Overcoming Fear

Masashi walked out the door, but he suddenly forgot that he needed to take his banner with him.

He quickly went back in to grab it and put it in a small sealing scroll and headed back out.

The upside is that the cutouts practically took no chakra considering how small and simple it is, so he was able to make them for each manga, but it was only 19 new ones anyway.

'Let's run inventory.' Masashi mentally counted his manga.

Volume 1: 27 copies

Volume 1 Colored: 9 copies

Volume 2: 10 copies

Volume 2 Colored: 10 copies

His head sank down in depression. Those were pathetic numbers, but he soothed himself knowing that he only had time to make 9 before opening up his stand. That means he can make around 51 more, but that's only if his chakra reserves don't recover, which is impossible so he can probably squeeze out more during the day.

Masashi was excited to show off the second volume today. Tanjiro gets his blade, the epic crow, the fight with the pedo demon, meeting Muzan, Tamayo, Yushiro, needing high-level demon blood, and the beginning of the fight with Susamaru and Yahaba. They also learn of the Twelve Kizuki thinking they are two of them.

He shakes his head. They won't know until the next volume that they're on fraud watch. It's not even their fault either. Muzan just likes fucking with people.

Now he is pulling up to the street and walks to his stall.

Masashi isn't surprised about who shows up.

Boruto and Shikadai.

'Are they conjoined at the hip? Well, that is his best friend.' Masashi smiles and waves seeing that they are facing him.

"Hey, Masashi-onii-chan! You got them?!" Boruto exclaims with stars in his eyes.

Shikadai is nowhere near as loud but he also has a spark of interest.

"I do. Let me set up first." Masashi laughs before unbuckling his satchel and rummaging through the bag for the small scroll.

He finds it and unseals it, putting the empty scroll back, while hanging up his banner. Due to a lack of time, or he was just too focused on the manga, he forgot to put his company logo on it.

Boruto could hardly contain his excitement as he waited.

Masashi emptied his bag and unsealed all his volumes. From left to right from Boruto's point of view was Volume 1, Volume 1 Colored, Volume 2, Volume 2 Colored. He didn't make any extra cutouts to prop up in between the manga this time. That could be done once he deals with these two first.

Putting the empty storage scrolls away in his satchel, he looked at the two boys. He wasn't exactly surprised when he saw both of them with the new volume in hand already.

"Wow! Who's this guy in the hat? His sword also looks new!" Boruto began ranting and even Shikadai looks like he's analyzing the cover.

The pony-haired kid's eyes widened.

"His eyes are slitted." Shikadai spotted and Boruto looked closer.

"You're right! He's on the cover, so he's probably important. He's definitely a demon!" Boruto nodded multiple times before looking up at Masashi. "It's 1500ryo for colored, right?"

The teenager in question nodded.

"Yeah. 1500 for colored for either volume and the regular is still 1000." He informed the boy as he probably could've charged more, but he needed more customers than anything.

He thinks back to his earlier concern as holds back a sigh.

'I need customers but I also cannot keep up the demand for long.' He hated the conundrum but he'll have to live with it.

Boruto grabbed 3 volumes: Volume 1: Colored, Volume 2, Volume 2 Colored.

Masashi's lip twitched.

'Are you rich or something?' He could hardly believe what he's seeing, although that did remind him of something earlier at the burger place.

He saw a Naruto cup when he ordered a soda, but he finally made the connection. Does Naruto get a percentage of that? He's also been to Ichiraku's and knows that Ayame is quite proud and honest, so she probably wouldn't accept Naruto endorsing the place without giving him something in return.

Those are the only things he knows about, so there could be more.

'Seems like that would explain why he can just spend without much worry, but I'm sure he has a limited allowance. I doubt Naruto and Hinata would just let him carry around tons of money.' Masashi knew Boruto would just keep purchasing more and more manga if that was the case.

That brings an idea to the surface.

'Denki should be pretty rich, right?' He wondered as his father was the CEO of the Kaminarimon Company. The man built the Thunder Train, so he must be rolling in cash. Perhaps he could bait him in, but that'd probably have to wait until he has his own shop.

However, he did remember a bit of trivia that he takes regular strolls around the village for new ideas.

He sincerely thanked his previous self for spending an unreasonable amount of time on various fandoms' wikis.

Maybe he could come by? He hopes so. The man really couldn't offer him anything outside of money for future shops and perhaps advertising. That's not enough for him to give shares of his company. Most of the money would be tied up in EC anyway.

Boruto handed him 4000 ryo.

Shikadai on the other hand didn't go overboard like his friend and just bought the colored second volume for 1500ryo.

"Thanks, Masashi-onii-san! Come on, Shikadai!" Boruto ran off, presumably to his house.

His friend just followed after him.

"Hey, wasn't the Hokage's kid here yesterday too?"

"He went to the same stand."

"My cousin brought home one of those books and loved it."

Masashi quickly summoned his laptop and printed out a few folded cards for the prices. He hid it and quite a few people came over.

Boruto is truly the best advertisement there is right now.

He laughs to himself.

After 15 minutes, he sold off about 15 copies. Over half of those were the colored manga. He only had 6 for the first, and 5 for the second volume. His supply is dropping.

Masashi smiles and sits down to create more volumes before he runs out. The colored ones are quite popular after all.

+=[ES]=+

Boruto made it back to his house with Shikadai and kicked off the shoes inside.

"Hey, kaa-chan! I'll be upstairs with Shikadai!" He called out to her from the hallway.

Hinata, who was lying on the couch, had a feeling of where he went.

"Did you buy more manga?" Hinata asked sighing. She didn't mind it as much anymore, but really hoped it would just be a short phase. Even if she, herself, liked the art.

"Yep! The second volume is out!" Boruto went up the stairs much more calmly than last time. 

"Make sure to properly store them next time!" Hinata made sure to never let Himawari see that again. If he didn't listen, then he'll be grounded until he graduates.

"Okay, kaa-chan!" Boruto made his way to his room with Shikadai.

When he entered the room, he was first surprised and then horrified. Shikadai also got a pit in his stomach at the sight and contemplated jumping out the window to escape the hell that was about to descend upon them.

It was Himawari sitting on Boruto's bed with the Demon Slayer manga. She seemed to be on the last page before closing the book.

"What are you doing in my room?!" Boruto whisper-shouted at her trying not to think about the possible trouble he'll be in.

He put it on the top shelf of his bookcase. How did she get up there?!

Himawari then smiled widely.

"I see why you like it. It's so cool!" Himawari cheered before being shushed by both Boruto and Shikadai.

They were stunned since hadn't she cried when reading it.

Why did she say it was cool?

Why is she even reading it at all?!

+=[ES]=+

2 hours ago

+=[ES]=+

Himawari was lying in bed. She knew her mother meant well in trying to make her feel better, but the scene didn't go away. 

She pretended to have forgotten about it since it made her mother happy, but she still couldn't stop thinking about it.

That day replayed multiple times in her head and she came to one conclusion.

The girl felt shame. She cried and screamed when Boruto and Shikadai were talking about it with excitement. One could say that it's completely normal for a 9-year-old to have that reaction, but she wasn't just some ordinary 9-year-old was she?

'Tou-chan is super strong and brave, but I…' She couldn't even handle a book and that made her want to cry.

She didn't even know if she wanted to be a shinobi like her mom and dad, but at the very least she wanted to be brave enough to read a comic book.

"Kaa-chan! I'm going out to see Shikadai!" She heard her brother's voice as the door opened and shut.

After contemplating and staring at the ceiling for the past hour, Himawari with a burst of courage and motivation, swept the blankets off of her when she heard the door close.

She will read it and find out why her brother likes it so much.

Himawari walked quietly and made it to Boruto's room. It was slightly open, so she slowly entered the room and shut it softly.

The girl began to look around and couldn't find it. She looked on the desk, in his drawers much to her horror, under the bed.

She looked at the bookshelf and couldn't see it, but then she looked up as there was a shelf she couldn't see due to her height. Grabbing the chair, she stands on it only to see that the book isn't there either.

Himawari was about to give up but noticed that she hadn't checked the very top. Steeling her nerves, she climbs onto the bookshelf and finally finds three copies of volume 1. She takes one and throws it on the bed so she can get down.

Slowly but surely she did it.

She sits on the bed and skips to the spot she started on. Her stomach does flips as she sees the scene again, but she grits her teeth and braces her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she turns the page.

More scenes of violence such as the demon at the temple, the scary traps, eventually finding out about the ghost kids, and final selection were all scary to her, but she smiled.

Tanjiro's kindness. Urokodaki not wanting Tanjiro to die so he gave him a much harder test. Sabito and Makomo hoped he would prevail against the demon.

She felt excited about the next volume.

Himawari conquered her fear and moved forward with pride.

"I see why you like it. It's so cool!"

+=[ES]=+

The older kids had dumbfounded looks on their faces.

"But…didn't you…?" Shikadai was at a loss for words.

Boruto wondered how she even reached the top of the shelf before realizing that it doesn't matter. He's dead either way if his mom finds out.

"I was scared but now I'm not!" Himawari eyed her brother and saw that he had the second volume. She smiled widely. "You have the next one?! Lemme see!"

Both of the boys hushed her again.

"No way! Kaa-chan will kill me!" Boruto completely denied it in a whispered tone.

"I won't tell. I promise." She lowered her voice reaching for a book.

Boruto backed away.

"I don't know…" Boruto looked unsure. Himawari isn't a liar but what if she gets caught?

Himawari smile changes and Boruto instantly recognizes it as does Shikadai.

"Okay. I'll go downstairs and tell kaa-chan about the cool book I read then." The cold smile remains as she gets up.

"Let's not be hasty! Here, take one!" Boruto completely forgetting to control his voice gives her the black and white one.

Boruto sat down with her as Shikadai was in the chair.

All three are excited and with no hesitation, read the first page.