Akio's plan had worked, at least halfway.
Konan hadn't rejected the idea outright. Instead, she'd flushed bright red and bolted out the door… making sure to shoot Nagato a fierce glare on her way past as he stood there grinning like an idiot.
"That's enough. Stop smiling like that," Akio snapped, clearly exasperated. "It's been a full year. How do you two still have zero progress? Do I really have to step in myself?"
Nagato scratched the back of his head. "But Sensei… Konan won't let me rap."
Akio sighed deeply. "Then don't! Is rapping really more important than Konan? If it is, you might as well marry Killer B instead."
Nagato imagined gentle Konan, then immediately pictured the far less gentle Killer B. He shuddered.
Thankfully, his taste hadn't completely collapsed.
That topic ended there. Akio smoothly shifted the conversation to Konoha.
Nagato understood what Akio wanted to know and answered without prompting. "The Senju and the Uchiha are still arguing over Sasuke's status. It hasn't gone beyond words, no fighting but there's no resolution either."
Akio nodded. "I figured. The Senju are waiting for the balance to shift, either for Kagami's generation to fade or for Itachi to fully mature."
Nagato hesitated before speaking again. "Sensei… I think you might be overlooking how Sasuke himself feels about all this."
Akio paused. "His feelings?"
Nagato nodded. "Think about it. If someone suddenly told you to change your family name"
"Who'd dare?" Akio shot back reflexively. "I'd knock their teeth in."
Then he froze. "You're saying Sasuke might grow to resent the Uchiha?"
Nagato shook his head. "I'm more worried he'll resent you, the one who arranged this in the first place."
Akio laughed. "That's fine. Setting a high bar is good for growth. If my foolish junior wants to hate me, curse me, and struggle forward, then one day, when he gains power worthy of standing before me, he can come find me."
Nagato stared. "…What?"
Akio rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You think if I said something like that to Sasuke directly, he'd grow even faster?"
Nagato had absolutely nothing to say.
Akio chuckled. He was joking, of course. Sasuke wasn't that kind of hot-headed rival, and Akio wasn't bored enough to traumatize a kid on purpose.
"I'll keep his feelings in mind," Akio said at last. "Next time I'm in Konoha, I'll pay closer attention."
After parting with Nagato, Akio headed straight for Ichiraku Ramen in the Land of Whirlpools.
Kimimaro and Haku were already finished eating, animatedly recounting their recent adventures to Sara.
"Dad, you're here!" Sara said with a warm smile.
"S...Sensei," Kimimaro and Haku said, standing up respectfully.
Akio waved them down. "Relax. Keep talking. I'll make myself something to eat."
Sara blinked. "You're cooking?"
"Don't worry," Akio said casually. "I can at least make something edible."
Everything was prepped already. In no time, he made himself a bowl of miso chashu ramen and carried it out.
Sara inhaled softly. "It smells great, Dad."
"As it should," Akio said with a grin. Last New Year he'd embarrassed himself cooking dumplings, this was redemption.
"You've had a very full year," Sara said quietly.
Akio paused mid-bite and set his chopsticks down. "Ever thought about traveling? You don't have to spend your whole life behind this counter."
"Maybe someday," she replied.
"You only live once."
She laughed softly. "Dad, I'm not even thirty yet."
"Already that old?" Akio said, startled. "You don't look it. Still looks like you're in your early twenties."
She shook her head, amused. "Just eat."
Akio chuckled and dug in. This was the first time he'd made noodles himself since his cooking skill skyrocketed. Half a year ago, Ichiraku's ramen had left a deep impression.
"…Not bad," he muttered, slurping noisily. "Better than Sara's, even. Still… not quite Ichiraku-level. What, is Teuchi secretly a legendary master chef? Must be the atmosphere."
Life in the Land of Whirlpools was always peaceful.
Akio spent his days training the kids, chatting with his daughter, eating, sleeping, nothing more.
Only one minor incident broke the routine: the spread of Akio's signature combat exercises.
After months of practice, both Haku and Kimimaro had fully mastered his unique taijutsu system, with impressive results.
So Akio introduced it experimentally to first-year academy students.
For… obvious reasons, Haku wasn't suited to teaching a classroom full of kids, so Kimimaro led the drills instead. From then on, the academy gained a brand-new "exercise routine."
Unexpectedly, Karin gained a whole crowd of rivals. Every little girl now had stars in her eyes for "that cool older brother."
Akio found this deeply amusing.
Kushina's family returned shortly before the New Year. Naruto had grown stronger but around Akio, he was still a menace. A physical menace. Akio flicked him several times to keep him in line.
Not with birds this time.
Toneri also came along. He'd spent the last half-year staying with the Senju clan. Fortunately, he was independent, and Mikoto treated him kindly.
Akio asked how things were going with Hinata. Toneri turned red, then declared confidently that he would succeed.
Akio wasn't sure where that confidence came from.
Naruto and Toneri, meanwhile, did not get along. In Konoha, Sasuke crushed Naruto relentlessly. Back home, Toneri took over that role.
Akio looked at Toneri, then Sasuke, then himself and concluded Naruto probably just disliked people who were better-looking and stronger than him.
"This won't do," Akio muttered. "Getting beaten nonstop will wreck his confidence. I'll need to give him a small edge, enough hope to keep pushing, but not enough to actually surpass Sasuke…"
He paused.
"Speaking of power-ups…"
"Kyuubi, what are you trembling for in my stomach?" Kushina's voice cut in.
"Someone must be thinking about it," Akio replied lightly.
Kushina looked confused but went back to decorating Ichiraku Ramen.
This year's New Year celebration was small. No need for Nagato or Minato to preside, Akio decided they'd simply have a family meal at the ramen shop.
Kushina, Konan, and Sara spent half the day decorating under Akio's direction.
Snow drifted gently past the windows. Akio stood at the entrance, hands clasped behind his back.
"Another year gone," he mused with a smile. "One hundred twenty-three years old already."
He chuckled.
"Still not enough. I'll aim for twelve thousand three hundred forty-five… maybe still strong enough to wrestle a mountain by then."
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