Full-time comic artist

Higashino Hibiki had several figurines, each about ten centimeters tall, on his desk. They were all made by Bandai and given to him.

Because of limited space, he usually keeps these things in the storage room, but now that the children are here, he has put them out.

This is a chibi version of Sai, stomping his feet angrily.

"So cute!"

There are also Sakuragi Hanamichi, Akagi Takenori, Mitsui Hisashi, and others nearby.

"Wow, it's this figure!"

A little girl stared at the Mitsui figure with its detachable front teeth, her eyes sparkling.

"I really love this! It's a pity it was all sold out."

Higashino Hibiki is quite strange. I heard that this figure is selling very well, and readers also like to persecute Mitsui?

"Then I'll give this to you."

Hibiki Higashino handed her the figure.

He has quite a few of these figurines, mostly in multiples.

Hibiki Higashino would give everyday items such as water bottles, T-shirts, and folding fans from "Slam Dunk" and "Hikaru no Go" to his assistants and friends.

"Really!" The little girl looked up, her cheeks flushed.

"Ah."

Before Higashino Hibiki could nod, he heard something from the side—

"Wow! This is the original manuscript for the next chapter of Slam Dunk! That's amazing!"

Two little boys held the original manuscript of "Slam Dunk" and stared at it intently, making excited noises.

"It's much bigger than a comic book!"

"The content is also clearer!"

"The plot unfolded like this! That's amazing!"

Higashino Hibiki quickly retrieved the manuscript; this kind of thing couldn't be easily shown to others.

He doesn't know "Heaven's Gate," so there's no need for children to see the original comic book manuscript.

"Teacher Toriakino, please let me take another look!" the two little boys pleaded.

Higashino Hibiki looked troubled.

Seeing this, Akane Nakajima walked over with her hands on her hips and gave each of the two boys a flick on the forehead. Watching them crouch on the ground rubbing their heads in pain, Akane was furious. "You two be quiet! Don't do anything to upset your teacher! Understand?"

"Um... I'm sorry."

"I was just too excited."

Higashino Hibiki immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

But not long after that...

"Tori Akino-sensei, do you still have Tsubasa Ozora figures here?"

Another child asked.

Hibiki Higashino looked over and saw the figurines treasured in the cabinet. He replied, "Those are precious items that Mr. Takahashi gave me."

His head was throbbing; a thirteen-year-old kid was more troublesome than a dog.

That's normal, though.

For children, being able to enter a cartoonist's studio is an incredibly precious memory that will last a lifetime.

Everything I encountered was strange and wonderful.

"Wow, cartoonists need so many tools to draw comics!"

some type of.

The children each found something that interested them, and Higashino Hibiki had some free time, so he looked at his three assistants.

Akemi Akemi looked very happy as she was drawing flowers with two little girls.

She is very patient; she looks like a virtuous wife and loving mother.

The other two...

Tanaka shrank back, trying to conceal his presence and avoid being noticed by the children. In this room, he was like a decorative object, motionless, afraid of accidentally attracting attention.

As for Masashi Kishimoto, he was engrossed in drawing. He ignored the curious children who approached him.

It's completely useless.

Hibiki Higashino walked over to Kishimoto and looked at him carefully for a while before realizing that Kishimoto was drawing storyboards for "Naruto".

Episode 8: A Determination Swear by Pain.

Higashino Hibiki was taken aback. This chapter left a deep impression on him, and it was also the first time that high-level combat power in "Naruto" was revealed.

Back then, Kakashi and Zabuza constantly used the Shadow Clone Technique, and Higashino was completely stunned by their battle.

So this is how ninjas fight! I have a new understanding of Naruto.

It instantly caught his eye.

……

"Tori Akino-sensei!"

The sound beside him interrupted Higashino Hibiki's thoughts.

The version Kishimoto is drawing now is different from the final version, and he finds it particularly interesting, so he can't help but be mesmerized.

A little girl named Xiaohui asked, "Is this how comics are drawn?"

She said in a low voice, pointing at Kishimoto.

Hibiki Higashino pulled her away, saying, "This is just part of drawing a manga."

First comes the script, then the storyboards, and finally the original artwork.

Drawing the original artwork is even more complex, involving many steps: line drawing, tracing and retouching, halftone dots...

The little girl felt dizzy listening to it.

"This is so difficult."

Before they knew it, a large group of people were listening to Higashino Hibiki's introduction.

"It turns out that the comics we read are so hard to draw."

They sighed with emotion.

Higashino pointed at Kishimoto and said, "That's right, just like that uncle, he's been working hard to draw manga since high school."

Most people are like this, and only a very small minority can become Kishimoto.

Most people give up once they've worked hard until their thirties.

Some entered related industries, while others couldn't make a living in a big city like Tokyo and had to return to their hometowns, where they began to distance themselves from comics.

I wonder if they cry when they go to sleep each night. Do they ever regret it?

Drawing comics is very time-consuming; basically, each attempt takes more than two months, and failure results in a loss of at least 50 yen.

Only those who can overcome numerous difficulties and realize their dreams can become cartoonists.

"It's really tough."

There are many people like Kazuki Takahashi who work hard for half their lives, but very few like him who finally achieve their goals with a final gamble.

The children listened in shock, experiencing for the first time the powerlessness of adults and the cruelty of reality.

As dusk approached, the children were about to go home. They were reluctant to leave, carrying Higashino Hibiki's autograph and gifts, but they still waved goodbye in the sunset.

Parents were surprised to find that their children seemed to have matured a bit.

"No wonder she's a writer," they exclaimed.

Staring at the children's retreating figures, Higashino began to regret whether he had said something too terrible.

"I will work hard to learn how to draw comics!"

Finally, Higashino Hibiki heard a child say this.

He planted a seed today; whether it will sprout or not remains to be seen.

……

Two more days have passed.

Upon hearing that Masashi Kishimoto had finished drawing the storyboard for episode 8 of "Naruto," Yahagi brought his own storyboard to Hibiki Higashino's house.

"Editor, you also drew the storyboards?" Hibiki Higashino was very surprised, as this should be the work of a manga artist.

Yahagi scratched the back of his head, nonchalantly saying, "If Kishimoto and I both draw the storyboards, we can compare the two and find the advantages that we didn't see. This is more effective than just talking about it."

Higashino invited him into the house, filled with emotion.

"Just as Kazuhiko Torishima discovered Akira Toriyama and Toshimasa Takahashi nurtured Yoshihiro Togashi, Mr. Yahagi, you are also Masashi Kishimoto's mentor."

Hibiki Higashino has never heard of an editor who can do this much.

Yahagi was very happy to hear Higashino say that; it was a very high compliment.

He said, "Tori Akino-sensei, you're joking, aren't you? You're just trying to make me laugh."

"I mean it sincerely," Hibiki Higashino said with a serious expression.

Yahagi was taken aback, and after a long pause, he said, "Thank you."

……

Hibiki Higashino made two copies of Kishimoto and Yahagi's storyboards and handed them to them, while he took one for himself and looked at it.

It must be said that Yahagi's content is more in line with the final version of "Naruto".

He conveyed Zabuza's imposing presence and laid the groundwork for Naruto and Sasuke's teamwork to save Kakashi in episode nine.

Kishimoto didn't consider that much.