Returning to the Ninja Academy, Masahiko swept his gaze across the assembled crowd, his expression grave. "As everyone saw today, the spy who infiltrated us is very likely the same culprit behind the previous riots. Danger is right beside us! As future ninja, you must all be prepared for an attack at any moment!"
Experience was the best teacher; one harsh lesson was all it took. Having witnessed such a large-scale battle with their own eyes, not just the students, but even the surrounding residents were suddenly on high alert. The children standing below all wore solemn, severe expressions.
"Every single one of us must view ourselves as ninja, as soldiers..." Masahiko continued to drone on from the podium, deliberately hamming it up to maximize his screen time and ensure his face made the final cut.
The moment he finished his speech and stepped down from the stage...
[Naruto: The Prequel - Episode 18 Filming Complete!]
[Editing in progress...]
[Production Successful!]
[Total Screen Time: 10 minutes 36 seconds. Screen Time Ratio: 50.5%.]
[As a villain character, your screen time has exceeded 50%. Your Salary has been massively increased.]
[Notification: ...]
Down below, the assembly was finally dismissed. The heavily suppressed Naruto finally found his release, bursting into loud laughter. "You guys are so weak! I just jumped straight down from up there, ya know!"
However, his joy was short-lived.
"Naruto!!"
An infuriated roar made Naruto flinch. He looked up to see Iruka storming over, his face etched with pure rage. The instructor grabbed him, fuming. "You think this is funny? What if it was the third floor? If you jumped down and got hurt, wouldn't you just be dragging down the escape speed of your classmates?"
Naruto shrank his head down, immediately adopting the timid posture of someone expecting a scolding.
Outside the village, Danzō stared at the broken sword in his hand, his eyes locked onto the fading silhouette of his opponent. His expression was dangerously dark.
"Danzō-sama..."
"Let us go. He is not our current priority." Danzō tossed the broken blade to his subordinate, tucked his arm back into his robes, and headed toward the Root base.
Upon arriving at the base, Toge immediately rushed over. "Danzō-sama, the operation was a success!"
"A success?" Danzō sneered coldly. "A few Sky Village squads? You could kill a hundred of them, and it still would not equate to the threat posed by Shinnō alone!"
"Shinnō?" Toge paused, momentarily stunned. "Did he not perish?"
"He is perfectly alive." Danzō did not elaborate. Although Shinnō had no intention of engaging in a drawn-out battle and the two had merely exchanged a few blows, the outcome was undeniable: Danzō had been at a disadvantage.
Even with this thing in his possession... Danzō gripped his right arm, his brows furrowed tightly. "Shinnō is a hidden danger."
"But Danzō-sama, our focus must remain within the village," Toge advised quietly.
Danzō nodded. He sat down, deep in thought, until another subordinate approached.
"Danzō-sama, Masahiko is here."
"Perfect timing. I will see him." Danzō stood and walked out to meet him.
A short while later, Masahiko arrived. "Danzō-sama!" He immediately provided a clear, comprehensive report of the recent events from start to finish.
Furthermore... "Danzō-sama, this is the Puppet Exoskeleton prosthetic I designed for Maruboshi Kosuke."
"Maruboshi Kosuke, is it?" Danzō accepted the scroll, his fingers brushing over the sealing formula as if momentarily lost in a distant memory. A few seconds later, he handed it back. "Give it to him."
He looked at Masahiko. "The man you encountered is named Shinnō. He was once the leader of the Sky Village. You may review the files on the Sky Village later."
"Danzō-sama, are you..." Masahiko let a trace of astonishment show on his face, feigning hesitation. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and asked, "Have you encountered a difficulty? If it is within my power, this subordinate is willing to share your burden!"
"A difficulty..." Hearing this, Danzō could not help but let out a chilling chuckle, his gaze fixing heavily on Masahiko. "What difficulty could I possibly have?"
"Although this subordinate is dull, even I can sense the shifting tides from recent events... It seems that you and Utatane-sama are slowly being pushed out of the inner circle..." Masahiko replied with earnest, unhesitating loyalty. "You allowing me to access the Sky Village's files... has something changed?"
Danzō narrowed his eyes.
After a heavy silence, he stood up and replied indifferently, "It is nothing. Shinnō's strength merely exceeded my expectations. I may require your assistance with him in the future." He looked down, staring imperiously at Masahiko's bowed head. "Intelligence is a fine trait. But making presumptuous speculations is where you overstep."
"Understood. This subordinate will take that lesson to heart!" Masahiko replied sharply.
Danzō waved his hand, signaling him to rise. Only then did he add, "The raid drills are a good initiative. Continue them. You do not need to concern yourself with the rest."
With that, Danzō walked over to a nearby bookshelf. He searched for a moment before pulling down a scroll. "Previously, you mentioned the concept of combining the Eight Inner Gates with massive oxygen intake to forcibly elevate physical cell activation... Is there room for further optimization?"
"That was a theoretical approach this subordinate deemed viable. If we are to optimize it, we would likely still need to start with the oxygen intake mechanism," Masahiko answered smoothly. "Furthermore, the cell activation process requires rigorous physical conditioning. Even as a crash course, it is not something that can be achieved overnight."
"Hn." Danzō nodded. After a moment of silence, he handed over another notebook. "Take these notes. Produce results as quickly as possible."
"Yes, Danzō-sama!"
Returning home, Masahiko opened the notebook.
It was the handwriting of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju!
Furthermore, the margins were filled with numerous annotations and detailed insights. One section comprised research into Water Style, the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique, and various other Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. Several of these were explicitly designed to counter the Sharingan.
As for the other section...
'A Soul Confinement Jutsu?'
He was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected to find this specific technique here. This forbidden jutsu was incredibly complex. Since Masahiko officially had no public research into soul manipulation, it theoretically wouldn't make sense for him to produce any sudden results. He turned his attention back to the previous section.
'I'll just use the Water Style and the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique to report back.'
At 8:00 PM, sitting before the glowing System screen, Masahiko set down his pen. He had already drafted his research report. His approach remained the same as his previous projects: he theorized breaking down the Water Style: Water Severing Wave and the Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique from single-user jutsu into cooperative, multi-user formations with clear divisions of labor, thereby drastically lowering the learning curve and casting difficulty.
Regarding the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique, Masahiko deliberately added a few extra theoretical insights and breadcrumbs, leaving enough for Danzō to pursue his own subsequent research.
'Now then...' He thought. 'Time to watch Episode 18.'
With a 50% screen time ratio, he was bound to glean some valuable information. The episode opened with the scene of him sealing the Ido. He sped up the playback, skipping past it until he reached the dialogue between Danzō and Hiruzen Sarutobi...
"Danzō just called Hiruzen's ideas too dangerous? Am I seeing things?" "The audacity! Bro is living in upside-down world!" "No but seriously... does Danzō have zero self-awareness? If the Third doesn't kick him out soon, Konoha is going to be run into the ground by him and those old hags!" "For real. If I were the Third, I'd be mentally exhausted too."
In the original manga timeline known to the real-world viewers, Danzō hadn't even made his official appearance yet. But thanks to this "Prequel," his reputation as the ultimate scapegoat was already ironclad. Not a single Bullet Comment was praising him.
However, Masahiko was sharp-eyed. He immediately spotted one comment that stood out from the crowd:
"Why do I feel like something's off? This plan the Third Hokage is pushing... could it have been suggested by Masahiko, that Old Thief?"
This specific comment was quickly drowned out by the flood of text, largely unnoticed by the rest of the viewers.
Soon, the next scene began. It was the moment Danzō returned to the Root base. Inside the dimly lit room, it was just Danzō, Toge, and another trusted aide dressed in the distinct style of the Aburame clan.
On screen, Danzō spoke. "Hiruzen wants me to step out and form a separate organization to counter those people. What are your thoughts?"
The Aburame aide remained silent.
"Danzō-sama, I fear that..." Toge hesitated for a moment before answering. "If you step out now, you may never get another opportunity."