Masahiko collected his thoughts, reviewing the sequence of events that had just transpired. Only after confirming there were no loose ends did he finally allow himself to relax.
Before Hiruzen Sarutobi, actions spoke far louder than words.
That was why Masahiko had deliberately produced the Water Style: Jellyfish he had prepared earlier, offering both overt and subtle displays of loyalty to regain the Hokage's trust. Between intelligent men, excessive explanation was unnecessary.
When it came to the big picture and leadership capability, Hiruzen was leagues ahead of Danzō. That was precisely why Hiruzen was the Hokage. As for Danzō... he had dwelled in the shadows for so long that he could no longer step into the light.
Moments after Masahiko exited the office, the familiar chime of the System rang out, followed by the floating text prompts:
["Naruto: The Prequel" Episode 9 — Filming Complete!]
[Editing in progress...]
[Production Successful!]
[Total Appearance Duration: 11 minutes 10 seconds.]
[Screen Presence: 53.1%]
[As a villainous character, your screen time exceeded 50%. Your compensation has been significantly increased.]
[Tip: ...]
'The percentage isn't as high as I expected', Masahiko noted, his gaze lingering on the text for a moment before he quickened his pace.
It seemed that while he was handling his own affairs, unknown events were unfolding elsewhere in Konoha—events he hadn't yet touched. For him, this broadcast was a critical source of intelligence, particularly regarding Shisui Uchiha.
To maintain his mystique and avoid drawing the eye of Tobi (Obito), he couldn't visit Shisui constantly. The "Prequel" anime was the safest way to monitor the situation.
Masahiko walked faster, wishing he could fast-forward time directly to 8:00 PM.
The Real World — 8:00 PM.
Masashi Kishimoto sat before his computer, feeling an unprecedented sense of unease.
Lately, he had been plagued by strange dreams. He would vaguely recall significant events while sleeping, only to have the details fade the moment he woke up.
He stared at the screen. As time ticked away, the clock finally struck eight. He immediately refreshed the webpage.
The familiar visuals and opening theme song appeared.
Once again, it was Naruto running. At seven years old, this version of the protagonist looked younger and cuter than the original manga version. However, the difference was stark: this Naruto wasn't running from a prank gone wrong; he was on a disciplined morning jog, training his body.
As the minutes passed, the danmu (bullet comments) began to flood the screen.
After running for a while and nearing the outskirts of the village, Sasuke appeared. And it wasn't just him—Kiba Inuzuka and Ino Yamanaka successively appeared within Naruto's field of view.
"Damn, look at this grind-fest!"
"WTF? What is happening to Konoha? Is this even Kishimoto's Naruto anymore?"
"Good lord... I can't even imagine how strong they'll be in five years."
"The animation studio is going rogue... calculating the surface area of Kishimoto's psychological shadow right now."
The viewers watching the excitement didn't mind the chaos. Kishimoto, however, was genuinely bewildered.
It wasn't that the entire class was hyper-competitive, but these specific students came from prestigious clans and occupied a significant portion of his original script. Yet now... not only were they talented, but they were also training with insane intensity. Strangely, Sakura Haruno—whom he had intended to give a fairly high positioning—was nowhere to be seen.
"Do I need to rewrite the script?" Kishimoto pondered deeply.
The serialization had only just reached the Chunin Exams. If he pivoted now, there was still time to adjust everything.
Before he could follow that train of thought, the scene on the screen shifted.
A gloomy forest appeared, with a towering structure visible in the misty distance. The camera zoomed in, focusing on a figure huddled in a corner against a wall.
Suddenly, Shisui opened his eye. Despite having only one left, he remained handsome, exuding a wild, tragic beauty.
The camera angle advanced step by step.
A figure in black robes appeared and began treating Shisui's eye. The scene was brief, but it left a pile of speculation in the comments:
"This is the Forest of Death, right? It looks just like the background art from the Chunin Exams arc."
"I bet fifty cents this black-robed guy is connected to Old Thief Masahiko!"
"But the Old Thief doesn't know Medical Ninjutsu."
"Hard to say... maybe he just learned it?"
Just as the audience was debating, the scene changed again.
Outside the Konoha Hospital, Masahiko appeared briefly, walking toward a specific building. The camera then caught a fleeting glimpse of Kabuto Yakushi in the background.
Immediately following that, the perspective shifted to the interior of the hospital. A group of medical-nin were gathered together, looking at a document.
"Water Jellyfish? Can Medical Ninjutsu really be combined with Water Style like this?"
"According to the application and the theoretical breakdown, it seems possible. Incredible. Who came up with this?"
"Someone named Masahiko Yagyu."
While the characters discussed the technique, the danmu exploded.
It's Masahiko Yagyu again!
And coincidentally, he just happened to be researching Medical Ninjutsu.
"Confirmed! Hammer dropped!"
"I'm a film direction major—this kind of cinematic language is a blatant hint. It's definitely him!"
"If it's not him, I'll eat sh*t!"
"If it really is him... what is he planning?"
The discussion grew more heated, instantly drowning out the few comments trying to talk about anything else.
"Guessing the truth is useless; it's not like you get a prize."
Masahiko chuckled indifferently as he watched the stream.
By now, his character persona was firmly established. The more people speculated about his identity, stance, and motives, the higher his popularity soared. As long as he didn't drop the ball later, his place in "Season Two" was practically guaranteed.
He was far more interested in the intelligence he didn't already possess.
This massive chunk of plot covered several days in reality for Masahiko, yet in the episode, it was compressed into brief snippets. This indicated that significant events had occurred in the interim, squeezing the narrative space.
Sure enough, as the plot progressed, the scene shifted to the Hokage's Office.
The exchange between the Third Hokage and Kakashi was laid bare on the screen, their dialogue explosive in its implications.
It meant Hiruzen Sarutobi had made a decision.
In the next second, the scene cut to a dimly lit secret room.
Inside, Itachi Uchiha sat formally, holding a miniature shuriken in his hand, his expression fluctuating between shadow and light.
Masahiko couldn't help but lean back in his chair.
Don't tell me...
In this timeline, without Shisui's final words and without receiving Shisui's other eye (Kotoamatsukami), had Itachi still awakened that "world-shocking wisdom"?
He stared intently at the screen.
Knock, knock, knock!
On the screen, a knock sounded at the door. Fugaku pushed it open and entered.
"Itachi, you haven't been to the Anbu in a long time."
"Father. Do you wish for me to go?" Itachi turned his head, looking at his father. "Do you know what I am facing?"
Fugaku looked like he wanted to speak but stopped. Eventually, he nodded gently, a trace of apology surfacing on his face.
"I am sorry, Itachi."
"Perhaps, in the end, the choice I make will not be the answer you hope for."
Itachi lowered his head, his gaze dim. He was conflicted, his heart filled with torment.
And was Fugaku not the same?
Fugaku looked toward the door and said, "The Uchiha currently faces a fork in the road. But when I look ahead, both paths appear to be dead ends."
"I was simply thinking... perhaps you could find a better path."
Fugaku's tone was low and heavy.
Itachi opened his mouth to speak but ultimately lowered his head and stood up. He glanced at the clock.
"It is getting late. Sasuke's classes are almost over. I want to spend some time with him today."
"Mn." Fugaku nodded.
Itachi bowed, then turned and left.
Immediately after this scene... came the footage of Masahiko teaching his class.
Obviously, that conversation had taken place earlier that same afternoon, which explained why Itachi had come to pick Sasuke up afterward.
So that's how it fits together.
"This timeline's Fugaku is more direct than the original," Masahiko mused. "A pity..."
He shook his head.
As Fugaku said, placing the burden of choice on a child didn't exactly make him a candidate for Father of the Year. Masahiko could only hope that Itachi's "world-shocking wisdom" wouldn't cause him too much trouble.
But... the episode was only halfway done.