On the academy rooftop.
"A complete mess. Incomparable to the past," Mitokado Homura sighed lightly. This was truly the worst class ever taught.
Hearing this, Masahiko could not help but smile. "An era of peace differs from wartime. Everyone's vigilance and reverence are simply not as sharp."
"Your generation is fine. Back in our day..." Homura paused abruptly, releasing another soft sigh. "Never mind. It is not something worth taking pride in." He offered a faint, weary smile. "The First Hokage and Second Hokage overcame all objections and spent immense funds to establish the Academy, all so that children would go to the battlefield later..."
Masahiko looked at the courtyard below, nodding in agreement. "If we truly forced them onto the front lines so early, that would undoubtedly be our failure."
Homura fell silent, finally nodding his approval after a long moment. He turned his head to look at Masahiko and Kurenai, his gaze eventually settling on the young man.
"How many more times must such operations be organized?" the elder asked.
"Conducted regularly, but at unscheduled intervals. Only then can everyone develop a true sense of emergency," Masahiko answered smoothly. He thought for a moment before adding, "Furthermore, this can be integrated with the Social Studies Fieldwork. When they go out to execute missions, we can incorporate surprise attacks into the curriculum..."
He listed his proposals one by one. Listening to the meticulously crafted plan, Homura nodded repeatedly.
"There is another angle," Homura smiled. "We can make use of the clients as well." Saying so, the elder slipped back into reminiscing about the old days.
Masahiko and Kurenai exchanged a knowing glance, both smiling without a word.
"People love to reminisce when they get old," Kurenai mouthed silently.
The very moment the chaos on the academy grounds subsided—Masahiko's gaze suddenly snapped toward the perimeter of the school. In an instant, he vanished.
His voice echoed in the empty air: "Enemies!"
Bang!
A signal flare shot into the sky from a nearby corner. The next second, a deafening boom echoed across the academy walls, kicking up a massive, surging wave of fire.
It was the devastating effect of a Shadow Clone Explosion.
Amidst the billowing flames, a figure rapidly fled toward the outskirts of the village. Suddenly, four massive pillars violently erupted from the ground beneath him.
And then... deafening thunder!
Visible arcs of lightning rapidly leaped and cascaded between the four pillars.
Lightning Style: Four Pillar Bind!
The lightning constructed an inescapable prison. Above, a hollow void materialized in the air, pouring a massive torrent of red clay down onto the captive.
The man bound by the Lightning Style ninjutsu glanced upward. Without warning, a terrifying burst of chakra erupted from his body. His physical aura shifted completely, transforming from something mundane into a vessel of pure menace. Powerful chakra surged outward, while a dark, malicious energy lingered around his form.
Under the intense activation of his bodily cells, his overall physical functions received a massive, explosive boost.
He unleashed a single kick.
Boom!
The strike pierced cleanly through the cage of lightning, directly shattering one of the thick stone pillars into rubble. Immediately after, his body rapidly recovered its footing, blurring into an extreme speed as he bolted toward the village border.
Right at that moment, a powerful fluctuation of chakra rushed at him from behind. Closing the distance at an unimaginable speed...
A fierce, highly condensed current of water gathered around his pursuer's arm.
Body Flicker: Collapsing Torrent!
Boom!
With a thunderous collision, both combatants were forced back several steps by the impact. Under the sheer force of the strike, the black robe that had already been ravaged by the Shadow Clone Explosion could no longer conceal its wearer; half of the garment was blasted to absolute shreds by the roaring water current.
The mask on his face shattered alongside it, revealing the true face hidden beneath.
However, this face was not that of an elderly man. His hair was pitch-black, his muscles formed perfectly honed contours, and his facial features were resolute, exuding an aggressive vitality.
"You again!" Shinnō snarled.
"You have visited Konoha time and time again, yet you always leave without a word..." Masahiko casually stood up straight, his tone cool and perfectly composed. "Failing to capture you is truly a cause for concern."
Swoosh!
A squad of ANBU ninjas closely followed behind, arriving at the scene and taking up strategic positions.
Shinnō sneered. He abruptly threw a brutal punch into the empty air to his right.
Clang!
A crisp collision of metal rang out as Masahiko materialized in mid-air, having been intercepted. The very next second, Shinnō vanished from his spot.
Following that—Splash!
The sword-wielding Masahiko's body collapsed entirely, turning into scattered splashes of water and mist. A Water Clone.
At this exact moment, a sharp gleam of a blade burst forth from the thick mist. In the blink of an eye, a figure arrived directly in front of Shinnō. In response, Shinnō's entire body violently erupted with a terrifying shockwave.
Eight Inner Gates: Open!
Masahiko's blade was momentarily stalled by the sheer pressure. Only an air blade formed by highly concentrated chakra managed to break through the barrier by a sliver, leaving behind a deep gash on Shinnō's flesh.
Blood sprayed out, yet the wound rapidly healed itself.
Having directly opened the Sixth Gate, the chakra on Shinnō's body surged out like a geyser, condensing into a blinding green aura around him. He launched a devastating punch squarely into Masahiko's back.
But the very next second, the "Masahiko" shadow clone detonated once more, turning into a towering inferno.
Another Shadow Clone Explosion!
Masahiko's true body remained perfectly hidden in the shadows. Weaving hand seals once again, he spewed a massive blast of fire from his mouth.
The surrounding Anbu stepped aside one by one, not daring to intervene in this epic clash.
Shinnō desperately escaped from the inferno, bearing several scorch marks on his body. He looked incredibly miserable. Yet, just as he emerged from the sea of fire...
He saw another massive fireball charging straight at his face!
Before the jutsu even reached him, the chaotic chakra infused within the flames reacted. The fire wildly expanded and detonated mid-air.
Shinnō was violently blown away by the shockwave. Protected by a massive reserve of dark chakra, he avoided any fatal injuries, but his will to fight was entirely shattered. He turned and charged straight into the distance.
The remaining Anbu hurriedly cast their jutsu to obstruct his escape, however...
Bang!
With just a single punch, their Water Dragon Bullets and Lightning Style techniques were entirely obliterated. They could not impede him in the slightest.
Even worse—a shadow clone of one of the Anbu swung a sword to block him, but was instantly dispersed by the approaching chakra airflow radiating from Shinnō. The clone did not even have the qualification to face a direct punch.
Until the opponent disappeared completely over the horizon, they were utterly unable to delay Shinnō by a single second.
Even among ninjutsu, there were insurmountable levels of power!
Only then did the Anbu ninjas look toward Masahiko. Previously, they had felt that Masahiko's tactical strategy was somewhat conservative.
But truly facing this monstrous intruder, they realized how terrifying the man's strength was. Awe flashed in their eyes, and their reverence toward Masahiko deepened profoundly. To think he had casually engaged such an unfathomable beast!
"No one is injured, I assume?" Masahiko flickered forward, his voice steady.
The Anbu members shook their heads. In this interception, they had not even been the main course; they hadn't dealt a single point of effective damage to the enemy. Conversely, Masahiko had shattered the opponent's disguise and forced his true face out into the open with just a few calculated moves.
Everyone exchanged glances, shaking their heads in silent amazement at the sheer gap in skill.
"But this person..."
"Memorize his appearance and distinguishing features," Masahiko instructed, cutting off their thoughts. He paused slightly. "As for the rest, report it to the Hokage."
"Understood!" The squad flickered away to deliver the intel.
At this time, Kakashi finally arrived at the scene in a hurry, only to find the enemy already gone.
Masahiko briefly explained the situation to him.
Surprise flashed in Kakashi's visible eye. "He knows the Eight Inner Gates as well?"
"Yes," Masahiko nodded. "To be honest, that was my first time seeing the Eight Inner Gates in action. I didn't dare clash with him head-on; I could only use tricks to delay him..."
"This person is highly likely the leader of Soragakure from back then. He is very mysterious, and his strength is unfathomable. We failed to capture him in the past," Kakashi said grimly.
"I felt uneasy, which is why I secretly left a shadow clone behind. I didn't expect..." Masahiko frowned, his expression perfectly troubled. "This man has been hiding in the Land of Fire all these years, perhaps... right in our vicinity."
"Indeed," Kakashi nodded, his gaze heavy with gravity. "I will go handle the aftermath. I leave the Academy in your hands."
"Don't worry. He won't be returning anytime soon."