By sheer coincidence, they landed directly in front of the rampaging three-headed giant serpent.
The creature, which had been wreaking havoc moments ago, suddenly saw an "elder senior" descend from the sky. All three of its heads froze stiff in unison.
Even the Konoha ANBU, who had been fighting desperately nearby, were left dumbfounded.
Just moments ago, they had suffered heavy casualties trying to hold back this monster—so how had an even bigger one appeared in the blink of an eye?
Only Morino Ibiki, standing atop a rooftop directing the battle, let out a long breath. The tension on his face eased, replaced by a trace of relief.
"That brat finally made it back… the village is saved."
The ANBU members who didn't recognize Akira were utterly stunned by the sight before them.
Beneath Akira stood a massive crimson, one-eyed serpent. In sheer size alone, it dwarfed the three-headed monster, its entire body radiating a suffocating aura of oppression.
Surveying the surrounding ruins, a cold glint flashed in Akira's eyes.
"This beast has been having quite the time, huh? Shinra, can you handle it?"
Shinra snorted disdainfully. "Trash like this? I'll kill one for every one that comes!"
Although the three-headed serpent also originated from Ryūchi Cave, it was like a mouse encountering a cat when faced with Shinra.
It knew Shinra's fearsome reputation all too well—a brutal existence second only to the White Snake Sage. Back in Ryūchi Cave, many snakes that provoked him had been turned to stone.
Instinctively, the three-headed serpent wanted to flee—but the control curse mark on its body forced it to charge forward regardless.
"You've got a death wish!"
Shinra let out a cold snort, his massive body instantly transforming into a streak of red lightning.
Too fast!
For such a colossal creature to possess such terrifying speed—
Before the three-headed serpent could even react, Shinra had already clamped his jaws around its middle neck.
In the next instant, his crimson body coiled around it like chains, tightening relentlessly.
His specialized fangs pierced through the scales, injecting petrifying venom in a frenzy.
The three-headed serpent writhed in agony, only to realize in horror that its body was rapidly losing all sensation.
Three seconds.
In just three seconds, from tail to head, the once-arrogant behemoth was completely transformed into a gray-white stone statue, eerily still under the sunlight.
Dead silence fell over the battlefield.
The ANBU ninjas swallowed hard.
"T-That's it… it's over?"
"That petrification ability is way too overpowered! And that speed—no human could possibly react to it!"
"So this is Akira's summoning beast? That's absurdly strong!"
From start to finish, Akira stood atop Shinra's head without moving a single finger.
Looking at the petrified trophy, he casually patted Shinra's head.
"Well done. Take it back to Ryūchi Cave—it's just taking up space here."
Shinra licked his lips, still unsatisfied. "It's been a while since I had this much fun. Akira, want me to clean up those small-fry ninjas for you while I'm at it?"
Akira waved his hand. "No need. You're too large—you might hurt our own people."
"Fine."
Shinra didn't insist. Wrapping the massive stone statue with his body, he vanished in a puff of white smoke.
As the giant serpent disappeared, Akira lightly landed on the rooftop.
Ibiki immediately stepped forward, his face smeared with blood but unable to hide his excitement.
"Akira, where have you been all this time? If you were here, the village wouldn't have suffered like this!"
For the foremost of the Five Great Ninja Villages to end up relying on a twelve-year-old child to turn the tide—it was, in its own way, deeply ironic.
Akira remained calm. "I went into training. Captain Ibiki, what are the casualties like?"
Ibiki looked over the devastated streets, his voice catching slightly.
"To hold back that three-headed monster, several Special Jōnin were killed… and the Chūnin suffered heavy losses."
"This time, the Suna and Sound forces came prepared. With Orochimaru's planning on top of that… Konoha's vitality is going to take a serious hit."
The assault had been ruthless. Konoha's high-level combat forces were scattered, and many elites were ambushed and killed before they even understood what was happening.
If Akira hadn't arrived in time to deal with that serpent, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Akira frowned slightly, his gaze shifting toward the distant barrier.
"That side… is where the Third is, right? I can sense Orochimaru's presence—but the old man's chakra… it's already like a flickering candle in the wind."
Deep down, he knew—once the Reaper Death Seal was activated, the Third Hokage's fate was sealed.
Ibiki followed his gaze, his fists clenching with a crack.
"Who would've thought… Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, would do something so cruel to his own teacher."
Akira shook his head, his tone indifferent. "Orochimaru has long been a rogue ninja-he has no regard for teacher-student bonds."
Ibiki had originally wanted Akira to go reinforce the Third, but hearing that assessment made his heart sink.
At that moment, the light in Akira's eyes dimmed slightly.
"It's over. The Third's chakra… has disappeared."
Those words struck everyone present like a heavy hammer.
A trace of anger appeared on Akira's face at the right moment—but inwardly, he remained calm as still water.
For that old man who had devoted his entire life to the village, dying on the battlefield might have been the best ending.
But what came next—
Konoha would face an unprecedented power vacuum.
The other four great ninja villages, watching like predators, would never miss such an opportunity to take advantage of the chaos.
Someone strong enough, and with enough prestige, had to step forward to stabilize the situation.
Looking at the young boy beside him, Ibiki felt an inexplicable flicker of expectation.
If Akira were just a few years older, with his current strength and achievements, he would undoubtedly be the best candidate for Hokage.
Just as the two fell into silence, a tall figure appeared on the rooftop in a flash.
"What exactly happened?!"
Jiraiya, his head full of white hair, stared at the devastated village, his face filled with shock and fury.
He had just rushed back from outside—only to find his home already reduced to this state.
Akira glanced at the legendary Sannin and spoke concisely:
"Orochimaru joined forces with Sunagakure to launch a plan to destroy Konoha. Hokage-sama… has likely already met with misfortune."
Jiraiya's expression changed drastically. Without another word, he turned to rush toward the Chūnin Exam arena, calling back over his shoulder:
"Akira, come with me!"
Akira nodded to Ibiki. "I'll leave things here to you. I'll go take a look."
In truth, his current strength had already surpassed Jiraiya's—but he had no intention of stealing the spotlight from this senior at such a moment.
Ibiki nodded solemnly. "Go. I've got this side covered—be careful."
Watching the two depart, Ibiki felt a surge of emotion.
Though Konoha's sky had collapsed at one corner, its supporting pillars still stood. There was still hope.
Soon, the two arrived at the site where the Four Flames Formation had dissipated.
What greeted them was a field of ruins—and the Third Hokage lying silently on the ground.
That aged face was frozen with its final resolve.
Akira let out a soft sigh. Though he had expected it, seeing it with his own eyes still stirred a sense of melancholy.
Jiraiya's eyes were already red. He stared at his teacher's body without a word.
Around them gathered Konoha's jōnin—Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, Anko…
Every face was filled with grief and confusion.
The Third's death was not just the loss of a leader—it meant the entire village had lost its backbone.
In this world of ninjas, where the strong prey on the weak, a village without a Kage-level powerhouse was nothing more than a piece of meat waiting to be carved up.
When Jiraiya appeared, the crowd seemed to find a lifeline. A flicker of hope reignited in their eyes.
At this moment, in terms of both prestige and strength, Jiraiya was the only one capable of holding the situation together.
Suppressing his grief, Kakashi walked over to Akira.
The moment their eyes met—those deep eyes, containing a restrained yet vast presence—Kakashi's previously dim gaze suddenly brightened.
He reached out and gave Akira's shoulder a firm pat.
A thousand words were conveyed in that single, relieved look.
That unique fluctuation—something only a perfect Sage could emit—could not escape Kakashi's perception.
This kid… he really succeeded!
On a day filled with despair, this was perhaps the only piece of good news worth holding onto.
As long as Akira was still here, as long as this rising star continued to ascend, the Will of Fire in Konoha would never be extinguished.
Kakashi couldn't help but recall that brutal Third Great Ninja War. Back then, Konoha had been pushed to the very edge of a cliff, with one foot already stepping into the gates of death.
Fortunately, the Fourth Hokage had emerged out of nowhere, turning the tide single-handedly and dragging Konoha back from the brink of defeat.
Though in the end, to bring the war to a close, Konoha had been forced to swallow its pride and concede significant interests, at least it brought that meat-grinder battlefield to a halt.
Without that flash of gold—Minato Namikaze—the outcome of the Third Great Ninja War might very well have been Konoha's complete erasure.
That alone was enough to prove what a top-tier, nuclear-deterrence-level combatant meant to a superpower ninja village.
And in Kakashi's eyes now, Akira's level of "danger" had already surpassed even that of his former teacher, the Fourth Hokage.
It was precisely because such a stabilizing pillar existed that Kakashi's anxiety about the village's future wasn't as overwhelming.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen, had fallen in battle, and along with him, a large number of elite ninja.
This time, Konoha had truly been bled dry.
Although Sunagakure hadn't managed to wipe Konoha out completely, this single blow had drained nearly half of the village's decades of accumulated strength.
Standing before the devastated ruins, Jiraiya stared at the Third's memorial portrait. A trace of grief flashed in his eyes as he cursed Orochimaru as a heartless bastard devoid of all conscience.
After the moment of silence, under a heavy and somber atmosphere, Konoha's ninja carried the Third Hokage's coffin and slowly proceeded toward the Memorial Stone for burial.
The casualty list this time was so long it made one's scalp tingle.
This wasn't just damage to bones and sinews—Konoha had nearly lost half its life.
After the funeral, a light rain began to fall.
Akira had no mood to go out, so he simply stayed cooped up at home.
Truth be told, there was nothing for him to do anyway. Aside from training to pass the time, he had no other form of entertainment.
Unlike the other ninja who were so busy their feet barely touched the ground, Akira had instead become the most idle person in the entire village.
Konoha now resembled a massive construction site. Everyone was occupied with post-disaster reconstruction, and the mission system was practically paralyzed—there was simply no work to assign to him.
And so, quite naturally, Akira found himself living a life akin to retirement.
What he didn't know was that, at this very moment, in the dusty, document-filled top-floor office of the Hokage building, Jiraiya was arguing with the advisors over his matter.
The two senior advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, were red-faced as they tried to force the mantle of Fifth Hokage onto Jiraiya.
Konoha was now caught in a storm—someone strong enough to stabilize the situation had to take the position immediately.
Unfortunately, Jiraiya refused cleanly and decisively. He had no interest whatsoever in that seat.
The two advisors frowned so deeply it looked like they could crush flies between their brows. They stared at Jiraiya, their tone firm and unquestionable, insisting that this was a collective decision of the higher-ups.
They emphasized that Jiraiya was one of the legendary Sannin. Aside from him, no one in the village could sit securely in that chair, nor could anyone else deter the restless wolves lurking around them.
But Jiraiya merely gazed out at the gloomy sky, his tone as casual as if discussing what to eat today, and replied that he simply wasn't cut out to be an official.
The advisors grew anxious, their tone sharpening further. If even you can't shoulder this burden, then Konoha is truly finished. You know better than anyone how dire the situation is.
Jiraiya let out a deep sigh, turned around, and with a trace of helplessness in his eyes said,
"Besides me… isn't there still another one among the Sannin?"
He brought up Tsunade.
In terms of governing the village and coordinating the bigger picture, that "violent woman" was leagues ahead of him—something the advisors should know full well.
The two were momentarily stunned, exchanging glances before reluctantly admitting that if it were her, both her qualifications and abilities were indeed sufficient.
The problem was—Tsunade was a wanderer. No one knew which casino she was currently hiding in, losing money.
Jiraiya grinned, flashing a row of white teeth, and took the task upon himself, saying he would personally go bring her back.
After some deliberation, Koharu and Homura finally relented—but to prevent Jiraiya from slipping away midway, they insisted on sending three ANBU to "escort" him the entire time.
They called it protection, but everyone understood—it was blatant surveillance, meant to keep this wandering free spirit from disappearing for good.
Of course, with Jiraiya's abilities, expecting three ANBU to keep an eye on him was nothing short of a fool's dream.
But it represented the higher-ups' stance—a pressing urgency that someone must take responsibility.
Jiraiya waved his hand dismissively, smiling. "No need to send those boring ANBU to watch me. I won't run this time—but I'm bringing two kids along."
The advisors asked curiously who they were. Anyone who caught Jiraiya's attention was surely no ordinary individual.
Turning around, Jiraiya raised two fingers and named Naruto and Akira.
Hearing those two names, the advisors frowned even deeper, unable to understand why he would choose these two children.
Taking Naruto made sense—they could understand that. After all, he was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki and the Fourth Hokage's orphan; staying with Jiraiya would provide some protection.
But taking Akira away—what was that supposed to mean?
They knew very well that Akira had been personally designated by the Third Hokage as a candidate for the Sixth Hokage.
These two advisors held the boy in extremely high regard. At just twelve years old, he could already match Kakashi evenly, and had even learned the Flying Raijin.
With such monstrous talent, as long as he didn't die prematurely, he would undoubtedly become a pillar on the level of the Fourth Hokage.
These two boys were the apple of Konoha's eye.
Why would Jiraiya choose to take them out of the village at such a critical moment?
Scratching his head, Jiraiya explained that taking Naruto was to keep him out of the spotlight—he feared the madmen of the Akatsuki might target him.
As for Akira, he wanted to observe up close whether the boy truly possessed the qualities to become a leader like the Fourth Hokage.
Besides, hadn't the old man intended for him to inherit the position? Letting him get acquainted with the future Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, would also serve as necessary political groundwork.
At the mention of the Akatsuki, Koharu and Homura's expressions shifted slightly.
Indeed—keeping them by Jiraiya's side was far safer than leaving them in the currently vulnerable Konoha.
After weighing the pros and cons, the two finally nodded in agreement.
With permission granted, Jiraiya was in high spirits. He picked up that damned telescope again, claiming he needed to continue "gathering material" and "enjoying the scenery."
The two advisors knew perfectly well what kind of "scenery" he was actually looking at, and couldn't help but scold him—at fifty years old, he should at least act like one of the Sannin.
Unfortunately, Jiraiya treated their words like wind past his ears, continuing to do as he pleased.
The advisors had no way of dealing with him. This guy had always been the type to accept assignments but ignore authority—if even the Third couldn't control him, they were wasting their breath.
After they left, Jiraiya finally lowered the telescope and gazed toward the distant Hokage Rock, his eyes growing deep and contemplative.
Silently, he murmured Akira's name in his heart, wondering whether the boy was truly ready to shoulder the banner of Konoha.
To become Hokage, strength alone wasn't enough.
One also needed the mind to navigate politics.
And more importantly—the resolve to endure loneliness and stand guard over the village until death.
Just like himself—though immensely powerful, his heart was too restless. He simply couldn't sit still in that position.
Someone like Tsunade, born into a political lineage, was far more suitable.
From a young age, she had been immersed in such matters—among the Sannin, her political instincts were the sharpest.
That was why Jiraiya intended to use this journey to thoroughly test Akira's heart.
In terms of combat power alone, Akira was already absurdly strong. That fleeting glimpse of his ninjutsu the other day had even left Jiraiya shaken.
But what he wanted to know was whether Akira truly possessed the will to burn himself for the sake of the village.
If not, then he planned to have Tsunade "train" him properly.
Jiraiya knew all too well—some people possessed overwhelming strength and sharp minds, yet had a laid-back, indifferent attitude. They simply didn't want to become Hokage.
He had a feeling Akira might be exactly that kind of person.
Moreover, letting Akira spend more time around Tsunade could subtly influence him over time.
And then there was Naruto—that hot-blooded fool who shouted every day about becoming Hokage. Perhaps that kind of passion could rub off on Akira as well.
Among Naruto's generation, Jiraiya and the Third surprisingly shared the same view—
Akira was the most dazzling "monster" of them all.
Just as Akira was resting at home with his eyes closed, a sharp cry of a hawk came from outside the window—a ninja hawk sent by Kakashi delivering an urgent message.
Akira, sitting cross-legged on the second-floor floor, heard the sound and walked out to the balcony. After opening the letter and reading it, his brow lifted slightly.
Though he had no idea what Kakashi was planning, Akira tidied up briefly and headed out.
Before long, he arrived at the agreed meeting place—only to find, somewhat unexpectedly, that Sasuke was there as well.
Sasuke was equally surprised to see Akira. With a hint of irritation in his tone, he asked,
"Why are you here too?"