It was afternoon at the Ninja Academy.
"Sasuke-kun, could you teach me this jutsu..."
"Don't bother me!"
Sasuke swept a cold glance over the girl. Terrified, her face went pale, and her hand, still clutching the textbook, recoiled instantly. Her lips trembled as she bowed deeply.
"I-I'm sorry!"
Receiving no response from the brooding Uchiha, she hurried away, not daring to approach him again.
Sasuke stared icily at the blackboard, though his focus was miles away. He couldn't fathom that the powerful Shisui was dead. More importantly, he refused to believe that his brother, Uchiha Itachi, was the murderer, as the clan rumors suggested. Nii-san and Shisui were so close...
And yet, since Shisui's death, Itachi hadn't stepped foot outside his room. His face fluctuated between rage and icy detachment, radiating an aura that warned everyone to keep their distance.
Even Naruto, usually a chaotic ball of energy, was subdued today. He didn't jump around or shout; instead, he cast furtive glances at Sasuke.
However, there was always someone brave—or foolish—enough to speak up.
"Sasuke, are you..."
"You're annoying." Sasuke's gaze was withering.
Haruno Sakura froze, unsure how to respond to the sudden hostility. Yamanaka Ino tugged gently at the hem of her clothes, signaling her to back off.
Bam!
Naruto slammed his hands on the desk and stood up, furious. "Sasuke! Sakura-chan was just worried about you! What's with the attitude? If you're in a bad mood, let's go outside and fight it out!"
Sasuke tilted his head, offered a single dismissive glance, and then looked away. He didn't even deem Naruto worthy of a response.
Just as Naruto began to shout and threaten to teach Sasuke a lesson, the bell rang, breaking the awkward tension. Naruto reluctantly sat back down.
A second later, a voice drifted in from the corridor.
"It sounds quite lively in here. Did something happen?"
The familiarity of the voice caused the students to freeze before their eyes widened in collective surprise toward the door.
"Masahiko-sensei?" Ino cried out, a mix of shock and delight. "You're not sick?"
"Just a minor issue. I went to the hospital this morning, but I'm fine now," Masahiko replied with a warm smile. He picked up the textbook from the podium. "I'll be taking this session. You're currently covering the Clone Jutsu, correct?"
Sasuke looked up, initially surprised, before a flicker of excitement crossed his face. But within a second, that excitement was replaced by melancholy. Sensei and Shisui were classmates... Nii-san said they had even been exchanging notes on the Body Flicker and Clone techniques recently. Does he know about Shisui's death?
Sasuke's thoughts became a tangled mess, and he stared into space, lost in silence.
A classmate beside him poked his arm. Sasuke glanced over in confusion, only to see the student pointing toward the front of the room. Following the finger, Sasuke saw Yagyu Masahiko looking directly at him.
He stood up immediately. "I'm sorry, Sensei. I was distracted."
"It's fine. I took the morning off myself, after all," Masahiko said with a gentle, disarming smile. "I plan to check the class's progress on the Clone Jutsu. If you aren't feeling well, you don't have to demonstrate."
"No, I'm fine." Sasuke shook his head.
He walked to the podium and performed the hand signs.
In the next instant, two clones appeared—but they weren't copies of Sasuke. They were two perfect replicas of Yagyu Masahiko.
"Very good. Outstanding, actually," Masahiko nodded, his face showing genuine appreciation. "I checked the curriculum; combining Transformation with the Clone Jutsu is technically next year's material. You've mastered it ahead of schedule."
Sasuke nodded slightly, showing no sign of arrogance. He knew that the man standing before him possessed an understanding of the Clone Jutsu that likely surpassed both Shisui and his brother. In front of Masahiko, this minor display of skill wasn't worth boasting about.
"You may sit down. Remember to speak up if you feel unwell."
"Yes!" Sasuke bowed respectfully and returned to his seat.
Masahiko turned his gaze elsewhere, his smile bright and encouraging.
Naruto felt the weight of that gaze and squirmed in his seat. He waited for his name to be called... and waited... but the call never came. He grew increasingly restless.
At that moment, the back door of the classroom opened quietly. Sarutobi Hiruzen, Watanabe Shōji, Iruka, and several others filed in. The Third Hokage even offered a small wave to Masahiko.
Looking at the lineup, it seemed nearly every Jōnin in the school had arrived.
Good lord, Masahiko thought. The Ninja World has public observation classes too?
He shifted his gaze away from Naruto, deciding to spare the boy the inevitable humiliation. But fate had other plans.
Bam!
"You just don't want to call on me, do you? I'll do it!"
Naruto stood up, his face a mask of brave determination.
Sasuke, who had just sat down, looked at Naruto with a weird expression. Having just walked back from the podium, Sasuke had clearly seen the Third Hokage and the entourage standing at the back.
Naruto marched to the podium, full of momentum.
I might be bad at this, he thought, but I absolutely cannot show weakness in front of Yagyu Masahiko!
Masahiko laughed softly.
"I didn't intend to call you up, but since you volunteered so enthusiastically, go ahead and demonstrate. You don't need to be like Sasuke—just creating a standard clone is sufficient."
"No! If he can do it, I can do it too!" Naruto's mouth was as stubborn as ever.
But the moment he turned around to face the class, his face froze.
Why are there so many people? Why is Grandpa Third here?!
Naruto was dumbfounded. He snapped his head back to glare at Masahiko—You set me up!
Masahiko merely smiled. "A qualified ninja should understand the boundaries of their own abilities. Failing to do something isn't shameful."
"I... I-I... I can do it!" Naruto stammered, refusing to admit defeat.
He began kneading chakra, preparing for the jutsu.
Masahiko felt the violent turbulence of the boy's energy and mentally shook his head. His chakra fluctuations are almost as chaotic as when I use Collapsing Torrent. If he pulls off a Clone Jutsu with that mess, I'll eat my headband.
He watched silently.
Naruto finished the seals, his chakra exploded outward, and then...
He stared blankly.
Two "Masahikos" appeared. One was lying horizontally on the ground; the other had facial features so twisted it barely looked human.
Masahiko sighed lightly. "That's why I said I didn't want to call you up..."
"Damn it!" Naruto looked on the verge of a breakdown.
"I told you before," Masahiko said, his expression turning serious. "You must understand your limits. Inability is not shameful; stubbornness in the face of inability is. Right now, it's just embarrassing. But on the battlefield? That stubbornness will cost you your life!"
Naruto opened his mouth to argue but closed it. He knew the teacher was right.
"Try just one," Masahiko said, his tone softening.
Naruto nodded silently. He formed the seals again, attempting a standard Clone Jutsu.
It was better, but not by much.
Masahiko remained silent. The Nine-Tails really is a hassle for fine control...
"Don't stack the Transformation Jutsu," he instructed. "Just the clone."
"I-I know!"
Naruto's face was flushed red. Between his nervousness and his volatile emotions, his performance was deteriorating rapidly.
Masahiko wasn't angry, but the faces of the Third Hokage and Iruka in the back were becoming difficult to watch. Especially Iruka—he was the primary Ninjutsu instructor. Naruto performing this poorly felt like a direct reflection of his teaching.
The students wanted to laugh, but seeing the strange expressions on Naruto and Sasuke's faces, even the dullest among them realized something was off. A few turned around and spotted the VIPs standing in the back.
With the Hokage present... who dared to laugh?
Masahiko seemed lost in thought, saying nothing. The atmosphere grew heavy and silent.
Just as Naruto's shoulders slumped in defeat, ready to give up, Masahiko spoke.
"Try creating a whole pile of them in one breath."
"Huh?" Naruto blinked, confused. "Why?"
"Just try it. No harm in trying," Masahiko smiled.
Naruto scratched his head but followed the instruction.
Poof!
A massive burst of chakra erupted. Suddenly, a horde of Naruto clones flooded the podium, squeezing into every available inch of space.
Fortunately, they were just illusory clones, so the classroom didn't explode into noise.
Naruto looked around, stunned.
When he poured everything into creating a mass number of clones, they actually looked somewhat human—at least, they weren't the twisted abominations from before.
Masahiko smiled. "The essence of the Clone Jutsu is illusion. Its primary function is to mask your movements. Since you cannot achieve precision, winning through sheer quantity is a valid path."
The amount of chakra Naruto had released was staggering; he had literally paved the stage with clones. While many were crooked or misshapen, a quick glance made it impossible to identify the real body among the chaotic sea of duplicates.
However, Masahiko quickly added a correction. "This is a trick—a method of last resort for combat. For school exams, you still need to refine your technique properly."
"Yes, I understand!" Naruto walked off the stage in a trance, feeling like he was walking on clouds.
Masahiko addressed the class, his voice clear.
"We study Ninjutsu to learn it, but once learned, we must step outside the rigid framework of thinking. Do not let the textbook become your cage."
As he spoke, it wasn't just the students who listened. Even Iruka and Watanabe Shōji, the teachers, fell into deep contemplation.
This kind of thinking... we've never considered it before.
"Well said!"
Applause broke out from the back of the room. It was Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Following his lead, thunderous applause swept through the entire classroom.