"Hey!"
Clap!
A hand lightly patted Masahiko's shoulder.
Masahiko turned his head.
"Guy-senpai, why did you come to school today?"
"Just came to take a look, and... hey, that Genjutsu from before was pretty good!"
Guy might not know Genjutsu, but he understood it and knew how to dispel it, so he naturally realized that the Genjutsu from this morning was out of the ordinary.
Masahiko said with a smile, "It was just a small trick. You saw through it easily, didn't you?"
"Ahem, it wasn't that easy."
Guy's mouth twitched slightly.
If one could see through the Flower in the Mist Genjutsu, it was indeed easy to dispel, but it activated quickly and without warning, catching people off guard and making it hard to anticipate.
For example, that morning.
At the three-way intersection, Masahiko used this technique to misalign the directions, ultimately misleading Might Guy.
If "Masahiko" hadn't disappeared, he really wouldn't have thought it was a Genjutsu.
Afterward, Guy pondered over it for several days without finding a good solution, only getting some clues after consulting Kakashi.
This was also a characteristic of the perfect-grade "Flower in the Mist"—
By relying on mist, light, and Chakra, it silently affects the enemy, achieving a seal-less and sensation-less activation that prevents people from realizing it's a Genjutsu.
It seems... it was very successful.
Masahiko smiled and then looked at Guy. "So, Senpai, did you come to see me?"
"To see Lee, and you too while I'm at it."
Guy looked him up and down, carefully observing every detail.
Then, he spoke with full confidence.
"I've remembered you!"
"It's better if you don't remember me."
Masahiko opened the office door.
Ever since he became the education class monitor, this office had become his alone.
Guy walked in.
"Are you interested in Neji?"
"A little. I want to see if a genius who hasn't received the inheritance can carve out his own path in the Gentle Fist."
Masahiko answered.
Guy didn't respond for a long time after hearing this.
This was beyond the syllabus!
He didn't really do this kind of research; his Taijutsu relied purely on training. If he was asked to explain the intricacies of the Gentle Fist, he really couldn't say much.
The reason he asked today was mainly because after Rock Lee and his class graduated, there was a high probability he would agree to be their squad-leading Jonin.
In that class... Guy had scouted them, and there were only a few outstanding ones. Aside from Rock Lee, who suited his taste, there were only Neji and a girl named Tenten.
His eyes darted around.
"Masahiko, what do you think of that one named Tenten?"
"Her?"
Masahiko sat down, pondered for a moment, and said, "She's good with Ninja Tool, but average in other areas. However, she might have other undeveloped talents."
"And Neji?"
Guy quickly asked again.
Masahiko asked with a smile, "Are you interested in the three of them, Senpai?"
Guy coughed lightly and said, "Well..."
"They're still three years away from graduation, and you've already set your sights on them?"
"I want to lead Lee; the others are just along for the ride."
Seeing this, Guy had no choice but to tell the truth.
He sighed softly. "Lee only knows Taijutsu. If he's put into someone else's team, it will be very difficult for him to become a qualified Ninja."
Guy had met Rock Lee on the Ninja Academy's playground.
After getting to know him, he felt more and more that they were similar, and the boy's persistence truly moved him.
So, for the past year or two, he had been helping him.
Seeing this, Masahiko stopped smiling and also told the "truth."
"Actually, I'm also researching the Gentle Fist, so I want to see what Neji will do."
"You're researching the Gentle Fist?"
Guy suddenly perked up, pulled over a stool, and sat down, wanting to exchange ideas with Masahiko.
Masahiko nodded and raised his hand; a stream of water surged over his fist.
Guy was puzzled at first.
Masahiko controlled the water flow, making it condense, explode, and then condense again.
"Nintaijutsu?"
Although Might Guy wasn't skilled in Ninjutsu, he was an elite among Jonin, after all, and his knowledge and understanding of Ninjutsu weren't poor.
After Masahiko demonstrated the function of the water flow, he understood immediately.
If Masahiko's research was successful, this would be a type of Gentle Fist Taijutsu fused with Ninjutsu.
While not as good as the Hyuga Clan's, it was stronger than ordinary Water Release or Taijutsu.
Guy gradually became excited.
"Masahiko! Let's have a youthful duel!"
...Boom!
Splash—
Water flow, collisions.
Figures constantly flickering and crossing paths.
Might Guy kept accelerating, but he always felt like his strength was being neutralized.
Masahiko used his Body Flicker Technique to its fastest, with Collapsing Flow and Flower in the Mist erupting between his hands, feet, and body, neutralizing Guy's power while simultaneously attacking.
This was precisely another of his achievements from the past few days—
Although he hadn't managed to create a "Water Release Chakra Mode" and the "Lightning Release Chakra Mode" was not yet perfect, the current Collapsing Flow could now erupt from most parts of his body.
Depending on the power of the Chakra, different effects could be achieved.
With Water Release, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu intertwined... Guy couldn't predict Masahiko's attacks.
They fought for a long while.
"I understand!"
Guy had a look of excitement on his face. "This set of yours is very strong, but what if I just don't look?"
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
"Let me think! Let me think!"
The method he had come up with before was not to look at the eyes, but that was useless against Masahiko's style—
Under the control of Chakra, mist and light would become common media for the Genjutsu.
As long as one was affected by these, it was possible to misjudge the opponent's state under the effect of the Genjutsu.
So... he chose not to look at all!
Guy closed his eyes and began to act based on physical instinct and perception.
After a few moves, Masahiko turned from offense to defense.
However.
The two were only sparring and didn't truly use lethal moves; everything was done with restraint.
After a few moves, Guy felt a sharp pain and immediately opened his eyes, only to see a small, cone-shaped water flow on Masahiko's other fist.
Guy's face showed a troubled expression.
That was it; this move could prevent ordinary Taijutsu, but it couldn't stop Ninjutsu.
"I'll think about it some more..."
He stopped his hands, no longer in the mood to fight.
A few seconds later, Guy shook his head. "I can't think of anything for now. How troublesome!"
Saying that, he looked at Masahiko.
"Your current abilities are fully sufficient to serve as a Jonin. If you want to apply for the assessment, I can be one of your recommenders."
"If the need arises, I'll definitely ask for your help."
Masahiko responded seriously.
Being a Jonin required being able to handle things on one's own, and his current apparent abilities were indeed enough to take on the duties of a Jonin.
However.
In the matter of promotion to Jonin, it still depended on the attitudes of the Third Hokage and Danzo.
As school was about to let out, Hiruzen Sarutobi's man arrived and brought a piece of paper:
Jonin Exam Application Form... Inside the Root Organization's dark room.
Masahiko handed the application form to Danzo and stood there waiting for Danzo's reply.
"Then apply."
Danzo handed the application form back.
Afterward, a cold light flashed in his eyes:
"After you become a Jonin, I will assign you a mission that will take you out of the village temporarily. At that time, go to Orochimaru's place for me."
"Yes!"
Masahiko complied and took the paper Danzo handed back with both hands.
He was about to leave when Danzo called out to him.
"The reason I'm sending you to Orochimaru is to retrieve something from him and obtain intelligence on Itachi and Shisui. You know what to do, right?"
"I will adapt to the situation and guarantee the completion of the mission."
"Go. The Jonin assessment shouldn't be difficult for you."