I'm Inside Naruto Manga

"Naruto-nii, goodbye-"

"Inari, you must continue to live bravely! Goodbye!"

Underneath the magnificent newly constructed bridge, a small boat slowly drifted away. The silhouettes of the people bidding farewell on the bridge became blurry in the distance. Naruto was still dramatically waving goodbye at the stern of the boat, tears streaming down his face. Logan shook his head with a smile, thinking about the grand and practical bridge overhead, now imbued with deeper significance after all that had happened.

'The Great Naruto Bridge...'

'The young boy in front of me will one day become a big figure in maintaining the entire Shinobi World.'

'Should I praise Dazuna for his sharp insight? He managed to invest in such a great 'stock' in advance...'

Kakashi was dozing off at the bow of the boat, while Sasuke and Sakura engaged in their tiresome game of 'I'm secretly watching you' and 'I'm coldly ignoring you' again.

After the final battle, the people of this small country had rekindled their courage and hope, and Gato's forces had been obliterated. With the end of the tortuous escort mission, Team 7 was finally heading back to Konoha.

As the boat sailed away from the bridge, the outline of the shore became faintly visible. Memories of Zabuza and Haku's departure surfaced in Logan's mind. They had left without saying much, one tall and one short figure wrapped in traveling cloaks, walking together down a quiet country path. This battle had set them on a different path, where snowflakes accompanied their acts of slaughter, forming an oddly fitting duo.

With this chapter closing, another story continued. Logan's mood had improved with his recovery, but reality brought an event he both anticipated and dreaded.

Early October's holiday was a salvation for overworked employees. Travel turned into sardine-packed chaos, while those lounging in the cool air-conditioned comfort at home enjoyed their break. Early in the morning, Logan was awakened by David, who dragged him off to the planned Manga Convention Trip.

…

"Uncle, Auntie, sorry for bothering you..."

"Not at all, it's just that Logan is too lazy. You young people planned a trip to Los Angeles, and you even had to come to our house to get him."

"Oh, it's no trouble."

"But it's good for you to go out and see the world. Logan staying at home all day, watching anime online, what kind of behavior is that for a grown man!"

"Haha, you're right..."

As Logan's mom, Amanda, began the typical parental lecture, David agreed on the surface, but in his heart, he was complaining, 'We're going to see 'live-action cartoon', and the essence of being an otaku has not changed at all!'

Of course, he can't tell them that the real reason for going to Los Angeles this time was to attend the manga convention, otherwise, it would cause more trouble.

While they were chatting in the living room, someone slowly walked down the stairs. It was Logan.

He lazily greeted David, "Good morning, David."

David immediately started winking and making faces at Logan.

Understanding his friend's hint, Logan used the excuse of a tight schedule due to their booked tickets. After a brief conversation and some quick preparations, Logan and David left the house, heading to the station.

"Phew, we're finally out." After getting on the bus and feeling the air-conditioning, David sat down on the empty seat in the back of the bus and breathed a sigh of relief, "Talking to adults is exhausting. The 2D world is so much purer and more beautiful."

Logan sat next to him and rolled his eyes when he heard this, "Last night, I watched your intense booth exhibition analysis that filled the screen. I can feel your excitement about this purchase through the screen. [Beep— —]'s excitement, is this what that your idea of pure and beautiful?"

David coughed awkwardly and pretended to be dignified, "What are you talking about, Logan? This... [beep—] is [beep——], Pure and beautiful is pure and beautiful. How can they be mixed?"

Logan curled his lips and looked out the window at the sun-scorched landscape, choosing not to continue the debate with his friend.

"By the way, Logan." David suddenly looked at Logan strangely, "Are you really going to the Los Angeles Manga Con dressed like that?"

"What's wrong with it?" Logan took a look at the clothes he was wearing. There was nothing unusual about them, just a plain T-shirt, capri pants, flat shoes, and a crossbody bag. Though crossbody bags might already be out of fashion, he wasn't going there to pick up girls.

The expression of 'I feel sorry for you' appeared on David's face, "This year's seventh Los Angeles Manga Con is massive as usual. You'll see some rare doujin circles, dark-themed works, and some cult favorite creators... Never mind, you wouldn't get it since you're an outsider. But it's huge, really huge. There will be tons of stuff, and getting your hands on new works will be a tough battle!"

David glanced at Logan's crossbody bag with disgust, "Are you really going there with a winning attitude?"

As if to say, 'You're such a shame, you should quit the group'. Logan was speechless for a while, and then, he took a good look at David's gear: a sturdy backpack comparable to a hiking bag, clothes with multiple pockets, a DSLR camera around his neck, and sneakers...

Logan thought for a moment, 'Indeed, David's outfit really screamed professionalism. He was a well-qualified insider. Well… While the meticulous preparation for something he loved was admirable, didn't it also make him look like, well, a bit of an otaku?'

Logan was no longer the young boy he used to be. He approached the rare big gatherings of the ACG community with a more casual mindset, more like a relaxing trip. He didn't mind David's exaggerated tone. After all, they were long-time best friends. Beneath the teasing was David's genuine excitement about attending the convention.

For those who felt disconnected from the mainstream, yearning for a voice and creating their own space, ACG culture enthusiasts of all ages gathered from all over the country. It was a short-lived fairytale.

In the sweltering October heat of the South, the bus arrived at the station. They retrieved their pre-booked tickets, and after a short wait, they boarded the bus to Los Angeles amid the crowd, following the announcements.

"Where are your fellow otakus?" As the bus smoothly cruised onto the highway, Logan casually asked David, "Didn't you say that this Manga Exhibition is your second offline gathering?"

"Oh, since everyone's schedules are different, we agreed to meet up in Los Angeles and move around together." The car ride was boring, so David took out a Switch and prepared to play games.

"I see." Logan nodded. They had actually left after the con had started in the morning. However, the seventh Los Angeles Manga Convention lasted three days. According to David's preliminary plan, their main activities for the afternoon and the next day were to roam around the massive venue spanning several blocks.

The works they wanted to get and special screenings they wanted to see wouldn't all happen on the same day, plus the crowds and long queues... Even though the con lasted three days, it would take a lot of time to fully enjoy it.

"How should I address them? It feels a bit awkward."

"Don't worry, everyone's nice, and there are only three of them, so it won't be overwhelming." David reassured Logan and said, "Oh, let me add you to the group first."