Akabane noticed Hiruzen peeking at him through the office window.
"Hm. Looks like Hiruzen-sensei heard about what happened during the exam," he mused, reclining lazily on the grass. "Guess he's going to be keeping an eye on me for a while."
After his impressive Genjutsu performance, no one doubted his abilities anymore. Still, Akabane knew his chances of becoming one of Hiruzen's apprentices—let alone a future Sannin—were slim.
That path… it already belongs to Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru.
He wasn't bitter—just realistic. Genjutsu users like him weren't usually favored for such roles. And honestly, the idea of becoming a legendary ninja sounded exhausting.
"I don't want to stand at the top of the ninja world. I just want to survive comfortably," he muttered. "A good teacher and a steady income—that's enough."
A loud voice broke his train of thought.
"Hey! How many pages have you drawn?"
"About a third," his clone snapped, glaring up from the drawing board. "Why don't you draw it yourself or stop complaining?!"
"No, no," Akabane said smoothly. "You're doing great. Keep it up."
Thanks to Shadow Clone Jutsu, his workload had been cut significantly. He had worked hard before learning it, but now? He took full advantage.
"Summon another one! I can't finish all this myself!" the clone barked.
"Can't. No chakra left. I'll pass out."
After investing two points in mental power, his reserves were finally at Chuunin-level, but maintaining two clones for detailed illustration work was still pushing it.
"Cutting the workload in half is still worth it," the clone grumbled, continuing to draw.
"True. Even if war is far off, I need to be ready."
Akabane yawned, laying back in the grass. Preparation was everything. His body and efficiency had improved since he'd started training more seriously.
Just then—
"I finally found you, Akabane!"
Tsunade's voice came from behind him. Akabane sat up in alarm.
"Not again…"
He quickly dispelled his clone and stood.
Tsunade marched toward him, arms crossed.
"You're still out here sketching? The exhibition exam is tomorrow! Don't you think you should be studying?!"
She caught sight of the comic pages pinned under a rock.
"…Wait. Is this the next chapter?"
Akabane smiled. "Maybe."
"But seriously," she said, still suspicious. "Why comics? You think that's a reliable path?"
"I've got my own plans."
Before he could finish, she lunged.
BOOM!
Her fist cratered the ground where he'd been sitting. The punch would've hospitalized him if it had connected.
"Don't you dare use Genjutsu on me again!" she shouted.
Still holding a grudge...
Akabane darted for the trees. "Later!"
"Come back here!" Tsunade shouted, chasing him at full speed.
As he ran, Akabane weaved hand signs, marking seals on trees along the way. Tsunade was fast—too fast. He couldn't outrun her in a straight race.
But he didn't have to.
She jumped through the branches, closing the distance. But no matter how fast she went, Akabane always seemed just ahead.
Suddenly, she paused.
Wait… how is he this fast? He's not physically strong.
Her eyes narrowed.
"…Genjutsu!"
"When did it start?" she muttered.
A voice called calmly from behind a tree. "As you crossed that branch."
Whoosh!
Kunai came flying. She dodged, but a strand of hair was sliced clean off.
The illusion melted away. Tsunade looked up—her hair floated in the air.
"This is… am I still trapped?"
"Nope. Genjutsu's already canceled," Akabane replied, stepping out with a torn sheet of paper.
Tsunade frowned. "Wait… your clan can turn fiction into reality, right? Kurama's Kekkei Genkai…"
She grabbed her hair.
"But the Akabane I chased…"
"Shadow Clone."
Akabane yawned, drained from the chakra-intensive setup.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu… that's B-rank!" she said, surprised.
Still, she looked relieved. If Akabane had cards like these, then Ryuu wouldn't be a problem.
"All of Uchiha's techniques are straightforward. But you… you're unpredictable."
"I told you—don't worry. Ryuu's just another academy kid."
Akabane began gathering his tools and sketch pages.
"Hmph! Who said I was worried? I just wanted to beat you up," Tsunade huffed.
"Oh? I was going to show you the new pages…"
"Let me see!"
In an instant, she was at his side. Akabane smirked and handed her half the stack.
"I'll finish the rest, then head home to distribute it."
"Hehehe…"
Tsunade sat down, flipping through the pages with interest.
The chapter featured Naruto meeting the Third Hokage's grandson—Konohamaru. Tsunade paused.
"Wait… Konohamaru? Isn't that Uncle Sarutobi's grandson?"
Akabane nodded. "Yep. His dad is Shinnosuke."
Shinnosuke Sarutobi—the eldest son of Hiruzen—was their classmate. Asuma hadn't been born yet, so Tsunade didn't have that frame of reference.
"Huh. Shinnosuke… I see. And I thought your protagonist was dumb. But this new kid? Even worse."
She rolled her eyes.
"Can't even handle Harem Jutsu. Honestly, he might be dumber than Jiraiya."
"Jiraiya's smart in his own way. He just needs more time to mature."
"Exactly. That's why I said Konohamaru's even worse than him," she said, laughing. "Uncle Sarutobi and Shinnosuke might smack you when they read this!"
"It's just a story. They'll forgive a little creative license," Akabane replied coolly.
Tsunade finished the draft and handed it back. "Make a few more copies. I want to show this to my family—they might find it interesting."
"No problem!"
Akabane was thrilled—but he tried not to show it too much. If he was right, Tsunade's grandmother—Mito Uzumaki, the current Jinchūriki—might read it too.
If the Third Hokage had given him 50 points just for Chapter One… what would someone like Mito give?
The possibilities were exciting.
"I'll finish this up and head home," he said, packing up.