Chapter 55 – The Super Bestseller of the Ninja World?
Kakashi's mind raced, but his outward calm never faltered. His trademark dead-fish eyes betrayed nothing as he replied evenly:
"Hokage-sama, I left the book at home. Would you like me to buy you a copy from the bookstore downstairs?"
He gestured out the window. There was, indeed, a bookstore nearby.
But Fugaku snorted. "Don't act. I know you have Icha Icha Paradise on you."
Kakashi exhaled silently. So he really is spying on me… otherwise how could he be so sure?
"Hand it over. Now."
Left with no choice, Kakashi reluctantly pulled a slim, light-red volume from his uniform. "This is a limited edition," he warned, handing it over carefully. "Very expensive…"
Fugaku glanced up, catching the silent plea. He adjusted his grip, holding it more delicately. Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief but kept his Sharingan-sharp eye on every turn of the page. If he bends a corner, he's buying me a new one.
This book was his treasure. He wouldn't even let Shiranui Genma peek. Only because it was Hokage-sama did he part with it.
Fugaku skimmed with practiced speed, eyes dancing over ten lines at once. Within moments he'd reached the end. Closing the book, he leaned back in thought.
"Icha Icha Paradise—a so-called super bestseller across the Ninja World."
His verdict: Mediocre.
The prose was bland. The "spicy" parts? Average at best. Compared to Jin Ping Mei—laughable.
Yet… this book sold everywhere, adored by countless shinobi. A spark ignited in Fugaku's mind.
If something this weak could sweep the market, what would happen when I drop the novels I remember from my past life?
His excitement grew. Thanks to his Mangekyō and transmigrator's memory, every book he had ever read existed in his mind, clear as day. Nothing missing. Nothing forgotten.
All he needed to do was swap names, adjust the setting to fit the ninja world… and voilà. Instant hit.
Plagiarism has never been so easy.
A sly smile crept across his face. Ninja World readers, prepare to meet "Chinese Webnovels."
He returned the book. Kakashi immediately snatched it back with both hands, patting the cover protectively before tucking it away like a holy relic.
Fugaku ignored him, already pulling out pen and paper. Words poured from his brush.
"On a continent ruled by Chakra… a youth named Uchiha Yan, dismissed as a cripple, fights to rise. With the guidance of masters, the aid of rare treasures, and his indomitable will, he awakens his bloodline and steadily collects the Tailed Beasts. His goal: to become the strongest of all—the Sage of Six Paths."
Chuckling, Fugaku paused—only to notice Kakashi staring at him. He frowned. "Why are you still here?"
Expression flat, Kakashi reminded him: "Hokage-sama, I still await your instructions. How should the street troublemakers be handled?"
"Oh. Right." Fugaku thought back. "Drunks again?"
Kakashi nodded.
This won't do, Fugaku mused. Constantly sending ANBU to handle petty drunks was inefficient. Clearly, the Konoha Military Police Force—though disbanded—needed to be replaced. Not with the same name, of course; its reputation was already tarnished. But something new, with the same functions.
"I'll announce this afternoon," Fugaku said at last. "A new department will be formed to handle public order. From now on, they'll deal with incidents like this."
Satisfied, Kakashi bowed slightly and departed.
As soon as he left, Fugaku bent over his desk again, brush flying.
"Chapter One: The Fallen Genius…"
The trope practically wrote itself. The broken engagement became a feud with the Senju clan, their eldest daughter having trained in Shikkotsu Forest under the Slug Sage. Upon returning, she mocked Uchiha Yan—once a prodigy, now a cripple—before breaking the engagement publicly.
Humiliated and furious, Uchiha Yan awakened the Sharingan, declaring:
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river—don't bully the young and poor!"
Fugaku nearly laughed out loud. The more he wrote, the more potential he saw. Lunch came and went, forgotten until guards outside reminded him. He ate quickly, then returned to writing until late afternoon.
Suddenly, he blinked. "Ah, right. The meeting I promised Kakashi…"
He glanced at the clock. Five minutes until closing.
"Forget it. Tomorrow's problem. I won't make everyone work late."
He leaned back with a satisfied sigh. Truthfully, he was probably the only one in the Hokage Building who ever left on time. Shikaku, Hiashi, even the advisors—everyone else worked overtime daily.
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Meanwhile, fifty li outside Konoha.
Asuma Sarutobi sat against a tree trunk, exhausted after two days on the road. He chewed sour wild fruit without expression, his eyes simmering with hate.
A rustle drew his attention. Travelers passed on the nearby road. Normally, he wouldn't care. But then his gaze snapped back—
Three familiar figures.
Among them, the one who haunted his thoughts: Kurenai Yūhi.
"...Kurenai?"
Asuma shot to his feet, unable to stay still. He hurried toward the road, desperate to meet her.
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