His training with Minato was put on hold, but Akira sent him to entertain Mito. Afterall, war was imminent and he had far greater priorities than watching over them himself.
It felt like training two idiots who'd been raised by monkeys.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Countless spinning blurs of metal hurtled toward Nawaki and Fugaku like rain in a storm, cutting through the air and sealing off every way out.
Nawaki, already drained from starting the fight with flashy ninjutsu, could only stumble back. Fugaku fared slightly better, holding his chakra reserve together long enough to launch his only defense.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Flames engulfed the sky around him and burned through the flurry of incoming blades. Every imitation weapon vanished in the blast. The shockwave rattled the ground.
As soon as the heat faded, Akira charged through the smoke with his long sword in hand. The steel caught moonlight under its arc as he barreled forward without hesitation.
Both boys scrambled-rolling apart on instinct-and drew kunai mid-motion.
Akira gave them no room. He pressed in again, swinging hard without restraint.
Clang, clang, clang-
Steel clattered against steel as both boys blocked awkwardly, stumbling back under the weight of each blow. Their arms screamed from the imbalance in strength and speed they couldn't match.
Clink! Clack!
Two clean strikes shattered their guard. Their kunai spun out of their hands and clattered uselessly to the dirt nearby.
Ssshh-
Akira's blade carved cleanly through the air and snipped strands of their hair from their heads before coming to rest at his side again.
Breathing hard, they stood there staring at the locks of hair drifting down in front of them.
Sheathing his sword, Akira stared at their half-bald scalps and forced a fake smile across his face.
"Alright, you lost again. This is what now-the tenth time?"
"The sixth..." Fugaku replied under his breath.
While they drowned in their shame, Kushina and Mikoto burst into laughter on the sidelines.
"Uncle's defeated you six times! Keep this up and your heads'll be shinier than Sensei's blade!"
Nawaki and Fugaku glanced at each other, equally miserable. The joke stung worse when they realized neither looked better than the other.
"Uncle... couldn't you give me some face?"
"Sure."
Whip!
Steel whistled through the air silently-until four kunai pinned Nawaki's limbs into the ground with brutal precision.
"Aaugh!"
Pain twisted through Nawaki's expression; his body jerked against the force of impact. He stared wide-eyed at Akira, stunned beyond reason.
"Uncle-why?!"
"Lord Akira!"
Fugaku reached for him-but another kunai zipped past and opened his cheek in one clean line. Blood welled under his eye instantly as confusion turned to alarm across everyone watching-even Kushina and Mikoto froze where they stood.
"It's just about saving face-isn't it? Well alright then. I'll give you your dignity. You want to die on the battlefield with honor? Fine by me."
Akira's words cracked through what little courage they had left standing. Neither had ever once questioned what death looked like until that moment.
"So what?" Nawaki spat breathlessly. "I've already made up my mind-I'm becoming Hokage!"
Akira stopped moving. That answer made him look back over his shoulder suspiciously, brows lifted in disbelief.
Did someone use Genjutsu on this idiot?
By now, Fugaku looked uncomfortable too.
"Your sister will weep over your broken corpse. Your cousin will mourn you. Your grandmother Mito will cry herself sick over your death. Want me to make it faster? I could use my strongest ninjutsu and flash-fry you right now-everyone in Konoha would remember your name forever."
"But I-"
Akira tilted his head forward slightly-casual, unreadable as he dropped another line cold into Nawaki's ears:
"Don't be stupid. My father, Senju Akira, already said it: If Senju wants to become Hokage, we get in line behind Uchiha. You want that seat? Wait your fucking turn."
"What?!"
Nawaki flinched-jerked upright as much as his pinned limbs allowed him to move-with pure disbelief scrambling across his features.
"How come I've... I've... I didn't know that!"
Akira squinted sideways at him.
"You didn't know? Taoli didn't tell you?"
"I don't know!"
Akira clenched his jaw for half a second, then sagged slightly from disappointment rather than anger. There was no way Momori hadn't explained it-the idiot probably didn't bother listening when she did.
"Fugaku. Explain."
Despite blood trickling from his cheek, Fugaku turned to Nawaki and gave him the truth simply and clearly. When he finished, Nawaki's expression collapsed into blank hopelessness.
"So that means... even if I tried... I'd have to wait for you first?"
Fugaku said nothing-but didn't deny it either.
Panic took over whatever remained of Nawaki's pride.
"What if I drop the Senju name?!"
Akira turned slowly toward him with no expression at first-until the corner of his mouth curled slightly up into what might've once been called amusement… but wasn't anymore.
"Heh..."
"Eh-cousin-I was just kidding!"
He moved forward anyway-no response-and yanked one kunai out by its hilt with one swift twist and pull-
"Nngh-!"
Nawaki whimpered as pain rolled through him again-the blade dragged twisted muscle from being pulled at the wrong angle-but green chakra bloomed across his skin seconds later to patch the damage before blood could pool too fast.
Even so… he tensed under Akira's stare with desperate silence.
"Don't be so scared."
Akira wiped the blade clean on Nawaki's vest casually before sheathing it again with one smooth flick of his wrist.
"You wanna be Hokage? Good luck doing that without skills."
"I-It doesn't have to be today!"
Akira smiled again-just for show this time-and turned briefly toward Fugaku without missing pace in his tone:
"You too."
Fugaku silently prepared himself for another round of hell ahead-
…
Stars hung low above them by nightfall.
Minato stepped out into the courtyard after finishing practice with sealing technique drills-and froze silently when he saw what waited for him there:
Two half-dead figures lay collapsed beneath the trees-mangled uniforms hanging off them like wet paper towels soaked in red water.
"...Them?"
"It's Fugaku and Nawaki," Akira said with little concern. "They went through some training today. Do me a favor: clean them up, change their clothes… toss 'em into your spare room once you're done."
Minato stared at the blood-soaked fabric-ripped beyond repair-and winced hard enough to hiss under his breath at their condition.
No wonder Akira gave him extra clothes ahead of time…
"I won't end up like that… right?"
As if summoned by thought alone, Akira's tone floated back to him seconds later:
"It's just training. If either of you manage to scratch me before we reach the front lines-I'll give you each your own ninja sword."
Both boys-nearly unconscious-suddenly jerked very slightly in place with renewed interest at those words even through battered lungs and bruised skin.
Ninja swords were rare-even among elite families-and impossible to find outside high-level markets stocked with chakra metal weapons found only in battle-ravaged regions or passed down relic-style within clans themselves.
"Ninja... sword...?"
Nawaki barely whispered it beneath swollen lips but kept conscious enough to hold onto hope.
"Yes," Akira confirmed calmly. "Beheading Sword and Flatfish Twin Blades from the Land of Whirlpools. Whoever lands damage on me first gets pick of the pair."
In spite of everything hurting-they both began laughing out loud again, even if weakly now from joy alone.
"Hahaha…!"
Akira leaned forward and patted Minato gently on his head-
"Don't worry-I'll have one for you too eventually."
"...Me?"
Minato barely spoke above the pulse pounding in his chest. Being taught secret techniques or fed decent meals was already far beyond expectations-but now this?
"Mm." Akira nodded once before smiling as he said-
"Once I head off to war-you'll be the only man left in this family. I'll be counting on you."
Minato had always been alone-but hearing that named responsibility made his chest tighten painfully for reasons he didn't quite understand. He wanted to shout-to run-to do anything-
"I-Yes! Lord Akira-I won't disappoint you!"
…
Bathing wounded shinobi, scrubbing bloodstains from clothes, cleaning rooms… feeding two broken fighters piece by piece…
Minato finally collapsed back into bed long after midnight had passed overhead-his mind full of everything he'd seen and heard for the first time since coming here…
"Lord Akira trusts me with this whole family…"
Wait…
"I just came here to be registered as his student…"
He sat bolt upright-but after looking around at the warm space again… he relaxed slowly-
"Ah… whatever. I'm nothing special. If Lord Akira believes in me… then so will I."
He laid back down silently-eyes fixed on where morning light would soon slip through curtains-and finally drifted off without another word.
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