Naruto: Starting with Snatching the Mangekyō Sharingan

"Uchiha Akira!" Ay roared, the sound of chains rattling as he lunged at Uchiha Akira with unrestrained fury.

Clang!

The iron chains tightened, pulling taut with a metallic hum. A stopped dead in his tracks, barely a meter away from Akira, unable to advance another step.

"It seems the Raikage is living rather comfortably here in Konohagakure," Akira remarked with a smirk.

Ay's crimson eyes burned with rage as he glared at Akira. His booming voice reverberated through the air: "If you've got guts, untie me! I'll turn you into minced meat with one punch!"

"Raikage, have you forgotten how you ended up in Konoha in the first place?" Akira said coolly.

"Your Lightning Release Armor and Chakra Mode are nothing to me."

Ignoring Ay's furious roars, Akira spoke calmly, "You might as well stay put for now. I'm sure Kumogakure will come up with the ransom soon enough."

Without sparing Ay another glance, Akira turned and walked away, leaving the enraged Raikage shouting and thrashing against his restraints.

These prisoners from Kumogakure and Iwagakure still held value for Konoha. Training shinobi took time and resources, and both villages would inevitably pay the price to reclaim their captured comrades. Once those ransom payments came through, Konoha's initial funding for the upcoming reforms would be secured.

...

Back in the Hokage's office 

Akira summoned Nara Shikaku.

"Shikaku," Akira began as Shikaku entered, "I have a task for you to handle promptly."

Shikaku's sharp mind quickly deduced Akira's intentions, and he responded, "Of course, Hokage-sama. Please give your instructions."

"The prisoners from Kumogakure and Iwagakure have been held long enough. Send an official notice to their villages in the Hokage's name, demanding they pay for their release. As for the ransom amounts for different ranks of shinobi, I'll leave the specifics to you."

Shikaku nodded knowingly. "Understood, Hokage-sama. I'll see to it immediately."

"Good," Akira said. "And what about the progress on the reform plans?"

Shikaku hesitated briefly before answering, "Hokage-sama, since this reform touches upon many aspects, we currently have only a general framework. The finer details will take more time to finalize."

"That's faster than I expected," Akira acknowledged.

Shikaku shook his head. "It's primarily thanks to the direction you provided. We're simply building on the foundation you've laid out."

Akira dismissed the compliment with a small wave. "It's just a general outline. The real credit goes to you all."

After a bit of casual conversation, Akira checked the time and decided to visit the advisors' office. He still had concerns about the plans Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others were drafting for the ninja academy.

"Fifth Hokage? What brings you here?" Sarutobi Hiruzen and his two companions looked surprised to see him.

"I had some free time and thought I'd stop by," Akira replied casually.

The trio exchanged amused glances. It was clear to them that Akira's tenure as Hokage was far more relaxed than theirs had ever been. Sarutobi, in particular, recalled his own time in the position, when he was constantly swamped with work.

Unlike his predecessors, Akira delegated much of the day-to-day responsibilities to capable subordinates like Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi, keeping only the most critical decisions for himself.

"How's the academy reform coming along?" Akira asked, getting straight to the point.

"You're just in time," Hiruzen said, handing Akira a thick folder. "This is the plan we've been working on. Take a look and let us know if any changes are needed."

Akira sat down and began reviewing the document. Occasionally, he nodded in approval or frowned as he came across something that didn't sit right.

About half an hour later, he had gone through the entire proposal.

The plan was thorough and mostly solid, though it leaned heavily on caution. To ensure well-rounded graduates, a wide variety of jutsu had been included in the curriculum. Students would face a comprehensive examination in their sixth year, after which they would be divided into combat-focused and non-combat-focused tracks. This system would help identify and nurture future professional shinobi for Konoha's forces.

Following Akira's overarching reform strategy, the academy's graduation timeline had been extended. Instead of graduating after six years, students would now remain in the academy until they were 15 years old, completing a total of nine years of education.

The cautious approach taken by Hiruzen and the others wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Reforms could always be fine-tuned later as issues arose.

Using a pen, Akira made a few adjustments, adding or removing elements from the curriculum. After some time, he handed the revised document back to Hiruzen.

"This should do for now. Let's move forward with these plans. The academy reforms will be in your capable hands."

Hiruzen and his colleagues examined Akira's changes closely, muttering amongst themselves as they reviewed the updates.

Finally, Hiruzen spoke up, "We'll take care of this, Fifth Hokage. Focus on your other responsibilities, we'll ensure the academy reforms proceed smoothly."

"Good," Akira said with a nod. "Begin implementation as soon as possible—this year, if you can."

...

The next morning, Shikaku arrived in Akira's office with a proposed ransom plan for the Kumogakure and Iwagakure prisoners.

"Hokage-sama, here's the draft. Please review it." Shikaku placed the folder respectfully on Akira's desk.

"Let me see." Akira opened the folder and began reading through it carefully.

After some time, he looked up and said, "This will work. The prices are reasonable—high enough to hurt them but not so high they can't afford it. Proceed with this plan."

Shikaku bowed. "Understood, Hokage-sama."

The ransom plan was set to not only secure the return of the prisoners but also temporarily weaken Kumogakure and Iwagakure's economies, giving Konoha a strategic advantage as it moved forward with its reforms.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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