"Itachi is out, what do you want to do?"
"Want to kill Masahiko? Don't you know your own weight? Old Thief, go get him!"
"Say, is it possible Itachi is sending him to the Old Thief to die, so Sasuke won't be constantly watched?"
"The Old Thief doesn't have the Shikotsumyaku, he might not be his match, right?"
As soon as Itachi's lines came out, the screen was filled with floating bullet chat.
Masahiko fell into deep thought.
He had no actual conflict with Itachi; logically, Itachi wouldn't go out of his way to provoke such an enemy for him.
Looking closely at the reason, it was likely still for Sasuke's sake.
The "sending him to die" mentioned in the bullet chat might be one aspect, but on the other hand, it could also be to create a sense of crisis for Sasuke, making him work harder and become more self-reliant.
And—
What if he awakens?
Masahiko thought about it and felt that Itachi was truly a pervert.
Sasuke is already like this, yet he still wants to add more pressure; is he really the legendary stress-resistance king of the Ninja World?
However.
He didn't care much about Hiruko.
This guy seems strong, but in reality, every time he uses the Chimera Technique, it physically manifests on his body.
Judging by his form in this episode, Hiruko only has some extra bandages on his arms, quite different from the movie version; he likely hasn't absorbed the four types of Bloodline Limit yet.
What he was thinking about was————
Perhaps, Itachi and Hiruko's plan could be used for his own purposes.
After thinking for a moment, a plan gradually formed in Masahiko's mind.
After the dialogue between Itachi and Hiruko, following the scene of Sasuke's hard training, the ending theme song played as expected.
Lines of text appeared on the screen.
[Popularity Rating: S]
[Comprehensive Evaluation————]
[Obtained performance pay: low-level skill upgrade card]
Another low-level skill upgrade card.
Masahiko scanned his panel.
The low-level skill upgrade card can only be used for skills below C-rank difficulty, so————
[Demon Flute: Phantom Sound Chains: Perfect]
The one that currently needs improvement the most cannot be upgraded.
He looked at his other Ninjutsu.
Lightning Release: Earth Flash, Great Fireball Technique, Water Wave————
Many have already reached the Limit Break; the only C-rank Ninjutsu that hasn't reached it is "Earth Flash," but he can still use the "upgrade card" to directly integrate knowledge and improve his ability.
Then—
[low-level skill upgrade card used.]
Nowadays, Masahiko's Body Flicker Technique is no longer confined to the combined use of Clone Jutsu and Body Flicker Technique from back then.
Water Body Flicker, Lightning Release Body Flicker, and so on—he could use them all.
So————
With his current abilities, what new capability could another upgrade of the Body Flicker Technique yield?
Masahiko wanted to see if there was any inspiration he had overlooked.
After using the upgrade card, various thoughts and inspirations quickly appeared in his mind.
Masahiko glanced over them and couldn't help but feel lucky he chose the Body Flicker Technique.
There were many choices, but two were relatively good.
First, something similar to Shisui's Genjutsu Body Flicker, which could further strengthen the combat style of combining Clone Jutsu and Body Flicker.
The drawback is—
Without the Sharingan, the technique isn't as fast, and efficiency would be affected; the Body Flicker itself might be relatively slow.
Moreover, it's easily seen through and broken by Genjutsu masters.
Second, the Fire Body Flicker Technique.
This is also a type of Nintaijutsu, but it requires using a Fire Release Ninjutsu first, then controlling part of the flames through Chakra to achieve a Body Flicker Fire Release attack.
It requires a direction of fine Chakra control.
One mistake, and not only would the attack fail, but it might also injure himself.
Masahiko did not hesitate.
Phantom Body Flicker—he could already do it now, but the effect wasn't great and wouldn't play much of a role against true masters.
If the hardware isn't changed in this regard, it's destined to be no match for the Sharingan.
[Body Flicker Technique ability improved!]
Konoha, the abandoned Training Ground on the outskirts.
Looking at the residence, all the visiting Jonin fell silent.
The previously abandoned outposts and attics were now covered with various vines and plants.
The plants hadn't been cleared, and some special trees were used for reinforcement; fortunately, Konoha wasn't so excessive as to make them live in dilapidated houses.
Next to the abandoned buildings, houses were built with wood, and water and electricity were moved over, so there was no need to worry about daily living issues.
It looked decent.
But!
In previous years when coming to Konoha, everyone stayed in large houses or villas, and could wander around the village to gather intelligence.
But now————
They were confined to the middle of nowhere, separated from Konoha Village by a large mountain and a forest; it was completely different from what they had imagined!
"This is our residence?"
Several Jonin leading the teams from various villages looked at Masahiko Yagyu.
"Everyone might not know, but the Ninjas from Kusagakure were murdered at the border of the Land of Grass!"
Saying this, Masahiko's expression turned solemn. "This used to be one of our training bases; there's a strong sensory barrier around it, which can prevent anyone with ill intentions from infiltrating."
They looked at each other, their first reaction naturally being disbelief.
These small hidden villages, though lacking in strength, would usually bring one or two Jonin when coming to participate in the Chunin Exams.
"The specific situation isn't very clear to us yet. According to the response from Kusagakure————"
Masahiko took out a scroll.
After opening it, a pattern appeared on the paper.
"There was such a pattern at the scene. According to our investigation, this is an organization from the Land of Hot Springs called the Jashin Cult——"
He had everyone pass the pattern around while saying, "This kind of organization likely masters some special evil technique; we have already sent messages to all villages to be on alert."
"Sir, is there any other information?"
A Jonin from Takigakure asked.
"We are also investigating. The information we currently have is only that he knows an evil technique for killing by taking blood; other details are not yet clear."
Masahiko was extremely polite. "In short, placing everyone here was caused by various factors. Please understand."
Everyone naturally understood.
It wasn't that they believed Konoha's information, but rather——
The person in front of them was said to have an extremely high price in the underground bounty black market, but several times he went out, no one could claim the bounty.
Most people like this are ruthless characters that ordinary people dare not provoke.
Night, Konoha.
Kurama Yakumo lay on her bed, reflecting on her experiences from the previous days.
The content on the scroll was verified to be true.
These past few days, she did feel her body recovering faster.
If she went to find that guy, she might get further help, but she might also be controlled by him——
She was hesitant.
Just then, that snake crawled in through the door crack again.
She immediately sat up.
The small snake flicked its tongue, crawled in front of her, and then spat out a scroll.
Yakumo opened it.
It was written: "Have you decided?"
The little snake didn't leave immediately.
She understood and wrote on the back: "Who are you? What benefits can I get if I go to your side?"
After writing, she stuffed the scroll back into the snake's mouth.
The next second, the snake disappeared from the spot.
Is this a Summoned Beast?
As Yakumo was thinking, she heard a sigh from outside.
She froze for a moment, immediately jumped up from the bed, and hurried to open the door to the balcony.
Under the moonlight, her teacher stood outside the balcony, his eyes carrying a hint of complex emotion.
Yakumo bit her lip, not knowing how to explain.
Silence for several seconds.
"If you feel it would be better to go there, then go. Orochimaru is a good teacher, but remember, you only need to learn his knowledge."
"Teacher, you———— when did you find out?"
Yakumo's eyes reddened, and tears suddenly welled up.
Masahiko touched her hair. "It's my fault. Although I let you train in the Anbu, I haven't done enough———— promise me, don't rush to make a decision, wait a bit longer, okay?"
"I'm sorry, teacher. I want to be healthier, I want to become stronger, to have the ability to help you!"
Yakumo choked out, "I was wrong, I won't go!"
"No need to rush to make a decision."
Masahiko said, "On Kurenai-sensei's side, don't let her know."
"Mhm!"
Yakumo nodded repeatedly, wiping away her tears.
The next instant, the figure under the moonlight had already left silently. Looking closely————
On the street, her teacher walked away with his hands in his pockets, his back appearing somewhat heavy.