Chapter 59: Master, I Have Arrived with the Iron Hand
"Hmph!"
Shukaku spat a puff of black smoke into the air.
Behind Asuka, Mikoto stared at the tiny tanuki in his hands, her eyelids twitching.
She had never imagined something no bigger than a bean could possess such terrifying destructive power.
If that thing had exploded on her...
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, she shot Asuka one final glare before turning and leaving without another word.
A moment later...
"You bastard!"
"You actually used me as a shield against that Tailed Beast Bomb!"
Shukaku ground his teeth as Asuka walked home.
Asuka merely shrugged.
"How was I supposed to know you'd actually fire it?"
"And besides, I didn't have any other weapon in my hand."
"So I had to trouble you a little."
He casually shook the teapot.
"And don't fire that thing whenever you feel like it."
"If someone gets hit, it'll become a huge problem."
Shukaku glanced proudly at Mikoto's departing figure.
"When facing an angry woman..."
"Everyone only gets one chance."
"My method was the optimal solution."
"Heh..."
Seeing that the little tanuki still hadn't realized what he'd done wrong, Asuka simply shook his head and gave up trying to argue.
He had more important things to worry about.
Like learning how to draw manga.
Hinata...
Sakura...
Anko...
He violently shook those images out of his head, rubbed his slightly flushed cheeks, carefully checked that nobody was watching...
...then sprinted home.
Creating a manga that could improve the Uchiha's public image...
...was much harder than he'd expected.
---
Three days later.
Asuka staggered out of his room looking utterly exhausted before making his way toward Konoha's largest bookstore.
Three consecutive days of nonstop drawing had nearly drained him dry.
Illustrating manga...
...was far more physically demanding than he'd imagined.
"Asuka-sama."
"What brings you here today?"
"The next magazine issue hasn't been released yet."
The bookstore owner greeted him warmly.
Asuka was one of the shop's regular customers.
Despite being an elite Uchiha jōnin, he was approachable and easy to talk to, so the two had become fairly familiar over the years.
Still...
Today's Asuka looked awful.
Thud.
Asuka dropped two thick manuscripts onto the counter before collapsing into a nearby chair.
Closing his eyes, he said weakly,
"Read them first."
"Hm?"
The owner looked down at the two books.
His expression immediately became serious.
He had seen Asuka's artwork before.
Every line was unbelievably precise.
Every character looked astonishingly lifelike.
The only regret...
...was that Asuka had never managed to publish any of it.
After all, he belonged to Konoha's most prestigious ninja clan.
Drawing was merely his hobby.
Sharing his work was simply generosity.
Money...
...was just numbers.
He looked down at the titles.
The Tale of Ninja Katō Dan — Uchiha Arc
The Tale of the Uchiha Ninja — Catgirl Arc
"...Two separate stories?"
The owner carefully washed his hands before solemnly opening the first volume.
Several minutes later...
His face gradually turned bright red.
The artwork...
...was extraordinary.
Every proportion of the human body had been rendered perfectly.
If anything, Asuka's skills had only improved after years of war.
Every detail...
...was breathtaking.
Pfft!
Hearing someone suddenly coughing up blood, Asuka slowly opened one eye.
The owner was holding his nose as blood trickled between his fingers.
"...Hey."
"Isn't that a bit exaggerated?"
The owner hurriedly wiped away the blood, carefully closed the book, and sighed.
"This book is hazardous to your health."
"People shouldn't read too much of it."
He quickly pulled down the shop's front curtain before leaning toward Asuka and lowering his voice.
"Asuka-sama..."
"...is this really what Jōnin Katō Dan was like?"
Asuka lazily picked his nose.
"I made it up."
"How would I know what techniques Katō Dan actually had?"
"..."
The bookstore owner slowly raised a thumbs-up.
"What an imagination..."
He quietly served a plate of fruit before closing his eyes and recalling everything he'd just read.
He had to admit...
It was captivating.
The first story followed Katō Dan—
A flirtatious, free-spirited jōnin who traveled across the Land of Fire, meeting beautiful women wherever he went.
Then...
He encountered a proud, cold, impossibly stubborn Uchiha girl...
...and fell hopelessly in love at first sight.
The heroine felt astonishingly real.
She spoke harshly despite caring deeply.
She appeared strong while hiding remarkable gentleness.
Above all...
She valued her pride more than anything.
After reading only a few chapters...
She had already carved herself into his memory.
He had never imagined an Uchiha woman could be portrayed like that.
What a shame...
The story wasn't finished.
Still...
He could already predict the ending.
"Asuka-sama..."
"I assume Katō Dan eventually wins her heart..."
"...and the two live happily ever after?"
"No."
Asuka calmly shook his head.
"Katō Dan dies during a mission."
"An explosion tears his internal organs apart."
"The Uchiha girl inherits his dream..."
"...and eventually becomes Hokage."
"I wrote this story simply to show outsiders another side of the Uchiha."
"..."
The bookstore owner's expression instantly resembled someone suffering from severe constipation.
Damn it...
How could you kill the male lead?
What's the point of reading this now?!
Seeing his miserable expression, Asuka simply patted him on the shoulder.
"Help me publish it."
"As for the author's name..."
He clicked his tongue.
Thinking of his fellow writer—the legendary Toad Sage—
He nodded firmly.
"Use the pen name..."
Tsunade — Here I Come.
"Publish it?"
The owner's gloomy expression vanished instantly.
Sure...
The story itself wasn't revolutionary.
But the artwork...
...was phenomenal.
Beautiful art sold books.
Books became money.
Money increased wealth.
Who cared whether the ending was tragic or happy?
Without another word, he immediately opened the second manuscript.
A few minutes later...
His face turned red once again.
Unlike the first...
This one actually had a happy ending.
Pfft!
Blood erupted from his nose again.
Watching the scene, Asuka smiled with satisfaction.
The shinobi world possessed very little entertainment.
With artwork of this quality...
These books were practically guaranteed to become bestsellers.
The only disappointment...
...was reality.
The catgirl he'd imagined had orange cat ears...
...an elegant tail...
...a stunning figure...
...and looked something like Yoruichi.
The real ninja cats...
...had waists thicker than his, ate eight meals a day, and resembled members of the Akimichi Clan.
"...Um..."
After finishing the Catgirl Arc, the bookstore owner hesitated.
"Should we really publish this one too?"
"...Won't the Uchiha clan come after us?"
"Publish it."
"I already have the Great Elder's approval."
"No one's going to cause trouble."
Asuka shrugged casually.
His goal was simple.
He wanted outsiders to see what members of the Uchiha clan were actually like.
To show how people could interact with them.
To slowly chip away at the image that the clan was cold and impossible to approach.
In a few days...
He planned to draw another story.
This time...
It would feature an ordinary village girl changing the heart of an Uchiha.
"Asuka-sama..."
"May I ask one question?"
"This Katō Dan..."
"...looks exactly like Lady Tsunade's boyfriend."
Asuka glanced at him.
"He is."
"The deceased one."
"What?"
"You think Lady Tsunade will smash your shop?"
"...Mm."
The owner nodded nervously before holding up five fingers.
"Fifty-fifty."
"Publishing this carries enormous risks."
"I have to pay for printing."
"Advertising."
"Distribution."
"Half the profits is my absolute limit."
Asuka looked into his eyes.
Two-thirds of that expression wanted money.
The remaining third was terrified of being beaten to death.
After a long silence, Asuka sighed.
"Then make it sixty-forty."
"Find two subcontractors."
"Don't keep all the risk on yourself."
"We've known each other for years."
The owner stared blankly.
Because he was worried about his safety...
Asuka had voluntarily given up another ten percent of the profits.
His chest instantly swelled with emotion.
He slapped himself proudly.
"Don't worry!"
"Even if Lady Tsunade personally comes to kill me..."
"...I won't betray you!"
"It's fine."
"If you really can't hold out..."
"...just sell me out."
"Tsunade can't do much to me anyway."
Asuka stood, patted the owner on the shoulder, and headed for the exit.
Facing Tsunade...
He might be nervous.
Or maybe he wouldn't.
That woman was like someone living with two extremes.
One moment...
She was unimaginably strong.
The next...
She was heartbreakingly fragile.
Who would have thought...
That Konoha's greatest medical ninja—
No.
The second greatest medical ninja in Konoha...
...would one day develop hemophobia?