"Manga Mania: The Konoha Craze"
Naruto had barely started to relax when the System pinged him with a new notification.
New Quest: Expand Manga Distribution.
Objective: Ensure the manga reaches all major locations in Konoha.
Reward: Skill Upgrade: "Rapid Sketch – Scene Creation."
Naruto groaned. "Great, now I'm a delivery boy for my own story."
With the mysterious masked shinobi on his tail and Sasuke's suspicions still lingering, he needed to be careful. But as much as he wanted to lay low, the System's rewards were too good to pass up.
The Manga Store Debacle
Naruto decided to start at the main manga distributor's shop. He had noticed long lines there the day before, and it seemed like the perfect place to drop a fresh supply. Using a shadow clone as a decoy, he slipped into the back alley behind the shop.
Inside, the shopkeeper, a jovial man named Takeda, was struggling to manage the chaos. Customers were shouting over each other, waving ryo bills in the air, desperate for the next volume.
"Calm down, calm down!" Takeda yelled. "We're out of stock for today! Come back tomorrow!"
Naruto smirked. Time to save the day.
Using his System's inventory function, he materialized a fresh stack of Naruto Vol. 2 from thin air. He slipped it onto the loading dock and knocked loudly before darting away.
Takeda opened the door moments later and gasped. "More stock? Where did this come from?!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, rushing forward to claim their copies. Naruto watched from a nearby rooftop, feeling a strange mix of pride and embarrassment.
Team 7's "Training"
Later, Naruto rejoined Team 7 for what was supposed to be a training session. Kakashi stood before them, holding his usual book, and gave them a lazy smile.
"Today's lesson is about observation," Kakashi announced.
Naruto stiffened. Oh no. Is this about the manga?
"I've noticed a lot of distractions lately," Kakashi continued, his eye flicking briefly toward Naruto. "So, we're going to practice staying focused under pressure."
The "training" involved dodging kunai while balancing on moving logs. Sasuke excelled, as always, and even Sakura managed to keep up. Naruto, on the other hand, struggled—not because he couldn't handle the task, but because the System kept interrupting.
New Subquest: Incorporate Training into a Manga Scene.
Reward: "Action Panel Mastery" Skill.
Naruto gritted his teeth. I don't have time for this!
Despite the chaos, he managed to sketch a rough panel of their training exercise while dodging Kakashi's kunai. The resulting scene was comedic gold—Naruto tripping over a log while Sasuke struck a heroic pose.
The System immediately rewarded him:
Skill Unlocked: Action Panel Mastery
Improve fluidity and dynamics in action scenes.
Hinata's Unexpected Visit
That evening, Naruto returned to his apartment, exhausted but satisfied. Just as he was about to settle in for some sketching, there was a timid knock at his door.
He opened it to find Hinata standing there, fidgeting nervously.
"H-Hello, Naruto-kun," she said, her cheeks pink.
Naruto blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Hinata? What are you doing here?"
"I-I heard about the manga craze," she stammered. "A-And I thought… maybe you'd like to talk about it?"
Naruto's brain short-circuited. Did she suspect him? Or was she just a fan of the story?
"Uh, yeah, sure! Come on in," he said, stepping aside.
Hinata entered cautiously, her eyes darting around his cluttered room. She spotted the scattered sketches on his desk and hesitated.
"Y-You like to draw?" she asked.
Naruto laughed nervously. "Oh, those? Just some doodles! Nothing special!"
Hinata picked up one of the sketches—a rough draft of a future manga panel featuring her standing up to Neji during the Chunin Exams. Her eyes widened.
"This is… amazing," she whispered.
Naruto panicked. How do I explain this?
Before he could come up with an excuse, Hinata smiled. "I think it's wonderful that you're so creative, Naruto-kun."
Her genuine admiration caught him off guard. He scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. "Thanks, Hinata. That means a lot."
The Rivalry Intensifies
The next day, Naruto found himself back in the middle of chaos. Sasuke was glaring at him more intensely than usual, and Sakura was pestering him with questions about his recent behavior.
"You're definitely hiding something," Sasuke said, crossing his arms. "And I'm going to figure out what it is."
Naruto groaned. "Can't you just chill for once? You're always so serious!"
"It's because you're suspicious," Sasuke shot back.
"Guys, stop fighting!" Sakura said, exasperated.
Meanwhile, Kakashi observed from the sidelines, his visible eye crinkling in amusement. "Ah, young rivalry. So predictable."
A Mysterious Note
That evening, Naruto returned home to find a folded piece of paper slipped under his door. He unfolded it cautiously.
"I know what you're doing. Meet me at Training Ground 3 at midnight."
Naruto's heart raced. Was this from the masked shinobi? Or someone else?
The System chimed in with a new quest:
New Quest: Confront the Unknown.
Objective: Investigate the note's sender without revealing your identity.
Reward: Stealth Upgrade: "Silent Sketching."
Naruto sighed. "Can't I just get one normal day?"