77. Lady of the Other Shore

Shikamaru naturally started chatting with his peer, while Choji cheerfully waved his bag of chips and greeted.

"Yo~ What's up, Kiba~"

"Haha~ There's nothing this great me can't handle! Bring it on~!"

Hands on his hips, Kiba laughed triumphantly, completely unaware of how difficult the work here was. Meanwhile, Hinata, sitting up high, frowned slightly—she had suddenly realized a serious problem.

There was no doubt that the canine demon role she had planned was meant to be visually appealing. But beyond appearance, the essence and style of the character were even more important. And judging from Kiba's current demeanor… could this hot-blooded idiot, just like Naruto in the original, really play this role properly?

"Alright, Kiba. The task isn't hard. It's just using a Transformation Jutsu to perform some specific acting~~ If you're confident, go ahead and follow my instructions for the transformation."

Hinata's slightly concerned tone made Kiba pause and respond instinctively. This was largely due to the 100,000-yen check that had been included in the letter sent to the Inuzuka household the day before. Alarmed, Kiba's family—who included Jōnin-level members of the village—had done some digging and more or less figured out Hinata's group's activities. Only then did they allow Kiba to come.

Before he left home, Kiba's mom had tugged his ear and repeatedly reminded him to behave respectfully—especially toward Hinata. After all, she understood better than anyone that Hinata's group was made up almost entirely of children from noble families. And Hinata herself was quickly becoming a major figure in the village. The Konoha Publishing House might be officially backed by Asuma and other Jōnin, but without Hinata, the whole operation wouldn't survive.

This group was, essentially, the prototype of the next generation's power faction in Konoha. From his mother's point of view, Kiba being invited was both an honor and a matter to be taken seriously.

"Oh~! No problem! My Transformation Jutsu is at least passing! Just tell me what to do!"

Though a bit dismissive of his mom's warnings, Kiba loved to show off. He puffed out his chest proudly, and Akamaru barked in sync from his head, as if cheering him on.

"Great~ Now, follow my commands:

First, a tall 180 cm frame.

Then, long silver-white hair down to the waist.

A kimono with white base and red-edged diamond patterns.

Black boots and white balloon pants.

Over the top, a jagged samurai armor vest.

Right~ now golden eyes, with two purple demon markings on each cheek~ Mm~~"

After Kiba transformed as instructed, Hinata smoothly drew a decorative katana from the stand beside her and tossed it to him:

"Wear this on your waist. Perfect~~ Excellent~"

Indeed, when it came to noble and elegant canine demons in anime across the entire History, Sesshōmaru was undoubtedly the most iconic. Kiba's transformation Jutsu was at least passable, and he successfully fulfilled Hinata's vision.

"Hmm~~ That look actually turned out surprisingly well~"

Ino, her eyes sparkling, held her face in her hands. As a girl who adored beautiful things, Sesshōmaru's aesthetic clearly impressed her.

"Hey, hey? That's it? That was too easy!"

Kiba, pleased with the praise, got a bit carried away and slung the katana over his shoulder:

"How's this pose~?"

"..."

Silence. No doubt, Kiba's arrogant smirk and roguish stance completely shattered the character's cold, aloof aura, replacing it with something... bizarre.

"To be honest, you looked like a noble young master just now. Now you look like a bandit boss..."

Hinata, her expression darkening, nodded grimly. She had just confirmed: while Transformation Jutsu could alter physical appearance, it couldn't change a person's aura. And Kiba's current katana-slinging pose reminded her of another character—visually similar, but with a totally different vibe.

"No choice~ In that case, keep transforming. Hmm, this time:

Change the white kimono to solid red.

Make your face rounder.

Remove the facial markings and the boots.

Add a pair of dog ears on top.

Reveal your little fangs at the mouth—GOOD~"

At last, Hinata was satisfied. Kiba, still holding the katana, asked confusedly:

"Wait, so I'm supposed to be like this?"

"Yep~ Your aura definitely fits this version better. No problem, I'll just revise the script~~

Oh, and remember your character's name: Inuyasha.

You're both from the 'Inu' (dog) clan after all~"

Without even looking up, Hinata scribbled notes into her script. Everyone around nodded in agreement. Kiba's energy definitely fit better with this red-robed goofball persona.

"Whew~ So now that the new character is settled, I'm off the hook, right?"

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Kakashi tried his best to get a yes from Hinata, who was busy writing. But she shook her head and pointed at him with her pen.

"No. You're not off the hook.

You have a role too."

"That white creature—you're playing it."

---

Fox Whisper Chronicle – Act 6: "Pain of Samsara"

[If Master can save Qin's beloved Lord Lin, Qing is willing to pay a million to help fund your institute.]

Under the old mansion gate, Princess Qin looked earnestly at the man in front of her—the most famous yet low-key onmyoji in Kyoto, Mikage Yoru. The young man's face always carried a calm indifference, his serene eyes gazing out through the reflection of a handheld mirror.

[Princess Qin need not worry. Master Lin's fate has not reached its end. This ordeal will pass.]

His tone was serene, his expression indifferent—like the sunset on the horizon, unshaken by the world's chaos.

[That's good to hear. But Master, may I ask—what exactly is harming Lord Lin? So I may protect him.]

Though Qin was relieved, her voice shifted subtly. Her fiancé was a flirt. Though she loved him deeply, she couldn't tolerate his philandering. Her woman's intuition told her something was off.

The young onmyoji said nothing. But the Princess insisted, unwilling to drop the matter.

After all, onmyoji were bound by a family rule: they must never lie.

The noble princess gestured. Several chests of money were brought in. Seeing this, Mikage Yoru bowed slightly, then sighed.

[Very well. Perhaps this too is fate. Please, follow me.]

Inside the long corridor, walls hung with terrifying paintings of gods and demons, Mikage Yoru led Qin into his home. In the central hall, only a strange ink painting hung on the far wall.

[ROAR!]

Suddenly, a lion jumped from the painting. All around, the drawings seemed to come to life. Countless monstrous figures peered out, howling. Qingji's face went pale, but Yoru calmly bowed:

[Apologies for troubling you again, Art Princess.]

The central painting showed a woman, lifelike as if she might walk out any second—and she did. Known as the Art Princess, she was a demon formed from an enchanted painting. Her ghostly pale skin and dark eyes gave her an otherworldly presence.

[So much suffering in the world. Why must mortals insist on their ways?]

She stepped from the painting, her ethereal voice lingering in the air.

[I need to know what spirit haunts my fiancé. How do I protect him?]

Qin, moved by love, asked with resolve. The Art Princess shook her head gently.

[You're mistaken... You only know this life. But to others, you may be the newcomer...]

As her sleeves fluttered, a blank scroll floated behind her. Slowly, an image formed—

A soul, looking exactly like Lin, walked along the River of Forgetfulness. He paused to pick a black flower straining toward the river. The soul spoke:

[I know all souls must forget their past to be reborn. But to forget the one I once loved… that is unbearable.

Just as you were born here without choice, now I'll help you leave. May you not be shackled by samsara like me.]

He dropped the flower into the river. Washed by the current, it became a woman—reborn into this world, carrying the soul's wish.

She came to find Lin and repay the kindness.

[Thus, the origin of the Lady of the Other Shore—a flower from the River of Forgetfulness, saved by Lin's past self. She now comes to take him away from this world.]

---

"Ah… A black flower yearning to escape the River of the Dead? What an admirable spirit~ Hmm~!"

Deidara was enthusiastically flipping through the new volume, clearly satisfied that the Lady of the Other Shore's origins had finally been explained. A beautiful metaphor: a flower unwilling to stay beside the dead river, freed by a soul who loved too deeply.

"Yeah yeah~ There'll always be people trying to escape the system~"

Kisame, leaning against Samehada, sighed thoughtfully. Thanks to a secret contact method with Hinata, the new Fox's Tales Chronicle arrived with ten volumes—one for each Akatsuki member.

---

I am very bad with name 📛.