Nagato blinked in confusion. "What... is this?"
Yahiko grinned slyly. "Mujie said it was written by a guy named Master Inevitable. It's full of powerful training methods."
"Really?" Nagato asked, surprised.
"Of course! I saw it myself. Every day, My new dad trains so hard his eyelids droop, his legs shake, and his back aches. It must be pretty intense if it wears him out like that. Want to take a look?"
"Uh… yeah, sure," Nagato agreed, curiosity getting the better of him.
Just as the two boys were about to open the book, a sudden hand snatched it away. "What are you two doing sneaking around instead of training properly?" Charlie scolded, shooting them a dark look. "Is your practice finished yet?"
Yahiko exchanged a quick glance with Nagato. Old Mujie really needed to be more careful with his things if the kids could find them so easily. Charlie made a mental note to remind Mujie to keep his secrets better, and maybe mention it to his wife, too.
"Ah, Charlie-sensei's here!" Yahiko said quickly, freezing in place but flashing a smile. "Aunt Fuso's home, so Charlie-sensei can just go inside. About that training manual…"
Before he could finish, Kana's voice came from nearby. "What manual?" she asked. "Hey, Charlie, what are you holding?"
Charlie panicked, fumbling to hide the book, but Yahiko reached for it and accidentally dropped it on the ground. Kana bent down to pick it up and curiously examined the cover. She froze for a moment, then flipped through the pages. Her cheeks flushed bright red.
Charlie looked uncomfortable as Kana gave him a strange, hesitant look. "Charlie, you…"
"It's not mine!" Charlie interrupted quickly.
"I took it from my new dad Mujie!" Yahiko said at the same time.
Kana's blush deepened, but her expression softened. "How could Mujie let kids see something like this? It's so inappropriate!"
Charlie just stood there, speechless. Yahiko and Nagato blinked in surprise, unsure what to make of it all.
"Isn't this a training manual?" one of the kids asked.
The room fell silent for a moment. Then Charlie cleared his throat twice and said seriously, "It is! But, " He raised his voice a bit, "This isn't something kids should be training with. If they do, their bodies will get weak, their limbs will go numb, their hands and feet will turn cold and frail, their hair will fall out, and they'll end up looking awful!"
The kids exchanged shocked glances.
"This is a forbidden technique. So from now on, no more reading it!" Charlie smiled warmly as he looked at the two pale-faced children and gently ruffled their hair. "Now… it's time to head home and help out. Since you have some free time, make sure to train twice as hard tomorrow!"
The kids remained quiet for a moment before one of them said, "I'm heading back! Kana-neechan, forget about the book… Mujie's waiting for me!"
"I'm going too! It's all Yahiko's fault, I was just helping Mom!" the other chimed in.
They both scampered off quickly. Watching them leave, Charlie shook his head with a sigh. He glanced over at Kana, who was secretly flipping through the book, her face flushed red. Hesitating, he called out, "Kana…"
Before he could finish, Kana looked up and smiled warmly at Charlie. "What is it?"
"Nothing!" he replied quickly.
"I'll destroy the book!" Kana said with a wink, still blushing. "Charlie, you can't read it either, okay? This Master Inevitable guy…" she glanced at the cover, "he just seems like a bad person!"
Charlie nodded seriously. "That's right! Master Inevitable definitely isn't a good guy!" Then he chuckled. "Come on, let's head back."
(Just so you know, Master Inevitable's pervertness has nothing to do with Charlie, the leader of the Land of Grass!)
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Jiraiya was preparing to write a new book to raise some travel funds. He looked seriously at the bookstore manager in front of him.
"What? My book's outdated? Already outdated?" he asked, surprised. "How can that be? You know this is my magnum opus!"
The manager apologized, "Sorry, Traveling Toad-san! We can sell it here, but because of the risks involved, the royalty has to be lower."
Jiraiya eyed him suspiciously. "You're not trying to cheat me by lowering the price, are you?"
"Not at all!" the manager assured him.
"Then show me your so-called hottest book!" Jiraiya demanded. "I don't believe it!"
"Please wait a moment," the manager replied calmly.
After a short pause, the manager pulled out a book and handed it over. "It doesn't look like much, does it? Just a colorful cover," Jiraiya said, pouting and dismissing it. "If I put a cover like this on my book..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Jiraiya's eyes suddenly widened. What was that? A frog? A snake... a snake?! A slug?! He stared in disbelief and gasped, "You can draw like this? That's amazing! Truly impressive! I have to bow to your skill!"
"Master Inevitable is a real genius! His other works are very popular too," the manager added proudly.
"Hand it over!" Jiraiya didn't hesitate to pay. Then, looking seriously at the author's name, he muttered, "Master Inevitable..."
Walking down the street, Jiraiya sighed, a mix of awe and nostalgia washing over him as he clutched a stack of books. He had bought every single one of Master Inevitable's works, not for profit, but simply to study and learn from the master's advanced writing techniques.
After being away for just a few years, fighting in wars, he was shocked to discover that the shinobi world had already produced a new literary giant, something he had completely missed. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he realized he had originally planned to sell books to raise travel money, but now here he was, buying books, and worse, his own had been rejected.
Still, Master Inevitable's talent was undeniable. The stories were so powerful they could make you blush, get your blood pumping, and spark your imagination like nothing else. Truly worth every penny.
Jiraiya couldn't help but respect the author deeply. The only downside? He had no clue where Master Inevitable actually lived.
Just then, a familiar voice called out, "Jiraiya~." Startled, he quickly hid the books and pressed his hand against a nearby wall, giving a casual toss of his head with a sly smile, thinking he looked pretty cool. "Hey, Tsunade! Long time no see!"
Tsunade narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Didn't we just get back together the day before yesterday? What are you up to sneaking around like that? Don't tell me you're peeking on someone while they're bathing again!"
Jiraiya laughed nervously. "No way! I've been seriously studying, really! Filling my head with books!"