"Huh?"
Naruto was startled at first, then his face flushed red. But after that... he lowered his head dejectedly.
"But everyone looks down on me, including you."
"Because you have no ability. You cause trouble, pull pranks, and you're a good-for-nothing who only seeks attention. Why should anyone respect you?" Masahiko's reply was blunt and cold. "But now... haven't you noticed?"
"What?" Naruto looked up, confused.
Masahiko replied calmly: "Over the past half month, Iruka-sensei and your other classmates have significantly changed their attitude toward you."
Naruto was stunned for a moment, then his eyes brightened as he suddenly clapped his hands. "You're right! Sakura hasn't yelled at me in ages!" Then, he scratched his head. "I knew something felt off..."
Masahiko raised an eyebrow slightly but didn't lecture him. He got up to pay, saying, "The starting point of life cannot be changed, but the path and the destination are chosen by you."
Masahiko lowered his head, his expression serious.
"Starting tomorrow, I won't wake you up anymore. Whether you continue to be a good-for-nothing or strive to change is your choice."
"You are free."
After speaking, Yagyu Masahiko paid and turned to leave.
In front of the Ichiraku Ramen stand, Naruto remained motionless for a long time. After nearly twenty days of "torment," he thought he would hate and despise Masahiko. But what left Naruto feeling lost and confused was that when this moment finally arrived, he felt neither joy, nor anger, nor hatred. His heart was filled only with bewilderment.
The next day, it was still dark. The early spring morning was bitterly cold. Before six o'clock, Naruto woke up automatically and mechanically got up to wash his face and brush his teeth. Only after washing up did he remember—starting today, Masahiko-sensei wouldn't force him to do anything anymore.
Naruto stood by the window, sat blankly for a while, and finally stood up, jumped out the window, and ran along his usual route.
One lap.
Ten laps.
Twenty laps... More than an hour later, Naruto struggled to walk to a sushi shop and bought rice balls and hot milk.
Thirty-five laps.
This was the total number of laps he had counted running that morning.
"So I never actually finished fifty laps." Naruto's emotions became increasingly complex, shifting between shock and confusion. He sat in the sushi shop, unable to move for a long time.
Until someone passed by.
"Naruto? What are you doing here?"
"Pineapple Head? Ah! Wait, I'm going to be late!" Naruto snapped out of his daze.
Shikamaru sighed speechlessly. "Today is Saturday. The Academy is closed."
"Saturday?" Naruto was bewildered, only then remembering that seemed to be the case.
Shikamaru propped his head up and said, "You've changed a lot recently. Now you even care about being late."
"Well..." Naruto started to reply, but he didn't know how to explain, so he frustratedly grabbed his hair. Unable to figure it out, he got up and ordered some food for Shikamaru.
Afterward, Naruto sat down and confided his troubles to Shikamaru. His friendship with Shikamaru had been forged through skipping classes together. Of course, if you asked how deep the friendship was, it wasn't that profound; normally, Naruto wouldn't be willing to reveal the truth to him.
Hearing this, a thoughtful look appeared on Shikamaru's lazy face before he accepted the sushi. After thanking him, he finally spoke: "You're just not used to being without him."
"Maybe so." Naruto scratched his head. He wasn't someone who liked to think hard, and since he couldn't figure it out, he simply stopped trying.
Shikamaru ate his sushi and drank his milk. "What are you going to do later?"
"Haven't decided yet." Naruto rested his head on the table, pondered for a moment, and suddenly looked up. "I've got it!"
"Hmm?"
"Hehehe, I'm going to find some people to race with!" Naruto was overwhelmed with excitement and got up to leave. "Shikamaru, I'm heading off. Take your time eating."
"The money..."
"Later!" Naruto waved his hand repeatedly, his cheerful laughter occasionally drifting back.
Shikamaru shook his head lightly, then quickly finished eating and left the shop. Once in the alley, he canceled the Transformation Jutsu.
"Sure enough, a leopard never changes its spots. Forget it, at least he's better than before. Even if the Third Hokage seeks accountability, it has nothing to do with me!"
Masahiko walked out of the village with a cold expression. Outside the village, he trained his Great Fireball Technique as usual. Changing the nature of Chakra and turning it into flames was the first step. He also needed to constantly refine, maintain, compress, and strengthen the Chakra... Finally—the Chakra formed rolling waves of fire, spewing from Masahiko's mouth as the flames rolled forward to form a giant fireball.
The fireball lasted for several seconds before subsiding. Masahiko took a breath and glanced at his status panel.
[Great Fireball Technique: Proficient]
It had improved! Only at the Proficient level could it truly be used in actual combat.
Just then, a figure appeared behind him with a "swoosh." Masahiko spun around and kicked, his leg moving faster than his own consciousness as he delivered a heavy blow toward the ninja who had suddenly approached.
The opponent caught his foot with one hand, but unexpectedly, Masahiko supported himself with one arm and twisted his body for a spinning kick, aiming his other foot at the opponent's head.
Bang!
The opponent quickly released his grip and retreated using the Body Flicker. Masahiko did not pursue, instead taking the opportunity to size up his opponent.
The opponent coughed lightly, and the voice was immediately familiar. Masahiko stood still and lowered his guard. "Hayate?"
"Cough, cough. It's been a while... your Taijutsu is much stronger than before." The opponent stood up. It was indeed Gekkō Hayate.
The two were about the same age and had been classmates at the Ninja Academy. However, in the Academy, "Masahiko" had been unremarkable, and after graduation, he had remained obscure. If he hadn't received a mission today, Gekkō Hayate might not have known that Masahiko's Taijutsu was already this formidable—relying solely on Taijutsu, he might not be Masahiko's match!
After his initial shock, Gekkō Hayate coughed lightly and said, "Hokage-sama requests your presence."
Huh?
Masahiko froze for a second, then said with a headache, "It couldn't be that idiot Naruto causing trouble again, could it?"
"Naruto defaced the Hokage Building with graffiti, led a group of Chunin on a chase through the streets, and was arrested by the Konoha Military Police Force." Gekkō Hayate replied. He stood up and added, "As for what Hokage-sama wants from you... I apologize, I don't know either."
"Thank you, I'll go right away." Masahiko left using the Body Flicker.
Gekkō Hayate stared at Masahiko's retreating figure, then looked at the scorched pit in the ground, pressing a hand to his chest and sighing helplessly. In his memory, Masahiko was not considered outstanding. But the other party possessed a healthy body and was slowly catching up through relentless effort, while he would only grow weaker.
Just as Masahiko left the woods and arrived at the Hokage Building, his eyelid twitched at the sight of the walls covered in graffiti. This really was... under his twenty-odd days of training, Naruto's physical fitness and Taijutsu had developed significantly, but it had also made him much more troublesome.
He gazed up at the Hokage Building, momentarily lost in thought. Afterward, Masahiko took a deep breath and walked toward the Third Hokage's office. A beheading is a beheading, whether you stick your neck out or pull it back. There was no escaping it! However, he wasn't Naruto's guardian, so he couldn't be held responsible for too much.
Masahiko went upstairs and knocked on the door.
"Come in." The Third Hokage's voice came from inside.
Masahiko entered and saw that besides Hiruzen Sarutobi, there was someone else in the office who quite surprised him—Danzo Shimura.