Blue Star. 8:00 PM.
On the "iCool" New Anime Recommendations list, Naruto: The Prequel was garnering a conspicuous amount of attention.
Almost immediately after the broadcast began...
"First!"
"Naruto: The Prequel? Kishimoto is barely at the Chunin Exams in the manga. Is this some dog-shit original anime filler?"
"Obviously."
"I know it's probably going to be a steaming pile, but I can't help myself. I have to take a bite."
Despite the flaming in the comments, the barrage of bullet comments—the danmu—continued to multiply. Naruto was incredibly hot in this world, especially with the recent manga arc entering the high-stakes Chunin Exams, which had sent its popularity soaring.
So, even though this was labeled a "Prequel"—and in all likelihood, a "bait-and-switch" cash grab—every self-respecting Naruto fan couldn't resist clicking in.
After the Opening theme concluded, the scene shifted rapidly.
Naruto's silhouette appeared on screen, sprinting. He was lugging a bucket of paint, his footsteps hurried and frantic.
The danmu exploded instantly with jabs like "Same old recipe," and "Iron-willed Prankster Naruto."
Watching from his apartment after work, Yagyu Masahiko scanned the video and the scrolling comments, his eyes narrowing as he picked up on a vital piece of intelligence.
'In this world, Kishimoto's manga is only up to the Chunin Exams!'
The situation was slightly different from his previous life.
He remained thoughtful, his gaze following the scrolling text. Soon, the tone of the comments shifted.
"New character? He's actually kinda handsome!"
"Holy crap, look at those movements. He's really putting on a show, but damn is he cool. I'm in love with this art style!"
"Huh? Is this Naruto's new teacher? But he never appeared in the manga!"
As the episode progressed, the audience finally grasped the timeline of this "Prequel." Naruto and Sasuke were seven years old. The narrative even included a scene of Itachi walking Sasuke to school—the Uchiha Clan had not yet been massacred.
However, the topic sparking the most heated debate was the character whose art style seemed subtly distinct from the other instructors: Yagyu Masahiko.
"So pretentious, so cool, so lovable!"
"His attitude is such a double standard though..."
"Is he a villain? Blind guess here—one of Orochimaru's men? He hasn't shown up in the manga, so definitely an anime-original villain."
"But he's so hot though. Can't Kishimoto consider making him canon?"
While the danmu raged with speculation, Masahiko stared at the screen and quietly exhaled a sigh of relief.
He didn't appear in the second half of the episode. The focus shifted to Iruka's lectures and Naruto's clumsy display of Ninjutsu. Although Masahiko only featured in the first half, he dominated roughly a quarter of the twenty-minute runtime.
His debut performance was, without a doubt, a success.
As the episode finished, the holographic screen automatically closed, and lines of text floated up on his System interface.
[Popularity Rating: S]
[Comprehensive Assessment...]
[Congratulations! You have been promoted to: S-Rank Special Guest Actor.]
[Reward Received: Actor's Basic Advancement — Taijutsu Edition.]
[Permissions Unlocked. "Ability Advancement" module loaded successfully!]
'Ten to thirty percent screen time qualifies as a Special Guest Actor?'
Masahiko mused, glancing at the subsequent lines. With a thought, a fresh interface materialized before him.
[Ability Advancement]
[Unlocked: Basic Advancement — Taijutsu Edition]
[Duration: Permanent]
Masahiko sat down, fixing his gaze on the "Basic Advancement — Taijutsu Edition" entry. In a single second...
His vision blurred, and space itself seemed to twist.
...
When he came back to his senses, he was standing in a stark, white void. Before him stood a somewhat rigid figure.
Might Guy!
However, this wasn't the Elite Jōnin Guy of the present timeline. This was a boy, barely eleven years old, who had just been promoted to Chūnin.
"I am Might Guy. Starting today, I will be in charge of your Basic Taijutsu Advancement. Please treat me well!"
The opponent bowed deeply.
Masahiko returned the bow. "Please treat me well."
"Basic Taijutsu consists of ceaseless training and bitter cultivation. It is the act of turning punching, kicking, elbowing, and dodging into pure instinct..."
The young Might Guy immediately launched into a rapid-fire explanation of his philosophy.
Masahiko froze for a second, then let out a dumbfounded laugh.
'Right. This isn't the real Might Guy. If it were, he'd definitely be shouting incomprehensible things about "Youth" and "Hot-bloodedness." This is just a projection created by the System.'
Masahiko composed himself and listened intently.
The young Guy lectured for a long time before finally concluding, "You may conduct training here, or engage in live combat training with me."
"Let's fight," Masahiko nodded.
The next instant—
Whoosh!
Both of them utilized the Body Flicker Technique simultaneously, closing the distance at high speed.
But just as Masahiko raised his hand, Guy's foot was already flying toward him.
Bang!
Arm met leg. Naturally, the arm was at a disadvantage, but thanks to his Chakra reinforcement and blocking technique, Masahiko avoided injury.
He counterattacked immediately, but...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Despite combining the Body Flicker with several Taijutsu counters, he couldn't get the better of the boy. The young Guy blocked every lethal strike with unnerving speed.
The tempo accelerated, yet Masahiko found himself on the receiving end of the beatdown more often than not.
Swoosh!
Masahiko stopped holding back. He ramped up the output of his Body Flicker, ascending to a higher gear of speed. His body left an afterimage in his wake—
Thud!
The young Might Guy was sent flying by a kick. As the boy planted his hands on the ground to flip back up, Masahiko's follow-up was already upon him.
His leg slashed through the air like a blade, carving a perfect arc as it hammered down from above.
Boom!
The young Guy took the hit squarely, crashing into the white floor. His figure flickered, turned into particles of light, and vanished.
A second later, another "Young Might Guy" materialized.
Masahiko had formed a judgment.
'This projection perfectly simulates Might Guy at age eleven. His physical conditioning, stats, and mastery of abilities are identical to the original.'
If they were the same age, Masahiko wouldn't stand a chance against him. Even with the advantage of an adult body, Masahiko was left with plenty of bruises.
Fortunately, this was a special space dedicated to advancement and training.
With a simple thought, Masahiko felt his injuries refresh instantly, his body returning to peak condition.
"Constant training transforms movement into instinct, elevating reaction speed in combat..."
He pondered for a moment, then tried asking, "What aspect should I focus on?"
"Optimize your movements," the young Guy answered robotically. "Your attacks lack refinement and brevity. Furthermore, increase the training intensity to convert these movements into muscle memory..."
'Then let's grind!'
Masahiko threw himself back into combat training.
While ordinary exercise could improve strength, nothing beat live combat for rapid growth.
"No Body Flicker. Pure Taijutsu duel."
"Understood."
...
Konoha. Late Night.
The chirping of insects filled the air.
Yagyu Masahiko sat up in bed. He glanced at the clock—9:30 PM.
'I trained for two hours?'
He stood up, his body emitting a series of satisfying crackle and pop sounds as his joints realigned. An indescribable sense of crisp relief washed over him.
Masahiko opened the window and leaped out with a sharp swish.
He landed lightly, completely silent.
Masahiko stood there for a few seconds, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.
As a ninja, climbing surfaces and landing softly using Chakra were basic skills. But this time, the mechanics of his landing felt like pure instinct.
This was the effect of the "Basic Advancement."
The abilities honed in the simulation could be manifested in reality!
Under the streetlights, Masahiko's eyes shone with delight as he contemplated his next acting move.
Suddenly, a voice roared from the distance—
"Lee! Are you giving up just like that?!"
"No! Guy-sensei, I haven't given up! I can still keep going!"
"OOOOOH—!!! THIS IS YOUTH!!!"
Hm?
Masahiko looked toward the source of the noise, a plan already forming in his mind.