Walking out of the Hokage Building and arriving home, Masahiko once again saw the familiar subtitles.
[Filming of naruto: prequel Episode 13 complete!]
[Editing in progress——]
[Episode finalized!]
[Total screen time: 10 min 38 s, shot share: 50.9 %]
[Because this episode features many characters, your screen time as a villain exceeds 50 %, so your pay has been further increased.]
[Reminder:——]
Already edited again?
Apart from my conversation with Hiruzen just now——
Masahiko thought for a moment and glanced toward Konoha Hospital.
Did Sasuke sneak out of the hospital?
He considered it, but still didn't go to the hospital, heading home as usual to train the "Fireball Big Bang" in the training space.
Of course,
Masahiko prefers to call it "Great Flame Explosion Technique."
He was running an experiment.
Besides adding compression and explosion effects to the Grand Fireball, could he shrink the scale yet speed up the release?
In short, although he had already reached "Limit Break," Masahiko felt the jutsu still had huge Room for improvement.
Evening, the setting sun slanted across the sky.
After dinner, Masahiko used his nightly jog to head for the safe-house Root had told him about.
Outside the safe-house, Toge emerged and blocked his way.
"Who told you to come?"
"Sir, I'm here to submit research documents and to report on my meeting with Hokage-sama today."
Masahiko answered.
Toge's face was blank as he took the scroll: "What did Hokage-sama say?"
"He spoke about promoting me to Jonin, but claimed my seniority is insufficient yet gave no specifics, so I wished to report it."
Masahiko replied.
Toge gave a slight nod. "I'll inform the chief. You may leave."
"Yes!"
Masahiko turned and departed.
Toge studied the scroll for a few seconds, then flickered deeper into the hideout.
Moments later.
"Sir——"
"Enter."
Only after the voice sounded did Toge dare push the door open.
Inside, Danzo's arm and lower right ribs were wrapped in bandages.
"What is it?"
"Sir, the Hokage summoned Yagyu Masahiko today and spoke of promoting him to Jonin."
Toge repeated Masahiko's words.
Danzo narrowed his eyes. "Hiruzen wants him in the Anbu."
"Then we——"
"Leave it. Lie low for now; don't provoke him again."
Danzo took the scroll.
A quick glance brought approval to his eyes: "Lacking foundational knowledge, but strong in thought and research—worth cultivating."
"After all, Orochimaru was once Hokage-sama's student."
Toge replied.
Danzo nodded.
Comparing Yagyu Masahiko to Orochimaru was unfair; he wouldn't demand the same ability. Had Masahiko truly matched Orochimaru, Danzo would instead feel suspicious and wary.
He glanced again.
Danzo set the scroll down, pondered, then said: "The modified Hard Vortex Water Blade loses flexibility, but combined its power should be respectable."
"Have someone test it."
He handed the scroll back to Toge.
Toge acknowledged, accepting it and preparing to leave.
Danzo called him back.
"Right—give him the Eight Gates research materials as well; see if he can develop something."
"Yes!"
Under the village streetlight, Masahiko spotted Sasuke sitting dejectedly in a corner, smiled silently, and walked over.
"Feeling wronged?"
Sasuke looked up; his face had been on the verge of crumbling, yet the instant he saw Masahiko all tension seemed to dissolve.
Fighting back tears, he spoke in a low voice: "Teacher, can I stay at your place tonight?"
"Let's go."
Masahiko asked no reasons; their shadows stretched under the lamp, swallowing Sasuke as he rose.
He hurried after him.
"Have you eaten?"
Gurgle—
The long growl cut off Sasuke's lie.
His face flushed.
Masahiko chuckled. "Come on, I'll treat you to ramen—can't afford the fancy stuff."
Sasuke quickened his pace to keep up.
The ramen shop hadn't closed yet.
They sat eating; Sasuke kept glancing at his teacher.
"Eat——"
Only then did he realize——
His teacher was actually still young; in his memory, he'd been in the same class as Shisui.
He lowered his head.
"Thank you, teacher. I'll just stay tonight."
"No problem."
Masahiko set down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth calmly. "My place is roomy; I can tidy a Room for you to stay longer if you like."
Sasuke's eyes slowly brightened.
They reached home after eight.
After a shower, Masahiko opened the light-screen and started the episode.
The opening was flooded with "6" and "fast updates" comments.
——
After all,
these two episodes really had been edited quickly.
The episode picked up right after Masahiko's battle with Kakashi—only—
"Damn, he bolted fast!"
"He ran the moment he saw Raikiri—knows Kakashi too well."
"Even though he fled—Old Thief's choreography is sick, running on waves like flying."
"So cool, still showing off while running!"
The bullet chats all teased the Black-Robed Man for "light-speed retreat," almost unanimously assuming the figure was him.
From an omniscient view, the clues did point more clearly.
Masahiko didn't care.
Did winning or losing matter?
What mattered was screen time, achieving the set objective.
A Ninja without a brain tops out at Hidan.
He dragged the progress bar.
After the Black-Robed Man withdrew, "Madara" flashed by—then——
The scene shifted with "Madara" to Uchiha Itachi's Room.
He had just killed a clansman.
Next, Uchiha Fugaku was thrown out of a space by "Madara."
Immediately, a torrent of curses against Itachi filled the screen so densely the picture was almost hidden.
The viewers' resentment nearly spilled out.
Only after the barrage thinned could the scene be seen.
Masahiko stared at the image.
The plot matched his expectations.
The difference: this time Uchiha Mikoto, carrying the crippled Fugaku, committed suicide together.
At the instant of her death, far fewer people cursed Itachi.
"Poor Sasuke."
"Just got warmth and a happy family, everything looking up—then—ugh!"
"If I were Sasuke I'd stab the guy someday!"
"Don't hold back, he's not innocent at all."
Mostly, everyone ached for Sasuke.
A seven-year-old craving attention and happiness was doomed to be shattered.
Put yourself in his shoes——
and later Sasuke actually seemed pitiable.
No wonder he turned out that way.
Inside the house the lights dimmed, the camera drifting outside.
The viewpoint was on Danzo's side.
From above, a girl carrying two buckets was followed by a suspicious black-robed figure.
The next second Danzo leapt down, rebounding off jutting rocks and trees.
At the end, Chakra erupted into violent winds that blocked the mighty waves of Water Wave.
Simultaneously, Danzo landed and delivered his line.
"Leaving aside everything else, the effects and production—if you ignore Danzo's weird getup—actually looked pretty cool."
A comment praised.
The choreography won unanimous acclaim.
Had it not been for earlier scenes, anyone would have thought him a hero.
But with the use of "Vacuum Great Sphere," his reputation plummeted again—
A large-scale Wind Release jutsu aimed not only at the Black-Robed Man but also at the little girl and baby behind him.
"6, not even human—listen to what you just said?"
"Do you even see them as villagers?"
"Danzo: To keep villagers from being kidnapped, I'll kill them all!"
Many worried whether the "Black-Robed Man" could escape—
Previously alone, now burdened with children, the situation was different.
The next second, their worries vanished.
The ground split, water surged skyward.
Amid the waves, the black-robed figure glided like a ghost through curtains of water and wind.
A bone blade in hand, he closed on Danzo beneath the water's cover, the short blade tearing through the tempest.
Water pillars, great waves, the man within——
From appearance to strike took but a blink, droplets and mist swirling so that Vacuum's blades were repelled.
Yet,
in a flash, where water and mist had been, no figure remained.
The wind could not stop the blade-bearer!