Naruto slipped through the shadows, his heart pounding with frustration. The makeshift stage in the village square was buzzing with curious villagers. The man at the center was tall and lanky, dressed in a flamboyant robe that screamed "wannabe showman."
"Behold!" the man said, unrolling a scroll with dramatic flair. "This is the real tale of the Sand Demon! A darker, more thrilling story than the watered-down nonsense you've been reading!"
The crowd murmured in interest, some leaning closer to catch a glimpse of the scroll's contents.
Naruto gritted his teeth. "This guy's got guts, I'll give him that."
He activated In Plain Sight, blending seamlessly into the crowd. As he moved closer, he focused on the scroll the man was holding.
The Faker's Performance
"This new volume reveals the Sand Demon's true motivations!" the man continued, his voice rising to captivate the audience. "A tragic backstory filled with betrayal and vengeance!"
Naruto resisted the urge to yell. Betrayal? Vengeance? That's not Gaara's story! Did this guy just make up random drama to sell fake scrolls?
A little girl in the crowd raised her hand. "But in the real manga, Gaara wants to protect people now. Isn't he a good guy?"
The man hesitated but recovered quickly. "Ah, little one, that's propaganda! The real Gaara is still as dangerous as ever. My scrolls reveal his secret plans to overthrow the Leaf!"
Naruto's eye twitched. Oh, it's on now.
Enter the "Hero"
Naruto darted behind the stage, suppressing his chakra with Stealth Sketch, a system ability he hadn't used in a while. Quietly, he scribbled a quick drawing of a kunai trap around the stage, activating it with a small pulse of chakra.
The next moment, ropes of chakra-like energy shot up around the platform, locking the faker in place.
The crowd gasped, stepping back in shock.
"What's happening?!" the man shouted, struggling against the glowing ropes.
Naruto deactivated his disguise, leaping onto the stage with a dramatic pose. "That's what you get for stealing someone else's work!"
The crowd erupted in whispers. "Is that… Naruto?!"
"Why is he so mad? Did the guy steal from him?"
The man's face turned pale. "W-wait! I didn't steal anything! I just… reimagined the story!"
Naruto crossed his arms. "Oh really? Then explain how you got your hands on my scrolls!"
The Truth Comes Out
The man stammered. "I-I bought them! From a trader! I didn't know they were stolen!"
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Who's the trader? Talk, or I'll draw something really embarrassing for you."
The man blinked in confusion. "D-draw?"
Naruto didn't wait for him to figure it out. He grabbed a blank scroll from his pouch and started sketching a quick caricature of the faker: wide-eyed, panicked, and tangled in ropes like a fool. The image shimmered and projected above the stage for the crowd to see.
The villagers burst into laughter.
"Okay, okay!" the man cried. "It was some guy with a mask! He said he found the scrolls abandoned in the forest!"
Naruto frowned. A masked guy again? Could it be one of those weirdos from before?
Setting the Record Straight
Naruto turned to the crowd. "Listen up! These fake scrolls are nothing but lies! The real story of Gaara and the Sand is about redemption, not betrayal. Don't believe these cheap knockoffs!"
The villagers murmured in agreement, some nodding.
A burly man stepped forward, holding one of the fake scrolls. "Naruto, is there a way to tell which ones are real?"
Naruto grinned. "You bet there is! Only the real scrolls have this seal!" He flipped open one of his original scrolls, revealing a discreet system-generated mark in the corner.
The crowd began inspecting their scrolls, discarding the fakes.
"Wow, this one's fake too!"
"Mine's real! I knew it!"
Naruto turned back to the faker, releasing the kunai trap with a flick of his hand. "Get out of here, and don't let me catch you pulling this stunt again!"
The man scrambled off the stage, tripping over his robe in his haste to escape.
A New Mission
As the crowd dispersed, Jiraiya appeared, leaning casually against a post. "Not bad, kid. You handled that well."
Naruto sighed. "Yeah, but this masked guy keeps showing up. What's his deal?"
Jiraiya's expression grew serious. "Could be someone trying to undermine you—or worse, someone trying to exploit your manga for their own gain. We'll need to keep an eye out."
Naruto nodded. "Right. But for now, I've got work to do. The next volume isn't gonna draw itself."
Jiraiya smirked. "Spoken like a true mangaka."
As Naruto walked back to his room, he felt a renewed sense of determination. He wasn't just drawing manga anymore—he was protecting the stories and the impact they had on the ninja world.
Time to kick it up a notch.