Tokyo 1970: I'll draw Doraemon?

Iruka gave him another identity, pulling this marginalized person into the world of ninjas and giving him a second life.

The teacher's image has been established.

After watching the final episode, Kaiji Imai was deeply moved and remained unsettled for a long time.

Part of the reason was the awe-inspiring double-page spread, and part of the reason was the creator's professionalism, which allowed them to deeply understand the terrifying nature of the first episode of "Naruto".

Naruto's emotional shifts and progression, culminating in a powerful outburst, all unfold naturally and logically, leaving no room for criticism.

The story unfolds seamlessly, with a complete plot without any disjointed elements.

In the 53-page comic, not a single page or panel is superfluous; everything serves a purpose.

But the plot unfolds smoothly, and before Imai knew it, he had watched until the very end.

He had a deep impression of the four characters: Naruto, Iruka, Mizuki, and the Third Hokage.

"The lonely Naruto found redemption, was recognized by his teacher Iruka, and formed a bond with him. That's the content of the first episode."

Kaiji Imai concluded by closing the comic book and letting out a long sigh.

"Completely unbeatable."

……

Noriya Nagano had read "Naruto," and the manga greatly surprised him.

"It's not just the artwork; the plot and storyboarding are also so perfect. It's a powerful work that's hexagonal in every way."

Regardless of what happens later in Naruto, just looking at the beginning makes it clear that it will definitely be popular.

"How come Oikawa Ji drew it so well, even though it was his first time drawing a shonen manga?"

He couldn't quite understand it.

This person used to draw heartwarming science fiction and horror comics.

"He has none of the qualities of a passionate manga artist?"

"Could he also be the painter with limitless potential that Mr. Ishinomori Shotaro mentioned?"

"This is outrageous! How could such a person be born?"

He covered his forehead, feeling a dull ache in his brain.

"Nakano!"

Summoning his most capable subordinate, Nagano Nori contacted Kaiji Imai, the author of "Kamen Rider".

"How about it? Naruto."

"It's very interesting, extremely interesting, it's practically a textbook for shonen manga."

"So... do you still have confidence?"

"It's too early to say anything now. No matter how exciting the beginning is, it doesn't guarantee how high it will go later. So, let's wait and see."

After hanging up the phone, Nagano Nori breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as Kaiji Imai hasn't given up yet, anything is possible. As long as he has the confidence, he can turn the tide.

If cartoonists all give up, then their works will lose their competitiveness.

……

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Two days after the Naruto manga was published, Kaiji Imai went downstairs to buy cigarettes and saw this scene while passing by the park.

The children were playing and laughing as usual, but instead of Astro Boy, they were imitating Naruto Uzumaki.

They crossed their hands and made onomatopoeic sounds, as if a shadow clone had actually appeared beside them.

"I created thousands of clones, and you lost!"

"I have ten thousand!"

"Then I am... 100,000!"

The content of just one episode sparked a frenzy of imitation among children, which gave Kaiji Imai goosebumps.

"Such an exaggerated attraction..."

……

Katsuhiro Otomo has been somewhat listless these past two days.

Because apart from the close-up shots, all the other content in the large double-page spread of "Naruto" was drawn by him.

He drew countless Naruto clones by hand, even though they only required simple line drawings. There were so many of them, hundreds in total.

Because of his pursuit of perfection, this drawing took him a lot of effort.

I've been stuck here for over ten hours.

"I'll give you an extra bonus," Fushimikawa said with a smile.

“It’s okay,” Katsuhiro Otomo shook his head, regaining his focus. “It’s my job.”

"However... I thought you would draw a post-apocalyptic city, teacher. After all, both Doraemon and Parasyte have some science fiction elements."

"A ninja hiding in a modern city where order has collapsed, that's kind of interesting to think about."

Fushimikawa replied, "This background is too dark. Naruto is a world that pursues peace and love."

"Peace and love?" Katsuhiro Otomo thought of Mizuki, who would stop at nothing, and roughly understood the style of the Naruto world.

"There is still war and bloodshed."

Fushimikawa nodded: "After all, they are ninjas, so they will have assassination missions and the like."

Katsuhiro Otomo pondered, "Does the glamorous Hidden Leaf Village conceal darkness?"

The main characters in Naruto, such as Kakashi, Might Guy, Kurenai, Asuma, and the Konoha 12, are all very friendly towards Naruto. They all possess a kindness that is unusual for ninjas.

Under the rule of the Third Hokage, Konoha was like a utopian world, where people were full of understanding for each other.

However, tragedies occur frequently in this environment.

The death of White Fang, the destruction of the Uchiha clan, the suicide of Hyuga Hizashi, and the sacrifice of the Fourth Hokage inevitably draw readers' attention to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Because it's such a contradiction.

These are all issues that Fushimi River needs to resolve.

He pressed his temples, looking somewhat troubled: "It's like this."

……

Friday has arrived, and it's time to compile the reader survey for the first issue of Weekly Shonen Future.

Surveys can provide insights into readers' preferences in stages and help predict magazine sales.

"Teacher, please come to the editorial office."

Fushimikawa was waiting for Fukuda Tomoya to come and inform him of his Naruto progress and to check on the subsequent content of Naruto.

Unexpectedly, he became quite unceremonious and started ordering me around.

"Alright."

Fushimi said.

He's been having a headache lately because of the numerous plot holes in Naruto, so going for a walk might be a good idea.

This time he didn't ride a bicycle either, but walked to the Future Society.

There was a property manager on duty in the lobby, and she greeted Fushimikawa when she saw him.

Good afternoon, Oikawa-sensei.

Mirai-sha became famous after it occupied one and a half floors of the building.

While other startups are still operating in cramped spaces of a few dozen square meters, Future Society has become a leading enterprise with hundreds of employees and a floor space of several hundred square meters.

With such rapid development, Future Society employees have also benefited and become an enviable group.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Toyokawa."

Looking at the property manager's name tag, Fushimi nodded.

"Your new work is really good. Even I, who don't read comics much, finished it in one go," Ms. Toyokawa said.

"Thank you. I'm relieved that things are going well."

After a brief exchange, he started walking, preparing to go to the editorial department on the second floor via the corridor.

"Wait...wait a minute," Toyokawa called out to him hesitantly.

Fushimikawa turned around: "Is there anything else? If it's property management fees, water bills, or electricity bills, please contact..."

“No,” Toyokawa immediately shook his head, “Your company has always paid its fees on time; you’re a conscientious business. I just wanted to say…”

She pursed her lips, feeling a bit presumptuous, but still mustered her courage and said, "Naruto is so pitiful, I hope you can be kinder to him, teacher."

Fushimikawa was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and replied, "Of course, he's the protagonist of Naruto. Although he carries a mission, he will gradually find happiness."

Toyokawa breathed a sigh of relief: "That's great. I just felt that he was just a little kid with nothing, pitiful like a stray cat."

Her reaction convinced Fushimikawa that she genuinely liked Naruto.

"Please keep watching, Naruto won't disappoint you."

"Yes!" Toyokawa smiled sweetly.

The landline at the front desk rang, and after apologizing, she began her work.

"Hello, this is the administrator, Toyokawa. How can I help you?"

Fushimikawa stopped bothering her and headed to the editorial department.

……

The sound of footsteps rang out, and amidst the anticipation of many people, someone pushed open the door and walked in.

Upon entering the company, Fushimikawa looked at the editorial staff with surprise. Usually, the place was noisy, with people contacting manga artists, communicating with bookstores, phones ringing incessantly, and voices talking non-stop, giving people a headache.