Rin, What Are You Doing?

Jiraiya walked into the bookstore without hesitation.

As one of the Konoha Three Ninjas, he had to criticize it properly.

"So lively?"

Jiraiya looked at the customers crowding the bookstore, his curiosity growing stronger.

It seemed it was not clickbait. There was real substance here.

Jiraiya squeezed through the gaps and quickly got himself a copy.

His appearance did not cause any commotion.

Though he was quite famous, that did not mean much in a setting where everyone wished each other well.

Men were remarkably united when it came to this sort of thing.

Jiraiya casually opened Taimanin and began reading the preview.

A moment later, his expression changed.

He felt as if the door to a new world had opened before him. It was like he had wasted thirty years of his life.

The Ninja World's popular ninja-themed stories were all based on reality, making them rather ordinary.

But Taimanin was different. It could be called a new kind of ninja story.

It featured a near-future world with a science-fiction style, a sexy and fiery heroine, and unheard-of enemies in the form of monsters.

"Your novel truly delights me!"

Jiraiya said excitedly.

He remembered how he had felt when he first visited an Izakaya and hired two lovely young women to keep him company.

Excited, expectant, thrilled, and impatient.

"What about the rest?"

When Jiraiya reached the end, he could not help saying, "Why is there no more? Damn it!"

He took several deep breaths and calmed himself down.

Ever since Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Ninja had been published, he had been thinking about writing another novel, but he had never found any inspiration.

Now that he had read Taimanin, inspiration suddenly burst forth.

With that in mind, Jiraiya picked up the book and left the bookstore.

He had to go back and start writing!

Konoha Hospital.

Hikawa, who had been practicing swordsmanship, stopped.

E-Rank Talent Entry: Hero

Trigger Condition: Taimanin published

Effect: Memory improved by 10% from its original baseline

Note: Publishing more novels may allow it to be deduced and upgraded into the D-Rank Entry: Novelist

That worked too?

Still, everyone had hoped for a hero to appear at some point.

Because they would leave behind a string of mysterious code before departing with flair.

Just to be clear, no Calabash Brothers and no Journey to the West.

Hikawa closed his eyes.

He felt much of his vague knowledge becoming clearer, while the knowledge he had already memorized became even more vivid.

Very good.

Hikawa was now confident he could take first place in the final theory exam.

"Not practicing anymore?"

Tsunade opened the window and asked.

"Are you going gambling again? Take a break."

Hikawa looked at Tsunade and could not help teasing her.

"You are so annoying, brat!"

Tsunade clenched her fist and asked with an unfriendly look, "Are you coming or not?"

"I'm coming!"

Hikawa chose obedience.

"Now that's a good boy."

Tsunade casually pulled down the window, stepped over in her high heels, and asked, "Leaving now?"

"Wait, I have one condition."

Hikawa suddenly thought of something and asked, "Tsunade-sama, can you teach me how to use a scalpel?"

"A scalpel?"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and said, "At your age, you cannot be a lead Medical Ninja in surgery."

Medical Ninja scalpels came in two types: forged scalpels and Chakra Scalpels.

The Chakra Scalpel was an A-rank Medical Ninjutsu that usually only jonin could master.

"I don't mean for surgery. I just want to familiarize myself with how to use one beforehand."

Knowing she had misunderstood, Hikawa explained.

"Is that so?"

Tsunade pondered for a moment and said, "Fine."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

Hikawa secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

In truth, it did not matter much who taught him how to use a scalpel.

But Tsunade's reasoning was more persuasive, making him more willing to listen.

That night.

Hikawa followed Tsunade home.

They had just left the Casino and stopped for a lavish meal along the way.

"Using a scalpel is not too difficult."

Tsunade took out a scalpel and said, "The difficult part is precision. Especially during surgery, you cannot be off by the slightest fraction."

Hikawa stood before her, listening while copying her movements.

Their subject was a live chicken they had bought back from the Izakaya earlier.

After being sliced to pieces, it eventually became the two of them's late-night snack.

Putting everything else aside, Tsunade was pretty good at roasting chicken.

Kids loved it.

Hikawa gave her a five-star rating in his heart.

The weekend passed amid gambling and training.

A new week began.

The difference was that it was now March, the final month of the first year.

In other words, Hikawa was about to go from a first-year elementary student to a second-year elementary student.

What a cause for celebration.

Hikawa suddenly thought of Hatake Kakashi.

According to the original timeline, Kakashi attended the Ninja Academy for one year before applying for Early Graduation and becoming a genin.

With Hikawa's current strength, he could graduate early as well.

But it was too dangerous.

Why was Hatake Kakashi still able to form a team with Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara even after graduating early for several years?

Because all his previous teammates had died, leaving not a single one behind.

Even thinking with his duodenum, anyone would know that staying at the Ninja Academy was better.

Unless he became the Sword God of Ten Miles Slope, Hikawa would never graduate.

"Hikawa."

A familiar voice rang out.

Hikawa raised his head and saw the adorable little girl standing prettily before him.

"I don't understand one question."

Rin Nohara asked somewhat embarrassedly, "Can I ask you about it?"

Once there was a first time, there would be countless more.

Ever since Hikawa had explained the four methods of writing it to her last time, she would come find him whenever she encountered a difficult problem.

Besides that, there was another reason: Tsunade.

"Let me see."

Hikawa opened her notebook, thought for a moment, and said, "This question is rather difficult. Listen closely while I explain."

In the hallway outside the classroom.

Obito Uchiha walked along with an excited, eager look on his face.

He had arrived especially early today.

Because the old lady had something to do and did not need him to help her across the street.

"Rin will definitely be shocked."

Thinking of Rin Nohara's reaction when she saw him, Obito Uchiha's smile widened.

He hurried forward, entered the classroom, and froze.

What a bull!

Seeing Hikawa and Rin Nohara chatting and laughing together, Obito Uchiha, who usually loved to smile, suddenly could not smile anymore.

He snapped out of it and quickly asked, "Rin, what are you doing?"

"Obito?"

Rin Nohara asked in surprise, "When did you get here?"

Hikawa was surprised as well.

Obito Uchiha, who was always late, was not late today?

"Hikawa is explaining a question to me."

Rin Nohara explained.

"Is he really that good?"

Obito Uchiha could not help frowning.

He remembered that in last month's theory exam, Hikawa's grades had not been very good, far worse than Rin Nohara's.

"He's very good!"

Rin Nohara blurted out sincerely.

"I can do it too!"

Seeing her expression, Obito Uchiha hurriedly said.

"Huh?"

Rin Nohara tilted her head, slightly bewildered.

The reason Obito Uchiha was at the bottom of the class was that he ranked last in every theory exam.

In the original story, he could already use Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique while still at the Ninja Academy, so he naturally could not have been at the bottom in terms of strength.

"Here."

Hikawa casually shoved the notebook into his hands.

Obito Uchiha instinctively glanced at it, then immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

He recognized every word individually, but when they were put together... was this even Japanese?