Class was over.
Inside the classroom, students gathered around Yakumo in a tight circle.
"Wow—this is really good!"
"You drew this while walking?"
"That's incredible!"
"Can I have it?"
Voices overlapped as everyone spoke at once.
"No, it's really not that great," Yakumo said quickly, flustered. "The lines are still pretty rough…"
For the first time, Kurama Yakumo felt that school might actually be… fun.
But—
Everyone was a little too enthusiastic.
Nearby, Shikamaru, who had been unintentionally dragged into the crowd, sighed quietly. He nudged Ino with his elbow and shot her a look.
Ino snapped out of it.
"Hey, everyone, don't crowd her!" she said firmly. "There's only one drawing. It wouldn't be fair to ask Yakumo to give it away. Don't put her on the spot."
Yakumo hesitated. "I-it's okay… I could draw more, maybe?"
"That would be way too much work," Ino said immediately, cutting her off.
Shikamaru sighed again. Resting his chin on his hand, he spoke lazily.
"If you want, just hang this one on the back wall."
Ino brightened. "Oh! Right—you always have a solution!"
"…Okay," Yakumo said softly.
She let out a quiet sigh of relief.
If she really had to draw one for everyone, the workload would've been overwhelming.
She looked at Ino gratefully, thanking her in her heart.
Shikamaru yawned and glanced at the posted schedule.
Ninja Tools class.
A class he could easily skip.
But then he glanced at Yakumo again and sighed.
The new student clearly needed consideration—but not so much that it became obvious.
Leaving Ino alone here didn't sit right with him either.
Seriously… girls are such a hassle.
As for Naruto—
"Why do I have to attend class upside down?! This is totally bullying!"
Second floor — Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, worry etched into his face.
"Isn't this a little too harsh on Naruto?"
"No," Masahiko replied calmly. "His physical recovery is exceptional, but his chakra control is extremely poor. He can't even reliably use the Three Basic Jutsu."
He paused briefly.
"If he continues like this—without focusing on taijutsu—he may not graduate at all."
Naruto's original graduation had relied heavily on special circumstances, something that couldn't be repeated forever.
Hiruzen fell silent.
Masahiko wasn't wrong.
With Naruto's current abilities, even five more years of basic jutsu practice wouldn't be enough.
Taijutsu really was the best path for him.
Hiruzen took a slow puff from his pipe, then sighed.
"Naruto… Yakumo… You're responsible for quite a few problem children. Can you really manage?"
"If Iruka weren't helping," Masahiko said with a smile, "it would be difficult alone."
Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully and stood.
"If you need assistance, make sure to ask."
"Yes, sir."
"About this… mental illness," Hiruzen added hesitantly. "A fear of blood caused by the loss of loved ones—do you have any way to treat that?"
Masahiko's heart sank slightly.
He understood immediately—Hiruzen was talking about Tsunade.
"Hokage-sama," Masahiko said carefully, "I'm only a teacher. My understanding of psychological conditions is mostly speculation. I haven't studied them in depth."
If he truly cured Tsunade now, it would raise too many questions.
Hiruzen sighed deeply.
"…You're right. I was being impatient."
He forced a smile. "Go back to your duties."
The next instant, he vanished.
The Hokage who had been speaking was only a Shadow Clone.
However—
[Low-Grade Skill Copy Card has been used]
[Target: Hiruzen Sarutobi]
A list of skills flooded Masahiko's vision:
Fire Release: Great Fireball (Perfect)
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough (Perfect)
Water Release: Water Clone (Perfect)
…
The Professor of Ninjutsu lived up to his title.
"Copy: Water Release — Water Clone."
Immediately, a new entry appeared:
[Water Release: Water Clone — Perfect]
Perfect was the theoretical limit for copied techniques.
Masahiko's gaze shifted to another card.
"Use Low-Grade Skill Upgrade Card on Water Release: Water Clone (Perfect)?"
Note: Upgrade success depends on the user's understanding and innovation. Insufficient knowledge may result in failure to break the limit.
It could be used.
But after thinking it over, Masahiko declined.
He had an idea—but not enough certainty yet.
If he could integrate principles of high-viscosity Water Release, like the techniques used by Izumo Kamizuki, the Water Clone might evolve beyond its current constraints.
"This card is too valuable to waste," he muttered.
He decided to keep it as a trump card.
Moments later, Masahiko entered the Ninjutsu training space.
Water poured from his mouth, condensing midair into two clones.
Perfect control—no wasted chakra, no instability.
"Let's test this."
He faced the projected figure of Kakashi.
But within moments, realization dawned.
Even a simulated Kakashi's Fire Release evaporated the water clones almost instantly.
A Water Clone possessed only ten percent of the original's power.
It excelled in water environments, but lacked independent combat capability.
Even at the Perfect level, those weaknesses remained.
Compared to Shadow Clones, it was clearly inferior.
Still—
Its chakra cost was low.
For a C-rank technique, it was extremely practical.
And more importantly—
"I've fully mastered Water Release chakra flow. Future Water techniques will be far easier to learn."
Satisfied, Masahiko prepared to resume Shadow Clone training—
When the space collapsed.
A knock came at the door.
Masahiko looked up.
Kurenai Yuhi stood outside, smiling.
"May I come in?"
"Of course."
He stood and rubbed his forehead, deliberately looking tired.
Noticing, Kurenai softened her tone. "Long day?"
"I didn't sleep well last night."
She handed him a thermos. "I made some tea. Thought I'd bring it by—and check on Yakumo."
"I paired her with Ino from the Yamanaka clan," Masahiko said. "With Shikamaru keeping an eye out, she should adapt quickly."
Kurenai nodded. "I saw. Thank you for being so considerate."
"It's nothing," Masahiko replied. "Anyone would help a child like Yakumo."
He poured tea into a cup.
Refreshing or not, it tasted excellent.
Seeing his reaction, Kurenai smiled unconsciously.
Tea was meant to be shared.
"There's something else," she said. "I've been thinking about researching a new genjutsu. If you have time…"
She didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.
"My genjutsu skills are pretty average," Masahiko said honestly.
Kurenai laughed softly. "That's fine. Just a discussion."
"I'd be happy to," he replied. "If I can offer even a little inspiration, all the better."