Kirito ran to the spot, panting, but his notebook was nowhere to be found.
He searched the entire area several times but still came up empty-handed.
How could it be gone? Although he could rewrite it, the outline he'd spent so much time planning and the first chapters he'd written overnight were all in there. It was hard to let go.
Suddenly, a clear and teasing voice came from behind him. "Are you looking for this?"
A blue notebook appeared in front of him—it was exactly what he'd been searching for!
Kirito froze. He hadn't sensed anyone's presence nearby at all!
That meant the person behind him was far stronger than him!
A drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead—and before it could fall off his cheek, it was suddenly licked away.
A woman's playful voice whispered behind him, "Am I that scary? Who are you? I don't think I've seen you before. Tell your Sister Anko~"
Anko?!
A beautiful woman with purple hair instantly appeared in Kirito's mind—Orochimaru's former apprentice, Mitarashi Anko!
Kirito touched the spot on his cheek that had just been licked, quickly snatched the notebook from her hand, turned around, and looked her up and down. "Hello, Sister. My name is Kirito. This notebook is mine—thank you for finding it."
Mitarashi Anko blinked in surprise. "You wrote everything in here?"
"Of course," Kirito said with a grin. Now that he knew who she was, he relaxed a little. "Wait—you didn't read it, did you?"
Anko nodded excitedly. "I read every single word! But tell me, why doesn't Maruko like Rika? Rika's obviously the heroine!"
Seeing her excitement and confusion, Kirito cleared his throat and replied mysteriously, "Ahem, I can't reveal the secret. You'll find out when I finish writing!"
"Then hurry up and write it! I'm dying to know what happens next!" Anko pouted dramatically, tapping her foot.
Kirito chuckled. "I'll make time to finish it as soon as I can."
Relieved, Anko then tilted her head and asked curiously, "Kirito, huh? Strange, I've never heard of you before. You're not from Konoha, are you?"
"No," Kirito shook his head. "I'm from the Short Book Street."
At first, as an outsider, Kirito's activities were heavily monitored.
Later, when he proved harmless—just doing missions, paying rent, and staying home quietly—the surveillance gradually decreased after a month.
Still, outsiders living in Konoha had to pay a hefty security deposit, and the next month's payment was still pending. The thought made his face darken.
Noticing his expression, Mitarashi Anko leaned forward. "What's wrong? Is life in Konoha not treating you well?"
She crossed her arms. "But your chakra feels like that of a Chūnin. Shouldn't it be easy to take on a few C-rank missions to earn your deposit?"
Kirito's mouth twitched. C-rank missions? Too risky. He only knew the Multi Shadow Clone Technique—no other combat skills.
Besides, what if a C-rank suddenly turned into a B-rank mission? That'd be suicide!
He answered truthfully, "Sister, I'm only at Genin level! I can't handle high-risk missions. I'd rather write books honestly and hope royalties can support me."
"Huh?" Anko smirked. "So you're going to publish your Hidden Village Love Story, huh? I'll support you when it's out—it's really well written!"
Kirito's eyes lit up. He'd actually gained a fan! "Sister Anko, please don't spoil the story for others!"
"Don't worry!" she promised with a grin. "By the way, which publisher are you planning to go with? I'll preorder it!"
"this story I should be done in about ten days," Kirito said confidently. "The story's short and the plot is tight."
At the mention of the publisher's name, Anko frowned slightly before smiling. "Are you sure about this store you are going to publish? Iwanamisha's a good choice too. Why not go with them instead?"
Kirito tilted his head in confusion but still explained, "Iwanamisha mainly publishes traditional works—stuff that preserves culture. They probably wouldn't accept this kind of story.
This, on the other hand, publishes a wide range of genres. For example, Intimate Paradise is from this."
"That garbage?" Anko's expression instantly soured. "That book isn't even worth comparing to yours! That sleazy author—ugh! I don't get how something like that became a bestseller in the Five Great Nations. If I ever meet that guy, I'll punch him in the face."
Kirito nearly choked back a laugh. You might regret that, Sister…
He couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for Jiraiya. Clearly, most women deeply hated that book.
"Hey, you know about Intimate Paradise…" Anko leaned forward with a teasing smile, tapping his forehead. "You haven't read it too, have you?"
Danger signal!
Kirito waved his hands quickly. "Of course not! I like pure romance stories. That kind of book doesn't interest me at all."
"Well, that's good," Anko smirked, cracking her knuckles. "Otherwise, your enthusiastic Sister might have to teach you a lesson."
Enthusiastic, indeed. Kirito muttered internally, then remembered her earlier question and asked, "By the way, Sister, why did you suggest Iwanamisha?"
"Well…" Anko said thoughtfully, "because that store seems to be having some financial trouble."
She explained that although it owned the best-selling Intimate Paradise, Jiraiya's slow writing speed—barely one book a year—had left the company too dependent on that series.
Aside from Intimate Paradise,it had no other major titles.
On the other hand, Iwanamisha didn't have the top spot on the charts, but it consistently held the second to fifth places with multiple works. That stability kept it thriving.
"Also," Anko added mysteriously, "I heard something interesting during my last mission. I was protecting the daughter of a rich merchant, and she mentioned that the owner of it recently pulled a huge sum of money from the company for 'emergencies.'"
Anko crouched down, meeting Kirito's eyes with an uncharacteristically serious look. "Little Kirito, if it goes bankrupt, you won't get a single ryō of royalties! Iwanamisha might be old-fashioned, but it's stable. Have confidence in your story—it's good enough for them!"
Kirito's heart skipped a beat. Maybe she was right…
End of the chapter.