Chapter 42: Director: Then That's Not Strange
Black Zetsu appeared here because it had come to deliver something to Shiromo.
The collected blood samples, along with the organized catalog, were all handed over to Shiromo.
Originally, Black Zetsu had planned to deliver only the catalog. But after following along the way and reading several of those scripts, it changed its mind.
Handing these things over to Shiromo was the safest option.
It had no strength, and its intelligence was not sufficient either.
On top of that, it still needed to search for traces of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
As a member of Mother's own clan, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was extremely likely to possess the power to truly kill it. These things absolutely could not remain on its person.
After receiving everything, Shiromo also gave Black Zetsu a small task that wasn't very difficult, have White Zetsu collect the blood of those few people from the Land of Snow and deliver it to Hidan.
——
On the deck.
Kakashi put down the script with lingering satisfaction.
He had already finished reading all of it.
Not only the one currently being filmed, 'The Lotus Lantern: The Legend of Otsutsuki Chenxiang', but also several other scripts.
All of these scripts had already been signed and purchased by the director at a high price with generous profit-sharing terms.
The genres of these films were different.
The one currently being filmed was suitable for all ages, focusing more on emotional outbursts and feelings.
The others, however, featured large-scale scenes. Even in the plot descriptions alone, there were many battle sequences.
For example, one script told the story of an alien girl, Princess Kaguya, who was adopted by a human couple on Earth. As she grew up, she discovered she possessed power far beyond that of ordinary people, and began punishing evil and helping civilians.
Until one day, people from her home planet arrived on Earth with a fleet, intending to destroy Earth and remake it into a breeding ground for the Ōtsutsuki clan.
Kaguya resolutely chose to stand on humanity's side and fight her own people to the death. The battle raged until surroundings were plunged into chaos, and the sun and moon lost their light.
In order to protect Earth, Kaguya painfully killed all the members of her clan who had come to Earth.
However, some people still did not trust her. They believed her power was too great, uncontrollable, and began devising ways to target her.
So they used the corpses of the Ōtsutsuki who had died in the previous war to create a weapon designed to kill Kaguya, "Doomsday."
To protect everyone, Kaguya fought Doomsday and perished together with it.
Until one day, a new crisis descended, and enemies from beyond the heavens once again appeared in the ninja world.
Everyone united, yet they were still utterly defeated.
Only then did they finally remember Kaguya, and decided to resurrect her…
These plots clearly involved many large-scale scenes. Kakashi thought they were very good, but what he really wanted to read was something more like Jiraiya's 'Icha Icha' series.
Preferably with all kinds of emotional entanglements, love that can't be obtained, hatred born from love, hatred turning into love later on, and other melodramatic plot points.
So after finishing the scripts, Kakashi subtly probed Shiromo, asking whether he had any thoughts in that direction. He even secretly handed Shiromo a treasured copy of 'Icha Icha Paradise'.
"Writing something like that is no problem at all."
"But you should understand that a master like me who wrote all those scripts just now, would risk damaging my image if I suddenly published romance, or even vulgar content…"
"So, I'll publish it under your name, Kakashi, are you ok with it?"
Shiromo looked at Kakashi, waiting for his reply.
"Alright, no problem."
Kakashi thought about it briefly, then nodded in agreement.
Agreeing to this condition didn't cost him anything. Just look at Jiraiya and you'd understand.
Besides, publishing under his name might even let him read the content early.
Kakashi really was starving.
After all, Jiraiya's 'Icha Icha' series had been on hiatus for far too long.
When Kakashi was eighteen, he received a copy of 'Icha Icha Paradise'. He had been reading it up until now, and still hadn't seen the next book.
According to the plot, the next volume, 'Icha Icha Tactics', would only be written after Jiraiya gathered material during his training journey with Naruto.
Seeing Kakashi agree, Shiromo figured he had nothing better to do anyway, so he used the time spent traveling toward the Land of Snow to casually write something.
Half a day passed.
The ship had entered the cold northern region.
In order to film specific scenes, the route to the Land of Snow did not cut straight across the continent. Instead, they traveled by ship, circling around the coastline.
Shiromo finished his work and handed the manuscript to the director who was overseeing the filming. "This was written by Kakashi. He was too embarrassed to say it himself, so he asked me to help publish it."
"Oh? Of course, no problem at all."
The director glanced in surprise at Kakashi on the other side and took the manuscript.
As a well-known director of the Land of Fire, he naturally had his own publishing channels.
The director opened the manuscript and skimmed through it. With a puzzled expression, he looked up at Shiromo.
"This… was really written by Hatake Kakashi?"
"Of course. Don't let his usually cool and aloof appearance fool you, he's actually quite repressed. Look, this is a book he just gave me. It's his favorite kind of reading."
Shiromo pulled out the copy of 'Icha Icha Paradise' Kakashi had given him earlier.
"Then that's not strange. Then that's not strange."
The director suddenly understood everything.
At the same time, the director's gaze met Kakashi's. Kakashi scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile. The director became even more convinced, with not a shred of doubt left.
Kakashi's eyes were fixed on the manuscript. He really wanted to see what exactly Shiromo had written.
It was just that…
"Everyone, go into the cabin. Secure all the equipment, and find a corner to stay in. Enemies are about to arrive."
"Huh? Alright, alright!"
Hearing Shiromo's warning, the director immediately began directing people to pack things up.
Filming equipment wasn't cheap.
Very quickly, only the director remained on the deck, holding a simple camera. A rope was tied around his body, securing him to the ship.
He was afraid that if things got too violent, he might get shaken into the sea.
Afraid or not, filming still had to continue.
What if some breathtaking scene appeared?
"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, prepare to engage the enemy!"
Kakashi had also noticed the figures of enemies appearing on the ice below.
The four of them jumped down from the ship.
"They finally came."
Kazahana Koyuki looked at the Snow Ninja appearing below, clutched the hexagonal crystal at her chest, and looked somewhat nervous.
"It's not 'finally'." Shiromo walked over and stood beside Kazahana Koyuki, exposing the Snow Ninja's weakness. "Their ninjutsu can only be used in this kind of icy environment, so they could only wait for us here."
The ice release of these people was comparable to Chōjūrō's water release, completely unusable in poor environments.
Otherwise, why would they wait until here to make a move?
Even those so-called Demon Brothers from the Land of Waves knew to set up an ambush on the road.
Hmm…
Shiromo wondered whether Black Zetsu had finished dealing with them yet?
At this point, Shiromo's self-preservation and support abilities were already top-tier. The only thing he lacked was offensive power, especially large-scale destructive methods.
When he had exchanged blows with the Raikage before, he hadn't used gravitational reversal. First, there was no need to turn the Raikage into a one-armed man so early. Second, that move worked best as a first-time kill, using it on the Raikage would be a waste. They might even become allies later.
As Shiromo was thinking this, the Snow Ninja below began using their own "large-scale destructive" ninjutsu.
A gigantic ice-crystal white whale leapt out of the ice layer, crashing toward the ship.
"Hold on to me."
Shiromo said this to Kazahana Koyuki beside him, then grabbed onto the ship's railing.
The entire ship suddenly floated up toward the sky.
(End of this chapter)