"Tch. It's a castrated version, is it?"
Masahiko flipped through the manual, quickly realizing that this wasn't the complete [Konoha-Style: Willow]. It contained research strictly limited to light manipulation and movement-based Genjutsu.
As for the sound-based components of the technique? There wasn't a single word mentioned.
Not that he was complaining. He maintained his composure.
'Profit is profit. Even a little wool plucked from the sheep is better than nothing.'
Masahiko's aptitude for Genjutsu was admittedly average. However, he had mastered the basics, and his recent exchanges with Kurenai Yūhi had reinforced his foundation.
Because of this, he could somewhat grasp the research notes in the booklet, even if the concepts were dense and obscure.
"I see..."
"Genjutsu targets the spirit and cognitive perception. The [Konoha-Style: Willow] isn't simply a movement illusion; it requires chakra to create phantoms that reinforce the hypnotic suggestion."
"The essence of movement-based Genjutsu... is a forceful invasion of the target's spirit via chakra."
Masahiko began to understand.
A spark of inspiration flickered in his mind, though he couldn't quite thread the needle just yet.
After pondering for a long while, Masahiko let out a soft sigh.
His reserve of knowledge was still insufficient. He had hit a bottleneck in a specific aspect of illusion theory, preventing his inspiration from coalescing into a viable Jutsu concept.
Inspiration is fleeting.
Masahiko immediately opened his notebook and sketched out a mind map, recording his current train of thought in as much detail as possible before returning to the manual.
A long time passed. He finally stretched his back, an internal sigh of admiration escaping him.
'Tobirama Senju was truly a genius.'
A man born without a special Kekkei Genkai, yet he created astonishing techniques across multiple disciplines—even killing Uchiha Izuna, a wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
'Truly a role model for us all.'
'Danzō and Hiruzen... those two didn't learn half of his capability, yet their ambitions are twice as large.'
Although he still had to scrape out a living under their command, that didn't stop Masahiko from judging them privately.
He studied the manual repeatedly until he was sure he could extract nothing more from it. He didn't waste energy fretting over what he couldn't figure out.
Compared to tedious research, there was another channel for rapid improvement—
The System.
'I'm still not sure if getting close to the Uchiha clan will generate enough screen time in the short term... For the next few days, I should play it safe. I need to leech off Naruto's screen time to break even.'
Another weekend arrived.
On the road just outside the village, Naruto sprinted down the street, laughing maniacally as he swung two large water buckets in his hands.
"Morons! Come and catch me!"
Behind him, three young ninja chased in a exasperated rage, their faces twisted with frustration.
Yet, somehow, they couldn't catch him.
'Damn it!'
They were furious. Behind them, their leading Jōnin walked at a leisurely pace, his voice cutting through the air. "You can't even catch a child? And you call yourselves Genin?"
Hearing this, the three panicked.
"Go!"
With a shout, they used the Body Flicker Technique to surge forward, their hands forming seals in unison.
In an instant, clones appeared to cut off the escape routes.
Just as Naruto turned his head, one of the ninja completed the final seal and pointed a finger directly at the boy.
[Genjutsu: Sly Mind Affect Technique]!
Naruto noticed nothing amiss. He continued his wild sprint, his grin bright and arrogant. "I can't believe you guys are actually ninja! Idiots..."
He ran for what felt like ages, until suddenly, the world spun.
In the next moment, the scenery before him warped. When his vision cleared, he saw the three ninja surrounding him, their faces dark as they held the buckets—which had already spilled half their contents.
"String him up."
The three were seething with anger and disgust. Naruto looked around blankly, still unsure how he had been captured.
It wasn't until he was hoisted into the air that he realized, belatedly—
'I must have been caught in a Genjutsu.'
It had looked like he was keeping his distance, but in reality, they had caught him long ago.
"Damn it! Let me down!"
The three ninja looked up at him, their anger still unquenched.
"This brat..."
"You damnable pest, do you know what you did? We worked hard to carry that water!"
"How does someone like you deserve to attend the Academy?"
They cursed at him, one after another.
From behind, the team leader arrived. He swept a cold glance over the scene and spoke indifferently. "You let a child snatch your buckets. Do you still think you haven't embarrassed yourselves enough?"
"Sensei..."
"If I could, I'd send you all back to the Academy for remedial training. With skills like this, you'd be dead on the battlefield."
The Jōnin's tone was icy.
He turned his gaze to Naruto, about to speak, when he suddenly sensed something and looked back toward the road.
A figure was jogging over.
"You are... Shirakumo-sensei?"
"Mn."
Hayama Shirakumo sized up the newcomer thoughtfully. "You are Yagyu Masahiko?"
"Yes. He is my student. I heard a commotion, so I came to check."
Masahiko Yagyu glanced at the scene, his expression apologetic. "I am terribly sorry."
"It's nothing. My students simply lack skill."
Hayama shook his head slightly, glancing at Naruto. "I'll leave him to you, then."
"Thank you for your leniency."
Masahiko bowed slightly.
Dangling in the air, Naruto pouted. His expression collapsed into a frown, but he didn't dare say a word.
Hayama was about to leave, but he paused, glancing back with a sudden flicker of interest. "What do you plan to do?"
Naruto's eyes widened as he looked at Masahiko.
Just as he thought Masahiko would let him down gently...
"Since he likes carrying buckets so much, I'll make sure he gets his fill."
Masahiko's smile was kind, almost benevolent. He grabbed Naruto—still tied up—and began dragging him back toward the village. "If you finish your mission early, perhaps you'll still see him."
In that moment, Naruto shuddered. He suddenly had a very bad feeling.
Moments later, on the main street.
"Mop quickly. If you don't finish, don't even think about leaving today."
Masahiko's expression and tone remained gentle, yet he left Naruto no room for negotiation.
Naruto gritted his teeth. "Why do I have to clean the streets?"
"You don't want to clean?"
Masahiko smiled. "That's fine. I can just hang you in front of the Hokage Residence. I'll hang a sign around your neck letting everyone know exactly what kind of 'good deed' you did today."
"You... you're actually the worst!"
Naruto's fists clenched.
He could already imagine it—if he were really hung up there, the things those people would say... it would be unbearable.
"It seems you've made your choice."
Masahiko maintained his smile, but his eyes held no warmth.
He took a single step forward. It was a simple movement, yet it caused Naruto to instinctively recoil half a step.
"You know exactly what they would say, don't you?"
"..."
Naruto hung his head. Silently, he picked up the bucket and mop and trudged toward the street.
A few minutes later, a crowd began to form nearby. People watched the spectacle, whispering among themselves.
"It's him again..."
"Yeah, that thing..."
"Shh! Do you have a death wish? But... heh, he must have done something disgusting again."
"Serves him right!"
They made no effort to hide their revulsion.
Masahiko watched from a distance, a hidden trace of indifference and disgust flickering in his eyes.
'Stupidity. Short-sightedness. Misplaced anger...'
'With just a gentle nudge, one can manipulate their words and their heartstrings.'
'And yet, when the time comes, they will shamelessly beg for Naruto's help, as if time alone is enough to wash away the humiliation of the past.'
'But...'
'Without their stupidity, I wouldn't be able to change Naruto step by step.'
He watched Naruto's small back as the boy scrubbed the ground. Masahiko pondered the trajectory he was setting. With this push, would the future Naruto remain Uzumaki Naruto? Or would he become Uzumaki Menma?
'Of course...'
'It could also be a value somewhere in between.'
The corners of Masahiko's mouth quirked upward. He walked forward, standing beside Naruto, and swept a cold, piercing gaze over the onlookers.
The villagers instantly froze. intimidated by the ninja's presence, they didn't dare gawk any longer and scurried away in fear.
Naruto watched the villagers leave. His grip on the mop handle tightened, his knuckles turning white.
"Thank you," he whispered.
But the moment the words left his mouth, he regretted it.
'Wait, this is the guy punishing me in the first place!'
Masahiko chuckled. "Did you forget that I'm the one making you mop the floor? Keep cleaning. Don't think you can escape the punishment you deserve!"