"Masahiko… no, I mean…"
Seeing him again, Iruka seemed flustered, at a loss for words.
Yesterday, perhaps due to the slowness of information traveling through the ranks, he hadn't known about Masahiko's promotion. But today, with meetings being held and new directives being set, even the most out-of-the-loop chunin had heard the news.
'I might actually be the last teacher to find out,' Iruka sighed inwardly.
Masahiko, however, treated the matter with casual indifference. "Lord Hokage simply didn't have a candidate on hand, so he asked me to fill in temporarily. That's all there is to it."
Iruka opened his mouth to speak but stopped. He remembered the deafening explosion he had heard that day. He hesitated to respond casually to something of that magnitude.
A Ninjutsu on that scale… how could that be the work of an ordinary person?
"But… you really are amazing!"
In the end, that was all Iruka could manage to squeeze out, his expression a mixture of admiration and envy.
Masahiko offered a faint, elegant smile. "Everyone has areas where they excel and areas where they struggle. Our duty is to maximize our strengths and mitigate our weaknesses. That is precisely why we operate in teams."
"Do I have strengths too?" Iruka asked, detecting that Masahiko was trying to comfort him, though he felt a sudden wave of uncertainty.
Masahiko nodded firmly. "Of course. You treat everyone equally, showing genuine care and responsibility for every single student. How could that not be considered a strength?"
Iruka stood there, stunned by the validation.
Meanwhile, Mizuki was pacing anxiously outside. Since Iruka hadn't come out, he couldn't find a natural excuse to enter and try to curry favor with the new rising star. Unfortunately for him, even if he had found an opening, Masahiko didn't have time to spare.
Two other friends had already arrived to celebrate.
At noon, inside Konoha's Yakiniku Q.
"I heard everything! You actually defeated the Hokage?"
"No, no… I just read books in his office all afternoon. Have the rumors really become that outrageous?" Masahiko looked genuinely shocked.
Kurenai laughed softly. "She's just teasing you. Everyone is saying you used an incredibly powerful technique that impressed both Lord Hokage and the Honorable Advisors."
"It wasn't as dramatic as you think," Masahiko shook his head, playing down the achievement. "Lord Hokage wasn't fighting seriously at all. He was treating me like a child."
Anko rolled her eyes at him. In front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, almost every ninja in the village was a "child."
Masahiko proceeded to give them a sanitized version of events. Naturally, he omitted any mention of the "follow-up mission" assigned by Sarutobi.
After listening, Anko fell into deep thought before speaking. "So, Lord Hokage knew you had mastered Water Style Genjutsu, and that's why he gave you the chance to prove yourself?"
"Pretty much," Masahiko said, sipping his drink.
"That's still incredibly strong. At the very least, your Fire Style Ninjutsu definitely exceeded the Hokage's expectations," Kurenai added.
"Why do I feel like the only thing standing between you and a Jōnin promotion is just racking up some mission tenure and passing a formality?" Anko's eyes practically glowed with jealousy. "Damn it all!"
She had been promoted to Tokubetsu Jōnin a year or two before Masahiko, yet she was still stuck at that rank. If Masahiko got promoted again soon, he would have jumped three ranks in a single year.
It was absurd!
Kurenai's beautiful eyes shimmered with unspoken thoughts, though she remained silent.
"I'm still a long way off," Masahiko smiled. He then straightened his posture, shifting the tone. "Actually, I have something I wanted to ask you two."
"What is it?"
"I haven't left Konoha much in recent years, so I'm out of the loop regarding the situation in the Capital. Since you two travel more, I figured you might know something."
Anko slurped her sweet red bean soup. "A lot of the nobles in the Capital don't like us right now. The atmosphere there is weird. I hate going there."
"The situation there… isn't great," Kurenai admitted, clearly knowing more. She hesitated several times before finally asking, "Why do you want to know?"
"The situation there is starting to affect the Academy, so I needed to ask," Masahiko replied.
Kurenai nodded in understanding. "It is having an impact." She paused, murmuring thoughtfully, then glanced at Anko.
Anko, catching the hint, rolled her eyes and stood up. "I'm going to go see what meat they have available."
Once she had left the private booth, Kurenai lowered her voice.
"There are two main issues. First, regarding the previous Great War—we didn't secure enough reparations, and they are dissatisfied with the outcome. Second…" She sighed lightly. "We've been at peace for years. Some of them have forgotten the pain of war and believe there's no need to maintain such a large standing army of ninja."
Masahiko looked thoughtful. "Does this have something to do with the Twelve Guardian Ninja as well?"
Kurenai didn't speak, but her silence was confirmation enough.
Masahiko didn't press further; he had the information he needed.
"These matters involve many different factions and powers," Kurenai whispered, her tone serious. "This isn't something you can solve alone. Please, think twice before getting involved!"
"Yeah. I want to make a name for myself, but I can't solve problems that high up the ladder."
However, he thought, from the moment I stepped onto this stage, retreat was never an option.
The meat arrived shortly after, and the two ceased their political discussion.
For several days following, Masahiko didn't hear any news about the end of "Episode 14" of the broadcast. However, he wasn't anxious.
During this time, Masahiko remained in his System training space, honing his Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. He had successfully mastered and digested a portion of his new arsenal.
[Water Style: Water Wall — Mastery]
[Konoha Whirlwind — Mastery]
[Dance of the Crescent Moon — Perfection]
At the same time, in the shadows of the village…
"Sir, this is my research regarding the Eight Inner Gates."
"Good."
Toge took the scroll. After skimming it for a moment, he frowned slightly. The first section contained information the Root organization had already researched—nothing new.
Just as he was about to dismiss it, he read further, and a look of surprise crossed his face. "Inhaling massive amounts of oxygen while in the state of the Gate of Opening?"
"As our organization's research has shown, unless one can quickly reach the sixth gate or higher, the Eight Gates offer limited practical help," Masahiko explained calmly. "Below the Fifth Gate, the most useful are the Gate of Opening and the Gate of Healing. The Gate of Opening unlocks the brain's limiters, granting 100% control over the body. So, I hypothesized: with 100% bodily control, could one inhale massive amounts of oxygen to activate and energize the body's cells, enhancing and prolonging the effects of the first gate?"
As Masahiko laid out his theory, Toge nodded repeatedly. He understood the text, but…
"This technique of increasing vitality through breathing… if it's effective, can it not be used independently?"
"It is very, very difficult. First, it requires Chakra to assist in control. Second, the body struggles to maintain that level of precision without the limiters removed. It's too easy to damage the internal organs, specifically the lungs, and the consequences are severe," Masahiko answered.
Lungs were notoriously difficult for medical ninjutsu to repair. Once damaged, a ninja's combat potential would plummet; in severe cases, they would lose the ability to be a ninja entirely.
Toge held the scroll, pondering for a long time before sighing with regret. "True. It's a pity. If it could be realized independently, this technique would have immense value."
"Then I will try to—"
"No need. You have done enough. Lord Danzō can see your dedication and effort. Your focus now must be on dealing with the Twelve Guardian Ninja."
Toge put the scroll away. " regarding Sasuke Uchiha, you've done well. He trusts you. You must guide him properly so he can be of use to Konoha."
"Of course. Everything I do, I do for you, sir—and for the prosperity of Konoha," Masahiko responded without a hint of hesitation.
Toge nodded in satisfaction. He produced a booklet. "This is the dossier on the Twelve Guardian Ninja. Read it. Ideally, come up with a plan."
Masahiko took the file and read it carefully. He looked up, his eyes cold and calculated. "I believe the first step is to kill one of these four targets."
"Oh?" Toge glanced at the name Masahiko pointed to, surprised. "He is a member of the Moderate Faction—the ones who wish to protect the Daimyo."
"I know. That is why, after him, I intend to kill a member of the Radical Faction."
Toge thought for a moment, quickly grasping the intent behind the chaos. His eyes lit up. "Are you confident?"
"I need weapons identical to theirs. Furthermore, the one to assassinate the Radical member… it would be best if it were a powerful Lightning Style ninja."
Toge was generous. "You will have the weapons within three days. As for your other request, we will satisfy that as well."
Leaving the Root stronghold, the night was already deep.
Masahiko walked toward the outskirts of the village. He hadn't gone more than a few steps when he saw a familiar silhouette.
"Orochimaru-sama. It has been a long time."
The figure turned around.
This time, he wasn't using the Vanishing Facial Copy Jutsu. He stood there, almost brazenly, in the suburbs of Konoha in his true form.
Orochimaru laughed softly, his voice raspy. "Considering everything you have experienced recently, Masahiko-kun… it certainly has been a long time."