After using the Upgrade Card, Masahiko entered a very marvelous state.
A vast amount of knowledge and Ninjutsu collided and reorganized in his mind, with countless possibilities flashing and then disappearing.
Finally, several clear and feasible paths emerged—
Special "Limit Breaks" such as Water Release combined with the Body Flicker Technique, Lightning Release Body Flicker, Monstrous Strength Body Flicker, and so on.
But.
For many of these plans, Masahiko did not possess the other necessary knowledge; he was only able to combine so many "Limit Break" plans thanks to having seen the anime in his previous life.
Fortunately.
The "Upgrade Card" was not about making a choice, but rather presenting all the possibilities and ideas for improvement.
As long as he mastered similar abilities one day, he could research and improve them himself.
What he could master now was the method of combining the Clone Jutsu with the Body Flicker Technique.
This plan was similar to Shisui's Body Flicker, but also different.
He had never seen Shisui's Body Flicker, but judging from the plan and effects presented by the "Upgrade Card," this Body Flicker didn't have Shisui's "being everywhere at once" effect.
Masahiko guessed that Shisui's Body Flicker might also involve Genjutsu techniques based on the Sharingan.
"However, if the Body Flicker Technique reaches 'Limit Break,' will it cause me to have problems similar to Kakashi's when he didn't have the Sharingan?"
Masahiko hesitated for a moment and entered the "acting instance" again.
The familiar Training Ground.
'Kakashi' stood before him.
Masahiko drew his sword, his speed instantly exploding to his current limit as multiple "clones" appeared in the air and slashed at Kakashi.
The 'Kakashi' in the instance was fixed to their previous battle, so he didn't use the Sharingan, but... the moment Masahiko struck, Kakashi's hands formed seals, and a Lightning Wolf Beast formed a streak of silver-white lightning that circled back and forth in the area ahead.
Masahiko immediately changed his position.
But.
At that very instant, 'Kakashi' drew his sword and slashed toward the main body that had changed positions.
Clang!
The blades collided, and Masahiko almost couldn't hold onto his sword; he used a clever force-redirection technique to retreat.
After flying back, his brain quickly summarized the encounter.
The next moment, Masahiko changed his posture in mid-air, stepped on the trunk of a tree, and used the momentum to sprint forward.
But.
This time, his speed decreased.
'Kakashi' also rushed up, his blade precise and swift, like a bolt of lightning.
But just as they drew close, Masahiko's speed suddenly surged, and three or four clones appeared in the air to strike down together.
The blade slashed through—
The figure in front of him was actually an afterimage.
Lightning Release Chakra erupted from 'Kakashi's' body, stimulating his physical activity, and he instantly disappeared from the spot.
Masahiko's strike landed, but it also hit nothing.
"Without the Sharingan, sudden changes in speed for assassination is the true way to use it!"
"But, against an enemy with the Sharingan, if this tactic fails, it will lead to danger."
"Unfortunately, the Kakashi in this instance won't use the Sharingan..."
Masahiko sighed softly but struck again.
Even without the Sharingan, the current 'Kakashi' was an expert among Jonin and could help him test out the many loopholes and errors in his combat methods.
But now, he had to go to class... at the Ninja Academy.
Masahiko's gaze fixed on the people running on the field.
Naruto, Inuzuka Kiba, and Sasuke were running at the very front, the competition between the three being very intense.
Meanwhile—
The few people at the back of the line were also chasing hard, running until they were out of breath.
On the inside of the field, Yakumo Kurama held a drawing board, painting as she walked; she was much more skilled than when she first enrolled.
It had only been three or four days.
"The gap between geniuses and ordinary people..."
A trace of envy and jealousy grew in Masahiko's heart.
Afterward, his gaze settled on Sasuke.
"Establishing a connection with the Uchiha Clan happens to fit perfectly with my original plan."
But—
How should he bring it up?
Masahiko stared, then looked at Naruto, and suddenly had an idea.
After finishing the run, everyone stood in formation.
Sasuke's gaze frequently swept toward Naruto; clearly, Naruto's improvement in recent days had made him feel pressured.
He clapped his hands.
"Alright, today we're going to do some combat practice with a twist!"
Masahiko scanned everyone. "Many of you come from Ninja clans or are the descendants of Ninjas who have practiced in advance."
Everyone was silent.
It was an indisputable fact that different backgrounds led to a large gap in performance.
They didn't understand what Masahiko was trying to say.
Even Sasuke had a look of doubt in his eyes.
Masahiko smiled and said, "So, for today's combat practice, I require that you cannot use any abilities outside of what is taught at the Ninja Academy."
Huh?
Hearing this, everyone was stunned.
"Hahaha! If we only use academy Taijutsu, Sasuke, I'll definitely be able to beat you!"
Naruto laughed loudly, feeling he had every advantage.
He even felt—
Masahiko looks out for him sometimes!
However, after a little thought, Sasuke understood the other layer of meaning in Masahiko's words.
They couldn't use skills learned outside the school.
In other words, all skills taught within the school could be used.
This was a comprehensive combat test!
Sasuke regained his confidence, but then he thought of something: "Teacher, can the Body Flicker Technique be used?"
The Body Flicker Technique was a D-rank Taijutsu; although it wasn't taught at the Ninja Academy, its principles and basic usage were discussed.
Generally speaking, as long as one graduated and became a Genin, they could learn the most common Body Flicker from their squad leader.
Masahiko smiled and said, "You can."
Sasuke nodded slightly and said nothing more.
"Sasuke, I'm definitely going to thrash you this time!"
Naruto didn't notice anything wrong at all, chattering with extreme confidence.
At this moment, Masahiko looked at him coldly.
"Naruto, do you want to fight Sasuke that badly?"
"Of course!"
Naruto stood at attention.
Masahiko said calmly, "Fine, I'll let you fight him. If you win, I'll teach you a Ninjutsu, but what if you lose?"
"If I lose..."
Naruto looked hesitant but finally gritted his teeth and said, "If we're only competing with school stuff, how could I possibly lose! If I lose, I'll run a hundred laps around Konoha!"
"Teacher, what about me?"
Sasuke interjected eagerly.
Masahiko laughed, "If you win, I'll teach you a simple and practical technique. If you lose, you'll also run a hundred laps."
"Really?"
Sasuke's eyes lit up, and he immediately nodded excitedly. "Okay!"
He looked at Naruto, his fighting spirit high.
The others moved aside.
Naruto warmed up his muscles and charged at Sasuke the moment "Start" was shouted.
But.
Sasuke's hands formed seals, and two clones appeared beside him.
Naruto was instantly dumbfounded.
He can still use Ninjutsu?
"You're cheating!"
"Fool!"
Sasuke sneered, and then the three figures shifted and moved forward rapidly.
Naruto gritted his teeth and charged at one of them; the moment he made his move—
Sasuke used Body Flicker to move forward.
Bam!
A punch.
Naruto was knocked to the ground.
He struggled to get up, and the Sasuke in front of him split into three again, while a Kunai flew past him.
With the figures blurred, he instantly lost his target.
Naruto threw a shuriken.
However, the shuriken passed through the three figures; not a single one was the real body.
Where's the real body?
While Naruto was dazed, a Kunai was held against his neck from behind.
"You lose!"
"Damn it, Sasuke, how can you use Ninjutsu?"
Naruto jumped in anger.
Sasuke sneered, "Teacher never said we couldn't use Ninjutsu. You, the dead last, misunderstood it yourself."
He looked at Masahiko, waiting for the teacher to speak.
Masahiko's cold gaze swept over.
"The textbook says that intelligence can determine success or failure."
"As a Ninja, if you don't even have the basic ability to read intelligence and the combat situation, yet you want to be Hokage? You don't even have the qualifications to be a Ninja right now!"
"In addition to the hundred laps, you are punished to copy the 'Intelligence Chapter' of the textbook ten times and hand it in within a week!"
He stared at Naruto.
Naruto's face was a mixture of anger, annoyance, and shame; eventually, he lowered his head and remained silent.
Masahiko looked at the others.
"Except for the newly arrived Yakumo, everyone else will fight in pairs."
Saying this, he created a Shadow Clone.
"Sasuke, follow me."