AN: Time skip! We are now into year 62- which for reference is the year Kakashi becomes a Jonin and the Battle of Kanabi bridge happens. Unfortunately, since our main characters are still in the academy we will not explore this. Hope you all are enjoying the story so far! I have the first 40 or so pages written in this story. Just need to finish editing out the next few chapters so I can post them. I'm excited to start the second arc and get into the fun of it. Also, Merry Christmas! I wanted to get this chapter released today and plan to get the next few chapters released before the end of the year.

It was a bright sunny morning in Konoha. The dew on the grass evaporated as the sun ritualistically consumed its shadows. A young Sarutobi was lying in bed facing the wall as he shook off his morning sleepiness. Eventually, he got up and headed into the kitchen for breakfast.

Since the Yonbi was sealed in him about three years ago he has grown exponentially. He was now the tallest in his class, although this means little in a class full of eight year olds. His chest and shoulders were beginning to show signs of muscle definition. Oddly, his average temperature is roughly one degree higher than it was three years ago.. Not only that, but his skin appears just a tad darker as well- more similar to a Kumo shinobi than the signature tan skin of the Sarutobi. His dark hair grew longer and appeared even more tangled than before, just barely staying out of his eyes.

He walked sleepily to the kitchen while he rubbed his eye with the back of his hand. After he prepared and ate a bowl of oatmeal, he slipped out the back door into the early morning.

Akodi ran through his katas followed by the rest of his morning routine, which consisted of a twenty minute jog with interval sprints, calisthenics, agility training, and finished with a series of intense plyometric exercises that had him leaping and twisting to avoid imaginary projectiles. He always made sure to stretch until it hurt afterwards to improve his flexibility. He diligently meditated for a half hour afterwards while sitting outside. He found he was more at peace when outside, sitting in the grass, than on the hard floor in his room.

Akinji ended up being a truly great instructor. After thoroughly assessing Akodi's abilities through a long series of tests and demonstrations, he put together a comprehensive plan to holistically improve Akodi's physical power and spiritual presence. He based his training approach on replicating specific abilities, and broke them each down into its most basic form and built up from there. He also gave Akodi scrolls to read on chakra control and meditation practices. Akodi took to his training regimen like a fish takes to water and made significant progress under Akinji's tutelage.

After his meditation, he greeted his parents and made his way to the academy.

Oh, how he loved the academy. Well, he loved anything to do with learning how to be a great ninja like his dad and grandpa, but he truly loved his time at the academy. He walked through the academy and entered through the door of this classroom.

"Hey, Nashi! Hey, Shisui!" he beamed up at his two friends as he walked up the stairs to his seat.

"Akodi, how do you always have so much energy? It truly is a punishment to have to be up so early." Shisui groaned and rested his head back down on his desk, keeping his eyes closed.

Shisui had short, unkempt black hair and wore the traditional high collared Uchiha outfit. He had a relatively broad nose with well-defined eyelashes that turned upwards at each end. Akodi overheard other Uchiha state that he resembled his ancestor Kagami Uchiha more than once.

"Hmph. You both should hold yourselves with more dignity." Hinashi says pointedly. "Father says the impressions of your peers matter when we come from strong clans like ours. It would be unbecoming of a Hyuga to nap in class, Shisui. You better hope Fukagu doesn't hear about this." Shisui didn't even bother to comment back and only shuffled his head onto his desk more comfortably before dozing back off.

Akodi met Nashi during the opening ceremony of the academy. As a Hyuga, he stood alone with his back straight in that perfect Hyuga posture others would look upon as "uptight". He looked at others with disdain and initially spoke to others condescendingly. Akodi, however, understood the boy's clan had strict discipline and knew pressure he must have at home to keep up this appearance. After introducing himself, Akodi saw the sad eyes from the pressure of being the clan heir, and resolved to become close friends with the Hyuga prince.

Hinashi is the clan head's first born child and was hailed as a prodigy from a young age. His father, Hizashi, is the older twin by two minutes to his brother, Hiashi. Hizashi has a gentler personality than his younger brother and greets his clanmates with a crinkle of a smile that just tugs on the edges of his lips. It's not much emotion, but it's more than most Hyuga.

Hinashi wore the Hyuga clan's traditional long sleeved, white kimono, which was held closed by a dark-colored sash along with a brown, long-sleeved haori typical of the main house. His long, black hair fell to his upper shoulders and had two braids down either side of his face. He had pale skin and his eyes were pupil-less with a slightly lavender tint.

He was also, as they say, a real prodigy. During spars, he never lost and apparently had no blindspots in his flawless Gentle Touch taijutsu style. Even when he didn't use his byakugan, neither Akodi nor Shisui could get a hit on him. He was firmly the number one ranked student in the class.

Who was second? It was a toss up between Sarutobi Akodi and Uchiha Shisui. While Akodi put his whole heart into every training session, Shisui skated by, putting forward the least amount of effort needed to get the job done.

Shisui lacked ambition but had all the natural talent to be a strong ninja. He also had a profound ability to draw others to him. Even with his impressive skills (and really he could be a genin by now) Shisui had a humble personality and seemed to be the most open-minded Uchiha in the village. He was also a close childhood friend of Akodi's since way before the academy. Once their mothers found out they were born on the same day they were destined to be close friends forever.

Akodi stretched back in his chair and grinned at his friends' shenanigans just as their instructor, Mr. Immimoto, walked through the door.

Mr. Immimoto strode over to his desk, pushed his circular rimmed glasses higher up his nose, and began his lecture.

"This morning we will pick up where we left off with our lesson on chakra natures."

"Okay, maybe this is dreadfully boring" Hinashi though as he let a small sigh escape and shut his eyes.

…

"I have a test planned for this afternoon's sparring." Mr. Immimoto announced once all students were assembled. "We will be working on teamwork. Two of you will be paired together and you will have to fight against opponents of a much higher level than you. If you are on a mission and find yourselves outnumbered you must rely on the power of your combination attacks and watch your teammates back. Either to give yourselves time for backup to arrive or to wait until the enemy makes a wrong move. Then you can capitalize with your combinations. Everybody understand?"

A bunch of overconfident eyes looked back at him and the instructor sighed. "Okay then, your opponents will be these three." In a puff of smoke, a genin squad of three members appeared with an overly dramatic entrance. "These three will be your opponents for this exercise. Students, go at them with everything you've got. Taijutsu. Ninjutusu. Genjutsu. Use it all. The genin squad has been given orders not to seriously injure any of you, but expect them to come at you seriously. Now, Tonali Fusaku and Uchiha Shisui, you two are up first.."

After the first few rounds, it was apparent that first year academy students weren't anywhere near the level of the genin squad. As expected, the genin weren't holding back much, but were careful not to injure them enough to send anyone to the hospital. The only one who stood to have half a chance was Shisui, who was able to catch the first two genin, who appeared to be from civilian families, in a quick genjutsu. His teammate was taken out by the third genin, a quick Uchiha who hadn't unlocked his sharingan but showed he was more than adept at taijutsu, who had quickly appeared behind his distant cousin with a kunai pointed to his neck forcing him to yield.

Four more groups were dispatched quickly without as much of a scratch on any of the genin.

"Next up, Sarutobi Akodi and Hyuga Hinashi."

"Hey, Nashi. He did say to come at them with everything we've got, right?" Akodi asked with a devilish smirk on his face. He knelt down and pulled up the bottom of his pant leg, revealing small ankle cuffs with the kanji for "weight" written on it. He then undid his shirt, ignoring the girls squealing behind him, and took off a dark green vest with the same kanji on it before putting his shirt back on.

"My dad started having me wear these two years ago during the day and while training to improve my speed and strength. I haven't had a chance to go all out on an opponent yet so let's have some fun!" He punched his fist in the air towards his partner with his face full of anticipation.

Hinashi looked at his first and only friend with interest. He didn't know he was training so hard, and with weights even. "I wonder what his motivation is?" He was suddenly much more interested in his training program. He looked into Akodi's eyes and saw excitement and determination and… Was that confidence? Hiashi smirked and bumped Akodi's stretched out fist as they walked towards their opponents.

"Think you can hold off that Uchiha for a bit? I'll take care of the other two as quickly as I can before helping you with him. Then we can take him out together!" Akodi said with a nod towards the Uchiha.

"You think you can take out 2 genin on your own?" Disbelief written all over his face. "I can hold off the Uchiha no problem. He won't lay a hand on me, I promise you that." His own arrogance started to show.

"Good, then let's do this!"

…

Hinashi couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it if he didn't see every tiny detail the byakugan enabled him to see. One minute, Akodi stood next to him. Then the instructor began the fight. The next moment Akodi was between the two non-clan genin. He kicked behind one's kneecap and put him onto his knee while he let a kunai release with a flick of his wrist towards the other's thigh, finding its target.

"What speed!" Hinashi thought before having to sidestep the Uchiha's roundhouse kick.

His Byakugan flared without the need for hand signs, a testament to his mastery over it, as Hinashi stood his ground and parried each of the hits his opponent tried to land. Hundreds of hours of practicing the Gentle Fist with his father prepared him for the speed the Uchiha's blows were coming at him. With one of the kicks, instead of ducking like the Uchiha expected, he turned into the blow with his arm outstretched.

His left palm blocked the kick while two fingers from his right hand made contact with his calf and the Uchiha immediately felt his chakra point close. The Uchiha took a wobbly step on it but winced under the pressure.

Hinashi kept his attention on Akodi's fight as well, ready to jump over in case he got himself in trouble.. Akodi was ducking and dodging punches from his opponent with immense speed and was able to counter a punch by throwing his opponent over his shoulder. He followed up by a downward kick that connected with the diaphragm. The genin writhed on the ground and Akodi heard him gasp and wheeze hard trying to get air.

"That one won't be getting up any time soon." Akodi thought with a smirk. He was now currently fighting the first ninja he had hit with the kunai, who had been slowed down effectively, grimacing in pain from the initial injury.

After dodging a kunai aimed for his chest, Akodi made a series of hand signs before slamming his fists on the ground.

"Earth Style: Slowing Sludge!" Akodi yelled as black sludge appeared underneath the rest of the genin team while Hinashi jumped into the air and released his own jutsu.

"Wind Style: Vacuum wave!" A focused wave of air pushed from Hinashi's palm as he descended on the Uchiha, whose feet were still stuck in the sludge, immobilizing him. Razor sharp cuts appeared on his skin and sliced open the sleeve of his shirt as blood dripped from the largest cut on his shoulder.

Akodi quickly made more hand signs before slamming his hands back onto the ground. "Earth Style: Mounting Plateau!" A pillar of earth rose in front of the Uchiha where Hinashi was planning to land so he wasn't encased in the sludge. He gave a quick nod of appreciation towards Akodi before he released his next technique.

"Eight Trigrams: 32 Palm! Two fingers emanated in blue chakra pushed into the Uchiha's chakra points. "2 palm. 4 palm. 8 palm. 16 palm. 32 palm!" Movements almost too fast for the eye to see found the Hyuga painfully close down the tenketsu of his opponent. The Uchiha fell hard onto his back, feet still stuck into the sludge and was unable to move.

Akodi pointed his kunai towards the last remaining genin with his eyebrow raised.

"I.. Yield.." he says with a dejected sign and Akodi recedes the sludge back into the earth.

Complete silence broke over the crowd of academy kids who were completely in shock two eight-year old academy students just took out a newly promoted genin squad.

…

Mr. Imimoto looked at the two eight-year old children in front of him, still taken aback from their fight earlier this afternoon. After their spar he dismissed the rest of the class for the day but kept the two back to speak with them privately.

He recalled how well they worked together against three newly graduated genin. That was an exercise to promote teamwork and coordination skills against opponents much stronger than them. Those two boys flawlessly recognized what each other was doing and adapted on the fly in the heat of battle. At no point during the fight did it appear the genin were in control of the battle like in the other spars. The Hyuga used the byakugan effectively not only to keep track of his opponent but his teammate as well. It was impressive he could split his attention to this degree in the heat of battle, even if he was Hyuga royalty. The Uchiha was distracted trying to hit Hinashi and got stuck in the trap.

"And what a clever trap it was." He mused. "Akodi can use two different elemental ninjutsu and Hinashi can already use Wind Release! An assessment is in order." Mr. Imimoto smiled and pushed the rim of his glasses further up his nose.

"I want to start by saying I'm very impressed by your teamwork." He looked upon the boys proudly.

Akodi beamed his signature giant smile and loudly exclaimed, "Thanks! My dad has been working with me more at home ever since his injury. But he gives his physical therapy 100% every day and is always cheering me on, so I have to give it my best too! I'm going to work the hardest and become the strongest ninja in the village!"

Mr. Imimoto's eyes widened and a bigger smile showed on his face. "That's a fine dream young man and I'm sure you will. Now make sure you make time to rest in between all your training. The body needs time to heal and work out its soreness from the day before."

Akodi hums in agreement. "I don't really get sore anymore, now that I think about it." He mused. "I train for hours at home and I get tired, but the next day I don't feel sore at all! Must be all the rest I get!"

Mr. Imimoto laughed but then a thought hit him. "You mean you don't get sore at all?"

Hinashi looked over as well. He trained daily with his clan for hours as well but still woke up sore the next morning. It isn't until he does his morning warm up routine and stretches out the muscles the next day that the soreness dissipates.

Akodi put his hands behind his head and thought about it before replying. "Hmm.. No, not really. I mean yeah I do get tired. But once I wake up I feel 100% again!"

Mr. Immimoto thought about that. "That's interesting. Usually, after a rigorous workout it's normal to feel soreness up to forty-eight to seventy-two hours afterwards. They call it DOMS, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. But with eating the right foods and drinking lots of milk a person can reduce the amount of soreness. However, I don't know of any cases in which a person has no soreness at all.. Did you change your diet or did anything noteworthy happen?" He asks, curiosity getting the best of him.

Akodi laughed the question off, "No nothing ne–" but stopped abruptly as he suddenly made the connection. It was about two and a half years ago that the Yonbi was sealed inside him. Since then he had been eating much more food and has been feeling stronger. His chakra has felt more dense. When he felt like he was at his limit, a whole well of chakra came rushing through him and he felt invincible! "This could be why I'm not feeling sore anymore.. Maybe, the Yonbi is changing my body! I'll need to speak with Dad today."

Hinashi, who was still watching him, started to feel like something was off with his friend. Before Mr. Imimoto can ask about it, he speaks up to save his friend.

"My father has also been working with me on my Gentle Fist. We train daily in our art, as it is our duty of the Hyuga to keep the byakugan safe." He stoically states.

Akodi breathed a sigh of relief at the change in topic and bumped his shoulder against his friends. "Thanks, Nashi". He breathed out just loud enough so only he could hear.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that I will be conducting an assessment on Friday after class. I will let your parents know this evening as well as invite them to observe the practical portion." He nodded his head, and with an eye smile he sent them on their way.

…

Once they exited the room and were alone in the courtyard, Hinashi turned to Akodi. "You want to tell me what that was about? You were thinking of something. I could see it in your face, something spooked you."

Akodi let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah of course. I. Uh.. Have to speak with my dad about something." He replied, unable to meet his friend's gaze. He turned to walk away.

Suddenly, Akodi screamed out in pain and grasped onto his stomach. His eyes squeezed shut in obvious pain. He tried to scream out again but no sound came out. He falls over onto his side, writhing in pain.

"Akodi!" Hinashi screamed out. He rushed over and kneeled down, hands hovering but not touching. "Akodi! AKODI! Someone help!" He yelled out hoping somebody will come.

Two figures wearing black gear and white, porcelain masks appear in a shunshin. Wordlessly one reached out and took the writhing child into his arms. In no time, they jump towards the hospital. Hinashi raced after them as fast as he could.

When he arrived he asked what the receptionist what room Sarutobi Akodi was in. After briefly looking into the records, she frowned at him and told him "Nobody under that name here" and shoo'd him off, muttering something about uppity entitled Hyuga playing tricks.

Hinashi turned around and headed towards the bathroom. Once inside, he closed the door and locked the door for privacy.. He then activated his Byakugan. The Byakugan enabled him to see through the walls of the hospital, allowing him to look for Akodi.

"There!" On the third floor in a secured wing, He spotted Akodi being transferred onto a bed. Tsunade-sama was in the room with him and she was barking orders at her assistant.

"I wonder why they're trying to keep it a secret that he's in the hospital?" He thinks."Maybe it's because he's the Hokage's grandson?: He surmised, but the thought is forgotten as panic sets in at what he sees next. Tsunade-sama looked worried and her healing jutsu doesn't seem to be helping. Hinashi stood alone and watched his best friend, no, his only friend, lose his life force. A gasping breath left his mouth as tears fell from his face.

…

Akodi awoke to sunshine. The warmth was pleasant on his face as the distant sound of leaves swaying in the wind played in his ears. He opened his eyes, squinting up to a blue sky with a bright sun. He turned his head and could tell he was lying on grass. "How did I get here?"

Sitting up, he realized he feels no more of the pain from before.

He looked around. He could tell he was in a jungle with towering redwood trees and dark green vines that hung from the branches above. He's sitting in a clearing near the treeline. The breeze behind him blew the leaves from the smaller and thinner trees in the undergrowth.

"Where.. Where am I?" He hesitantly spoke out loud.

A grumbling tremor shook the earth and he looked behind him to see an enormous wooden cage that rested on the grass, with vertical beams running along its length. His eyes widen with fear at the sheer size of the beast inside. Glaring down at him was a red-furred, green-skinned monkey with the build of a gorilla. Its eyes held yellow irises with white pupils and behind his massive body were four tails whipping angrily. His face held elongated fangs and two dark tipped, long horns that curved upwards on its forehead like a crown.

It let out a loud shriek and beat its chest in an act of dominance before hunkering onto all fours to get a closer look at Akodi. His eye itself is at least twice as big as Akodi's body.

Akodi, frozen in fright, only stared back. Confusion written on his face, he muttered a quiet "Who.. Wwho are yyou?"

A loud shriek escaped the gigantic beast as he jumped up and down in his cage then beat his chest.

"Who am I!? Who am I!? I am the King of the Sage Monkeys. The Handsome Monkey King. The Great Sage Equalling Heaven! You dare insult me with your presence!? I demand to know who YOU are, appearing before me now." He bellowed in a high pitched voice out and growled at Akodi. He glared at him, daring him to run away and cower in his might. "Humans are all the same. Fearing what they cannot control." He thought confidently and waited for Akodi to run away.

To his surprise, the boy slowly stood up. Trepeditation in his body but firm in his spirit. He looked the giant beast in the eye and said, "I am Sarutobi Akodi." He then bowed deeply. "It is my honor to meet you, King of the Sage Monkeys." He kept his bow low before a boisterous laugh and grumbling of the earth made him lose his balance, causing him to fall on his butt.

"HAHA, Ahhh you puny creature. You bow to me yet it was your kind who enslaved me! You dare look at me and stand in my presence. It was you humans who stole me and put me in this cage, to watch the world pass through another's eyes. I am the mighty Son Goku!"

Akodi again stood up slowly from where he fell to look the beast in the eye again.

"I do apologize if I upset you, Monkey-san. You said your name was Son Goku, but you also said your name was the Great Sage Equalling Heaven and also the Handsome Monkey King.. So I do not know exactly which one to call you?" He said with as much courage as he could muster. He noticed his hand shook and quickly put it in his pocket so the Monkey did not see it.

Son Goku stood tall and looked down at this human. "This one seems different", he thought. This human was looking up at him, clearly shackled with fear but did not lash out with hatred or anger. Instead, this kid bowed to him with respect. Son Goku couldn't remember a time when a human gave him respect. Not since…

But that was a long time ago.

The world has changed. He's seen it change first hand. Human's have a deep hatred within them. They can never be at peace. They will continue to fight and thus create more fighting, creating more hatred. Continuing to fuel the fire of the cycle with humans and their hatred. It's made Son hate them.

And yet.. He's intrigued..

He can't kill this boy while in this cage. This is his new jailor, however puny and weak he is. But this young boy does have fire in him. There's something in his eyes that's different from the rest.

"I have many names and can be called either of them. It's been a long time since anybody has asked me my name, and even longer since one addressed me by it. Very well.. My first name was Son, the beautiful and proud Monkey King!" He shrieked loudly and beat his chest with his ginormous fists.

Akodi relaxed a bit at that. Inhaling a big breath to yell so the Monkey can hear him! "Okay Son, beautiful and proud Monkey King! It is my honor to meet you!" he bellowed.

Son laughed at this. "I could get used to this little squirt." Once Son became conscious in this vessel he had slowly begun leaking his chakra through the bars and into the mindscape. As the boy trained he would be using up his chakra. Over time, this would weaken the barrier in his mindscape and allow for his chakra to pass into Akodi's chakra coils. Eventually, this would weaken the seal and Son would break out.

The increase in dense chakra would normally have the effect of enlarging the chakra coils from the repetitive strain. Similar to how bones remodel and grow due to the stresses put upon them, chakra coils act similarly. However, because of the repeated exposure to the parasitic chakra, it was too powerful and began to slowly poison Akodi's system instead.

Son thought to himself about what he would do next. After making a decision, he stood up tall and announced his decision to the young boy in front of him.

"Your body has been poisoned from my chakra. I will do what I can to heal the damage. Because of my chakra, your body has enhanced healing abilities and strength. However, do not misuse my power or it will come at great cost to you. Humans have done nothing but cause war and hatred. Don't ever forget it was humans that trapped me here!"

Son released a tiny (by his standards) bit of chakra through his wooden cage in his anger. A hard gust of wind blew into Akodi but he held his ground, having to bend at the knees and staggering his stance to keep sturdy.

Once it was over, the boy looked up and saw the hurt and anger in the Monkey King's eyes at the memory of being taken by humans and enslaved into his cage. Son was a proud being with a large ego, Akodi could see that, but he still had feelings and Akodi could tell he had been hurt and betrayed by someone long ago.

Akodi took a step forward and bowed at the waist, dipping his head. "I know it might mean nothing coming from me, but I am sorry that you are trapped here. I hope you know, I don't think of this as a burden. In fact, I volunteered for this."

"You.. You volunteered to be a jinchuriki? You certainly are a fool." He snorted back, turning away from the kid. He can't imagine what kind of fool would want this. His last jailor was abused, tormented, and neglected in his last village. He saw first hand what other humans do to jinchuriki.

Akodi jumped up, "I wanted to save my village! Somebody had to do it, and I'm honored to have met you, Son Goku-sama. I was unsure of what being a jinchuriki would mean, to be honest. But I got to meet you! And now we're going to be a great team! Just wait and see!" He shot Son his signature 1000-watt smile with a thumbs up as he beamed up at him.

"Team? Bahahaha, a team! You certainly are an interesting one." Son leaned down and brought his enormous face down to the bottom of his cage, looking steadily down at this fool of a child.

"I will heal your body. Now go, I grow tired of your puny mind."

And with that, Akodi was kicked out of his mindscape.

AN: Yes, I changed the Hyuuga dynamics around. I dislike Hiashi's character. I feel like it limits the Hyuga's potential and wanted to explore Hizashi's character more, so I made him the older brother and thus, clan head.