Hatake Sakumo found Sato Hideaka a room near the center of Konoha. It had a bed, sheets, a table, chairs, a refrigerator, and all the necessities of daily life. Once Hideaka was settled in, Hatake Sakumo left.
Hatake Sakumo told him he had to report to the Ninja Academy the next day!
After taking a bath, Sato Hideaka tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. He was worried not only about the uncertainty of his future, but also about Yakushi Nonō. Although the Third Hokage had assured him everything would be fine, no one knew how Root would retaliate.
Sato Hideaka sat up in bed. Since he couldn't sleep, he might as well work on his training. Now that he could use [Lava Style: Hell Hound], he ought to be able to use Akainu's other signature moves, Great Eruption, Dog Bite Crimson Lotus, and Meteor Volcano, too.
But his chakra reserves were far too small right now. He could only use Hell Hound, which covered a wide area, about three times. Using large-scale techniques like Great Eruption and Meteor Volcano would be even more difficult.
For now, he could only focus on figuring out the close-combat technique [Lava Style: Dog Bite Crimson Lotus]!
Then he could slowly study Rōshi's various Lava Release techniques, develop the Lava Release skills from Naruto and One Piece, and draw on and combine the two styles. That was the only way to bring Lava Release's destructive power to its fullest.
There were also the Raikage's Lightning Release Nintaijutsu, Four-Finger Nukite, Thunder Shield, and Lightning Release Chakra Mode, which activated his entire body. Each one boosted his attack, defense, or speed.
Ninjutsu research might be difficult for an ordinary person, and could easily result in injury. But Sato Hideaka possessed the Perfect Control talent, which let him minimize the damage.
After organizing his thoughts, Sato Hideaka sprang lightly from the bed and landed in the middle of the room. He slowly separated the lightning chakra from his chakra. Blue sparks flashed through the dark room, casting a faint glow that lit it up.
Branches of lightning flickered across Sato Hideaka's body. His cells became more active, making his nerve reflexes several times faster. It felt as though time itself had slowed, just as it had when he killed the Root member.
The Root ninja's speed hadn't actually slowed at the time. It was only that Hideaka's own speed and reflexes had increased, making it seem that way!
In the room, Sato Hideaka controlled a small amount of lightning chakra and experimented repeatedly. His reflexes and cellular activity grew faster and faster, while the strain on his body steadily decreased.
His training continued, and his Lightning Release Chakra Mode rapidly improved...
The next morning.
After washing up, Sato Hideaka followed an Anbu Ninja to an office at the Ninja Academy. The Anbu Ninja greeted the teacher, left Hideaka behind, and hurried off.
Only Sato Hideaka and the male teacher were left in the office. The teacher studied him with a puzzled expression and asked, "Sato Hideaka, you're five years old this year, right?"
"Yes, teacher. I look forward to learning from you."
"My name is Yano Koji. You can call me Teacher Yano!"
After chatting with Sato Hideaka and learning a little about him, Yano Koji took him to a classroom. The children inside were all six or seven years old, seemingly a little older than Hideaka.
"This is the newest student in our class, Sato Hideaka. He's only five, two years younger than you all, so please look after him, okay?"
"Yes, teacher."
The students answered in unison from their seats. They looked curiously at Sato Hideaka, with his handsome features and his young age of five. They were all six or seven, so it was clear he'd joined the class late.
"Then, Hideaka, why don't you sit beside Kurenai?"
Yano Koji pointed to a girl wearing a white tunic with red trim. Her slightly curled black hair fell neatly over her shoulders, and her red eyes were like two brilliant rubies. She had delicate, pretty features, and there was an empty seat right beside her.
"Why does he get to sit beside Kurenai? I object, Teacher Yano!"
A boy about six years old stood up and shouted. He had a toothpick in his mouth, wore a jacket, and had a bandage wrapped around his arm. He had a somewhat roguish but handsome look.
"Objection overruled. Sit down, Asuma. Didn't you just say you'd look after the new student?"
"Tch... I never agreed to look after him." Sarutobi Asuma turned his head and snorted, refusing to sit down and pay attention to the lesson. He was clearly unhappy with the ruling.
Sato Hideaka looked around and saw Yuhi Kurenai, Asuma, Anko, Ibiki, Shiranui Genma, Might Guy, Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin... So many famous characters from the anime were all in this class.
Sarutobi Asuma was glaring at him from the side, warning him with his eyes, but Sato Hideaka felt no fear. He strode over to Yuhi Kurenai, held out his right hand, and said, "Hello, I'm Sato Hideaka. I look forward to getting along with you!"
"Hello, I'm Yuhi Kurenai."
Yuhi Kurenai wasn't as mature as she would be later in life. Instead, she seemed a little shy and timid. She spoke softly, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and shook Sato Hideaka's hand. The two smiled at each other.
Yuhi Kurenai's smile was shy and bashful, while Sato Hideaka's was open and natural!
Crack!
Watching the two of them, Sarutobi Asuma snapped the pencil in his hand in half. He sat down angrily, keeping his eyes fixed on them.
Sato Hideaka had the mind of someone in his teens, so he was thick-skinned and didn't think much of it... Yuhi Kurenai, on the other hand, was getting annoyed by Asuma's stare. She glared at him with her ruby-red eyes, then secretly glanced at Sato Hideaka, who was looking at the blackboard. When she realized he hadn't noticed her unladylike behavior, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
The Ninja Academy teachers of this era were all elite ninja who had returned from the battlefield. Their lessons combined theory and practical training. They taught the basics in great detail, including how to use the Three Body Technique, lay traps and use code words, detect genjutsu, understand the purpose and methods of concealment, and exploit the counters and synergies between ninjutsu...
Before they knew it, four lessons had passed. After learning all this in class, Sato Hideaka realized just how lucky he'd been to kill that Root ninja. If the Root member had treated him as a true opponent, hidden himself, avoided close combat, and fought from a distance, he could have used Kunai Throwing Technique, laid traps, or used ranged ninjutsu... There were plenty of ways he could have easily defeated, captured, or even killed Hideaka!
After reviewing what he'd learned in class, Sato Hideaka felt he'd gained a lot. When he looked around, he noticed that his classmates were taking lunch boxes out of their bags and starting to eat. But no one had told him he needed to bring his own lunch!
Beside him, Yuhi Kurenai happily took out the lovingly prepared lunch her mother had made. She opened the lid to reveal rice, beef, asparagus, octopus-shaped sausages, eggs, seaweed, and crab meat. The delicious aroma filled the air. It looked and smelled wonderful, a real treat.
The smell of the food all around him made Sato Hideaka, who had rushed to school without even eating breakfast, swallow hard.
Yuhi Kurenai heard him and looked over with her big eyes. Seeing the empty desk in front of him, she asked in confusion, "Didn't your family prepare lunch for you, Hideaka?"
"I'm an orphan. My parents died a long time ago." Sato Hideaka's tone was calm. It might have sounded heartless, but he had no memories of his parents. He had only learned about them from his neighbor, Eisuke. All he felt was a little wistfulness.
"I-I'm sorry... I didn't know..."
Yuhi Kurenai recoiled like a startled rabbit and gave Sato Hideaka an apologetic look. She placed her lunch box in the middle of the desk and said, "Hideaka, let's eat together. Teachers and classmates should look after each other!"
"Eat together? How can a boy and a girl share a lunch? That's not okay!" Sarutobi Asuma came out of nowhere and reached for Yuhi Kurenai's lunch box, trying to stop them from sharing it.
Sato Hideaka's pupils contracted slightly. He reacted instantly, grabbing Asuma's right forearm before his hand could reach the lunch box. Asuma's outstretched hand couldn't move another inch...
Their gazes locked, and an invisible clash of wills flared between them!
When Sarutobi Asuma saw the cold blue eyes of Sato Hideaka, his whole body shuddered. That icy gaze and killing intent were so familiar, just like the Anbu Ninja who stood beside his father.
Could this kid named Sato Hideaka have killed someone, too?
Who was he, really?