"Hokage-sama!"
Masahiko bowed respectfully.
Sarutobi Hiruzen approached with a smile. "Do you know why I said well said?"
He swept his gaze across the room before continuing, "The textbooks teach you how a technique works in theory, but actual combat is rarely as orderly as the books suggest."
"In practical application, one must understand their tactical needs and adapt flexibly based on those needs and their own conditions..."
Hiruzen continued to elaborate, following the thread of Masahiko's earlier lecture.
Behind him, Iruka was sweating profusely, nodding repeatedly in agreement. In truth, Iruka was an excellent educator who knew the basics of almost every category of jutsu.
The problem was—he lacked spirituality in his application. His mastery was broad but shallow, lacking depth or standout features. This was the reality for the vast majority of Chūnin.
The mindset Masahiko and Sarutobi Hiruzen possessed sounded simple in theory, but applying it in the heat of battle was incredibly difficult.
"I heard you also organized a form of restricted combat sparring?" Hiruzen asked with a smile.
Masahiko nodded. "It is strictly limited to the Academy curriculum. Everyone pairs up for practice. Once the students advance in grade, we can transition to three-on-three or four-on-four skirmishes."
"Excellent!"
Hiruzen's eyes brightened. As the ninja outside brought in chairs, he gestured for everyone to sit. "Please, continue your class. We can talk after the bell rings."
"Yes!" Masahiko nodded.
He didn't call any more students up to the podium. Iruka was already under enough pressure; calling another student up might cause a breakdown—either for the student or the teacher.
Instead, Masahiko used the previous demonstration as a springboard for a lecture.
"I'm not an expert on the standard Ninjutsu curriculum, so today I will cover some extracurricular content you won't find on the exams."
"As ninja, we typically operate in squads. Therefore, we must excel at leveraging our strengths while trusting our teammates to cover our weaknesses..."
"Take Naruto, for example. His chakra control is poor, but his stamina is incredible, and his chakra reserves are massive. As long as he applies these traits correctly, he can achieve effects similar to a standard clone, just through different means."
"And regarding the Clone Jutsu..."
He spoke with confidence and ease on the stage, causing the class to quickly forget the awkwardness of the earlier demonstrations.
Iruka's expression gradually relaxed. The tension and immense pressure faded, replaced by immersion in Masahiko's lesson, just like the students.
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at Iruka, a faint smile touching his lips. He sighed with admiration in his heart.
'What a sharp, yet gentle man.'
After that, Hiruzen remained silent, offering no further interruptions to Masahiko's teaching.
Only when the bell rang did Sarutobi Hiruzen applaud once more, before leaving with a satisfied smile.
Inside the Office.
"This is your territory; you should be the one hosting me!" Hiruzen joked as he entered the room.
Masahiko maintained a look of respectful restraint. Hearing this, he quickly smiled. "I'll brew some tea for you."
He prepared a cup and placed it on Hiruzen's desk.
Hiruzen sniffed the aroma and chuckled. "Is this Kurenai's flower tea?"
"Uh... I can't hide anything from you," Masahiko nodded slightly.
Hiruzen took a sip and said, "Your teaching ability is strong, but your capacity for development, research, and combat is even stronger... Why did you choose to become a teacher in the first place?"
"Compared to executing missions, a teacher's job is stable and offers free time for research," Masahiko replied "truthfully."
In reality—he was just a Chūnin back then. The world outside was dangerous. Being a teacher allowed him to turtle up inside the safety of the Academy, quietly farming experience until the grand finale.
Awakening the "System" was purely an accident.
Hearing this, Hiruzen frowned slightly. "But, there are some things that someone has to do."
"This subordinate follows the village's arrangements," Masahiko stated immediately.
Hiruzen waved his hand dismissively. "There is a mission... I've thought it over, and you truly are the most suitable candidate... but there's no rush for now."
"This subordinate stands ready to obey orders at any time."
Masahiko reiterated his stance.
Nothing else matters—just pure, unadulterated loyalty!
Hiruzen grew increasingly satisfied. The smile on his face brightened, and his tone became even more amiable.
" appointing you as a Teaching Consultant was precisely because I hope you can utilize that flexible mind of yours. I intend for you to participate in the reform of the Ninja Academy's curriculum."
"In the future, provide more suggestions. Ideas like restricted sparring and social studies fieldwork are excellent."
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, smiling. "I have no other motive. I simply feel that with your talent, limiting you to being just a Taijutsu teacher would be a waste."
"Understood!"
Masahiko responded again. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a figure flashing past the window.
He looked thoughtful for a moment before snapping his attention back to the Hokage.
Hiruzen had noticed it as well. He glanced outside and asked, "I heard you had a good relationship with Shisui?"
"We exchanged pointers on the Body Flicker Technique, but we didn't have much interaction beyond that," Masahiko answered honestly.
Hiruzen sighed softly. "Shisui is dead."
"What?!"
Shock plastered Masahiko's face. He remained silent for a long moment, seemingly processing the news.
After a while, he spoke with a heavy expression, "With Shisui's mastery of the Body Flicker... was it Kumo? Surely it couldn't be Kiri?"
"It's unclear," Hiruzen shook his head. "But currently, there are rumors within the Uchiha clan that Itachi killed him. So... talk to Sasuke. Try to help him work through it."
"Yes, I understand!" Masahiko's face turned serious.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up and left.
Once he was gone, Masahiko stepped out of the office and scanned the area. He found Sasuke by the sink near the restrooms, leaning against the wall.
"That was you just now?"
"Yes." Sasuke nodded.
Then, hesitation appeared on his face.
Masahiko observed his expression and sighed. "Is it about Shisui?"
"You know?" Sasuke seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, nodding silently.
Masahiko stayed silent for a moment. "I just heard Hokage-sama mention it. The specific details are still unknown."
Sasuke was only seven years old, yet the sharp, cool demeanor of his future self was already beginning to show. However, right now, he looked entirely aggrieved.
"They say my brother killed him. But Nii-san and Shisui had the best relationship. How could he possibly kill Shisui?"
Masahiko patted the boy's hair but said nothing.
Sasuke rambled on, venting his frustrations. from the accusations of his clansmen, to his father's silence, to the oppressive mood radiating from Itachi today...
He hung his head low.
"Sensei, I don't know what to do..."
"You are still young. These are not things you should be worrying about. Focusing on your studies and training is better than anything else," Masahiko said, his tone low and steady.
Sasuke didn't reply. He had heard that speech enough times already.
After a few seconds, he whispered, "I'm fine, really. But Nii-san has locked himself in his room, and the clan... Anyway, his condition isn't good. I wanted to ask you to speak with him."
"Me and your brother..." Masahiko hesitated slightly. "I don't have any real friendship or dealings with Itachi. I'm afraid my words won't carry much weight, but I can only say I'll try my best."
"I... I just didn't know who else to ask," Sasuke said, his voice filled with confusion and loss.
He didn't know many outsiders, and among those he did know, there were very few he considered wise. Since Masahiko was an acquaintance of Shisui, Sasuke felt he was the most suitable person to help.
Masahiko nodded, seemingly agreeing with some reluctance.
"I'll accompany you to your house. If it's convenient... I'll pay my respects to Shisui as well. You should go back to class for now."
"Thank you, Sensei!"
Sasuke was overjoyed. He thanked Masahiko repeatedly before running back toward the classroom.
Masahiko watched him leave, then returned to the office with a soft sigh.
'Sasuke...'
'How pitiful.'
'But, at least this gives me contact with Itachi. I can finally report back to Danzō.'