"Hahaha—your students are fired up. Guess I'll have to get serious!"
In the next instant, the attacker shouted theatrically,"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Snakes burst from her sleeves, lunging straight at Masahiko.
Masahiko didn't hesitate. His hands blurred through seals, and flames erupted from his mouth, spiraling inward into a massive fireball.
"What—?!"
Sasuke couldn't stay calm anymore.
His eyes widened in disbelief. Masahiko knew the Great Fireball Technique?!
But before the technique reached full power, Masahiko abruptly cut off the chakra flow.
Sasuke frowned in confusion.
Then he understood.
The attack hadn't hit at all.
And more importantly—Masahiko hadn't expected it to.
As that realization struck, Masahiko formed seals mid-air. A shadow clone appeared instantly.
He seized the clone and hurled it sideways.
Anko Mitarashi, who had already circled around the fireball, raised her hand to launch another Snake Hands technique—only to feel a sudden surge of unstable chakra.
She recoiled instinctively.
Bang.
The shadow clone burst apart—but not in a violent explosion. It shattered into flickering sparks that scattered and dissolved into the air.
"Anko," Masahiko said, lowering his hands with a tired sigh,"isn't it a little rude to interrupt someone's class like that?"
Anko straightened up, pretending she hadn't almost been caught off guard, and grinned."I heard from Hayate that you've gotten way stronger lately. Especially your taijutsu. I couldn't resist testing it myself."
She turned toward the stunned students and waved cheerfully."See? Free practical combat lesson!"
"…."
Masahiko sighed.
Anko had been a classmate of his predecessor back in their academy days.
Their relationship now?More like occasional training acquaintances—running laps, sparring once in a while, nothing deeper.
Honestly, in some ways, she reminded him of Naruto.
He was about to say something when Anko waved him off."No need to pay me for the lesson. Meet me at the school gate at noon—I've got something important to talk about."
With a flicker of movement, she vanished.
Gone as suddenly as she'd appeared.
Masahiko stood there for a moment, speechless, then cleared his throat and turned back to the class.
"That was… an old classmate."
He sighed softly."Anyway, let's continue with taijutsu training."
"Teacher!"
Sasuke raised his hand.
Masahiko nodded. "Go ahead."
"Earlier," Sasuke said seriously, "you didn't use the full power of the Great Fireball. Was that deliberate?"
Masahiko smiled."Sharp observation."
"The Great Fireball is powerful," he explained, "but it's slow. Even at full strength, it wouldn't have hit. So wasting chakra would've been pointless."
He continued calmly,"Unless you're absolutely certain an attack will land, always leave yourself room to move."
That principle came straight from his training with Might Guy.
Speed was important—but obsessing over speed alone could become a fatal weakness.
One of the core rules of taijutsu was simple:
If you can't guarantee a hit, never commit everything.
The students fell silent, deep in thought.
To them, strength meant flashy techniques and overwhelming power.
Even Sasuke—the top student—had believed that until now.
But neither Masahiko nor Anko had relied on brute force in that exchange.
It was a completely different kind of combat.
Shikamaru's eyes narrowed slightly.
Masahiko noticed and smiled."Shikamaru, what do you think?"
"Huh?"
Shikamaru snapped back to attention and scratched his head."It feels like you're leaving something out. That kind of restraint… it's more like probing during reconnaissance, right?"
"Tactics change with the situation," Masahiko said approvingly."If my opponent were students at your current level, I wouldn't need to hold back at all."
Shikamaru nodded faintly.
Being a ninja really is a pain, he thought.
If life could stay this simple, that would be nice.
Unfortunately, that wasn't an option.
As Nara Shikaku's son, drifting through life wasn't in the cards.
Nearby, Ino smiled quietly.
The teacher hadn't agreed with her that morning—but he still paid attention to Shikamaru.
At the same time, Masahiko called on several other students, treating everyone equally.
Ino clenched her fists happily.
Teacher really is fair.
Noon — Academy Gate
Anko Mitarashi leaned against the gate, chewing on a blade of grass.
"Tch… what's taking him so long?" she muttered."He didn't chicken out, did he?"
Just as she was about to head inside—
"I thought you were always busy. Didn't expect you to have time today."
Masahiko's voice came from behind her.
Anko laughed and slapped a hand onto his shoulder."Relax. Just wanted to catch up."
"Really?" Masahiko smiled mildly. "I don't believe you."
"Tch. That hurts."
She hooked an arm around his shoulder without hesitation."Come on. My treat."
She dragged him to a dango shop, ordered mitarashi dango and red bean soup, and sat down.
Masahiko wasn't fond of sweets, but he ate politely.
After a few bites, Anko grinned."My team's short-handed. You're pretty capable—interested in joining?"
"Not interested."
Masahiko rested his chin on one hand.
After sipping his soup, he added,"I like teaching. My talent isn't exceptional—I'm better at thinking things through slowly."
Anko frowned."Not even a little interested?"
She leaned closer and lowered her voice."What about ANBU?"
Masahiko paused—then shook his head.
"I'll stay a teacher."
His hand hovered briefly over the bowl.
"The future of the village lies with the next generation. This class has several promising kids. Helping them grow matters more than anything I could do alone."
He sounded sincere.
Anko froze, dango halfway to her mouth.
"…What?" Masahiko asked after a sip.Did I overdo it?
She snapped out of it and shook her head."No. You're right."
But inwardly, her thoughts churned.
Yagyu Masahiko…
She barely remembered him from their academy days—only that he wanted to become strong.
After the Nine-Tails incident, his relentless training had stood out to her.
Hearing Hayate's comments, she'd come to test him on a whim.
Now—
He felt like a completely different person.
Almost like a stranger.