"To be fair, I acknowledge the Old Thief's face; his expressions and styling have definitely been practiced. So devious!"
"Judging by what those teachers said, this lady seems to be the Daimyo's Wife?"
"Could the 'Two Kings' of the movie version be the Daimyo and the Hokage?"
"That's actually possible!"
In the bullet chat, there's never a shortage of people daring enough to imagine and guess.
Everyone speculated on the main plot of the 'Chapter of the Two Kings.' Looking at it now, this segment doesn't seem entirely original but rather branched off from the main plot—
Because before this segment, Asuma really hadn't appeared.
It's just the beginning, but no one chose to skip; they all slowly savored the story and visuals.
As the camera moved, everyone learned more about the Ninja Academy.
So Ninjas have to learn these things too... and there are so many places in the school; it's so large.
Later on, the Daimyo's Wife took the opportunity to suggest that Masahiko bring students to Kyoto to exchange educational philosophies with their Kyoto schools.
At the same time, she expressed hope that Masahiko could accompany the students.
Then, the scene flashed back to a meeting room.
Inside was a scene of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo having a meeting; only after the camera panned did they see Utatane Koharu in the corner.
After some discussion, no final decision was reached, and the scene transitioned to night.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Naruto sat opposite each other around a campfire.
"Naruto, you've never left Konoha, right? Do you want to go to Kyoto?"
"Kyoto?!"
Naruto's eyes lit up instantly, jumping with joy. "I do! I've never been to Kyoto before. Is it big? Is it lively? Third Grandpa, are you taking me?"
"Hahaha, if you want to go, you have to pack your things tonight. Tomorrow, you can go to Kyoto with Masahiko."
"Awesome!"
Cheers echoed across the screen.
The scene was heartwarming, but the audience, possessing a god's-eye view, felt something was slightly off.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's attitude could be explained as letting Naruto see the world.
But the intense opposition from Danzo and Utatane Koharu, along with Homura Mitokado's neutrality, showed that the Daimyo's Wife's request for Naruto to tag along wasn't that simple.
At the same time, some plot details were unearthed by everyone.
"The Old Thief and Danzo mentioned Naruto and the Demon Fox before; could that be real?"
"It's definitely real; mixing truth with lies is the only way to avoid being seen through."
"So the Daimyo wants Naruto?"
"It seems so."
The discussion was heated, and many even paused the movie to check related plots in the 'Prequel.'
The result was... it really was true!
Combining this segment, everyone vaguely guessed the line of thinking of the Daimyo and the nobles.
At the same time, they understood why Danzo and the others disagreed.
Although currently, no one knew the settings of the 'Nine-Tailed' or 'Tailed Beast Jinchuriki,' the fact that everyone placed such importance on it showed it was a very powerful force.
Few would dare to let such a power wander around freely.
But.
The Third Hokage agreed.
The next day, Naruto really went to Kyoto with the team alongside Masahiko Yagyu.
As the camera pulled away, the image gradually zoomed in, locking onto the Hokage Office, where Hiruzen Sarutobi held a Crystal Ball with a sigh of emotion.
In front of him... "Hiruzen, you will regret this!"
Danzo's tone was fierce.
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained calm, his voice carrying a hint of warning: "Danzo, I am the Hokage. The decision-making power lies with me, not with you!"
Instantly.
"666!"
"Damn, he's finally acting tough, but I hope the Third's methods can be as hard as his words."
"Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and those bastards... the old man has probably had enough."
"If it were me, I would have fought them a long time ago!"
The Third Hokage's rare display of overt toughness surprised everyone quite a bit.
Masahiko also found it hard to keep a straight face.
The impact of hearing this line for the first time was indeed powerful, making the bullet chat even more enthusiastic than before.
And—
The editing was absolutely mischievous.
One second, Danzo slammed the door and left.
The next second, the scene switched to the walls of Kyoto, showing a conversation between Kazuma and Sanjō Take.
After a few questions and answers.
"Danzo is a fierce dog, but even the fiercest dog must obey the Hokage. Moreover, Danzo has recently lost the Hokage's trust."
Although it was very apt, the connection between the two shots and lines still made everyone struggle to hold back their laughter.
Masahiko felt... it was definitely intentional.
He suppressed his smile to prevent others from noticing anything amiss.
Continuing on were some plots of Naruto entering the city, and then the scene of meeting Asuma in front of the Daimyos Residence.
However.
Since everyone didn't yet know about the relationship between Asuma and Kurenai Yuhi, they didn't pay much attention to Asuma's movements.
The bullet chat for this segment wasn't particularly lively.
However.
When the scene showed Masahiko and Kurenai Yuhi chatting with an enthusiastic attitude, a wave of bullet chats like "Love it" and "I ship it" scrolled past.
It wasn't until Asuma came to the Guesthouse and met them again that the audience finally sensed something was wrong from the visual language—
"I feel like something's not right with Asuma? But I can't quite put my finger on it..."
"A powerless boyfriend?"
"Damn! Brother, you're spot on, that's exactly the vibe!"
"Right, Kurenai Yuhi's tone earlier sounded like she was very familiar with Asuma, and she even said she'd introduce him to Masahiko."
"My goodness! So that's how it is!"
After seeing through the truth, a wave of "666" and "I feel bad for Asuma" bullet chats swept across.
Of course.
There were also those denouncing Masahiko, and quite a few of them.
It's just that... those speaking up for Masahiko seemed to be more numerous than the denouncers.
"With the Old Thief's face, how can he not compare to a bearded guy?"
"Exactly, exactly!"
"The Old Thief is handsome, and his surface persona is so gentle. Who wouldn't be charmed?"
"Asuma is truly miserable."
Fortunately, Asuma didn't have many fans, and those truly denouncing weren't many; most were just joking around.
Meanwhile.
While everyone was still immersed in the 'Shura Field' from just now... the scene shifted to a courtyard.
Creak!
The door opened, and a burly man walked out of the house, where Asuma and the others were inside.
Several people seemed to be discussing the internal conflicts within the Guardian Shinobi.
Outside, Kitako took out a cigarette.
At that moment, a dark shadow flashed by, accompanied by tense sound effects; the plot and atmosphere immediately changed.
The next moment, the shadow struck quickly.
Kitako counterattacked on the spot.
Asuma, Jiraiya, and others also rushed out of the house.
But, in just over thirty seconds, when the shadow's body twisted eerily to avoid the trench knives and Iron Staff... the characters in the scene and the bullet chat both fell silent for a moment.
The next second, the shadow vanished in a flash. After a Body Flicker, the monk-like Jiraiya landed in front of Kitako.
Just when everyone thought he had saved her... blood sprayed behind Jiraiya, with much of it splashing over Jiraiya's head, staining the top of his head red.
Blood slid down his face, making Jiraiya's stunned, dazed, and disbelieving face look even more shocking in this frame.
At this instant, the bullet chat rapidly increased:
"???"
"Holy crap! What's the situation?! He didn't save her?"
"This movement and technique! So strong, and you're telling me it's just a Shadow Clone?"
"Is it Orochimaru?"