"Shadow Clone Jutsu…"
Yagyu Masahiko held the scroll detailing the technique, its chakra formulas, and usage methods in his hands, breathing a long sigh of relief.
He had it!
Moreover, his gamble had paid off.
Although the Third Hokage didn't overtly grant Naruto many privileges, he quietly provided a great deal of assistance from the shadows. In the eyes of the Third, Masahiko's harsh treatment of Naruto was evidently seen as positive reinforcement—a form of strict mentorship—rather than the bullying and oppression Naruto believed it to be.
His ability to successfully apply for the Shadow Clone Jutsu was undoubtedly related to this tacit approval.
Masahiko studied the scroll intently.
He had already completed the training for tree climbing and water walking on his own, so his chakra control was not an issue. The Shadow Clone Jutsu itself wasn't overly difficult; the main challenge lay in the massive amount of chakra required to cast it, as well as adapting to the mental risks and exhaustion involved in the process.
'Shadow Clone Jutsu…'
'Looking at it from another angle, it's simply adding more chakra to the foundation of the basic Clone Jutsu to construct a solid entity.'
'So…'
With his thoughts aligned and his experience with the proficiency-level basic Clone Jutsu, Masahiko moved quickly.
He formed the seal!
Chakra molding…
Masahiko felt his physical and spiritual energy drain rapidly, followed by a sudden wave of fatigue.
In the next second, an identical copy of himself appeared by his side.
Success!
Masahiko exhaled sharply.
'B-Rank difficulty. It doesn't seem too high.'
However, he knew that part of the reason for the Shadow Clone Jutsu's B-Rank classification was the backlash of fatigue that occurred when the clone dispersed.
Not everyone was Uzumaki Naruto.
With a thought, Masahiko commanded the clone to handle some simple paperwork while his main body continued writing the lesson plan for the afternoon.
About two minutes later, he released the jutsu.
A slight wave of exhaustion and memories of the paperwork rushed into his brain. Masahiko felt a momentary wave of dizziness, taking a full second to recover his senses.
Once he recovered, he felt a deep sense of defeat.
'Only two minutes…'
He hadn't even ordered the clone to perform high-intensity tasks.
After a few seconds of silence, Masahiko sighed softly.
'There is no harm until you start comparing yourself to others…'
'Although I just learned it and haven't adapted yet… the gap between me and Naruto is truly massive.'
'To become stronger—to survive—I must increase the intensity of my persecution of Naruto!'
A few minutes later, Masahiko put down his pen.
On the paper, three items were listed: "Taijutsu Mindset," "Streamlined Movements," and "Combat Guidance."
Taijutsu classes at the Academy mostly taught the basics; they didn't require profound techniques. These three concepts alone were enough for him to teach for several years.
Masahiko rubbed his temples, then summoned his interface.
[Activate Basic Advancement!]
Noon. The bell rang.
After hurriedly scarfing down his lunch, Naruto's eyes darted around, and he prepared to slip away and hide.
But the moment he stepped out of the cafeteria doors…
A figure stood waiting by the side, a toothpick from the cafeteria clamped nonchalantly in his mouth.
"Fifty laps."
"Damn it!"
Naruto gritted his teeth, turned around, and bolted.
He ran a few steps, then looked up—
Another Yagyu Masahiko?
Naruto looked back. The Masahiko behind him was approaching slowly, unhurried.
Naruto initiated a charge.
Bam!
One punch, and Naruto was sent flying.
"Do you want to add more laps?"
"I'll run! I'll run, okay?!"
Naruto wanted to cry but had no tears left. He had truly had enough of this demon!
Masahiko dispelled his clone and followed behind at a leisurely pace.
He didn't actually need Naruto to finish all fifty laps. The primary goal was to drain the brat's energy so he wouldn't have the spare capacity to cause trouble.
Secondly, this was a perfect opportunity to steal some screen time and boost his popularity.
Why wouldn't he do it?
After about ten laps, Masahiko slowed his pace. As he turned a corner into the grove, the moment his figure was obscured by a large tree…
He cast Shadow Clone Jutsu, swapping places and hiding his main body in the undergrowth!
Seconds later, Uchiha Sasuke moved quietly through the woods.
A few seconds after that, a figure in black robes wearing a cat-patterned porcelain mask appeared silently, glancing specifically in the direction where Masahiko's Shadow Clone had disappeared.
Masahiko turned his head slightly, his peripheral vision sweeping over the locations of Sasuke and the ANBU. Pretending to notice nothing, he continued forward.
One hour later.
Naruto was walking toward the school building like a dead dog, dragging his feet. If Masahiko hadn't forbidden it, he probably would have crawled.
Following behind, Masahiko's thoughts were complex.
The constitution of the Uzumaki clan, combined with being the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, really was superhuman. Although the number of laps hadn't increased, Naruto's speed, rhythm, and recovery rate during this noon session showed a faint improvement compared to before.
Fortunately, Masahiko had a System too.
Afternoon. Taijutsu class.
"Everyone, start with laps. After running, we'll move to stretching and exercises…"
The students quickly began to run.
Before long, Naruto shot out from the pack!
Sasuke picked up his pace, quickly overtaking him.
However, Naruto clung tenaciously to the rear, refusing to fall behind. Kiba and the others were left in the dust, exchanging bewildered glances.
"What's up with Naruto today?"
"Who knows? He's been acting weird for the last two days."
Chōji spoke weakly, hating the monotony of running training. He glanced sideways and whispered, "Shikamaru, let's skip class!"
Shikamaru sighed softly. "Naruto was dragged out at noon and seemingly ran a lot of laps. If you don't want extra training, you'd best abandon that thought."
Chōji's face turned pale, and he immediately dropped the subject of skipping.
Nearby, Ino suddenly leaned in.
"Masahiko-sensei took Naruto out at noon?"
"Yeah, took him right from the cafeteria entrance. Having a responsible teacher is such a drag," Shikamaru sighed.
Then, he looked thoughtful. "But if Naruto went out to run laps at noon and can still run this fast now… his recovery ability is honestly freakish."
Everyone looked ahead.
Although the current Naruto was still slower than Sasuke, his face was twisted in grim determination, full of drive, and he hadn't let the distance widen too much.
When he was serious, Naruto actually possessed a strange charisma that made people take notice.
"It's hard to believe…" Ino muttered to herself. "To turn around a prankster and dead-last like Naruto… Masahiko-sensei really lives up to his reputation."
Shikamaru glanced at her, speechless.
'This fangirl…'
Whatever. He silently kept pace, muttering "troublesome" in his heart.
Just then, a voice cut through the air.
"Third lap. A friendly reminder: anyone not running with full effort will be joining me for a private extra session later. Especially that pineapple head—stop slacking off!"
Pineapple… head?
Shikamaru's face went stiff. He turned his head toward the center of the field, confirming that the comment was indeed directed at him.
A burst of laughter erupted from the front—
"Pfft—Hahahaha!"
"Pineapple head!"
"That's too funny, Shikamaru…"
Naruto laughed so hard he lost his rhythm, instantly falling a significant distance behind Sasuke.
In the next second, screaming wildly, he sprinted with everything he had, his speed actually exceeding his previous pace as he desperately tried to catch up.
Sasuke was drenched in sweat.
Before this afternoon, he had never imagined he would be in a contest of wills with a dead-last like Naruto.
But…
Over thirty laps…
He hadn't been able to maintain that intensity at lunch, yet Naruto could!
This made Sasuke realize that while he appeared to excel at everything in the academy, in certain areas not covered by exams, he was still not superior enough.
Sasuke gave it his all, stopping only after sprinting through the fifth lap.
He looked back—
Naruto was yelling strangely, waving at the others, completely lacking focus.
Yet even so, Naruto had only been left behind by about two hundred meters.
'I… am actually inferior to someone like him…'
Sasuke's heart filled with dissatisfaction and anger toward himself.