Full-time comic artist

This editor is very capable.

Masashi Kishimoto? Hibiki Higashino has long wanted to meet him.

After all, he is a loyal reader of Naruto.

Hibiki Higashino watched Naruto on TV when he was a child.

From Zabuza and Haku to the Konoha Crush Plan.

Unfortunately, the rest of the story was not broadcast on television.

Hibiki Higashino learned about the later plot of "Naruto" when he was already in high school.

At that time, his love for Naruto diminished somewhat, and he always felt that the "Shippuden" storyline was not as good as when Team 7 did missions.

While Hibiki Higashino was lost in thought, Oda came out with a cup of coffee. Seeing that Yahagi had already left, he asked in surprise, "Tori Akino-sensei, what did Editor Yahagi come here for?"

Hibiki Higashino casually replied, "I came for the author Masashi Kishimoto, whom he is responsible for."

He then recounted the entire conversation.

Oda was stunned.

"Damn Kishimoto! Why don't you come looking for me?"

Hibiki Higashino took Oda's coffee, sipped it, and said, "Maybe it's because Kishimoto-kun trusts me more."

Chapter 214 Meeting the Parents

"Teacher, this is my coffee!"

Oda didn't have time to get angry; he reached out his hand as he watched Hibiki Higashino drink his coffee.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hibiki Higashino handed the coffee back to Oda. "Here you go."

Oda didn't mind. He took it, took a sip, and sighed, "I feel much better."

He was indeed feeling a bit listless at the moment, but after rousing himself, he was puzzled. "I just don't understand why Kishimoto hasn't come to find me?"

He was very familiar with Kishimoto. Kishimoto only needed one or two months to learn some manga techniques, and he was able to teach him.

"Probably because," Hibiki Higashino flipped out a Yu-Gi-Oh! card. The card had added attributes, and the descriptions of the magic cards and trap cards were more precise. Compared to Bandai's cards, it was more exquisite, and the pattern on the back was a flame-like vortex, which was very cool.

He stared at the cards in a daze, and after a few breaths, he continued, "Kishimoto-kun wants to compete with you, right?"

Like Oda, Kishimoto is a very ambitious person who wants to do his best, which is why he abandoned the samurai theme and chose the ninja theme for his manga.

"I see." Oda's face lit up with joy. "Then there's no problem."

After finishing his coffee in a few sips, he waved goodbye, "Teacher Toriakino, I'm going back now."

Oda walked briskly and disappeared from Hibiki Higashino's sight.

He couldn't resist the urge to draw comics.

Higashino was astonished; young people really do have drive.

……

the next day.

"A new assistant?" Akemi Akimiya asked in surprise.

"Hmm," Higashino Hibiki nervously straightened his tie. He pulled out a small mirror from Akemi Akemi's car and looked at himself. "I'm alright, aren't I?"

"Don't be so nervous," Akemi Akimiya said helplessly as she drove. "It's just a meeting with my father. He's been wanting me to get married for a long time, so there won't be any problems."

“Yes…yes,” Higashino Hibiki answered, his whole body stiff.

Akemi Akemi shook her head, which is why she wouldn't let him drive.

But then I thought, I'll probably be very nervous about going to Higashino's house in a while.

I can't think about this anymore!

Akemi Akemi's tense body broke her reverie.

"You just said you'd have a new assistant?" Akemi Akemi asked, trying to divert her and Hibiki Higashino's attention.

“His name is Masashi Kishimoto.” Hibiki Higashino was indeed calmer. “He’s a newcomer under editor Yahagi. I think he’s very talented, and it won’t be long before he starts serializing. So he’s just here to learn from me for one or two months.”

This cannot be considered a discipleship; it is more like teaching a colleague, similar to how Hirohiko Araki helped Hibiki Higashino.

"It just so happens that Yoshii-kun was short of an assistant after graduation, and Kishimoto-kun graduated from an art academy with solid basic skills, so it was a win-win situation."

“Hmm.” Akemi Akemi nodded first, then she hurriedly said, “Then you should contact Editor Sasaki and find a new assistant.”

"Of course I've already asked Mr. Sasaki for help."

That's good.

……

The Akimiya family home, located in Nerima Ward.

Mr. Akimiya, dressed in a white robe, knelt before a painting, his eyes closed in deep thought. It was a painting by his deceased father, depicting pine and cypress trees amidst green smoke.

In the past, when he encountered indecisive situations, he would always do this to calm himself down and make the right decision.

But today, when Mr. Akimiya opened his eyes, his gaze was filled with anxiety.

"Aminmei," he murmured.

"Isn't she still just a child?"

"Time flies so fast..."

With his eyes closed, he could recall Akemi Akemi calling him "Dad" when she was in elementary school.

In middle school, my daughter wore a black sailor uniform, tilted her head, and carried her schoolbag in both hands;

In high school, she had grown taller, and her pigtails had turned into long, straight hair. She looked down, kicking at the pebbles at her feet, and when she looked up, she was pleasantly surprised to see herself.

When my daughter graduated from university, she wore her graduation gown, radiating sunshine and brightness; her life was just beginning.

"How come it's so fast? Akemi is getting married..."

Mr. Akimiya was puzzled, "He's clearly still a child."

Just then, the doorbell rang. Mr. Akimiya got up with a heavy heart. He knew that from this day forward, his daughter would no longer belong to him alone.

After opening the door, he looked at Akemi Akemi's gentle smile and said, "Father, I'm back."

Mr. Akimiya suddenly realized, "Akami has grown up."

……

Higashino lowered his head, feeling as if he were being pricked by needles.

The scrutinizing gaze from the other party was terrifying.

"How old are you?"

“23 years old,” Higashino Hibiki said in a deep voice.

“She looks like she’s thirty-two,” Mr. Akimiya said frankly.

“Father,” Akemi Akemi called out.

Mr. Akimiya put away his hostility. "I heard you work in the field of painting?"

When this was mentioned, Hibiki Higashino straightened his back and said, "That's right, I'm drawing manga now."

"Drawing manga?" Mr. Akimiya was taken aback. Then he realized, "You're Tori Akino Mirai?"

When he was reading "5 Centimeters Per Second", he saw the name of the original author on the title page, the person who completed "5 Centimeters Per Second" with Akemi.

Higashino Hibiki nodded. "It's me. Do you remember me?"

"Have we met before?" Mr. Akimiya asked, puzzled. He didn't seem to recognize the person in front of him.

"We met once before, at an exhibition of Akira Toriyama's works."

Mr. Akimiya thought for a long time, then shook his head. "My memory is far from good."

Akemi Akemi comforted him, "It's normal not to remember since you only met once."

Mr. Akimiya smiled with satisfaction.

"But Akira Toriyama..." he pressed Hibiki Higashino, "Akami worked as Akira Toriyama's assistant during the summer of '93. Were you two together then?"

Although he didn't get out of the car that day, Akira Toriyama did have an assistant with him.

At that time, I didn't pay attention to what my assistant looked like; perhaps she is the very same person standing before me, Akino Mirai.

Mr. Akimiya felt a surge of resentment. Why hadn't he noticed this man's wolfish ambitions back then?

Akemi Akemi became uneasy.

"No, although I fell in love with her at first sight, Akemi didn't agree to be with me. I had to put in a lot of effort before she finally got together with me," Higashino Hibiki answered honestly.

Mr. Akimiya only heard "love at first sight," and his gaze sharpened. He questioned:

How old were you back then?

"17 is old."

"You!" Mr. Akimiya was very angry. It turned out that when he was 17 years old, this brat had tried to steal Akemi from him.

“Mr. Akimiya… no, Father,” Higashino Hibiki said solemnly, “I just want to tell you that I love Ms. Akemi deeply. Please grant me your wish.”

He lay prone on the ground.

Mr. Akimiya looked at Hibiki Higashino and felt the other's sincerity.

It was indeed very sincere, but...

“Who gave you the right to call me Father!” Mr. Akimiya glared. “You’re still a long way from calling me that.”

“Dad,” Akemi Akemi stepped forward, stroking Mr. Akemi’s arm, her eyes urging him on.

Mr. Akimiya helped Higashino Hibiki up.

Since stopping her from drawing manga, Akemi hadn't addressed him so intimately in a long time. This startled Mr. Akimiya, who then realized it was because of another man.

"Phew~" he breathed a sigh of relief. "You can get up now."