The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi

"So, sir, you're struggling to decide what to call your first book?"

Yakiniku Q.

After a few drinks, Jiraiya had become talkative.

The cruelty of the ninja world wasn't a suitable subject for innocent students.

After some thought, his book was the only thing he could really talk about.

"That's right. This is my first book, my heart and soul. It needs a good title!"

Moonlight Ruyun's gaze turned a little strange.

His first book?

Not necessarily...

"Have you decided on a pen name, sir?"

Jiraiya's eyes lit up as he declared proudly, "Toad Sage! What do you think? Pretty impressive, right?"

Huh?

Moonlight Ruyun was puzzled. If he remembered correctly, Jiraiya wrote under his real name.

He soon put that minor detail out of his mind.

That odd feeling within him grew stronger.

His pen name was "Toad Literary Master," while Jiraiya's was "Toad Sage."

If his book became a hit...

When Jiraiya's book came out, people might mistake it for a "sequel," which would probably give its sales a hefty boost.

Of course, readers might tear it apart when they realized it wasn't what they'd expected.

But that was fine. Jiraiya would write Icha Icha Paradise sooner or later anyway. Different roads, same destination. Different roads, same destination...

"What kind of story are you writing, mister?"

As she ate the delicious grilled meat, Kushina was intensely curious about Jiraiya's book.

"The story is about..."

Listening to Jiraiya's impassioned account, Moonlight Ruyun's mouth twitched.

If he remembered correctly, this book was called The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi in the original story, and its protagonist was Naruto.

In the original story, Minato Namikaze had named his son Naruto after this book.

It was essentially a story about a ninja who held fast to his convictions while adventuring through the shinobi world.

How should he put it?

One word: clichéd.

Two words: terribly clichéd.

It wasn't that the premise was flawed. The problem lay in the plot Jiraiya described.

The protagonist encountered all kinds of hardships and dangers, but without exception, his unwavering convictions allowed him to overcome them.

Either he changed his enemies' hearts, or he and his companions worked together to defeat them-and then changed their hearts...

In short, it was practically a "collection of talk-no-jutsu case studies."

All he could say was that promoting firm convictions was fine, but convictions alone weren't enough.

The ninja of the major hidden villages were all mentally unstable, each more obsessive than the last.

And you were telling them they didn't need talent or rigorous training, that unwavering convictions alone would make them stronger?

Anyone who believed that could go collect a couple of Tailed Beast Bombs at the village gates. That would set them straight.

This book probably sold poorly. No wonder Jiraiya switched to writing Icha Icha Paradise later.

He felt a little wistful.

The literary world had lost someone utterly inconsequential.

The world of smut had gained an unparalleled genius!

The chopsticks in Minato's hand hadn't moved. He listened with his full attention, occasionally letting out an astonished exclamation.

"You're amazing, sir! How did you come up with such a story full of twists and turns?"

Kushina was engrossed too, chiming in, "Yeah, yeah! Mister, you really can write books?"

Moonlight Ruyun: "..."

What's amazing about it?

Where are the twists and turns?

How does this count as knowing how to write?

Doesn't every plot turn depend on talk-no-jutsu to win the battle?

It was deeply unrealistic, but very Naruto.

He glanced at Minato Namikaze and sighed inwardly.

This little ray of sunshine really hadn't experienced anything good.

Once his own book was published, he'd find a way to give Minato a copy and show him what real twists and turns looked like!

As for Kushina... she should probably read something normal to improve her taste.

Jiraiya burst out laughing and clapped Minato hard on the shoulder.

"Your title might be strange, but you've got excellent taste! Kushina, you've got a good eye too!"

He turned his gaze to Moonlight Ruyun. "What do you think?"

Moonlight Ruyun pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a long sigh.

"I think your ideas are brilliant, sir. I'll definitely buy a copy to treasure when it's published."

He'd count it as his contribution to Jiraiya's sales.

Jiraiya threw his head back and laughed. Aside from the times Tsunade beat him up, this was the happiest day he'd had in two years.

Minato scratched his head. "Sir, why did you say my title was strange?"

"Hmm..." Jiraiya stopped laughing, took a sip of his drink, and looked at the two sitting opposite him. "Want to hear the title Minato came up with?"

"Yes!"

The two exchanged a look and answered in unison.

Kushina was always happy to stir things up for the fun of it.

Moonlight Ruyun also knew about Minato's naming skills from the original story, but he'd never heard the title Minato had suggested for The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi.

This was firsthand information!

He was very interested.

"Let me think. It was Ninja Way... what was it again?"

Minato prompted him, "Sir, it's Super Ninja Way: Flashing Heart, Supreme Resonance, Unfettered Adventure Travelogue, Type Zero."

Jiraiya fell silent. Though this wasn't his first time hearing it, the title still crashed his language processing system every time.

Kushina: "..."

Moonlight Ruyun: "..."

He took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the urge to mock it.

Fuck, what kind of bizarre title was that?!

How was he supposed to keep a straight face?

Minato turned to them, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice. "Do you think it's a bad title too?"

Kushina fought to keep the corners of her mouth from rising, afraid she'd burst out laughing the moment she spoke.

She cast a pleading look at Moonlight Ruyun.

He gave Minato a complicated look. When it came to coming up with disappointing names, Minato Namikaze never disappointed.

After giving it some thought, he said, "It's a little strange, but I think the title does have its merits."

Minato's eyes lit up.

He understands me!

Jiraiya and Kushina stared at him with wide, incredulous eyes.

Seriously, man?

You can find something to praise even in that?

Did he pay you?

He hesitated for a moment, then inspiration struck. "Think about it. If you went to a bookstore and saw a book with such a long, strange title, what would you think?"

Kushina asked blankly, "What would I think?"

Jiraiya furrowed his brow and said thoughtfully, "...I'd buy a copy to see what it was about?"

Smack!

Moonlight Ruyun clapped his hands together. "Exactly! If I saw a title that long and strange, I'd probably want to buy a copy and get a taste of it."

"That works?" Kushina didn't quite understand.

Jiraiya's eyes lit up. It felt a little odd, but the more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed.

"That makes sense!"

He looked at Minato Namikaze with some surprise. Was this part of your plan too?

The lively feast of grilled meat drew to a close.

Everyone had eaten their fill.

Minato let out several full-bellied burps and looked a little embarrassed.

The three held their rounded stomachs and exchanged smiles.

"Well? Are you all full?"

Jiraiya paid the bill. The long receipt made even him, the Hokage's student, wince a little.

Still, he didn't dwell on it.

He'd met two promising youngsters and gained plenty of inspiration for his book. It was more than worth the money.

The three youngsters nodded in unison.

"No rush to leave. Sit down and rest a while."

Judging by the current situation, if his assessment was right, the Second Shinobi World War wasn't far off.

He wondered whether the three before him would survive the war.

Minato and Kushina were both geniuses. Since Ruyun could teach Minato swordsmanship and Kushina ninjutsu, he was probably the most gifted of the three.

But there was never any shortage of geniuses who died young on the battlefield.

At that thought, Jiraiya suddenly felt an inexplicable melancholy.

Damn this war!

Could Minato be the Child of Prophecy the Great Toad Sage spoke of? Could he really bring unprecedented peace to the shinobi world?

Jiraiya sighed softly.

It's time!

Moonlight Ruyun stood and poured everyone a cup of water.

As he handed Jiraiya his cup, he casually brushed against Jiraiya's arm.

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