Kakashi also felt that Gatō must have water in his brain—he had absolutely no understanding of the power hierarchy among shinobi.
Perhaps, in this nouveau riche fool's eyes, having more people meant victory.
"If you're in such a hurry to reincarnate, I might as well do a good deed," Akira said, already bored.
Standing atop a tree branch, he casually raised his hand, pointing his index finger toward Gatō dozens of meters away.
"Zzt—"
A sharp bolt of lightning shot from his fingertip, so fast it was invisible to the naked eye.
Gatō, who had been laughing loudly with his mouth wide open, suddenly stopped.
A sharp pain exploded in his chest.
His body went limp, collapsing like mud onto the ground, twitching violently a few times.
A finger-sized hole appeared in his chest, the edges of the wound instantly charred by intense heat.
In less than ten seconds, this once-arrogant tycoon lay completely still—dead beyond doubt.
Akira lowered his hand as if he had merely crushed an ant. Beside him, Kakashi chuckled. "That move was derived from Chidori too, right? Pretty practical."
"Chidori is just a framework. There are plenty of variations you can develop from it," Akira replied casually.
Although Chidori had been created by Kakashi, the Raikiri he developed from it was what reached S-rank. Akira hadn't learned Raikiri, but he had his own set of S-rank Lightning Style jutsu.
They were simply too destructive—too easy to cause collateral damage—so they weren't practical for everyday use.
The thugs who had been about to charge into the village and start slaughtering froze in place when they saw their employer drop dead without warning.
Their legs felt like they were filled with lead.
Following the direction of the lightning, they spotted two shinobi standing on a tree—and were instantly terrified out of their wits.
"Sh-shinobi!"
The crowd scattered like startled birds, running faster than rabbits.
Only a few wandering samurai remained, showing a bit of backbone. Though their legs trembled, they still drew their blades, staring warily at Akira.
"You brat! How dare you kill our employer—are you tired of living?!"
Akira looked down at them from above, a hint of mockery in his eyes. "As samurai, serving trash like that… have you fed your bushidō to the dogs?"
True samurai usually disdained such dirty mercenary work. But in these chaotic times, many fallen warriors had no choice but to compromise just to survive.
His words struck a nerve.
The samurai flushed red, clearly hit where it hurt, their embarrassment turning into anger.
"You bastard! Die!"
One of them roared, gripping his sword with both hands. A faint layer of chakra shimmered along the blade as he charged straight at Akira.
Samurai in this world could also use chakra—though not ninjutsu, they could enhance their swordsmanship.
Akira's interest was piqued. Perfect—he could use them for a bit of practice.
His hands flashed through seals, and with a bang, he summoned a standard ANBU straight sword from a storage scroll—Kakashi's gift.
"Fine. I'll play along."
Before his words even finished, his figure blurred, transforming into a dazzling streak of lightning.
The charging samurai only saw a flash before his eyes.
Before he could comprehend anything, a cold streak had already passed by his side.
His movement froze.
Then came the pain.
He looked down blankly at the horrific gash that had split open his chest and abdomen. Blood gushed out like a fountain.
His strength vanished instantly.
He collapsed into a pool of blood, never understanding how he had lost.
The gap in strength was simply despair-inducing.
Akira flicked his blade with a flourish and sheathed it smoothly, his gaze cold as he looked at the remaining samurai, who were trembling like leaves.
"In terms of swordsmanship, even all of you combined wouldn't be enough for one of my hands. Anyone else want to die? I don't mind sending you on your way."
That was the final straw.
The remaining samurai completely broke down.
How could they fight this?! He wasn't even on the same level!
They exchanged glances, then scrambled away in panic, terrified they'd become corpses if they were even a moment slower.
Dignity was important—but life was more so.
Kakashi appeared beside Akira in a Body Flicker, nodding in approval. "Looks like your swordsmanship hasn't rusted. I thought you might've gotten rusty."
Akira smiled faintly. "With swordsmanship, you know the moment you skip a day of practice. I wouldn't dare slack off."
In this world, unless one had reached Six Paths-level evolution, a physical body would still die from a blade.
Even someone as powerful as Hashirama Senju would fall if stabbed quickly enough.
Mastering another form of close combat simply increased one's chances of survival.
"True. Swordsmanship is one of the most direct and efficient ways to kill," Kakashi said. "But for you, it's more of an additional tool—an enhancement rather than a necessity."
It wasn't belittling—Akira's ninjutsu was simply too advanced. In comparison, swordsmanship could only serve as support.
Akira understood and chuckled. "Honestly, I'd like to become a true swordmaster. But there's only so much time—I can't perfect everything."
In reality, his current swordsmanship already surpassed Mifune, the general of the Land of Iron.
But compared to his Wood Style and Lightning Style, it didn't stand out as much.
Just like the Third Raikage—despite his many abilities, people only remembered his "strongest spear" and "strongest shield."
The First Hokage was the same—a master of all, but overshadowed by the brilliance of Wood Release.
With Gatō, the festering tumor, eliminated, construction of the Great Bridge of the Land of Waves progressed rapidly, finishing in just over a week.
Tazuna originally wanted to name it the "Akira Bridge," but Akira firmly refused—he had no desire to be that high-profile. Such hollow fame felt embarrassing.
After resting in the village for a week, Kakashi led the recovered Sasuke and Naruto as the group set off back toward Konoha.
Along the way, Akira walked side by side with Kakashi, relaxed.
Behind them, Sasuke and Naruto occasionally glanced at Akira, their expressions complicated.
After this battle, they had fully realized the gap between them.
Akira's strength wasn't just beyond a genin—even elite jōnin might not be able to defeat him.
That overwhelming disparity lit a fire in the two proud boys' hearts.
Especially Sasuke—he was practically grinding his teeth.
Meanwhile, Sakura kept sneaking glances at Akira. Every time she saw his indifferent attitude, she felt a slight sense of disappointment.
Caught in the middle, Kakashi clearly sensed the strange atmosphere and sighed helplessly.
After walking for a while, Naruto—ever the oblivious one—finally noticed something odd.
He stared at Sakura for a long moment, scratching his head. "Hey, Sakura… why are your clothes different? That looks like a guy's outfit, doesn't it?"
The moment he said it, Kakashi and Sasuke both turned their attention toward her.
Sakura's face flushed bright red. She stammered, "Th-this… my clothes got damaged in the last fight, so I borrowed Akira's… I just forgot to change back…"
In truth, it wasn't that she forgot—she simply didn't want to take them off.
Naruto, completely missing the subtext, nodded bluntly. "They're way too big on you. You look like a kid wearing an adult's clothes."
Direct hit.
A vein popped on Sakura's forehead. "Naruto! Are you saying I'm short or that I have no figure?!"
"Ah? That's not what I—"
Before he could finish, Sakura's fist—packed with fury—slammed straight into his face.
Even without super strength training, her raw power was monstrous. This was a girl who could swing a ship's mast like a club—this punch was no joke.
"BAM!"
Naruto flew dozens of meters like a rubber ball, finally crashing into a tree before stopping.
"I'm sorry! I was wrong, boss lady!" Naruto slid down the tree, immediately surrendering with a strong will to survive.
If he didn't apologize now, he'd actually get beaten to death.
It made sense—Akira stood at 173 cm, towering over them at this age.
Sasuke was only around 150 cm, Naruto even shorter, and Sakura not even that tall.
Standing among them, Akira looked like an older brother taking three younger siblings out on a spring outing.
His clothes on Sakura did indeed look like a sack—loose and oversized.
Sasuke glanced suspiciously between Sakura and Akira, his mind conjuring countless "battle damage" scenarios… but ultimately, he didn't dare ask.
Akira, meanwhile, wore a face that clearly said: Don't ask me—I know nothing.
Amid laughter and bickering, they finally returned to the familiar Konoha.
After submitting the mission, Akira greeted Kakashi briefly and slipped away home.
Honestly, this kind of peaceful, ordinary life wasn't so bad.
For the next month or so, life remained uneventful—just a string of dull D-rank missions like catching cats, finding lost dogs, and pulling weeds.
On this particular day, Akira finally had some rare free time and planned to head into the streets to restock his ninja tools.
Just as he turned a corner, he saw a crowd gathered ahead.
Looking closer, he spotted a guy with purple face paint holding Konohamaru up by the collar, suspending him in midair.
Kankurō from Sunagakure?
Akira paused for a moment, then walked forward after a brief thought.
Sakura, who had been pacing anxiously, lit up the moment she saw him, as if spotting a savior. "Akira! Over here! These outsiders are bullying people—I think they might be intruders!"
Though Naruto was unwilling to admit it, he knew this wasn't something he could handle. With Akira here, things would be fine.
Konohamaru's two followers also looked at him with hopeful eyes.
Akira calmly walked through the crowd.
Temari, standing nearby, brightened the moment she saw him approach, a faint blush appearing on her face. "Well, well, this guy's pretty handsome."
Kankurō, on the other hand, looked annoyed, glancing sideways. "Hey, kid, you planning to stick your nose into this too?"
Akira ignored him, walking straight to Sakura and Naruto. "What happened?"
Sakura quickly explained everything.
After listening, Akira turned to Kankurō, his tone indifferent. "Let him go. Otherwise, you—and the one hiding in the tree—are both going to have a bad day."
Up in the tree, Sasuke froze, nearly dropping the stone in his hand. "Is he talking about me?"
He thought Akira had noticed him and felt a bit smug.
But at that moment, a cold, hoarse voice suddenly came from a tree behind Kankurō.
"Kankurō, stop. You're embarrassing the village."
The moment he heard that voice, Kankurō trembled violently, cold sweat pouring down his back.
"I—I, Gaara… h-he bumped into me… I…"
"S-sorry!"
The fear he felt toward Gaara was etched into his bones—this was a true killing machine.
Sasuke followed the voice and stiffened.
When had that red-haired boy with the giant gourd appeared?
"This guy's speed… it's on par with Kakashi?"
"What's going on? He looks about the same age as me. Akira's a monster, sure—but now even random outsiders are stronger than me?"
Sasuke's mentality wavered, a strong sense of crisis surging again.
Even without a fight, appearing without a trace said everything.
Kankurō shakily released Konohamaru, looking like a mouse facing a cat.
Gaara drifted down in a swirl of sand and landed lightly on the ground. His dark-rimmed eyes fixed on Akira. "Sorry about that. He was out of line."
Akira looked at him calmly. "No problem. Judging by your headbands, you're from Sunagakure. What brings you to Konoha at this time?"
Of course, he already knew—but the act had to be played.
Temari stepped forward, blushing as she showed their entry permit. "Looks like you're not very informed. We're here for the Chūnin Exams—fully authorized."
Her first impression of Akira was excellent, and judging by Gaara's cautious attitude, this handsome guy was definitely strong.
"The Chūnin Exams?" Sakura and Naruto exclaimed in unison.
Naruto looked completely confused. "What's that?"
Konohamaru, just freed, rubbed his neck and explained, "Big bro Naruto, you're so clueless! It's a promotion exam! Pass it, and you go from genin to chūnin!"
Naruto's eyes instantly lit up like light bulbs. "I'm joining too! I'm gonna become a chūnin!"
Gaara ignored Naruto's shouting, his gaze fixed on Akira, a hint of bloodthirsty excitement in his eyes. "My name is Gaara of the Desert. You feel… different. What's your name?"
The monster within him stirred—his instincts told him this person was dangerous… and tempting.
But he restrained himself. Their mission required stealth.
"Akira."
Naruto, unwilling to be left out, jumped in. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki!"
Gaara gave him a cold glance. "I'm not interested in weaklings."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving behind a chilling silhouette.
Up in the tree, Sasuke clenched his fists so tightly his nails nearly dug into his flesh.
The atmosphere between those two had completely excluded him.
"I have to get stronger… I'm too weak right now. Pathetically weak."
Naruto, irritated at being ignored, turned to Konohamaru. "Hey, do I really look that weak?"
Konohamaru scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh… compared to big bro Akira… yeah, just a little…"
Sakura grabbed Akira's sleeve, her eyes full of anticipation. "Akira, are you going to take the Chūnin Exams?"
Akira frowned slightly. "That's not up to me. It depends on whether Kakashi-sensei registers us."
Sakura had heard of the exams but didn't know the details.
Originally, Akira planned to go home and catch up on sleep, but Sakura dragged him out for ramen instead, saying it would "calm the nerves."
Unlike Sasuke, he wasn't the aloof type, so he reluctantly went along with the trio.
---
At the same time, inside the Hokage's office.
Smoke filled the room as the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, puffed on his pipe, looking at the line of jōnin standing before him.
"The Chūnin Exams are about to begin."
Asuma exhaled a ring of smoke, frowning slightly. "There have been quite a few unfamiliar faces in the village lately. Have all the other villages been notified?"
This wasn't an ordinary exam—it was a stage for the major villages to display military strength, essentially a "proxy war."
Aside from the Five Great Nations, many smaller allied villages would also send participants—like the notoriously tough Kirigakure.
As a major ally, the Sunagakure would be one of the main forces this time.
The Third Hokage nodded, tapping his pipe. "All notified. Everything will proceed as planned."
Kurenai asked, "What's the exact date?"
"One week from now."
That answer stirred the room—the timeline was tight.
Kakashi leaned against the wall, casually reading Icha Icha Paradise, as if none of this concerned him.
The Third Hokage had previously promised to grant Akira a special promotion, but that was an exception. Now it seemed he would go through the standard process.
Still, with Akira's strength, this exam would be nothing more than a formality.
After explaining the procedures, the Third Hokage swept his gaze across the room. "Alright. The decision is yours. If you wish to recommend your genin, submit their names."
A brief silence followed before the jōnin began turning in their lists.
When it came to Kakashi, everyone assumed he would abstain.
After all, Team Seven had only graduated six months ago—normally, rookies would train for at least a year before attempting the exam.
But Kakashi closed his book and spoke in a calm, almost casual tone:
"Team Kakashi. I recommend Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Akira Hane. All members will participate in the Chūnin Exams."
It was like a stone thrown into still water.
The entire office erupted.
"Kakashi, are you insane? They've only been genin for half a year! People die in the Chūnin Exams!"
"This is reckless! You're sending them to their deaths!"
Kakashi ignored them completely, maintaining his usual deadpan expression.
Then Asuma and Kurenai also stepped forward, recommending their own rookie teams.
This shocked the more senior jōnin even further.
Had all the instructors of this generation lost their minds?
The second stage of the exam—the Forest of Death—was a true killing ground, one where participants literally signed waivers for life and death.
The hot-blooded Might Guy couldn't hold back any longer. "Kakashi! This is rushing their growth! That kid Akira is a monster, fine—but the other three aren't ready! I held my students back for a full year before letting them participate!"
Kakashi glanced at him and replied flatly, "That just means… my team is better than yours."