Akira politely nodded to the three of them as a greeting.
His personality had always been steady—what people usually called emotionally stable. Minor friction like this barely registered with him.
So Neji's slightly cold attitude earlier felt like nothing more than a passing breeze.
Once Might Guy finished proudly showing off his students, Akira smiled and gestured toward the two girls beside him.
"Then let me introduce my friends as well."
"This is Ino Yamanaka from the Yamanaka clan. She's one of the top students at the Academy."
"And this one—you should already know her, Neji. The Hyuga clan's young lady, Hinata Hyuga. She's pretty strong too."
Hearing that introduction, Guy widened his eyes in surprise.
"Wow, Akira! I didn't expect your circle of friends to be full of noble young ladies!"
He leaned closer and whispered in Akira's ear with a teasing tone.
"And two such pretty girls at that! Don't tell me you're living some kind of youthful romantic story?"
Akira had long been immune to Guy's straightforward personality. The man's mind was always filled with youth, passion… and occasionally gossip.
"You're overthinking it, Guy-sensei. We're just friends having a meal together."
Akira casually brushed the topic aside and changed the subject.
"Judging by the timing, you guys just finished a mission?"
Guy nodded, stuffing a piece of grilled meat into his mouth as he spoke.
"That's right! Today's the graduation exam, isn't it? No wonder you're so free."
"So how'd it go? You didn't disgrace the spirit of youth, did you?"
Akira calmly sipped his tea.
"It went fine. I passed."
Guy sighed regretfully.
"I wonder which lucky guy will end up being your instructor."
"To be honest, I'd really love to take you as a student."
"But as you can see, I already have these three adorable subordinates. I can't split myself in two."
Though Guy spoke sincerely, it somehow sounded a little boastful.
Akira was already used to his way of talking and didn't mind.
"Honestly, it doesn't matter much who becomes my teacher. Training still depends on yourself in the end."
Guy thought about it and grinned.
"That's true. Your self-discipline is something I really admire."
But he kept something to himself.
Earlier, Kakashi had specifically warned him: until Akira fully matured, his true strength must never be revealed.
---
With Guy's group joining the table, the lively Ino and shy Hinata became noticeably more reserved.
The two girls silently grilled meat and carefully placed the cooked pieces onto Akira's plate one by one, almost like attendants serving a lord.
Watching the Hyuga clan's main-family princess doing such "serving work," Neji frowned deeply.
But in the end, he restrained himself and said nothing.
On the other side, Tenten stared wide-eyed.
She leaned over and whispered to Rock Lee.
"I never expected this. Our overly passionate Guy-sensei can actually chat so well with a kid?"
But Lee's eyes were shining brightly.
He stared at Akira like he was looking at the most delicious braised pork imaginable, fighting spirit blazing in his gaze.
"Guy-sensei talks about him all the time!"
"I trust Guy-sensei's judgment!"
"Akira must be a hidden master. I want to challenge him right now!"
Neji, though suspecting Akira might have some ability, still had doubts.
No matter how he looked at him, the boy seemed far too ordinary.
There was no aura of a strong ninja about him.
Of course, that was because Neji hadn't activated the Byakugan.
If he had, he would have immediately been shocked by the terrifying amount of chakra within Akira.
But the Hyuga clan had strict rules.
The Byakugan consumed a lot of chakra, so it was rarely activated outside of battle.
Tenten rolled her eyes at Lee.
"Calm down. You're a year older than him. That would be bullying someone younger."
"Besides, Guy-sensei definitely wouldn't allow it."
She rested her chin on her hand and studied Akira carefully.
She had to admit—
The guy was undeniably handsome.
But it was strange.
With such a good-looking face, how had he never caused a stir at the Academy before?
Probably because in the brutal ninja world, looks alone meant nothing.
Without strength to match it, people wouldn't pay attention.
Akira's grades had always hovered around the middle of the class, never standing out.
It was natural that people overlooked him.
For the rest of the meal, Akira ignored the silent tension between Neji and the others and simply chatted with Guy.
Guy ate enthusiastically while complaining about the danger of their recent mission.
It had originally been a C-rank mission.
But halfway through, several wandering ninja at chūnin level suddenly appeared.
The difficulty instantly jumped to B-rank.
If Guy hadn't stepped in, the mission might have failed.
Akira listened quietly, occasionally smiling and responding, showing remarkable patience.
The barbecue lasted more than two hours.
When it came time to pay, Guy generously waved his hand and covered the entire bill.
Ino secretly sighed with relief.
Her wallet had just been saved.
---
As they were leaving, Lee finally couldn't hold himself back.
"Akira!"
"I can't challenge you now, but I hope we meet during the Chunin Exams!"
"I will challenge you in the name of youth!"
Akira smiled and nodded.
"Sure. I'd also like to see just how strong the taijutsu Guy-sensei is so proud of."
Neji looked at Akira deeply.
His tone was calm, but sharp.
"I hope you won't disappoint me."
Akira laughed.
"What, planning to take turns fighting me?"
"Fine. If the chance comes, I'll gladly accept."
With that, he didn't give them the opportunity to continue issuing challenges.
He left with Ino and Hinata in relaxed fashion.
---
While Akira was leisurely enjoying his barbecue, a conversation about him was taking place inside the Hokage Tower.
After the jōnin meeting ended, Kakashi deliberately stayed behind.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, blew out a ring of smoke and looked at him curiously.
"Kakashi, is there something else?"
Kakashi scratched his head, his visible eye looking lazy as ever.
"Hokage-sama, I wanted to ask which students you plan to assign to my squad this time."
The Hokage looked surprised.
In the past, Kakashi had always rejected new teams with all kinds of excuses.
Now he was actually asking about it himself.
That meant his mindset had finally changed.
A good sign.
"The graduation exam just finished. The list hasn't been finalized yet."
"Why? Do you have someone in mind?"
Kakashi straightened slightly, his tone becoming serious.
"If possible, I'd like Akira to be placed in my team."
"As for the other two members, I have no preference."
The Third Hokage paused, pipe in hand.
"Akira? That ordinary boy?"
"Give me a reason. I don't believe you'd take interest in a normal student for no reason."
Kakashi was silent for a moment before deciding to reveal the truth.
"Actually… I've already been something like his teacher for several years."
"I promised him that once he graduated, I'd become his official jōnin instructor."
The Hokage nearly dropped his pipe.
"Several years ago? Why didn't I know about this?"
Kakashi explained calmly.
"At first I just thought the kid was interesting. He was calm and mature, so I casually taught him a few techniques."
"But his talent is frightening. He learns everything instantly."
"After guiding him for several years, I estimate he already has chūnin-level strength."
"He only looks mediocre at the Academy because he doesn't like attracting attention."
The Third Hokage's eyes widened.
"Chūnin? A twelve-year-old?"
Chūnin were the backbone of the village.
Reaching that level at twelve definitely counted as genius.
It still wasn't quite as incredible as Kakashi becoming a jōnin at twelve, but it was still astonishing.
After thinking for a moment, the Hokage asked:
"You personally taught him? What exactly did you teach?"
Kakashi nodded.
"Fire Style, Water Style, and Earth Style."
"I've taught him at least five B-rank ninjutsu, and he's already mastered them."
The Third Hokage inhaled sharply.
"Five B-rank jutsus?"
"You're not joking, are you?"
An ordinary chūnin mastering one or two C-rank jutsu was already impressive.
B-rank jutsu were typically the domain of jōnin.
Many experienced chūnin didn't even possess a single reliable B-rank jutsu.
If Kakashi was telling the truth—
then Akira's talent was monstrous.
A genuine candidate to become the next Kakashi.
The Third Hokage looked at Kakashi with a complicated expression.
"No wonder you kept this hidden for so long. That child really resembles you back then."
Kakashi shook his head.
"Not in personality. He's far more composed than I was at that age. That's exactly why I think so highly of him."
Deep down, the Third Hokage felt slightly displeased. Kakashi had kept this secret from him for years—clearly a sign of distrust, or perhaps caution against Danzo.
But considering Kakashi's importance to the village and his current standing, the Hokage could only suppress that irritation.
After all, he was already old. Since he had chosen Kakashi as a future Hokage candidate, he needed to show that much tolerance.
Besides, if Akira truly possessed such ability and background, he was certainly worth investing.
After weighing the pros and cons, the Third Hokage finally relented.
"Very well. I'll give him to you."
"But in exchange, the other two teammates must be chosen by me."
This was the Hokage's calculated move.
With Akira as leverage, he could legitimately place two troublesome individuals into Kakashi's squad.
Kakashi had clearly expected this.
He nodded.
"No problem. As long as they can pass my survival test."
The Third Hokage smiled like a cunning old fox.
"Don't worry. These two children have great potential. They'll definitely surprise you."
He handed Kakashi a set of documents he had prepared earlier.
Kakashi opened the file.
The first two names didn't surprise him much.
But when he saw the third name, he froze.
"Naruto? Didn't he fail the graduation exam?"
And why were there four names on the list?
Was the traditional three-person squad being broken?
The Third Hokage nodded gravely.
"Naruto is a special case. But he needs someone to guide him. Entrusting him to you gives me the most peace of mind."
"As for Sasuke Uchiha, he's the last survivor of the Uchiha clan. He must be supervised by a strong teacher to prevent him from going down the wrong path."
The political considerations behind this decision were extremely complicated.
They needed to appease the Uchiha clan's shadow outside the village.
They needed to monitor the Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
And they needed to cultivate Sasuke as a future weapon.
The Third Hokage was playing a long game.
He hoped Naruto and Sasuke would grow up to become pillars of the next generation of Konoha—
much like the legendary Three Sannin once had.
Bound together.
Balancing each other.
Kakashi stared at the documents in his hand.
He understood everything perfectly.
If he refused these three hot potatoes, there was no way he'd get Akira.
He sighed helplessly.
"A four-man squad isn't exactly standard procedure… but since it's your order…"
"Still, could we remove Sakura? I feel like she's a bit unnecessary."
The Hokage immediately refused.
"No. Sakura may not be as strong, but her intelligence and temperament will help balance the conflict between Naruto and Sasuke."
Kakashi didn't know Sakura very well and thought she was rather weak.
But if accepting her meant getting Akira, he had no choice but to tolerate it.
"Fine. Let's just hope they don't disappoint me."
After Kakashi left with the documents, the Third Hokage gazed out at the sunset beyond the window and muttered softly:
"Akira… he's been protected so tightly these past few years."
"His true strength is probably even greater than what Kakashi described."
A veteran like Hiruzen would never completely trust someone's words.
Someone capable of mastering five B-rank ninjutsu must possess tremendous chakra reserves and control.
How could that possibly belong to an ordinary chūnin?
There was a good chance the boy had already reached the threshold of special jōnin.
Still, the Hokage decided not to investigate further for now.
As long as the boy remained loyal to Konoha, being stronger was better than being weaker.
---
The Next Morning — Ninja Academy Classroom
When Akira walked into the classroom, he immediately noticed something strange.
Naruto was sitting there wearing a forehead protector, grinning foolishly.
"So the story still follows the same path. He managed to slip through after all," Akira thought.
At that moment, he had no idea that he had already been assigned to the most troublesome team in the entire village—Team Seven.
Ino and Hinata sat on either side of him, but their moods were completely different.
Ino clutched Akira's arm nervously, gripping so hard it felt like she might crush it.
"Akira! Do you think we'll be assigned to the same team? We have to end up together!"
Hinata, meanwhile, sat with her head lowered, fiddling with her fingers, cheeks flushed.
"If… if I could be on the same team as Akira-kun…"
Akira sighed and carefully pulled his arm out of Ino's grip.
"Stop dreaming. Based on the usual rule of balancing scores, the three of us definitely won't end up on the same team."
Ino instantly bristled.
"Why can't you say something optimistic for once?! Or do you just not want to be on the same team as me?"
Akira laughed helplessly.
"This has nothing to do with what I want. It's a matter of probability."
"Besides, even if we're on different teams, we're all still in the same village."
"We'll see each other all the time."
Just then, the classroom door opened.
Kurenai Yuhi entered and called out decisively:
"Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame. Come with me."
Although Hinata had mentally prepared herself, hearing the result still made her eyes dim.
"So… we really are separated."
Akira gently patted her shoulder.
"Go on. Don't lose to those two guys."
"I believe in you."
Hinata's gloomy mood instantly brightened.
She nodded firmly.
"Yes! Akira-kun, I'll do my best!"
Watching her determined back disappear through the door, Ino panicked even more.
She grabbed Akira's clothes.
"This is bad… this is really bad."
Akira calmly spoiled the result.
"Relax. Your teammates will definitely be Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi."
"The Ino–Shika–Cho formation is a traditional combination. There's no escaping it."
Right as he finished speaking, Asuma walked in with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
"Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka. Come out."
Akira shrugged.
"See?"
Ino punched him angrily.
"This is all your fault, you jinx!"
Even though she was reluctant, she still left with Asuma.
The classroom grew emptier and emptier.
As more names were called, Akira's expression gradually became serious.
Until finally—
Only four people remained.
Akira.
Sasuke.
Naruto.
Sakura.
At that moment, he knew the worst had happened.
"Seriously… they're putting me into the main character squad too?"
Originally, he had only wanted to join an ordinary team, live quietly, and grow stronger in peace.
But being grouped with these three…
His future was guaranteed to be chaotic and troublesome.
Naruto, meanwhile, was having an existential crisis.
He looked at the cool Sasuke.
Then at Akira calmly drinking water.
Then at Sakura staring dreamily at Sasuke.
Suddenly he felt like the extra.
"This is bad…"
"I'm last place, Sasuke is first, Sakura's a top student, and Akira—even if he hides it—still seems better than me."
"Am I the unnecessary one?"
"What if no teacher wants me?"
---
Time passed painfully slowly.
An hour went by.
Their instructor still hadn't arrived.
Naruto finally exploded.
"This is outrageous! Making us wait this long!"
"I'm going to teach him a lesson!"
He placed a chalkboard eraser above the door as a simple prank trap.
Akira watched from the back, shaking his head.
"This is way too childish."
"Even a genin wouldn't fall for something like that."
Sakura scolded Naruto verbally—
but secretly hoped the teacher would embarrass himself.
Sasuke scoffed.
"Hmph. How boring. A jōnin would never fall for such a childish trap."
But reality struck back instantly.
The door opened.
THUD!
The chalkboard eraser full of chalk dust landed perfectly on a head of silver hair.
The classroom instantly fell silent.
Even the air seemed frozen.
Sasuke's eyes widened.
"This… is a jōnin? Are you kidding me?"
Naruto clutched his stomach and burst out laughing.
"HAHAHAHA! It worked! He actually fell for it!"
Akira covered his face.
He couldn't bear to watch.