Naruto: System of Akio

The Next Day — Border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind

"Dance of the Larch!"

Kimimaro's body erupted with bone spikes as he spun forward, tearing through wave after wave of sand barriers.

"Sand Burial!"

A torrent of sand surged outward, whipping up a fierce sandstorm that swallowed the battlefield from view.

When the dust finally settled, Kimimaro stood with a bone spear poised at Gaara's throat. Grains of sand still swirled desperately around Gaara, arriving just a moment too late.

As the sand closed in, Kimimaro withdrew and leapt back.

"That happened in an instant…"

Temari and Kankuro, watching from a distance, stared in shock.

Nearby, Baki, the Sunagakure jonin leading the team, looked ready to grind his teeth into dust.

I'd already escorted the three of them back into the Land of Wind, and Uzumaki Akio still chased us down with three kids in tow, insisting that Kimimaro and Gaara spar. Gaara gets taken down instantly, and Akio actually looks disappointed? What, does Uzushiogakure think it's above everyone else? Is Uzumaki Akio some untouchable legend? Fine. If I can't win, I'll at least get out of here.

"Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, we're leaving!"

Baki turned toward Akio with forced politeness.

"Senior, we're free to go now, right?"

Akio waved a hand dismissively, the disappointment still clear on his face. He hadn't gained any Witness Points from the match.

"So this doesn't work either, huh?"

He looked completely different from before. Since his body had shrunk several sizes, none of his old clothes fit anymore. Early that morning he'd wandered all over Konoha and picked out what he considered a stylish outfit: a white high-collared shirt similar to Sasuke's later look, paired with dark blue pants. Flashy enough to turn heads.

After buying the clothes, he'd learned that the Sand team had already departed, so he hurried after them with Kimimaro, Karin, and Haku.

Akio sighed.

"Oh well. No points this time."

Then he noticed Karin sneaking glances at him and his mood improved considerably.

"Great Elder, where did you buy that outfit? Kimimaro would look amazing in it!"

Akio's expression darkened.

"And I don't?"

"…You look decent, I guess."

Akio relaxed. If Karin's version of "decent" was anything to go by, that probably meant he looked great. Good enough.

"The clothing shop on the east side of the village."

"Got it!"

Kimimaro stepped forward.

"God, let's head back. I'd like to spar with Might Guy."

"Go ahead. Take Karin with you, and be careful not to get hurt."

After a moment's thought, Akio turned to Haku.

"Haku, I need you to lead Team Eleven for a few days. Their assigned jonin instructor is Uchiha Kumohatsu, but he's still finishing his final mission as an ANBU operative."

"Great Elder, where are you going?"

Akio smiled.

"Training. We may not see each other again for a few months. Come on, let's head back."

Konoha

Akio didn't immediately spend his newly acquired points. There were still a few things he needed to handle.

First, inside his mental world, Madara stubbornly refused to acknowledge Chiri as his grandmother.

Akio had little luck persuading him. Madara was the type who would rather break than bend. However, he did finally get a response regarding the transfer of Sharingan ocular power.

"Stop dreaming, old man!"

"Couldn't you be a little more respectful? I might just summon Hashirama to beat some sense into you."

"In here, Hashirama isn't a match for me."

Akio blinked, then remembered that Madara's Yin Release was considerably stronger than Hashirama's.

"So there's really no way to transfer it?"

Madara hesitated before speaking.

"Old man… bring Akio's soul back from the Pure Land."

Akio smiled. The fact that Madara was willing to negotiate was already progress.

"I can't contact the Sage of Six Paths right now. Let's wait until Hiruzen dies. In the meantime, tell me the method."

"…What method?"

"You've got to be kidding me! Trying to swindle your ancestor? Take this!"

"Bastard!"

The exchange yielded no practical results, but it did remind Akio that the person most likely to know how to replenish Sharingan ocular power was the Sage of Six Paths himself.

"When Hiruzen eventually passes away, I'll try contacting the Sage again. Hopefully that won't be too far off…"

After thinking it over, Akio teleported to the Hokage Tower. He still hadn't claimed the Witness Points from the Chunin Exams, and only one final step remained.

Hokage Tower

"Hiruzen, why are you here? Where's Obito?"

Akio asked, trying to sound casual despite a trace of guilt.

Hiruzen didn't notice anything unusual. He rose to greet him and gave a weary smile.

"Shisui just woke up, so Obito is looking after him. This old body of mine has to keep working a little longer. Your timing is perfect, actually…"

"How's your health holding up?"

Hiruzen paused, then chuckled softly.

"Thank you for asking. I've probably got a couple more years in me. Though I can't compare to you."

Akio inwardly rolled his eyes. Why does everyone say that when they get old? They all sound strangely disappointed.

"Well, this ancestor of yours accidentally turned eleven again. At this rate I'll probably live another hundred and twenty years."

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

"I thought you said your health was fine?"

Hiruzen was speechless. After a long pause, he sighed.

"Let's discuss the real matter, Elder Akio. I've been troubled by the Chunin Exam results."

"What's the issue?"

"The candidates we've confirmed for promotion are Tenten, Hyuga Neji, Nara Shikamaru, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uchiha Hoshino. However, because the exam was interrupted midway, Otsutsuki Toneri, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sai never had the chance to fully demonstrate their abilities."

Akio considered the matter. The idea of Naruto, that troublemaking kid, becoming a chunin right now felt oddly unsettling.

"There'll be another exam. Let them wait until then."

Hiruzen nodded.

"As you wish."

He lowered his head and signed the document on his desk, officially finalizing the results of the Chunin Exams. If Naruto ever learned the truth, he'd probably cry.

Witnessed and significantly altered a major event in the world of Naruto: the Chunin Exams. Reward: 50 × 8 Witness Points.

Akio nearly burst into laughter. Four hundred points? That's a huge haul. The Chunin Exams really are a major story event.

Just then, Hiruzen spoke again, somewhat hesitantly.

"There's one more issue. The betting pool you opened at the casino was disrupted when the exams were canceled. Many Konoha civilians are demanding refunds."

"Refunds? Absolutely not!"

Akio's Rinnegan flared as he glared at Hiruzen, making the old Hokage jump.

"I won that money fair and square. Why should this ancestor return it?"

Fair and square? Hiruzen became even more convinced that Orochimaru had been involved because of Akio.

After a moment, Akio continued.

"Besides, I'm not keeping all of it. Half goes to the civilians living in Konoha's western district, and part of the remaining half goes to that troublesome cat. You can handle the distribution. But the refunds are off the table — not now, not ever."

He added,

"I'll be away for two or three months. Kushina will hold onto my share. If I come back and the money's gone, I'm holding you responsible."

"You're putting me in charge of"

Before Hiruzen could finish, Akio had already vanished from the office.

Staring at the empty room, Hiruzen let out another helpless sigh.

"At this rate, he's going to be the death of me."

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