"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
Naruto glared at a villager walking away with a shoulder pole, his heart threatening to explode with rage.
He was clearly being bullied—tortured, even—yet not a single person spoke up for him. Instead, they all heaped praise upon Yagyu Masahiko for his kindness!
That bastard…
It was all his fault!
Get stronger.
I have to get stronger!
I absolutely must tear off his hypocritical mask!
Naruto had never felt such an urgent, burning desire to improve. He wished he could gain immense power right this second and beat Masahiko into the ground.
Masahiko, however, paid him no mind. He continued to greet every passing villager with a gentle, polite smile. In turn, every villager complimented him on his diligence and responsibility. To them, the fact that Masahiko was willing to take responsibility for a student as "hopeless" as Naruto proved he wouldn't discriminate against anyone.
Ten laps.
Twenty laps…
By the time the count climbed higher, Naruto's consciousness began to blur. He had lost track of how long he had been running.
Masahiko glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, internally impressed despite himself.
Thirty laps.
For a first attempt at high-intensity training, Naruto was approaching his absolute limit. Pushing him any further might carry genuine risks.
While Masahiko wanted to maintain his screen time and popularity, injuring the Jinchūriki would backfire. If he hurt Naruto now, the Third Hokage certainly wouldn't approve of this "special training" method in the future.
He stopped walking.
"Rest now, dead last."
"I…"
Naruto had been running purely on willpower. The moment he stopped, he swayed precariously, his vision darkening as he nearly toppled backward.
It took a long moment for him to recover, his breath rattling in his chest like broken bellows—heavy and ragged.
Yagyu Masahiko let out a soft scoff. "I'll take you to class now. But remember: you still have fifty laps at noon."
"Fifty… laps?"
Naruto's mind went blank. "Wait, I'm not done?"
He stumbled forward, staggering behind Masahiko, unable to process the horror of his reality for a long time.
________________________________________
Ninja Academy.
The bell signaling the start of class rang out.
Inside the classroom, Iruka swept his gaze across the students. He quickly noticed a familiar spot was familiarly empty.
He raised an eyebrow but didn't comment immediately, setting down his textbook to begin the lecture.
Just then, the door slid open.
Naruto stood there, gasping for air, speaking with difficulty. "I'm sorry… Iruka-sensei… I…"
"Naruto! You're late again!"
Iruka roared, his tone filled with frustration at Naruto's lack of discipline. "Why are you always like this?"
Naruto lowered his head, remaining silent, though his heart was filled with grievance.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind him.
"Ah, my apologies, Iruka-sensei. I dragged Naruto out for some extra training this morning, which is why we're late."
As he spoke, a handsome, striking face appeared above Naruto's shoulder.
Yagyu Masahiko patted Naruto's blond hair, smiling gently. "Go on in."
Naruto did not look grateful. On the contrary, he glared at the man with fury.
Because…
Yagyu Masahiko was telling the truth!
He had dragged him out of bed at six in the morning and forced him to run until past seven. They had barely rested before rushing here, causing Naruto's plan to graffiti the Hokage Rock with a paint bucket to completely fall through.
But evidently, no one else believed the context.
"Masahiko-sensei is so handsome and gentle! He's even willing to selflessly help someone like Naruto! Aaaah! I love him so much!" Ino cupped her face in her hands, her eyes sparkling.
Chōji shoved a handful of potato chips into his mouth, mumbling, "No way. Naruto definitely went to paint graffiti again."
Shikamaru, resting his chin on his hand, didn't reply to Chōji. His eyes were fixed on Naruto's trembling legs.
Iruka, however, grew more agitated. His expression darkened, though he forced a polite smile for his colleague. "Masahiko-sensei, you don't need to make excuses for him…"
"No, really. I woke Naruto up and made him run dozens of laps around Konoha." Masahiko scratched his head with an awkward, sheepish laugh. "Naruto is still young; I probably should have reduced the volume of exercise."
Iruka paused for a few seconds. He looked down at Naruto, finally noticing the boy's unsteady footing and floating steps. Only then did he believe it. A wave of regret washed over him for his earlier snap judgment.
But then, he noticed the ferocious glare Naruto was shooting at Masahiko.
Iruka's displeasure returned instantly.
"Have you said 'thank you' to Masahiko-sensei yet?"
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief. He shouted angrily, "I have to thank him?!"
"It's fine, really. I won't disturb your class any longer. I need to go prepare for the Taijutsu lesson this afternoon."
Masahiko waved his hand dismissively, seemingly unbothered, and bid farewell to Iruka and the class.
Naruto was apoplectic with rage but could do absolutely nothing about it. He could only watch Masahiko leave with a murderous gaze, wishing he could pummel the man into dust.
Unlike usual, Sasuke kept his eyes fixed on Masahiko until Naruto sat down. Only then did he retract his gaze and look toward the podium.
________________________________________
Back in the office, Masahiko stretched his back lazily.
He sat down, took out a pen and paper, and began recording the techniques and inspirations he had grasped the previous night.
Although the time spent in the [Basic Advancement] training mode last night hadn't been long, the results this morning were immediate and obvious.
Furthermore, the injuries and fatigue sustained in the Advancement Space were not brought back to reality, yet the skill improvements were completely retained.
It's a pity that only the Taijutsu section of the Basic Advancement is unlocked so far.
"A ninja's Taijutsu combat prioritizes killing and incapacitating. Movements must be concise and direct. Avoid flashy, 'cool' moves that serve no purpose."
"Speed is essential, but physical reaction time must keep up…"
He wrote down his thoughts line by line.
Just as he finished another point, Masahiko caught a glimpse of someone standing nearby out of his peripheral vision. He immediately stood up, turning around with a look of vigilance.
A split second later, he froze, then hurriedly bowed. "Hokage-sama! I didn't expect you to be here!"
"Hahaha, I'm the one disturbing you."
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand with a smile.
"Please, sit!"
Masahiko stepped aside to offer his chair.
He shared this office with Iruka, and since Iruka was currently teaching, it was just him and the Third Hokage in the room.
Hiruzen didn't refuse. He sat down with a benevolent smile, his eyes scanning the notes Masahiko had been writing. His smile deepened.
"Not bad. Did you come up with these yourself?"
"Yes. I am somewhat dull and do not know other Ninjutsu, so I can only devote myself to researching Taijutsu," Masahiko replied humbly.
Hiruzen sighed softly. "You are someone willing to study and work hard."
"You are now a Chūnin and a teacher. You are entitled to receive two Ninjutsu."
Saying this, Hiruzen produced a scroll.
Masahiko took it and opened it.
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu. Simple, high power, and very practical.
However, there was another Ninjutsu he desired more…
Unfortunately, the Shadow Clone Jutsu was a B-rank difficulty technique. Normally, only Jōnin were qualified to learn it.
Just as he was about to express his thanks, Hiruzen spoke. "I checked your file. Your previous chakra paper test results indicated Fire nature, so I have given you the Fireball Jutsu."
"Thank you for your concern," Masahiko replied gratefully.
Hiruzen waved his hand. "You are an important talent for the village; nurturing you is only proper. There is one more Ninjutsu slot. Tell me your thoughts first."
"Hokage-sama…"
Masahiko hesitated for a moment before choosing to speak. "Am I allowed to cultivate the Shadow Clone Jutsu?"
"Shadow Clone?"
Hiruzen was slightly startled. He pondered for a moment. "Cultivating the Shadow Clone Jutsu requires a massive amount of chakra. Otherwise, its practicality is very low, and it carries certain risks."
"I know."
Masahiko was naturally aware of the mechanics.
It created a solid clone that even the Byakugan or Sharingan couldn't easily distinguish from the original.
Most importantly—
When the Shadow Clone was dispelled, its memories and combat experience returned to the main body.
Masahiko's chakra reserves weren't massive, but maintaining a single Shadow Clone to assist with training or work was feasible.
"Very well. But you must not overexert yourself. Create no more than one Shadow Clone at a time."
Hiruzen nodded, adding the specific stipulation.
Masahiko nodded vigorously.
Then, a look of hesitation crossed his face, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.
"Hokage-sama, regarding Naruto…"
"Haha, I've heard. Although the method is a bit… unconventional, I think you can give it a try," Hiruzen replied.
He sighed lightly. "It is a pity. The current Naruto may not be able to understand your painstaking efforts. It wrongs you."
"I do not feel wronged. I simply hope he can become a capable ninja. Besides, exhausting his energy saves him from causing trouble every day."
Hearing this, Masahiko visibly let out a long sigh of relief.
Hiruzen patted him on the shoulder. "Work hard. I have high hopes for you."
"Yes, sir!"