The great shinobi writer

"Welcome!"

As soon as I entered the shop, a young girl wearing a pink cherry blossom kimono greeted me with a smile, her lazy hair bun accentuating her charm.

She bowed respectfully, embodying the traditional "welcome" gesture found in upscale establishments.

Such practices were common in higher-end shops, where young, beautiful women with sweet smiles would work as greeters, providing a warm welcome to customers while also helping their families earn extra income.

I browsed through the dazzling array of shelves, eventually setting my sights on the alcohol section. Choosing a gift was a task that required careful consideration.

Middle-aged men in Konoha enjoyed a drink after dinner, so I decided to use "alcohol" as a way to gather information.

There were three types of alcohol on the shelf. I quickly picked two bottles of slightly higher quality Barley shōchū , holding them in my hands.

Checking the prices, they were exactly 5,000 ryo each, and I had enough money, so I returned to the counter to pay.

As for sake or beer, I was sure that the uncle would not appreciate them. Only the potent barley shōchū could ignite the passionate flames in the uncle's heart.

In the eastern commercial district of Konoha, there was a street lined with various shops, among which was a small and elegant bookstore with a cozy ambiance.

I had completed many system-assigned errand tasks at this bookstore, and over time, I became familiar with the store owner.

The bookstore owner was a former shinobi who had been injured during a mission and had to retire. He met his wife, a medical shinobi who cared for him during his recovery at the Konoha Hospital, and their story became the talk of the town.

Now, he ran the bookstore and enjoying his days.

As I entered the bookstore, I heard a deep, steady voice with a hint of laziness say, "Welcome, browse at your leisure."

The lights in the bookstore were a soft, warm orange, creating a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere.

I walked inside and saw a middle-aged uncle with a casual appearance wearing a dark blue kimono, his fist resting under his chin as he closed his eyes to relax.

With a quick glance, I quietly opened the cork of one of the shōchū bottles and gently waved the white porcelain bottle under the bookstore owner's nose with my right hand.

"Hmm?" The bookstore owner suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed the white porcelain bottle with one hand, and took a large gulp.

The spicy flavor instantly burning in his throat and warming his heart.

"Good shōchū!" Satisfied, he smacked his lips and looked up at me, who was smiling like a cat that had gotten into the fish tank.

He raised an eyebrow and said, "Ah, Takumi? It's been nearly a month since I last saw you. Why are you bringing shōchū tonight? There must be something you want."

"Hehe..." I chuckled and lifted the other bottle of shōchū to my hand, giving it a little shake in front of the uncle, then placed it on the wooden table with a dull thud. I said, "Boss, isn't it because I missed you? How could you not miss me after a month?"

Smoothing his beard, the uncle also laughed and made a "please sit" gesture.

After I knelt down, he reached out and pinched my cheek, saying, "I do miss you, kid. This month hasn't been good for you, has it? You've lost some weight."

I didn't mind the uncle's gesture. We are old acquaintances, and such actions were just a way for elders to express their affection for younger ones.

For example, the owner of the flower shop, Mrs. Yamanaka (Ino's mother), liked to ruffle my hair. The old man at the weapons shop also likes to pat my shoulder.

I rubbed my head, looking at the uncle with sincere(puppy) eyes, and humbly asked, "Boss, how is the publishing industry in our village? Can you give me some information?"

After taking another sip of shōchū, the bookstore owner looked at me with suspicion and asked, "Publishing industry? Why are you asking about that? Do you want to open a bookstore like me?"

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head, and said pitifully trying to look as cute as possible, "Boss, are you teasing me? I can barely make ends meet by doing errands.

How could I afford to open a bookstore? I'm just curious. Can you tell me about it?"

Having accepted the gift and consumed the alcohol, the uncle perhaps felt obligated to answer. Moreover, the information I was asking about wasn't confidential; it was common knowledge among bookstore owners.

So, as he drank and talked, the uncle shared everything he knew about the publishing industry with me.

In this vast Leaf Village or land of fire in general, when it comes to the leading publishing industry, there are two main players: Maruzen Dou and Iwanami Bookstore.

Other publishers are just small operations with limited markets.

As the saying goes, "One mountain cannot hold two tigers." These two publishers, being in the same village, should be fiercely competing logically.

but Maruzen Dou and Iwanami Bookstore seem to coexist without much conflict going on between them.

Though they aren't distinguished by "male" or "female" like in my original world, they differ in the types of publications they offer.

Iwanami Bookstore follows a traditional approach, leaning towards classic literature, aiming to review classics, preserve cultural heritage, and sustain the fire of the Leaf Village.

In contrast, Maruzen Dou is more versatile, publishing a wide range of content, including Jiraiya's "Icha Icha Paradise" and other novels.

After the bookstore owner finished explaining, half a bottle of shōchū has been consumed, his cheeks flushed from the alcohol, though his mind was still clear.

Judging by the situation, I should go with Maruzen Dou. As I do not think what I am going to write will be some classics.

I, having listening to it all, sighed in relief, finally understanding the publishing situation in the Leaf Village.

Thinking further, I looked at the still-sober uncle, who if had been a regular human, would have already been wasted and quickly asked, "Boss, what are the best-selling books in the store?"

"Ah," Uncle belched, his right index finger pointing at me, saying, "You've asked the right person! The most popular book in the store is undoubtedly 'Icha Icha Paradise' by a certain master!

Hehe, I even have a complete set at home! This is the book that all the men in the village love to read! It's number one in sales, leaving the second place far behind! Little Takumi, would you like Uncle to give you a few copies?"

"Cough, Boss, I'm still young! Don't corrupt the youth!" I coughed politely, speaking with a straight face, I do have a complete set in my house, hidden perfectly as well.

Not that I would it out load that I have it with me After all...

"Foolish me, I forgot you're still young!" The bookstore owner slapped his forehead, took a sip of shōchū, and continued, "Other popular books include a poetry collection from Iwanami and some shinobi autobiographies. 'Icha Icha Paradise' is quite popular, though the author for some reason doesn't publish very quickly."

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looks like we did not managed to reach out goal.

but worry not today it is the same goals as yesterdays.

so, make sure to add this story in your library and give me your powerstones, so that we can reach our goal.