"Have you bought the latest series of Naruto?" Logan asked at this time.
It was just a casual remark, but to his surprise, Olivia pulled a volume from her bag and handed it to him, smiling meaningfully, "I knew you'd."
"...So what if I did?"
Logan took the manga, staring at the familiar font and characters on the cover. He was at a loss for words, "I'm just following the series. It's no big deal."
"If it's 'no big deal,' then why haven't you missed a single issue?" Olivia's voice lingered in the air.
"...I told you, I'm just keeping up with it."
…
Just keeping up, that's all. Logan figured he was like many other ACG fans, watching Naruto's latest chapters purely out of habit.
Theoretically speaking, since the Manga Author can no longer draw scenes from another world, Logan truly was just following the series. And yet, he kept reading, like he was verifying something, like he was holding onto a shallow connection. It was meaningless, blind. Every update, every new piece of news pried open a corner of his heart.
The people there, friends, foes, monsters, and legends, were all gone. But sometimes, he still couldn't help but want to know.
Pages rustled as he flipped through them. After a full year of serialization, the story had finally reached the Shippuden arc.
Why did he keep wanting to know?
After parting ways with Olivia, that question troubled Logan for days. It lingered in his mind, haunting his otherwise mundane life, a life where the extraordinary barely brushed against the ordinary.
One night, as the city lights flickered on, Logan took a detour on his way home. He walked past the expensive real estate of the downtown district, weaving through crowds.
Then, amidst a group of people, he unexpectedly heard someone call out in a respectful tone…
"Brother Logan".
'Who are you calling me like that?' Logan was stunned. The voice was directed at him.
Turning his head, he saw a group of burly men in imposing suits. The man leading them... looked somewhat familiar.
"Brother Logan, good evening! What a coincidence." The man in the lead put on a host-like welcoming smile, though it sat awkwardly on his fierce-looking face.
"Boss Damian mentioned that he's been missing you. When will you come by for some tea?"
It took Logan a lot of effort to remember that the other party was Damian's confidant, "Uh… Gru… Grubber, right? Good evening."
"My name is Grubby, and there is another one who works with Boss Damian, Blackie." Grubby patiently corrected him.
"Oh..." Logan responded awkwardly, "Uh, about that tea, I think I'll pass. Send my regards to your boss."
After that, Logan glanced past him at the seven or eight men behind him. Grubby caught on and said: "We have just closed a business deal. Taking the brothers out to celebrate."
"A business deal?" Logan repeated doubtfully. He squinted and, sure enough, saw a few suited men holding paper documents, 'But seriously, what kind of deal needed this many people?'
Grubby seemed to guess what Logan was thinking and chuckled apologetically: "We're all legit now. We all follow the proper procedures and don't break the law, haha."
"Uh-huh, I get it." Logan nodded politely.
"Brother Logan, you've got to come by sometime." Grubby extended the invitation one last time before waving and leading his crew away. As they crossed the street, passersby hurriedly stepped aside, avoiding them like the plague.
Logan stood there for a moment, marveling at how quickly society evolved. He watched them disappear into the distance, their path leading straight toward a grand, gold-lit sign that stood out among the surrounding skyscrapers, Lost Soul Nightclub.
He hadn't realized he'd wandered this far. Staring at the gaudy name, memories of past experiences resurfaced.
Recalling the time when he first came back, when he saw an underworld boss almost having his head smashed in an alley, Logan had let himself loose a little, slipping into the Ninja ways he had once mastered.
From thick tree trunks to towering buildings, he had darted into a deserted alley, ran along the worn-out walls at impossible angles, and ascended rooftops with ease. The cityscape had blurred past him as he climbed higher and higher, until he finally escaped all prying eyes.
Now, sitting on the edge of a skyscraper, his feet dangling over the vast expanse below, he took in the glittering skyline. Neon lights painted the cityscape in vivid colors. In the distance, even taller buildings loomed. Logan knew he had climbed to one of the highest points in this world, a view straight out of a cinematic aerial shot.
The wind howled, tousling his hair. Logan sat quietly for a while, looking at the gorgeous lights below where the last bus had almost finished running, and said, "It's reached Shippuden already, huh."
From up here, the city and its people seemed unchanged.
Why did he keep wanting to know?
Logan knew what Shippuden meant. He knew why he kept checking. He wanted to know if they were doing okay. He wanted to know what had happened, what had changed, whether those who had cared about him, and those he had cared about, were safe. Were the conspiracies and tragedies unfolding just as they did in the original story, or had things deviated?
In his memories, a certain blond protagonist carried the weight of destiny. There's also the two brothers who had a knack for causing trouble. Logan was sure, without a doubt, that there were things he still needed to do.
There was one thing that still gnawed at him.
A year of peace and normalcy stretched before him, carried by the city's million shining lights and bustling streets.
Meanwhile, over a decade of bloodshed and conflict lurked in the shadows of another world, a world of deep forests and cold, damp air.
When he looked down, he saw reflections of countless people from his past.
He had chased every chapter. He had said it didn't matter.
But the Divine Birds in the Paulownia Foerest had heard him, and all it earned him was a scoff from Akiyama.
"Come on, human. Don't make me laugh. You say you don't care, you say you don't want to go back, yet you're obsessively studying Space-Time Ninjutsu like Flying Thunder God Technique."
Kotonami added, "Raiden Hattori... You should really be more honest with yourself."
The Elder had always been a silent bystander, leaving behind only relevant scrolls, his contributions buried along with his name.
"So…" Logan murmured to himself, his silhouette outlined against the glowing city.
"How the hell do I explain this to my girlfriend?"