MTLNOVEL Chapter 16: Purgatorio
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So, after quickly scanning through the contract to make sure there were no unreasonable clauses, Asuma and Kakashi exchanged a look and then gave a firm nod.
"The contract looks fine. We have no issues with it," Asuma said seriously.
"Oh~ that's a huge help~ If we had to go through revisions or more negotiations, it would be such a pain~"
Munching on the red bean dango Ino had brought in, Shikamaru spoke politely, "Then, please wait a little longer. Once our other team returns, we'll pay you the agreed amount for the contract."
"Ah~ you're being way too considerate. But... cough I do have a small personal request~"
Looking a little embarrassed, Asuma scratched his head, his tone filled with a pleading kind of feeling. "Actually... my wife really loves your production's work. So, could I ask for a finished copy to give to her?"
"Huh? Oh~~ I see now~"
Seeing Asuma clasp his hands together in a pleading pose (^-人-^), Shikamaru nodded in understanding. "Looks like you're just like my dad—one of those guys who's afraid of his wife~"
Yes, Hinata had indeed prepared for this.
The truth was, the pictures used for the production weren't enough on their own to be considered a finished product. They needed captions—text to act as narration under the images—before they could become a complete story.
To make things easier, Hinata had already prepared blank storybooks with pre-written captions on each page. The photos Asuma's team had delivered earlier had already been sorted and arranged in order by Shino and the others. They had then taken the completed books to be delivered to the Konoha bookstore.
In other words, if Asuma wanted a finished copy now, they'd have to make a whole new one from scratch. That also meant whoever did it needed to be very familiar with the script.
"That's gonna be a real hassle~ The finished copies have already been taken by Shino's team. Even if I wanted to give you one, there aren't any left~"
Shikamaru frowned slightly, and at the same time, Sasuke, who had been sitting quietly, spoke in a cool tone. "Besides, this is confidential business. Technically, no copies should be given out before the official release."
"Uh… but… my wife really loves it… so…"
Sasuke's cold words made Asuma break into a nervous sweat, but when he thought about Kurenai's hopeful expression, the bearded jonin was willing to humble himself. "Could you… make an exception? I swear I won't share it with anyone else."
Kakashi, watching from the side, shook his head slightly. He knew this wasn't something he could help with. And technically, Sasuke wasn't wrong. In the end, it would all depend on whether Asuma's pleading could move these kids or not.
"Sigh… What a drag… Fine. I've seen the script before, so I still remember some of it… But at most, I can only write down the lines for you. You'll have to put the book together yourself."
Seeing Asuma actually bow his head in a deep apology, Shikamaru sighed and rubbed his forehead. He couldn't help but be reminded of how his dad always gave in to his mom. Well… he could understand Asuma's struggle.
"Oi, Shikamaru."
Sasuke frowned slightly, but Shikamaru just threw an arm around his shoulder with a lazy grin. "No problem~ Rules are important, but keeping good relationships with business partners matters too~"
"Tch… Fine. I'm going to pretend I didn't hear this. If anything happens, you explain it to Hinata yourself."
With an annoyed flick of his wrist, Sasuke pushed Shikamaru off and walked straight out, sliding open the door and leaving the room. But in the end, he didn't stop them.
Phew… thank goodness. Looks like this kid isn't as cold-hearted as people say.
Kakashi, still seated beside Asuma, felt relieved for his friend. As for Asuma himself, he was beyond grateful.
"Seriously, thank you! You just saved my life, Shikamaru-kun!"
"Eh, don't mention it. I just happen to understand your pain thanks to my own parents."
Shikamaru shook his head, feeling a bit of unexpected fondness toward this laid-back, bearded jonin. Despite being an adult, Asuma didn't look down on them at all. That was pretty rare among grown-ups.
Asuma exchanged a look with Kakashi, and Kakashi stood up with a casual smile. "Well~ as one of the photographers, I think I'll go take a look around the area. That okay?"
"Huh? Do you need someone to guide you?"
"Nah, I'll manage on my own."
Sliding the door open, Kakashi waved slightly and stepped out of the room. But the moment he was outside, his expression turned sharp.
Right now, he had something important to do. He needed to check on the last surviving Uchiha and see just what was going on in that boy's head.
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Inside the Konoha Bookstore, Shino, carrying the finished script, arrived with Naruto and Choji, meeting the person in charge of the transaction—Squirrel.
"Excuse us. This is the latest volume of Fox Tale Chronicles. Please verify it."
Placing the script on the counter with both hands, Shino calmly looked at Squirrel. The latter, however, glanced at the three kids with a hint of surprise.
"Huh? Lady Hinata didn't come herself this time? You guys her lackeys or something?"
"To be precise, we're her partners and companions."
Shino's tone was as composed as ever, which made Squirrel raise an eyebrow. Just a bunch of brats, not even from some big-name clan, yet acting all high and mighty? How annoying.
Well, well~ Since the Hyuga girl with her family backing isn't here, dealing with these kids should be easy.
Grinning slyly, Squirrel pretended to check the script before casually placing a money box on the counter.
"Oh~ well then, here's your payment. Based on the sales commission, this volume earns you… hmm~~ 500,000 ryo. What do you think? Bet this is the first time you've seen this much money, huh?"
"Ohhh!! 500,000 ryo! That's 100,000 more than last time!"
Naruto and Choji, unaware of the situation, cheered loudly. Seeing this, Squirrel smirked in satisfaction. Heh, just some clueless kids who don't know any better.
The last volume of Fox Tale Chronicles broke sales records again. This 500,000 ryo is only half of what they're actually owed. Originally, I had put the money in two separate boxes for security reasons, but hey—if I can pocket the rest, why not?
If it were that white-eyed girl, I wouldn't dare pull this stunt with the Hyuga Clan watching. But you kids? Hah, consider this a tribute to Lord Squirrel~!
"No. This isn't right."
Shino's voice, still calm and unwavering, suddenly cut through Naruto and Choji's excitement. He didn't even reach for the money box, simply continuing in the same composed tone.
"We've done the calculations. Based on the profit-sharing agreement, our earnings this time should be around one million ryo. That means you're still missing half."
"Wh-what?! No way you brats did the math right! I'm telling you, this is all you're getting! Not a single ryo more!"
Squirrel, having been a ninja himself, immediately switched to playing dumb. As long as he could make these kids leave now, even if Lady Hinata came looking later, he could just insist that he had paid the full amount. Then he'd just put the blame on these kids for "losing" it.
"The total number of copies sold for the last volume of Fox Tale Chronicles within the Land of Fire was 725,647. The price per copy is 1,000 ryo. Hinata's royalty share is 0.5%. After deducting taxes and other expenses, the payout owed to us amounts to 1,123,586 ryo. Rounding off the extra digits, the total comes to 1,120,000 ryo. Therefore..."
Shino's gaze remained locked on Squirrel as he finished, "Please hand over the remaining payment."
"Uhh… I-I see… My mistake… I must've miscalculated..."
Squirrel stammered, completely thrown off. He had assumed these kids were clueless, easy to fool. But now that Shino had laid out all the numbers so clearly, it was impossible to argue.
With obvious reluctance, he picked up another money box and placed it on the counter with a sour expression.
"Fine! There! It's all here now. Seriously, what a bunch of annoying brats!"
"Oi, oi! What's with that attitude?!"
Naruto clenched his fists, shouting at Squirrel. But before things escalated, Shino raised his arm, stopping him. As if he hadn't even heard Squirrel's grumbling, he calmly opened the money box and stated, just like Hinata would,
"Before we leave, we need to count the money."
"Huh?"
Squirrel blinked in confusion, but his face quickly shifted from annoyance to sheer terror.
From the sleeves of Shino's jacket, countless tiny black insects started crawling out, swarming over the stacks of ryo. The bugs moved methodically through the bills as if counting them one by one.
Even more horrifying, Squirrel could clearly see additional bugs emerging from beneath Shino's sunglasses, crawling out from under his skin. They obediently scattered across the money, ensuring that no single bill was missing.
"Ohhh~~ Shino, that's amazing! You can control those bugs like that?"
Still chewing on his chips, Choji asked in fascination. Shino, still focused on his task, gave a small nod.
"Yeah. The insects relay information back to me, so—"
"W-wait!! Hold on!!"
Squirrel, now completely pale, abandoned any pretense of authority. His scalp tingled in horror as he scrambled to grab a smaller money box from behind the counter and shoved it forward.
"Because this volume of Lady Hinata's work did so well, the higher-ups approved a bonus of 200,000 ryo!! T-this time, I swear, that's everything!! Now take it and get out!!"
"You liar! You were planning to cheat us from the start, weren't you?!"
Naruto looked ready to jump over the counter, but once again, Shino stopped him.
"It's fine. The final count is complete. The total matches our calculations."
Closing the last money box, Shino turned to leave without another glance at the terrified Squirrel.
"We're done here. Let's go back."
Each of them carrying a money box, Shino turned back to glance at the trembling Squirrel. Then, adjusting his sunglasses with a push of his finger, he spoke.
"Well then, we'll be going now. See you next time."
"Uh… uh… yeah… see you next time…"
Squirrel forced out a smile that looked more painful than anything else. As he watched the kids walk away, his legs finally gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground with a heavy thud. His face was pale as he muttered to himself in despair.
"What's wrong with this world…? Why are all the kids in this generation complete monsters…?"
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Before nightfall, Hinata returned to the Uchiha residence right on schedule. As expected, Shino and Shikamaru had already completed the tasks she had assigned them.
"Here's the payment for this time, along with the signed contract from the cleaning shop owner."
Shikamaru pushed the money box and contract toward Hinata. Though his and Shino's expressions were different, the meaning behind their actions was clear—they were waiting for her to check them.
"No need, I trust you two. Take your share and enjoy yourselves—this is your well-earned reward."
Without even looking at the contract, Hinata casually shoved it into the money box and pushed it aside. Trusting others meant giving up a little control, and besides, Shikamaru and Shino were people worthy of trust.
"Well then~ you must be the one who agreed to join the crew as our professional cameraman… Matsugaoka-san, correct?"
Hinata turned her gaze toward the figure sitting in the corner—Kakashi. She raised an eyebrow slightly. It felt a little awkward to address someone by a fake name when she already knew their real identity.
"Oh, you honor me~ If you're willing to take me in, I'd be truly grateful."
Kakashi scratched the back of his head, but deep down, he felt a sense of admiration for the girl with the Byakugan. It wasn't just about her abilities—it was her presence, her command over people. Even from an adult's perspective, there was no flaw in the way she handled things. It was no wonder that all these heirs of noble clans naturally followed her lead.
"I don't care who you really are. But since you're our cameraman, you'll need to prove your skills. As long as you do, generous rewards will be yours. But if you just take up space… you'll find that we're not just some kids who can be fooled."
Hinata pulled out a stack of bills from the money box and slid them over to Kakashi. Her pale eyes shone with an undeniable authority.
"So, this is my trust in you. I hope you'll stand tall and do your part in this crew."
"Understood! I'll give it my all!"
Even Kakashi, usually so laid-back, couldn't help but straighten up. He knelt down on the floor and bowed deeply to Hinata. It was a formal gesture, once used by samurai to swear allegiance to their lords. These days, it was mostly seen when someone joined an organization. Since he was now playing the role of a cameraman, this level of courtesy wasn't out of place.
"Good~ Now, the next filming session will start in three days. But, Matsugaoka-san, I'd like you to stay here in the meantime and get used to your new work environment. That won't be a problem, will it?"
Hinata raised an eyebrow. Since Kakashi had infiltrated the crew to observe them, she might as well keep him here out in the open—better than letting him sneak around in the shadows.
"Not at all~ I'm currently living alone, so if I can get free lodging here, that'd be perfect."
"Good~ Sasuke, you don't mind, do you?"
"Do whatever you want. You know what I care about right now."
Sasuke had long stopped bothering to question what Hinata was doing with the Uchiha residence. Right now, all that mattered to him was getting stronger. The training for the Thunder Burial Fist had put him through intense pain, but the thrill of growing stronger kept him coming back for more.
"Great~ Then everyone, you're dismissed. We'll meet here again three days from now at sunrise."
Hinata nodded and gave her orders. Shikamaru and the others got up lazily, exchanging casual farewells before leaving the Uchiha residence. After all, they were still just eleven-year-olds—it wasn't like they could stay away from home for too long.
"The three of us are going to step out for some training. Matsugaoka-san, pick a room for yourself and settle in. No need to wait for us at dinner."
Hinata stood up, turning to face Naruto and Sasuke. A small smile curled on her lips.
"Well then, you two—come with me."
This time, they wouldn't need to go far. The Uchiha residence had a training ground of its own, and though it had fallen into disrepair, its vast, level space made it the perfect place for taijutsu practice.
"Finally! I've been waiting forever for this! Hurry up, Hinata, show me those awesome technique scrolls already!"
Naruto's eyes sparkled with excitement as he impatiently reached out for his scroll. The previous training with iron sand had been tough, but let's be honest—it wasn't exactly flashy or cool.
"Hmph, I've been waiting long enough. Where's the scroll?"
Sasuke, too, was filled with anticipation. He could feel himself growing stronger from the iron sand training, but unlike Naruto, he had already realized something crucial—his current attack techniques were too limited.
Fireball Jutsu and shuriken techniques were decent, but they were still too one-dimensional. More importantly, he hadn't been able to knock down the loudmouth blond in a taijutsu match today. That fact alone annoyed him to no end.
"No need to rush. This time, the scroll is a little different. To be precise, there's only one set of techniques."
Hinata pulled out a brand-new scroll from her pouch and shrugged slightly. "So, we first need to understand what these techniques really mean."
This scroll contained four carefully selected moves that Hinata had spent an entire afternoon putting together. She had combined the martial arts knowledge buried in her memories with actual taijutsu data from Konoha's archives. These four techniques were chosen for their versatility and effectiveness in real combat.
"Huh? The same techniques for all of us?"
Naruto's face twisted in confusion. Sasuke, on the other hand, frowned. "Are you joking? Our training styles are different. How can the techniques be the same?"
"But that's exactly how it is… The ancient scroll of the Sacred Fist only records one set of techniques. Even I don't fully understand why… But fortunately, I found some notes from past practitioners that explain it."
Unrolling the scroll, Hinata smoothly spun her story. She pointed at a few simple movement diagrams and nodded. "The notes say that the 'Seven Sacred Fists of the Southern Star' were abandoned after only one generation because their training was too intense. That's why only one set of techniques remains. However, the genius who created them was able to adapt the techniques based on the user's elemental affinity. So, while the core moves stay the same, their effects and variations change depending on your chakra nature."
"I see… That makes sense. After all, chakra natures have different characteristics. Fire chakra burns and causes widespread damage. Lightning chakra pierces and paralyzes. Wind chakra slices and flows… If a fixed move is enhanced with different chakra types, of course, it would produce different effects."
Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed as he processed the information. It was clear that the Uchiha prodigy was already forming his own theories in his mind. That was perfect—if Sasuke bought into the idea, then Naruto, whether he understood it or not, would go along with it too.
"Alright, these are the four beginner techniques—two fist techniques, one counter, and one kick technique. They're all just basic moves. Once we've mastered them, we can move on to the advanced techniques."
Hinata placed the scroll on the ground and cleared her throat. "Watch closely. The first one is the fist technique 'Wild Fang,' followed by 'Tiger's Roar.' Then there's the counter move 'Crane Pluck,' and lastly, the kick technique 'Solitary Reaper.' If you can't master these four basics, there's no point in moving forward."
"They… look pretty simple."
Sasuke frowned slightly. He knew that all techniques started with the basics, but the motion diagrams on the scroll seemed too simple.
"Yeah, I was expecting something flashier. Are these really that strong?"
Naruto pouted, clearly unimpressed. But Hinata had already anticipated their reaction. She flexed her wrists as she stood up. "Well, there's only one way to find out, right?"
That's right—these four moves weren't just random techniques. They were inspired by the best arcade fighting game moves Hinata remembered, combined with real taijutsu principles from the Konoha archives.
Wild Fang—a powerful straight punch, ideal for quick attacks and keeping an opponent in check.
Tiger's Roar—a modified uppercut that uses jumping momentum to strike an enemy's chin with devastating force.
Crane Pluck—a counter move using a raised forearm to block or deflect enemy attacks while creating an opening for a counterstrike.
Solitary Reaper—a classic spinning kick that sends the user airborne before delivering a downward strike to the opponent.
The beauty of these techniques was their simplicity. Because they were so straightforward, they could be adapted to match each user's unique style and chakra nature. But their true power still needed to be tested.
"Alright, let's start with 'Wild Fang.'"
Hinata walked up to a thick tree and took a deep breath. This was the moment to prove whether the moves she had put together—moves she had only theorized—could actually unleash real power.
There was only one acceptable outcome: success.
Clenching her fists, Hinata took her stance. As she did, she recalled everything she had learned from Konoha's library about proper striking form and chakra enhancement. Her muscles tensed, her chakra surged—
And then, she struck.