Multi-Anime, I Stand at the Forefront of Popularity Supremacy

"Before we arrived, Gato's fleet had actually been attacked several times by unknown assailants with unknown motives. However, based on other information, it seems there were rumors of Gato being in that area before these attacks."

At this point, Sparkle paused.

"Also, these attacks did not result in any deaths, so Gato himself doesn't seem to care too much. The attacker always chose to retreat after discovering Gato wasn't there."

Sparkle said.

"Someone who has a grudge against Gato?"

Kakashi touched his chin.

"If we don't limit it to the Land of Waves, I've also gathered some information. Because the method of attacking using 'ice' has also occurred in the Land of Water. Although there have been no reports of deaths so far, some people have said that some Mist Ninja were frozen inside ice crystals."

This was a lie.

But it couldn't be called a lie either.

Because Sparkle had indeed taken some time, hidden her identity, and gone to the Land of Water to create some large ice sculptures, which had caused some discussion.

—Sparkle's disguise ability was not something ordinary people could see through.

As for Mist Ninja dying, of course, that didn't happen.

Sparkle, who couldn't bear to harm even flowers and grass, had only fabricated some meaningless bloodstains, ninja forehead protectors, and so on.

Sparkle was kind-hearted and couldn't stand to see others suffer.

As for danger, there was none.

When resonating with Jingliu, Sparkle could borrow Jingliu's power to fight, and even the Nine-Tails could be dealt with. If it were the fully realized Jingliu, let alone the Nine-Tails, even the Otsutsuki clan would be easily defeated if they were all brought together.

Kirigakure investigated but found no leads, but it seemed some people believed that the disappearance of some Mist Ninja was related to this "attacker."

When Sparkle released ice flowers, she was also used as a "Account Settling Immortal" by some people.

Sparkle didn't mind, because Kirigakure's actions actually helped her achieve her goal.

"...Revenge against Kirigakure?"

Kakashi finally understood.

"That's right,"

Sparkle said. "If my guess is correct, the other party should have noticed the existence of the Nine-Tails Demon Fox before, and it's very likely related to revenge. Perhaps they wanted to throw the Nine-Tails into Kirigakure—they've done it before, after all."

凸(艹皿艹)

Kakashi felt his PTSD was acting up again.

Kirigakure had indeed done such a thing.

And it was during that time that he had done something irreversible...

Kakashi was numb.

He saw Rin during the Team 7 test, and now that they were discussing Kirigakure, it was still about Rin.

Rin is still chasing me!

"But this isn't necessarily bad news,"

Sparkle said. "This avenger is just one person, and they lack the means to obtain information, not even being able to pinpoint Gato's exact location. So I think as long as Zabuza doesn't show up, she's also unlikely to reveal her true identity. And her true strength is also debatable."

"That ominous chakra..."

Kakashi was most apprehensive about this.

There was a very bad feeling about the other party.

"Regarding this, I've also found something."

Sparkle handed Kakashi a scroll.

"This is...?"

"Something from the Land of Hot Water. Information related to a certain evil god."

Sparkle said. "I heard that believing in this evil god can grant immortality, I don't know if it's true or not."

"...How do you have this kind of thing?"

"When Brother Neji went on a mission to the Land of Hot Water before, he told me some things,"

Sparkle said. "So I restored the story I heard."

This was a lie.

Because Sparkle had actively expressed her interest in the evil god there, and asked Neji to investigate it during his mission.

Sparkle was indeed a little curious about Hidan's Immortal God.

And these "folk customs" were also one of Sparkle's references for her "scriptwriting" this time.

"The power of that mysterious woman might be related to this. Speaking of which, several months ago, someone discovered ruins on an island near the Land of Waves, but later these ruins mysteriously disappeared. It's said they collapsed in an earthquake, but some of the traces there are similar to this one in the Land of Hot Water."

"The power of an evil god? Does that kind of thing really exist?"

"Of course. Immortality, it really exists."

Forget the evil god; in the absurd world of Naruto, even the Shinigami exists. What with underworld beings, aliens, and even people from "parallel universes."

Just hearing these elements, you'd think they were filming Dragon Ball.

Moreover, the news about the ruins is also true.

To fake the ruins, Sparkle even played the part of a construction worker.

After faking the ruins, she resonated with Jingliu's power on the spot, letting the malevolent energy of Demonic Possession erode the surrounding space.

Then, Sparkle tested out the Mutual Destruction Paper Bomb and the Riddle Doll in the ruins. Finally, she ravaged the place with Fire Style and Ice Style in turns, causing the ruins to collapse, thus completing the "background setup."

"Does that evil god have a name or any information?" Kakashi asked again.

"No. Just fragments. We only know it's related to some Plague Ancestor, some Yakushi, and the like."

Demonic Possession originates from the power of the Plague Ancestor... Makes sense. Sparkle wasn't lying.

Chapter Fifty-Four: Sparkle, the Mind Mentor

"Yosh."

The next morning, Naruto woke up feeling refreshed and energetic.

"Good morning!"

When he arrived at the dining room, Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, had already prepared breakfast for everyone.

Naruto was the last to arrive; Kakashi, Sparkle, and Sasuke were already there.

"Perfect timing, Naruto. I'm going to arrange the upcoming mission," Kakashi called Naruto over and said, "For the next mission, I'll accompany Mr. Tazuna to the bridge construction site. Sparkle will be responsible for gathering intel in the Land of Waves."

"What about me? What about me?!" Naruto pointed to himself excitedly.

"You and Sasuke will stay here to protect Ms. Tsunami and Inari," Kakashi said.

Initially, Kakashi hadn't considered this.

Fortunately, Sparkle reminded Kakashi during the mission assignment, and Kakashi then realized that Tazuna's family was not yet safe.

Although Sparkle said Gato and Zabuza had likely fallen out, Kakashi wasn't willing to take any risks until he had concrete information.

"Huh? That brat?!" Naruto bristled upon hearing he had to protect that brat.

"Naruto," Sparkle spoke up, "Don't you want to become a hero? A true hero naturally has the power to be a role model."

"There's no such thing as a hero!" Inari suddenly burst out, "Gato will kill all of us!"

"Inari!" Tsunami scolded her child.

But Sparkle smiled and crouched down in front of him, "A hero is someone who sees the cruelty of the world, yet still gazes upon it and loves it. Don't hate this world; try to love it. That person—in the end, was smiling at you, wasn't he?"

Inari froze, "You—how do you know—"

Of course, I've read the script.

Sparkle smiled, "I don't know what happened, but I know that if he was truly a hero, he must have fought until the very last moment without yielding."

Inari's stepfather, Kaiza, was a young man who came to the Land of Waves from elsewhere to chase his dreams. He had once saved the town and was a hero. However, he was eventually captured and executed by Gato for resisting him.

After Kaiza's death, the Land of Waves lost its hero.

For some reason, Sparkle's words seemed to not only touch Inari but also Naruto.

Because at that moment, the live broadcast footage unexpectedly shifted to an emotional background music, and the content displayed was Naruto reminiscing.

"Hero... When I first came to the Land of Waves, I had already made up my mind to become a true ninja, a true hero."

After a flashback sequence, Naruto suddenly unleashed his Talk no Jutsu.

"I won't fear any difficulty, no matter what others say, I'll make them acknowledge me!"

"Don't just spout big words there!" Inari yelled, "Say that after your family is killed by Gato!"

"Inari!" Ms. Tsunami quickly stood up.

After saying that, Inari ran off.

Tsunami bowed and followed.

Sparkle looked at Naruto.

Naruto, who had been so spirited just moments ago, now seemed to be stuck.

[A shrimp and pork heart... That's just cruel...]

[Brat, it would be better if you died sooner.]

[I mean, didn't you guys notice the photo on the wall?]

[The emotional scene just started, I thought it was just a regular talk no jutsu, but it was a dud.]

[That's it? That's it? That's it?]

Naruto's first talk no jutsu ended in failure, and he was instead killed by Inari, silenced.

Sparkle turned to Tazuna. "Mr. Tazuna, one person in the photo has a corner torn off. Inari is like this because of this person, right? Would you mind telling us his story?"

Tazuna sighed and slowly began to recount how Kaiza met Inari after arriving in the Land of Waves, how he became family, how he became a hero in the Land of Waves, and finally, how he bravely sacrificed himself for resisting Gato.

The bullet comments didn't react much to the entire story. With twenty more years of "experience" in the anime industry compared to the original world, this kind of trope was quite common.

However, when Inari was drowning, and a few brats, ignoring him, chased a puppy and ran off, only for Inari to be rescued by Kaiza, who happened to pass by, the bullet comments flooded.

[Damn, what brats.]

[I can only say this country deserves its suffering.]

[Why didn't Gato get rid of these brats too?]

[The internet is not a lawless land, please speak civilly.]

[Much quieter now.]

[Just watch the show, don't connect it to reality.]