The next morning dawned clear and bright, and true to his word, Kakashi arrived at Akira's place early, ready to introduce him to his mentor, Minato Namikaze. The two strolled through the quiet streets of Konoha, the village slowly stirring to life under the morning sun. Kakashi led the way, hands tucked in his pockets, while Akira followed beside him, both quietly enjoying the walk as much as the unspoken anticipation.
When they arrived at Minato's modest home, Kakashi knocked politely on the door. Moments later, a cheerful voice rang out from inside, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Sensei's wife! I brought someone to see Minato-sensei," Kakashi called back casually, his tone light.
The door opened to reveal a young woman with striking red hair and a warm, welcoming smile. Kushina Uzumaki, Minato's wife, stood there, her curious gaze flicking from Kakashi to the unfamiliar child standing beside him.
"Oh, Kakashi! And you brought a friend? Who's this little guy?" she asked, her tone bright and motherly.
Before Kakashi could respond, Akira stepped forward, putting on the most innocent and adorable expression he could muster, a skill he'd refined from the dual lives he'd lived. "Hello, Kushina-neechan," he greeted sweetly, "My name is Akira Uchiha."
Kushina's expression softened instantly, her heart warming at the boy's cuteness. Kakashi, however, barely suppressed a sigh, already used to Akira's ability to charm people when he wanted.
"Ah! You're that Akira," Kushina said, her eyes lighting up in recognition. "Mikoto's mentioned you plenty of times. She says you're a little genius, even hopes her son Itachi can learn a thing or two from you!"
Hearing that made Akira chuckle inwardly. He knew Kushina meant well, but the reality was more complicated. Still, he kept up his childlike act, nodding shyly while her affection for him visibly deepened.
"Come in, come in!" Kushina ushered them inside, guiding them to sit down comfortably. "So, Kakashi, what brings you two here so early?" she asked, handing them cups of tea.
Kakashi leaned back slightly and replied, "Akira's been working on a technique, and he wanted to ask Minato-sensei for guidance. I thought it best to introduce them. Is Sensei home?"
Kushina chuckled softly. "Minato just went out to pick up groceries. He should be back any minute. You two should stay for breakfast." Her hospitality was hard to refuse, and both Kakashi and Akira nodded gratefully.
While they waited, Kushina's curiosity got the better of her, and she began peppering Akira with questions about school, his hobbies, and life as an Uchiha. Though it quickly became clear she was treating him like any other six-year-old, Akira played along, answering her innocent questions with a sweet, polite demeanor, all the while masking the exhaustion brewing beneath his facade.
At last, the front door opened, and Minato Namikaze stepped inside, balancing a couple of grocery bags. His calm and warm presence filled the room the moment he entered.
"Oh? Kakashi, you're here," Minato greeted with a small smile. His gaze shifted to Akira, studying him for a moment. "And you must be Akira Uchiha. I've heard a lot about you."
"Yes, Sensei," Akira said, rising to his feet and bowing respectfully. "It's an honor to meet you."
Kakashi stepped forward and explained Akira's purpose for the visit. "Sensei, Akira's been studying the Flying Thunder God Technique. He's hit some walls and hoped you could offer advice."
Minato's expression shifted slightly from curiosity to surprise. "The Flying Thunder God? The Hokage mentioned that to me yesterday, but I thought you'd only just started learning it," he said, turning his full attention to Akira.
"Actually, Sensei," Akira replied quietly, "I've already managed to use it successfully, but the aftereffects... they're a little overwhelming."
Minato's hands slackened, the grocery bags slipping from his fingers and landing on the floor with a soft thud. He stared at Akira, momentarily at a loss for words.
"You mean... you've already used it? Successfully?" Minato echoed, his voice laced with disbelief.
For a long moment, the room fell into silence. Minato, who was hailed as the only ninja to master the Flying Thunder God since the Second Hokage, had taken months to perfect the technique. That this young child could perform it, even imperfectly, after only a short time was almost unthinkable.
Suppressing his amazement, Minato refocused on his role as a mentor. "Tell me exactly what you experienced," he encouraged, pulling over a chair to sit with Akira.
Akira detailed the sensations — the vertigo, the disorientation, and the way his body felt unbalanced afterward. Minato listened intently, nodding as the pieces fell into place.
"That dizziness is normal at the beginning," Minato explained patiently. "When your spatial awareness isn't developed enough, your body and mind can't fully sync during the transition. Your internal organs lag behind for a fraction of a second, and it leaves you feeling ill. With more practice, and especially more focus on your body's balance at the moment of teleportation, you'll overcome it."
He went on to share his own early struggles, the training routines he'd developed, and the insights he wished he'd known when he first started. Akira absorbed every word with laser focus, feeling gratitude stir in his chest.
After their long discussion, Kushina called them to the table, and the four sat down to share a warm meal. As they ate, Minato casually posed a question.
"Akira, what's your dream?"
Akira paused, setting his chopsticks down. He knew Minato's dream already, but this was his chance to forge a genuine connection. Meeting Minato's gaze, he answered:
"My dream is to become Hokage. I want to be the first Uchiha Hokage and lead the clan and village to a better future."
Minato blinked, then grinned broadly. "So, we share the same dream, huh? That makes us rivals, doesn't it?"
The two exchanged a soft laugh, the atmosphere light and genuine.
During the meal, the conversation drifted to Akira's rank, and when Kushina learned he was already a Special Jonin, her surprise was hard to conceal. She'd expected a bright, talented child — not a battle-hardened ninja at such a young age.
As the day wore on, Akira thanked Minato for his advice, promising to put his guidance into practice. He said his goodbyes to Minato, Kushina, and Kakashi, and they all agreed to meet again once Shizune returned, before setting off on their mission together.
As Akira walked away from Minato's home, he felt a quiet fire burning inside him. The Flying Thunder God was only the beginning — and the road ahead promised to be even more challenging, and more exciting.
These past two days, Akira had remained holed up at home, buried deep in training with the Flying Thunder technique. He hadn't rested, not even for a moment. The short window before their mission began was a chance to breathe for most shinobi, but to Akira, it was a golden opportunity to press forward.
The concept of rest was alien to him. It simply did not exist in Akira's dictionary.
From his previous life into this one, he'd always been this way. Unfinished tasks weighed on him like a stone lodged in his chest, an ache that refused to fade until the job was done. That relentless drive was what once kept him in university for twelve years, earning eight doctoral degrees—not for prestige, but because he couldn't rest until he understood everything.
Now, that same intensity was fixed on the Flying Thunder technique.
Thanks to Minato's teachings, his progress these past two days had outpaced the weeks he'd spent fumbling through the theory alone. Even so, Akira was far from mastery. The mechanics of teleportation—marking seals, chakra imprinting, spatial folding—were brutally complex. There was no room for error. A mistake didn't mean failure; it meant death.
Yesterday, Kakashi had stopped by to inform him that Shizune had returned to the village. They would be departing today.
So, when the sun rose over Konoha, Akira made his way to the village's main gate—the classic rally point for Konoha shinobi. Efficient and symbolic. From here, every journey began, and every tale of return ended.
The others had already gathered.
Captain Minato greeted him with a warm smile and gestured for introductions. Akira met Shizune for the first time. Kakashi and Shizune had been academy classmates. Minato already knew her. Only Akira was the outsider.
Minato laid out the mission clearly: Find Lady Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin. According to Jiraiya-sensei's intelligence, she had been spotted in Tanzaku Town, east of the village. The plan was straightforward—travel there, locate her, and persuade her to return to Konoha.
With the matter settled, the four-man team set off. Their route led them through the Forest of Death, just outside the village.
Nostalgia crept in as Akira passed beneath the thick canopy of trees. This forest was where his story in this world had begun. Here, he'd awakened as Uchiha Akira. Here, he'd acquired Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan. And here, he had torn the Eternal Mangekyo from Kawa, earning his place among the elite.
Back then, whether it was sneaking out with Kawa or re-entering the village in secrecy, they'd always climbed the walls to avoid attention. As fate would have it, they passed the very tree where Uchiha Nan had been brutally wounded by Kawa. The place where Akira had first awakened.
He paused for a heartbeat, gazing up at its bark. Faint traces of his chakra still lingered, embedded in the wood. The same tree had once been the target of his Mangekyo's first use.
Time had not touched it much.
"Akira," Minato called gently, breaking him from his reverie. "I heard your mother was a junior disciple of Tsunade-sama. Do you know anything about her?"
Akira blinked, pulled back from memory's grip. He hadn't known that.
"So my mother knew Tsunade-sama? That's news to me," he admitted. "She rarely spoke about her past before getting married. My understanding of Tsunade-sama is the same as any other medical ninja. I hold her in deep admiration, but I've never met her."
It was honest. His mother had never mentioned such a connection.
Minato nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Shizune. "What about you? Do you know anything about Tsunade-sensei?"
Shizune, unexpectedly, had quite a bit to share. Although Tsunade had left Konoha before Shizune could remember her, she'd returned occasionally to honor her fallen brother and lover—and to visit Shizune. Tsunade had even taught her ninjutsu. It was thanks to her that Shizune had become a Chunin so young.
Minato's eyes lit up. "Then the task of persuading Tsunade-sensei will fall to you, Shizune."
Shizune nodded with conviction. "I'll do my best."
The mission was urgent. Poisoned comrades lay waiting in Konoha, their fates tied to Tsunade's healing hands. There would be no leisure on this journey. Unlike Jiraiya and Naruto's mission from years later, there was no time for detours or training along the way. Every hour mattered.
As dusk fell, weariness crept in. Minato called a halt and suggested they rest for the night.
At dawn, they resumed their march. Akira, still a bit stiff from sleep, voiced a thought with exaggerated petulance:
"Minato-sensei, can't you just 'swoosh' us to Tanzaku Town with the Flying Thunder?"
Minato laughed softly, a hint of apology in his tone. "I wish I could. But I've never been to Tanzaku before, and I don't have any markers in the area. Without a seal to lock onto, the technique won't work. We'll have to go the old-fashioned way."
No one complained after that. The reason was clear, and the stakes too high.
Thankfully, the trip took less than two days. By mid-afternoon on the second day, they arrived in Tanzaku Town.
Minato gathered the team to strategize. He looked to Shizune first. "Where do you think Tsunade-sensei is most likely to be? Should we split up to cover more ground?"
Akira already knew the answer. Casinos. If you wanted to find Tsunade, all roads led to the clatter of dice and the shuffle of cards.
Shizune nodded. "She tends to frequent gambling houses. If we ask around the casinos, someone's bound to have seen her."
Kakashi and Minato exchanged surprised glances.
"Tsunade-sama... gambles?" Kakashi asked, incredulous.
Akira kept a straight face, masking his knowledge. "I hadn't heard that either. But I do know the First Hokage was a notorious gambler. Terrible luck, too. Nearly bankrupted the Senju Clan."
That little fact stunned both Minato and Kakashi. The God of Shinobi—a gambling addict?
"I guess it runs in the family," Akira added wryly.
With their direction clear, the group split up. Each ninja took to a different casino, asking discreet questions.
It didn't take long to hear the name.
"Fat Sheep."
Every casino knew the nickname. Tsunade's reputation as a hopeless gambler preceded her. She had been in town, that much was certain. But finding her now? That would be the trick. She owed debts all over Tanzaku and was likely keeping a low profile.
After hours of fruitless searching, the group regrouped at dusk.
"It doesn't look like she's in any of the casinos," Akira noted. "She probably lost all her money again. If I had to guess, she's drowning her sorrows in a tavern."
He stretched his arms and grinned. "Why don't we let Minato-sensei treat us to dinner?"
Minato chuckled, nodding. "You're right. We've all earned a break. Let's eat first and resume tomorrow."
Kakashi and Shizune both cheered quietly at the idea of a hot meal. They'd been traveling and searching without pause.
Akira, though, had a second reason. Taverns and restaurants shared districts in Tanzaku. And if Lady Tsunade was indeed out of chips and fortune, it wouldn't be long before their paths crossed.
They were closer than they thought.
And Akira, ever the strategist, was already thinking three steps ahead.