"L-Lord Jiraiya?! Lady Tsunade?!" The young Uchiha who had been howling away in the private room froze as though struck by a paralysis jutsu. Their singing cut off, and they were so nervous they nearly sprang out of their seats. These two were members of the legendary Sannin, as famous as the Third Hokage himself-true titans at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World!
"Now, now, relax, kids." Jiraiya waved a hand casually, but his eyes darted over the room's unusual furnishings as though he had discovered a whole new world, especially the "projector" still flickering faintly as it played the accompaniment. "We were just passing by and came to take a look when we heard all the noise. Don't mind us. Go on, keep singing! Let this sage get a taste of that youthful energy!"
Tsunade's lovely brows drew together slightly. She seemed instinctively uncomfortable with the excessive noise, but her attention was likewise drawn to the strange device capable of producing such complex music. Unable to resist, she asked in her characteristically cool voice, "Is this the machine people have been talking about lately? The one that lets anyone become a singer?"
Shinji immediately recovered from his brief surprise and stepped forward. His bearing showed respect for these powerful veterans, but his tone was neither servile nor arrogant. "Yes, Lady Tsunade, Lord Jiraiya. Welcome to Uchiha's Fantasy Hut. This is a completely new form of entertainment we call 'song requests.' The device plays prerecorded accompaniment, and users can hold this 'Microphone' to sing whichever songs they like."
"Interesting! Very interesting!" Jiraiya rubbed his chin, his eyes growing brighter. "This sounds far more entertaining than going to the bathhouse... ahem, than searching deep in the mountains for writing inspiration! Kid, does your song list have anything... suitable for a mature man with this sage's wealth of experience and extraordinary spirit?" As he spoke, he unceremoniously took the finely crafted song-list scroll from Shinji's hands.
Shinji chuckled inwardly. This great hero's personality certainly lived up to his reputation. He took the opportunity to recommend several songs with bold, rugged melodies and lyrics steeped in the spirit of a wandering life and reflections on the road.
Jiraiya showed no hesitation, choosing a song about a ninja roaming the world and witnessing every facet of life. When his slightly husky yet powerful voice, with its distinctive resonance, rang through the entire room amplified by the Microphone, it proved surprisingly well suited to the song's mood. As his enthusiasm mounted, he even began dancing to the beat. His uninhibited exuberance instantly revived the atmosphere that had frozen upon their arrival.
At first, Tsunade merely leaned against the doorframe with her arms folded, watching Jiraiya clown around with her usual faintly mocking smile. But after Jiraiya coaxed and cajoled her, and Shinji aptly recommended an old ballad with a beautiful, sorrowful melody and lyrics exploring life, loss, and memory, she reluctantly accepted the other Microphone.
The moment she began to sing, her slightly husky yet exceptionally rich, resonant contralto seized everyone's attention, as though it carried the weight of years. She made no deliberate show of technique, but her voice held immensely complex emotions. The eternal emptiness and lingering pain left by the loss of her loved ones-at this point, her grandfather Hashirama Senju and great-uncle Tobirama Senju-lay buried deep within her, perhaps never fully confronted even by Tsunade herself. Now, those feelings seemed to have found a secret, safe outlet. When the song ended, a silence deeper than before settled over the room, the silence of people struck by profound emotion. Even Jiraiya, usually so quick with a joke, lost his smile. He looked at his longtime companion beside him with complicated eyes, a barely perceptible trace of sympathy and understanding in his gaze.
Tsunade lowered the Microphone, tilted her head back slightly, and drew a deep breath, as though forcibly pressing the emotions threatening to spill out back into the deepest recesses of her heart. When she looked at Shinji again, her gaze held less of its initial distance and scrutiny, replaced by an indescribable complexity and the smallest hint of appreciation. "Kid, this place of yours... really is interesting. Those songs you wrote... aren't bad either. That 'Blue Bird,' and the 'Sign' you sang earlier-you came up with both?"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade. They're a few unpolished attempts. It's an honor that you found them worth listening to," Shinji admitted openly, his voice calm.
"Hmph. I wouldn't call them unpolished." Tsunade offered a rare, almost affirmative assessment, though her tone remained rather detached. "You have some talent." Apparently unwilling to linger, she returned to her languid manner, looking as though little could interest her. "All right, this noise is giving me a headache. I'm leaving." With that, she turned and left the room without a backward glance.
Jiraiya stayed behind, clearly still enjoying himself. He belted out several more songs in different styles, then, still reluctant to stop, kept Shinji talking for a long while. He lavished praise on the Fantasy Hut's concept and business model, even half-joking that it might become his most important "source of inspiration" besides the hot springs. Before leaving, he gave Shinji's shoulder a firm pat and lowered his voice, a note of sincerity entering it. "Kid, getting that difficult, stubborn woman to quietly listen to an entire song, and even almost... heh, you really do have some skill. Take good care of this place. Konoha can be far too lifeless sometimes. It needs fresh ideas like yours that bring joy and energy!"
Shinji seized the opportunity to sidle up to Jiraiya's ear, lowering his voice even further and wearing a conspiratorial smile that said this was something any man would understand. "Lord Jiraiya, these singing rooms actually... have more advanced, more exciting uses. But I'm young and thin-skinned, and I don't have much standing in the village. I really couldn't handle the criticism and pressure that might follow. You've seen the world and have plenty of connections. If you can withstand that pressure, I could privately give you a few pointers..."
Jiraiya's eyes immediately went round, sparkling with intense curiosity and excitement. "Oh?! Hurry, hurry! Let this sage hear it!"
Shinji made a show of glancing around warily. Only after confirming that no one was paying attention did he speak in an extremely low voice. "Imagine hosting certain distinguished guests with special identities, or getting together privately with friends... You could invite a few lively, attractive young ladies dressed... well, in something relatively light and revealing, to drink and chat with the guests, sing with them, and even play some rather exciting little games to bring everyone closer. Think about it. In a private setting with shifting lights and music all around, it would be far more thrilling than the open atmosphere of a traditional tavern-and much more convenient, too..."
He paused to study Jiraiya's increasingly excited expression, then added fuel to the fire. "The thing is, as good as it sounds, the pressure from the elders and the public morals authorities would be considerable. Lord Jiraiya, if you're interested, perhaps you could contact some well-established merchants you know and take the lead on a trial run? After all, enriching the nightlife of Konoha's residents would be a good deed..."
Jiraiya listened with mounting eagerness, rubbing his hands excitedly, but then his brows furrowed. He had clearly remembered Teacher Sarutobi's stern face and those two old sticks-in-the-mud, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. "Brilliant! Just thinking about it gets the blood pumping! But... explaining it to the old man and those other two would be no easy task. Their nagging alone could drown a man... Hmm, let this sage think it over carefully. We'll need to plan for the long term, the long term..."
Watching Jiraiya walk away muttering to himself and scratching his head, Shinji's lips curved in an almost imperceptible smile. He knew that after the chance visit and firsthand experience of two heavyweights like Jiraiya and Tsunade, Uchiha's Fantasy Hut was no longer merely a modest diversion for young ninja. Its name and unique appeal would surely follow them, quickly spreading through Konoha's higher circles and drawing the attention of more influential figures.
He surveyed the little world he had built with his own hands, filled with noise, music, lights, and laughter. He watched his companions' completely relaxed smiles and the strangers moved, energized, or finding release through his "creations." An indescribable sense of satisfaction and control welled up within him. This little shop was not merely a refuge from the profound loneliness and boredom he felt as someone transported to another world. Without his realizing it, it had also become a seemingly insignificant yet wonderfully laughter-filled foothold through which he could connect more deeply with this Naruto world and subtly exert his influence. In a Shinobi World still filled with the shadows of war, schemes, and agonizing separations, having a corner where people could briefly forget their identities, set down their burdens, and freely release their emotions seemed... genuinely pretty good.
The cool night breeze drifted through the specially designed vents, carrying away a little of the heat and clamor indoors while bringing the distant murmur of the Naka River and the faint chirping of insects. Thanks to this little Fantasy Hut, which kept producing new surprises, Konoha's nights had grown livelier and more colorful. And amid the unending songs and laughter, a new chapter quietly opened in Shinji Uchiha's legendary story, a tale interwoven with power, intrigue, revenge, and warmth.
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