Masahiko's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly composed himself. He saluted the two men in turn, his movements precise and respectful, betraying none of the tension inside him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi gestured toward the man beside him, preparing to introduce him.
"He is—"
"Danzo Shimura."
Danzo spoke first, his voice low and gravelly.
"This isn't our first meeting."
"Yes, Lord Danzo."
Masahiko lowered his head without hesitation.
Hiruzen took a slow puff from his pipe, unsurprised by the exchange.
"I called you here today mainly to discuss Naruto."
"About Naruto… I apologize."
Masahiko bowed immediately.
Hiruzen smiled faintly and waved a hand.
"This isn't your fault. You weren't summoned to hold you responsible for him."
"Yes."
Masahiko maintained a respectful, attentive posture.
"Naruto behaved himself for a while," Hiruzen continued, "but today he relapsed."
Masahiko calmly explained the decision he had made the previous day.
Hiruzen fell silent, considering it.
After a moment, he nodded.
"You handled it correctly. Naruto has to learn to become strong on his own. How long can he rely on others to carry him?"
Danzo's lips curved slightly, his single visible eye narrowing—but he said nothing.
Hiruzen turned toward him.
Understanding the cue, Danzo stood.
"I still have matters to attend to."
He glanced at Masahiko as he passed.
"I'll be taking my leave."
Masahiko stepped aside to see him out.
Once Danzo had gone, Hiruzen reached into a drawer and withdrew a thin notebook.
"These are notes I wrote when I was younger," he said. "You may find them useful."
He placed it on the desk.
Masahiko's eyes widened.
"This is far too valuable—"
"Books exist to be read," Hiruzen said calmly. "Take it."
Then his tone softened.
"I appreciate the effort you've put into Naruto. Just remember—don't neglect the other students."
"I understand."
Hiruzen nodded, dismissing him.
Outside the office, Masahiko stared down at the notebook in his hands and took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement rising in his chest.
Even aged as he was, the Third Hokage's understanding of ninjutsu was second to none.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's personal notes…
The value was immeasurable.
Just then, a familiar voice echoed in his mind, and translucent text appeared one line at a time—
["Naruto: Prequel" — Episode Three Filming Complete!]
[Editing…]
[Production Successful!]
[Total Screen Time: 12 minutes 2 seconds]
[Scene Ratio: 57.1%]
[As an antagonist character with over 50% screen time, your remuneration has increased significantly.]
[Reminder: "Naruto: Prequel" will air tonight at 8:00 PM. Playback and comment features will be enabled.]
[Please adjust your performance and career path based on viewer feedback.]
Episode three… finished already?
Masahiko exhaled quietly.
So Naruto's been released.
He felt no urge to interfere further.
The road forward had to be Naruto's choice.
He could correct, guide, even push—but he couldn't walk it for him.
And besides…
Right now, Masahiko could barely protect himself.
He had more urgent matters to worry about.
Blue Star — 8:00 PM
In a brightly lit room, two computers sat side by side, tablets and drawing equipment scattered below them.
One screen displayed a rough character sketch.
The other showed a streaming platform's playback page.
After another refresh—
"Episode Three" appeared.
The man sitting before the screens let out a breath of relief as bullet comments began flooding in.
"First!"
"Too slow! Can't they release faster?"
"Is Naruto still getting tortured?"
One comment made him freeze.
"If Naruto's being trained like this now, what happens in the main story? Is he still this weak later?"
The man frowned.
How would I know?
This so-called Naruto: Prequel wasn't something even he—the original author—could control.
The production company was nowhere to be found.
The only silver lining was its absurdly high quality.
Frankly, it was the best-produced anime he'd ever seen.
Its popularity had even driven a massive surge in attention toward his manga.
But new problems followed.
How would this prequel connect to the main storyline?
And more importantly—
Is this Masahiko guy a villain… or not?
On screen, scenes of Naruto and Masahiko's daily routine flickered past.
Then the pacing slowed.
Naruto waited at the school gate.
Minutes passed.
Finally, Masahiko appeared.
The author frowned.
This character is…
He leaned forward.
Let's keep watching.
Moments later, his eyes widened.
Masahiko showed up again—this time with a gift.
Then he offered to treat Naruto to dinner.
The comment section exploded.
"Holy crap, this is elite emotional manipulation!"
"Naruto's been starved of affection his whole life—this is lethal!"
"He's handsome and shady. Definitely villain material!"
Inspired, the author's stylus flew across the tablet as he refined Masahiko's design.
Then the scene shifted.
Naruto defacing the Hokage Building.
A chaotic chase through the streets.
The author sighed in relief—
Only for the screen to cut again.
In the forest, Masahiko formed hand seals.
A massive fireball roared into existence.
Then—
A figure attacked from behind.
Masahiko countered instantly.
The two exchanged blows in a brief but intense clash.
The comments filled with confusion.
"Who's this Hayate guy?"
"A chūnin?"
"Wait—Masahiko's actually strong?!"
The author stared at the screen, then at the drafts on his tablet.
Gekkō Hayate.
He hadn't even introduced him yet—
And the anime had already done it first.
And then—
"Who's Danzo Shimura?"
The author froze.
Because he hadn't designed that character either.
While viewers excitedly speculated whether these were manga characters or anime originals, questions were already being directed at him.
But he had no answers.
At that moment, he hesitated.
Should Hayate get more development?
Or should he die as originally planned?
Too many threads needed reconsideration.
In the end, he made a decision.
He focused on finishing the sketch in front of him.
Lines formed.
Details sharpened.
And soon—
A handsome, gentle-looking Masahiko Yagyū appeared on the tablet screen.