Originally, when Masahiko copied this ability, his primary motivation was the speed amplification offered by [Lightning Style: Body Activation]. However, practical application revealed it to be far more comprehensive.
It didn't just boost his velocity. Upon activating the body, his muscles and fascia were significantly reinforced, drastically reducing the physical burden of maintaining the [Limit-Break] state.
'With the acquisition of the Kekkei Genkai, my chakra reserves are far more abundant than before. I can consider utilizing both techniques simultaneously in the future.'
'However…'
'I cannot use this ability while maintaining my identity as a Konoha shinobi.'
With a decisive thought, Masahiko assigned the technique exclusively to the "Black Robed Man" persona.
After carefully reviewing his status panel and clarifying his abilities, he willed the interface open. A light screen projected before his eyes.
It was already well past eight o'clock.
The moment the screen opened, it was completely obscured by a barrage of bullet comments.
"Holy sh*t! Itachi is out!"
"My blood pressure just spiked watching this! I had to come back just to curse him out: Itachi is absolute scum."
"+1. I support Sasuke slaughtering him!"
"Support!"
It was evident that the audience on Blue Star was furious with "That Man," fully empathizing with Sasuke's plight.
Masahiko dragged the progress bar forward.
Skipping the opening sequence, the episode entered the main storyline.
The episode didn't begin with Itachi, but with a scene of Sasuke leaving his home, waving goodbye to his family. It was a wholesome, heartbreaking contrast to what was to come.
The scene followed him all the way to the Ninja Academy.
Soon, the camera cut to the lunch break.
Sasuke exited the classroom and began warming up early. The camera panned upward, capturing a fleeting glimpse of Kabuto Yakushi. Shortly after, the frame settled on a scene featuring Masahiko and Kabuto together.
Both wore the smiles of "warm, gentle men"—kind, polite, and possessing a similar, handsome charm.
Their dialogue focused on the Sharingan and Masahiko's declaration that he would "not get involved."
However, the bullet comments saw through it immediately:
"LMAO, look at these two Oscar winners!"
"Ten sentences between them, and not a single word of truth."
"There is some truth. When Kabuto said Orochimaru wants the Sharingan, that was probably real."
No one believed Kabuto's act of being "confused" or "uninterested." However, in that specific moment, Masahiko—the narrator of his own life—knew that Kabuto had genuinely revealed a flicker of true emotion.
From the visual perspective, it looked like Kabuto intended to probe Masahiko, only to have his mental defenses breached by Masahiko's retort instead.
Moving forward, the scene shifted rapidly.
Over a dozen shuriken collided in mid-air, altering their trajectories to strike at targets completely different from their initial aim.
Masahiko, having watched this through his Shadow Clone, recognized it instantly.
It was the sparring match between Sasuke's squad and Neji's squad.
Tenten's tool manipulation was indeed exquisite, but Sasuke was no slouch, quickly counterattacking with his superior Shurikenjutsu.
"Naruto, go!"
Naruto didn't hesitate, charging straight at Tenten.
Neji and Rock Lee stood ready, their expressions serious.
They didn't know much about Naruto, only hearing rumors that he was the "Dead Last" with mediocre strength. But since Uchiha Sasuke had chosen him, there had to be a reason. Furthermore, for him to take the lead and charge head-on—
He must be strong.
That was their logical assumption.
And Naruto was strong, technically. It was just that—
"Clone Jutsu!"
A loud roar echoed.
Immediately following the shout, nearly a hundred clones appeared, densely packing the area.
If that were all, the onlookers might have just been stunned.
But Naruto's clones were... unique. They were grotesquely deformed; some were crawling on the ground, unable to walk, looking more like zombies or eldritch monsters.
The sight of a hundred twitching, bizarre clones charging forward immediately caused an uproar of laughter, and the bullet comments exploded in sync:
"F*ck me, is this the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons? Neji and Tenten look completely traumatized."
"Is Naruto trying to kill his opponents with laughter?"
"Shikamaru, was this also part of your plan?"
"This was not the plan."
Naruto's Clone Jutsu was simply too eye-catching. The entire screen was filled with "hahaha," and even Masahiko's Shadow Clone, who had been there in person, had barely managed to keep a straight face.
Unexpectedness No. 1!
Neji lost that battle, and he lost it in a very depressing fashion.
But the more depressed Neji became, the easier it was for Masahiko to approach him.
At the time, Masahiko's commentary had acknowledged the Taijutsu and teamwork of Neji's squad, leaving a distinct first impression on the young Hyūga.
Most of the bullet comments glossed over this detail.
Because—
Soon, accompanied by Naruto's exaggerated laughter, the scene cut away, shifting focus to Itachi and the Masked Man.
From their dialogue to the infiltration of the Police Force.
It was a one-sided crush. A massacre.
Afterward, Itachi remained on the perimeter, hunting down clansmen attempting to flee or sound the alarm. Faced with the desperate questions of his own kin, he remained cold and emotionless.
This triggered a torrent of abuse from the viewers:
"Fugaku had already negotiated with the Third! You don't trust your father, but you trust Danzō?"
"I'm afraid he doesn't consider these people his uncles or brothers at all."
"From his perspective, maybe not. He probably sees them as burdens that ruined his family."
"But by doing this, Fugaku has to die too—"
"Nothing else to say. He's an animal!"
The comments rolled in one after another, a black mass of text crowding the screen.
Masahiko swept his gaze over them.
Even with a plot like this, there were still a few contrarians defending Itachi, some even claiming he "did a good job" throwing away the baggage. It was truly baffling.
"Itachi... Madara..."
In front of his computer, Masashi Kishimoto was repeatedly analyzing these two characters.
Inside the Police Force conference room, the bloody slaughter didn't last long.
Within just a few exchanges, Yashiro Uchiha, Inabi Uchiha, and the others were all dead.
The only piece of significant information revealed was this:
Yashiro had met "Madara"!
Furthermore, judging by the cinematic language, it was highly likely that "Madara" was playing a rather sinister role in the farce of the Uchiha coup.
He instigated these people to rebel, yet his actual goal wasn't for the sake of the Uchiha, but to achieve his own objectives.
Looking at the plot, one target was Shisui, and the other was Itachi Uchiha.
In fact—
Shisui might have been an unexpected bonus.
The primary target was Itachi?
Kishimoto didn't have a complete outline for the future, so even he didn't know who this so-called "Madara" in Naruto: The Prequel actually was.
From a creator's perspective, he had a vague feeling that the man on screen was not the Uchiha Madara he had envisioned.
'If "Madara's" main target is Itachi...'
'Wait?'
A spark of inspiration flashed in Kishimoto's mind. He jumped the playback timeline backward, returning to the scene at the Naka Shrine.
It was mentioned there—
Madara had once transplanted his younger brother's eyes.
'Brother?'
Kishimoto connected the threads of thought and immediately formed a hypothesis.
After "Madara" obtained his brother's eyes, his Sharingan likely underwent a new evolution. Therefore, he hopes to replicate this miracle within Itachi Uchiha!
The so-called "Revival of the Uchiha" was nothing but a lie, a pretext.
By this deduction:
Madara's true target is actually either Itachi or Sasuke.
Kishimoto quickly scribbled this down on paper.
The episode hadn't even finished airing the night of the extinction, yet the information revealed allowed him to connect and extend the plot significantly.
In addition, the storyline involving the black-robed man plunged Kishimoto into deep thought.
On screen:
The black-robed man lurked in the river, traveling upstream. Along the way, he even slaughtered a four-man squad from Root.
The opponent's underwater combat capabilities were formidable!
If that were all, Kishimoto wouldn't be confused.
What puzzled him was that later, the black-robed man encountered Kakashi and actually fought him to a standstill—even suppressing him.
Is the black-robed man really Yagyu Masahiko?
And more importantly—
Wait, he actually know how to use the Shikotsumyaku?