gained from the village was forbidden to teach to others unless explicitly permitted.
That's why he dared to ask.
Without that restriction, he wouldn't dream of making such an impossible request.
After hearing the three requests, Hiruzen gave a small nod and said:
"Very well. You may go for now."
He gestured for them to leave.
To him, none of these requests were a big deal.
Even medical ninjutsu knowledge didn't worry him, as long as they didn't hand over high-level medical jutsu.
For most ninja, it wasn't the knowledge that mattered — it was the jutsu itself.
Ninja were like workers: as long as they knew how to use the tools, they didn't care how those tools were made.
(End of Chapter)