"...This is...?"
When Shina Etsuha turned on his phone, the contact name "Sugar" immediately appeared on the screen. She was the editor for his manga uploads—the same girl who frequently called him to discuss story developments.
As soon as he answered, an excited voice burst through the speaker.
"Mr. Shina! Your new manga is blowing up online—the view count has exploded!"
"Oh? How popular are we talking?" Etsuha asked calmly.
The editor had said something similar when Akame ga Kill! ("Crimson Eyes") was first released. Back then, it only gained a niche following, barely reaching 100,000 readers even after monetization.
It wasn't that the story lacked impact—far from it. But Japan's population was limited, and in a world where most people were obsessed with Quirks, fewer readers gravitated toward darker, non-quirk-centric stories. It was an unavoidable reality.
"Extremely popular!" Sugar's voice trembled with excitement. "It's only been five chapters, and we've already passed 100,000 views! Bookmarks are over 30,000, and all the other metrics are skyrocketing. It's practically a phenomenon!"
There were only a handful of serialized manga that could surpass 100,000 views this quickly. It was safe to say that Etsuha's Naruto had already broken into mainstream popularity.
Hearing those numbers, Etsuha's eyes flickered.
That number mattered.
Ten thousand views unlocked a new tier of extraction rewards. One hundred thousand views… that was enough to obtain something truly valuable—like the cell remodeling agent he had been considering.
Originally, he had expected Naruto to gain traction slowly, perhaps only reaching that level after dozens of chapters. But unexpectedly, the ninja setting had resonated strongly with this world's audience.
His plans could now move forward ahead of schedule.
"Mr. Shina?" Sugar prompted when he remained silent too long.
"Ah. One hundred thousand views… it barely meets my expectations," Etsuha replied casually, clearly not dwelling on it. Then he asked, "Has the animation adaptation for Crimson Eyes been finalized?"
Turning a manga into an anime was a major step. Given Japan's limited market, expanding through animation—especially internationally—would bring enormous returns.
There was a brief hesitation on the other end.
"I… I'm very sorry, Mr. Shina," Sugar said carefully. "Some of the content in Crimson Eyes is considered too graphic. The investors haven't approved it yet… I truly apologize!"
Then she quickly added, trying to lighten the mood:
"But the editor-in-chief is very optimistic about adapting your new manga! If you maintain this quality, an anime deal for Naruto should be much easier!"
"...Alright. We'll put it on hold for now."
Etsuha sighed softly.
The brutal tone of Crimson Eyes was indeed a problem. In a hero-centric society, anything involving excessive death or graphic violence would inevitably face strict censorship.
Still, he knew that an anime adaptation would massively boost its influence. Unfortunately, even if publishers recognized its quality, no one was willing to take the risk.
After hanging up, Etsuha took a deep breath and headed toward U.A.'s library.
U.A.'s library was enormous, filled with countless books.
At a glance, Etsuha could see shelves packed with materials on Quirk theory and analysis—but that wasn't what he was here for.
He made his way directly to the manga section.
Before long, he found another popular series alongside Crimson Eyes.
"I finally found it… I Became Invincible by Copying Quirks."
This manga had debuted around the same time as his own. Although its popularity had been overshadowed by Etsuha's work, it still maintained a strong following.
More importantly—the gene remodeling agent he had been thinking about originated from this series.
Etsuha actually knew the author. The two had exchanged ideas before, even discussing ability concepts.
"And I remember suggesting the 'Soul Chaser' concept to him…" Etsuha murmured, placing a hand on the latest volume. "If he actually used it…"
He flipped through the pages.
The newest chapters unfolded in his mind.
The villain had consumed the gene remodeling agent, evolving further. His abilities had become terrifying—reattaching severed limbs without a trace, performing complex surgeries under local anesthesia, and even restoring fatal internal injuries.
It was essentially pseudo-immortality.
"He actually used it…"
Etsuha's expression sharpened.
The "Soul Chaser" concept came from another world—a character who had transcended the boundary between life and death itself. For the author to incorporate something like that… it exceeded his expectations.
"Can I extract it?"
A flicker of anticipation rose within him.
He attempted to draw out the ability—but the result was immediate.
Failure.
His current popularity wasn't enough.
"…So I'm limited to extracting the basic gene remodeling agent for now?"
Etsuha frowned slightly, unwilling to settle.
The story clearly indicated that even stronger abilities were on the horizon. If he rushed and extracted the current version, he might miss something far better.
He continued flipping through the manga.
Then suddenly—
A brand-new item appeared on the page.
Gene Enhancement Medicine—Type II: Healing Model!