"What's the situation? Wasn't she super gentle at school?"
• "Holy sh*t, that look is straight-up oppressive!"
• "Good lord, what is going on with Yakumo? The Old Thief and Kurenai aren't there, so she just went straight to the dark side?"
• "She's the definition of 'Pink on the outside, Pitch Black on the inside!'"
The bullet comments exploded.
Previously, in the "Prequel" broadcast, Yakumo Kurama had mostly appeared as part of the background scenery. Her most significant moment had been sketching in the classroom when she first enrolled. Following that, there were no specific close-ups; after all, Yakumo's physical condition truly made her unsuitable for sparring or heavy training.
However, she had left a deep impression on the audience. She was pretty, with an aesthetic that seemed soft, frail, and gentle—the picture of a delicate young girl. No one expected that when she finally made a move, she would unleash such suffocating oppression.
Even Masahiko was surprised.
He had always assumed that his intervention and guidance had fundamentally altered the trajectory of the Kurama clan. But looking at this now...
Yakumo's "Ido"—the monster born of her subconscious—was indeed gone, yet it appeared it hadn't vanished completely. Ido was, fundamentally, a part of Yakumo herself. The original Yakumo, driven by various despairing factors, had developed a state akin to split personality disorder, which eventually birthed the monster.
The current Yakumo hadn't experienced that same level of absolute despair, so her mind hadn't fractured. However, the darkness was still hidden within her. For instance, on the day before the clan moved... Yakumo had lashed out at Unkai Kurama. Using the power of her Kekkei Genkai, she had left a manifested claw mark across Unkai's face.
Masahiko stared intently at the holographic screen.
On screen, Yakumo returned to school and quickly reverted to normal, though she appeared rather listless. The scene that followed likely took place before Masahiko and the others had returned to the Academy.
Masahiko increased the playback speed. To his surprise, the next segment shifted to the Hokage's Office, featuring Hiruzen Sarutobi, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Shikaku Nara.
He watched the entire sequence in detail, falling into deep thought.
'Has the old hag been sidelined?'
Masahiko grasped the gist of the situation and couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed likely. In the original timeline, Koharu Utatane was merely an advisor, possessing far less authority than she seemed to wield here previously. Now, she was being pushed out.
The bullet comments were celebrating frequently. The audience had long despised the "Incompetent Duo" of Koharu and Danzō. Seeing them lose power was a cause for jubilation.
A moment later, the scene transitioned.
The camera panned to the village streets. Students from the Academy were patrolling, helping other ninja maintain order and guide civilians. In the background, many could be seen sweeping the ground and clearing garbage.
The scene proved a simple fact: The Ninja World would keep spinning, no matter who was missing.
With the Uchiha clan gone, the Military Police Force did not appear to have been reinstated. Instead, their duties were distributed among various other ninja. perhaps due to the involvement of the children, the ninja responsible for these tasks were chatting and laughing with street vendors—an atmosphere vastly different from the cold tension of the past.
The only ones suffering were the kids.
"A bunch of kids sweeping the streets? If I recall correctly, the Old Thief proposed this, right?"
• "Yes, bro, you remember correctly."
• "The Old Thief really needs to be strung up on a streetlamp! Look at Asuma, he even has to say thank you! The nerve!"
• "Bad to the bone... Speaking of Asuma, he's coming back to the village, right? If he gets to see Kurenai every day, he might actually have a shot."
There were plenty of comments roasting Masahiko. However, roasting aside, many viewers understood the context. The Ninja World was different from the Real World. According to the lore, ninja went to war at a young age; work like this would, in a way, help the children mature ahead of time.
After a few teasing remarks, the audience settled back into watching the drama.
The next scene showed Masahiko returning to the village.
He encountered Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane. Currently, they were just two ninja on the street, not yet the iconic "Gatekeeper Gods" of the future, but many viewers recognized them instantly.
"Hey, aren't those the proctors from the Chūnin Exams?"
Seeing them chat warmly with Masahiko, the viewers remembered the setting revealed by "Kishimoto" (the in-universe author avatar): The Old Thief was from the same graduating class as Iruka. Izumo and Kotetsu were roughly the same age, so it made sense they would know each other.
After a round of pleasantries, the scene faded, transitioning to evening.
Naruto and Sasuke were sprinting wildly through the streets of the village. They were chasing each other, competing, and from the looks of it, going all out.
On screen, the sun set and the moon rose.
It was a simple slice-of-life montage, yet it gradually highlighted the shift in Sasuke's emotions after Naruto's return. Compared to his behavior immediately following the massacre, Sasuke was visibly more active.
By the roadside, Sasuke squeezed out his last ounce of strength. Watching Naruto, who was still energetic and possessed considerable stamina, a trace of powerlessness flashed in Sasuke's eyes.
"Hahaha! Sasuke, are you done already?"
"I... I'm just switching to shuriken practice."
Sasuke gritted his teeth and forced his body to move. He stopped running and switched to a different form of training.
He could not rest. He didn't have the right to rest.
"Shuriken? I can do that too, ya know?" Naruto chased after him.
The scene slowly faded out on their competitive chase.
The bullet comments fell silent for a moment. It was ostensibly a cheerful scene, yet the viewers felt a heavy sense of sorrow and oppression radiating from it. If they had only read the manga, they might not have understood Sasuke deeply. But after witnessing the full sequence of the Uchiha massacre, everyone gradually began to empathize with his character.
He craved love, only to lose everything the moment he obtained it.
Sasuke was working hard—harder than he ever had before. To remain this strong after such a devastating blow was remarkable.
Suddenly, a different kind of comment drifted across the screen:
"I have to say, Masahiko actually did a humane thing regarding Sasuke. Even if he might stab him in the back later..."
Masahiko, watching from behind his screen, smiled without speaking.
The broadcast continued.
The brief clip of Masahiko's secret meeting with Danzō was also edited in, but the audience was already desensitized to it.
"Meeting in private again? You two are shameless!" "Just get a room already!"
Masahiko sped up the playback again.
Suddenly, the location shifted. The scene opened in a dimly lit wooden cabin. Masahiko immediately sat up straight.
Inside the cabin was Itachi Uchiha!
An instant later, space twisted and spiraled, and "Madara" appeared.
Itachi stood up.
"No need to stand on ceremony," "Madara" said, his voice deep. "Your mission this time is to act only in critical situations. Ensure the safety of Jūzō Biwa and, more importantly, Shisui. Do not let him use that technique."
"Understood." Itachi nodded.
On screen, Itachi paused for a moment before speaking. "By the way, there is something I wish to ask."
"Speak." "Madara" nodded.
"Was the Kaguya clan truly annihilated?"
" The Kaguya, hmm..." "Madara" seemed to recall something from the distant past. After a few seconds, he replied, "You could say they were annihilated. However, the Kaguya clan is not quite like the Uchiha or the Hyūga."
"What do you mean?" Itachi frowned.
"Madara" chuckled darkly. "Their entire clan consisted of battle-crazed lunatics. They only cared about warriors; they had no interest in anything else. Therefore, no one truly knows if there are any descendants left." He looked at Itachi. "Why do you ask?"
"I was attacked by Shikotsumyaku while pursuing Orochimaru," Itachi answered.
"Madara" looked thoughtful. "It seems Orochimaru picked up a fish that slipped through the net. Who knows, he might have other interesting things... Forget it. Now is not the time to deal with him."
He fixed his single visible eye on Itachi.
"There is one person you must be wary of."
"He wears a black robe and a fox mask. His identity is suspect. If he appears to crash the party... kill him."