Tokyo 1970: I'll draw Doraemon?

"For those who have dreams, the journey to achieve them may be even more captivating than the result itself. The process along the way is also a valuable asset."

Yuka Higashino tried to comfort herself.

"But... what a pity about this opportunity!"

She still can't forget it.

……

"Did Oikawa-sensei's dream actually fail?"

The assistants couldn't help but ask.

“Of course, even I have regrets that I can’t fulfill,” Fushimikawa said with a relaxed expression, showing no sign of the regrets he was talking about. He took a piece of paper from his drawer and handed it to the three people in front of him.

"I've always wanted to be a writer who is both socially successful and wealthy. Unfortunately, I lack the talent, so I had to settle for second best and become a cartoonist."

The three heads huddled together as the assistants curiously examined the contents of the paper.

"5 Centimeters Per Second..."

Among thousands of words, they saw a story: a boy and a girl who were unexpectedly separated, and promised to reunite.

There were many setbacks during that time, including snow, hunger, and anxiety.

The story didn't end there; it ended before the two even met.

What happened next?

Eiko Ueda was very curious about the story and couldn't wait to ask questions after reading it.

Fushimikawa didn't answer, but said instead, "You can see that my writing lacks expressiveness. The hardships Tono Takaki endured on the Shinkansen weren't conveyed well."

Katsuhiro Otomo nodded in agreement.

"While Oikawa-sensei's '5 Centimeters Per Second' is excellent, it's still far behind your talent in manga. Choosing to become a manga artist was absolutely the right decision."

Akira Toriyama muttered to himself, "Really? I think it's great. Your standards are really high."

Putting away the manuscript, Fushimikawa, ignoring Ueda Eiko's complaints that she was "keeping me in suspense," expressed his feelings.

"Although I did not become a writer, I still enjoy creating in my spare time."

"It's always interesting to write a new world, whether it's someone else's or your own."

"Therefore, realizing a dream is much less interesting than the process of striving for it."

"This is probably Nobi Shinsuke's idea as well."

"If he accepts the patronage of a wealthy businessman, marries his daughter, and truly becomes a master painter, he will gain money and fame."

"But will he really be as happy as he is with Kataoka Tamako?"

Chapter 123 Chunin Exams (Written Test)

"I would be so happy if I could be with my teacher, wouldn't I?"

Eiko Ueda thought.

But after glancing at Asano Megumi, she refrained from making such a half-joking remark.

You'll be killed by their gaze!

After careful consideration, she realized that a cartoonist and a beautiful assistant complemented each other and shared common interests, making them a very suitable couple.

Unfortunately, Oikawa-sensei has already been targeted by Asano-senpai.

"Oikawa-sensei, what's your relationship with Asano-senpai? You went home together at the end of March, didn't you? Could it be?!" Ueda Eiko asked curiously.

These two people are not quite lovers, nor are they friends, but they are closer than friends.

It’s weird.

“Childhood friends,” Fushimikawa said with a smile, resting his chin on his hand. “Megumi and I have known each other for over ten years. We grew up together and are very close friends.”

Asano Megumi closed her eyes and sighed inwardly.

"Friends? Just like Naruto and Sakura don't understand the real Sasuke, A-Kawa doesn't understand my feelings either."

……

In Team 7, Sasuke is positioned as the orphan of the Uchiha clan, a genius who ranked first in the graduation exam, and a super rookie of this year. In the battle against Kakashi during the assessment, he was the only one who could barely fight for a few rounds and unleash a cool Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.

His battle with Bai also meant that he was taking on more responsibility and suffering more harm.

Naruto was saved by him. Although they were always at odds, in Naruto's heart, Sasuke was indeed an extremely powerful and perfect person.

He was more talented than him, and his efforts were no less.

Gaara and Neji ignored Naruto, focusing only on Sasuke.

However, not long after, in a battle against the previously unknown Rock Lee, Sasuke was completely powerless to fight back.

In the hearts of readers and Naruto, Sasuke's pedestal began to crumble.

The sense of urgency surrounding the Chunin Exams began to take hold in the readers' minds.

Even Team 7, who fought against Zabuza and Haku, could very well fail in this exam.

"How many of the 51 teams participating in the Chunin Exams are Rock Lee? What difficulties and challenges will Team 7 encounter? It's really intriguing."

"I really want to see Naruto soon!"

……

Masashi Kishimoto's original plan was to finish Naruto within five years.

But the editorial department couldn't satisfy his extravagant ideas. Naruto was the mainstay of a magazine, and it should be drawn for as long as possible.

Fushimikawa, however, did not have this problem.

Firstly, he is the boss of Future Society. It is always the boss who makes things difficult for the employees, but never the employees who force the boss to do anything.

Secondly, he has many excellent comics in his mind and will not limit himself to "Naruto".

By abandoning side stories, Fushimikawa drew Naruto at a fast pace, with the Chunin Exams arc following the Land of Waves arc, leaving no room for readers to relax.

Therefore, readers thoroughly enjoyed the story and were completely immersed in the narrative of "Naruto" without being distracted.

They couldn't wait to see Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura grow and for Team 7 to excel in the Chunin Exams.

……

"Please give me a copy of Weekly Shonen Future!"

"Me too! Please!"

In front of a magazine stand, within ten minutes, many students passed by, waving banknotes at the owner, eager to buy a copy of "Future" as soon as possible.

The students' excited and expectant expressions seemed genuine; their love for *Future* was unmistakable.

Osamu Tezuka, who had witnessed this scene, nodded, feeling very satisfied.

He had agreed to Oikawa's request for a contribution, but it was also essential to verify the magazine's capabilities.

It would be a great pity to waste your hard work on a magazine that no one reads.

Osamu Tezuka suffered a lot in this regard.

"The sales of Weekly Shonen Future are increasing day by day, so it seems that the news circulating in the industry is not false."

Osamu Tezuka muttered to himself.

"Among the well-known manga in Future magazine, Naruto is probably the only one, right?"

He had never heard of any hit series other than Naruto in this magazine.

This is also the predicament faced by many small magazine publishers in Japan.

Where are we going to get so many hit shows to distribute to everyone? Be happy if you get just one.

"The latest figure for Weekly Shonen Future's circulation is around 40. That's impressive. My 'com' only has a little over 7. We're not even in the same league."

What kind of manga is Naruto that supports such an exaggerated success?

Because his son prefers Naruto to his own works.

This made Tezuka feel averse to Naruto, and he never read the manga on his own initiative.

I only learned a part of the plot and setting from Tezuka Makoto.

This is completely insufficient to support his concept of "Naruto".

After Oikawa's visit, Osamu Tezuka took the opportunity to read the manga.

"Please give me a copy of Weekly Shonen Future."

Taking advantage of the absence of other customers, Osamu Tezuka raised an index finger to the shopkeeper and handed him 100 yen.

……

Nakano had been patiently waiting for a long time downstairs at the Shueisha building.

The third "Tezuka Award" is about to begin. All the other judges have arrived, except for the most important person, Chairman Osamu Tezuka himself.

The Tezuka Award was secondary; he actually wanted to take this opportunity to probe the details of the work that Osamu Tezuka was going to serialize in Future magazine.

This will help determine whether the work will be popular, allowing the editorial department to quickly prepare response measures.

"Ah, we've arrived."

In the distance, Osamu Tezuka was muttering to himself with his head down.

With such a troubled look on his face, it's no wonder he arrived later than the others.

Are you working on a new piece?

Nakano thought.

He walked closer, pricked up his ears, and listened to Osamu Tezuka's rambling.

"Oikawa's basic skills have improved."

Although it didn't delay anything, Osamu Tezuka's heart was filled with "Naruto".

The content is the "Written Exam" section of the Chunin Exams.