"The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal..."
Masahiko arrived at the location where his Shadow Clone had buried the scroll. He retrieved it, returned home to memorize every character within, and then promptly burned it to ash.
The primary function of this seal was to prevent the bearer from speaking of Danzō's secrets—the standard method of control for Root operatives.
Danzō was indeed being generous right now, but that was only because they were still in their "honeymoon phase." Masahiko knew that sooner or later, he would be scheduled for the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal. That day wouldn't be far off; he sensed it coming soon.
When Danzō had previously mentioned Anbu training, he was already probing Masahiko's willingness to submit.
'The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal is, at its core, a Fūinjutsu.'
It was something he absolutely needed to learn.
Setting aside the distant goal of sealing Tailed Beasts, he at least needed to master the basics, like using Sealing Scrolls and the Fire Sealing Method.
'It links the root of the tongue to the brain and spirit...'
'Troublesome.'
Masahiko frowned.
The malicious nature of this technique wasn't quite on the level of the Hyūga's Caged Bird Curse Mark, but it wasn't far off.
After deducing and contemplating for several seconds, a thought suddenly struck him.
The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal required planting a cursed seal on the root of the tongue. It then used neural connections to control the brain and spirit, thereby influencing the subject's thoughts. Once implanted, the Fūinjutsu would utilize the human body to form a separate chakra circulation system dedicated solely to the seal.
For anyone else, breaking it would require countering it on the level of "Jutsu"—something notoriously difficult given the seal's built-in self-destruct mechanism.
But Masahiko was different.
If he could master the Shikotsumyaku to a sufficient degree, he might be able to manipulate the hyoid bone and the cartilage of his throat to temporarily alter his physiological structure.
Combined with chakra enhancement...
Perhaps he could momentarily sever the seal's chakra connection.
Once the "power was cut," the cursed seal would naturally be rendered inert for a short time, making it significantly easier to dismantle.
Of course, this was just a hypothesis.
If that path proved dead, Masahiko still had the detailed principles of the seal he had just memorized. Combined with his Shikotsumyaku, he remained confident he could forcibly break it if necessary.
Masahiko gathered his thoughts, lay back on his bed, and closed his eyes.
He entered the training space once more to do battle with "Kakashi."
The Next Morning.
Masahiko woke up and stretched, a brilliant smile plastered across his face.
Last night, he had taken a crucial step forward in the Performance Instance.
By applying the basics of Shikotsumyaku, he had drastically enhanced his Taijutsu strength and speed. Although it was difficult to adapt to such high-velocity movement, even the Sharingan-less Kakashi projection couldn't cope with that level of raw speed.
Relying on the principle that "speed and power solve everything," Masahiko had defeated the dungeon's "Kakashi" for the first time.
However, clearing the dungeon didn't yield any tangible item rewards.
Or rather...
The live combat training with the "Kakashi" projection was the best reward he could ask for.
The Masahiko of today had fully adapted to his current physique and could utilize a portion of the Shikotsumyaku's power.
Thanks to this:
[Shikotsumyaku (Bloodline Development): Entry Level]
He had officially crossed the threshold. This meant he finally possessed a powerful trump card that truly belonged to him.
'Still, my build is leaning a bit too heavily into Taijutsu.'
Masahiko reviewed his interface.
His current combat system was built upon his Limit-Break level Body Flicker Technique. His only decisive killing move was the Collapsing Torrent, and his only large-scale offensive Ninjutsu was the Fireball Jutsu.
Such a stat sheet was enough to qualify him as a Jōnin, but he was definitely unbalanced. Unless he went all out and revealed the power of his Shikotsumyaku, it would be hard to convince the masses of his rank.
Then again, having just been promoted to Tokubetsu Jōnin—Special Jōnin—and enjoying the salary and clearance of a full Jōnin within the Research Department, he had little interest in chasing another promotion for the time being.
Passing by Naruto's apartment, Masahiko noticed the boy had already left.
It seemed the habit had stuck.
Not bad!
Masahiko had only intended to grab a quick "cameo" for the broadcast. Since Naruto wasn't there, he didn't bother searching for him and continued his run.
After a few laps, he passed a quiet residential street.
On the second-floor balcony of a small courtyard house, Kurenai Yūhi was watering her flowers. Seeing him, she waved, her face beaming with a radiant smile.
Masahiko slowed to a halt.
Moments later, Kurenai used the Body Flicker Technique to appear on the street level. She was wearing a casual long dress, her hair draped loosely over her shoulders—a softer, domestic sight under the morning sun compared to her usual shinobi attire.
Masahiko smiled faintly. "You were out for quite a while, weren't you?"
"Yes," Kurenai nodded. "The mission location was quite far, and it was rather difficult. Fortunately, the results were good. But then I received another temporary assignment right after..."
She paused, looking him up and down with a teasing grin. "I heard you did something big in Konoha while I was gone?"
"Are you referring to the 'Social Studies Fieldwork'?" Masahiko sighed lightly. "The incident with the Military Police Force... that wasn't my intention."
"I know. It's just..." Kurenai lowered her voice, offering a word of caution. "Be careful in the future. Don't let others use you."
Masahiko nodded, his expression one of helpless resignation. "When you're just a teacher at the Academy, many things are out of your control."
"Shall we grab some breakfast together? Incidentally, there are some matters regarding Genjutsu I'd like to discuss with you."
Kurenai asked with a smile, but quickly added, "If you need to finish your workout, we can reschedule."
"Let's go now," Masahiko agreed. "I actually have some questions to ask you as well."
Kurenai's smile blossomed like a flower. She nodded gently. "Let's go then. The question you left me with before I departed gave me quite a headache."
Chatting and laughing, the two walked toward Tea Street.
On the road behind them, Ino stood frozen, her expression blank.
Slowly, her face twisted into a mix of annoyance and unwillingness.
She had woken up early to go for a morning run every single day for so long, hoping for a "chance encounter."
And the result...
"Damn it!!!"
In the end, she could only hang her head and continue her run, listless and defeated.
In contrast, Naruto, who happened to run past her, just thought she was acting weird. He gave her a single glance before continuing his training.
Tea Street, inside a breakfast diner.
Kurenai had ordered a bowl of spicy stir-fried rice cakes. It looked heavily seasoned, but she ate it with an expression of pure enjoyment.
Masahiko's meal was much lighter.
After a few bites, Kurenai finally spoke up. "I haven't made any headway with Sound Genjutsu yet, but I have some leads on Movement Genjutsu."
"I consulted a master of Genjutsu recently. I have some ideas now, though they might not align with yours. We can compare notes."
Masahiko nodded, looking expectant.
Kurenai smiled. She didn't ask who the "master" was, but instead shared her own insights. "In both Genjutsu and Ninjutsu, one thing remains constant: the function of hand seals..."
She slowly elaborated on her theory.
At first, Masahiko ate while listening, but eventually, he put down his chopsticks entirely.
"So, what you're saying is that Movement Genjutsu essentially uses alternative gestures to replace hand seals?"
Kurenai nodded.
"Exactly. Releasing a Genjutsu requires a medium. Hand seals are used to mold chakra and create a stable medium. Chakra combined with movement, light, shadow, sound... fundamentally, they are all media."
She continued between bites.
"If the goal is only to create a momentary hallucination, then a stable medium isn't necessary. As long as it can sustain the illusion for a split second, that is enough. The requirements are drastically lowered."
Masahiko couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration.
Kurenai really knew her stuff!
Unlike Itachi, Kurenai had experience as a private tutor. She understood how to break down Genjutsu, explain it thoroughly, and point directly to its essence.
Yet, surprisingly, it was Kurenai who looked grateful. "Actually, I had hit a wall with my Genjutsu training recently. Your theories helped me find a new direction. I have to thank you."
"This concerns a major life event; you can't thank me with just one breakfast," Masahiko joked, using a phrase often reserved for marriage proposals to refer to her career path.
Kurenai laughed, shaking her head but nodding in agreement.
"Of course. I know an Izakaya that serves excellent shochu and mustard octopus. I'll treat you there tomorrow night—I have plans with the Kurama clan tonight."
"It's a date!"