After the scene between Naruto and Inuzuka Kiba concluded, the camera angle shifted.
The setting moved to the outskirts of the village. Naruto encountered an old man. The stranger showed no malice; instead, he engaged Naruto in a casual, meandering conversation. However, every sentence was laced with subtle probing.
Masahiko saw through it at a glance. That was no ordinary old man—it was definitely a ninja in disguise.
After chatting for a long while, Naruto finally bade the stranger farewell. Judging by the color of the sky, this moment aligned perfectly with the time Masahiko had received the System's notification earlier that day.
In the next moment, the camera focused on the old man as he watched Naruto leave. With a puff of smoke, the transformation was undone, revealing his true form.
It was none other than Hatake Kakashi.
Unlike his previous ANBU attire or his standard ninja vest from the main series, the Kakashi on screen was dressed in casual, home-style clothing. The only constant, naturally, was the mask covering his face.
"Holy crap, it's Kakashi!"
"He finally showed up! But man, that Old Thief Masahiko is truly cunning. He must have anticipated this ages ago."
"You think he'd dare work in this industry without some skills? Besides, just look at how he trained his Body Flicker Technique to that level purely through mimicry. The guy is a genius..."
"Wait, could the 'Old Thief' actually be the final boss of this Prequel arc?"
"Whoa, don't say that! I really like his character; I want to see him survive into the main timeline!"
The moment Kakashi appeared, the screen was completely obscured by a barrage of bullet comments.
Masahiko decided to join the fun, firing off his own comment: "Holy crap, it's Kakashi."
But once the amusement faded, a wave of relief washed over him.
Fortunately, he had relied on the collective wisdom of his predecessors—the countless tropes and plot twists he knew—which kept him vigilant enough not to expose a single flaw.
Take this interaction, for example. Although he had guided Naruto, he hadn't been too heavy-handed. The core theme of his lesson wasn't to incite Naruto to immediate revenge, but to foster self-reliance and self-improvement. He wanted Naruto to use overwhelming strength to make himself untouchable, ensuring that others wouldn't dare bully him again.
If he had directly instigated Naruto to seek vengeance, Masahiko would likely have ended up just like Mizuki.
As the opening notes of the ending theme began to play, Masahiko straightened his posture, waiting for the subsequent reward notification.
A minute later, the text appeared.
[Popularity Rating: S]
[Comprehensive Assessment in progress...]
[Congratulations! You have been promoted to: S-Rank Special Guest Actor.]
[Reward Received: Actor's Advanced Advancement — Nintaijutsu Edition.]
[Nintaijutsu Training Module unlocked.]
A functional module!
Masahiko couldn't hide his delight. Based on his previous rewards, he knew exactly what this meant. A functional module was far more valuable than a single Ninjutsu reward. And this time, it was an Advanced Advancement module.
Nintaijutsu...
Techniques like Tsunade's Chakra Enhanced Strength, the Raikage's Lightning Style Armor, and the method of stimulating the body's cells with Lightning Chakra all fell under the umbrella of Nintaijutsu (Ninja Taijutsu).
This path suited Masahiko perfectly.
Individually, his Taijutsu and Ninjutsu were not particularly overpowering. His current combat prowess relied almost entirely on the combined application of the Body Flicker Technique and the Clone Technique. If he could master a Nintaijutsu similar to Chakra Enhanced Strength, he could integrate it with his Body Flicker—following the same "Limit-Break" development plan he used before—to create something devastating.
The more he thought about it, the better this reward seemed. It was truly worthy of a reward derived from over 60% Acting Progress!
With bright eyes, Masahiko wasted no time and immediately entered the training space.
It was still a vast, white void. However, this time, two lines of text floated beneath the central projection.
[Smart Projection: Possesses no special memories. Available for permanent free use.]
[Personalized Projection: Consumes Salary Cards. Can activate a special projection with a time limit based on the host's status.]
(Note: Duration depends on the type and rank of the Salary Card used.)
Without a doubt, the second option was superior. But...
He had no cards.
He had burned through all his previous Salary Cards and hadn't saved a single one. With a regretful sigh, he turned his gaze to the first option.
"Summon Smart Projection."
In the next second, a black silhouette materialized. It slowly morphed and solidified, eventually taking on Masahiko's exact appearance.
Masahiko fell silent for a moment before asking, "How can you help me?"
"I can explain the principles of Nintaijutsu and assist your cultivation based on the knowledge you currently possess," the projection answered in a cold, robotic voice.
Masahiko understood. It was essentially an AI assistant.
He thought for a moment. "Alright, start with the principles."
"Understood. Nintaijutsu is the deep fusion of Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, or a technique that uses Ninjutsu to strengthen and elevate the physical body..."
"Therefore, to cultivate Nintaijutsu, one must either possess a massive volume of Chakra or master extremely high-level Chakra control techniques."
"Currently, in addition to practicing Nintaijutsu, it is recommended that you strengthen your Chakra control training."
The projection listed points one by one.
Masahiko recalled the few Nintaijutsu styles he knew of, and the advice held true. Whether it was the Cloud Village's style or Tsunade's monstrous strength, they were extensions of Chakra modes. Other forms were simply the combination of elemental attacks and physical strikes.
The latter was simple enough. But to learn the former—the body enhancement type—Chakra control was mandatory.
After some deep thought, he asked, "How should I train my Chakra control?"
"Current database lacks relevant knowledge..."
"Damn it!" Masahiko couldn't help but curse. Free stuff really was bare-bones.
He pondered for a moment and tried a different angle. "Is it possible to improve this ability by learning Medical Ninjutsu?"
"Medical Ninjutsu requires extremely strong Chakra control techniques to begin with, and it does not match your current needs. I suggest you cultivate Genjutsu first," the projection analyzed slowly. "Alternatively, you can practice basic Nintaijutsu by integrating Water Style into your Taijutsu..."
Masahiko's mood improved slightly. Although this projection lacked high-level intelligence or creative thinking, it could help analyze data and assist in training. That was good enough.
He already had ideas about merging Water Style with his Taijutsu.
"But, whether it's Chakra control or fusing Nintaijutsu, both require long-term cultivation, right? Is there a faster way?" Masahiko asked.
The projection replied, "One-handed seal formation. This requires a profound understanding of Ninjutsu, allowing you to self-simplify the Chakra flow required for the technique..."
"That's it!"
Sure enough, the projection had some useful data.
Masahiko began to inquire about the techniques for "One-Handed Seals." Regrettably, the AI only possessed basic theoretical knowledge. Beyond the theory, it knew nothing.
The free version... I suppose I can't be too demanding.
The Advanced Advancement: Ninjutsu Edition didn't even cover the theory of one-handed seals, so getting this much was a bonus.
Masahiko began training his one-handed seals immediately. He decided to proceed from simple to complex, starting with the most basic technique: the Clone Technique.
...
The Next Morning.
Masahiko's research into the Clone Technique was second only to his obsession with the Body Flicker. After a full night of cultivation and study, he finally cracked the code for performing it with one-handed seals.
What surprised him slightly was the result:
[Clone Technique: Limit-Break]
Just by mastering the one-handed seal variation, the proficiency level had jumped from "Perfection" to "Limit-Break."
However, Masahiko knew better. This didn't mean he had reached the absolute ceiling of the technique's potential. It was merely a rough display on the panel—a "happiness chart" meant to make him feel good about his progress.
Still, he allowed himself a moment of excitement.
The value of this functional module was definitely not limited to this small success. The problem was his current lack of knowledge reserves; he simply couldn't utilize the Nintaijutsu features to their full potential yet.
Masahiko made a decision.
Over the next few days, he would set aside half a day each day to scour the Ninja Academy library for books on Nintaijutsu. Once he had laid the groundwork, he would use his official channels at the Academy to apply for more advanced Nintaijutsu training materials.
As a Tokubetsu Jōnin (Special Jonin) and the newly appointed Teaching Consultant, he certainly had the clearance for that.