Was it real or illusion?
Uchiha Itachi was still lost in the memory of that vision, unable to shake the image from his mind.
Drip.
A bead of blood ran down his cheek.
That feeling... it was too real to be fake.
"Kisame…"
"We're leaving."
"We can't make a move today."
"That man… he's far too terrifying."
Kisame nodded silently and turned to follow. Together, the pair vanished down Duanshan Street without another word.
In the corner of the tavern, Orochimaru was still debating whether to go upstairs and demand the answers he'd long craved from Su Mu.
But the memory of what he had just witnessed made his heart tremble.
"Forget it. Su Mu's probably exhausted anyway. We'll come back tonight."
"Kabuto, let's go."
The two of them exited the tavern.
Jiraiya clenched his fists as he watched Orochimaru leave. He looked ready to give chase.
"Don't bother,"Tsunade said flatly, grabbing a nearby beer and chugging it down."You won't stop him."
"He killed the Third Hokage with his own hands! If we work together, we should be able to take him down!"Jiraiya shouted.
Tsunade scoffed.
"Maybe. But why would I help you?"
The tension in the room grew.
Naruto, standing between the two, scratched his head awkwardly—then let out a loud fart.
Pfffft.
"Hehe… sorry. I think lunch didn't sit well…"
He turned to Tsunade and blurted out:
"So you're the lady Pervy Sage's crazy about? You're alright, I guess… aside from the big boobs, you're pretty average!"
"Naruto!!"Jiraiya brought down a punishing fist.
WHAM!A massive bump appeared on Naruto's head.
"Anyway, about what just happened…"Tsunade downed the last of her beer, then leaned back with a yawn."That was… something."
Jiraiya rubbed his chin, brows furrowed.
"That storyteller Su Mu… he's beyond comprehension. If what we saw was real... it's terrifying."
"Hmph…"
"Maybe he's not just a man. Maybe... Su Mu is a god in human skin."
He didn't say it lightly. No one else could conjure visions like that—create entire worlds with the flick of a fan.
Tsunade smiled faintly.
"This place is nice. Every two days there's a new story, new events… it's kinda tempting to just stay."
Jiraiya opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.
"I know why you came. But I'm not going back."
"Being a ninja doesn't mean living with a blood-stained kunai every day just to prove you're alive."
"Doing what you love—that's living."
"You've thought about it too, haven't you, Jiraiya?"
She didn't wait for a reply.
She walked out of the tavern, leaving him behind.
Jiraiya stood there, the words echoing in his mind.
"Living immersed in Su Mu's stories… maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing."
He pulled out a half-finished manuscript from his pocket—Icha Icha Paradise.
With a sigh, he suddenly tore it to shreds.
"Wha—WHOA! Pervy Sage, that was your life's work!"Naruto shouted in shock.
"Not anymore. I'm done writing it."
Jiraiya grabbed a bottle and downed it.
Bitter liquor scorched his throat. His face turned red, and tears welled in his eyes as he stared at the torn pages at his feet.
"To live like Su Mu… to write his kind of stories… if only…"
Then—his eyes lit up.
"Wait! What if I published Su Mu's stories?!"
Naruto blinked, completely confused.
By the end of the day, Su Mu's latest tale—"Gonggong Strikes Mount Buzhou", the side story of Immortality—had spread like wildfire through the ninja world.
At first, few believed it.
"What kind of story is that? Gods? Pillars of heaven? Please…"
But curiosity got the better of them.
And those who had been at the tavern swore—they experienced it firsthand.
They argued fiercely with skeptics. To them, Su Mu was already a divine figure.
And as for Jiraiya—
In just half a day, he'd published his first official work:
ImmortalityFeaturing the side story: "Gonggong Strikes Mount Buzhou."
Surrounding ninja villages couldn't resist. Even the skeptics bought copies.
One page in—
And they were hooked.
The writing was vivid. The scenes immersive. The divine power, the crumbling of the heavens—every moment was breathtaking.
Jiraiya had skills, no doubt.
The book was split into two parts:
The main story
And a transcript of Su Mu's live storytelling, including audience reactions and the ancient desolate realm within the ink painting.
That second part—the desolate realm—became the most beloved.
Because of limited print time, the first run only circulated in Duanshan Street.
But soon, it would spread to the entire Five Great Nations.
"Everyone, we've got to work overtime tonight!"Jiraiya shouted at the publishing office."I'll cover dinner. Print as much as you can!"
"Put the title 'Gonggong Strikes Mount Buzhou' on the cover!"
The publisher, curious, picked up a copy and began reading.
His jaw dropped.
"This is going to be a bestseller!""I've never heard a story like this in the ninja world!""You're a genius, Jiraiya-sama!"
Jiraiya scratched his head awkwardly.
"A genius, huh…? Actually, it's all real."
"Huh? Wait—this isn't fiction?!"
Nightfall.
Su Mu sat in his private courtyard, sipping tea.
A chill wind brushed across his cheek.
He paused, cup in hand, and looked toward the bamboo grove.
"I knew you'd come."
From the shadows, two figures slowly stepped forward.
"Forgive the intrusion, Master Su…"
"We've been meaning to visit you for a long time—but the opportunity never came."