Morning — Between Classes
"Did you hear? We're getting a new teacher today!"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah! I heard he's young. I hope he's cute!"
The girls whispered excitedly among themselves.
The boys, on the other hand, were slumped over their desks, bored out of their minds. Only a handful were actually paying attention.
"Shikamaru," Choji muttered, "I'm out of snacks. Wanna sneak out next period and buy some?"
"Are you stupid?" Shikamaru sighed. "It's the new teacher's first class. He'll definitely take attendance."
Then his eyes drifted toward Naruto.
Naruto was unusually quiet today.
That cold stare… that expression from yesterday…
It lingered in his mind like a bad dream.
Why did everyone always look at him like that?
Bang!
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Naruto suddenly shot to his feet, shouting at the top of his lungs, completely forgetting he was still in class.
At that moment—
The classroom door slid open.
Naruto froze.
Then, like a cat startled by water, he leapt onto his desk, puffing out his chest.
"You followed me here?!" he shouted. "You wanna fight the great Naruto Uzumaki?!"
What answered him wasn't hostility—
But a handsome man's helpless expression, a pair of cool, indifferent eyes…
And the deafening screams of excitement from the girls.
"And Naruto, you idiot! Show some respect!" Sakura Haruno yelled.
Naruto shrank back instinctively.
The man didn't even look at him.
He walked straight to the podium, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote his name on the board.
Then he turned around and smiled gently.
"This is my name," he said. "Barring anything unexpected, I'll be spending the next five years with you."
Last night, Masahiko Yagyu had practiced smiling in the mirror.
He was confident.
This one should be safe.
Sure enough—
The classroom exploded.
Cheers. Screams. Whistles.
Naruto, still standing on his desk, clenched his fists, grinding his teeth in silence.
Masahiko's gaze passed over him briefly.
Just long enough.
Naruto caught it instantly.
That look—
He knew it.
His eyes burned with anger.
Masahiko wasn't surprised.
Coming in early was deliberate. Partly to get a feel for the class—and partly to make an impression on Naruto.
Whether you played hero or villain, screen time came from proximity to the spotlight.
And Naruto was the spotlight.
Provoking him. Staying near him. Stirring his emotions—
All of it translated directly into usable footage.
He just didn't know how long an "episode" was.
Glancing at the clock, Masahiko smiled.
"Since this is our first class, let's keep things simple. Would you rather chat… or do some hands-on training?"
His eyes settled deliberately on the boys.
Almost instantly—
"Training! I wanna challenge you!"
Masahiko smiled.
Of course it'd be him.
Students stood up one after another, their enthusiasm obvious.
Masahiko nodded. "Alright. Let's go."
Ding—ding—ding!
The bell rang.
On the training field, boys and girls stood on opposite sides.
Masahiko clasped his hands behind his back and smiled.
"So… Uzumaki Naruto. You said you wanted to challenge me?"
"That's right!" Naruto jumped forward proudly. "I'm the guy who's gonna become Hokage!"
Masahiko chuckled."Talking about dreams like that just makes you look weak."
"I'm not dreaming!" Naruto shouted.
Masahiko stepped forward and formed the Seal of Confrontation.
Naruto mirrored him and charged with a yell, fist flying straight ahead.
Masahiko didn't move.
"What's the teacher doing?!" Sakura whispered anxiously.
Ino glanced at her, snorted, and turned away.
Nearby, Sasuke stared intensely.
At the moment Naruto's punch was about to land—
His pupils shrank.
"What—?!"
The figure in front of him flickered, twisted, and vanished.
Clone? Body Flicker?
No—too fast!
Before Naruto could react, a presence appeared behind him. A hand grabbed the back of his collar, lifting him clean off the ground.
Gasps erupted around them.
"So fast!"
Even Sasuke hadn't clearly seen the movement.
"Focusing only on what's in front of you," Masahiko said calmly, "and ignoring what's behind… that's the mistake of a reckless brat."
"I wouldn't be afraid," he added coolly, "even if there were ten of you."
"Let me go!!!" Naruto screamed, flailing wildly.
But his limbs were too short to reach anything, making the scene look almost comical.
"No one is born Hokage," Masahiko said evenly. "If you want that title, you should first ask yourself whether you're qualified."
He tossed Naruto aside.
"Someone like you should focus on surviving first."
Naruto clenched his fists.
Seeing the awe and admiration in everyone else's eyes, he lowered his head.
The gap was undeniable.
Masahiko turned to the rest of the class. "Anyone else?"
"Teacher."
Sasuke stepped forward. "Please teach me."
Masahiko studied him, then nodded.
This should be enough.
They formed the seal.
The instant it was completed, Sasuke vanished.
Body Flicker.
Masahiko missed him.
But—
Sasuke suddenly dropped low and kicked backward.
A kunai wrapped with wire shot forward first, looping perfectly around Sasuke's ankle.
With a flick of Masahiko's wrist—
Sasuke lost his balance and was lifted off the ground before he could finish breaking free.
Shock rippled through the crowd.
"Hahaha! See, Sasuke? You got lifted too!" Naruto laughed loudly.
Sasuke clenched his jaw and looked away.
Masahiko set him down.
"Sasuke's awareness, tactics, and fundamentals are excellent," he said sincerely. "Today's loss is only because I'm ten years older."
"When you're seventeen, you'll surpass me."
Sasuke froze.
Naruto exploded. "Hey! Why are you praising him?!"
Masahiko smiled gently.
"Teachers tend to favor talented students. And Sasuke truly is gifted."
Then he looked straight at Naruto.
"If you think that's unfair… then work hard until you become that talented."
"Once you do," he said calmly, "others will be the ones complaining."
A faint hum sounded in his ears—like a camera powering down.
Text appeared before his eyes.
["Naruto: Prelude" — Episode 1 filming complete][Editing…][Production successful]
Performance Report:Total Appearance Time: 5m 23sScreen Time Share: 27%
As a villain, screen time exceeded 10%. Salary increased.
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