Sitting before his computer, Kishimoto remained silent.
On the screen, the Black-Robed Man moved with blinding speed, distinctively different from Kakashi, who wielded his Sharingan. Kakashi's speed was fast and precise. The Black-Robed Man, however, employed a dual-wielding style—blade for offense, kunai for defense—that appeared to be a standard two-sword style but was actually wide-open and aggressive. He was using offense as a substitute for defense.
His strength was simply too overwhelming. Even Kakashi couldn't dodge effectively; he was forced to barely parry the blows because his opponent was just that fast.
Bullet comments flooded the screen.
"Holy cr*p! Is that really Old Thief Masahiko? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"Friend, it is entirely possible!"
"Don't underestimate the Old Thief. Every time he shows up, he has a new ability. I feel like he's purely acting cool."
"The Old Thief is unfathomable!"
Although the display of strength shattered everyone's previous perception, there was one thing the audience believed without a doubt: The Black-Robed Man was Yagyu Masahiko. Aside from him, no other character introduced so far behaved this strangely.
However, in the next moment, everything changed.
Just as the two combatants crossed paths, the Black-Robed Man aimed his palm at Kakashi's exposed back.
Then—
From his five fingertips, phalanges shot out with eerie precision, rocketing toward Kakashi's spine.
At this point in the manga's timeline, Shikotsumyaku had not yet made its debut. Consequently, the average viewer was merely curious or surprised. They didn't question Yagyu Masahiko's identity as a "Konoha Native" just because of this technique. Many even felt a rush of excitement.
"Bones again! The Old Thief was definitely hiding his moves!"
"Is this the 'Shikotsumyaku' Kakashi mentioned earlier?"
This was the general consensus among the viewers.
Except for Kishimoto.
When he saw this scene for the first time, he felt no surprise—only sheer terror.
Although his manga serialization hadn't reached Kimimaro's introduction yet, he had already drawn Kimimaro in his rough drafts and character biographies. Even though he hadn't yet fully connected settings like the Byakugan and the Ōtsutsuki clan to this bloodline, the concept of the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai was already written down.
In his design, Shikotsumyaku was a Kekkei Genkai originating from the Land of Water. The Land of Fire wasn't supposed to have it.
The so-called "Yagyu Clan" was something he had added to the character bio only after the character of Yagyu Masahiko became unexpectedly popular.
What terrified Kishimoto was a singular, chilling thought: Did the character bio he wrote influence the plot of this "Anime"?
Or... was there actually a Yagyu Clan in this world? Was this family truly related to Shikotsumyaku, sharing an ancient ancestor with the Kaguya Clan?
'What about the Yagyu Clan, then?' Kishimoto thought, sweat forming on his brow. 'Judging by Masahiko's performance, the "Yagyu" family in Konoha are just ordinary civilians. Did this family really migrate south from the Land of Iron?'
If that were true, it was all too coincidental.
Kishimoto sank into deep contemplation, remaining silent. His emotions were a tangled mess. After weighing his thoughts for a long time, he pulled out the character biographies he had written previously.
He maintained bios for all major characters to track settings, personalities, and backstories. Most were consistent with the "Anime" currently airing. The only exception was Yagyu Masahiko—a character who existed before Kishimoto wrote his bio.
'Is it really just a coincidence?'
Inside Konoha Hospital.
Masahiko finished watching the entire episode. Almost immediately, the System prompt appeared.
[Popularity Rank: S]
[Comprehensive Evaluation: —]
[You sparked heated discussions in this episode, gaining extremely high attention and popularity. Reward Payment increased.]
[Reward Received: Actor's Basic Advancement — Genjutsu Edition.]
[Reward Received: Low-Rank Skill Upgrade Card.]
[Permissions Unlocked. "Ability Advancement" Module loaded successfully!]
Two rewards.
Masahiko was pleasantly surprised. Although the card wasn't of immense value on its own, it could always be used to exchange for a "Personalized Projection." Furthermore, even a Low-Rank Skill Upgrade Card held significant value.
Suppressing his excitement, he summoned his interface and scanned through the skills that were Rank C or below and had already reached 'Perfection' proficiency.
[Transformation Jutsu (Perfection), Substitution Jutsu (Perfection), Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu (Perfection), Water Clone Jutsu (Perfection), Water Style: Wild Water Wave (Perfection).]
Masahiko pondered for a long time.
'I'll prioritize upgrading the Fireball Jutsu,' he decided.
He had already researched Water Style extensively. For techniques like the Water Clone and Wild Water Wave, Masahiko already had theories on how to reach Limit-Break. All that remained was experimentation and development. Wasting a card on them was unnecessary.
In comparison, while he had read many books on Fire Style, he hadn't conducted much practical research. Improving it manually would consume a significant amount of time. Conversely, if he upgraded his Fire Style now, any subsequent study or research into other Fire Style Ninjutsu would benefit from the foundation.
Moreover, it would further separate his identity from the Black-Robed Man, so he wouldn't have to hide his abilities as he did with Water Style.
Masahiko hesitated no longer. He closed his eyes and entered the Ninjutsu Training Space.
[Item Used: Low-Rank Skill Upgrade Card.]
[Skill Upgraded: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!]
That wondrous sensation washed over him once again.
After using the Upgrade Card, Masahiko entered a transcendent state. perhaps due to the upgrade of the Ninjutsu Module, the feeling was slightly different from when he upgraded the Body Flicker Technique.
Oceans of knowledge and Ninjutsu theory collided and reorganized in his mind. Finally, a branching skill tree formed before his eyes. Beneath it, he saw various evolutions of the Fireball Jutsu.
His gaze swept over them.
The first option was a "Fireball" infused with the properties of Ash Pile Burning. The massive, rolling fireball was filled with thick, billowing smoke carrying scorching heat. However, it was grey. Masahiko did not possess the "Ash Pile Burning" ability; he only knew the technique's form from the anime, so he couldn't fuse it for the upgrade.
The second option was a "High-Compression Fireball." This involved further compressing the chakra to make the flames denser and the temperature higher. In the mental image, it appeared as a blazing white orb, seemingly capable of incinerating everything.
'This is viable,' Masahiko thought, but he continued to look down the list.
Splitting, adhering... similar to the Phoenix Flower Jutsu.
Finally, his gaze locked onto a specific branch.
"Fireball Great Explosion."
As he focused on it, a massive fireball evolved before his eyes. After being expelled, the flames tumbled through the air. Just as it reached its peak state, the chakra inside the fireball underwent a violent change, erupting in a series of thunderous roars. The Fireball exploded chaotically, expanding outward with destructive force.
'Upgradeable!'
'This is the one!' Masahiko selected it immediately.
Rapidly, fragments of knowledge were excavated from every corner of his mind, reorganizing and fusing with the standard Fireball Jutsu. Before long, a perfect inspiration coalesced in Masahiko's mind.
He formed hand seals.
Building upon the foundation of the Fireball Jutsu, he slightly altered the formula, adding one extra seal.
Whoosh!
Flames spewed from his mouth. Once the technique reached its zenith—
BOOM!
With a violent explosion, the flames blasted outward, expanding in a chaotic wave that covered the entire area.
He analyzed and refined the sensation.
Moments later, Masahiko attempted to further fine-tune the technique.
This time—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of smaller, rhythmic explosions erupted from within the flames. The blast radius was smaller than before, but it was far more controllable and sustained.
Afterward, he continued to experiment with integrating other techniques. Following the principle of the "High-Compression Fireball," he further compressed the sphere before using a hand seal to detonate the chakra manually.
One principle applies to ten thousand.
After completely mastering the Fireball Great Explosion, Masahiko even managed to push his Shadow Clone Jutsu to the Limit-Break stage.
The direction of that evolution was, precisely, the Clone Great Explosion.