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"Kakashi and Akio sat under a tree, chatting.
'Oh right, you even let your nanny go. At this point, I'm probably the only one who knows how strong you really are. I think you should just graduate from the Academy now based on your abilities,' Kakashi said.
'I want to wait until Naruto graduates. That way, we can be together all the time.'
'Even if Naruto graduates on schedule, it'll still be a year later than you. Your graduation exams are coming up soon. Among your peers, the strong ones are that Hyuga genius, Neji, and another guy who's really good at taijutsu—Rock Lee.'
'I know all that already. My shadow clones have been doing really well in school. I've always ranked first in every test. Neji and Rock Lee aren't a match for me. The teachers have tried to get me to graduate early several times, but I kept putting it off just to wait for Naruto.'
'Once the graduation exams start, you won't even have the option to stay behind,' Kakashi chuckled.
'I could always just fail on purpose.'
'Cut it out. With your grades? You think the Third Hokage wouldn't see right through that? Just graduate already. It's only a one-year difference—you two will still have plenty of chances to hang out.'
'I want to go see Naruto. I start school earlier than him and get out earlier too, but I've never actually seen him.'
'He's in Classroom 301. Go ahead.' Kakashi stood up. Akio gave a nod, and Kakashi disappeared in a blink.
After Kakashi left, Akio picked up his black jacket, dressed all in black, and moved quickly toward the Academy. He reached the rooftop in no time, then walked along the wall to peek into Classroom 301. But Naruto was nowhere to be seen.
'Don't tell me that kid snuck out again.' Akio frowned, then disappeared from the wall and leapt across the rooftops of Konoha. He finally found Naruto on the Hokage Rock—specifically on Minato's face—scribbling all over it.
'You little punk.' Akio curled his lips and jumped down beside Naruto.
'WHOA WHOA WHOAAAA!!' Naruto jumped in shock and nearly fell off the lift, but Akio grabbed him in time.
'Why are you vandalizing the Hokage Rock?' Akio asked, staring at him.
'You're… wait, I know you! You're the Fourth Hokage's son!' Naruto squinted at Akio and suddenly realized—he'd seen this guy a bunch of times. While Naruto always got ignored or pushed aside in the streets, Akio was liked and welcomed wherever he went. Of course Naruto noticed him.
Akio didn't say anything. Hearing Naruto say that stung a bit… after all, he was the real son of Minato.
But then he noticed Naruto's clothes and frowned. It was still that same old orange jacket. Didn't Big Bro Kakashi say Naruto had started wearing the new clothes he gave him?
'Why are you still wearing that old outfit?' Akio asked.
'Huh?' Naruto looked down at his messy, paint-splattered jacket, still holding the paint bucket in one hand and the brush in the other.
'I only wear this one when I'm doing paint stuff. I don't know who it is, but every year someone sends me new clothes. I don't wanna mess those up, y'know? Hehe.' Naruto rubbed his nose with the brush hand, grinning.
"'Y'know'… just like Mom used to say." Akio couldn't help smiling.
'Listen, Naruto, you can't keep drawing on the Hokage Rock. Especially not on the Fourth's face.'
'Why not? Just 'cause you're the Fourth's kid doesn't mean you can boss me around!' Naruto said carelessly.
'You little brat!' Akio smacked Naruto on the head, knocking over the paint bucket and brush. 'You're coming back with me, now. If I catch you defacing the Rock again, I'm not gonna go easy on you.' As he spoke, he tied Naruto up.
'Shadow Clone Jutsu.' Akio made a hand sign and summoned a shadow clone to clean up the mess—like a good big brother, covering for Naruto's screw-up.
Then he dragged Naruto back to the Academy. 'You'd better study hard, got it?' Akio said, then shoved Naruto through the classroom door and closed it.
'What the heck! What's your problem! When I become Hokage, you're so dead!' Naruto shouted from the floor, struggling against the ropes.
'Naruto!' came a booming voice from behind.
'E-Er... Iruka-sensei…' Naruto turned his head slowly and saw Iruka glaring at him.
'Sit down and pay attention!' Iruka roared.
'Yes sir!!' Naruto yelled back.
Outside the door, Akio smiled. 'Naruto, you'll become Hokage for sure.' Then he headed back to his own classroom. He knocked on the door, and just as he stepped in, the shadow clone that had been attending class for him disappeared in a puff.
The teacher looked confused but didn't say anything. Akio was a top student and had a special background—even if he skipped class, no one really complained.
'When did Namikaze Akio leave?' Neji Hyuga frowned, staring at him.
Even though Akio's real last name was Inzoro, that was kept secret. Everyone believed he was Minato's son, so naturally, they all thought his last name was Namikaze too and called him that.
Akio walked straight to his seat—dead center in the last row. Every time he walked through the classroom, all eyes turned to him. He was good-looking, and the girls in class couldn't help but watch him.
'Yo, Tenten,' he said as he sat down beside his desk partner—Tenten.
'When did you leave? I didn't even see you go,' she whispered.
'I just stepped out for a bit. Don't worry about it.' Akio smiled. Even though it was usually a clone attending class for him, once the clone disappeared, everything it experienced got passed back to him—so he had no problem keeping up in class.
'Our graduation exam's tomorrow. After that, we'll be assigned to our team and squad leader. I wonder who I'll be paired with.' Tenten lay on her desk, occasionally glancing toward Neji.
'You like Neji, huh?' Akio leaned in close, whispering in her ear.
'Huh?' Tenten blushed like crazy—partly because he hit the nail on the head, and partly because he was way too close.
'Wh-Who said that?! I don't like him!' she blurted.
'Pfft, come on, it's obvious. No need to deny it—it's boring when you do,' Akio muttered, resting his chin on his hand as he stared at the chalkboard.
The stuff they were learning was basic—he'd already mastered it all on his own anyway.
"....."