Chapter 19: Currently arguing with the Client.

“A ninja must see through deception within deception.”

“In the world of ninjas, those who break the rules are scum.”

“But those who do not cherish their comrades are worse than scum.”

After speaking, Kakashi looked at Hanabi: “Prior investigation and intelligence gathering are indeed compulsory courses for ninjas, but my information isn’t something that can be obtained just casually. I won’t pursue it this time, but in the village, you’d best not do this kind of thing. It can be dangerous.”

Although Kakashi’s PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) had flared up, Hanabi’s ability to achieve this level was a testament to her skill. However, gathering intelligence can sometimes be very dangerous, and the source of this danger… well, Danzo, Danzo, and more Danzo… and so on.

Hanabi stuck out her tongue: “Ehe~”

Kakashi gave a thumbs up: “The exercise ends here. Team 7, starting tomorrow, we execute missions.”

“Yeah! Feels… so cool!”

It was finally over. Naruto single-handedly became the atmosphere group (hype man), livening up the entire scene.

“Grumble…” Naruto, who was jumping around, suddenly had his stomach growl. “Hehe… once I relaxed, I felt hungry.”

“There are only two bento boxes here,” Hanabi said. “How about I treat you—”

“No.” Kakashi hurriedly refused. “Right now, I feel a bit like vomiting.”

[Boomerang (Karma/Irony) lol.]

[He really will vomit, dying of laughter.]

[Treat failed +1.]

[If I were Kakashi, I wouldn’t just want to vomit now, I’d want to chop this cheeky brat (Mesugaki).]

[Definitely traumatized anyway lol.]

Because Kakashi had previously said they would throw up, and now it turned out Kakashi himself wanted to throw up, the boomerang effect amused a wave of the audience.

“Then at least let’s take a photo. We didn’t succeed last time.” Hanabi took out her camera again.

“Yosh (Alright), photos, photos!” Naruto was the most enthusiastic.

Hanabi created a Shadow Clone to control the camera, then the three of them stood in front of the lens and took the picture.

With a “click,” amidst this joyful atmosphere, the fifth episode finally concluded.

Accompanying a bunch of bullet comments like “Gaia” and “Tiga” (Ultraman references shouting in excitement) expressing reluctance for it to end, Hanabi checked her Popularity Points.

This wave was quite stunning; Hanabi directly earned fifty thousand popularity points.

[Episode 5 Broadcast End]

[Calculating Payment, Please Wait]

[Negotiations with Production Team Complete]

[Please select one of the following items as your payment]

[1. Independent Promotional Poster, Merchandise Production]

[2. Opportunity to Film an Independent OVA (Original Video Animation)]

[3. Introduction of External Investment]

[Introduction of External Investment: Can localize external assistance or add new content (Supporting characters unavailable) (This script unavailable), etc.]

[Dimensional Popularity Stage Tip: You have gained extraordinary popularity. It is time to transition from an extra to a regular. Spend 100,000 Popularity Points to participate in the Secondary Supporting Character Promotion Test.]

[After becoming a Secondary Supporting Character, you can choose to settle payments quarterly, and cumulative rewards will be even more abundant.]

The reward obtained this time was even more generous than the first episode.

Not only were there payment rewards for the series broadcast, but the Dimensional Popularity Stage also offered a promotion test.

Although in this world, Hanabi belonged to the “Secondary Supporting Character” tier, this was because her character card had a “Shared Name Character” trait allowing her to choose Hanabi Hyūga.

If she changed to another world, she would revert to being an extra.

Having this reward meant Hanabi could escape this awkward situation in other worlds too.

Although the story of Naruto is very long, if strictly counting time, it actually only spans a few years in this world. Hanabi lived very happily here, but unless she was going to act in Boruto (the sequel), her screen time would essentially be over.

And regarding Boruto in this world, Hanabi felt it probably wouldn’t happen.

“Introduction of External Investment…”

Hanabi found this quite interesting. But since she wasn’t the protagonist, some functions couldn’t be used.

“What does localization mean?” Hanabi asked.

[You can select an external item and add a backstory to it, allowing it to appear in the script without a sense of incongruity.]

“I see.”

Being a supporting character, she couldn’t just abruptly bring out inexplicable things.

For example, if Hanabi got Excalibur or Ea (Legendary swords from Fate series), but these things completely mismatched the theme of this series, forcing their use would actually be detrimental to accumulating popularity, and it would easily lead to OOC (Out of Character) issues.

OOC results in pay deductions!

Yes, literally pay deductions. Random intrusions and OOC both result in deductions from the payment.

“Decided. This one.”

After confirming the reward, Hanabi received another prompt.

[Please select the item or tool to localize.]

“Hmm, in that case… oh my.”

Hanabi originally wanted to localize the The Thousand-Faced Trickster – Sparkle character card, but she found that this card was already “local.”

“Does that mean cards selected through ‘Bond’ are automatically localized? Or is it because I have already integrated it into this world without incongruity?”

Regardless, the Hanabi (Sparkle) character card wouldn’t work.

But the Jingliu character card could.

[Request Submitted]

[Negotiating with Production Team]

[Wrangling with Client]

[Inviting Boss to Drink]

[Successfully Drunk the Boss]

Dimensional Popularity Stage, what exactly are you doing?!

Hanabi couldn’t tell for a moment if this was a joke or real.

But soon, Hanabi received a reply.

[Drafting Proposal]

[Whipped Contractor into Shape]

[Localization Successful]

[Please resonate with Jingliu while carrying a blank Summoning Scroll.]

“Resonate?”

Hanabi had resonated with Jingliu once before and gained quite a bit of experience. That cruel battlefield and the feeling of being entangled by Mara (a form of madness/corruption affecting long-life species) was simply a nightmare.

“Let’s try it.”

It was still noon, and missions started tomorrow, so there was enough time.

As for a blank Summoning Scroll, Hanabi had already prepared it—or rather, Hanabi had prepared it when she got the Scroll of Seals last time.

Thus, Hanabi entered resonance again.

“Hmm…?”

However, this time, Hanabi didn’t share Jingliu’s perspective like last time.

This time, she saw a woman with blue-white hair and red eyes teaching a young boy sword practice.

Unlike the direct realization last time, this time, Hanabi saw purely theoretical techniques.

Sword-holding posture, grip technique, footwork, stance…

The boy learned very seriously, and Jingliu taught very carefully; even Hanabi couldn’t help but be immersed in it.

However, at this moment, Jingliu turned her head: “You’ve been watching for so long, do you want to learn too?”

“…Me?”

Hanabi was somewhat surprised.

She originally thought this was just a memory, but she didn’t expect Jingliu to be able to converse with her.

Is this reality or illusion?

Could it all be Aha’s (The Aeon of Elation from Star Rail) conspiracy?

“To have experienced that infinite hell and still dare to come here.” Jingliu seemed to remember her.

Without waiting for Hanabi’s answer, Jingliu continued to ask: “Do you want to learn my sword?”

“Can I?” Hanabi spoke.

“My sword, whoever wants to learn, I will teach. But you seem to want more than just my sword.”

“The sword, I want. The person, I also want.” Hanabi raised her head. “I am someone who will become a Dimensional Idol, after all.”

“What remains here is but a wisp of thought. Since you want it, then take it. Thus—”

At first, it was Jingliu opposite her speaking.

But then, the voice came from her own mouth.

“Become one.”

“—!!!”

Like waking from a nightmare.

Hanabi opened her eyes.

Everything around her hadn’t changed. But the Summoning Scroll had opened at some point, rolling on the ground, and on it was a contractor’s name—”Hanabi Hyūga.”

Could she summon Jingliu?

Hanabi put away the scroll, then tried forming hand seals.

“Summoning Jutsu (Kuchiyose no Jutsu)!”

In an instant, the air turned freezing cold.

Jingliu didn’t appear; rather, behind Hanabi, an ice-made humanoid resembling Jingliu appeared, holding an ice sword, standing behind her.

It was clearly an ice-blue figure, yet inside it seemed to contain some boiling crimson light.

“Jingliu’s avatar? No, more like… a puppet?”

This figure floating behind her like a Stand (a spirit manifestation from JoJo) didn’t have its own will; it was more like some kind of doll existence.

“There is a violent power continuously influencing my body.”

Seemingly due to the influence of this power, Hanabi’s long black hair turned white.

Hanabi took off her blindfold.

With a wave of her hand, an ice mirror appeared before her. In the mirror, her eyes had also turned crimson.

“Truly domineering power.”

This power directly turned Hanabi from black-haired straight into white-haired with red eyes.

It wasn’t until she canceled the summoning that Hanabi returned to her original appearance.

“In short, by converting Jingliu’s power into ‘Summoning’ power, it can be reasonably ‘localized.’ I see.”

Summoning Jutsu could always summon many very different things. If it’s a Summoning Jutsu, there really wouldn’t be any sense of incongruity.

“With this summoned beast, even if I use Ice Style (Hyōton), there won’t seem to be any problem.”

As long as she said it was the effect of the Summoning Jutsu, there would be no problem. Explaining away a “Summoned Beast” is simpler than explaining Ice Style. Although she couldn’t show it to the audience yet, future arrangements would be simpler.

When the time comes, the swordsmanship she learned from Jingliu can also be displayed.

“Mm, let’s just call it ‘Yuki-onna (Snow Woman)’.”

Whatever the case, put on a “disguise” (layer/identity) first.

Create a disguise first, so the twist later will be effective.

“The next resonance should allow me to receive Jingliu’s guidance.”

Wearing Jingliu’s token for seven consecutive days allows for one resonance. The next resonance is seven days away.

“Then next, let me see, the filming work for the Opening and Ending sequences…”

The plot of the fifth episode has ended, so the filming for the OP and ED needs to start, because Ninja Road is about to change from a livestream to a standard series.

“And then there’s the actor upgrade.”

There is still a lot of work to do.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

We Got Married

BLBoys LoveOmegaverse

Read Now →
Not interested