[New equipment material detected] [Manuscript of The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi] [Estimated quality: green] [Crafting cost: 30,000 ryō per attempt] [Special conditions: complete manuscript required; must be personally gifted by Jiraiya] [Conditions unmet. Unable to craft equipment]
[New equipment material detected] [Jiraiya's Forehead Protector bearing the character for "oil"] [Estimated quality: green] [Crafting cost: 30,000 ryō per attempt] [Special conditions: become a contract holder of Mount Myōboku] [Conditions unmet. Unable to craft equipment]
[New equipment material detected] [Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe] [Estimated quality: green] [Crafting cost: 30,000 ryō per attempt] [Special conditions: must be personally gifted by Jiraiya] [Conditions unmet. Unable to craft equipment]
[New equipment material detected] [Mount Myōboku Summoning Scroll] [Estimated quality: blue] [Crafting cost: 60,000 ryō per attempt] [Special conditions: Gamamaru must acknowledge you as the Child of Prophecy] [Conditions unmet. Unable to craft equipment]
Yakiniku Q.
The four notifications in a row left Moonlight Ruyun dizzy.
Well, well, Jiraiya. You're a veritable gold mine!
Four equipment materials in all-three green-quality items and one blue.
He had never had so much to work with before.
Suppressing his excitement, he returned to his seat.
Kushina, Jiraiya, and Minato were discussing what to name the protagonist.
He chimed in now and then, but his mind was entirely on the system notifications as he considered his options.
The Mount Myōboku Summoning Scroll had the highest quality, but its special condition was impossible to fulfill.
He knew perfectly well that the Child of Prophecy Mount Myōboku awaited was Naruto.
The manuscript of The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi could indeed serve as a material, but unfortunately, it was still unfinished.
Even the best cook couldn't make a meal without ingredients.
As for Jiraiya's Forehead Protector bearing the character for "oil"... its special condition was becoming a contract holder of Mount Myōboku.
However, the three sacred lands-Mount Myōboku, Shikkotsu Forest, and Ryūchi Cave-were exceptionally strict about selecting their contract holders.
Perhaps becoming an apprentice was the only way to get that opportunity.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe.
He repeated the name silently, though he had no idea why Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe was on Jiraiya.
Its special condition was also that Jiraiya had to gift it to him personally.
Difficult, but less difficult than the others.
For now, this material was his most promising prospect.
How can I get my hands on it?
I need to come up with a solid plan!
The other three were still discussing names.
"I think Ruyun would be a lovely name for the protagonist," Kushina said.
"Using your own name would be more appropriate, sir," Minato said.
Jiraiya was getting a headache. "Ruyun, tell us what you think. What should we name the protagonist?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kushina and Minato both turned to look.
"Why not call him Naruto?"
Moonlight Ruyun tossed out the suggestion casually.
"Naruto?" Jiraiya asked curiously. "Does that name mean anything?"
Minato thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, "It sounds a little like the narutomaki in ramen."
As an orphan, he didn't have much money. Ramen was his favorite food: tasty, filling, and inexpensive.
Of course, that had been his opinion a few hours ago.
Now his favorite food was grilled meat.
"Naruto? I don't think it sounds as nice as Ruyun," Kushina muttered softly.
Moonlight Ruyun gave the girl an amused glance.
Sometimes she was so shy, yet at other times she made bold, perfectly confident advances without even realizing it.
He nodded. "Minato's right. The name Naruto comes from the narutomaki in ramen."
He saw the obvious confusion on all three faces.
He continued, "Based on what you've told us, sir, I'm guessing you want your protagonist to be someone ordinary but steadfast, right? Narutomaki is a very common ingredient. It looks unremarkable, but a bowl of ramen wouldn't be complete without it... besides, Naruto rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?"
Jiraiya pondered for a moment. "That's an interesting perspective. I think I understand what you mean."
Kushina said nothing. She still felt that Ruyun's name was the right choice.
Minato repeated Naruto's name a few times, then remarked, "It really does roll off the tongue. It seems your naming skills are no worse than mine, Ruyun."
The others wore peculiar expressions at that.
Isn't everyone in the Shinobi World at least as good at naming things as you?
A smile appeared on Moonlight Ruyun's face.
Personally taking part in history gave him a special kind of satisfaction.
They chatted about the book for a while longer.
Seeing that it was getting late, the four got up and left Yakiniku Q.
Moonlight Ruyun's gaze wandered. Where exactly had Jiraiya put the pipe?
He couldn't spot the slightest hint of it, which made it hard to bring up the subject.
After some thought, he offered, "How about we take a walk together?"
Jiraiya asked, "Minato, Kushina, what do you say?"
"I'm fine either way."
"Yes!"
"All right, then. I'll show you around Konoha."
Konoha's shopping district was bustling, filled with lively voices even at night.
Jiraiya and Minato walked ahead.
Moonlight Ruyun and Kushina followed behind.
Watching the lively scene, the lights reflected in her eyes, Kushina murmured, "This is so nice."
She rarely had the chance to go shopping. The last time she had sneaked out, she might have taken a beating from Konoha's thugs if she hadn't met Moonlight Ruyun.
Her pleasant laughter rang out beside him from time to time.
Moonlight Ruyun glanced sideways. The girl beside him was like a lively, spirited red-haired sprite.
"What's this?"
Up ahead, Jiraiya stopped in front of a newly opened shop.
A huge hand-painted poster stood outside the entrance.
Its background depicted a snow-covered castle, with a striking woman in a black trench coat at the center.
Across the top, large lettering read "Scroll Thief."
Below it were the words:
"The latest work starring Fuuka Kozakura, a leading young actress from the Land of Snow!"
"A spectacular release coming in two months!"
(The latest film starring Fuuka Kozakura, the most famous actress of the Land of Snow's younger generation)
(A spectacular theatrical release in two months)
"She's so pretty!"
Kushina exclaimed and pulled Moonlight Ruyun over to look at the poster with her.
Jiraiya studied the portrait on the poster closely and smacked his lips.
Several people were handing out flyers at the entrance. One of them noticed the Forehead Protector on Jiraiya's head, and his eyes lit up.
He approached of his own accord and asked politely, "Lord Ninja, would you like to hear about our film?"
For a moment, Moonlight Ruyun felt dazed.
Film?
The bookstore owner's words from a few days earlier echoed in his ears. Films from the Land of Snow...
He hadn't expected them to open a shop in Konoha so soon.
"Film? I think I've heard of that somewhere." Jiraiya was very interested in the leading lady on the poster. "Does she have any other works?"
"Uh..." The employee fell silent.
Jiraiya asked in confusion, "I'd like to see her other works. Is there a problem?"
The employee cleared his throat twice and indicated two more lines of fine print in the poster's lower-right corner.
Jiraiya moved closer and crouched down. Sure enough, he found two inconspicuous lines in a color similar to the background.
"'The most famous actress of the Land of Snow's younger generation' is a title awarded through an event exclusively hosted by this theater. Number of entrants: one."
"This title is for promotional use by the Land of Snow Cinema only. This theater reserves all rights of interpretation."
After reading those two lines, Kushina asked blankly, "What does that mean?"
Minato shook his head to indicate he didn't know.
Jiraiya stared into space and murmured, "You can actually do that? Could I do the same thing with my book?"
Moonlight Ruyun: "..."
Good grief, they pull this trick in the Shinobi World too?
That's way ahead of its time!
And what's gotten into Jiraiya? Did having Minato Namikaze name his book suddenly awaken his business sense?
Was this rising star of risqué writing about to take a wrong turn and become a marketing guru?
His gaze swept over Jiraiya.
Because Jiraiya was crouching, a distinctly pipe-shaped bulge had appeared in the pocket at his waist.
It caught his attention instantly.
That outline...
Found it!
Before you continue