Looping, oh the fun! (Naruto)

Ch19 Rebirthday

"Do you want money? Do you like actions? Join "Shinobi's House"'s adventure story writing contest and 1st place gets 1,000,000 ryou and the publication of their story!" -Local's Evening News

"Do you want to be the next Jiraiya-sensei? If so, then come join "HAEVEN"'s romance story writing contest! 1st place gets 1,000,000 ryou and the publication of their story!" -New Age's News

"Up for a challenge? "ICubed" has started a detective story writing contest! 1st place gets 1,000,000 ryou and the publication of their story!" -Morning News

...

...

The newspaper was filled with zeroes, blinding the readers. Even people who don't love literature was interested and had decided to join for a chance to earn money.

"I think we should join, Sasuke!" Naruto suggested excitedly while he was listing an order of the names of poems they would publish. "This can help us become even more popular! If we had won them all, people won't stop talking about us, and soon we'll gain millions of fans!"

"Exactly. That's why we shouldn't join them all."

"What!?"

"Look," Sasuke explained. "We would become famous if we won them all, true, but at the same time, people will become suspicious. Joining ALL of them and winning ALL?! People will think there may be something shady going on. So instead of us becoming famous, we will become infamous."

"But joining one wouldn't hurt right?" Naruto said, exclaiming when Sasuke agreed. "Alrighty! Let's see...so what genre should we choose...?"

"I suggest detective. It's the genre that's the easiest to grab the audience's attention. All we have to do is come up with a case and solution that is unexpected yet interesting. And the readers' discussion will help advertise our story."

"True. Neither a sappy love story nor dozens of fighting scenes can capture the public's attention as well as a good, unexpected case." Naruto nodded. "So what story should we use? Another is a good detective novel, making the readers guess who the 'Dead One' is. The discussion would run wild with all the theories and guesses readers would come up!"

"But it's more of a mystery mixed with horror than a detective... We need our story to be appropriate for all ages so we don't limit the readers."

"Death Note?"

"Again, not appropriate for children. Besides, there's no case for the readers to solve. They already know that Kira is Light."

"Then..."

"Why not this...!" Sasuke smirked and moved aside, letting Naruto view his monitor screen. It was the story he had been typing for the past few days. "I have confidence in this detective story. This will definitely gain us the number one seat in this contest without doubt."

For some reasons, Naruto flinched and his lips twitched when he saw the title.

"So you were preparing for these contests all along!" Naruto groaned. "Damn you Sasuke! You're always one step ahead of me!"

"Cuz I'm a genius."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"No you're not."

"...are we really doing this again?"

"...you started it!"

In a different section of the village, a blond-haired girl was sitting in front of the table, eating her breakfast. Laying aside on the table was the Konoha News turned to the Literature section. Her parents were sitting next to her, also staring at the poem. Apparently, Ino had been able to convert her parents into Nakamura Tenzoi fans.