Konoha, the Ninja Academy.
Under the dim glow of the office lights, a solitary teacher remained hunched over his desk, long after the others had left.
"A villain..."
"A proper villain..."
Yagyu Masahiko had been scribbling for ages, but finally, he collapsed onto the desk in defeat.
"Damn it! Why did it have to be a villain role of all things?!"
A moment later, he sat up, crumpled the paper in his hand into a tight ball, and summoned the system interface again, refusing to believe his eyes.
[Life is like a play. Welcome to the Grand Stage of "Naruto".]
[You must adhere to your Character Archetype to enter the stage and become a featured character in "Naruto: The Prequel".]
[When your performance is captured in the final cut, you will receive salary rewards.]
[Note: The higher your character's popularity, the more screen time you receive, and the better the rewards.]
[Rewards are updated per episode.]
[Your Character Archetype is: 'Villain'.]
Below this notification lay his attribute panel.
[Yagyu Masahiko]
[Age: 17]
[Kekkei Genkai: None]
[Hiden Techniques: None]
[Skills: Body Flicker Technique (Mastery), Clone Technique (Mastery), Transformation Technique (Mastery), Body Replacement Technique (Mastery), Kunai Throwing (Mastery)]
It was a blindingly mediocre status panel.
And this was the result of Masahiko's unremitting efforts over the seven years since he had transmigrated here. The original owner of this body had perished during the Nine-Tails' Attack long ago.
After seven years of grinding, he was forced to admit a harsh truth—the word "Talent" truly dictated fate in this world. This feeling had only intensified after awakening the System today.
Despite his dedication, every Ninjutsu and Taijutsu he practiced had capped at 'Mastery'. Among the Chūnin ranks, he might be considered decent, perhaps even slightly above average within the general ninja populace, but that was his ceiling.
He couldn't help it. In his previous life, he was just an ordinary university student. In this life, his predecessor was a civilian ninja whose parents had died early in the war. Even getting into the Academy had been a struggle. No Kekkei Genkai, no secret clan techniques—nothing. The few jutsu he had mastered were standard issue for low-to-mid-tier ninja. He hadn't even managed to learn a single high-level technique. He had painstakingly cultivated his swordsmanship, yet the panel didn't even recognize it as a skill.
Masahiko felt like all his devotion had been wasted.
Especially when it came to this System. Initially, he had been ecstatic. Thanks to years of exercise and cultivation, his Taijutsu and Ninjutsu were solid enough to earn him a promotion to Chūnin this year. He had spent six months fighting to become a Taijutsu teacher at the Academy specifically so he could get closer to the "Protagonist" and insert himself into the narrative earlier.
There was even a peer in this profession worth emulating: Iruka.
That man relied on his bond with Naruto, offering a few heartwarming words to survive until the grand finale, enjoying frequent screen time throughout the series. It proved that for an "early-game supporting character," raw power didn't dictate screen presence—your relationship with the Protagonist did.
But...
He never expected his assigned role to be the "Villain"!
"Screw you!"
"Villains are people too!"
"Why can't I have the Iruka script?!"
Masahiko slammed his fist onto the desk in anger.
Several seconds passed. He took a series of deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.
"Wait."
"A villain stands in opposition to the Protagonist. That doesn't mean I have to be enemies with everyone else."
"As long as I antagonize Naruto, I theoretically fulfill the Villain Archetype."
"Regardless, I just need to survive the 'Prequel' phase. I can't afford to go offline or fade into obscurity in this first season."
Once Masahiko cooled his head, his thoughts opened up, and his strategy became clear.
What kind of person steals the camera?
Someone so handsome they demand attention, impossible to forget at a glance. Or, someone so hideously ugly they are equally unforgettable.
Masahiko had no chance with the latter. Although the original host was a civilian, he was quite handsome, often receiving love letters from female villagers. After transmigrating, Masahiko hadn't cared much about looks, focusing entirely on training and strength, so his image management had been lacking.
But now...
Staring into the flickering firelight, Masahiko's eyes filled with hope. He muttered to himself, "An excellent arch-villain must first possess an excellent image."
He held the crumpled paper over the flame, watching it burn to ash.
________________________________________
An excellent villain starts with image management.
Simply put—he had to start from the top.
Early the next morning, Yagyu Masahiko stepped out of a barbershop and headed toward the Academy. His hair and face had undergone a complete overhaul; compared to his usual self, he looked significantly more dashing and sharp.
Just as he arrived at the school gate...
He spotted a blonde child sneaking around, carrying a bucket.
Masahiko's brow quirked. Target acquired.
Opportunity!
Without hesitation, he altered his path and walked straight toward him.
"Heheh..."
"I, Uzumaki Naruto, am gonna be the Hokage! You just wait..."
Naruto was giggling strangely, muttering to himself as he crept along.
At that precise moment.
Smack!
A hand landed heavily on his shoulder, and a cold, gloomy voice drifted from behind him.
"Hey, brat."
"Aaaah!!"
Naruto shuddered in terror, instinctively hurling the bucket of ink in his hand at the person behind him.
But Masahiko was ready.
With a fluid twist of his wrist, a kunai appeared in his grip. In the blink of an eye, he hooked the handle of the flying bucket with the blade. Then, with a stylish flourish, he swung the kunai in a tight arc behind him, redirecting the bucket's momentum.
In the end, not a single drop of ink spilled.
Masahiko could have easily caught it with his hand, of course, but he chose this method for a specific reason.
No other reason than—it looked cool!
That is how you earn screen time.
He held the ink bucket suspended on the tip of his kunai, his gaze cold as he looked down at the boy who was now backing away in fear.
"You must be..."
"That rumored brat."
Meeting that gaze, Naruto immediately gritted his teeth, a look of intense anger rising on his face. He lowered his head gloomily, refusing to answer, and turned to run.
After putting some distance between them, the blonde boy spun around, sticking out his tongue and pulling a grotesque face. "Blehh! Catch me if you can, stupid!"
With that, he sped up and vanished.
Yagyu Masahiko didn't give chase. He simply stood there, watching indifferently, looking at Naruto as if he were looking at nothing at all.
Only when the boy was completely gone did he drop the act.
Phew.
'Being the bad guy really doesn't feel great.'
'I hope he doesn't take it too hard.'
The corner of Masahiko's mouth quirked up slightly as he carried the bucket of ink toward the gate.
"Good morning, Masahiko-sensei!"
"Good morning, Nagano-san."
Masahiko lifted the bucket slightly. "I confiscated this from a blonde kid. Could you help me dispose of it?"
The gatekeeper's face twisted in anger upon hearing this. "That guy again!"
Then, his expression shifted to one of concern. "By the way, Masahiko-sensei, the class you're teaching... it seems to be the one that monster is in..."
"It's nothing. Regardless of who he is, he is my student."
Masahiko gave a gentle, warm smile. "But, thank you for the warning."
"You're going to have a headache in the future," the gatekeeper laughed.
Masahiko smiled without replying, set the bucket down, and walked into the school grounds.
He was refining the first rule of his self-imposed "Villain Code"—
The image isn't just external; it's about character and internal perception.
In front of Naruto, he would execute the "Villain" role to perfection. But in front of everyone else? There was no need for such theatrics.
For now, that was all he had come up with.
But...
Today's situation was undoubtedly an excellent first step!