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The next day, news about the Art Store began to spread through Iwagakure gradually, like whispers passed from one mouth to another.
It wasn't loud.
There were no official announcements.
Just casual words exchanged between people.
"Did you hear what happened?"
"Hear what? What are you talking about?"
"It seems a weird store appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the village, near the Academy."
"Out of nowhere? How is that possible?"
"It's not the fact that it appeared out of nowhere that's causing a stir right now, but the book it sells."
"What kind of book?"
"A story about a young shinobi named Naruto from Konoha."
"Huh? What's so interesting about that? I'd rather read a story about a young shinobi from Iwa."
"You really haven't read it?"
"Seriously, man, this is the first time I'm hearing about it."
His companion smiled faintly and pulled out a book.
"Take this… I think you'll like it. It's not a written novel as you think."
The Iwagakure shinobi took the book his companion handed him.
The first thing that caught his attention was the blond kid on the cover, holding a ninjutsu scroll in his mouth. His name seemed to be Naruto.
Uzumaki Naruto!
This was the first chapter's title.
Since shinobi and civilians hadn't been entering the Art Store in large numbers, news about it spread through the few people who had visited it so far.
The shinobi opened the volume slowly, his eyes drifting over the first pages without any real interest.
He wasn't expecting much.
"Manga, what is that?" he said in surprise.
"Yes, a comic book," his companion replied simply.
"It's not an ordinary book—see? Just like I told you."
He stopped at the first training scene.
He looked at the drawings, then back at the text, then at the illustrations again.
A few moments passed before he turned the next page.
"…Strange," he muttered unconsciously.
"What did you find?"
His companion asked with a smile.
He recognized that expression well—his friend usually looked like that when he was confused.
"I don't know."
And that was true. The confusion was clear on his face.
He closed the volume slightly, then opened it again.
"But the way it's done… it feels like it explains things instead of just telling a story."
The two sat near a stone wall, away from the eyes of passersby.
This time, the shinobi began turning the pages more slowly, with greater focus. A scene that explains. a scene that shows. And a simple reaction within the story.
There was no exaggeration.
The first volume was simple—eight chapters—introducing Naruto and his sad background, reaching its peak only near the end.
"This kid… he's incredibly strong! How can he release such a ridiculous number of Shadow Clones?!"
His eyes widened in shock.
"He wasn't special at the beginning, was he? But it turns out he's the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki… damn!"
"Don't judge a book by its cover," his companion replied.
"But what I liked is that you watch him learn—step by step."
The shinobi finally closed the volume.
The mocking smile was gone.
"…Is there more?"
...
Elsewhere in Iwagakure, inside a small wooden building, the same volume lay atop a wooden desk.
It hadn't been opened yet.
A young shinobi, about twenty-two years old, stared at it for a long time without touching it.
He cared less about its contents than about how it had arrived here.
"A store appeared near the Academy…"
He said quietly.
"And without clear authorization," his aide added.
"And people aren't complaining."
He paused, then continued,
"They're reading that book?"
"Why did you bring this to me?" Han asked coldly.
"The protagonist is a Jinchūriki, just like you," replied the masked shinobi, who seemed to be on familiar terms with Han.
"Hm? Fine, you may leave," Han said as he sat down and finally picked up the manga volume.
The masked shinobi nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Han wore long clothing that concealed his limbs and half his face, but his red eyes were clearly visible—like two burning suns. At that moment, his gaze focused on the manga chapters.
"So this is how things are for monsters like us…"
He said that when he saw the villagers' contempt toward Naruto.
"Those looks…"
Han felt as if he had returned to his childhood, reliving the same experience.
"It seems he didn't break… good."
Han smiled, then turned the page, only to find the end of the book waiting for him.
"What? It ended this fast?"
He hadn't noticed the passage of time as he read all eight chapters in one go.
Han stood up with an unsatisfied expression. As he turned to leave, he noticed another book placed where the masked shinobi had disappeared.
"Hm… looks like there's still more."
...
By the tenth day, talking about the Art Store was no longer strange.
Not everyone had read Naruto yet.
But everyone knew there was a different kind of book.
Not because it talked about Konoha, but because it explained things people were used to doing without fully understanding them.
And in Iwagakure— where strength was measured by results, not by method— a simple question began repeating silently:
What am I doing in this place?
Somehow, the people of Iwagakure—shinobi and ordinary civilians alike—found themselves gathering inside the Art Store.
Old comrades met again there, and those who usually only met during missions crossed paths inside the store as well.
The strangest thing of all was that the village leader himself—the Third Tsuchikage—was currently sitting inside the Art Store.
And the reason was simple.
Today was special.
Today, the third volume of Naruto appeared on the shelves.
...
Rob stood behind the counter, observing the strange man staring at him expressionlessly.
"You're the author of this book?"
Han asked calmly.
"Naruto? That's right," Rob replied briefly.
"How far into the future does this story take place?"
Han asked a question that had been troubling him since he finished reading the two volumes.
Behind the counter, Rob was momentarily confused.
This was the first person to ask him such a strange question.
"I imagined the story to be set about twenty years from the current time," Rob replied vaguely.
"Twenty years…"
Han murmured.
"That means my counterpart will be there. Good—I'm looking forward to seeing that."
The cold expression on Han's face turned into a satisfied smile.
Rob didn't know how to tell him that, in the original storyline…
He was already dead.
He had already recognized him.
Han, the Five-Tails Jinchūriki — the Steam Ninja.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 81: Rob's Dream, an Undeniable Interpretation!
Chapter 82: Volume Three on the Shelves, but Entry is Forbidden!
Chapter 83: System Level 4! First Chapter of Volume 3!
Chapter 84: You Can't Just Pretend—Enjoy Reading My Manga.
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BlackStar_BH:
The chapters currently available on Patreon are up to Chapter 108.
There are 29 advanced chapters available now:
5 chapters in the Silver tier ($5 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Gold tier ($10 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Platinum tier ($15 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Diamond tier ($20 subscription), and 8 more chapters in the Emperor tier ($30 subscription)
On Patreon and Ko-fi, too.
In the coming days, chapters will be made available for all tiers, reaching up to 50 advanced chapters… Enjoy!