Moments later, inside the Hokage's Office.
"Kakashi, take a look at this."
"Hokage-sama..."
Hatake Kakashi, clad in his Anbu attire, picked up the application form. His brows knitted slightly beneath his mask. "You want me to assess him?"
"He is an outstanding and responsible teacher," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, puffing on his pipe. "And he is incredibly hardworking in his own right."
"..."
Kakashi frowned, looking as though he wanted to object but couldn't quite find the words.
Seeming to understand his hesitation, Hiruzen chuckled softly. "Don't overthink it. Just conduct a normal assessment."
Hearing this, Kakashi finally breathed a sigh of relief. But a moment later, his worry returned. "But what if I fail to hold back..."
"It's an assessment, Kakashi. The point is for him to demonstrate his capabilities. Victory or defeat is not the key factor here," Hiruzen reassured him with a smile.
Kakashi had no choice but to nod and accept the mission.
Two nights later.
A small slip of paper appeared on the bedside table in Yagyu Masahiko's room.
It read:
'The person responsible for your assessment will likely be Hatake Kakashi. Be prepared.'
Hatake Kakashi?
When Masahiko saw the name, he was genuinely dumbfounded. For a fleeting moment, a cowardly thought sprouted in his heart: I don't want to pass anymore. Can I just refuse?
But almost immediately, he rallied his spirits.
The title of Special Jōnin (Tokubetsu Jōnin) was incredibly important to him right now.
Masahiko had essentially confirmed that the main plotline of this "Prequel" broadcast was the Night of the Uchiha Massacre. On the surface, by becoming the teacher of Sasuke and Naruto, he had successfully secured a role as a supporting character for this season.
However, if he wanted to increase his "screen time," he had to do more.
Joining "Root," becoming a confidant of Danzō, and subsequently inserting himself into the events of the Uchiha Massacre were crucial steps in his plan.
But Danzō was not a man who trusted easily. And even if Masahiko offered absolute loyalty, loyalty alone wasn't currency in the shinobi world—one needed strength.
A mere Chūnin had no qualifications to participate in high-level decisions. Becoming a Special Jōnin would, at the very least, allow him to poke his head above water in front of the village higher-ups, granting him more opportunities.
He reduced the paper slip to ash and sank into deep contemplation.
"Hatake Kakashi..."
As an elite Jōnin renowned throughout the ninja world, Kakashi had almost no weaknesses, aside from his relatively low chakra reserves.
But chakra reserves...
The gap in raw power between them was too vast. It was impossible for Masahiko to push Kakashi into a corner where chakra exhaustion would even matter.
Masahiko weighed his options again and again until a plan began to form.
The next day, he packed his gear: four paper bombs, one smoke bomb, his Aota Sword strapped to his back, and a pouch of kunai. This was the entirety of his accumulated ninja tools.
In addition to the standard weaponry, he prepared two beast-skin water skins. One was filled with water; the other, with flammable oil.
"Whether I feast on meat or starve depends entirely on this gamble!"
A training field in Konoha.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Mitokado Homura had already arrived. Alongside them were several Jōnin who held significant positions in the village, including Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi.
"Inoichi, are there two candidates to test today?"
"Yes. One is Ebisu, who is quite famous in Konoha. The other..." Yamanaka Inoichi paused, his expression turning slightly peculiar. "The other is Yagyu Masahiko, the Academy's Taijutsu instructor."
"Ebisu... his specialty is elite education, correct?" Nara Shikaku frowned slightly.
Inoichi nodded. "His teaching is indeed excellent, though... his personal philosophies are a bit questionable. Otherwise, he would have been promoted to Special Jōnin long ago."
"Everyone has their own path. Still, this year, he should be sufficient," Shikaku replied. He searched his memory for a moment before suddenly turning to his old friend. "This Yagyu Masahiko... is he the one teaching those two children?"
"He is." Inoichi's face scrunched up in bitterness.
Ever since Masahiko had taken over as the Taijutsu instructor, whenever Ino came home, the name on her lips wasn't Uchiha Sasuke or Haruno Sakura—it was Yagyu Masahiko.
As a father, his feelings were incredibly complicated.
Hearing this, Shikaku swallowed back the words he was about to say. Since this new teacher had arrived, Shikamaru had shown some positive changes, and Shikaku was actually quite pleased deep down.
But looking at Inoichi, it seemed his friend didn't share the sentiment...
Shikaku looked down at the dossier in his hands, then folded it away. "On paper, his fundamentals are extremely solid, though he hasn't had much exposure to advanced Ninjutsu. Let's wait and see. Both candidates are teachers... luckily, their specializations differ."
"They're here."
Inoichi composed himself and looked toward the center of the training field.
At the entrance, Ebisu and Yagyu Masahiko had arrived.
"Ebisu-senpai." Masahiko greeted him with a polite bow, his etiquette flawless.
Ebisu pushed up his dark sunglasses and returned the bow, though a trace of arrogance—one he likely wasn't even aware of—lingered on his face.
Masahiko smiled, feeling no irritation. As a ninja, in the end, everything spoke through strength.
He looked into the field, wondering what the procedure would be, while stealing a glance at the Third Hokage and the other dignitaries sitting nearby.
For an occasion like this... surely Kakashi wouldn't be late, right? He silently roasted the copy ninja in his mind.
Fortunately, in the next moment, a figure darted out from the forest and landed softly in the center of the clearing.
He wore a porcelain fox mask, his gaze sweeping over the two candidates.
"I am responsible for the combat assessment. Ebisu, you're first."
"Yes!"
Ebisu gulped, clearly nervous and apprehensive. He took a deep breath and walked forward.
Kakashi stood in the center, waiting for Ebisu to make the first move. He did not initiate the attack.
Masahiko watched thoughtfully.
Not attacking first...
This gave Ebisu a chance to observe the terrain and arrange tactics. Letting the candidate strike first was a mercy, an opportunity to show what they could do.
Masahiko scanned the surroundings, silently praying that Ebisu wouldn't lose too quickly. He needed time to observe.
On the field, Ebisu looked serious and solemn, seemingly deep in tactical thought.
However—
The moment he launched his attack, Masahiko couldn't help but cover his face and sigh.
So stupid!
Ebisu immediately threw a barrage of ninja tools, attempting to probe Kakashi from a distance.
theoretically, this was a sound strategy.
But—reality was not theory.
The instant Ebisu attacked, a look of disappointment flashed through Kakashi's visible eye.
Then... Kakashi transformed into a wooden log, vanishing from his spot.
Substitution Jutsu.
Ebisu used the Body Flicker Technique to retreat, his hands forming seals simultaneously.
But in the next second—
Bang!
The ground beneath him cracked open. Kakashi flew out from the earth, his fist rising in a brutal uppercut that connected squarely with Ebisu's chin.
Earth Style: Rending Drill Fang!
Immediately following the uppercut, a flying kick sent "Ebisu" bursting into a cloud of smoke—it was a Shadow Clone.
However.
Whoosh!
Kakashi's speed was blinding. In the blink of an eye, he had caught up to the real Ebisu, the blunt edge of his blade resting against the instructor's neck.
Ebisu sighed softly. "I lost."
Still, losing to Kakashi wasn't something he considered shameful. Ebisu bowed and made the Seal of Reconciliation.
Kakashi said nothing. He returned the seal, then turned his impassive gaze toward Masahiko.
Whoosh!
Masahiko used the Body Flicker to appear on the field, keeping a deliberate distance.
Kakashi's eyes were indifferent. "Do you need time to prepare?"
"I was scheduled for the second match," Masahiko replied, his voice calm. "I've been preparing long enough."
Kakashi nodded. "Then let's begin."
In the next instant—
Masahiko wove signs. Clone Technique.
It was the standard, non-corporeal Clone Technique. Yet, the clones were perfect; visually, they were indistinguishable from the main body. Four figures immediately scattered, fleeing in four different directions.
On the sidelines, Ebisu stared, stunned for a moment.
'What a powerful Clone Technique... I can't see any flaws in their appearance!'
But his first choice was to... run?
No matter how perfect the illusion, dust and disturbed leaves will eventually reveal the real body's tracks. Running will only buy a limited amount of time.
Kakashi identified the real body's direction in a split second and gave chase.
But—
A second later, Masahiko cast the technique again. This time, he created nine clones, all of them scrambling chaotically into the dense forest.
Kakashi frowned beneath his mask. As he sprinted, his gaze flickered back and forth between two specific directions.
At least two of them have physical presence?