Early the next morning, Masahiko rose for his daily workout.
The village remained peaceful, as if the commotion from the previous night had been nothing more than an illusion. Even the Uchiha district and the Military Police Force showed no signs of irregularity. However, for those who knew where to look, things were different.
At a secluded corner near the Uchiha clan grounds, Masahiko's gaze swept toward the forest. There, a shadow flickered past—Itachi, using the Body Flicker Technique to rush into the woods.
Seconds later, by the riverbank, Itachi came to a halt.
"Shisui isn't dead."
He looked at Masahiko, his expression eerily calm, showing no joy at his best friend's survival. "Last night, he appeared at the Naka Shrine and killed several Anbu operatives."
Masahiko's expression shifted, showing a momentary flicker of emotion before returning to a mask of tranquility. "He's alive... that is good news. But it is a pity. I fear the next time we meet, we will be enemies."
"Indeed."
Itachi sighed softly, his voice low. He then reached into his robes and produced a small booklet. "This is for you."
"What is this?"
Masahiko accepted it. After flipping through a few pages, a look of genuine surprise surfaced on his face. If he wasn't mistaken... this was Shisui's personal notebook. But it was more than that; it contained new annotations and margin notes added by Itachi. For any shinobi specializing in Genjutsu, this was an invaluable treasure.
He looked up at Itachi. "Why give this to me?"
"You were Shisui's friend, and you are Sasuke's teacher," Itachi replied. "I hope that, in the future, you can pass the contents of this book on to Sasuke in my stead. As for the rest... do with it as you see fit."
Masahiko frowned slightly. "Has something happened?"
"I apologize. It concerns an Anbu mission; I cannot disclose the details." Itachi shook his head.
Masahiko remained silent for a few seconds before sighing. "Very well... I will see it done."
"Thank you very much." Itachi bowed slightly. Without giving Masahiko a chance to return the gesture, he activated the Body Flicker Technique and vanished instantly.
Masahiko tucked the notebook away, standing by the river and staring at the flowing water for a long while. Finally, he let out a sigh, turned back to his usual jogging route, and resumed his training.
'Itachi...'
'That brain of his...'
'Well, perhaps within the Uchiha clan, being mentally unstable is the norm. Someone like Shisui was the actual anomaly.'
Thinking this way, Masahiko felt a sense of relief. regarding the Uchiha situation, all he could do was profit from the chaos and, if the opportunity arose, save a few talented individuals worth saving as his initial capital.
As for the rest...
He could only respect their fate.
The Hokage's Office.
Danzō, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado were all present.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, smoking his pipe in silence. He hadn't said a word.
"Hiruzen..." Koharu began. "While this disaster was indeed triggered by Danzō, Shisui has now openly torn his face off with the village. He must be dealt with."
Homura nodded in agreement.
Hiruzen glanced at them sharply. "Do you think I haven't issued the orders?"
He turned his cold gaze toward Danzō. "I suspected he might be hiding in one of the training grounds, so I had the Anbu intensify their search in that area. Today, several reports came in from the vicinity of the Forest of Death all the way to the Naka River. Multiple Anbu were knocked unconscious."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "Even at this stage, he still refused to kill the Anbu operatives. It wasn't until the very end that he made up his mind. Do you understand what that means?"
"It confirms that a third party rescued him," Danzō said, a thick killing intent flashing in his remaining eye.
Hiruzen's anger boiled over. "It means that until last night, Shisui had not made the decision to betray the village!"
His fury mounted. "Insufficient in success, more than capable in failure!"
Danzō did not refute him, silently allowing the Hokage to vent.
"You forced away a powerful asset, allowing him to be used by others, and all you gained was a single eye of questionable utility. Is this the 'For Konoha' you always preach about?"
Thwack!
In a fit of rage, Hiruzen slammed the metal bowl of his pipe onto Danzō's head. Blood began to trickle slowly down the bandaged man's forehead.
Danzō's expression did not change in the slightest.
"Dangerous power must be placed under control. Being swayed by emotion is the greatest irresponsibility toward the village." His voice was flat, devoid of fluctuation. "If I had to do it again, I would still act."
"Danzō... say no more," Koharu interjected. She glanced at Hiruzen, softening her tone. "Hiruzen, things have already come to pass. We must think of how to remedy the situation. We also need to investigate the organization that rescued Shisui."
"We must investigate!" Hiruzen snorted coldly. "They pulled off something this massive right under our noses. Who can rest easy until they are rooted out?"
He looked at Danzō. "Focus your investigation on Orochimaru and Kirigakure. I will keep an eye on the Uchiha."
"Agreed."
Danzō nodded, wiped the blood from his forehead, and left the room with indifference.
Koharu and Homura looked as though they wanted to speak, but eventually sighed and followed him out.
Shortly after, an Anbu operative was summoned to the office.
Hiruzen stared intently at the young man masked in porcelain.
"Itachi, have you made your decision?"
Meanwhile, at the Konoha Academy.
The younger brother in whom Itachi placed such high hopes was currently fleeing alongside Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki. Hot on their heels were Shikamaru, Chōji, and Ino.
"Dead-last, stop blocking my line of sight!"
"Stupid Sasuke! It's you who's too weak! Why do you always blame everyone else? Who could ever get along with a teammate as difficult as you?"
"Naruto! How can you talk to Sasuke-kun like that?"
"..."
'I'm going crazy!'
'What kind of teammates are these?!'
'Is this matchmaking system completely broken?!'
veins popped on Sasuke's forehead as he glared furiously at Yagyu Masahiko, who stood on the sidelines with the corners of his mouth slightly raised. Masahiko returned the glare with a gentle, encouraging smile.
Facts had proven...
Even with his specialized "conditioning," people who were incompatible remained incompatible. At least in the short term, the probability of Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke cooperating closely was practically zero.
But.
In order to fish for screen time, Masahiko had paired them up without hesitation.
After the massive event last night, the conflict between the Uchiha and the village was bound to escalate. Neither the Third Hokage nor Danzō had summoned him yet. Masahiko knew it would be difficult to get into the main plot for the next episode. If he didn't obsess over the details, his [Acting Progress] might nosedive toward 30% or lower.
For the sake of cinematic impact and topicality—and to repay Itachi for the notebook...
He would just have to let Sasuke suffer a bit. Naruto could take the blame!
Of course, it wasn't just Sakura and Naruto. In reality, he gave opportunities to others as well, such as Kiba, Shino, and Hinata, along with children from civilian backgrounds with average talent.
However, the chances of Sasuke getting matched with "good" teammates were intentionally slim.
This morning's class was truly weighted training for the young Uchiha; it was nothing short of torture. Fortunately, he managed to survive it in the end.
However...
After class, Sasuke didn't rush off. He waited until Masahiko had finished dealing with the flock of female students before walking over, his face gloomy.
"Sensei, next time, can you please arrange some normal people for me?"
"Ahem, actually, your teammates are quite normal," Masahiko said, clearing his throat lightly.
Sasuke's expression turned icy. "Normal? If they're normal, why don't you assign them to Naruto or Kiba?"
"This is also a form of weighted training," Masahiko whispered conspiratorially. "With talent like yours, you'll be an Elite Jōnin sooner or later. You might even have to execute S-Rank missions or lead a squad of Genin. Just consider this adapting in advance."
?
For a moment, Sasuke didn't know whether he should appreciate Masahiko's high expectations or curse him for painting such a blatantly unrealistic picture—
He was only seven years old!
He gritted his teeth. "Well, I thank you for that!"
"No need, no need..." Masahiko narrowed his eyes in a smile.
Suddenly, a shout came from the edge of the playground. He looked into the distance—it was Watanabe Shōji.
Masahiko smiled at his student. "Alright, Sensei has business to attend to. Sasuke-kun, see you next class!"
With that, he used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished from the spot.
"Childish!"
Sasuke turned his head and stormed away.
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