Konoha.
Late at night, Masahiko lay on his bed with a book in hand. To any outsider, he looked like he was reading—but in reality, a translucent screen hovered before his eyes.
On it played a scene from earlier that day.
Naruto, after covering the Hokage Monument in graffiti, led a group of shinobi on a wild chase through the village streets before finally being cornered by the Konoha Military Police—led by the Uchiha clan.
What surprised Masahiko was what came next.
The one who escorted Naruto away… was Uchiha Sasuke.
As the final scene faded, glowing text appeared.
[Popularity Rating: S]
[Comprehensive Evaluation in Progress…]
[Congratulations! You have been promoted to: S-Rank Golden Supporting Role]
[Salary Reward Acquired: Actor's Basic Further Education — Ninjutsu]
[Ninjutsu Training Module Activated]
The familiar interface unfolded once more.
[Ability Enhancement]
[Activated: Actor's Basic Further Education — Ninjutsu]
[Duration: Permanent]
"Ninjutsu further education…"
Masahiko's breath caught.
This was exactly what he needed.
Even if it only covered fundamentals—basic theory, standard techniques—that alone was priceless to him. Compared to a one-time promotion card, this kind of long-term foundation was far more valuable.
Suppressing his excitement, Masahiko issued a silent command.
The world shifted.
He arrived once more in the familiar training space.
The taijutsu module was nearly complete. Though he still couldn't defeat a restrained version of young Might Guy, the technical foundations were already ingrained. From here on, it was simply a matter of refinement—strengthening his body, sharpening his reactions.
Ninjutsu was different.
Unlike taijutsu, he had no proper foundation. Everything he'd learned so far had been through trial, error, and guesswork.
With structured instruction, his efficiency would skyrocket.
Moments later, text appeared in the empty space.
[Scanning…]
[Trainable Ninjutsu Detected: Great Fireball Technique]
A projection formed before him.
Silver hair. A calm, masked face.
"Kakashi Hatake, Konoha technical instructor. I'll be overseeing your ninjutsu training."
Masahiko blinked.
"Can I train all my ninjutsu here?"
Kakashi shook his head.
"Only basic elemental techniques. I'll teach theory, fundamentals, and standardized execution. Anything beyond that—you'll have to develop on your own."
He glanced around.
"But this space allows unrestricted practice."
Masahiko nodded in understanding.
That alone made this place invaluable.
In the real world, ninjutsu drained chakra rapidly. Physical exhaustion could be mitigated with pills, but mental strain required rest.
He wasn't Naruto.
Here, that limitation didn't exist.
"The Great Fireball Technique is C-rank," Kakashi continued. "The difficulty isn't high. The key lies in sustained chakra extraction and stable output."
He began explaining in detail.
Masahiko listened intently.
"Now," Kakashi said at last, "try it."
Masahiko formed hand seals.
Flames surged from his mouth, rolling outward and condensing into a blazing fireball that churned through the air.
Kakashi nodded.
"Proficient. But your chakra refinement and hand seal transitions are still rough. Those are fundamentals—you need repetition."
As he spoke, Kakashi formed seals himself.
His hands blurred.
In an instant, a massive fireball erupted—identical in scale, but vastly faster.
In combat, that difference alone could decide life or death.
Masahiko's expression hardened.
"Can I use Shadow Clones to train here?"
"Yes."
For safety, he created only one clone.
Kakashi continued explaining chakra control, execution timing, and optimization strategies.
Masahiko practiced hand seals and chakra flow relentlessly while his clone repeatedly cast the technique nearby.
It was dull.
Repetitive.
But ninjutsu had no shortcuts.
After a long while, Masahiko dispelled the clone.
Information flooded back into him.
His vision swam—but compared to his first attempt, the backlash was noticeably weaker.
He steadied himself.
"I'm adapting…"
If his Shadow Clone technique hadn't reached proficiency, this alone would've knocked him unconscious.
"And now…"
"Two clones should be manageable."
His eyes gleamed.
Triple efficiency.
Even with average talent, improvement under these conditions was inevitable.
The next morning, Masahiko sat up in bed, rubbing his temples.
His head still ached faintly.
He hadn't even remembered when he'd fallen asleep—only that he'd trained until exhaustion forced him out of the space.
He summoned the panel.
[Great Fireball Technique: Proficient]
Achieved in a single night.
But that wasn't the true gain.
The real value lay in the fundamentals Kakashi had drilled into him—hand seals, chakra refinement, execution flow.
Without expert guidance, even with memories from another life, he would've needed months of trial and error.
"So this kind of reward really is exclusive to S-rank…"
Masahiko exhaled.
Then his thoughts shifted.
Compared to Episode Two, his behavior toward Naruto in Episode Three had clearly changed.
And the audience response proved his theory correct.
Once his role as a villain was firmly established, surface-level cruelty was unnecessary.
A true villain didn't look like one.
They wore masks.
Kabuto. Aizen.
And more importantly—
A villain needed ambition.
A goal.
Masahiko tapped the desk lightly, eyes growing brighter as ideas took shape.
He reached for the notebook Hiruzen had given him.
After reading through it carefully, he understood.
It wasn't ninjutsu.
It was a training journal—focused on taijutsu and kenjutsu.
A treasure.
He pulled out a separate notebook and reread it, jotting down insights as he went.
In just over an hour, he'd filled an entire page.
Then—
"Sensei? Are you home?"
Masahiko froze.
That voice…
He leaned out the window.
"Ino? What's wrong?"
Below, Ino Yamanaka looked up, her face lighting up instantly.
She held up a basket.
"My mom taught me how to make sakura dango this morning! I made some and wanted you to try them!"
Masahiko paused, caught off guard.
"…Wait a moment," he said finally. "I'll wash up."