Masahiko's heart skipped a beat, but on the surface, he remained the picture of composure. He bowed respectfully to both men, adhering strictly to etiquette.
Sarutobi Hiruzen gestured to his old friend standing beside him, intending to make an introduction. "This is—"
"Shimura Danzō."
Danzō offered his own name, his voice low and grating. "This is not the first time we have met."
"Understood. Danzō-sama."
Masahiko lowered his head respectfully.
Hiruzen didn't seem surprised by the heavy atmosphere. He took a drag from his pipe and said, "The main reason I called you here today is to discuss Naruto."
"Naruto... I am deeply sorry."
Masahiko apologized immediately.
Hiruzen smiled and shook his head. "This isn't your fault. And I didn't call you here to make you take responsibility for looking after him."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
Masahiko kept his head bowed, maintaining the posture of a subordinate ready to receive a scolding.
Hiruzen continued, "Naruto had been behaving himself for a while, but today he started acting out again."
Seizing the moment, Masahiko informed the Third Hokage of the decision he had made yesterday regarding the boy.
Hiruzen fell into deep thought for a moment before nodding gently. "You did the right thing. It is time to let Naruto become strong on his own. How long can he rely on others to carry him?"
Beside them, Danzō's eyes narrowed slightly. The corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile, though he remained silent.
Hiruzen glanced at Danzō.
Understanding the cue, Danzō stood up. "I have other matters to attend to. I will take my leave."
Masahiko stepped aside to see him out.
Once Danzō had left the office, Hiruzen retrieved a bound book from his desk.
"These are some notes I wrote when I was young. Take them and have a look. perhaps they will be of some help to you."
He placed the booklet on the desk.
Masahiko's eyes widened, feigning shock. "This... this is too precious!"
"Books are meant to be read. Take it."
Hiruzen shook his head dismissively, then added a final instruction. "I am very grateful to you for putting so much heart into caring for Naruto, but do not neglect your other students."
"Yes! I understand completely."
Masahiko naturally agreed.
Hiruzen nodded, signaling that he was dismissed.
Masahiko stepped out of the Hokage's office.
Looking at the booklet in his hand, he took a deep breath, suppressing the genuine excitement rising in his chest.
Although the Third Hokage was past his prime, his reservoir of knowledge and understanding of ninjutsu was arguably the best in the current world.
The Professor's personal notes!
For Masahiko, the value of this item was immeasurable.
Just as he was processing this, a familiar chime rang in his ears, followed by lines of subtitles cascading down his vision:
[Filming for "Naruto: The Prequel" - Episode 3 Complete!]
[Editing in progress...]
[Production Successful!]
[Total Screen Time: 12 minutes 02 seconds]
[Screen Presence Ratio: 57.1%]
[As a Villain Role, your screen time exceeded 50%. Your remuneration has been significantly increased.]
[Notice: "Naruto: The Prequel" will be broadcast tonight at 8:00 PM. The Playback Function will be unlocked for you, including the Barrage (Danmaku) feature.]
[Please adjust your acting skills and character direction based on the audience feedback in the barrage.]
Episode Three is done?
It seemed that Naruto had been released.
Masahiko chuckled inwardly, though he had no intention of interfering further with Naruto's life for now.
The path was one the boy had chosen for himself.
Masahiko had provided correction and assistance, but in the future, Naruto would have to walk that road alone. Outsiders couldn't help him forever.
Besides...
Masahiko was currently struggling just to keep himself alive. He needed to prioritize his own survival first.
Blue Star. 8:00 PM.
In a brightly lit room, a workstation was set up with two computer monitors, along with a tablet and various other drawing equipment.
The two screens displayed different images.
One showed the line art of a character in progress. The other displayed the homepage of a popular streaming platform, iCoo.
After yet another refresh, it finally appeared—
"Episode Three" was live!
The man sitting in front of the computer let out a sigh of relief, fixing his gaze on the screen and the barrage of comments already scrolling across it.
A moment later.
"First!"
"Too slow! Can't they release these episodes faster?"
"Is Naruto still getting tortured?"
"I have a question: If Naruto is trained this hard with all this torture, what happens in the main series? Is he still going to be that weak in the canon story?"
Seeing that last comment, the man's hand froze.
The main series...
How was he supposed to know?
This so-called Naruto: The Prequel was something even he, the original author, couldn't interfere with. He couldn't even find the production company responsible for it.
The only saving grace was the production quality. It was top-tier—arguably the pinnacle of animation standards worldwide.
The explosive popularity of The Prequel had caused his manga to go viral by association.
But problems were arising.
How was the content of the "Prequel" supposed to connect with his "Main Series"?
And there was another issue...
This guy... is he a hero, or a villain?
On the screen, snippets of daily life between Naruto and Masahiko flashed by rapidly.
Soon, the pacing slowed.
The scene shifted to the Academy gate. Naruto was craning his neck, looking around expectantly. He waited for quite a while before Masahiko finally appeared.
The man watched the screen, his brows knitting together tightly.
This character, he seemed...
"Let's keep watching."
After a few moments, the man's eyes grew brighter.
The scene changed to another afternoon. Again, Naruto was waiting for Masahiko by the swing set.
But how the plot unfolded next took everyone by surprise.
Masahiko appeared, but this time he brought a gift and offered to treat Naruto to a meal.
"Holy crap! That is top-tier emotional manipulation!"
"Naruto has been starved of affection since childhood. After being treated coldly and then suddenly treated nicely, he must be moved to tears, right?"
"God-tier moves!"
"This character is so handsome but so bad. Damn, is he a subordinate of some major villain?"
The comment section exploded.
The man in front of the screen, however, felt a sudden strike of inspiration. He grabbed his stylus and began to sketch rapidly on his tablet, refining the character draft he had been working on.
Just as the sketch was half-finished, the scene on the screen changed again.
Naruto was at the Hokage Residence, frantically painting graffiti and "creating art"!
Then came the chaotic chase sequence.
The man held his pen in his mouth, silently breathing a sigh of relief. But in the next instant, the scene shifted abruptly...
In the forest, Yagyu Masahiko formed hand seals, and a massive fireball erupted from his mouth.
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!
Just as the man focused on the visual spectacle, a figure approached rapidly from behind Masahiko.
Masahiko countered instantly, and the two engaged in a fierce melee.
Fists flew and kicks were exchanged.
Although the clash lasted only an instant...
"?"
"Who is this Moonlight Hayate guy?"
"A Chunin?"
"It looks like Yagyu Masahiko isn't weak at all!"
Questions filled the barrage.
The man in front of the screen stared blankly. He looked at the anime, then switched his tablet view to look at his future storyboards, falling into complete silence.
Moonlight Hayate...
He hadn't even sent those drafts to his editor yet, but the character had already debuted in this anime.
And that wasn't all.
"And who is this Shimura Danzō?"
The manga author scratched his head, completely bewildered.
Because—
He hadn't even thought of designing such a character yet.
Unlike his confused reaction, the general audience in the barrage was buzzing with speculation. Everyone was guessing who these new characters were, whether they would appear in Kishimoto's manga, or if...
Are these characters anime-original filler?
In fact, people were already bombarding Kishimoto's social media with questions.
But...
Kishimoto himself hadn't decided yet. He hesitated, unsure how to answer their questions.
Right now, he was pondering a dilemma:
Should he give this "Moonlight Hayate" character a more significant plotline?
Or...
Should he stick to his original vague idea and just have him killed off in a later conflict?
Furthermore.
Many plot points and characters now required rethinking.
He bit down on the end of his pen, struggling to make a choice.
Eventually, he decided to finish the character sketch in front of him first.
Lines were drawn and refined, and soon—
A portrait of a seemingly handsome, gentle Yagyu Masahiko floated on the tablet's projection screen.