Kushina Uzumaki.
"What's her deal?"
Nawaki scratched his head and said, "Grandma Mito told me to bring her along to train with you, boss."
Mito Uzumaki?
Hyuga Akira looked at the shrinking Kushina Uzumaki. This girl might look frail and delicate, but he knew she was a tough one who would get her revenge behind people's backs after school.
"Which brings us to the question."
Hyuga Akira turned expressionlessly toward the other blond boy. "What's his deal?"
"Hello, senior. I'm Minato Namikaze." The blond boy flashed a brilliant smile. "I'm one of Nawaki's underlings."
Hyuga Akira looked at Nawaki suspiciously. "Neither of them has even finished learning the Ninja Academy curriculum, have they?"
He had won Nawaki over by beating him into submission, and Nawaki seemed rather inclined to carry on and expand upon his methods.
Before graduating this year, he had learned that Nawaki had already established a Hall.
As far as he knew, quite a few factions had formed within the Ninja Academy to defeat Nawaki and reach the academy's pinnacle.
It was no longer the Ninja Academy, but the Hot-Blooded Ninja Academy.
Seeing Hyuga Akira's suspicious gaze, Nawaki knew he was being doubted. His face flushed as he protested, "Boss, this kid challenged me himself! He only became my underling after he lost."
"Don't let his age fool you. He's pretty strong. Even in our year, hardly anyone can beat him."
He threw an arm around Minato Namikaze. "He's the one who'll inherit my position, reach the pinnacle of the Ninja Academy, and become the Third."
The First had been Hyuga Akira.
What kind of succession ceremony for a gang boss is this?
Hyuga Akira sank into deep thought.
Have I led the schoolchildren astray?
Inside the Ninja Academy.
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a headache coming on as he looked at the damage report in his hands.
"The Inuzuka Clan Faction challenged the Nawaki Faction and damaged an entire classroom's contents. What on earth is all this?"
Beside him, the head of the year said awkwardly, "Young Master Nawaki is now at the pinnacle of the Ninja Academy. He said he welcomes anyone who wants to challenge him. The Inuzuka Clan Faction is only one of his challengers."
The Ninja Academy was now filled with gangs, including the Ino-Shika-Cho Faction, the Uchiha Faction, and the Hyuga Faction.
The strongest was the Nawaki Faction, followed by the Uchiha Faction.
"Should we stop them and issue a warning?" These children gave the head of the year a headache too, mainly because Nawaki was the one responsible for the current situation.
He was the First Hokage's grandson. What could the man do?
He knew the true culprit was Hyuga Akira, but the point was that this division into rival factions was actually Nawaki's handiwork.
He claimed he had inherited Hyuga Akira's will.
It was hard to know what to say.
All one could say was that he certainly lived up to being the First Hokage's grandson.
"Bring Nawaki here." Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed the bridge of his nose. How had that child turned out like this? A perfectly good school was practically falling apart.
And now there was all this talk of a pinnacle.
The head of the year said awkwardly, "Young Master Nawaki has taken three days' leave."
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath to suppress his anger and said heavily, "Bring Tsunade here!!"
Two Anbu appeared before Hiruzen Sarutobi in an instant.
"Yes!" They spoke in unison, then vanished instantly.
Hyuga Akira and Nawaki both shivered after climbing into the Forest of Death.
The two exchanged a knowing look, as though they knew some great disaster was about to befall them.
Hyuga Akira asked with a grave expression, "Nawaki, have you caused any trouble lately?"
Nawaki searched his memories. All he had done lately at the Ninja Academy was defeat the Inuzuka Clan Faction. Once he got home after school, he started studying.
When would he have had time to cause trouble?
He shook his head.
"No."
Hyuga Akira also frowned in thought for a moment. He had been behaving himself lately too. He hadn't done anything wrong.
"Maybe it was just our imagination."
An illusion both of them had experienced at once.
Minato Namikaze curiously surveyed the towering trees around them. He had heard of the Forest of Death. Entry was forbidden here.
There were wild beasts and ninja beasts inside. Anyone other than a Shinobi would encounter danger if they entered.
They walked to a secluded spot.
Hyuga Akira told the three of them, "Starting today, we'll spend three days here. During those three days, I'll put you through special training."
"Prepare yourselves mentally. One careless mistake could get you killed."
As Hyuga Akira spoke, killing intent poured from him and enveloped the three.
All three of them stiffened for a moment.
"I won't die! I'm going to become the first female Hokage in Konoha's history, y'know!"
Remembering something, Kushina Uzumaki suddenly covered her mouth. She had accidentally let her verbal tic slip again.
Hyuga Akira paid it no mind. His face was simply menacing as he said, "For the next three days, all you have to do is catch me. Each time you catch me, you can get food, ninja tools, treatment, or tools from me."
Chapter 19: Training for Nawaki and the Other Two
Hyuga Akira smiled at the three of them, flipped backward, and landed some distance away.
"Starting now!!"
At his command.
Minato Namikaze and Kushina immediately vanished from where they stood, darting straight into the bushes to hide.
"Choosing to hide right away?"
Hyuga Akira scanned the area. Without using his Byakugan, he could no longer find either of them.
"A very wise choice."
When facing someone stronger, first hide yourself and gather intelligence on the enemy.
That was also the orthodox Shinobi approach.
As for Nawaki...
He looked at Nawaki, who stood motionless in the distance, and was utterly speechless.
Is this guy planning to fight me head-on?
"Boss!! Here I come!!!" The ground beneath Nawaki's feet cracked as he charged toward Hyuga Akira like a cannonball.
He really had charged straight at him!!
"He really won't have anyone to blame when he gets blown up by explosive tags later."
Of course, Shinobi who fought head-on like Nawaki were actually quite common.
But among those with a name, he was the only one who had gotten blown up because of his recklessness.
Hyuga Akira's goal was to correct that bad habit.
Watching Nawaki charge, Hyuga Akira remained standing in place, showing no sign of defending himself.
Nawaki noticed nothing amiss. Instead, delight spread across his face. "Got you!"
One more step forward and he could knock Hyuga Akira down. Chakra gathered in his hand.
Monster Strength.
A ninjutsu belonging to the Senju Clan, it granted monstrous strength and was also the ability that had made Tsunade famous in battle.
Though Nawaki could not compare to Tsunade, his Strength of a Hundred Fist was not something just anyone could withstand.
He had intended to take another step and keep charging, but suddenly stopped instead, lowering his head to look at the explosive tag beneath his foot.
The explosive tag slowly began to glow, and the smile froze on his face.
Wait, where did that explosive tag come from?
Boom!!
An explosion flashed, but there was little fire. Only a fierce gust sent Nawaki flying.
Hyuga Akira yawned and said, "A defective explosive tag. It can only blast people away, not hurt them."
It was the sort of defective product sold at ninja tool shops.
It would explode, but it was less powerful than a properly made explosive tag.
He had buried them in these woods after buying them yesterday.
He had not chosen this spot at random.
"I've set quite a few traps around here. If you're careless..." The corners of Hyuga Akira's mouth curled up, exposing white teeth. His face looked terrifyingly sinister.
"You'll die."
Flung into the distance, Nawaki got up covered in dirt and charged at Hyuga Akira again without a second thought.
Hyuga Akira rolled his white eyes.
"You know there are traps, and you're still charging straight at me?"
Nawaki gave an innocent smile. "Boss, since the trap's already gone off, that proves there aren't any traps here anymore!!"
His feet moved rapidly as he closed in on Hyuga Akira again.
"You call me stupid, but I'm not stupid at all."
"Strength of a Hundred Fist!" Nawaki swung his fist hard at Hyuga Akira.
Hyuga Akira simply hopped backward to dodge. Nawaki landed where Hyuga Akira had just been standing and was about to push off the ground and leap straight at him.
Suddenly, there was nothing beneath his feet.
Nawaki: "(oДo*)."
What should have been solid ground was actually just a layer of cloth. His foot pushed the cloth down, and his whole body fell into a pit.
Only a wooden branch across the middle of the pit had supported Hyuga Akira where he had stood.
Hyuga Akira looked down at Nawaki in the pit, clicked his tongue twice, and shook his head. "I told you there were traps. How could there only be one? I really haven't misjudged you."
Just then, two figures suddenly darted out of the trees, attacking from the left and right. Hyuga Akira jumped up from where he stood.
Seeing that their attack had failed, Minato Namikaze and Kushina did not linger, darting straight into the bushes ahead.
"Even swapped positions." Hyuga Akira shook his head.
By then, Nawaki had climbed up to the edge of the pit, but just as his hand reached the rim, he touched something resembling paper.
Nawaki looked up toward the opening. Hyuga Akira let out a "heh," smiling with particular delight.
"B-boss." Nawaki wanted to ask for help.
But it was already too late.
Boom!!
The edge of the pit shattered in the blast, and Nawaki's hand was thrown upward. However weak the explosion, it was still an explosion. His arm gave a crack, and with a muffled grunt, he fell straight back down.
Before you continue