Akira glanced at Kakashi and shrugged.
Kakashi sighed and explained to Tazuna, "Our mission is to escort you until the bridge is completed. The opponent is an elite jōnin—it won't be easy to kill him outright. There's no need to chase a cornered enemy."
In truth, Kakashi knew that if Akira went all out, Zabuza wouldn't have made it out of that forest alive.
But he had his own considerations. Revealing Akira's abnormal strength too early, especially in front of Tazuna and these genin, might not be a good thing.
After Zabuza left, Akira stretched lazily and smiled. "Looks like this isn't over. With his personality, he'll definitely come back for a rematch."
Kakashi lowered his voice so only Akira could hear. "Let's hope he knows when to quit… If you really wanted to kill him, it wouldn't be hard. But now's not the time for you to stand out."
Akira simply smiled noncommittally.
Sasuke stared at Akira, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his mind roaring:
This guy pretended to be mediocre back at the Academy—he's been playing us for fools all along! That kind of power… why? Why does he have that kind of strength?!
For someone who had always prided himself on being a genius, Sasuke now felt like his former cold, top-ranked persona was nothing more than a joke.
The Sharingan… I still have the Uchiha bloodline! Once I awaken it, I'll be able to see through his movements—I'll surpass him!
Sasuke placed all his hopes on his clan's power—his final source of pride.
Naruto, though shaken, burned even brighter inside. He silently swore to make Akira the goal he would surpass.
Sakura, meanwhile, had practically become Akira's biggest admirer. Thinking back to how he caught the blade barehanded to save her, her heart was filled with gratitude and awe.
After witnessing the true strength of his two "guards," Tazuna finally felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.
As they continued their journey, his attitude toward Akira grew noticeably more respectful. He even had a vague feeling that this young man might be more terrifying than the silver-haired captain himself.
---
After settling into Tazuna's home, Kakashi immediately began organizing defenses.
Each day, two people would be assigned to guard Tazuna closely at the bridge construction site, while the others stayed behind on standby.
This heightened state of vigilance would continue until the bridge was completed—over a month away.
Meanwhile, Zabuza, having retreated in disgrace, returned to his base only to be harshly berated by his employer, Gatō.
Haku, who had been observing from the shadows, couldn't help but defend him. "You have no idea how strong they are! That's the famous Copy Ninja Kakashi—and the boy with him is even more terrifying! Sending Zabuza-san alone against two Kage-level fighters is basically sending him to his death!"
Gatō, a short, pot-bellied tycoon in an expensive suit, roared angrily, "Shut up! Don't give me excuses! Seven Ninja Swordsmen? More like a bunch of trash! You can't even deal with a few bodyguards—what are you, useless?! 'Demon of the Mist'? More like a disgrace!"
A cold glint flashed in Haku's eyes, several senbon already poised between his fingers.
Just as he was about to act, a rough hand pressed down on his shoulder.
"Stop, Haku," Zabuza said expressionlessly. "I'll go assassinate them again."
Gatō snorted arrogantly. "You'd better! If you take the money, you do the job. Fail, and you'll pay it back—with interest!"
In a world ruled by money, even powerful shinobi often had to bow to it.
Though disgusted by Gatō's attitude, Zabuza endured. If he killed his employer, his reputation in the underworld would be ruined—no one would hire him again.
After Gatō left, still muttering curses, Haku frowned. "Zabuza-san, why tolerate someone like that? Wouldn't it be easier to just kill him?"
Zabuza slumped into a chair, removing his bandages, his voice tired. "We're missing-nin—exiles. Without money, we can't survive, let alone gather strength to strike back at the Kirigakure."
They could rob, of course—but as a former elite of Kirigakure ANBU, Zabuza still had his pride.
He refused to become a common bandit.
No matter what, he still saw himself as a ninja—even a rogue one—and would abide by certain principles.
He didn't care about Gatō's insults. That kind of upstart knew nothing about true shinobi.
What mattered was how to break the current deadlock.
As Haku treated his wounds, he analyzed, "Zabuza-san, that boy—Akira—is the biggest variable. From today's fight, his strength is unfathomable. He may even surpass Kakashi."
Zabuza nodded, his expression grim. "You're right. That brat is a monster. I didn't expect Konoha to produce something like this."
"He's the biggest obstacle to completing this mission. If we can't deal with him—or at least lure him away from Tazuna—we have no chance."
"That kid seems to have some kind of sensory ability. My Hidden Mist Jutsu is useless against him."
Even now, his abdomen still ached faintly from that kick.
Haku thought for a moment, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "If brute force won't work, then we outsmart them. That boy is strong, but he has to protect the old man. If we target his teammates, we might be able to draw him away."
Zabuza's lips curled into a cold smile. "Go after his companions… not a bad idea."
Though Haku disliked the feeling of warm blood on his hands, he feared disappointing Zabuza even more.
Zabuza narrowed his blade-like eyes, calculating.
"Exactly. Fighting head-on is stupid. We'll change tactics—attack his weak point and lure him away."
"Haku, keep a close watch on them. Especially that Akira—stay at a distance. Something about him feels off, like a sensory-type."
"The moment you confirm he's not around, act immediately. Kidnap the pink-haired girl."
Haku nodded obediently and disappeared into the mist.
Zabuza had already made his calculations.
Out of the five members in Kakashi's team, there was only one girl.
By common logic, she would be the most protected—the emotional core of the team.
Typically, squads were formed as two boys and one girl, a structure designed to trigger both rivalry and protective instincts.
That was the underlying logic.
So Zabuza was certain—Sakura was their weak point.
Moreover, with his sharp eye, he had already seen through them: aside from Akira and the Uchiha boy, the other two were practically negligible.
That blond kid Naruto looked foolish and useless. Kidnapping Sakura was the most efficient option—it would force Akira to leave his post.
---
After staying a few days in Tazuna's modest home, the atmosphere at dinner one afternoon felt somewhat heavy.
Kakashi took a few bites of food, his half-lidded eye sweeping over Sasuke and the others before he suddenly spoke:
"Finished eating? I'll teach you how to control your chakra more precisely later."
The moment those words fell, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura all froze mid-bite, their chopsticks suspended in the air.
Akira, sitting in the corner calmly drinking soup, smirked slightly. "What's with you guys? Don't want to learn?"
The three snapped out of it, shaking their heads like rattles.
"No, no! Kakashi-sensei, are you finally going to teach us something real?"
Naruto nearly jumped onto the table, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he looked at Kakashi.
Naruto had personally witnessed Akira using that Water Formation Wall earlier—the scene had been absolutely stunning, cool beyond belief.
Compared to that kind of flashy, high-level ninjutsu, Naruto suddenly felt that his proud Shadow Clone Jutsu looked like child's play.
Kakashi sighed helplessly. "What are you dreaming about? I'm teaching you how to climb trees and control your chakra. Build your fundamentals first, then training will be easier. As for learning big techniques? You're a long way off."
Naruto immediately pouted, his lips sticking out far enough to hang a bottle from. "Why?! Then how come Akira can do it? Didn't you teach him too?!"
Akira acted like he hadn't heard a thing, calmly picking up food and continuing his meal without the slightest intention of explaining.
Sakura and Sasuke's gazes instantly locked onto him. It was obvious to everyone—those two must have known each other for a long time. Akira's abilities had clearly been personally taught by Kakashi.
Kakashi rubbed his temples, slightly exasperated. "That's because Akira's a freak. He's not like you guys—his talent is ridiculously high. It's like how Sasuke can naturally use several Fire Style jutsu. Some people are just born with it."
The words stung, but they were true. At the moment, Sakura was at the bottom—even worse than Naruto, the dead last.
Being told outright that his talent was lacking, Naruto's face flushed red, full of unwillingness.
Kakashi tapped the table. "Enough talk. Are you learning or not? Give me a straight answer."
Naruto and Sakura nodded frantically, afraid he might change his mind.
Without proper guidance, the two of them only knew the most basic Three Techniques—it was honestly pitiful.
At least Naruto had his "cheat" sealed inside him and could use Multi Shadow Clone, making him somewhat passable.
Sakura, on the other hand, was truly struggling—aside from Substitution and Transformation, she had almost nothing.
Sasuke and Akira remained silent, but Sasuke's gaze stayed fixed on Akira. By now, he had already set Akira as his primary target to surpass.
He thought back to that man—Uchiha Itachi—when he left the village. Back then, he was probably around Akira's current level.
Of course, years had passed. That man must be even stronger now.
But if Sasuke couldn't even surpass Akira, how could he ever hope to challenge Itachi?
Of course, Sasuke was overthinking it.
Defeating Akira now was practically impossible—harder than reaching the heavens.
Unless Sasuke somehow obtained Six Paths power, he stood no chance.
After all, Akira had already stepped into the realm beyond Kage-level strength. While he might not match monsters like Senju Hashirama, dealing with ordinary Kage-level opponents was effortless for him.
Without Six Paths power, even if Sasuke awakened the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he still wouldn't measure up.
In fact, although Akira's Sharingan hadn't evolved to that stage yet, his ocular power had already surpassed its limits.
In other words, if he wanted to activate a perfect Susanoo, it would be as simple as a thought.
He just hadn't bothered using it—after all, there was no need to bring out a "Gundam" to deal with minor opponents.
---
After Naruto and Sakura agreed, Kakashi wasted no time. Once they finished eating, he dragged the three of them into the forest.
He had originally planned to bring Akira along as an assistant, but Akira waved him off. If everyone left, the base would be empty—if Tazuna got ambushed, the mission would be over.
After Kakashi left with the three rookies, Akira sat leisurely on the wooden veranda outside Tazuna's house. Below him flowed a gentle stream—the scenery was quite pleasant.
Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Kakashi demonstrated how to stick to a tree trunk using chakra through the soles of their feet—then promptly turned into a hands-off instructor.
He found a crooked tree, leaned against it, and began reading his not-so-family-friendly novel with great interest.
After all, with Akira guarding the house, he had nothing to worry about.
As the three struggled—falling again and again while trying to climb trees—Sakura suddenly called out curiously, "Sensei, when did you start teaching Akira? You two seem way too familiar."
Without looking up from his book, Kakashi replied casually, "Around the time you guys first entered the Academy."
Hearing that, Naruto—halfway up a tree—slipped and crashed face-first to the ground.
Ignoring the pain, he pointed at Kakashi and shouted, "That's so unfair! You've been tutoring him for years—no wonder he's a monster!"
Sasuke punched the tree trunk, gritting his teeth. "So he was already chosen by Kakashi long ago… Does having talent mean you can do whatever you want?"
"Acting so average back in school—he fooled all of us. Damn it!"
Thinking back to his own arrogant demeanor in the Academy, Sasuke felt like a complete clown.
Sakura blinked and asked, "Sensei… is Akira your relative or something?"
Kakashi chuckled. "What are you thinking? I just saw his talent back then and didn't want to waste it."
Sakura pressed further, "Then just how strong is Akira? Even someone like Zabuza was scared off by him."
Sasuke and Naruto immediately perked up, even their breathing slowing as they listened intently.
Kakashi closed his book and smiled meaningfully. "You'll find out eventually. Just remember this—he's stronger than the three of you combined. Don't go looking for trouble by comparing yourselves to him."
"We're ordinary people. That guy… doesn't fall into that category."
Those words made Naruto's face flush red, while Sakura's curiosity about Akira reached its peak.
But to Sasuke, they were unbearably harsh.
His father had once said the same thing: Don't compare yourself to your brother. Itachi is a genius.
At that moment, Akira's figure overlapped completely with Uchiha Itachi in his mind.
Both were the kind of overwhelming geniuses that left others in despair.
Both acted calm and unreadable.
Both were favored by those above them.
Sasuke clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms. He swore he would defeat Akira to prove himself.
He had lived in Itachi's shadow all his life—and now he was living in Akira's shadow too.
He had had enough.
Sakura, still unwilling to give up, asked, "Then the Water Style Akira used today… did you teach him that too?"
Kakashi nodded. "Yeah, that's a B-rank jutsu. Honestly, when I use it, it's just average—but in Akira's hands, the power doubles. It's completely unreasonable."
Naruto leaned in eagerly. "Sensei, if I learn tree climbing, will you teach me that super cool jutsu too?"
Kakashi glanced at him and said bluntly, "That depends on your chakra nature. And that jutsu is extremely difficult—honestly, with your brain, it'll be tough."
In truth, Kakashi didn't want Naruto to go down the wrong path.
With the Nine-Tails sealed inside him—a walking nuclear bomb—focusing on complex ninjutsu was inefficient. Learning to harness that power was the real path.
Unfortunately, Naruto couldn't tell good advice from bad. He puffed out his chest. "Don't worry, Sensei! As long as you teach me, I'll definitely master it!"
Kakashi's eye twitched. Luckily, his mask hid the full extent of his exasperation.
In reality, Sasuke's current strength was already far ahead of Naruto's—after all, the Uchiha clan's Fire Style was no joke.
---
All afternoon, the forest echoed with nothing but birdsong and the sound of the trio falling again and again.
Watching them struggle, Kakashi shook his head. "This is the difference between people. Back then, Akira mastered this after just one look—it was as easy as drinking water."
These three unlucky kids had been training for hours and were still stuck at the base of the trees.
Only Sakura showed some promise—her chakra was limited, but her control was precise. Her progress was much faster than the other two brute-force types.
Still, compared to someone like Akira, it wasn't even close.
As the sun began to set, Kakashi stretched lazily. "Alright, keep practicing. I'm heading back for dinner. You're on your own."
With a poof, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Sasuke caught the faint trace of disappointment in Kakashi's eyes—and the fire in his heart burned even hotter.
I have to master this as soon as possible… I can't lose to Akira!