Seemingly real, yet not. Like a dream, an illusion.
Uchiha Itachi remained lost in the vision he had just experienced, unable to forget it for a long time.
*Drip.*
A drop of blood fell from his cheek.
This sensation was so real, how could it possibly be false!
"Kisame..."
"Leave this place..."
"I'm afraid I can't make a move today..."
"This person... is truly terrifying!"
Kisame nodded and followed Itachi as they turned and disappeared from Duan Shan Street without looking back.
Orochimaru was still thinking of pursuing them to the second floor, to directly ask Su Mu the answer he desperately awaited.
But the moment he recalled the scenes he had just experienced, he instantly felt guilty.
"Never mind, I suppose Master Su is tired. We'll come back tonight."
"Kabuto... let's go..."
Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto stepped over the threshold.
Jiraiya, seeing Orochimaru leave, wanted to rush forward to stop him.
"Jiraiya, you can't stop him..."
Tsunade picked up a beer beside her and gulped it down.
"But he personally killed the Third Hokage! If you could have acted with me, we might have been able to keep him here!" Jiraiya shouted at Tsunade.
Tsunade let out a cold, disdainful laugh. "That might be true, but why should I act with you?"
Naruto, standing beside them, watched the two awkwardly and let out a fart due to the uncomfortable atmosphere.
*Pffft~*
"Heh heh, sorry, the food I ate today was a bit hard to digest."
Naruto scratched his head and then pointed at Tsunade, saying, "You must be the one the Pervy Sage likes the most. I think you're pretty average, except for the big chest!"
"Naruto!" Jiraiya landed a punch on him.
*Bang!*
A large lump instantly appeared on Naruto's head.
"By the way, what do you think of what just happened?"
Tsunade finished the last gulp of her drink and then leaned back on the sofa, yawning contentedly.
Jiraiya rubbed his chin with a muffled sound. "Uh... this storyteller and master of the establishment is truly unfathomable. If the scenes from just now were all real, then it would be too terrifying..."
"Hiss..."
"Perhaps, in a sense, does he also belong to a kind of deity?"
This was Jiraiya's impression of Su Mu at present.
To be able to tell such stories, and with a casual wave of his fan, change the colors of heaven and earth.
Apart from the legendary deities, Jiraiya could find no other analogy to describe Su Mu.
Tsunade smiled faintly. "This place is really nice. Every couple of days, new stories and events happen. I'm really reluctant to leave."
Jiraiya was about to speak when Tsunade stood up. "I know your purpose for coming here. I won't go back with you."
"Ninjas don't need to have their kunai stained with blood every day to find meaning in life."
"Doing what you love is living."
"You've thought about it too, haven't you, Jiraiya?"
With that, Tsunade walked out of the tavern.
Jiraiya stood in place for a long time, the words Tsunade had just spoken echoing in his mind.
"If I could live in Master Su's stories, that would also be a beautiful thing..."
He took out the unfinished *Icha Icha Paradise* from his pocket and sighed deeply.
Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and tore the book to shreds.
"Hey, hey, hey! Pervy Sage, that was your life's work!" Naruto's eyes widened in shock.
"I'm not writing anymore. I won't write anymore from now on..."
Jiraiya picked up the wine glass beside him and drank it down fiercely.
It was truly drinking to drown his sorrows, only to find his sorrows multiplied.
As the strong liquor went down, Jiraiya's cheeks immediately turned red. He looked down at the shredded pieces of *Icha Icha Paradise* at his feet and couldn't help but laugh loudly. "If only I could be as carefree as Master Su. His stories are so wonderful, I..."
"Wait!"
Jiraiya suddenly stood up.
He thought about the words he had just spoken in a daze, and a flash of inspiration struck him!
"If I could write the stories from Master Su's mouth into books and publish them..."
Naruto looked at Jiraiya with a bewildered expression, not yet understanding what had happened.
Time flew by, and half a day passed.
The immensely popular *Eternal Immortality* side story, "Gong Gong Angrily Collides with Buzhou Mountain," had already swept through the villages of the ninja world.
Those who learned of the story first expressed disbelief.
After all, how could such a fantastical story be true?
Most people scoffed, while simultaneously being curious about the abilities of this storyteller and master of the establishment.
What kind of skill did he possess to make those who went to listen to his stories act so crazed?
Those who had experienced it firsthand even made a huge fuss, insisting that they had personally experienced the scenes in the story.
At the same time, in their hearts, they had already revered Su Mu as a deity.
And Jiraiya was even more outrageous.
In just half a day, he had published the first book.
*Eternal Immortality*.
The main focus was the side story, "Gong Gong Angrily Collides with Buzhou Mountain."
In the surrounding ninja villages.
Those who had not attended the storytelling in person, though they harbored doubts, couldn't resist spending money to buy a copy.
Upon reading it, they were deeply captivated by the content!
Jiraiya's skill was quite good; the plot and descriptions in the book were very well done.
This made the readers feel as if they had experienced it firsthand, which was astonishing.
The storybook was divided into two parts.
One part told the main narrative, while the other detailed Su Mu's live interactions with the audience, and the primordial world depicted in the ink paintings!
In fact, it was these interactions and the primordial world that were more popular with readers.
Due to the short timeframe,
The books were only released and distributed from Duan Shan Street.
It would likely take some time to reach the other great nations and villages.
By then, this book would probably sell like hotcakes!
"Excuse me, boss, we need everyone to work overtime tonight!"
"The late-night snacks are on me, and we need to print more!"
"On the cover, mark it as 'Gong Gong Angrily Collides with Buzhou Mountain'."
At the printing house, Jiraiya was instructing the boss on the distribution of the books.
Hearing Jiraiya describe the contents of the book, the boss couldn't help but pick up a copy and read it.
"This book is going to sell like hotcakes!"
"In the entire ninja world, I've never heard such a miraculous story!"
"You have such a talent, it's truly amazing!"
The boss praised Jiraiya incessantly.
Jiraiya gave an awkward smile. "Story? These are all real things."
"Huh? Isn't this a story?" The boss was completely bewildered upon hearing Jiraiya's words.
Night.
Su Mu was sitting in his courtyard, drinking tea. Suddenly, a cool breeze brushed past his face.
He stopped his tea-drinking and, looking towards the bamboo forest, said faintly, "I knew you would come."
From the bamboo forest, two figures slowly emerged.