Naruto: I Draw Power Into Reality

Had Jiraiya not asked, "Whose work is this?" but instead insisted, "Your drawing," Akaba would've had no way to deny it.

Now, he acted cool, sitting there calmly eating seafood.

"This drawing skill... sigh, a pity. I searched along the riverbank and only found these fragments."

Jiraiya carefully stored the half sheet of paper like a treasure.

"Why are you keeping something like that?"

Tsunade made a face of utter disgust.

If Akaba hadn't told her to hold back, she would've rushed over and torn that stupid drawing into pieces long ago.

"You flat-chested idiot wouldn't understand. It's the peak of art, the ultimate goal for this genius to pursue and study."

Jiraiya spoke with utmost seriousness.

"..."

Orochimaru went quiet.

Anyone in the know understood it was merely a fragment of a masterpiece. Those who didn't might think he'd obtained some priceless heirloom.

As a kindred spirit in certain aspects, Hiruzen Sarutobi softly sighed and gestured toward the table. "Eat already. At this rate, Akaba's going to eat it all."

"Teacher, don't make things up. I only took two shrimps."

Akaba didn't dare reply further. If this guy found out he had that talent too, there'd be no peace for him back in Konoha.

"Alright alright, everyone eat."

Hiruzen pretended not to hear; otherwise this topic would never end.

"That's so sneaky! I want to eat too!"

Like clockwork, Jiraiya bellowed and completely dropped the earlier issue.

But while eating, everyone felt something was off.

Looking up at the dishes, all they could see was Tsunade scooping bite after bite onto her plate. Seconds after finishing each serving, she devoured it with loud slurping sounds.

What the heck?

Akaba froze, watching her swallow shrimp shells whole, feeling deep sorrow for the wasted delicacies.

Eating like this was truly disrespectful toward gourmet food!

"Uhh, why are you guys staring at me?"

Tsunade paused. "Come on, eat more. It's delicious."

"Not... nothing much. Your appetite seems great today. I'll ask them to cook more dishes."

Hiruzen gulped.

They'd never seen Tsunade eat this aggressively before during shared meals. This current version was genuinely terrifying.

"Sorry, I consumed too much chakra earlier. So my appetite's a bit bigger."

Realizing how much she'd been devouring, Tsunade bowed her head in mild shame.

Morning battle followed by afternoon return and continuous training had significantly drained her energy. The food she consumed was simply replenishing chakra.

Akaba had seen this scene in manga before, but reality proved completely different from the comic depiction.

Quietly, he picked several shrimps, crabs, and similar items.

Given Tsunade's eating speed, when he finished these few pieces, the table would probably be empty.

Glancing sideways, he noticed Orochimaru and Jiraiya clearly didn't realize how severe the situation was. They continued eating slowly, without any intention of stockpiling food.

In just a few seconds, the two stared blankly at the table.

A few seconds later, three pairs of eyes stared at Akaba—because right now, only two uneaten crabs remained on his plate.

"Alright already, Tsunade. It's just chakra replenishment. You can do it anytime."

Protecting his remaining food, Akaba looked wary.

Indeed, Tsunade needed to consume large amounts of food to recover due to tremendous consumption, but currently without Yin Seal, she wouldn't age anyway, so there was absolutely no need to rush like this.

Say what you will—it all came down to wanting a bite!

He had almost forgotten this matter after being temporarily deceived by Tsunade.

"Hmph, stingy."

Tsunade didn't press him. Her chakra was nearly replenished; waiting a little longer wouldn't be a problem.

"A new dish is coming!"

"Flat-chested hag, save some for us this time!"

"The teacher hasn't eaten yet."

Akaba, full and content, observed the familiar chaos with a tinge of nostalgia.

This meal marked their final dinner in the Land of Whirlpools. Tomorrow morning, they would begin their journey home.

Though the trip to the Land of Whirlpools threw them a few curveballs, all in all, it had been pretty enjoyable. His only regret? The manga sold out fast—but its appeal seemed limited to kids in the Land of Whirlpools.

Most likely due to its focus on Konoha, the ninja of Uzumaki Village showed little interest in Naruto (specifically Shippuden).

Because of that, his manga points barely spiked—nowhere near what he saw when Volume One dropped.

Akaba heaved an internal sigh. Considering his current points, barely over a hundred, versus the 4000-point requirement for Semi-Sage Body Constitution...

The road ahead would indeed be tough.

"I'll need to think about other manga later. Otherwise, expanding sales to other countries will become problematic."

Since Naruto primarily depicted events in Konoha, naturally people from other nations lacked enthusiasm.

It was an issue of relatability. In lands outside the Land of Whirlpools, hostility toward Konoha might further hinder sales.

Akaba pondered, realizing he'd eventually need a pen name—after all, as an international manga artist, limiting sales to just the Land of Fire wouldn't do.

More importantly, he should create more globally appealing works—like 'One Piece,' which was a hit even in the Land of Water.

"Everyone finish eating and go rest. Akaba, stay behind. I need to talk to you about Kyoyuki."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, puffing on his pipe, called Akaba aside after everyone finished their meal.

Akaba blinked in surprise. What else could there possibly be to say about Uzumaki Kyoyuki? Just take her directly and let her parents look after her, right?

"Heh, hoping it's not something else entirely."

Tsunade snorted coldly and left for her quarters.

Did she swallow gunpowder?

Jiraiya muttered under his breath while glancing at Akaba and Hiruzen Sarutobi, unable to imagine what else might come up.

"Cough... Don't think too much. It really is official business."

Hiruzen blushed slightly. Ever since exposing his Telescope Technique, he'd lost all authority in front of Tsunade.

Akaba kept his eyes modestly lowered, determined not to get dragged into this topic lest he suffer collateral damage.

"Haha, sensei, we're leaving first."

Orochimaru bowed and took the lead in departing.

After the three left, Hiruzen stayed silent for a moment before saying, "Uzumaki Kyoyuki will temporarily reside within your Sakuma clan. I hope you can mediate acceptance within your clan."

"No problem. Since I've already agreed, I definitely won't let her suffer."

Akaba responded without hesitation.

"Shuhai feels uneasy about this, but during these unstable times, he cannot personally accompany her to Konoha. He'll have to use you as an intermediary to offer some gifts to your Sakuma clan in return. The attached items are already included on tomorrow's cargo list."

"Eh?!"

Akaba was momentarily stunned. This sounded suspiciously like dowry negotiations for a daughter's marriage!

"They're just specialties from the Uzumaki clan."

"Is there anything else besides Uzumaki Kyoyuki?"

"There are a few children I've already informed Tsunade about, and the other three will be taken in by our Sarutobi clan."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

"If that's settled, then I have no objections. Anything else? If not, I'm going back to rest."

Akaba yawned, sleepiness creeping in.

"Hmm, Akaba... do you remember what was on that drawing?"

"Sensei, I really don't know. Maybe Tsunade knows something about it?"

Akaba chuckled and grinned, denying everything.

Actually, it was probably only Jiraiya who hadn't figured it out yet. But as both a teacher and the Hokage, there were many things Hiruzen couldn't just come out and ask.

By dodging the question like this, even if the Third had more to say, he'd have to wait for another chance—or sweeten the deal to get anything out of Akaba.

<><><><><><><><>

Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!

~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!

<><><><><><><><>

~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!

patreon.com/Tansnovel

<><><><><><><><>