"Have you come to discuss cooperation, Orochimaru-sama?" Masahiko asked, his tone even.
Orochimaru smiled, his pale skin stretching. "I have a small business proposition, but primarily, I simply wished to meet with you, Masahiko-kun. I have heard quite a few rumors about your recent exploits."
"Compared to you, they are hardly worth mentioning," Masahiko replied with practiced humility.
"Masahiko-kun, I have seen your research. Your talents extend far beyond mere..." Orochimaru trailed off, chuckling softly. "Forget it. Neither of us is the type to be easily persuaded by flattery."
The Sannin licked the corner of his mouth, his golden eyes narrowing. "I want to discuss a partnership."
"Regarding Uchiha Sasuke?" Masahiko asked.
Orochimaru paused slightly, then grinned. "Masahiko-kun... Heh. You really aren't an ordinary man. You recognized his value long ago. While there are other survivors of the Uchiha clan, he is indeed the most valuable specimen."
Masahiko nodded in agreement.
"So," Orochimaru smiled, "what is your opinion?"
"We are collaborators," Masahiko replied calmly. "As long as the benefits are sufficient, I see no reason why we cannot develop a valuable asset together."
A flash of excitement crossed Orochimaru's eyes. "Then, tell me... why did Danzō kill Shisui?"
"I do not know for certain, but I suspect it involves the Sharingan." Masahiko glanced toward the distant Root stronghold. "Logically speaking, Danzō-sama does not lack for Sharingan. Therefore, I believe the issue lay specifically with Shisui's eyes."
"Just as I thought." The corners of Orochimaru's mouth curled upward. "Then, how about we work together to explore the deeper mysteries of the Sharingan?"
"I have no objection. However, Orochimaru-sama, do you not fear raising a tiger only to invite calamity?" Masahiko warned. "The Uchiha clan... the deeper their despair, the more terrifying the power they erupt with. If you have designs on them, it would be best to prepare yourself early."
"Thank you for the reminder." Orochimaru nodded, maintaining his air of absolute confidence. He looked intently at Masahiko. "You know Anko, correct?"
"Yes."
"She bears a certain seal of mine. It can provide immense power. If you require it, I can bestow one upon you as well." Orochimaru licked his lips again, his voice dropping to a seductive whisper. "It is a gift that no ninjutsu can rival!"
"I have no desire for things I do not fully understand just yet." Masahiko shook his head. "Is there another form of payment?"
"A sword that suits you very well."
Orochimaru produced a scroll. "I trust you have the means to unseal it yourself, Masahiko-kun."
Having said that, he released the seal on the scroll. A straight-bladed sword—a chokutō—appeared. Judging by its appearance and sleek design, it was the very Kusanagi Sword that would be gifted to Sasuke in the future.
Masahiko felt a stir of interest, yet he let out a soft sigh. "Sasuke is my beloved student, and in the future, he will be my most capable assistant..."
"Masahiko-kun, greed is an unbecoming habit," Orochimaru laughed coldly. "However, this is merely the advance payment."
In the next second, he produced a second scroll.
"This records a special Substitution Jutsu I have developed. Furthermore, I can facilitate a contract for you with Ryūchi Cave, one of the Three Great Sage Regions." Orochimaru's expression turned transactional. "Of course, you will only receive the next installment after you have furthered our cooperation."
Masahiko's smile turned brilliant. "A pleasure doing business."
"A pleasure."
With that, Orochimaru sank into the earth and vanished. Masahiko could sense a slithering sound beneath the soil as numerous snakes retreated into the darkness.
He took a few steps forward. A moment later, the familiar mechanical prompt appeared.
[Naruto: The Prequel — Episode 14 Filming Complete!]
[Editing in Progress...]
[Production Successful!]
[Total Appearance Time: 7 Minutes 12 Seconds]
[Screen Presence: 34%]
[System Notification:]
It was not yet 8:00 PM.
Masahiko had ended his training early for the evening. Outside, Sasuke was still running laps. Although his stamina was inferior to Naruto's, this fact didn't discourage him; instead, it drove Sasuke to push himself with desperate intensity.
For the past few days, even though Sasuke was technically lodging at Masahiko's place, it felt as though the boy wasn't there at all—he was a ghost haunting the training grounds. However, the village was about to finalize his arrangements.
According to intelligence Masahiko had gathered from the Academy, since Sasuke had chosen not to inherit the clan's assets, the village planned to assign him a residence similar to Naruto's—classified as welfare for war orphans. The location was suspiciously close to Naruto's apartment. Masahiko had every reason to suspect this was done to reduce the surveillance burden on the Anbu.
He was happy to see it happen.
At 8:00 PM sharp, the light screen popped up.
In this episode, his relevant plot involvement was roughly one-third. That meant two-thirds of the episode consisted of events he hadn't personally witnessed. He fixed his gaze on the screen.
After a moment, the image of the street outside his home appeared.
The camera angle seemed to simulate a person's point of view, moving down the road. Every passerby cast glances filled with pity, yet none dared to approach. Then, Masahiko's voice rang out.
This was the scene from the day he took Sasuke out to the streets.
"Sasuke's father was the Clan Head, surely he wouldn't fall so low as to rely on welfare?"
• "It probably went toward reparations."
• "Sigh, looking at it this way, Sasuke is truly miserable. He hasn't enjoyed any benefits, yet he's taking all the beatings."
• "Itachi is a pure animal! Absolute scum!"
Although it was a slice-of-life segment, the audience could clearly see through the lens that Sasuke's life after the Genocide Night was far from easy. There were sympathizers, yes, but there were also those who kicked him while he was down.
To fall from a happy, prestigious family to this state in a matter of days... Sasuke's plight was tragic.
Seeing this, the barrage of bullet comments cursing Itachi intensified. The viewers simply could not comprehend Itachi's "art of extermination." Whether it was the netizens, the author Kishimoto, or the villagers and the random passersby who appeared in the anime, everyone expressed intense confusion and outrage at his actions.
During this segment, Masahiko's role was essentially that of a companion and therapist, purely there to share the screen time.
However, the scene shifted abruptly.
The camera cut to a classroom inside the Ninja Academy. Class was in session. It was a theoretical lecture on ninja history—dry and excruciatingly boring. Naruto's head was bobbing as he fought a losing battle against sleep.
Suddenly, a thunderous BOOM echoed from outside the window.
Through the glass, faint glimpses of firelight and rising mist could be seen.
"What's going on?"
The class exploded into chaos as students scrambled to the windows.
Sasuke tried to suppress his curiosity, but seeing everyone—including the teacher—distracted by the commotion, he stepped slightly away from his seat to look. The firelight had already vanished. From his angle, he could only see a lingering cloud of gloom.
The camera followed his gaze, drifting upwards...
It soared into the sky, looking down to reveal the aftermath in the training grounds behind the school.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were maintaining a defensive perimeter, utilizing Water Style: Water Wall and Earth Style: Mud Wall respectively. In the absolute center, layers upon layers of Earth Style walls had formed a fortress.
The outermost walls had been completely obliterated. The second layer had collapsed at one corner. It was only the third layer that had barely managed to hold. Even so, as the chakra dissipated and the earthen walls crumbled, the mud inside was baked dry and cracked from intense heat.
On the periphery, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, popped his head out of the ground, looking utterly disheveled.
The training field had been bombarded by fire, mudslides, and water torrents. A massive crater had sunk into the earth around the central defensive point. The soil was scorched black. If not for the desperate containment via the Water and Earth walls, the surrounding buildings would likely have been caught in the blast radius.
A ninjutsu of this scale... it was astonishing!
The camera finally focused on Masahiko, who was bowing and apologizing profusely. Clearly, the explosion just now was his handiwork.
"If the main body had been in the center, he'd be roasted jerky even if he didn't get blown up, right?"
• "Since when does Fire Style actually do damage? I thought the rule was 'Flashy smoke, zero kills'? Why is this one so OP?"
• "Wait! It's the Old Thief Masahiko again!"
• "No seriously, bro, does he refresh his Jutsu list every time he shows up? Did you toggle your hacks?!"
• "Toggle? He never turned them off!"