Jiraiya's Masterpiece

Because of their captain's peculiar sense of humor, Tezaku sometimes couldn't help feeling helpless. He immediately changed the subject.

"Speaking of which..."

"This time, Captain, you handled the sudden incident swiftly and decisively. In just a few words, you nipped it in the bud."

"On top of that, Shisui caught the thief and reported him to the Police Force. That counts as a contribution, too."

"Maybe you'll get promoted again."

At those words...

The laid-back expression on Uchiha Shingen's face faded at once.

Promoted?

What kind of joke was that? He absolutely couldn't let that happen!

Uchiha Shingen was very satisfied with his current position.

A squad captain in the Police Force—not too high, not too low.

It was a management role, so he didn't have to handle everything himself, and he had a few subordinates he could exploit.

Life was carefree and comfortable.

And because he wasn't high enough in the hierarchy to handle major affairs, he could simply report them to his superiors and let the Jonin of the Konoha Military Police Force take over.

It was exactly the kind of job best suited to slacking off and enjoying a quiet retirement.

If he could, Uchiha Shingen would gladly stay a squad captain for the rest of his life.

After a moment's thought...

Uchiha Shingen reached out and patted Shisui on the shoulder.

"The one who did the most was this kid. And you all helped, too, so the credit belongs to all of you. You'll even get a bigger bonus at the end of the month."

"This..."

Shisui froze, feeling even more ashamed.

He knew perfectly well that if he hadn't acted so impulsively, the crisis yesterday would never have happened.

Yet Uchiha Shingen had brushed aside the matter of his confinement with a single sentence. He was even willing to share the credit with everyone...

Shisui had only ever seen that kind of spirit and conviction among the Senju.

So this was the Will of Fire!

Wait...

Was this what Make-Out Hell taught?!

Those illustrations actually hid such a profound understanding of the Will of Fire?

Shisui's eyes glimmered as he looked at the magazine in Uchiha Shingen's hand.

The streets bustled with passersby as the sun hurried across the sky.

Soon...

It was time to clock out.

Uchiha Shingen clocked out right on schedule.

After standing there hesitating for a moment, Shisui turned and darted into the bookstore Uchiha Shingen often visited.

He spotted Make-Out Hell displayed in the most prominent place on the shelf.

The cover illustration showed a scantily dressed woman, her upper body bent slightly forward, revealing an astonishingly curvaceous figure.

Shisui's little face immediately turned red. Gritting his teeth, he took the book from the shelf and crept over to the counter, then said shyly, "Excuse me, I'd like this one."

"Kid, don't go poking around in things that are too scandalous for someone your age!"

The shopkeeper's teasing words made Shisui flush beet red. He wanted to disappear into the floor, but his feet seemed rooted to the spot. Gathering his courage, he said, "Captain Shingen said this book contains the secret to becoming Hokage, so I..."

"You believe that nonsense?! Here, we don't sell this book to minors!"

The shopkeeper pointed to the upper-left corner of the Make-Out Hell cover.

Shisui followed his finger and saw the conspicuous "18+" label.

They didn't sell it to minors?

Then why could Captain Shingen buy it?

If he remembered correctly, Captain Shingen was only thirteen this year... The Transformation Technique?!

When Shisui figured that out, he felt mortified.

If he'd noticed sooner, he could've avoided this awkward situation!

As expected of Captain Shingen!

He was even that adept at buying banned books!

With that thought, Shisui took a deep breath, placed Make-Out Hell on the counter, and prepared to leave the bookstore and return in the guise of an adult.

He turned around and ran straight into a wall.

Feeling the touch of fabric, Shisui realized he hadn't hit a wall at all. He had bumped into a tall, middle-aged man with unruly silver-white hair.

"Lord Jiraiya?!"

Recognizing him, Shisui's little face turned even redder.

Everyone in Konoha knew of Jiraiya, but since he spent most of his time traveling around the Shinobi World, few people had actually met him.

One of the Third Hokage's students, he had joined forces with Orochimaru and Tsunade during the Second Shinobi World War to fight Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, who was known as the Demigod.

It was in that battle that they earned the title of the Sannin.

He was also widely regarded as one of the strongest candidates to inherit the Hokage Position after the Third Hokage stepped down.

Shisui wanted to die. He'd been caught buying a banned book by someone that important.

"Hey!"

Jiraiya was as boisterous and friendly as if they were old acquaintances. He slung an arm over Shisui's shoulder and said smugly, "Even a kid your age can't resist the charm of Make-Out Hell?"

"Looks like my popularity as a bestselling author is out of control!"

"Heh..."

Shisui gave an awkward laugh.

"Captain Shingen said there's a secret to becoming Hokage in this book."

"Huh?"

Jiraiya wore a baffled expression.

Wait...

That was a thing people said?

The inspiration for Make-Out Hell had come from the proprietress of a hot-spring resort in the Land of Hot Water. It had nothing to do with the Will of Fire!

He suddenly grew interested.

"My book can do that?!"

"Yeah."

Shisui answered automatically, then was about to turn and leave when Jiraiya's words made him stop.

"This is your work?!"

"Of course!"

Jiraiya nodded, proudly admitting it.

"I'm the hottest bestselling author in the Shinobi World. I travel all the time to collect inspiration from all over."

"I see..."

Shisui looked enlightened.

No wonder!

No wonder Captain Shingen made a point of reading this book!

If it was Lord Jiraiya's work, then it all made sense!

As one of the shinobi closest to the Hokage Position, Lord Jiraiya was naturally qualified to put his understanding of the Will of Fire into his books.

After all, books were the embodiment of an author's inner spirit!

"If this is your masterpiece, I can understand why Big Brother Shingen reads it so intently."

"So intently..."

Jiraiya seized on the key phrase, his spirits rising. He couldn't help growing more curious about the Captain Shingen Shisui had mentioned.

As an author, this was the perfect chance to get up close and personal with a fan!

"So, what did that Captain Shingen of yours say about it?"

Shisui lowered his head in thought, recalling what Uchiha Xixunuan had said to him. After a long pause, he finally came up with something.

"The illustrations are nice."

"..."

"That's all?"

Jiraiya waited a few seconds, and when Shisui had nothing more to add, he couldn't help asking.

Shisui nodded honestly.

"That's all... Oh, no, he also said..."

"The emotions are flat, there's no tension between the characters, and it's fan service from beginning to end. Not even a third-rate..."

The more Shisui said...

The quieter his voice became.

Even with his head lowered, he could still feel Jiraiya's expression stiffening by the moment.

"You wicked Uchiha brat! What do you know about appreciating this great work of mine?!"