Based on the information provided by the bookstore owner, I still felt that the publishing industry in the Leaf Village was somewhat underdeveloped.
The popular genres were limited, and even among them, some works merely capitalized on the popularity of "Icha Icha Paradise."
However, this made me somewhat pleased. In such a weak market, it would be easiest to make a breakthrough, and I can fully utilize my skills to write books.
After inquiring about the industry from the bookstore owner, I looked around the store's book selection and got a general understanding. I thanked my uncle again and left the store, intending to head home.
As I pushed open the door for the bookstore, the blazing rays of streetlight, blasting my face making me squint, there were far fewer pedestrians on the road.
The roads were much quieter now, with only a few pedestrians in sight. Occasionally, I could see a few middle-aged uncles Scurry away in a hurry, or shop owners who had already closed up for the night go towards their home.
Looking up at the sky judging by its hue, looks like I chatted with the owner for at least two hours.
When I encountered familiar villagers, I would stop and greet them actively.
In the eyes of the villagers of the Leaf Village, I was a diligent and upwardly mobile youth.
On my way home, I continued to ponder on the same question: What should my first book be?
Looking at my age and status here, it should be a "masterpiece," and it should ideally be a resounding success.
With a good start, I would have the qualifications required to compete in the broader market.
No, it can't simply be a good book, it has to make a splash on the dry canvas that is the entertainment industry.
Not only in the Leaf Village, but even throughout the entire Fire Nation, the cultural industry was developing rather slowly. From Jiraiya's single book, "Icha Icha Paradise," being a bestseller across the Five Great Nations, one could see the state of affairs.
Even Kakashi, such an elite shinobi, couldn't put down "Icha Icha Paradise".
Cough, of course, it's not entirely impossible for Kakashi to be that weird uncle, the one who drifts at the edge of family gatherings, the one that has cloud of awkwardness shrouding him, the one that is awkwardly social, the one that your parents tell you to stay away from muttering how he is a bad influence , the one that shows you the adult ways, the one who has the refined taste for "erotic literature."
However, overall, the culture is alarmingly barren, like a desert made of sand dunes, with only the occasional tenacious cactus, and oases were few and far between. The lack of spiritual nourishment presents me with an opportunity—a chance to "improve the barren wasteland" and turn it into the next "dubai."
The type of book to write had been swirling in my mind since the inception of this brilliant epiphany, but I am resolute in completely passing on the classics. After all, masterpieces, like the hamlets, are products of a great era, with strong critical elements.
The best example can be found in the lliad itself, from the Classical period of the pre-Peloponnesian War, where the struggles among Tyrants, Archons, and Kings led to drastic changes in the world. In those turbulent times, the scholars, and philosophers were revered by the ruling parties, where the heroic ideals and complex struggles of the Greek world were captured in each written book. Where various schools of thought emerged, each capturing the philosophical and cultural currents in their doctrines.
As for the classic literatures like Journey to the West, Moby-Dick, Pride and Prejudice, and even Frankenstein, they all followed the same fundamental principle.
Without the support of a great era and reference , it's a pointless venture to follow.
'Masterpieces' often reflect reality, and with completely different social & cultural backgrounds, how can they be reflected?
Forcefully transplanting classic works of literature from my world to this world would only result in something Incoherent, a jumbled mess, with no logical connection or coherence.
If I were to drastically revise the text but keep the essence the same then it could be possible, but I am not sure if I can even handle it not to mention the time it would take me to do it. To have a book become a bestseller, it first had to resonate with readers; masterpieces of this sort are not something he could easily put on the paper.
Web novels often run into the hundreds of thousands, or even millions of words, which is quite challenging for a newcomer.
Moreover, I would still need to take on quests from the system to earn money while writing, as starving would become a minor issue compared to being evicted by the landlady and ending up homeless or god knows, being thrown into some lab to be used by our dear old necrophiliac Hokage wannabe as a lab rat.
Just thinking about that gives me shivers up my spine and Goosebumps across my body.
…As for following the trend of writing "erotic literature," like a certain book, I have not considered it at all. After all, I am still an innocent ten-year-old boy who was home-schooled by his mother on the ways of shinobi and trying to overcome the trauma of his family being killed by bandits in the eyes (or mind depending on who you think of ) others.
I could say that I stretched out my imagination and say that I came up with a story. To compete with the top contender, I would have to release a book that is better than his, is more imaginative than his, and more descriptive than his, I could do it.
But yeah, good luck explaining how a ten-year-old boy. Who is still wet behind his ears could come with this.
Not to mention that depending on the book I release, I could delay my identity as its author being out in the public. I could never stop it, but if done correctly could buy me enough time to put the next steps in place before anyone is able to do anything about it. And even if I managed to explain it away.
Thought of that most of my fan base being a bunch of lecherous uncles or slovenly men, it just felt... off. I get ill even picturing it in my mind.
~Ehhh~~
As I was busy removing those ill thoughts from my head. A sudden gust of cold wind made me tighten my coat and shove my hands into the pockets before continuing my walk.
At that same time, the gust of wind slightly lifted the skirt of a woman passing by, giving the world and me a glimpse of the forbidden land. And making the women scurry away a bit faster.
Women are truly amazing—it's already autumn, yet she's still wearing a skirt. Shaking my head, I shrugged to myself helplessly.
Wait! Women?!
I stopped dead in my tracks, slapping my forehead, and muttering to myself with regret, "How could I have overlooked the female market? My head..."
To understand my thought process, know this first,
In my original world, the gender ratio was roughly 50-50, so women there can indeed hold up half the sky. However, in the shinobi world, the gender ratio is nearly 5:1 in Favor of women.
The reason being, with only a few talented women making it as shinobis as a result, fewer women dying on the battlefield. Most women marry and become wives and mothers at their appropriate ages, embodying the virtues of a gentle and well-mannered housewife.
Male shinobis, on the other hand, mostly fight on the front lines to protect the village and country, while ordinary males have their own jobs to earn a living, and provide for their families. Which in itself is not risk-free.
In their spare time, they can enjoy a drink, gamble, or even indulge in "erotic literature" written specifically for the male market.
In contrast, women are rather pitiful. As housewives, their entertainment options are scarce, and they can't even watch soap operas.
Regarding novels for women, I did not see that many in the bookstore earlier either. The few I did notice were either dirty, dusty, and upon closer inspection, were already five or six years old.
The stories were outdated, revolving around a samurai falling in love with a princess and eloping, with the book emphasizing the samurai spirit rather than the princess's character.
No one seemed to have written books specifically for women.
I felt like my opportunity had arrived! After all, women are the most avid readers of novels in my world. How different would it be here?
Just imagining a cute girl hugging his book and daydreaming with her eyes closed—how adorable!
Before I knew it, I had reached my lobby and paused my thoughts. I climbed the stairs to the second floor, opened the door, and flipped the light switch, instantly illuminating my room.
My room, like Naruto's, was the cheapest one-bedroom, one-living room, one-kitchen, and one-bathroom apartment I could find in Konoha.
However, under my own efforts, it was clean and tidy. Although I didn't have high expectations for my living environment, I believed in maintaining basic cleanliness.
Speaking of Naruto, when I first arrived in Konoha, I had secretly visited him to see him face to face, kind of secretly after all who would not want to meet a protagonist in real life if they had a chance .
Although I think I am a good spy after watching Spy kid's a couple of times. I do not think I am good enough to trick actual shinobi.
So, I went to a great deal to make it seem like it was a coincidence that I met him. And it was a great pain in the ass. I was made known afterward by surrounding neighbors and by a suspiciously dead-eyed-robotic uncle who just so, happened to never open his mouth too much.
I took the hint and never tried it again. Met him a few more times through the tri gang and by coincidence. Said hi, hello if we ever saw eye-eye and that's it. I value my life more after all.
Naruto's situation was truly dire—he was both poor and miserable. The village's pension was just enough to sustain his basic survival, leaving me curious about where the inheritance from Naruto's parents, Minato and Kushina, had gone. After all, the two had earned enough from their missions to sustain ten lifetimes.
Hokage definitely has enough power to forge naruto's parent's identity and give him his actual parent's savings to him, so why was Naruto in such a pitiful state?