Masahiko gathered his thoughts, replaying what had just happened. Only after confirming there were no loose ends did he relax.
In front of Hiruzen, actions speak louder than words.
So.
He deliberately produced the Water Jellyfish he had prepared, making his position clear both overtly and covertly, and regained Hiruzen's trust.
Between smart people, no words are wasted.
In terms of vision and leadership, Hiruzen is miles ahead of Danzo.
That's why Hiruzen became Hokage.
And Danzo… he's been in the shadows too long; he can't step out.
Shortly after Masahiko left the office, the familiar notification tone rang out.
Immediately afterward, subtitles appeared—
[Episode 9 of "naruto: prequel" filming completed!]
[Editing…]
[Export successful!]
[Total screen time: 11 minutes 10 seconds]
[Camera share: 53.1%]
[As a villain, with over 50% screen time, your pay has increased significantly.]
[Tip: …]
The share wasn't as high as expected.
Masahiko stared for a moment, then quickened his pace.
Looks like… during this period, more than just his own affairs had unfolded; unknown events he hadn't touched were happening in Konoha.
To him, this was vital intel.
Especially the part about Shisui.
To keep himself mysterious and avoid being targeted by Obito, he couldn't keep visiting Shisui.
The "prequel" was his best source of information.
Masahiko sped up, wishing he could jump straight to eight tonight… eight o'clock.
Kishimoto sat at his computer, more anxious than ever.
These days… he kept having strange dreams, faintly remembering things after waking but unable to recall details.
Kishimoto stared at the screen.
As the minutes ticked by, eight o'clock finally arrived.
He refreshed the page at once.
Soon—
The familiar opening scene and song played.
It was still Naruto running, but at seven years old he looked even younger and cuter than the canon version.
The difference… this Naruto wasn't pulling pranks; he was jogging, training.
As seconds passed, bullet comments multiplied.
After a stretch of running near the outskirts, Sasuke appeared.
And not just him… Inuzuka Kiba, Yamanaka Ino, showed up one after another from naruto's point of view.
"Damn, they're grinding hard!"
"WTF, what happened to Konoha? Is this still Kishimoto's naruto?"
"Jeez, five years later… can't even imagine!"
"Anime team's messing around… someone calculate Kishimoto's trauma area now."
The comments loved the chaos.
Kishimoto was genuinely dumbfounded.
Not the entire class was grinding, but these kids came from good clans and were supposed to have significant roles in his script.
Yet now… each was not only talented but also fiercely competitive, while the one he'd pinned higher hopes on—Haruno Sakura—was nowhere to be seen.
"Do I have to rewrite the plot?"
Kishimoto fell into thought.
The Chunin Exams weren't far off; if he pivoted now, there was still time.
Before he could decide, the scene shifted.
A dark forest, a distant tower looming, then the camera closed in on a figure curled against a wall.
Suddenly, Shisui opened his eye—one eye only—yet still handsome, even a bit wild.
The camera inched forward.
A Black-Robed Man appeared, treating Shisui's eye.
The shot was brief, but the comments exploded:
"That's the Forest of Death, right? The Chunin Exams arc had a similar backdrop."
"I bet five cents this black-robed guy is tied to that Old Thief Masahiko!"
"But the Old Thief doesn't know Medical Ninjutsu."
"Hard to say… maybe he just learned?"
They were still arguing when the scene changed again.
At Konoha Hospital, Masahiko briefly appeared, heading into a building.
A moment later Yakushi Kabuto also flashed onscreen.
Then… inside Konoha Hospital.
Several medical Ninja gathered.
"Water Jellyfish? Can Medical Ninjutsu combine with Water Release?"
"Based on the application and theory, it looks possible—unbelievable. Who came up with it?"
"A guy named Yagyu Masahiko."
They kept discussing the technique.
But the bullet chat was already on fire.
Yagyu Masahiko again!
And… what a coincidence—he just happened to be researching Medical Ninjutsu.
"Confirmed!"
"I majored in film studies; this kind of shot is deliberate foreshadowing—it's definitely him!"
"If it's not him I'll eat *!"
"If it really is him… what's he planning?"
The comments grew fiercer; a few unrelated posts were instantly buried… "Guessing's pointless, there's no prize."
Masahiko smiled indifferently.
By now his character was firmly established; many speculated about his identity, stance, and motives, and his popularity soared.
As long as the follow-up didn't flop, he'd have a place in "Season Two."
What he cared about more was the intel he didn't yet know.
This long stretch of plot had taken Masahiko several real days, yet on screen only a sliver remained.
That meant… plenty of important events had happened, squeezing the narrative space.
Sure enough.
As the episode moved forward, it arrived at Hiruzen's office.
The conversation between the Third Hokage and Kakashi played out in full, their lines quite explosive.
Which meant… Hiruzen had already made a certain decision.
The next second, the scene cut to a dark room.
Inside, Uchiha Itachi sat holding a miniature shuriken, his face clouded.
Masahiko instinctively leaned back.
Could it be… without Shisui's words in this life, without obtaining Shisui's other Kotoamatsukami, Itachi still awakened a stroke of genius?
He stared at the screen.
Knock knock knock!
In the shot, the door was rapped.
Then Fugaku pushed it open.
"Itachi, you haven't reported to the Anbu in a long while."
"Father, do you wish me to go?"
Itachi turned to him. "Do you know what I'm facing?"
Fugaku started to speak, finally gave a slight nod, then showed a trace of apology:
"I'm sorry, Itachi."
"Perhaps, in the end, my choice won't be the answer you hoped for."
Itachi lowered his head, eyes dim.
He was torn, tormented inside.
So was Fugaku.
He looked toward the door. "The Uchiha now stand at a fork, yet both paths look like dead ends."
"I merely thought… maybe you could find a better one."
Fugaku's voice was low.
Itachi opened his mouth, but finally lowered his head, stood up.
He glanced at the clock.
"It's late; Sasuke's class will end soon. I want to spend today with him."
"Mm."
Fugaku nodded.
Itachi bowed, turned, and left.
After that… came the scene of Masahiko's class.
Clearly.
This was the afternoon of that day; that's why Itachi came to pick Sasuke up later.
So that was it!
"This timeline's Fugaku is more direct than the original."
"Pity…"
Masahiko shook his head.
As Fugaku said, handing the choice to a child really isn't good fathering.
He only hoped Itachi's stroke of genius wouldn't cause him too much trouble.
But.
The episode was only halfway through.