"Masahiko."
"I've already been briefed on the situation."
Yagyu Masahiko clutched his arm, his face a mask of exhaustion. "Is Naruto alright?"
"A portion of that chakra was extracted, but his condition isn't critical. In the end, Orochimaru used a Sealing Jutsu to suppress the leak. Naruto's life isn't in danger..." Kurenai Yūhi explained in a low voice.
Masahiko was about to respond when he felt a heavy gaze land on him. He met the stare briefly before turning back to Kurenai. "And Asuma-senpai? Is he okay?"
"Him? He doesn't look injured." Kurenai seemed confused, unsure why the topic had suddenly shifted to him. She glanced over to see Asuma sitting with his head bowed, looking utterly depressed.
"After all, they were once comrades in arms," Masahiko whispered, offering a knowing look. "It probably doesn't feel good."
"I suppose..." Kurenai murmured.
Masahiko let out a soft sigh, his expression deepening with complexity as he gazed toward Naruto's room. "I understand. I, too, had a teammate who died on that night. Seeing that red chakra... it's just like..."
Kurenai paused, her expression turning somber. Her father had also perished during the Nine-Tails' attack. A shared shadow of grief fell over both of their faces.
Asuma, unable to sit still any longer, stood up abruptly. He pulled out a cigarette, forcing a strained smile. "I'm going outside for a smoke."
"Alright." Kurenai nodded gently.
Asuma walked out of the courtyard and stood beneath the open sky. He lit his cigarette, staring up at the clouds with a look of profound melancholy.
Outside, Chiriku approached him quietly. "Will there still be Guardian Ninja after this?"
Asuma held the smoke in his lungs for a second before exhaling slowly. "There will be. Seito and the others will continue to protect the Daimyō. There is nothing wrong with the act of guardianship itself."
Chiriku fell silent.
"Have you found the 'Jade' in your heart yet?" Chiriku asked.
"Not yet." Asuma shook his head, his spirits low. "But I know for certain... the 'Jade' in my heart isn't here in the Capital. Perhaps it's time to go back to the village."
"That might be for the best. I plan to return to the Fire Temple as well," Chiriku said, glancing back toward the house. "That chakra... it leaves me uneasy. I need to report this."
"Good luck."
Suddenly, a mechanical prompt flashed in Masahiko's vision.
[System: Filming for "Naruto: Clash! The Chapter of the Twin Jades!" is complete!]
[Editing in progress...]
[Production Successful!]
[Total Runtime: 48 minutes 39 seconds]
[Screen Time Ratio: 38%]
[Notice: "Naruto: Clash! The Chapter of the Twin Jades!" will premiere on Friday at 8:00 PM. The playback function and Bullet Comment system will be enabled at that time.]
Inside the room, Masahiko, who was just preparing to rest, finally saw the familiar subtitles. He did the mental math; going by the local timeline, the broadcast would be tomorrow night.
'Perfect. I get a day to recover.'
He was genuinely exhausted. The past twenty-four hours had been grueling—especially today. He had been forced to play the role of the righteous hero while simultaneously acting as the "mastermind" behind the attack. Switching back and forth between his main body and Shadow Clones, playing both sides of the conflict... it was a logistical nightmare.
To cover up his fatigue, he had his Shadow Clone intentionally take a heavy hit, feigning a serious arm injury. The ruse had worked perfectly, but the mental backlash from dispelling multiple Shadow Clones had compounded his exhaustion.
Fortunately, his current spiritual and physical attributes were leagues ahead of where he had started. Otherwise, he might not have survived the performance. Leaning back against the headboard, Masahiko drifted into a deep sleep.
When he woke up, it was already the next day. Sunlight streamed through the windows.
The political fallout was immediate. The Daimyō and the conservative noble faction had been fully briefed on yesterday's events. In just one day, the Twelve Guardian Ninja organization had effectively collapsed.
Orochimaru. Uchiha Shisui. Uchiha Itachi.
The involvement of names belonging to such terrifying S-Rank Missing-nin stripped the radical noble faction of any right to complain. They retracted their heads like frightened turtles, daring not to make a sound.
This included Sanjo. Of course, Sanjo had bigger problems—he had lost his qualification as an heir.
"So, Sanjo's succession rights have been revoked?"
"Yes." Toge, the Root agent, nodded.
Masahiko opened his mouth as if to speak, then hesitated.
Beneath his mask, Toge's mouth curved slightly. "Your mission was a resounding success. Lord Danzō is extremely pleased with your performance. If you need anything, speak up."
"I seek no personal gain in serving the village and Lord Danzō!" Masahiko declared with a look of staunch loyalty. "However... there is one matter. I do not know if it is my place to speak."
"Speak."
Toge, who had been preparing to offer a few more words of commendation before leaving, stopped.
Masahiko lowered his voice. "Based on my observation, while Orochimaru appeared to be allied with Shisui and Itachi, their cooperation seemed superficial. In fact, when it came to the Demon Fox's chakra, Orochimaru seemed to betray Itachi's interests..."
"Are you suggesting he betrayed the person pulling the strings behind Shisui and Itachi?" Toge asked sharply.
Toge's eyes narrowed. He'd entertained similar suspicions, but he'd been occupied confronting Shisui and hadn't witnessed Orochimaru's actions firsthand. Masahiko's account carried weight.
"It is very likely. However, this is merely my personal judgment. I worried it might interfere with yours and Lord Danzō's analysis," Masahiko said "honestly."
Toge pondered for a moment. "You were an eyewitness. Your judgment has significant reference value. I will convey this intelligence."
"Thank you, Senpai!"
Watching Toge disappear, Masahiko's Shadow Clone dispelled itself.
Meanwhile, in the Real World (Blue Star).
It was daytime when the trailer and promotional material for the new theatrical release, Clash! The Chapter of the Twin Jades!, dropped.
The poster was simple, yet explosive.
On one side stood a younger Kakashi Hatake, Kurenai Yūhi, Asuma Sarutobi, and a young Naruto Uzumaki. Crouched protectively beside Naruto was Yagyu Masahiko.
Opposing them on the other side was a lineup of pure terror: Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi, and Orochimaru.
However, looming over the entire top half of the poster was a massive, ominous figure clad in black robes and wearing a dog-patterned ANBU mask. The pressure radiating from the image was palpable.
Bullet Comments / Forum Reactions:
"Theatrical release?! H*ly sht! What does 'Twin Jades' mean?""The 'Jade' (Gyoku) refers to the King piece in Shogi. It's like the General or King in chess.""Got it. Sounds like a political struggle turned violent.""Damn, the Old Thief's really leveled up—taking up half the poster by himself!""With that much poster space, Old Thief is either the ultimate villain or the critical plot driver. There's no way he's just a side character here.""If he's hogging most of the frame, he's probably not getting a death flag."
The comment section was buzzing. Many fans poked fun at the ominous black-robed figure dominating the background, wildly speculating about Masahiko's role in the drama. By standard logic, screen real estate equaled narrative importance.
However, they had to wait until 8:00 PM to confirm their theories. As the pre-order numbers skyrocketed, the comments shifted from speculation to prayer, begging the streaming platform's servers not to crash.
Finally, 8:00 PM arrived.
"Damn! iCool is actually holding up! No crash!""Fam, I'm in! I'm not gonna lie, I'm just here for the Old Thief. I need to see how he flexes this time!""Maybe we'll get a frame with both versions of him!"
After the flurry of opening logos and disclaimers faded, the screen went black.
A second later, the scene opened with a breathtaking, high-definition aerial shot of the Ninja Academy and its surrounding districts. A bird soared through the frame, guiding the camera down toward a carriage traveling along the main road. The view zoomed in smoothly, finally locking onto the Academy's main gate.
A crowd of teachers was gathered there, evidently awaiting someone of importance.
The carriage rolled to a stop. From inside, a voice drifted out:
"I heard your academy has appointed an exceptionally young Acting Head of the Education Unit. Where is he?"
In the next moment, Yagyu Masahiko's voice answered from behind the crowd.
The teachers parted ways, revealing Masahiko. He was dressed impeccably, looking even more handsome and charismatic than usual as he walked to the front of the line.
"Welcome," Masahiko said, his voice warm, polite, yet carrying an undeniable strength.
Slowly, the curtain of the carriage was lifted.
The noblewoman inside seemed to share the reaction of the audience; she paused, visibly captivated by his appearance, his voice, and his aura. After a brief daze, she lowered the curtain, her cheeks flushed.
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