Naruto trudged along the dirt road behind Jiraiya, grumbling under his breath.
"Why are we walking all the way to Suna? Can't we just, I don't know, teleport or something?"
Jiraiya smirked. "Because, kid, life's about the journey, not the destination. Besides, it gives us time to brainstorm."
Naruto perked up. "Brainstorm? For what?"
Jiraiya pulled out a notebook, scribbling something down. "Your manga, obviously. If you want to conquer the ninja world with your stories, you need to learn how to make them relatable. That's where I come in."
Naruto eyed the notebook suspiciously. "What are you writing?"
"Character ideas," Jiraiya replied, his tone far too casual.
Naruto's stomach sank. "Wait… are these Icha Icha ideas?!"
Jiraiya laughed. "Relax! I'm just thinking about adding some… spice to your story. Maybe a steamy love triangle?"
Naruto facepalmed. "No way! My manga's about ninjas, not whatever weird stuff you're into!"
"Suit yourself," Jiraiya said with a shrug. "But don't come crying to me when readers want more romance."
First Stop: The Market
Their journey led them to a bustling market in a small town. Naruto's nose twitched at the aroma of grilled meat skewers, and his stomach growled loudly.
"Alright, kid," Jiraiya said. "Time for your first lesson in subtlety."
Naruto tilted his head. "What does that have to do with manga?"
"Everything," Jiraiya replied. "Look around. Every person here has a story—if you're observant enough to notice."
Naruto scanned the crowd, watching a merchant argue with a customer over prices and a group of children chasing a dog.
"Okay, I see stories," Naruto said. "Now what?"
"Now, you figure out how to make it entertaining," Jiraiya said, handing Naruto a small sketchpad.
Naruto hesitated, then began sketching the merchant and customer as exaggerated characters, their argument turning into a slapstick comedy with flying vegetables. Jiraiya peeked over his shoulder and chuckled.
"Not bad, kid. But don't forget to make it meaningful. A laugh is good, but a laugh that sticks is better."
The Hidden Talent
As Naruto and Jiraiya left the market, a cloaked figure bumped into them, dropping a bundle of scrolls.
"Sorry about that," Naruto said, handing the scrolls back.
The figure muttered a quick thanks before hurrying off. Naruto noticed a faint symbol on the scrolls that looked eerily familiar.
"Hey, Pervy Sage," Naruto said, nudging Jiraiya. "Did you see that symbol? It looked like… my manga logo."
Jiraiya frowned. "Interesting. Let's follow them."
They trailed the figure to a small, secluded house on the edge of town. Peeking through a window, they saw the cloaked person frantically copying pages from Naruto's manga onto blank scrolls.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "They're pirating my work!"
Jiraiya sighed. "Ah, the age-old battle between creators and bootleggers."
Naruto clenched his fists. "We can't let them get away with this!"
"Hold up," Jiraiya said, stopping him. "You want to be a real mangaka? Handle this creatively. No violence, just wit."
Naruto smirked, an idea forming. "Alright, watch this."
Creative Justice
Naruto used his clones to sneak into the house and swap out the copied pages with absurd edits—turning dramatic fight scenes into slapstick gags and heroic poses into ridiculous dances.
The next day, the pirated scrolls hit the market, and readers were baffled by the sudden shift in tone.
"Why is the hero slipping on banana peels every other page?" one villager asked, scratching their head.
Naruto and Jiraiya strolled through the market, blending into the crowd as laughter spread.
"Lesson learned?" Jiraiya asked.
Naruto grinned. "Yeah. Always fight bootleggers with humor!"