The manuscript of "Kasugano Sakura" was quite diverse, containing riddles from the scene that day, as well as some interesting anecdotes from memory. Even riddles without answers, like "What enters an alley with six legs and leaves with two?" were included to pad the word count.
Riddles alone weren't enough content, so Sasuke's preferences were added—such as his fondness for girls with long hair, girls who wore "sleeves," and girls with the surname Uzumaki. Details like height, weight, birthday, and blood type, originally collected by Ino, whether true or false, were all included.
The densely packed information, along with seven or eight photos, wasn't enough for a full-length book, but it was sufficient for a small booklet.
"If there's an opportunity in the future, we can add some candid photos and release a few deluxe or collector's editions," Kasugano Sakura said earnestly. "Our association wants to publish a book about Sasuke-kun, so more people can get to know him."
She even bowed solemnly at the end, saying, "Please!"
The clerk, who had lived in Konoha for many years, was familiar with the Uchiha Clan and the name Uchiha Sasuke.
After skimming through the manuscript, he didn't dare make a decision on his own and hurried to consult the owner.
After a conversation with "Kasugano Sakura," the owner realized this venture was beneficial and posed no harm.
The manuscript was packed with substantial content. Even if it didn't bring in huge profits, it certainly wouldn't result in a loss.
The owner of "Shueisha Hall" was a long-time resident of Konoha and knew the Third Hokage and others.
Though not a ninja, he had connections in the village after living there for so many years. Back when the Uchiha Clan's "Curse of Hatred" was still alive, he wouldn't have dared to provoke them. But now? They were all dead—what was there to fear?
"We can publish this book, but the price needs further discussion," he said.
An hour later, Ino left Shueisha Hall with 50,000 ryo in royalties.
The manuscript was sold outright, and how it would be published or distributed afterward, even if it was sold in the Land of Rain or to Uchiha Itachi, was no longer her concern.
She just wanted to make a quick profit and, incidentally, hand Sakura a black mark.
The process of typesetting, printing, and distributing the book to various countries would take a long time. The energy within the black mark would accumulate very slowly, but Ino wasn't too concerned. It was a gradual process, and there was no rush.
In a cave outside Konoha, Kakashi had tried many methods, but he still couldn't help Sasuke bypass the seal and awaken his Sharingan.
The main reason was that the Uchiha Clan's Chakra reserves were naturally limited, and with part of it sealed, the amount available to awaken the Sharingan was even smaller. For someone like Sasuke, whose Chakra control was average, performing the series of operations required to "bypass" the seal was extremely difficult.
Once Chakra was exhausted, death was certain! Kakashi didn't dare let him train recklessly. Sasuke could only attempt a few times before needing to rest, making the process very slow.
During their time together, Kakashi had come to appreciate this child of the Uchiha Clan. He was strong, intelligent, hardworking, and kind-hearted. Aside from being overly stubborn and lacking flexibility, he was quite commendable in other aspects.
Originally, his intention to repay Uchiha Obito's favor was more of a formality. Whether the Sharingan awakened or not didn't matter much to him; he would consider it done once he had put in his best effort. However, after witnessing Sasuke's unwavering determination, his long-tormented heart began to soften a little.
After Sasuke once again pushed himself to the point of collapsing during training, he stepped out of the cave. Outside, there stood a tall man with white hair, wearing a red haori and wooden sandals.
The man wore a forehead protector with the character for "oil" inscribed on it. He stood at the cave entrance, looking down from above, gazing at the distant Konoha village.
"Lord Jiraiya," Kakashi emerged from the cave. "Thank you for coming in person."
Jiraiya actually didn't want to get involved in this matter. He had no ties with the Uchiha Clan, and the life or death of some orphan was of no concern to him.
But Kakashi was the disciple of his own disciple, and since he had specifically asked for help, Jiraiya felt obliged to lend a hand out of respect for that connection.
He examined Sasuke's eyes and the seal. Jiraiya, being in his fifties, was considered an elder in the perilous ninja world, and he had dabbled in various ninja techniques.
Many things could be understood at a glance.
His conclusion was precise: "The old man's seal isn't very secure. He probably didn't want this kid to give up on being a ninja. Are you asking me to undo this seal?"
Kakashi shook his head. "Lord Jiraiya, I tried using Genjutsu to stimulate Sasuke's spiritual energy, bypassing the seal to attempt awakening the Sharingan, but it didn't work well. Sasuke currently has too little controllable Chakra. I was hoping you could help partially undo the seal, release some of Sasuke's Chakra, and then we can try awakening the Sharingan."
Jiraiya scratched his head vigorously.
This wasn't particularly dangerous, just extremely troublesome.
The seal couldn't be fully undone. If it were, there was a high chance that the peculiar Dojutsu power would destroy Sasuke's eyes, potentially even endangering his life. He would have to first undo 10% of the seal, then let Sasuke try to see how much Chakra he could release and whether he could awaken the Sharingan. If it worked, great; if not, he would undo 20% and try again. If that still didn't work, he would undo 30%. If too much Chakra was released, he would have to reseal part of it.
The Third Hokage could have handled this, but Kakashi wouldn't bother the Hokage with such trivial matters. The Third Hokage also couldn't abandon his official duties to spend a lot of time assisting with this experiment. Uchiha Sasuke wasn't worth that much effort, and Kakashi didn't have that kind of influence.
Now, the only option was to turn to Jiraiya, who had nothing better to do and wandered around aimlessly. Jiraiya sighed heavily. "Alright, alright, since you're Minato's disciple. Wake him up, and I'll undo the Five Elements Seal. By the way, if the kid asks, don't reveal my identity. I'm worried he'll ask for my autograph."
Kakashi chuckled awkwardly but didn't respond to the topic.
After Jiraiya joined, Sasuke's progress in awakening the Sharingan noticeably accelerated. The sealed portion of Chakra began to flow back into his Chakra Pathways, filling his body with energy. The excitement surged through him, and his cells released vast amounts of energy under the intense spiritual stimulation, preparing for the breakthrough to awaken the Sharingan.
The Yamanaka Clan's residence was very quiet at night. After practicing Yin Release for a while, Ino went to rest.
In a state between sleep and wakefulness, she felt a peculiar excitement surge within her spirit. Her consciousness then became hazy and eventually drifted into an ancient-looking palace surrounded by thick mist. Many incense burners and the floor were indistinct, making it difficult to discern details clearly.
Within her blurred vision, a tall man stood by the window, gazing into the distance. He wore a high-collared robe embroidered with six magatama symbols.