Tokyo 1970: I'll draw Doraemon?

Masahiro Noguchi's words also reflect the sentiments of all the editors.

They all looked at Tomoyuki Fukuda, Oikawa's editor.

"Huh?" Fukuda Tomoyuki was completely out of it. He belatedly came to his senses and, seeing everyone's worried looks, gave them a thumbs up.

"It's okay, don't worry!"

"Oikawa-sensei is the strongest!"

That was, after all, a battle at the Kage level.

……

A week later, the story unfolds with the Kazekage kidnapping the Hokage, Gaara suffering a setback, fleeing the battlefield, and being pursued by genin.

Aburame Shino and Kankuro, who was covering the rear, faced off, and the unfinished match was resumed.

With Konoha's secret technique, Parasitic Insects, on one side, and an imaginative puppeteer on the other, this battle should have filled readers with anticipation.

However, the reaction surprised many people.

"Third place again? The last place in the top tier of Future comics, what a shame."

"That's right. If you can't offer content that's full of surprises, readers will show resistance."

"What should Mr. Oikawa do?"

Chapter 150 Teacher vs. Disciple

"Ah, Naruto is third."

Adachi Mitsuru nodded.

This time, he wasn't as arrogant as before.

"Second, third, third... Naruto has failed to be number one for three consecutive episodes," Kamei Osamu said again.

As a result, Weekly Shonen Future's circulation was only 145 million, failing to reach a higher level.

However, Fujiwara Maki thought this was for the best. If Shonen Future took advantage of the oil crisis to become arrogant and use uncontrollable powers, then when the oil crisis ended and sales dropped, Future Publishing would inevitably suffer a huge blow.

From October to the end of the year, almost three months have passed, and the circulation of "Shonen Future" has increased from 720,000 to 145 million, more than doubling, which is already very dangerous.

If speculative thinking goes too far, then Future Society will only face a painful failure.

During this period, the Japanese economy suffered enormous damage, numerous companies went bankrupt, society was torn apart with countless wounds, industrial production declined by 20%, and the previously soaring economy came to a standstill and even began to decline. The economic growth rate, which was initially expected to be 10%, was reduced to 8% or even 6% by economists in just a few months.

Oil prices have risen from an initial three dollars per barrel to a staggering $11.65.

This situation forced the Japanese government to go against the interests of the United States and openly choose to side with the oil-producing countries in the Middle East, which gave it a chance to breathe.

The situation is getting increasingly chaotic, and things have developed to a point that no one could have imagined.

Future Society also had to scale back its market expansion and begin to conserve its strength to weather this energy winter.

However, these things have no impact on Mitsuru Adachi.

In his story, Tatsuya Uesugi encounters a formidable rival, a powerhouse that has repeatedly entered Koshien, and is also the defeated opponent of his younger brother, Kazuya.

However, Tatsuya continued to perform exceptionally well, and neither side managed to score for nine consecutive innings.

Tatsuya's talent was evident, and his efforts paid off.

Readers became enthusiastic, and Touch's popularity soared, truly earning its place as a top-tier manga magazine.

Osamu Kamei believes that even if Naruto satisfies the readers' needs, it may not be able to defeat Mitsuru Adachi, who is currently in the midst of creative passion.

In other words, it was an unexpected move by Oikawa that allowed him to avoid a confrontation with his disciple, Adachi Mitsuru.

He felt that at this moment, Mitsuru Adachi was the one destined for greatness.

Touch will take over the mantle from Naruto and become Future's ace.

“I have no doubt about it,” Kamei Osamu suddenly said.

"Huh? What?" Adachi Mitsuru looked puzzled.

"Defeat Naruto? Don't be ridiculous. I can sense that Oikawa-sensei is about to deliver an amazing chapter."

It wasn't that Mitsuru Adachi was belittling himself, but rather that he genuinely felt the pressure that was gradually closing in.

From the manga's plot and his understanding of Oikawa, this was all he could deduce.

"A storm is coming."

……

For Kaiji Imai, Naruto is no longer his competitor.

The comic's achievements were too great for him to only admire.

The exciting plot twists and the dazzling battle scenes made him feel ashamed and desperate.

From then on, he only had reverence for Oikawa.

"What's going on? It's clearly very interesting, but everyone is saying Naruto is bad."

The editor explained: "Naruto has failed to take first place three times in a row. Oikawa-sensei has walked into a dead end, but he won't turn back even after hitting a wall. People who are used to success can't stand others denying them."

He lamented, "Self-centeredness is uncontrollable. That's how it is with famous cartoonists; they have too much power, and the editor's suggestions have no binding force, so we can only watch helplessly as they choose a dead end."

His idea made Kaiji Imai frown.

"But wasn't the battle between Shino Aburame and Kankuro quite exciting? Both sides used all their trump cards and ultimately perished together. It was just as exciting as the previous battles."

“Teacher, you still don’t understand,” the editor shrugged. “Readers want to see the main characters fight, whether it’s Naruto, Sasuke, or even the villain Gaara. They just don’t want the supporting characters. Shino Aburame and Kankuro aren’t even in the top twenty in popularity rankings; how could they possibly generate the high popularity of *Naruto*?”

"That's why I say that from the very beginning, Oikawa-sensei's choice was wrong."

……

At the end of 1973, Fushimikawa received issue number 48 of Weekly Shonen Future, which was also the last issue of the year.

Next, there will be a week-long break after the New Year, allowing comic artists to finally catch their breath.

Snowflakes were falling outside the window, and the air conditioning in the studio was on full blast, making it warm and cozy. Wearing only a wool sweater, Fushimikawa was drinking coffee and reading a comic book.

"How was it?" Ueda Eiko asked expectantly when she noticed him put down the magazine.

"Take a look," Fushimikawa said, handing over the sample copy with a hint of helplessness in his heart.

"This guy, even though his work is finished, doesn't want to go home. Instead, he stays in the studio just so he can see the future a day early. He's really determined."

"It's really interesting to watch Touch and Black Jack this week."

The score between Meisei High School, where Tatsuya plays, and Seinan High School remains 0-0, forcing the game to be extended to the eleventh inning.

Mingqing still failed to score.

The pressure came on Tatsuya.

Due to his lack of experience and the heavy rain, Tatsuya's stamina was rapidly depleted. His high-speed fastball was thrown too high and was ruled a bad ball, resulting in Meisei losing the game.

His opponent, Nishimura, let the ball go and didn't dare to hit it; he had lost his confidence.

Although Tatsuya lost, his strength has already shown readers that Koshien is not an unattainable dream.

Although Tatsuya's efforts did not lead to victory, they did earn him a turnaround in public opinion, gaining him recognition and sympathy from readers.

This reminded Fushimikawa of the exchange match where Shohoku lost to Ryonan. Great works always have commonalities, leaving people with both regret and anticipation.

"It's a fantastic story; no wonder Touch is considered a masterpiece."

Not only Touch, but Black Jack is also incredibly captivating.

Osamu Tezuka is becoming more and more skilled at drawing, and his latest chapter, titled "The Woman Who Sinks into the Water," tells a sad story.

The story is based on Minamata disease, one of Japan's major environmental problems. Industrial wastewater discharged by companies caused residents near March Bay to contract a strange disease that caused abnormalities in their joints, rendering them unable to move and eventually leading to death.

Osamu Tezuka did not limit himself to this, but used it as a backdrop to tell a sad love story.

Ama (female diver) Tsukiko falls in love with Black Jack, who treats her, and sets out to find the blue pearl that symbolizes their love.

Because she has no household registration, she cannot receive any assistance.

Despite her tenacious survival, Yuezi eventually sank to the bottom of the sea in March Bay due to society's indifference towards marginalized groups.

When doctors performed an autopsy, they discovered that the blue pearl was hidden inside her body.

Black Jack took it back with him, and with it, he took Yuezi's love.

The comic creates a wonderful atmosphere that is unforgettable.

Fushimikawa never expected that Osamu Tezuka was also skilled at drawing love stories.

No wonder he created the first shoujo manga.

Touch and Black Jack are both formidable, and neither of them should be underestimated.

However, after reading both manga, Eiko Ueda looked up at Fushimikawa and said firmly, "Naruto will definitely be number one."

“Yes,” Fushimikawa nodded, “that’s what I think too.”

……

Sasuke caught up with Gaara, while the Third Hokage, along with his disciple Orochimaru, who had ambushed and killed the Kazekage and then impersonated him to approach him, clashed with him.

"The Third Generation, that is, you, are going to die here."

Matsumoto bought the manga with a glimmer of hope, only to find a pre-battle dialogue between Naruto and the mastermind behind the scenes, which left him somewhat disappointed.

"This plot is so boring."

"what?"

He quickly changed his mind.

The shuriken pierced his palm, and blood dripped to the ground.

The injured person was not the Third Hokage who had been kidnapped, but Orochimaru.

He severed his feelings for his teacher through self-harm.

This also proves that this battle will inevitably be a fight to the death, with no room for compromise.

"Earth escapes, earth flows into the great river."