Anko Mitarashi crouched down to his eye level, reached out and jabbed a finger hard against his forehead, lecturing him: “Listen here, Yuuga, I only didn’t want you submitting to Maruzen-do because I was worried about you.
Iwanami Shoten is on the traditional side, sure, but if your novel is interesting enough it should still get published.
If Maruzen-do goes under, though, you won’t see a single ryo of your writing fee.”
Yuuga took her warning to heart.
Once he finished the first chapter he planned to submit it, and what Anko had brought him was too important to ignore.
If Maruzen-do really was in trouble with its funding…
“No, that’s not right.” Yuuga lifted his head and said it flatly, out of nowhere.
Anko had no idea what he meant.
She looked at him, curious, and asked, “Not right?
What’s not right?”
No, it wasn’t right.
Even if Maruzen-do had money trouble, this had to be the kind where the thing refuses to die.
The main story of the ninja world was still two years off, and as far as Yuuga knew, Maruzen-do at that point was still a leading Konoha publisher on par with Iwanami Shoten.
Icha Icha Paradise was still being serialized.
Jiraiya was still supplying manuscripts to Maruzen-do.
So even if Maruzen-do had funding problems this time, it should come through fine.
He let out a breath.
That settled it, and it left him more certain of what he had decided before: Konoha Love Story would go to Maruzen-do.
In those few breaths, Yuuga’s expression had run through quite a range, and Anko was full of curiosity.
She poked him and asked, “What?
What is it?
What were you just thinking about?”
Poked back to himself, Yuuga looked at her, very curious, and shrugged.
“Anko-senpai, I’ve decided to submit to Maruzen-do after all.”
“Huh?
Why?” Anko asked, not following.
Knowing she was worried about him, Yuuga thought it over and laid out his reasoning.
“Anko-senpai, I think Maruzen-do’s boss can get through this funding problem.
A giant doesn’t fall over in a day.
A big merchant house doesn’t just collapse overnight, right?”
Anko thought about it carefully, then nodded and rubbed her chin.
“That’s true.
Maruzen-do’s boss is a known name in the Land of Fire.
If he’s got any connections at all, this money trouble shouldn’t be a problem.”
Yuuga snapped his fingers and went on.
“Exactly.
And if we assume he gets through the crisis, then me submitting right now counts as showing up exactly when he needs it, doesn’t it?
Given that Konoha Love Story is going to be a huge hit.”
“That novel is definitely going to be a huge hit.” Anko had an unusual amount of confidence in Konoha Love Story.
She grabbed his shoulders hard and said, laying it on thick, “Don’t you dare give up.
I’m waiting for the rest of it…
Rika had better end up happy.”
There was real strength behind that grip, and how could he give up?
Anko was clearly worrying over nothing.
To keep his shoulders from getting crushed by accident, he eased back a step without any fuss, slipping out of her hands, and then spoke again.
“Anko-senpai, you’re overthinking it, I’m not giving up.
What I mean is that submitting now is perfect timing for Maruzen-do.
They haven’t had a new book in a long while, so they’ll definitely put decent resources behind it, and that makes it an opening.”
“Oh, so that’s what you meant…” Anko felt him struggling and let go, then stood up and brushed off her knees.
“Whatever the case, you’d better remember to keep writing that book.
I’ll support you the whole way.”
“Thank you.” Yuuga smiled.
He meant it.
His future income rested on fans like this.
Anko looked up at the sky and said, “It’s getting late, I still have to patrol.
A bunch of kids aren’t going to kick up much trouble, but I took the job, so I ought to do it properly.”
That gave Yuuga a faint twinge of guilt, gone as quickly as it came.
He put the notebook back in his bag, waved to her and said, “Anko-senpai, I’m off to write.
See you next time.”
“Hihi.
Write hard, Yuuga.
If that first chapter still isn’t done next time I see you, I’m cracking your head open.” She shook her fist at him twice in threat, then turned and ran off.
Women really were terrifying.
After Anko left, Yuuga went back to the bench under the cherry trees and started writing again.
The spot was tucked off in a corner, a good place to work.
At noon he found Ino and they had lunch together.
Choji and Shikamaru were there too, so he said hello.
The pair still remembered Yuuga’s generosity in treating them to Yakiniku Q the day before, and over lunch they both kept moving the good parts of their boxed lunches into his.
“By the way,” Ino said after a piece of fresh, tasty salmon, turning her head toward Yuuga beside her, “what time is your shift today?”
“Hm?” Yuuga checked the quest’s progress and said around a mouthful of rice ball, “Around nine.
Why?”
Shikamaru rolled his eyes and poked at the vegetables in his lunch with his chopsticks.
“There’s a bonfire party tonight.
Staff are included, and there’ll probably be all kinds of good food.
Figured the four of us could eat together.”
Choji nodded quickly, rubbing his round little belly, eyes shining.
“Right, right.
A bonfire party is bound to have great food.
I’ve already got my stomach ready.”
Looking at the four empty bento boxes stacked next to Choji, he found it hard to accept that this counted as getting his stomach ready.
Eyeing the grain of rice at the corner of Choji’s mouth with some distaste, Yuuga said, “Hey, Choji, aren’t you worried about indigestion, eating that much?”
“Nope, I can still eat more.” Choji blinked his small eyes, perfectly sincere.
“All right,” Yuuga said, nodding seriously.
“I concede.”
After lunch Yuuga went back to his corner to work on Konoha Love Story, and by around three or four he had the first chapter finished.
He stretched and decided to stop there.
The rest could wait until evening.
After all, he did have to put in at least a little work.
As he made his way toward the main grounds of the school festival, the noise filled his ears, though walking alone was boring.
“Yuuga!”