Chapter 002

It was a clear night and bits of ember and smoke floated in the air. In a clearing surrounded by tall trees, several men surrounded a fire as they celebrated their latest haul. A caravan had dared traveled unprotected at night and so of course, it was only right to take their precious merchandise and Ryo off their hands.

The leader of this group of bandits was Eiichi Kaito, a Rock missing-nin. Kaito became a rogue ninja because he wasn't talented enough to be promoted to Jounin rank and so he defected from Iwagakure and eventually got lucky ambushing unsuspecting merchant caravans. He recently joined this bandit group but he was the only one with shinobi training in this bunch of degenerates so he quickly took place as the leader after killing the previous one. Too bad though, the last merchant caravan didn't have any wife or daughter but was just an old man or it would have been more perfect.

Swoosh! Thud. Thud.

"Ahhhh!!!"

Someone shouted from behind him. Kaito frowned and was about to shout at the noisy idiot but he heard several more thuds around him.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Kaito unsheathed his rusty sword and looked around at the screaming and panicking bandits around him. Looking down he saw the head of his companion laying on the ground, eyes wide in shock, and clearly decapitated.

"Fuck! Show yourself!"

By the time his last word sounded out in the clearing, several more heads went flying and now he was the only one standing.

"Eiichi Kaito. B-Rank Missing-Nin from Iwagakure. Wanted for theft, murder, and rape."

Kaito whirled around and he saw a small figure reading his wanted poster on a small black book. It was a fucking child! The boy had dark hair and eyes and had his lower face covered with a mask. More importantly there was not a spot of blood on his dark clothes.

"Heh. I'm not the same as the others, you little brat! I'm going to fucking kill you!"

Kaito sneered at the motionless child and made some hand sign before slamming his hands on the ground.

"Earth Release: Stone Spears!"

Several spears made of hardened earth erupted from the ground and flew towards their target. Kaito smiled triumphantly thinking he already won but was shocked when the child's bracers lengthened into blades and with graceful arcs the stone spears were bisected in half.

Looking at his jutsu that was easily repelled by a mere child in stunned disbelief, he looked up again but the child wasn't there anymore! Panicking he tried to turn his head but his vision twisted and Kaito knew no more.

—-

"Sigh. So messy but the bounty said they wanted his head. Why couldn't I just tie him up or something." Akito mumbled as he pocketed his Bingo Book that he 'borrowed' from one of his targets a few weeks back and produced an empty scroll and sealed the head of his target, eyes still wide in panic.

He looked around and scrunched his nose at the numerous bodies scattered about.

"Time to clean up."

Pocketing the scroll he teleported in the air and aimed his hands at the ground.

"100 Million Volt Lightning Discharge"

Just as the name implied, white hot lightning discharged from his hands and incinerated the bodies down below leaving nothing but ash and charred earth. Satisfied Akito nodded and went to his next target.

The black-haired boy has been collecting bounties for the last two years. He didn't want to merely depend on the generosity of the village like his and Naruto's monthly stipends. Now, both of he and his precious little bro were living comfortably. Thankfully Naruto was dense and didn't ask where all the new equipment, pricey training clothes, or the new comfy couch in the living room came from. Besides, Akito thought that bounty hunting is good work and paid a lot of money. Sometimes he would get lucky and find high-ranked jutsu scrolls which his targets generously would leave lying around. There also wasn't much risk to him as most of the wanted men and women he's encountered so far have been weaker than him.

After one more target who tried to run away by using the body-flicker but was shocked…literally…that his hunter was already in front of him, Akito went to the nearest Bounty Station and cashed in his bounties. Akito only accepted cash as he didn't want to disclose his identity but the officers stationed there only looked at his child-like appearance weirdly and handed him 1,500,000 Ryo for all four bounties he claimed. Not bad for one night of hunting B-Ranked missing ninjas. As soon as Akito received the money, sealed it in a spare scroll and high-tailed it from there. There were some unscrupulous thugs who would target bounty hunters just waiting outside the station, not that he was scared though, but better to be cautious.

Arriving at a clearing a ways away from Konoha, Akito exchanged his clothes for casual ones and quickly flashing back to his apartment. The black haired boy ran the hot water and stripped his clothes. Sighing in satisfaction at the hot spray. He really didn't need to clean himself as he was careful not to stain his clothes during one of his hunts but he liked the feeling of clean water wetting his hair and skin.

After putting on nice clean clothes, he went out and locked his door. Looking up he saw that the sun was just barely rising but continued on his walk to school. Akito smiled. It was finally the start of their last year at the Academy.

—-

Akito smiled as he saw Naruto come into the classroom dressed in a simple orange shirt, black pants and shinobi sandals. Naruto really has grown up a lot and was now taller than most boys in class, lean muscles and a healthy tan giving him a strong, healthy look. It warms his heart immensely that he had taken good care of this boy, who in another life, will grow up unloved and neglected, accepting any person who showed him any bit of warmth. Akito couldn't have that as the world is an unforgiving place where children were turned into soldiers. He instilled in the boy a discerning eye for who to trust and to be suspicious of. Although Naruto still retained his sunny personality and his tendencies to prank people.

"Naruto over here!"

"Akito!"

Naruto sat beside him grinning and looked over on his other side and also waved sunnily at the other occupant.

"Sasuke!"

"Nn. Naruto."

Uchiha Sasuke. Akito could only inwardly sigh at the other boy. It completely blindsided him as he completely forgot about the Uchiha clan massacre. He was shocked that he only learned about a week after the fact. Last year the last remaining Uchiha joined them in training though and he asked him the reason at the time.

"You and Uzumaki are clearly strong and a cut above the rest. I want to spar against you and become stronger."

The Uchiha boy wasn't above asking for help from those stronger than him, which was somewhat reassuring. The death of his whole clan clearly changed something fundamental in him and Akito wasn't going to let this child carry all that burden alone, even if it was just helping him to get strong to get avenge his family.

The first time Sasuke joined them in their training, he asked the dark-haired boy to lift Naruto's sword. Admittedly, Naruto has done some tremendous progress and lifting the several-ton sword was like lifting a stick for him. Obviously, Sasuke couldn't even move it from the ground where it was stuck. Akito smiled at the frustrated boy.

"I didn't ask you to lift the sword to belittle you. It is to show you how far the both of us have come and also what YOU could achieve by training hard."

Ever since that day a year ago Sasuke has been doing the same weight and weapons training with them. Looking the dark-haired boy over, Akito smiled approvingly at the new heavier bracers he had outfitted him, Sasuke clearly already adapting to the additional weight. He was proud at both boys' progress.

He was brought out of his musings when he heard several rapid footsteps approaching outside.

BANG!

"Step away forehead girl! I'll be the one to sit with Akito-kun and Sasuke-kun today!" A blonde girl shouted fiercely.

"Shut it! Why would Akito-kun and Sasuke-kun sit with you, Ino-pig?! I'll be sitting with them today not you!" A pink-haired girl shouted just as ferociously.

"Troublesome." Akito heard Nara Shikamaru from behind him sigh tiredly.

Both girls glared at each other one more time but smiled coyly the next second at him and Sasuke when they approached their table, like they weren't screeching at each other just a second ago.

"Goodmorning, Sasuke-kun. Goodmorning, Akito-kun." Both girls tittered annoyingly.

"NARUTO! SHOVE IT! THAT'S MY SEAT, IDIOT!" The pink-haired girl named Haruno Sakura pointed and screeched at the poor boy.

"YEAH, NARUTO! GET YOUR OWN SEAT, LOSER!" The other girl, Yamanaka Ino, for once agreed with her love rival.

"Oh?"

CRACKLE!

Both Naruto and Sasuke widened their eyes in alarm when they saw Akito put on his sweetest smile and dove away from the impending danger. Sakura and Ino were confused at their actions for a moment but backed away when Akito's finger began pointing at them. In fact all of the students dove under their tables in fear.

"He…hey, Akito. We were just joking, right Sakura?" Ino frantically shook her friend's shoulder telling her to say something to appease the the angry boy.

"Yea…yeah! We didn't mean to call Naruto an idiot and a loser. Ehehe." Sakura nervously stuttered at the face of the glowing white finger. Ino meanwhile began shaking her head at her. What the hell is this stupid girl saying?!

"Oh. Then I forgive you. You didn't mean it after all." Both girls almost sagged in relief but screamed and ducked at the last second when Akito's finger glowed brighter.

"Taser Shot."

KABOOM!

Sakura and Ino opened their eyes dazedly after a moment and scrambled from the floor looking behind them at the damage. A huge chunk of the wall had a nasty, still smoking scorch mark. If that had hit them…they shuddered.

BANG!

"What the hell is happening here?!" Umino Iruka, their class teacher, glared at the whole class from the door.

"I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei. I asked the girls to test my smokeless bomb pellet and they accidentally dropped it. Sorry Sakura, Ino. I should have warned you about the noise." Akito smiled innocently at the girls. If it wasn't for the scorch mark behind them they would have fallen for it. The rest of the class just sweat-dropped.

"…Fine. Sakura, Ino. Get back to tour seats. In fact, all of you. Class is starting."

Both girls looked at each other after taking the seats at the back away from Akito and silently communicated. They nodded to each other after a several seconds. Yeah, Sasuke is the safer choice.

——

"Man, Akito. Did you have to shoot lightning at Sakura and Ino earlier?" Akimichi Choji, the class glutton asked him while munching on his fifth bag of potato chips.

"Both of them deserved it. They knew better than to insult Naruto in front of Akito. What troublesome girls." Shikamaru lazily put his head down on the table.

"They shouldn't have said mean things to Naruto." Hyuuga Hinata shyly looked at the blonde haired boy and blushed.

Akito just smiled at his classmates.

Iruka demanded silence from the class and told them their physical activity for today.

"Graduation is just on the horizon. As a Konoha shinobi, you are required to be proficient in hand to hand combat and today we will test you on your progress. My assistant, Mizuki-sensei, will be helping me grade and assess you. This is your fifth year at the academy, if you don't pass the end of the year exams then you will have to try again next year. For those who feel like the shinobi life isn't for you, then the sooner you decide to quit the better. You're still young and it's not too late to choose another career path. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Well? What are you waiting for. Get outside!" Iruka clapped his hands and the students quickly went towards the school training ground.

Akito calmly sidled up to Sasuke and Naruto and all three of them followed their classmates. After all of them were gathered outside a ring, the black-haired boy observed everyone. His assessment had been right. From five classes the previous year, they have been reduced to two, with 15 students for each class with a total of 30 students. By the end of the year, he was sure that they would be whittled down further.

"First up! Hoshimura Keisuke and Hinamori Ichika. The first to be pushed out of the ring or down their opponent, wins. If after three minutes there is still no clear winner then I will be the one to decide. No weapons or ninjutsu allowed. Begin!" The matches were boring. Iruka obviously paired up students who had more or less the same level of skills. Seeing the students though, Akito couldn't help but cringe at the sloppy moves.

Match after match he steadily grew disappointed. It was to be expected. Civilian children don't get much tutelage compared to the clan kids. He and Naruto were exceptions not the rule. If he hadn't enrolled them to the dojo or sparred everyday for all these years, they would have also had the same level of skills. They would have been reduced to canon fodder.

"Time!" Mizuki announced looking at the crying girls awkwardly after lamely punching each other in the face. Talk about embarrassing.

"Ahem. Next! Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ini. Begin!"

Both girls took a textbook Academy Taijutsu stance.

"Prepare to be defeated, Ino-pig! Sasuke-kun is mine!"

"In your dreams forehead girl! I'm going to ask Sasuke-kun out after I pound in your face!"

Sakura growled and dashed and delivered a pretty weak punch which Ino slapped away. The blonde girl grabbed Sakura's clothes and tossed her away, the pink-haired girl rolling a few times on the dirt but quickly stopped herself from going out of the ring.

"My clothes! I just bought these! You'll pay for that, Ino-pig!"

Sakura dashed again and delivered another punch but it was a feint! Ino fell for it and received a punch directly to the face, slamming into the ground. The blonde girl whimpered and touched her lip and saw a bit of blood.

"Kyaah!! You busted my lip, you forehead bitch!"

Akito slapped his face as the fight devolved into a catfight instead with scratches, pulling of hair and a lot of yelling.

"Time! That's enough, both of you!" Iruka separated the girls who still attempted to lunge at each other, claws and teeth bared.

"I'm the one Sasuke loves, you pig in a wig!"

"Who you calling pig in a wig, you unnatural pink-haired freak!"

Mizuki helped knock both of them unconscious and were promptly sent to the infirmary.

"Troublesome." Akito had to agree with the lazy Nara.

"Sigh. Moving on. I will set the timer this time. Akimichi Choji and Inuzuka Kiba. Step up to the ring."

"Heh. I was getting bored. Hold Akamaru for me, Hinata." The girl nodded, smiling shyly.

"Woof." The cute puppy wagged its tail, cheering its master on.

"You can do it, Choji." Shikamaru patted his nervous friend's shoulder. The chubby boy nodded in thanks and went inside the ring.

"Ready? Begin!"

Choji clearly wasn't much of a fighter and got tossed around by Kiba. Kiba utilised all four of his limbs to jump, twirl, and dash towards his opponent further confusing him. Finally Choji was launched outside of the ring by a fierce kick to the gut and the match ended.

"Match! Great footwork, Kiba." Iruka smiled at his student.

"Thanks, Mr. Iruka!" Kiba grinned and went back to his pet.

"Woof woof!"

"I did it, boy!" Kiba hugged Akamaru and scratched his head.

"You did well, Kiba. Great job too, Choji." Akito patted both boys' shoulders.

Naruto also shouted his congratulations with his boisterous manner.

"Alright! Next are Nara Shikamaru and Aburame Shino. Step up to the ring, please." Iruka gestured at the two students.

"Sigh. How troublesome. Can't I just forfeit?" Shikamaru slouched pathetically as Iruka glared at him.

"No, Shikamaru. Now step up to the ring."

"What a drag." The lazy boy mumbled.

"It is unfortunate that I cannot use my bugs, however the pairing is logical as Shikamaru and I are not front-line fighters." Shino said in that monotone voice of his as the bug-user dutifully faced Shikamaru.

"You can do it Shikamaru! Shino! Woohoo!" Naruto loudly proclaimed.

"Goodluck!" Hinata smiled in encouragement.

"Begin!"

Shikamaru reluctantly took a stance as he waited for his opponent to make the first move.

Shino flashed towards him aiming for a punch but it was blocked. Undeterred Shino quickly twisted his body and launched a high kick towards his opponent's face. The other boy corssed his arms to protect himself and retaliated with a kick to Shino's ribs. The bug-user sensed this and leaped backward. Shikamaru this time launched himself attempting to connect his knee at Shino's body.

Akito watched the by-play and observed that both boys were truly on the same level of skill. Shino, though, had more initiative compared to the other boy who only passively blocked most of the time taking his time to strategise. Shikamaru was being pushed by Shino closer to the edge of the ring by the barrage of assaults and seemed to struggle to block the punches and kicks aimed at him. Bolstered by this Shino launched a strong right hook but in a complete reversal Shikamaru grabbed his wrist with both hands and threw the bug-user past the ring, completely surprising everyone.

"Match! This battle goes to Shikamaru!" Iruka smiled proudly at the usually lazy boy.

Shikamaru helped Shino up and the bug-user congratulated him.

"You waited and logically analysed how to manipulate the rules to your own benefit. I am impressed."

"Thanks, man. I just don't want my mother to nag at me again." Shikamaru shrugged.

"Nice one, Shikamaru!"

"You…you were both g…great."

"I knew you could do it Shika!"

"Nn."

The others expressed their approval, even the broody Sasuke.

"Now. Hyuuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke."

—-

"Eep!" The girl in question hunched into herself, afraid of facing the Uchiha prodigy.

"Do your best Hinata! I believe in you!" Naruto flashed a thumbs-up at her and that seemed to bolster her confidence a bit.

"Are you ready?" The teacher looked at them.

"Yes, sir!"

"Nn."

"Then, begin!"

"Kyahh!! Go Sasuke-sama!"

"Just give it up! Sasuke-kun will definitely win!"

"You're so handsome, my Sasuke!"

Akito saw Sasuke eyebrow twitch for a brief second but quickly went back to his stoic face. Fangirls were scary.

Hinata on the other hand breathed deeply and took a non-standard Academy stance. The girl widened her feet and bent her knees low. Her left arm extended forward, palm facing her opponent. The other palm also faces forward with the elbows pointing towards the back. It was the unique Hyuuga Gentle Fist.

"Byakugan!"

Large veins sprouted from her temples, making her lavender eyes look menacing.

"What's that?" Naruto stared at the weird eyes.

"That's the unique Bloodline Limit of the Hyuuga Clan. A Dojutsu called the Byakugan." Akito explained for his friend.

Sasuke raised his brow at his opponent and smirked. He also took his unique stance. It's the Interceptor Style of the Uchihas. It was when his eyes turned blood-red, with two tomoes on each eye, that everyone gasped.

"Is…that?" Shikamaru murmured.

"Yeah. Sasuke's Sharingan! Go Sasuke!" Naruto jumped up and down.

Ever since Sasuke joined them in their training, Akito has been helping him activate his Kekkei Genkai or bloodline limit. Akito surmised that Sasuke has activated them already once before when the massacre happened. It was only a matter of mind over body. After a few months of frustration Sasuke finally succeeded and his speed and perception rose exponentially.

As Akito watched Sasuke evade the chakra infused fingertips of Hinata gracefully, he knew that his friend would win.

Sasuke efficiently dodged the fast jabs from his opponent without breaking a sweat. Compared to what Akito makes him do on a daily basis this is practically nothing. Sasuke believed that Akito can contend with most Jounin already, and his mentor's speed was out of this world. These slow jabs aiming for his tenketsu points, Sasuke had all the time in the world to evade them.

Slapping the girl's hand away Sasuke's body blurred and his fist connected to the her solar plexus, making her gag in pain and was launched into the air.

Thud!

Hinata was launched well outside the ring and coughed a few times from the heavy punch.

"Match! Sasuke wins!"

"Kyahh! I knew it! I love you, Sasuke-kun!"

"Marry me, Sasuke-kun!"

"You're so hot!"

Sasuke ignored all the commotion as he went back to his place as his eyes went back to their original color. His classmates also congratulated him on his victory and a hand landed on his shoulder and saw that it was Akito.

"Well done, Sasuke. If you had lost, I would have had to add to your weights."

Sasuke stiffened at the soft smile the sadistic boy was giving him and silently nodded. Screw Itachi, this boy has been giving him nightmares for over a year now, he silently lamented.

Hinata though smiled a dopey smile as Naruto helped her get up. But literally short-circuited when the blonde hugged her and told her she was great making her faint a second later.

"Hinata? Hinata, hey! Wake up! Hinata?!" He shook her panicking.

"It's alright Naruto, she just fainted. Choji! Shikamaru! Help Hinata to the infirmary." The two boys nodded their heads and helped carry the girl away.

"Sigh. It's finally time for the last match. Uzumaki Naruto and Inazuma Akito. Bring yourselves into the ring."

"Kyahh!! It's Akito-kun! Omygosh he's so handsome! Do you think he's a long lost Uchiha?!"

"Yeah. He might pass for an Uchiha, right?"

"No. His hair and eye-coloring are all wrong. I've never seen hair and eye as black as his."

"Yeah. And his skin is paler too."

"Shut your mouth, idiot! Are insulting my future husband?!"

"Husband?! Get in line, stupid! I'm the one who's going to marry him!"

Just like Sasuke, Akito ignored all of this. With his wavy black hair and dark eyes he indeed might pass for an Uchiha but he knew that his face was different from the normal Uchiha features. His face and body were perfectly crafted and moulded by a Supreme Being, sometimes to the eyes of other people he didn't even look human. Like there was something otherworldly about him, which they were right to suspect. Akito did think occasionally that the Great Being might have made him immortal, too, but he wasn't sure. Sighing he waited for Iruka to get on with it. He looked at Naruto and smirked.

"Scared, Naruto?"

"Ha! I'm going to bring you down, Akito!" The blonde boy dramatically pointed at him and grinned.

"Ready, boys? Begin!"

Naruto opened it by crouching and dashing quickly towards him. To the onlookers it looked like he disappeared. Within a second his punch connected to Akito's face! Naruto grinned but his smile vanished when he felt nothing but air and he landed on the ground.

"Where are you aiming at? I'm over here."

Spinning around he found the other boy where he was standing a second ago.

"What?!"

"…How did he get there?"

"It was an afterimage."

Sasuke said and everyone widened their eyes in disbelief, including Iruka. He couldn't even follow the boy's movement!

Naruto frowned but gritted his teeth and blurred away, this time aiming an overhead kick.

Akito didn't dodge this time and blocked the kick that would've shattered someone's bones with how heavy it was. The ground underneath him cracked. He grinned. He really did a good job training his pupils. Tilting his head backward he avoided a jab and followed his movement by completely bending like a contortionist and aimed his right toes at Naruto's chin. The movement was so fluid that Naruto didn't expect it and quickly crossed his arms to block. The blonde boy grabbed his foot and attempted to overthrow him but he kicked out with his other one, the force enabling him to upright himself gracefully in mid air landing lightly on his feet. Naruto was blown away from the strong kick and rolled once on the ground but didn't get time to orient himself as a black blur was already upon him and he was kicked in the stomach launching him closer to the ring's edge. Naruto coughed a little but grinned and recovered quickly none worse for wear.

"Holy shit! They're so fast!"

"I couldn't even see Akito move!"

"Yeah! Go Akito! Naruto!"

The crowd went wild at the fast exchange but Naruto focused as he knew that his big bro was a formidable opponent. He again dashed this time aiming low and swiped his leg at the other boy. As he expected the other boy jumped up. Gotcha! He tried to grab the legs but only caught air and in the next moment he felt an impact on his back making him stumble forward. Looking back he saw Akito lightly land on his feet behind him. Not giving up he pursued his opponent and threw fast jabs and kicks but every time he felt like he was punching at nothing!

Akito dodged and swerved and diverted the blonde boy's attacks. His movements were efficient and economical, moving only slightly at the last possible moment frustrating Naruto. Akito smiled and gave the boy a chance to show off. Instead of dodging Akito crossed his arms and received the heavy uppercut, consciously making himself solid so it wouldn't just pass through him. The punch was so strong that it launched him high into the air but quickly righted himself and landed squarely on his toes.

"Nice. Come, Naruto. Show me what you got." He smiled at the grinning boy and beckoned him to attack.

Naruto dashed and this time Akito actively exchanged heavy blows, both their punches and kicks were just blurs to the casual observer but their strength couldn't be denied as the dry earth beneath them cracked and kicked up dust.

The exchange of blows continued on for what seemed like an eternity, both boys grinning. A fierce kick from Naruto literally cracked the earth and launched huge rocks high in the air, Akito jumping and joined his fists together and brought it down like a hammer on Naruto's head. At the last moment Naruto crossed his arms, almost buckling at the heavy force. The ground beneath him further cracked.

"Time!"

Akito grinned and hugged his panting little bro proud at him. Any other opponent would have been decimated already. Naruto grinned back and laughed, adrenaline still in his veins.

Their audience finally stopped gaping at them and clapped and hollered at the fantastic exchange of taijustsu. At this time the students who were sent to the infirmary was able to witness their fight from start to finish.

"Holy shit! I can't believe their still students! I'm not sure I could take any one of their punches."

"Yeah. I couldn't even follow most of their moves. Both of them were awesome!"

"Akito, Naruto, and Sasuke are the top scorers for sure."

"What are these two eating?! They literally destroyed the training field!"

"Monsters."

"Kyahh! You're so strong Akito-kun!"

Iruka smiled at the two boys. Even he was amazed. Those two were easily chuunin level, at least in taijustsu. But still, he didn't expect Naruto to be this good already. He was shameful at being prejudiced at the blonde kid because of his status as a jinchuriki but looking at Naruto, he realised he was only a kid. And a talented one.

"Both of you showed tremendous skill Akito and Naruto. Especially you Naruto, you showed me that giving up doesn't exist in your vocabulary. Very well done, both of you." Iruka beamed at the two grinning boys.

"Wait, Iruka-sensei. Who won?" One random student asked.

Iruka scratched his scarred nose.

"Well. It was very close but this time the match goes to Akito."

"Kyahhh! You're so cool!"

"I knew it. Akito-kun is amazing!"

"That loser Naruto couldn't hold a candle to Akito-kun!"

CRACKLE!

Everybody dove and scrambled away from the idiot who said that, cursing at her stupidity.

"Taser shot!"

KABOOM!

Everyone looked at the plume of smoke coming from the area where the lightning hit. The poor girl was erratically twitching as electricity lanced through her body. The whites of her eyes were all that showed and her hair stood on end like a porcupine.

"Oops! Hehehe. I slipped." Akito cutely smiled at them his dimples showing, scratching his head in embarrassment.

Yeah, right. Everyone deadpanned.

"Sigh. I'll bring her to the infirmary. Go home. Class dismissed." Iruka shook his head. Everyone knew not to mess with Naruto or even Sasuke if Akito was nearby. May the Sage rescue their smoking corpse, otherwise.

——

Akito frowned as he watched Sasuke and Naruto spar. It's been a few weeks since the start of their final year and training has been good for all three of them.

Sasuke has done great strides in mastering his Sharingan, both eyes at three tomoe now. The boy has also been steadily learning fire jutsus from the Uchiha library, even learning an advanced B-Rank now.

Naruto has also been steadily progressing. The amount of weight he could handle was in the hundreds of kilograms now on each limb and torso. The blonde jinchuriki has also been softening up the Kyuubi and the fox doesn't threaten to eat him now. Well, sometimes. At least Naruto has been given permission to use one tail's worth of bijuu chakra, more than that and he goes out of control. His fuinjutsu has also improved a lot and the boy can reliably dismantle seals now, make sealing scrolls and explosion tags, and many others. Naruto is truly becoming an exceptional ninja with all the tricks he has in his arsenal.

However with the two boys' progress, Akito couldn't help compare himself to them realising that his body was truly abnormal. The weight he can carry are at the tens of tons now. Good thing that there were many kunai, shuriken, and weapons from past wars just scattered all around the Elemental Nations if you know where to look so he could just keep hoarding them all. It also doesn't hurt that his and Naruto's financial situation is pretty good with all the bounties he's been collecting.

"Hey you two. Come over here for a moment."

Both boys stopped trying to clobber each other and curiously approached.

"What is it, Akito?" Naruto beamed at him, always with his sunny personality compared to Sasuke who just looked at him.

"I wanted to show you two something. Follow me."

Akito lead them towards a tree and instructed the two boys to back up a bit.

"We've been training intensely for years now and I think it's time you learn why I've been pushing you so much. Watch closely."

The two watched Akito as he stood there for a moment but suddenly with a blur of movement he disappeared! Both boys looked and found him a few meters two the right. Immediately Akito kicked of the ground hard and jumped but the shocking thing was he kept getting higher and higher as if he was stepping on air. Both boys gaped as the boy was now several meters in the air, just kicking at nothing to stay afloat. Again with a blur of movement Akito disappeared and reappeared again and again in mid air finally stopping above the tree earlier in front of them. Naruto and Sasuke widened their eyes as Akito raised his right leg and kicked so fast that it was practically a blur and immediately the tree split in two as if something cut it, toppling it towards the ground with a loud thud. Akito stopped kicking the air and landed nonchalantly in front of them, smiling all the while.

"Did you see it?"

"What was that?! That was so cool!" Naruto bounded over and shook Akito who laughed. Sasuke also wanted some answers.

"Explain." The Uchiha demanded.

"I was going to. Both of you back up for a minute." Both boys complied eager to hear what he had to say.

"What I just did are four leg techniques. They utilise all the strength and power your leg can produce. The first one is the one I call Shave. It is a high-speed movement that is almost instantaneous. The principle is you have to kick the ground at least ten times in a blink of an eye."

"So there's no chakra involved?" Sasuke asked.

"You can do it with chakra as ninjas are wont to do by augmenting your speed but that's just the easy way out. Through pure training, like we've already been doing, can you successfully perform Shave."

Akito instantly disappeared and reappeared back in his position, demonstrating the move.

"So cool! What about the others?"

"Next is is what I call Moonwalk. By kicking the air strongly I can stay in the air for a long time. It can also be used together with Shave, turning it into a high-speed flight movement that I call Razor."

Akito demonstrated Moonwalk by jumping up high and circled the air going faster and faster until he was just a blur. The boy finally stopped and back in front of them.

"I can't believe it. You just flew like it was nothing." Sasuke mumbled to which Akito chuckled.

"It's not nothing, Sasuke. I'm showing you this because I believe that both of you can do it. But before you practice, the last move is called Tempest Kick. By kicking at very high speeds and strength, a projectile is launched like a compressed blade of wind. It's a very powerful attack that."

Akito again demonstrated by kicking at the ground, dust kicking up and making a large gouge in the earth like it was sliced by a large sword.

"Think you can do it?"

Both boys firmly nodded wanting to learn especially Sasuke. He wanted to fly, dammit!

"Alright. We have less than a year until graduation and we will need to increase your speed. Let's start by adding more weights to your legs."

Sasuke and Naruto gulped at the sadistic look the other boy was giving them. Shit.

——

"When I call your name, please proceed next door to take the third and final part of your exam, the Ninjutsu Test. First up is Aburame Shino." Iruka gestured for Shino to follow him and the boy dutifully complied.

"You can do it, Shino!" Naruto cheered for the quiet boy who nodded his thanks.

Man, graduation. Naruto couldn't believe it. Well, he can! Because he's going to be an awesome ninja, believe it! But all throughout, he couldn't help but feel eternally grateful to his big brother who pushed him and cared for him when no one would. Even the Hokage, who he considered to be somewhat of a grandfather figure, did that for him aside from visiting from time to time. Naruto could still remember that fateful day at the stream where Akito found him crying. That was the first time the he realised that there were people in the world who didn't hate him just because he existed. People who didn't call him demon and treated him as a human being.

Naruto didn't where he would be right now, probably failing his studies and completely alone, if Akito wasn't there. He was his big brother, best friend, and mentor and he vowed to one day pay he would pay it ten…no…a million times over!

"Naruto, are you okay over there? You suddenly got quiet." Naruto grinned at the concerned look Akito was giving him.

"I'm gonna be the best ninja ever! Believe it!"

"I believe you, Naruto. You're already on your way to being an awesome shinobi. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise." His big brother narrowed his eyes at two certain pink-haired and blonde girls who had been listening in. Both of them nervously quickly looked away.

"Inazuma Akito. You're next." Iruka called out from the door.

"Well, see you both later, alright?" Sasuke and Naruto promised to meet him later and both boys wished him good luck as he walked away.

—-

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Good luck, Sasuke-kun! Kyahh!!"

"You better not fail, Sasuke or else Akito will up your weights." The Uchiha shuddered and glared at Naruto who snickered.

"Think about yourself, Naruto. You don't want to do those calligraphy lessons again, would you?" He smirked this time as Naruto paled.

No. Not the calligraphy lessons! Even though his writing improved a lot he didn't want to be strapped to a table for hours again to write on those cursed calligraphy sheets! Naruto glared at the smug bastard who proceeded to the next door.

He was the only one left now. Why couldn't his name start with an 'A' or something! He was so freaking bored. All the others probably already had gotten their forehead protectors and were celebrating now. How much longer does he have to…

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"Yes!! Finally!" Naruto grinned and rushed towards the door. Opening it he saw Iruka-sensei, who smiled at him and that Mizuki. He didn't like the silver-haired teacher assistant one bit. He always sees him glare at him in the corner of his eyes whenever the teacher thought he didn't notice. As if!

"Well, you're the last one Naruto. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, Iruka-sensei! What do I do?"

"Let me explain first. As I said earlier during the written, taijutsu, and shuriken and kunai throwing part, this last portion will constitute 30 percent of your total grade. It's a higher percentage than the other so try to do your best. For this part you have to show us your proficiency in all the three basic ninjutsu I've taught you. First, please show us you Body Replacement Technique. Whenever you're ready." Iruka gestured for him to start.

Naruto nodded and immediately substituted himself with a log from the stack nearby.

"Excellent, Naruto! And no hand signs." Iruka grinned and wrote on his pad. Naruto grinned back proud of his achievement. He worked really hard to eliminate the hand seals, at least for the basic jutsus he knows.

"Next will be the Clone Technique."

Five plumes of smoke appeared beside him and the same number of clones appeared, with the same outfit and the same grin.

"Ahehe. I couldn't make my clones any fewer, Iruka-sensei. Akito said that I have too much chakra."

"Hmmm. That seems to be the case, isn't it? Why didn't I notice it before. You must've worked crazy hard on your chakra control. Great job, Naruto." Iruka proudly smiled at him while beside him Mizuki slipped for a moment and glared hatefully but quickly pasted on a smile.

"Now. This is the last one. After this you'll get your forehead protector. Please show us your Transformation Technique."

Naruto nodded and all five clones including him transformed into Iruka.

"Well done! Flawless technique, Naruto. Congratulations. These are the official forehead protectors Konoha issues to its shinobi. Pick a color you want." The scarred sensei gestured at a table where the forehead protectors were. Naruto dispelled his clones and transformed back to himself. He bounded over to the table and picked out a dark blue forehead protector which he proudly strapped around his head. The metal gleamed in the afternoon sun.

"Congratulations again, Naruto. Be sure to be here next week for your team assignments, alright?"

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei! Mizuki-sensei!" He bowed politely and ran outside shouting excitedly all the while.

"I did it! I'm a ninja!"

Naruto was just going past the gates when he heard his name being called out.

"Naruto, wait!"

"Huh? Mizuki-sensei?" He looked curiously at the teacher assistant who walked over to him.

"Naruto. I just wanted to congratulate you again on passing your final exams. You did well." Mizuki gave him an almost genuine smile. It didn't reach his eyes though.

"Oh. Hehehe. Thanks, Mizuki-sensei. But…ah…did you want something?"

"Yes, Naruto. I was getting to it. You see we at the school give extra credits for new graduate ninjas. You can earn points if you perform a task and you can even be promoted to Chuunin immediately if you perform well enough. It's only offered for very talented students of course and I believe you are one of them. So what do you say?" Naruto was sceptical but he didn't show it. Akito trained him better than that. Instead he pasted on an interested expression.

"Really? What do I have to do?" Mizuki smiled even wider like one of those sleazy salespeople.

"Well. You just have to steal a certain scroll from the Hokage's Office. You have to keep it a secret of course and you have to not be seen at all. It's still a test, after all. After taking the scroll you have to learn at least one of the several jutsu written on it. After that you have to deliver it to me at a specific place at midnight tonight."

"That's easy, Mizuki-sensei. I'll definitely learn a jutsu in no time and deliver it to you, no problem! I'll go steal it right away!" He gave the teacher a thumbs up and quickly fled the school. He had to tell his big bro.

Naruto didn't see the menacing grin on Mizuki's face.

—-

"So let me get this straight. That idiot Mizuki told you to steal a scroll from the Hokage's Office, learn a jutsu, and give it to him at midnight tonight? That's treason." Sasuke snorted in derision.

All three of them were in Naruto's apartment after the blonde boy told them the situation. Akito though was thinking. He remembered this scenario vaguely from the original story. He cursed silently as his memories of the timeline were completely unreliable at best. Well, there was nothing for it now. He addressed the two.

"Here's what we'll do…"

—-

"Hmmm. It is suspicious indeed. The scroll Mizuki asked you to steal is the Scroll of Seals. It contains dangerous and forbidden jutsu that could jeopardise the security of the village if it got into the wrong hands. You did well in reporting this to me." The Sandaime Hokage gestured at the scroll in question which sitting innocently at the Hokage's desk.

"However, although I believe your story Naruto, this is still a serious accusation against a Chunin. Would you be willing to prove Mizuki's guilt, Naruto?" The Hokage stared at them solemnly.

"Don't worry, old man! I'll catch that Mizuki bastard!"

"Good. Here is what you will do. Naruto will act as bait and carry the Scroll of Seals with him. It will be a fake of course and several Anbu will be following you closely just in case. If you succeed I will let you learn the first jutsu from the real Scroll of Seals. What do you think?" The Old Hokage grinned at them mischievously.

"Really? Then I'll do it, Old Man. You better not go back on your word!"

"Hoho. You have to catch Mizuki first."

"Hokage-sama. Will you also allow me and Sasuke to accompany Naruto? We will be careful to conceal ourselves and not interfere with the Anbu, of course. I just want to make sure that Naruto stays safe." Akito bowed low as the Hokage rubbed his greying goatee.

"Very well. I will permit it. Under no circumstance you will show yourselves at any time. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" All three of them saluted.

—-

Akito stayed still up in the tree tops as he watched Naruto wait patiently for Mizuki, the blonde boy holding the fake scroll.

He wasn't worried though. Naruto has been training diligently and had already mastered what he called the Yonshiki, as he taught only four out of the original Rokushiki. Akito determined, when he was trying to learn the Six Powers, that other than the leg portion the other techniques weren't really efficient so he didn't bother learning them.

Akito sensed that there were five Anbu expertly hiding in the foliage. There was also Sasuke hiding somewhere opposite his position. It was only a matter of time.

After waiting for several more minutes he sensed someone's presence approaching the clearing Naruto was waiting at.

"Naruto! Great job. Were you seen?"

"Mizuki-sensei! Heh. Of course not. I'm the best after all!" Naruto bragged.

"Of course. Now to complete the test you just have to hand me the scroll. Come on now. We don't have all night." Mizuki impatiently said.

Akito narrowed his eyes somewhere on the right.

"Alright sensei." Before he could hand it over a voice suddenly interrupted.

"Naruto wait! Don't give it to him. He tricked you!"

It was Iruka-sensei. He was panting as if he had run a marathon.

"Huh? Iruka-sensei? What are you doing here? Are you here for the secret test, too?"

"I've been looking all over the village for you!There's no secret test, Naruto. What you're holding is the Scroll of Seals. Mizuki tricked you to get it for him."

"Cheh. Don't listen to him, Naruto. Now hand me the damn scroll!" Mizuki launched a fast kunai. Iruka acted quickly and blocked it with his own.

"Quickly return to the village, Naruto. Mizuki is a traitor."

"Always the dutiful shinobi, eh Iruka? I've always hated you for being a goody two-shoes. I was always just second best after you. When I applied for that teaching position, they didn't even consider me over you. You always get everything!" Mizuki sneered.

"That's not true. You're a talented shinobi. You can still turn yourself in, Mizuki. It's still not too late." Iruka pleaded to his once friend.

"Heh. Do you know why the villagers hate you, Naruto?" He smiled hatefully.

"No! Don't say it! It's forbidden!"

"What Iruka doesn't want to tell you is that when the Yondaime defeated the Kyuubi all those years ago, he in fact couldn't kill the beast! The Yondaime had to seal the demon to keep it from destroying and killing anymore. Sealing it required a human sacrifice, however. Yes, that sacrifice was you Naruto! That's why you're so hated! You're the Nine-tailed Fox that killed hundreds of people and Iruka's parents!" Mizuki laughed mockingly.

"I already know."

"…what? Naruto…" Iruka was shaken.

"I've known for quite some time. It's not that hard, you know? I've been called a demon brat and fox brat all my life. It's not that hard to put two and two together."

"Naruto…"

"Shut it! I don't care anymore. I promised to deliver the Seal of Scrolls to Orochimaru-sama. When I give it to him, I will finally attain true power!" Mizuki reached over his back and threw a great fuma shuriken, spinning like a buzz saw.

"Naruto, no!" Iruka tried to intercept it but it was too fast.

When the fuma shuriken was just a few feet from Naruto, his form suddenly blurred and vanished, the large shuriken passing by harmlessly.

Akito smirked as he saw the blonde boy instantly reappear just behind Mizuki, a kick aiming for his head.

"Tsk."

Mizuki quickly dodged but what happened next shocked him and Iruka. The earth shattered when Naruto's kick missed and hit the ground instead. Large cracks could be seen and large chunks of rock flew into the air.

"Eh, I missed. Keep still Mizuki. This will only hurt for a moment. Hehehe."

Everyone watching sweatdropped at the blonde, even the Hokage watching through his crystal ball back in his office. Akito slapped his forehead. Had his sadistic personality transferred to Naruto?

The blonde boy took out a gleaming black katana that shone under the moonlight.

"You think a fucking sword will defeat me, demon brat?!"

"Geez, Mizuki. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Naruto huffed but suddenly disappeared from his position.

"Fuck! Where is he?!" Mizuki frantically looked around.

"Did you miss me?"

"Aaahh!!" A sword went through his leg from behind him followed by a kick to his back which drew the sword out with a sickening squelch and made him roll over the ground.

Naruto looked at the blood on his sword, turning a bit green but steeled himself and wiped it off a cloth and sheathed it back. He saw several Anbu land and surround the prone Mizuki and haul him away. It was finally done.

"Naruto! Are you alright? You…how can you move so fast like that?" The teacher patted his shoulder amazed.

"Ehehe. Akito taught me."

"Akito…?"

"Hi sensei. Great job, Naruto!" Akito patted Naruto on the shoulder.

"Akito? Sasuke? What are you two doing here?" Iruka asked.

"The Hokage already knows about Mizuki, sensei. The scroll earlier was a fake. You being here on the other was a surprise." Akito shrugged.

"What?! I…oh. Sigh. Let's just ho back. I'm just glad that you weren't hurt, Naruto."

"You don't have to worry about me, sensei! I'm awesome after all. Believe it!"

"I can see that." Iruka smiled.

——

"Well done, Naruto. Mizuki is now being taken care of by our Interrogation team. Also, I didn't know you could move like that. It's not the Shunshin." The Hokage rubbed his chin as he looked at them, his eyes asking for an explanation.

"Oh! Me and Sasuke learned it from Akito. I'm super fast! Right, old man?" Naruto bragged as Sasuke nodded in agreement.

"Akito?"

"It's a set of techniques I developed, Hokage-sama. Only I, Naruto, and Sasuke know of them." Akito explained.

"There's more of them? Impressive. So it can be taught to others?"

"…It's not that easy, sir. Naruto, take off tour brace and put it on that table over there."

Naruto reluctantly nodded and took off his right bracer. He approached the small side table and gently placed it on top. Naruto backed away as the table suddenly groaned and collapsed splitting in two. The piece if metal impacted the ground and created a hole through it. The Hokage and Iruka stood up in shock.

"What the hell?! How are you still standing with that much weight on you!"

"Don't worry, Iruka-sensei. I'm super strong!"

"As I said it's not that easy. The techniques I developed require a tremendous amount of force to perform. If someone from Konoha can lug around the same weight as Naruto can then they're welcome to try learning them, Hokage-sama."

"I…indeed. Hmmm. I may have someone. Yes, that person and his student surely will benefit from this. If you successfully teach them, Akito-kun, then I will consider this an A-Rank mission and pay you accordingly. As for tonight's mission, just as I promised. Here you go, Naruto. It's called the Shadow Clone Technique. Normally I would be reluctant to give it to someone your age but I believe it will definitely suit you."

"About the Kyuubi, old man. Why didn't you tell me?" Naruto looked disappointedly at the old man.

"Sigh. I was going to tell you when you were chuunin, Naruto."

At that point Akito, Sasuke, and Iruka excused themselves silently to let the two talk it out.

Outside Iruka bid them goodnight and Sasuke arranged to meet tomorrow for training to which he agreed and both boys promptly went home.

——

The next day Akito and Naruto were walking towards a training ground that the Hokage had told them they could meet the ones they were going to teach Yonshiki there.

Naruto kept fidgeting though and looking at him. He smiled at the boy and patted him on the shoulder.

"You don't have to tell me anything Naruto. What you and the Hokage discussed yesterday are your secrets. You don't have to feel obligated to tell me everything, you know that right?"

"Hehe. You always know what I'm thinking, Akito. Thanks." Naruto said.

"Now let's hurry. Sasuke might already be there."

Both of them jumped through the rooftops and went to the direction of the training grounds. There were several of them scattered around Konoha but they were headed towards Training Ground 11.

Quickly arriving they saw Sasuke leaning against a tree just outside the training ground.

"About time." Sasuke drawled.

"Hey, Sasuke. Sorry to keep you waiting. Are the people we're going to meet already here?" Akito asked.

"Nn. They're inside." Sasuke said and lead them inside the training ground.

In the clearing they saw four people, the adult in the group was telling something to the other three. They look like the same age as them.

"And here they are! Greetings! It is a fine morning to test ourselves and learn something youthful today! I am Might Guy, Konoha's Sublime Blue Beast of Prey! You may call me Guy-sensei. I am the team leader of these three youthful shinobi!" The man was tall and muscular and clearly emphasised physical fitness. He had an angular face and wore a green spandex. The most prominent features in him though was his bowl-hair and thick eyebrows.

"Guy-sensei, you're so cool!" Naruto did a double-take. This guy is a younger version of Guy with the same spandex, bowl-cut and thick eyebrows.

"Bushy Brows! And Bushier Brows-sensei!" Naruto suddenly pointed at the two.

"Naruto! That's not nice!" Akito reprimanded him.

"Oh! So you have noticed the handsome youthfulness of Guy-sensei! Of course, Guy-sensei is the epitome of manliness. You have my thanks!" The younger version said.

"Lee, Tenten, Neji. Introduce yourselves to these youthful guests." Guy said.

"I am Rock Lee, the Handsome Blue Beast of Konoha! It's nice to meet fellow youthful shinobi such as yourselves!" Lee grinned showing off his gleaming white teeth and giving them a thumbs up.

"Sigh. Please ignore their weird behavior. Hey, it's you two! Naruto-kun and Akito-kun, you haven't visited the shop in a while." Tenten cutely pouted at them.

"Tenten! You're part of this team?" Akito asked.

"Yeah. We've been on active duty for almost a year now. Heh, don't hesitate to ask for pointers alright?" Tenten winked playfully.

"I'm Hyuuga Neji. That's all you need to know." The last member of Team Guy said stoically.

"Oh, well it's a pleasure to meet all of you. My name is Inazuma Akito." Akito bowed politely.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I'm gonna be the greatest ninja ever!" Naruto put his hands on his hips and proudly declared.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Ohh! I heard that Uchiha-san is very talented. I would like to challenge you to a duel to prove to you that hard work can prevail against pure talent!" Lee seriously said.

"Well, isn't that convenient. What do you think, everyone? Since we're here to teach you the Yonshiki, wouldn't it be better to see it firsthand?" Akito smiled widely at them.

"Yonshiki? The Four Powers?" Tenten asked.

"Yes. I invented them. So, what you think. Guy-sensei? Sasuke? Lee?"

"Yosh! A very youthful suggestion, Akito-kun! Lee, it's time to show all your hard work!" Guy clapped his hands his student's shoulder.

"Yosh! I will make you proud, Guy-sensei!" Lee bagan doing some stretches.

"Why does it have to be me?" Sasuke grumbled.

"Come on, Sasuke. You've been training so hard this past year. I know deep down in your broody little heart that you want to show off, too." Akito smirked.

"Heh. Broody." Naruto snickered to which the Uchiha glared at the both of them.

"Fine!"

At that, the others gave the two some space, and both young men stood opposite each other in the centre of the clearing. Guy nodded at Akito.

"Alright! Remember, this is a purely taijutsu demonstration so no ninjutsu or genjutsu. Weapons aren't allowed and no hitting vital spots. We don't want any accidents here. The first to go down loses. Are you guys ready?" Akito loudly said.

"Yosh! I'm ready!" Lee widened his stance, with his right arm forward and the other behind his back. It was the Strong Fist taijutsu

"Nn." Sasuke also placed his feet firmly.

"Begin!"

"Shave."

Sasuke vanished from his spot and reappeared in front of Lee, his foot already near his head.

'Fast!' Lee wasn't deterred and quickly blocked it with his arm. His other arm was primed to attack his opponent's face but shockingly Sasuke was already gone from his range. Looking around Lee heard Tenten gasp loudly and when he turned to her out of curiosity she shakily pointed something in the air. Looking up he too gaped.

"Im…impossible! He's flying!"

"Akito-kun, I thought you said no ninjutsu for this match?" Guy looked at him seriously.

"You are correct, Guy-sensei. Sasuke is currently not using ninjutsu." He calmly said.

"But Akito-kun, he's freaking flying!" Tenten shrieked at him.

"Yes, he is. As I said before, Sasuke has trained hard this past year to achieve this."

"If what you're saying is true, then this is truly remarkable. The high-speed movement and this flying technique are two of the Yonshiki isn't it?" Guy asked.

"You truly are the premier taijutsu expert of Konoha. You are correct, Guy-sensei. You see, all four of the Yonshiki are purely taijutsu techniques. Only with pure hard work and dedication would you be able to perform even one of them." Akito proudly looked on at Sasuke as the boy prepared his next move.

"Razor."

Sasuke vanished and reappeared several times in the air at dizzying speeds. Lee concentrated to even see a glimpse of the Uchiha who constantly disappeared and reappeared at his blind spots pummelling him with kicks and punches. Suddenly he felt a forceful kick behind him and he was launched into the air. He tried to tuck in his legs to control his centre to at least upright himself but he heard a shout.

"Lee, above you!"

It was already too late as Sasuke was already upon him, his sole connected with his head and he plummeted below with a crash.

"Match! Sasuke wins this round."

"Lee! Are you okay?" Tenten and Guy rushed over to the downed student. They heloed him sit up.

"Yeah. I'm fine Tenten, Guy-sensei. Uchiha-san didn't kick too hard." Lee looked down in disappointment. His hard work couldn't match pure talent after all.

"Don't look so down, Lee. Did you know that the Hokage was the one who referred us to you? He believed that you can also learn the Yonshiki. After all, nobody knows hard work other than you right?" Akito smiled softly.

"You really think so?" Lee looked up hopefully as Guy looked on at his student proudly.

"Of course. In fact…Sasuke show them your weights."

Sasuke sighed but readily complied and took off his leg weights and threw them creating a loud crashing sound and plumes of dust.

"Each of these is 500 kilos for a total of 1000."

"What? But those are…Lee isn't that the same amount you're carrying?" Tenten was gobsmacked.

"Ye…yeah." Lee stuttered.

"Oh? Then let me tell you now the secret of the Yonshiki. Superhuman speed and strength. Those are the two formulas for a person to be able to perform them. I believe with a bit if practice, you can do it too." Akito said.

"Guy-sensei did you hear that? All my hard work is not for nothing!" Lee exclaimed turning to his sensei tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I'm so proud of you, Lee! I knew you had it in you." Guy too was crying.

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee!"

A sunset backdrop bloomed as the teacher and student hugged each other passionately.

"What the hell is happening?! Ahh…my eyes! It burns!" Naruto cried out collapsing on the ground and rubbing his eyes. Sasuke quickly activated his Sharingan and tried to dispell the illusion.

"Kai! KAI DAMMIT! WHY WON'T IT STOP?!"

"Sigh. Cut it out you two!" Tenten reprimanded them as the two turned sheepish and the weird genjutsu ended.

Akito closed his eyes in time though and sighed in relief when the illusion finally ended.

"Thanks, Tenten. So what's your decision? Do you want to learn the Yonshiki?"

"Lee, it's up to you." Guy said.

"I do! But is it really okay just to hand over your own technique like that?" Lee said worriedly.

"Oh, it's alright. The Hokage said he'll compensate us if we taught it and you learned it successfully." Akito shrugged.

"Well then, if it's alright with you, I'll be in your care!" Lee bowed lowly to all three of them.

"Great! This offer of course is for all four of you." He said.

"Ehe. I don't think I can do it. I'm not as big on taijutsu as the rest of the guys. How about you, Neji?" Tenten turned to the quiet Hyuuga. He looked conflicted though.

"For decades, the Hyuuga Clan has not diverged and solely and proudly used the Gentle Fist. Hyuugas do not use any other taijutsu or even elemental ninjutsu. To do so is…just not done and unheard of. Furthermore, I am but a branch member. It is my duty and fate to follow the laws and traditions laid down by the main branch." Neji looked away from all of them.

"You have a seal on your forehead." Akito blurted out suddenly. Neji looked at him not really angry or upset.

"How do you know that? No matter…it's not really a secret. Yes, the branch members of the Hyuuga Clan are branded the Caged Bird Seal to protect the secrets of the Byakugan. Upon death, the Cursed Seal activates and destroys the eyes protecting them from theft. It is the solemn duty of the branch members to serve and protect the main branch." Neji took off his forehead protector and for the first time showed emotions. His forehead showed a seal inked in green.

"Neji…" Team 11 was shocked. They didn't know Neji carried such a large burden.

Naruto clenched his fists. Knowing fuinjutsu as he does, he could imagine being tattooed such a seal.

"Sigh. I'm sorry I brought it up, Neji-san. It was not my intention to air out your clan's secrets like that. Forgive me." Akito bowed low.

"As I said it is not a secret. There is nothing to forgive." Neji tied his forehead protector back.

"But learning a new technique aside from the Gentle Fist is not forbidden in your clan. I just ask that you consider my proposal." He said.

"I'll think about it."

Akito nodded and left the older boy his space and proceeded to explain how they trained to be able to do the Yonshiki.