In the middle of the night, inside the residence of the Third Hokage...
"That's everything that happened, Lord Third," Itachi said, kneeling before Hiruzen Sarutobi. His voice was calm but heavy with meaning.
Hiruzen nodded slowly. "Very well, Itachi. Go and visit your brother."
Itachi bowed slightly before disappearing into the shadows.
The moment he left, the calm mask Hiruzen wore cracked.
His expression darkened, heavy with concern.
Everything Itachi had reported about Akuma raised troubling questions. Hiruzen had always known the boy was unusually mature for his age, but now... there was doubt. Was someone controlling Akuma's mind? Possessing him?
He shook his head.
No. Impossible.
He had examined the boy himself—thoroughly. He knew Akuma's background. More importantly, Akuma had no chakra. No ordinary technique, seal, or possession could affect him without chakra.
Then how? Hiruzen's mind raced.
How did Akuma know so many secret things? Information that only a few—including himself—were privy to?
A chilling thought entered his mind.
Can he read minds?
The idea unsettled him. But it made sense. No one—no one—would have told Akuma the things Itachi claimed the boy knew. Not Danzō. Certainly not the elders. And Akuma's abilities were growing—elemental manipulation, teleportation, energy projection, accelerated healing—all without chakra. It was too much.
He's growing too fast. Too powerful. Too dangerous...
Even if he was just a child.
Hiruzen closed his eyes and let out a weary breath.
I don't want to do this... but the safety of the village must come first.
His decision made, he reached for the special summoning scroll beside him. Moments later, a shadow crept into the room.
Danzō.
"Why did you call for me, Hiruzen?" Danzō asked, his voice calm—almost indifferent.
"Don't act like you don't know what this is about," Hiruzen replied sternly. "I want Akuma under constant surveillance—twenty-four hours a day. And if the opportunity arises... knock him out and bring him to the Intelligence Division. But be cautious. The boy is powerful—don't make the same mistake twice."
Danzō's visible eye narrowed. "The other two elders may not agree with your methods, Hokage-sama."
"Then tell me, Danzō..." Hiruzen said, clenching his fist, "...what is it you want?"
Danzō stepped forward slightly, the shadows clinging to his cloak. "You already know what I want."
Hiruzen's eyes hardened. "I will not allow you to experiment on the boy—not without irrefutable proof that he poses a threat to Konoha."
"Then at least allow me to collect his DNA. When the time is right."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. "You already have his DNA, don't you?"
Danzō shook his head. "Not the kind I need."
The room fell into silence for a long moment.
"Fine," Hiruzen said at last. "You may collect it. But only when the time comes—and no sooner."
Danzō turned, pausing at the doorway.
"Don't look at me like that, Hiruzen. Everything I do is for the prosperity and protection of Konoha. And don't mistake your ideals for protection. They're a weakness when the village's future is at stake."
And with that, the shadow slipped out of the Third Hokage's house, leaving Hiruzen alone with his thoughts—and his growing fear about the boy named Akuma.
==
Akuma woke up and began his morning routine. After finishing his chores, he headed to his usual training spot—today, he had no school, so as always, he used the free time to train.
After walking for a while, he finally reached his destination. To his surprise, he saw Guy-sensei there. With a smile on his face, Akuma ran toward him.
"Sensei! Are you here to teach me a new technique?" he asked eagerly.
Guy-sensei chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, kid. I've already taught you everything I know. I have nothing left to teach you."
"Oh..." Akuma replied, his expression falling in disappointment.
But suddenly, Guy-sensei slapped him on the back with a grin.
"Don't worry! I've got something even better for you. Look here," he said, pulling a folded paper from his pocket and showing it to Akuma.
"Your dream of becoming a stronger ninja is finally coming true! Seeing your strength and maturity, Hokage-sama has given you permission to participate in the Chunin Exams!"
With a bright smile, Might Guy lifted Akuma into the air and shouted with excitement, "Isn't this great news? All of your hard work has finally borne fruit!"
He started spinning Akuma around in celebration. After a while, he finally set him down. Akuma stumbled a bit before steadying himself.
"Well... that is great news," Akuma said, "but I don't want to participate in the Chunin Exams."
Might Guy looked shocked. "Why not, Akuma? Is something wrong?"
"Well, Guy-sensei," Akuma replied, "I'm not mentally or physically prepared yet. And it's so sudden—the exam starts tomorrow. I'd rather wait for the next one in six months. That way, I'll have enough time to prepare and also spend more time with you and Brother Lee. If I become a Chunin, I don't think I'll have much time to see you guys."
Guy listened quietly. Then a warm smile spread across his face.
"Sorry, Akuma. I got so excited, I forgot to ask how you felt about it. I'll inform Hokage-sama of your decision. You know... Tenten was right. You are a very thoughtful kid."
After a pause, he added, "Come to the ramen shop after your training. We're having a little party for my students who are about to take the Chunin Exam."
Akuma beamed and nodded. "Okay, Guy-sensei! I'll be there! Also… can I watch Brother Lee's fight in the Chunin Exams?"
Might Guy shook his head. "No, Akuma. Only staff members and participants are allowed to attend the Chunin Exams."
Akuma looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I just want to cheer for Brother Lee when he fights. If I'm not there, he might feel bad. Please, Sensei. Just his fight—it doesn't matter if I watch, does it? The exam changes every year anyway, so it won't give me an unfair advantage in the future."
Might Guy looked at Akuma with helplessness in his eyes. "You can watch your brother's fight in the final round, when it's held in front of the public—if he passes the earlier stages. You don't need special permission for that."
"I know that, Guy-sensei," Akuma replied softly, "but I want to see the earlier matches—the ones that aren't shown to the public. I know how difficult it is to even reach the finals. If he doesn't make it that far… at least I'll be there for him, to support him, to comfort him. That's why I want to watch. The chance of seeing him fight in the big stadium is really low..."
Hearing those heartfelt words, Might Guy suddenly had teary eyes, overwhelmed by the depth of Akuma's bond with Lee.
Through his tears, he finally said in his usual enthusiastic voice, "I'll talk to Hokage-sama about this! Just wait—I'll bring you the news!"
Then, Might Guy gently tapped Akuma's shoulder, his eyes full of pride. "Be on time for the party, kid."
And with that, he turned and left.
Akuma's cheerful expression slowly faded. As the wind brushed against his face, he stood silently, deep in thought.