The Lantern Nook
Tuesday, After School, 4:30 PM
SATOSHI YAMANAKA
"Not bad."
I peered up at Konoha's go-to bookstore.
The Lantern Nook was a two-story building with a curved, shingled roof that arched like an open book, and its wooden frame was painted in rich, earthy tones. It nestled snugly in the Commercial District, between a tea shop and a cluttered antique store.
"Remind me why we're here again?" Shisui asked, his tone half curious, half bored.
I reached for the door, the crisp ding of a bell overhead sounding as it swung open. "Patience, young one. All will be revealed in due time."
"We're the same age," Shisui said, following my tail. "Like, literally."
I waved a dismissive hand as I stepped inside, taking in the atmosphere. "Semantics."
The store wasn't the Dujiangyan Zhongshuge Bookstore, but it had a je ne sais quoi.
Rows of books lined the walls and narrow walkways, their spines crisp and well-cared for. Wooden shelves stretched high, giving the shop a cozy, slightly cramped feel.
Obvious signage marked each genre—romance, history, mystery, and more—and the faint aroma of aged paper and sandalwood lingered in the air.
"Good afternoon, patrons—Oh… um, well, hello, little ones," came a chipper then surprised voice.
I turned to see a petite man with oversized, round glasses perched on his nose. His shoulders were slightly hunched, as if long hours poring over books had permanently shaped him.
The name tag pinned to his wrinkled shirt read OWNER in all caps. Just the person I was looking for.
"Are you, uh, perhaps lost?" He asked, peering at Shisui and me with concern etched on his face. "Do you need help finding your parents?"
"No sir," I replied with a practiced smile. "We're actually here to ask you a couple of questions."
"Oh." His brow arched in surprise. "What type of questions?"
I stepped forward, fingers trailing along the spines of books as I moved toward a shelf labeled Romance.
"Book questions," I said, inspecting the price tag. "Like, what's the most popular genre of book you sell?"
"Romance." He said instantly, but there was confusion in his tone.
"What criteria do you look for when deciding which books to stock?"
"That's… quite a specific question."
I looked up at him, expression neutral. "I know."
"Well, it depends on three categories." He adjusted his glasses. "Quality, relevance, and demand. For fiction, a compelling story always helps. For non-fiction, practicality is important. I try to balance popular titles with unique offerings people can't find elsewhere."
"And how long have you owned this place?" I asked, moving to another shelf.
"Not too long," he replied, sighing softly. "My dad, the previous owner, passed away earlier this year, so… about eight months."
"I'm sorry to hear that," I said, pausing for a moment.
He shook his head, offering a faint smile. "He was getting old, and I'm sure he's in a better place now." By the way he looked, it didn't seem like he believed what he said.
I nodded at that but moved along to another question. "Do you only sell books in Konoha, or do you distribute to other villages as well?"
His mouth opened and closed for a moment before he found his words.
"Primarily here in Konoha, but we do have agreements with merchants who take books to smaller outposts and neighboring villages. It's not a massive operation, but we're growing."
"Gotcha," I said. "And how do your commission splits typically work with local authors?"
"Are you… trying to sell me a book?" he asked, raising a skeptical brow.
I shrugged. "Not now." But in a couple of days? Absolutely.
His eyes flickered, but he kept up. "We usually operate on a 60/40 split—60% for the author, 40% for the store. But for rare or high-demand items, we can adjust that a little."
"And from the sign out front, you produce books too?"
"That's right." He replied.
"Am I correct to assume you print everything in-house?"
"Yes."
"And last question," I said, turning to face him fully. "Can you show me what the most popular book is at the moment? I'd like to buy it."
<><>
Later that night.
Satoshi's Studio, 8:20 PM
The owner of the Lantern Nook did not, in fact, let me purchase the most popular book.
It was a romance novel with unsavory eroticism, so… yeah, understandable. My respect for that nice little man rose a notch for his integrity.
Anyhoo, Shisui and I left the store and returned as henged-up forgettable twenty-something-year-old men. I ended up buying a couple of his most popular novels.
Needless to say, they were all garbage.
I closed the last book I'd purchased and set it aside on my desk. Having already trained and cooked dinner, the rest of the evening was mine to do with as I pleased.
Shadow Clones would be taking Shisui and my place at the academy starting tomorrow, anyway.
Reaching over to grab a notebook, I opened it to start jotting down ideas while CHIHIRO by Billie Eilish began playing in my mind.
The genjutsu I developed, Whisper, allowed me to play music directly in my mind.
As long as I'd heard it before, I could cast the genjutsu on myself and listen to it as if I had my own personal mental playlist.
I'd cataloged all the music I'd ever listened to in my mind palace, so it only took a single thought to call up a song. Right now, I had it manually set to shuffle.
My mind shifted through different book ideas.
Ultimately, whatever I wrote would be widely successful and probably the best book ever written—at least in this world.
I just had to make sure it reached as many demographics as possible.
So, I decided it should be a mashup of popular genres—action, romance, mystery, and whatever else I could cook up—no point in writing something niche when I could dominate them all.
And instead of it being a stand-alone, I'd make it a trilogy. People love trilogies.
The story would follow two protagonists. Rival clans. A blood feud. Enemies forced to work together after their clans are nearly wiped out.
They hate each other, of course, but that hatred turns into something neither of them expects. Slow-burn romance. Forbidden love. Make the readers work for it.
A grin spread across my face.
There had to be a mystery, too. Maybe a shadowy organization pulling the strings behind the war. Twist. Betrayals. And, naturally, a climatic final battle that tied it all together.
The male protagonist would be stoic, disciplined, and write poetry to express himself. Girls love that, and I have a poetry talent, so that would be a nice touch.
He ultimately falls for her, knowing it's a bad idea.
The girl is fiery, rebellious, and paints to escape the chaos and preserve the beauty she sees in the world—how touching.
She struggles with the weight of her clan's expectations, but her love for protag 1 challenges everything she's been raised to believe.
Yup, that sounded pretty good.
There had to be an antagonist, though.
He/she should be charismatic, tragic… maybe someone with a deeper connection to their clans. Noble on the surface, but secretly manipulative.
For the themes, they should hit hard—love versus duty, breaking cycles of hatred, unity against all odds. It would make people think. Maybe make some people change their ways.
Hopeful thinking.
I wrote it all down and took another look at the clock—8:26 PM—It looked like it would be another all-nighter.
Exhaling, I stretched my fingers out in front of me, and Work Bitch by Britney Spears started playing.
I couldn't help but chuckle. How fitting.
Guess it was time to get to work—bitch.