"Come on, young man, follow me," the balding director enthusiastically waved Sasuke over. As they walked, he explained, "This time, our production team spent a whopping fifty million ryō to secure the rights to this new script from Lord Radadi."
"So you better do your best! The rewards will be more than worth it!"
"A new script? What's it about?" Sasuke asked with a hint of curiosity. Although playing himself felt a bit embarrassing, he was confident in his ability to portray his own character.
After all, who could understand Sasuke Uchiha better than Sasuke Uchiha himself?
The director led Sasuke to a seat and handed him a thick, hardcover book. "Here's the script. Take a look at it. We're still missing one lead actor, so I need to go find someone else."
"Feel free to make yourself comfortable. There's food and drinks here—help yourself."
With that, the balding director hurriedly left.
Sasuke picked up the hardcover book, ready to read through the script with professional dedication.
"'Sasuke and Narubou...'"
His hand trembled slightly as he read the title. A sense of foreboding washed over him, especially when he remembered that this script came from that blond-haired man...
"'A long time ago, there was a village called Konoha. In that village lived two childhood friends who couldn't stand each other, named Sasuke and Naruto...'"
Childhood friends? What nonsense!
"'The two first met at the age of five, but what they didn't know was that even before they were born, their parents had arranged an engagement between them. However, because they were both boys, the arrangement was called off. Yet fate works in mysterious ways. Despite being the same gender, they gradually began to experience some... unexpected developments. And it all started with their accidental kiss during the ninja academy graduation class assignments.'"
...
What the—?!
The more Sasuke read, the angrier he became. He wanted nothing more than to rip the script to shreds!
Killing intent radiated from his entire being as he contemplated storming into the so-called Minister of Finance's office and utterly destroying that blond-haired man.
If he died, he wouldn't come back to torment the ninja world anymore!
Click.
The sudden sound of a door opening startled Sasuke. He looked up to see the balding director returning, and behind him was none other than Naruto.
"Hahaha! What luck!" the director exclaimed joyfully. "I didn't expect to find the perfect candidate so quickly. Young man, take a look—doesn't this guy look just like Naruto?"
It wasn't just a resemblance—it was the real deal!
While Transformation Jutsu might fool others, the Nine-Tails inside Naruto certainly couldn't be faked. Sasuke's Rinnegan immediately saw through the truth.
And then he panicked!
Why was Naruto here? If Naruto realized he was the real Sasuke, his big mouth would ensure the entire village knew by tomorrow, and the whole ninja world by the day after.
That would be beyond humiliating!
"Hey! Sasuke, you're here to act and make money too?" Naruto, relying on the Nine-Tails' perception, instantly recognized Sasuke's true identity and approached him warmly.
Sasuke turned away in disdain. "You've got the wrong person. I'm just using Transformation Jutsu. I'm not the real Sasuke."
"No way," Naruto retorted, leaning in closer. "You feel exactly like the real Sasuke. Even Kurama says you're the real deal."
Naruto's face was now uncomfortably close, and Sasuke shot a menacing glare at his stomach.
The Nine-Tails' eyes briefly flashed with the Rinnegan's markings before it immediately backed down.
"Naruto, I was mistaken earlier," Kurama said nervously. "This guy is probably just using Transformation Jutsu."
"Really?" Naruto scratched his head in confusion. "But he looks so much like the real Sasuke—especially that smug, arrogant expression. It's spot on."
"I'm sure I misjudged," Kurama insisted.
"Alright then. Geez, Kurama, are you getting old? You're even making mistakes like this now," Naruto grumbled.
Seeing that he had successfully fooled Naruto, Sasuke quietly let out a sigh of relief. Life was truly difficult—having to stoop to such things just to make a living.
"Alright, you two, come with me. Let's start filming right away and get this done as quickly as possible!" the director urged.
And so...
The real nightmare began.
"Alright, you two, look at the camera. Yes, yes! That's the perfect expression of mutual disdain! Excellent!"
"Wait! This part needs to be more intimate! Naruto, give me that hesitant yet yearning look. Sasuke, you need to come across as more domineering."
"Don't mess this up, you two! I know these scenes are hard to act out, so I'm giving you a bonus! A big bonus!"
"Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! Naruto, in this scene, you need to show anger—glare fiercely at Orochimaru over there. After all, he hurt your beloved Sasuke!"
"No, no, no! This part needs to feel more tender. You should act like you're saying one thing but feeling another."
"But wouldn't Sasuke and Naruto act differently in this situation?" the two protested.
The director's face darkened. "What do you two know about Sasuke and Naruto? Just follow the script! Or I'll dock your pay!"
A week later, when Sasuke and Naruto finally left the set, they both felt dazed. Simultaneously, they shivered.
That place was terrifying. They swore never to return for money again.
...
A month later, the film adaptation of Sasuke and Narubou, based on the painstaking script by the mysterious author Radadi and directed by the ninja world's top filmmaker, became a massive hit. It grossed over ten billion ryō at the box office, sparking yet another Transformation Jutsu craze across the ninja world.
Due to the excessive use of Transformation Jutsu, which caused significant inconvenience, Amagakure issued a decree prohibiting its casual use. Transformation Jutsu was now only permitted in specific public venues under specific circumstances. Violators would face fines, and repeat offenders could even face detention.
At first, Sasuke and Naruto were thrilled about the decree. Finally, they wouldn't have to see crowds of people imitating them on the streets!
But soon, they realized this was the beginning of a true nightmare.
"Wow! It's Narubou!"
As Naruto walked down the street, women screamed in excitement. Many even approached him for photos.
Scratching his head, Naruto couldn't refuse their enthusiasm. Only after fulfilling all their requests did he finally make it to the restaurant where he was supposed to meet everyone.
Inside, the Konoha 12, along with their mentors Kakashi, Guy, Kurenai, and Asuma, had been waiting for quite some time.
"Sorry I'm late," Naruto apologized sheepishly.
Sakura immediately stood up and affectionately grabbed his arm. "It's okay, Narubou. We can forgive you for a little mistake!"
As Naruto approached the table, he was about to sit next to Sasuke and Kakashi, but Sakura and Ino pulled him to the other side.
"Narubou, can you sit with us?"
"By the way, Sasuke, you don't mind if we borrow Narubou, right?"
"Here, Narubou, have some meat. Be careful—it's hot!"
For once, Naruto, usually cheerful and optimistic, wore a troubled expression.
He had always dreamed of surpassing Sasuke and becoming more popular with Sakura and the other girls.
But now that he had achieved it, why didn't it feel satisfying?
"Hinata, aren't you going to say hi to Naruto?" Kiba asked, noticing Hinata gazing at Naruto with a dreamy expression.
Hinata shook her head and replied wistfully, "I still think he and Sasuke are a better match."
"I guess I never really had a chance."
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