The bell above the store door gave a soft ring, kicking off the start of Koichi's second day at The Hidden Ink.
Iruka stepped in, looking around with a warm smile. "Smells like ink and hard work in here."
Koichi looked up from behind the counter, where he had been rearranging some of the freshly printed books. His face lit up. "Nii-san! You came."
Iruka gave a casual wave and walked over to the front desk, eyes scanning the room. "Of course I did. I had to see the famous Hidden Ink with my own eyes."
As Iruka took in the sight of the store—neat, personal, full of quiet energy—his thoughts drifted back to years ago.
Koichi had always been a bit... different. Not in a bad way. Just calmer, more thoughtful, always scribbling something on scraps of paper even as a kid. Where other students in the Academy sparred and competed, Koichi would sit by the window, sketching quietly or lost in a book. But Iruka had seen through that quiet. Koichi wasn't weak—he had chakra control beyond his age, an almost unnatural sense of precision. If he'd stayed, Iruka had no doubt he could've graduated top of his class.
But Koichi had chosen another path.
And Iruka respected that.
"So," Iruka said, hands on his hips. "How's it going so far? Any customers yet?"
Koichi rubbed the back of his neck, a little sheepishly. "Not yet. But it's only been a day. I've got hope."
Iruka laughed. "Good. Because I know how stubborn you are. If anyone can make this work, it's you."
Koichi smiled. "Thanks for helping me out with the store, nii-san. I wouldn't have managed without your support."
Iruka waved it off. "Tch. Don't mention it. You've always been responsible. Besides, you're the one who created all those crazy jutsu just to make this manga stuff possible. Drawing, coloring, printing—all of it? That's impressive, Koichi."
Koichi turned a little red and looked away. They weren't really my inventions, he thought. The system gave them to me...
But he just scratched his cheek and gave a modest shrug. "Well, I had some help..."
Iruka chuckled. "Even so. You've put in the work. Don't sell yourself short. Naruto's definitely going to come running in here today, I just know it."
Iruka looked at the shelves thoughtfully. His gaze landed on a neatly stacked copy of Rain Between Us. Curious, he picked it up and thumbed through the pages, eyes scanning over the clean illustrations and smooth flow of text. There was something soothing about it, almost nostalgic. He smiled faintly, the memory of Koichi's early sketches flashing in his mind.
Meanwhile, Koichi's gaze drifted to the small calendar pinned to the store wall at the mention of Naruto.
Graduation Day: Tomorrow.
Naruto. Sasuke. Sakura. He'd watched them grow from the sidelines, always remembering how their stories had once played out on a screen. But this was real now. Their futures hadn't been written.
And neither had his.
At this time, The bell above the door jingled again.
Koichi turned his head, and in walked a tall kunoichi with dark brown hair and striking crimson eyes.
"Kurenai?" Iruka said, surprised.
Kurenai Yuhi looked around the store, her eyes scanning the shelves before landing on Iruka. "Iruka? It's been a while."
They exchanged a brief smile and a polite nod, each giving a slight bow in greeting.
"Still teaching at the Academy?" Kurenai asked.
Iruka nodded. "Yeah. Tomorrow's the graduation, actually. Big day for the kids."
Kurenai gave a thoughtful nod. "Hinata's going to be assigned to my team, I think. I'll be taking on my first squad."
"That so? Lucky kids," Iruka said, then turned to Koichi. "Oh, right—Kurenai, this is Koichi. My little brother. Well, adopted, but he's family."
Koichi gave a polite nod. "Nice to meet you."
As he looked at her, recognition flickered in his mind.
Yuhi Kurenai. He knew that name. That face. From his past life—one of the supporting jonin in Naruto's story. Genjutsu specialist. Poised, sharp-eyed, and fiercely protective of her team. She hadn't been in the spotlight much, but when she was, she left an impression.
Strange, Koichi thought. Seeing someone I used to watch on a screen now standing a few feet away like it's completely normal.
But his expression stayed calm, composed—just another local bookstore owner meeting a passing jonin.
Kurenai looked surprised. "I didn't know you had a brother."
"He's not one to brag," Koichi said with a grin.
Iruka chuckled. "Koichi's the one who opened this store. Dropped out of the Academy last year to chase this dream."
Kurenai raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's… unexpected."
"He's been writing and drawing for years," Iruka added. "His first manga just came out."
Kurenai blinked. "Manga? That's not a word I've heard before."
Iruka chuckled. "Koichi explained it to me. It's what he calls this new kind of illustrated story—somewhere between a picture book and a full-blown novel. But it flows like a mission report—clean panels, visuals, short dialogue. Easy to read but with depth."
Koichi smiled and added, "Think of it like... a story told through art and expressions, not just words. It's meant to be read like a scroll, but every frame helps you feel what the characters are going through. I try to keep it honest and grounded."
Kurenai stepped closer to the counter and picked up a copy of the book Koichi had placed there earlier. Her eyes drifted to the counter. A few neatly stacked books sat there, but one in particular caught her attention: a rain-toned cover showing two shinobi beneath a wooden awning. Rain Between Us.
"Interesting cover," she said, flipping through a few pages. "Did you draw all this yourself?"
"Yeah," Koichi said, trying not to sound too proud. "It's called Rain Between Us. Short story. I was trying to capture something small and honest. A moment between people. I've actually finished all twelve chapters, but for now I'm only putting the first one on sale—testing the waters a bit."
She nodded, seemingly intrigued. "You don't see many books like this. I'll give it a try. How much?"
"Fifteen hundred ryo," Koichi replied. "Not too expensive—I figured I'd keep it affordable for genin and civilians."
Ryo was the standard currency in the shinobi world, used for everything from mission payouts to grocery shopping. Pricing was tricky—Koichi had done his homework.
Kurenai pulled out her pouch and placed the coins on the counter. "Sounds fair. I'll let you know what I think."
Koichi gave her a small bow. "Thanks. Really. First real customer."
Iruka smiled, watching the exchange. "Told you someone would see the value in it."
Koichi gave him a sideways glance. "Yeah, yeah. You win."
Iruka checked the time. "I should get going—I need to prepare things for tomorrow."
He gave Koichi a pat on the shoulder and nodded at Kurenai. "See you around."
And with that, Iruka left, the doorbell jingling softly behind him.
Koichi exhaled slowly, watching him go.
Just then, a soft ding echoed in his mind—faint, familiar, and satisfying.
[Achievement Complete: First Sale!]
[Reward: Advanced Chakra Concealment Technique Unlocked]
Koichi blinked, but didn't react outwardly. Later, he thought. Kurenai's still here. Don't act weird. He quietly dismissed the system screen.
Then he glanced at Kurenai, who was flipping through the pages of the book even as she walked toward the exit. She slipped the book gently into her pouch and gave Koichi a final glance. "I like the feel of this already."
Koichi offered a quiet, hopeful smile. "Thanks. I hope it gives you a peaceful evening."
With a small wave, Kurenai turned and stepped out into the sunlight, the bell jingling softly as the door closed behind her.
Koichi stood alone again in the stillness of his store. A second customer. A second sale. And a familiar face from fiction, now woven into his real life.
As the door closed and silence settled back in, Koichi finally let out a grin.
"Alright, let's see it."
He called the system interface back to the front of his mind.
[Status Updated]
[Achievement Complete: First Sale!]
[Reward Unlocked: Advanced Chakra Concealment Technique]
A wave of warm chakra coursed through his body, and with it, an understanding. Not just of how to mask his chakra signature, but how to suppress, shift, and even create decoys. This was on a whole other level.
"This is huge... with this, I can actually walk around without sticking out like a Bijuu in a crowd," he whispered to himself, almost in awe.
With a satisfied hum, Koichi dismissed the screen.
He turned to the empty store and exhaled slowly. With a stretch and a glance at his scattered notes, Koichi walked back to the counter and pulled out a fresh stack of paper.
Before starting, he created a few shadow clones, each one nodding silently before taking their positions. "You guys handle Chapter Two of Rain Between Us," he said. The clones got to work without a word, activating their manga-related jutsu to begin printing and detailing the second chapter.
Koichi himself sat down at his usual spot, grabbing his sketch pencil and cracking his knuckles. It was time to start his next project—the one he'd been thinking about for a while now: Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance Arc. A story of swords, regrets, and redemption, reimagined for the shinobi world.
"Let's see if I can do this justice," he muttered, grabbing a pencil and sketching the first rough outline.