A Commissioned Mission

The next morning, Masayo was still brooding over what had happened the night before. After using eye drops, he had recovered overnight.

"Don't let me run into you again, you damn crazy woman!"

Masayo calmed his emotions. Anyone would have exploded in his situation, but his face remained stern, making him look unapproachable. Villagers who knew him were startled when they saw how completely different he looked from usual.

Masayo had always been gentle with everyone. For him to suddenly become like this, something must have really happened!

Masayo arrived at the Hokage's Office to complete the paperwork for becoming a teacher. He had kept a straight face the entire way, and even the Third Hokage paused his work in curiosity.

"What's wrong, Masayo? You look rather fierce today!"

Masayo shook his head. Taking the completed documents, he replied, "I'm fine. Maybe the air isn't very good today! I'll be going now, Lord Hokage!"

Under the Third Hokage's puzzled gaze, Masayo left the Hokage's Office. The Third Hokage was utterly confused. What was going on?

"Ha... no matter how clever or mature he is, he's still a teenage boy. Hahaha..."

The Third Hokage laughed. It was his first time seeing Masayo like this, and he had no idea who had provoked him so badly. After taking a puff of his pipe, he took out a crystal ball!

"Ninja Art, Telescope Technique!"

As the Third Hokage formed hand seals, the crystal ball before his desk displayed Naruto Uzumaki attending class! Hiruzen Sarutobi would occasionally use the crystal ball to keep an eye on Naruto Uzumaki.

The Telescope Technique allowed one to monitor a specific person over a great distance through a crystal ball, but it required the target's chakra signature and had a limited range. Therefore, claims about using a crystal ball to peep on women's bathhouses were complete nonsense. The crystal ball could only observe the area surrounding the person it displayed.

At the Ninja Academy, Masayo left after completing all the procedures. His classes would begin next Monday—or rather, it did not matter whether he attended or not. He was only going through the motions. His real purpose was training.

He had already seen the complete training process for Yin–Yang Release. If there was still no progress after a year, it would mean he lacked the talent for Yin–Yang Release. He would then give up on training in it and consider other methods.

At eight that evening, in a private room at Maple Leaf Restaurant, Ebisu had reserved the room. He had originally wanted to book out the entire restaurant, but Masayo stopped him. It was better not to be too conspicuous.

Snow Fungus with Silver Sprouts, poached mandarin fish... They ordered eight dishes in total. Extravagance and waste were discouraged, and it was better not to look like nouveau riche!

Masayo was still dressed in his usual casual clothes, but Ebisu and Kurenai Yuhi had undergone dramatic transformations!

Ebisu wore a crisp, respectable suit, along with a black leather coat worth several hundred thousand from a B-rank Mission. With sunglasses on top of that, Masayo was genuinely afraid Ebisu might miss a step and fall down the stairs.

Kurenai Yuhi's outfit was no less extravagant. Her once loose, flowing hair was swept up and tied behind her head. With vivid red lips and a red slit gown, she looked elegant and luxurious. She held a folding fan in one hand and carried a leather handbag in the other. Masayo could barely recognize her.

"Sure enough, women's money is too easy to earn!"

Masayo could not help muttering to himself. He was not exaggerating. Ebisu's entire outfit did not even cost a million, after all, poverty limited one's imagination. Yet Kurenai Yuhi's outfit cost well over a million. Coupled with her bearing, even so-called high-society ladies probably did not look much more impressive than this!

"Masayo, how do I look in this outfit? Is it pretty?"

Kurenai Yuhi stood up and turned around before Masayo and Ebisu. She looked more confident than ever!

"Beautiful! Very beautiful. If I'd been born in the same era as you, Red Sis, I might have pursued you."

Masayo gave her a thumbs-up and nodded with a smile! In the Naruto fanfics he remembered, Kurenai Yuhi had been every bit as hardworking as Hinata Hyuga.

To be honest, he liked Hinata Hyuga's personality too. But the Byakugan was something he truly could not accept. It was frightening, especially after the Byakugan was activated and the veins around the eyes bulged out. Everyone had things they liked and disliked; one should not force what they liked onto others. He had liked Hinata Hyuga in his previous life too, but facing her in person, the Byakugan made him deeply uncomfortable.

Kurenai Yuhi smiled and sat back down. Asuma had not returned yet, and she could not wait to see his reaction when he came back and saw her like this.

Ebisu suddenly looked at Masayo and asked curiously, "By the way, Masayo, why did you suddenly decide to become a teacher?"

Kurenai Yuhi leaned in as well. Though they had not known each other long, she could tell that Masayo was someone who hated trouble.

"Because I need to stay in the village and train for about a year, so I asked Lord Hokage to arrange a teaching job for me. It's physical education too, so it's very easy."

Masayo smiled and waved his hand!

Kurenai Yuhi and Ebisu immediately recalled what Miroku had said back in Fishbeam Village. They instantly understood what it was about, but did not ask further. After all, some things could not be told to everyone.

The three chatted for a long time at the gathering. Ebisu and Kurenai Yuhi drank a great deal, while Masayo was still underage, so they would not let him drink. Fortunately, he did not like alcohol anyway, so he replaced it with beverages.

Monday arrived. That day, Masayo reported to the Ninja Academy, using a Shadow Clone to attend class while his real body trained at home with two other Shadow Clones.

However, just as expected, it was completely pointless. Physical education classes were never held; the class periods were occupied by other subjects instead. Once the day ended and the Shadow Clone dispersed, everything it had experienced at the Ninja Academy flowed into his mind.

And so, Masayo coasted by with Shadow Clones. Nearly seven months passed. One morning, he created three Shadow Clones as usual. Just as he was about to instruct one to go to the academy in his place, a knock sounded at the door.

"Hmm? Who's knocking this early in the morning?"

Masayo opened the door to find an Anbu wearing a mask and sporting long purple hair.

"Chunin Masayo, Lord Hokage has instructed you to report to the Hokage's Office immediately!"

"Huh? All right, I'll go right away!"

After dismissing his Shadow Clones and locking the door, Masayo used Wind Body Flicker repeatedly to reach the Hokage's Office and meet the Third Hokage!

"Lord Hokage, what's going on? It hasn't even been a year yet, has it?"

Masayo was somewhat surprised. Could the Third Hokage have found out that he had already figured out Yin–Yang Release? Through the tireless training of himself and two Shadow Clones, he had finally grasped a trace of Yin–Yang Release's fundamentals, though he still could not use it at all.

The Third Hokage spread his hands helplessly and replied, "I didn't want to disturb you either, but there's no helping it. The client specifically requested you by name, and besides..."

"Besides, he's paying far too much, right?"

Masayo complained speechlessly. The Third Hokage lightly adjusted the Hokage hat on his head, looking rather embarrassed as he smiled.