socalfunplaces Chapter 198 Fireworks: We can't let him know about the jar shop! The astonished Jiraiya: Who is
Chapter 198 Fireworks: We can't let him know about the jar shop! The astonished Jiraiya: Who is
"A place to sing?"
Jiraiya, who was just approaching, suddenly narrowed his eyes upon hearing the two's words.
With such bright lights and a place for singing late at night, how come I didn't hear any singing?
Thinking of this, Jiraiya immediately revealed himself and said, "Hello, is this place still open? I'd like to go in and try it out."
"Who are you?!"
Upon seeing Jiraiya suddenly appear, the Hyuga clan members stationed there changed their expressions: "How did you get here?"
Damn it, this place is near the territory of the Hyuga clan.
Who would come here so late at night?
"It must have been attracted by the light."
Beside them, another member of the Hyuga clan turned around speechlessly, shook his head at Jiraiya, and said, "Sorry, this karaoke place isn't open yet. If you want to come, you'll have to wait a couple of days. It will open in a couple of days, and we'll post a notice then."
"I see."
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya understood.
It's not open for business yet.
No wonder I didn't hear any singing coming from inside.
Jiraiya then bid farewell to the two and left.
The two men stationed there paid no attention and continued their conversation.
Although Jiraiya left the Hyuga clan's karaoke bar, his curiosity remained undiminished.
After walking for a while, he couldn't help but stop, frowning and hesitating for a moment.
"Why is the karaoke venue so luxurious?"
"No, I have to go in and take a look."
Jiraiya muttered to himself.
Ultimately, his irrepressible curiosity overcame his reason, so he quietly turned back.
We decided to investigate further.
With his extensive experience as a ninja, he easily evaded the Hyuga clan members and quickly slipped into the luxurious building.
Upon entering, Jiraiya was stunned by the interior layout.
Unlike the glamorous exterior, the interior is modern and luxurious, with soft lighting illuminating the walls and colorful neon lights hanging from the ceiling.
What intrigued him even more were the various buttons and screens on the table, which seemed to be modern technology completely unrelated to the ninja world.
"Is this really a place for singing?"
Jiraiya looked around with a puzzled expression.
As you walk through one private room after another, you see strange paintings on the walls and all sorts of oddly shaped devices on the tables.
He didn't even recognize any of these devices!
Finally, he stopped in a private room, and what he saw there completely stunned him.
Several microphones were placed quietly on the table, with a row of buttons on them.
Jiraiya walked in, reached out and picked up the microphone, examined it briefly, and frowned.
"This is also a microphone? The design is so strange."
"And what is that screen next to us?"
Jiraiya quickly noticed a strange karaoke screen device, looking completely bewildered.
And there's the big screen in front of us.
There are also all sorts of buttons on the wall.
Watching it made him feel a sense of eagerness to try it out.
"This is probably for requesting songs; the microphone is for singing."
"Is it controlled like a computer?"
"But this screen is huge! I've never seen anything like it outside. Where did the Hyuga clan get this?"
"With this level of luxury, just the cost of counterfeiting must be considerable."
"How about you try singing a song?"
Jiraiya stroked his chin thoughtfully, examining the equipment in front of him.
However, upon further reflection, Jiraiya immediately calmed down.
He frowned and looked around, feeling somewhat helpless.
Because Jiraiya discovered it.
If he actually sang, the sound would definitely carry, and the ninjas stationed outside would soon notice the commotion.
Thinking of this, Jiraiya sighed softly, suppressing the urge to give it a try.
As an experienced ninja, he knew this was not the time for fun.
Especially in such an eye-catching place.
"Never mind, let's gather intelligence first."
Jiraiya shook his head helplessly, put down the microphone, and reluctantly left the private room.
I walked out of the KTV step by step, trying not to make a sound.
With each step I took, I felt a sense of lingering regret.
After all, he had never seen such a magical place, full of technology.
"Tomorrow, I must thoroughly investigate this place and find some information about it."
Jiraiya secretly made up his mind to keep an eye on this mysterious karaoke bar.
We'll visit more thoroughly when the time is right.
With these thoughts in mind, Jiraiya quietly left the karaoke bar and disappeared into the night.
A new day has begun.
The sun slowly rises from the east.
Golden light bathed the streets and alleys of Konoha Village, and pedestrians began to bustle about, gradually enlivening the village's atmosphere.
Within the Hyuga clan's territory, Hyuga Hanabi, who had already finished breakfast, was already impatiently waiting.
Standing excitedly at the door, her eyes sparkling, she quickly said, "Sister, I'm off now."
She knew that it was Sister Tiantian who was going to open the jars today, and she absolutely couldn't miss this opportunity.
She was determined to see what Sister Tiantian would reveal today.
"Okay, Hanabi, you go ahead, I'll tidy up the scrolls."
Upon hearing Hanabi Hyuga's words, Hinata Hyuga's voice immediately rang out from behind.
Upon hearing this, Hinata Hanabi immediately took out the solar-powered jet skateboard she had created from her storage ring and skillfully stepped onto it.
With a soft hum from the skateboard and the power generated by solar energy, Hanabi pushed off with her feet, propelling the skateboard forward and carrying her rapidly through the streets of Konoha.
The wind whistled in my ears, and the morning light shone on the fireworks.
"This is so convenient! It's much more fun than the skateboard I used to play with."
Hanabi looked excited as she felt the speed of the skateboard beneath her feet.
She had ridden those wooden skateboards before.
But those skateboards are nothing compared to the turbo-powered skateboard under my feet!
When she first got the skateboard yesterday, she practiced skateboarding in the backyard.
Now, this skateboard has completely replaced her getting around Konoha Village.
However, just as she was enjoying the thrill of speeding along, a shout suddenly came from ahead: "Hey! Wait a minute!"
Upon hearing this voice, Hinata Hanabi paused slightly and subconsciously slowed down.
Looking up, I saw Konohamaru.
Konohamaru and the other two were looking on with surprise, their eyes fixed on Hanabi's jetpack, filled with envy.
"Your skateboard looks really cool."
Seeing the fireworks stop, Konohamaru ran over, his eyes full of curiosity: "Where did you buy this? I've never seen a skateboard like this before, it's so cool! Where did you buy it? Can I borrow it to play with?"
Upon hearing Konohamaru's words, Hanabi frowned slightly, somewhat impatient with his interruption.
She knew that Konohamaru was the Hokage's grandson.
Remembering what her father had said, Hinata Hanabi was also reluctant to have much contact with him.
"This is something I use for traveling; I can't lend it to you to play with."
Hinata Hanabi replied coldly, thinking to herself that she needed to leave as soon as possible: "I have something to do, I'll be going now."
After saying that, Hanabi stepped onto her skateboard without hesitation and sped off, giving Konohamaru no chance to continue the conversation.
However, Konohamaru did not intend to give up easily.
Seeing the fireworks disappear quickly, Konohamaru hurriedly called out, "Wait a minute! I just wanted to try it out!"
"Just let me play with it for a bit!"
"I can buy it with money!"
However, Hanabi did not answer Konohamaru's question.
Hanabi also felt anxious.
She realized that if Konohamaru caught up with her, her trip to the jar shop would likely expose her.
Gritting his teeth, he decided to shake off Konohamaru.
"My father instructed me to do so."
"He's the grandson of the Third Hokage. If he finds out about the magical jar shop, it means the Hokage might also know about it."
"Ringer Hokage doesn't know about the jar yet."
"So we can't let him know the shop exists!"
Hanabi made a decision in her heart.
So she suddenly accelerated, the skateboard under her feet emitted a powerful jet of air, and her speed soared again, flying through the street like a shooting star.
"How could it be so fast?!"
Konohamaru's eyes widened as he watched the skateboard almost fly away.
He clearly only saw the fireworks and didn't even step on them a few times before the skateboard flew off. Where did that skateboard come from?
Konohamaru sped up and tried his best to catch up, but his speed was obviously no match for the skateboard.
As Hanabi's figure disappeared into the distance, Konoha Village felt a pang of regret.
"What on earth is that skateboard?!"
However, Hanabi had already left him behind.
Hanabi realized that she had shaken off Konohamaru and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
But at the same time, he was secretly annoyed: "This guy is such a nuisance. Luckily, he didn't catch up with me. Honestly, I shouldn't have used this skateboard to get around so early in the morning."
That's what Hanabi was thinking.
Konohamaru, who had been completely left behind, looked miserable.
I saw something so interesting first thing in the morning.
"I said Konohamaru, you scared him."
At this moment, Udon walked over, picking his nose as he spoke, "If I remember correctly, that's the second young lady of the Hyuga clan's main family, Hyuga Hanabi."
"Konohamaru is really something, scaring people away so early in the morning. Otherwise, if I had gone up and talked to them, I might have been able to play on that skateboard."
Beside her, Kazamatsuri Moegi looked at Konohamaru with a hint of complaint: "You're too fast, Konohamaru."
"But that skateboard is really cool."
Hearing Kazamatsuri Moegi's words, Konohamaru said with distress, "I can't help it, I've never seen that skateboard design before."
"It must have been made by the Hyuga clan."
Udon pondered, "As a major clan in Konoha, the Hyuga clan must use toys that are different from ours. We've never seen those things before, so they definitely weren't bought."
"Then there's nothing we can do."
Konohamaru scratched his head and said, "Oh well, if we can't play, we can't play. If we run into each other again next time, I'll have Moegi go up and have a go at it."
"Let's go find Naruto first."
"I wonder what Naruto has been up to lately. Nobody's home."
"Is it already this big?"
While Konohamaru was scratching his head in distress, he was talking to Udon and Kazamatsuri Moegi.
Jiyingtang Bookstore, not far away.
Jiraiya, who was walking over, raised an eyebrow at the scene and glanced at it a few more times.
Unexpectedly, I ran into a familiar little guy.
He then turned his gaze away and walked into the Jiyingtang Bookstore.
The owner of Shueido Bookstore's eyes lit up the moment he saw Jiraiya, and he rushed forward with a look of delight, excitedly exclaiming, "Lord Jiraiya! When did you get back?"
Jiraiya smiled slightly, waved his hand, and said, "I just finished researching and only recently returned."
As he spoke, Jiraiya glanced casually at the bookshelf, then continued, "I'm also here to collect the royalties from 'Make-Out Paradise'."
Upon hearing this, the boss nodded quickly and said with a beaming smile, "Of course, of course! Please wait a moment."
Jiraiya-sama.
As he spoke, he quickly turned around, took out the ledger, and began searching through it.
After a while, the shopkeeper handed Jiraiya a cardboard box containing money.
Jiraiya took it, glanced down at it, and immediately frowned: "Why is there so little?"
Jiraiya was immediately taken aback by the amount of money.
As a best-selling work for many years, how could "Make-Out Paradise" have such low revenue?
Even if it's the largest bookstore in Konoha, its income shouldn't be this low.
After all, it had been a long time since I had been back to my village.
Jiraiya looked on with suspicion, his gaze sweeping back towards the bookshelf.
However, he found that his copy of "Intimate Paradise" was not placed in a prominent position on the second-floor bookshelf of the bookstore, but was instead casually piled up in a corner.
In the most prominent position, there is a brand new book, "Ninja Bin's School Life".
Jiraiya's brow furrowed even more deeply. Pointing at the book, he asked, "What book is this? Why is it displayed even better than my 'Make-Out Paradise'?"
Seeing Jiraiya's confusion, the bookstore owner quickly explained, "Ah, Lord Jiraiya, the sales of 'Make-Out Paradise' haven't been very good lately, so..."
"Moreover, this book, 'Ninja Bin's School Life,' has been very popular recently, and many readers have come to buy it, so we put it in the most prominent position."
"My 'Intimate Paradise' didn't sell?"
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya could hardly believe it.
How could he, a legendary figure in the world of novels and illustrations, be surpassed by a work he had never heard of before?
With a touch of skepticism, I decisively picked up a copy of "Ninja Bin's School Life" from the bookshelf and opened the first page.
As his eyes gradually scanned downwards, the expression on his face changed from initial confusion to shock, and his eyes widened.
"What...what is this content?"
Jiraiya found it increasingly unbelievable.
The book's descriptions alone were astounding; the bold plot developments and unexpected twists left him involuntarily shocked.
"A book like this... without any illustrations, yet it became popular?"
Jiraiya muttered to himself, his gaze lingering on the pages of the book, his heart deeply moved.
"Wouldn't it be even more popular if there were illustrations?"
Seeing Jiraiya's expression, the bookstore owner quickly explained, "Yes, Lord Jiraiya, this book has indeed become very popular very quickly. Recently, almost all young ninjas are talking about it, and sales have skyrocketed."
"Although the content is somewhat... straightforward, everyone seems to like it."
"These days, everyone likes things that are simple and straightforward; as long as it's enjoyable to watch, that's all that matters."
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya's lips twitched slightly.
After flipping through a few more pages, Jiraiya slowly closed the book in his hands, feeling a mix of emotions. He never expected that his "Icha Icha Paradise" would be overshadowed by such a book.
Jiraiya took a deep breath and said with a complicated expression, "It seems I also need to improve the content of 'Make-Out Paradise'."
Bookstore owner:
Upon hearing Jiraiya's words, the bookstore owner's expression immediately turned solemn: "Then, Lord Jiraiya, you must have finished gathering quite a bit of material by now, right?"
"Hmm, it's not tidied up yet."
Jiraiya nodded: "Let me tidy it up."
"By the way, do you know who the author of this book is?"
"Where did it come from? Can you roughly determine the author's country of origin?"
"I think this guy is pretty good; I can exchange ideas with him."
As he spoke, Jiraiya glanced at the cover of "Ninja Bin's School Life," saw the author's name, and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Aka?
This pen name is too simple.
"I don't know where this one came from either. Anyway, I received it a while ago, and it was a ninja who came to pick it up in person."
Upon hearing Jiraiya's words, the bookstore owner hurriedly said, "He also said that there would be a sequel to this book, and that it would be sold after it was finished. He even entrusted me to use my channels to print and reproduce the book and sell it to other places."
"I feel that he should be a Jonin from some ninja village."
"You don't know, this period is the Chunin Exams. Some ninja villages near the Land of Fire have Jonin leading their ninjas to participate in the Chunin Exams."
"This book appeared around this time, and I don't think it was written by a ninja from Konoha Village in the Land of Fire."
"Otherwise, this book wouldn't have appeared at this time."
"A few days ago, this author came to collect his royalties. He's quite diligent. Maybe he's short of money."
The bookstore owner told Jiraiya everything he knew, and Jiraiya stroked his chin thoughtfully, saying, "I see."
"Then next time he comes, remember to tell him that I, Jiraiya, would like to exchange some thoughts with him."
I can leave my contact information. If you tell me, please let me know and we can arrange a time to meet.
As he spoke, Jiraiya casually pulled out a scroll and handed it to the bookstore owner: "Here, just open the scroll when you need it, but don't open it normally."
"I understand, Lord Jiraiya!"
Upon hearing this, the bookstore owner's expression immediately turned solemn.
While ordinary people might not recognize Jiraiya-sama, he was very familiar with his style.
As the owner of the largest bookstore in Weiye Village, he also knew about Jiraiya's other deeds.
It seems that Jiraiya-sama secretly returned to Konoha Village?
"What intelligence has been gathered about Konoha Village during this period?"
Jiraiya continued to inquire, "As you know, I just got back and don't know the situation. Tell me about some recent events."