Tsunade had left.
Hyūga Akira let out a long breath.
At his current strength, he was nowhere near qualified to participate in a real war.
Fortunately, there was still some time before full-scale conflict erupted.
What he needed was simple—
Once he followed Tsunade to the front lines, he had to find opportunities to level up rapidly.
The Second Shinobi World War was a once-in-a-lifetime grinding ground.
The higher his level climbed during the war, the more terrifying the experience gains would become.
But before that—
Akira's lips slowly curled upward, revealing snow-white teeth.
Konoha Year 37.
The year the Second Shinobi World War officially broke out.
Also—
The year Nawaki died.
Throughout the entire history of Naruto, there were only two named characters who were confirmed to have been killed by explosive tags.
One was Nawaki.
The other was Hidan—but Hidan merely had his body blown apart and didn't actually die.
Which meant—
From beginning to end, the only person truly killed by explosive tags in canon…
Was Nawaki.
Unnamed characters didn't count. The story never bothered with them.
So, for the sake of his future subordinate—
The one who would stand behind him waving flags and shouting slogans—
Akira naturally had to educate his little brother properly.
Nawaki, freshly awakened, stared at Akira with lingering confusion.
Especially when he saw that smile.
A chill ran down his spine.
Akira held out his hand.
"Hand over your allowance."
Nawaki instantly went on guard.
"Big bro, what are you trying to do?!"
That money had taken him forever to save.
Akira looked like a full-on street tyrant.
"I said give it to me. Less talking."
He was broke.
And he needed to buy some tools.
Nawaki hesitated, then reluctantly handed over his savings.
After all, Akira was the big brother he acknowledged.
Akira glanced at the fifty thousand ryō in his hand and nodded in satisfaction.
"Today, go to the Academy and take three days off. After that, you're coming with me."
"Before I leave, I'm giving you special training."
"Yes!! No more books!!"
Nawaki cheered and flung a textbook away.
Akira watched him calmly.
Laugh while you can.
Tomorrow, you won't be smiling.
Early the next morning, before dawn fully broke—
Akira led the group out the door.
Then paused, glancing suspiciously at the small carrot-headed girl behind Nawaki.
"…What's she doing here?"
Uzumaki Kushina.
Nawaki scratched his head.
"Grandma Mito said she should train with us too."
Uzumaki Mito?
Akira looked at Kushina, who appeared timid and withdrawn.
He knew better.
This was the girl who smiled sweetly, then beat people up after school.
"Fine," Akira muttered.
Then he turned expressionlessly to the blond boy standing nearby.
"And what about him?"
The boy smiled brightly.
"Hello, senpai! I'm Namikaze Minato. Nawaki's junior."
Akira stared at Nawaki suspiciously.
"These two haven't even finished learning everything at the Academy yet, have they?"
Back when Akira recruited Nawaki, he'd beaten him into submission.
Now it seemed Nawaki had… expanded the business.
Before graduating, Akira already knew Nawaki had formed an entire faction.
Rumor had it that in order to defeat Nawaki and claim the "summit" of the Academy, multiple groups had formed.
At this point, it wasn't a ninja academy anymore.
It was a hot-blooded delinquent school.
Seeing Akira's gaze, Nawaki flushed red and hurried to explain.
"Big bro, Minato challenged me himself! He lost, so he became my subordinate!"
"Don't underestimate him—he's really strong. Even in our grade, not many can beat him."
He slung an arm around Minato's shoulders.
"He's the one who'll inherit my position! He'll lead the Academy to the top and become the Third!"
First generation: Hyūga Akira.
Akira fell into deep contemplation.
Did I… ruin these kids?
Inside the Ninja Academy.
Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his temples, staring at the damage report in his hands.
"'Inuzuka Faction challenged the Nawaki Faction, destroying an entire classroom'…"
"What in the world is this nonsense?"
The grade director looked miserable.
"Nawaki-sama currently sits at the top of the Academy. He's publicly declared that he welcomes all challengers."
"The Inuzuka group was just one of many."
The Academy was now filled with factions—
Ino–Shika–Chō, Uchiha, Hyūga…
The strongest was the Nawaki Faction.
Second place: the Uchiha Faction.
"Should we issue warnings?" the director asked hesitantly.
He knew the real culprit was Hyūga Akira.
But the one who actually shaped this chaotic power structure… was Nawaki himself.
Claiming to have "inherited Akira's will."
Which was… hard to comment on.
"Well," Sarutobi sighed,
"he is the First Hokage's grandson."
"Call Nawaki in."
The director looked even more awkward.
"…Nawaki-sama took three days off."
Sarutobi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his rising blood pressure.
"Then call Tsunade."
Two ANBU appeared instantly.
"Yes!"
They vanished in a flash.
Meanwhile—
Akira and Nawaki both shivered as they flipped into the Forest of Death.
They exchanged a look.
Something terrible felt imminent.
Akira frowned seriously.
"Nawaki… did you cause trouble recently?"
Nawaki thought hard.
Recently, he'd only beaten the Inuzuka faction.
Then gone straight home to study.
He shook his head.
"No."
Akira pondered as well.
He'd been behaving lately too.
"…Must be my imagination."
Two people.
Same bad feeling.
Minato gazed around curiously at the towering trees.
The Forest of Death—he'd heard of it.
A restricted area, full of wild beasts and summon creatures.
Non-ninja entering here would die.
They stopped in a secluded clearing.
Akira turned to the three of them.
"From today onward, we'll spend the next three days here."
"I'll be giving you special training."
"Be mentally prepared."
"One mistake—and you'll die."
As he spoke, killing intent surged from his body, enveloping them.
All three stiffened.
"I won't die!" Kushina declared loudly.
"I'm going to become the first female Hokage, dattebayo—!"
She suddenly covered her mouth.
Akira didn't care.
His smile turned cold.
"For the next three days, your only objective is simple."
"Catch me."
"Catch me once—and you get food, ninja tools, medical treatment, and supplies."
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