"Alright, let's stop here for today."
Tetsuhara Akira looked down at the special kunai in his hand. Etched into it was a simplified version of the Flying Thunder God Technique formula—a prototype that could only sense a marked location in a single direction and was completely incapable of teleportation.
"I can't slow down," he murmured, tightening his grip on the kunai. "I need to go faster."
That night, Akira didn't sleep.
He sat cross-legged in his father's study, three scrolls spread out before him.
In terms of theory, he had already grasped the core principles of the Flying Thunder God Technique, but practical application was still far off. By contrast, his progress in Wind Release and Water Release was steady. Thanks to his memories from his previous life as a Naruto fan, combined with this body's natural talent, he was already able to use C-rank ninjutsu.
"The bottleneck is chakra capacity…"
He closed his eyes, feeling the flow of chakra within his body.
A six-year-old's chakra reserves were simply too limited. Using Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique even once would drain him completely. The Flying Thunder God was even more demanding—teleporting just five meters consumed nearly one-third of his chakra.
"I need to train my body and expand my chakra limit."
After finalizing his training plan, Akira looked out the window. Under the moonlight, Konoha lay quiet and peaceful.
But how long would this peace last?
---
The next day at the Ninja Academy.
"Akira, your dark circles are awful," Ino said worriedly as she handed him a piece of candy. "Didn't you sleep?"
"I was researching ninjutsu," Akira replied with a smile as he accepted it. "Thanks, Ino."
"Space-time ninjutsu again?" Shikamaru muttered lazily, sprawled across his desk. "What a drag. You're already ranked first in the grade."
"Hey, you're second in the grade," Choji said between bites of potato chips.
"That's exactly why it's a drag," Shikamaru replied. "Staying in second place is exhausting."
Akira looked at the group before him—his future comrades—and felt a warmth rise in his chest.
In this life, what he wanted to protect wasn't just Konoha… but these smiles as well.
"Oh, right!" Ino's eyes sparkled. "Want to go eat barbecue this weekend? My dad said a new place just opened."
"Sure," Akira nodded.
"What a drag…" Shikamaru muttered again, but he didn't object.
---
The weekend. Inside the barbecue restaurant.
Inoichi Yamanaka quietly observed the interaction between his daughter and the blue-haired boy, lost in thought.
"Tetsuhara Akira," Inoichi said kindly, "I've heard the Third Hokage mention you. Are you studying the Flying Thunder God Technique?"
"Yes, Uncle Inoichi," Akira answered politely.
"Tetsuhara Naoto's child, huh…" Inoichi sighed softly. "Your father was an outstanding sensory ninja. We worked together on many missions."
The conversation drifted to Akira's father. Inoichi shared stories from their missions, while Shikaku Nara occasionally filled in the details. Akira listened in silence, carefully piecing together an image of the man he barely remembered.
Brave. Calm. Someone who valued his comrades above all else.
During the Nine-Tails incident, his father had fought brilliantly, protecting countless villagers. And in that final mission… for the sake of his teammates, he chose to stay behind and cover their retreat.
"Your father used to say that a ninja's value isn't measured by how many enemies they kill," Inoichi said, placing a hand on Akira's shoulder, "but by how many people they protect. You're very much like him."
Akira lowered his head, his fists clenched tight.
I'll do better.
Not just protecting… but changing things.
---
From that day on, Akira entered an intense training phase.
He woke up at five every morning and ran ten laps around Konoha. He arrived at school by seven, practicing delicate chakra control during class using the "multi-tasking method" Shikamaru had taught him. After school, he trained physically for two more hours, then returned home to study scrolls late into the night.
Three months later, he could complete a Flying Thunder God teleport within a twenty-meter range, with an error margin of less than ten centimeters.
"Incredible progress," the Third Hokage said as he reviewed Akira's training records. "But, Akira… your body is under excessive strain."
"I'm fine," Akira said, wiping sweat from his brow.
"No, you're not," Hiruzen Sarutobi said gravely. "Your chakra pathways are showing signs of damage. Starting today, your training volume will be cut in half. You'll also undergo recovery using Medical Ninjutsu."
Akira wanted to argue, but when he met the Hokage's firm gaze, he could only nod.
He knew the Hokage was right. In the original timeline, Kakashi's chakra growth had been limited by excessive training in his youth.
He couldn't afford to repeat that mistake.
---
During his recovery period, Akira shifted his focus to theory and relationships.
He began helping students who struggled academically—especially Naruto, the blond boy isolated by the entire village.
"Big Brother Akira!" Naruto waved excitedly whenever he saw him. "Teach me the Clone Jutsu today!"
"Sure," Akira said, smiling. "But finish your written assignments first."
"Ahhh—what a drag—!"
Through Naruto, Akira also grew closer to Iruka Umino. The young teacher's genuine care for Naruto showed him Konoha's warmer side.
At the same time, his relationship with Ino steadily deepened. Eating together turned into training together, which turned into weekend outings—though for six-year-olds, a "date" meant little more than strolling through the park and eating ice cream.
"Akira," Ino asked one day as they sat on the swings, "what kind of ninja do you want to be?"
"A ninja who can protect the people important to him," Akira said, gently pushing the swing. "And then… I'll become Hokage. I want to create an era where children don't have to go to the battlefield."
Ino swung higher and higher, her blonde hair flying in the sunlight.
"Then I'll help you! I'm going to be a sensory ninja—I'll watch out for danger!"
"Deal," Akira said with a smile.
At that moment, he truly felt connected to this world.
Sunlight broke through the clouds, shining down on his aqua-blue hair.
The successor of the Flying Thunder God Technique would carve a new path through this world.
And the first step—
Was becoming a ninja.