Naruto's eyes lit up.
Holy crap! There really is some!
Kakashi's name really came in handy.
Just mentioning him was enough to fool the shopkeeper.
"Hey, sis, are you close with Kakashi-sensei?"
Naruto asked, looking puzzled.
Heh... I'm getting a bargain and still acting like I'm doing them a favor.
Well... it's fun.
On the other hand, he wanted to take the opportunity to learn more about Kakashi.
The anime had said very little about him.
Naruto meant things like Kakashi's habits and lifestyle.
The original story had barely touched on that.
But this was the real world.
He ought to find out a little more.
Know your friend and your enemy, and next time it'll be easier to trick Kakashi...
Er, I mean, it'll be easier to keep using Kakashi's name to impress people.
The shopkeeper nodded with a smile, admitting that he was right.
"That's right~ Whenever Lord Jiraiya releases a new book, Kakashi Hatake is always the first to come buy it."
"Not only that, he's left quite a bit of money with us."
"He said that he might not be able to make it back in time to buy Lord Jiraiya's latest book if he was away on a mission."
"So he paid us in advance and asked us to make sure we saved a copy for him."
Oh?
Naruto had expected as much.
After all, he was a transmigrator.
And he knew all the major and minor plots in Naruto.
Who would've thought that Kakashi—the usually stoic Copy Ninja of Konoha, whose name alone could scare unruly brats into behaving and make most of the neighboring villages' shinobi tremble—was actually a massive pervert?
Well... I saw that coming.
He wondered what kind of interesting expressions people would make if they found out.
Naruto didn't even need to guess. He could picture it.
They'd be completely dumbfounded!
"Then, sis, do you still have that book I mentioned?"
Naruto asked with a smile.
His expression was innocent as could be.
He even looked a little cute.
At least, that was how the shopkeeper saw him.
What a sweet, well-behaved child.
Ever since learning about his background,
he'd seemed like a different person.
He'd stopped causing trouble and getting into mischief.
"We do. Whenever Lord Jiraiya releases a new book, we usually set a few copies aside in case Mr. Kakashi comes looking for one."
"Wait here, Naruto. I'll go get it for you."
The shopkeeper spoke warmly.
"Okay." Naruto replied politely.
Before long,
the shopkeeper came hurrying out with a stack of books in her arms.
"You're in luck, Naruto. We happen to have ten copies of Lord Jiraiya's books left."
"Hey, what are you doing?"
The shopkeeper furrowed her brows.
She stared at the gold coins Naruto was holding out to her,
looking confused.
"This is for the books," Naruto replied.
"No need. Mr. Kakashi still has money with us, and there's more than enough to cover these books."
The shopkeeper answered honestly.
Awkward.
This is so freaking awkward.
Before he got found out,
Naruto quickly took back the money and stuffed it into his pocket.
"I see... Then I'll tell Kakashi-sensei when I get back."
Kakashi, I'm sorry.
Not only did I use your name to buy these books,
I used your money, too.
I hope you won't blame me when you find out.
Let's just call it compensation for my childhood.
Just as she was about to hand the books to Naruto,
the shopkeeper paused, then reminded him anxiously,
"Make sure you give these to Mr. Kakashi. Don't take them out and sneak a peek on the way!"
"Don't worry, beautiful and charming shopkeeper. I promise I won't sneak a look..."
Yeah, right!
I'm tearing the wrapping open and reading them as soon as I leave.
Naruto didn't think he was lying.
He just hadn't finished what he wanted to say.
Besides, finishing the sentence properly was just a courtesy to spare them both some embarrassment.
Once he'd left, she couldn't do anything about it anyway.
After getting another round of praise,
the shopkeeper happily handed the books to Naruto.
"You're such a sweet talker, Naruto. Hmm... why didn't I notice how charming you were before?"
"That's because we didn't know each other well enough..."
Naruto grinned, looking innocent as could be.
"Oh~ Is that so..."
"All right, sis, I've got things to do, so I'll get going. You carry on."
"Don't run so fast. Be careful not to fall... Honestly, that child. Still, when you look at it another way, it's not a bad thing for kids to have so much energy."
After leaving the bookstore,
Naruto found a quiet spot.
And started reading.
That's right, I, Naruto, am hardworking and eager to learn!
He tore open the wrapping.
Inside was a book with a pink cover.
As the saying went, the pinker the cover, the more suspicious the contents.
Naruto opened the book and first read the foreword.
Then he glanced at the table of contents.
Hmm... this is pretty interesting...
The contents of the book piqued his curiosity.
After reading carefully for a while,
time slipped by without him noticing.
Naruto had powerful mental abilities, and could breeze through a book in ten lines at a glance.
He also remembered every detail clearly.
If he went back and someone asked him to recite what he'd read,
Naruto could even repeat every punctuation mark.
After finishing one of Jiraiya's masterpieces,
he closed the book.
"That's it??? That's it???"
"This book..."
"Actually, it's pretty interesting. The details are incredibly realistic, and the whole thing draws on Jiraiya's life experience and observations."
"Some of the descriptions are masterful. The subtle hints of beauty are especially brilliant—real strokes of genius."
"I, Naruto, hereby declare you the strongest in the business!!"
It wasn't that Naruto was overpraising Jiraiya.
If you put this book out in the modern world,
it might not become a huge bestseller,
but it would at least get pretty popular.
For certain perverts,
it was a must-have at home and the perfect way to kill time when out and about!
One book was all you needed wherever you went.
"Hey... isn't that Naruto?"
A child's voice, still somewhat young, sounded beside him.
Naruto looked up in confusion.
He wanted to see who it was.
There stood a little brat about seven or eight years old.
He wore goggles on his head, and the scarf around his neck dragged all the way to the ground.
His clothes looked a little worn.
Who else could it be but Hiruzen Sarutobi's grandson, Konohamaru Sarutobi?
Naruto himself was taken aback.
Even with the Hokage for a grandfather,
the kid's living conditions weren't exactly comfortable.
Good grief, he's poorer than me.
Seeing Konohamaru,
Naruto grinned and teased him. "You little punk, we're practically family. How about calling me big bro?"
"Huh?!! Do you even know who I am? I could call you big bro, I guess, but wouldn't that make it look like you were trying to get in good with my family?"
Konohamaru looked surprised.
Today, I won't help an old lady cross the street. I'll help you instead!
Konohamaru knew who Naruto was.
After all, Naruto was famous in the village.
He'd also heard his grandfather mention him the day before.
A good reputation or a bad one—it was all a reputation in the end, right?
Making a name for yourself by being infamous took skill, didn't it?
Naruto chuckled to himself.
Trying to get in good with the Sarutobi family?
What a joke.
The important thing is, you're too young to handle your future sister-in-law Hanabi.
Let your big bro take over.
"Tell me what it'll take. What do I have to do for you to call me big bro?"
"At the very least, you'd need to know an impressive ninjutsu, right? You don't know anything, and you still want to be my big bro? Aren't you embarrassed?"
"Oh? Ninjutsu... That's easy. Keep your eyes wide open and watch closely. Don't blink."
Poof.
Naruto used his signature jutsu right away!
The S-rank Sexy Jutsu he'd known since birth!
Konohamaru was still young. Naruto could raise him right and teach him all sorts of positive things from an early age.
There was no need to get too close to girls.
He needed to spend more time with boys.
An eyepatch was a man's romance.
Ahem... wrong scene.
In short, Naruto's goal was to raise Konohamaru into a real "man."
That way, he wouldn't have to worry about Konohamaru competing with him for Hanabi in the future.
You're a grown man. You can't call yourself a man if you're too embarrassed to cross-dress, can you?
Right... Konohamaru?
Before you continue