Chapter 164 The Official Naruto Exhibition Area

On the second day of the Los Angeles Manga Exhibition, the heat had slightly subsided. Large white clouds floated in the sky, signaling the gradual end of the relentless summer heat. A hint of coolness began to emerge, suggesting the brief return of autumn's presence before the northern cold air would make the city damp and chilly once more.

"Hey, Logan, why aren't you wearing your Ninja forehead protector? It's such a cool accessory."

"Don't be shy. Look, so many people are wearing theirs as they head to the official exhibition area..."

Logan had a little black line on his forehead as he listened to David's constant persuasions.

'Please, do you think I need you to tell me if I want to wear this thing?' He glanced at the forehead protector David gave him when they first arrived in Los Angeles. The forehead protector, which was only decorated with the logo of Konoha on the thin iron sheet, made him stressed out. He sighed, 'Although I wore it every day in the Ninja World, why did it feel particularly awkward as soon as I arrived here?'

"Forget it, When we get there, the staff will probably make you wear it anyway." David gave up on persuading him and got distracted by something else. Pointing excitedly, he said, "Wow, there's another Kakashi cosplayer!"

"Oh, he's so handsome." Needless to say, with Kakashi's popularity, Sophia, who is a fan of good looks, was instantly enamored despite not knowing the plot well. She holds her hands on her chest and looks like a little fangirl.

Julia shook her head and looked around for potential cosplay pairs, and then looked disappointed, "It seems that there aren't any CP pairings. What a pity..."

Logan glanced at the middle school girl. Well, he was already used to it.

In the morning, Logan had accompanied David to queue up and buy a few games. By the time they finished, it was almost noon. The fan group gathered outside the venue for lunch, which was surprisingly expensive. After a brief rest, they headed to the main area, where various companies and signing booths were set up.

The booths varied in size. The one Logan and his group aimed to visit was the large official Naruto exhibition booth. After a major US tech company acquired the rights to this series, they spared no expense in promoting it. With the first episode of the anime premiere and the Japanese collaborators announcing exciting new projects. By the time they arrived, there were already a lot of fans who came here.

Popular works attract large fanbases. The fan group was not surprised by the sea of people and obediently joined the queue.

What's the most awkward thing for someone cosplaying a character from a series at a con? Well, that would be running into someone else cosplaying the same character.

"The one over there wearing an ANBU mask...is he cosplaying Hattori?" Nicholas pointed out as they queued up, gesturing towards the exhibition area.

Logan's heart skipped a beat. He had seen several people cosplaying Hattori near the Naruto exhibition area but had kept silent. He glanced over at the person mimicking him.

"It must be Hattori. In Sasuke's flashback during the Land of Waves arc, Hattori appears in ANBU attire." David confidently analyzed, then pulled out his phone to take a picture from afar, "It can't be just a random supporting character, like those standing on the tree trunk in the background at the end of the plot of the Scroll of Seals."

Logan opened his mouth but didn't know where to start his rant. He looked at 'Hattori', who was surrounded by passers-by within a few steps of entering the venue. He felt complicated, especially when there were several cute girls watching and taking pictures, he felt even more complicated.

'It should have been me...'

The imposter, who had a great time taking photos with the girls, adjusted the mask on his face, looked for direction, and actually started walking towards the booth where the queue was.

The fake Hattori ended up behind the fan club in line. He had a good figure, tall and lean, accompanied by a girl carrying his bag.

Logan couldn't help but notice how the imposter kept striking cool poses, clearly carrying a heavy sense of self-importance. He couldn't help but smirked, and thought, 'What a great person. He always wears a mask when walking and still doesn't take it off. Are you not feeling hot?'

"Friend, do you want to take a photo or a group photo?"

Unexpectedly, the fake Hattori noticed Logan's constant glances, so he kindly offered, his voice was gentle and magnetic.

'What the heck?'

Logan was furious, 'Do I still need to take a photo with you? If you have the ability, take off that plastic mask and have a real comparison. I really want to see if you can be the real Hattori. I had seen my own face in selfies enough to be sick of it!'

Perhaps the fake Hattori felt a little hot, so he took off his mask and revealed the face of a winner in life.

"..."

Julia and Sophia's eyes lit up at the same time, and they took out their phones and shyly asked for a photo.

David and Nicholas felt a pang of jealousy upon seeing this, but fortunately, their attention quickly as the queue started moving as the exhibition activities began.

Thanks to their prior planning, entering the venue went smoothly. However, when it was Logan's turn, there was a small hiccup.

" Sir, you should wear this Ninja forehead protector." The inspecting girl smiled and pointed to the Kirigakure forehead protector tied to her forehead, "According to the rules, only guests wearing the forehead protectors receive gifts and are qualified for the interactive activities?"

The fan group all turned to look at Logan, who was still awkwardly holding his forehead protector. At this time, they had already put on their respective headbands from different ninja villages, and their eyes conveyed a single message as they looked at Logan.

'You see, we've already embraced our inner Otaku. You can't escape it!'

With no choice, Logan sighed inwardly, and in full view of everyone, he picked up the forehead protector, repeated the actions he had done countless times, put it on, tied it up, and completed the movements in one fluid motion.

He quickly passed through the entrance and greeted his friends, who still didn't react, "Let's go."

The inspecting girl also came back to her senses and looked away, "N-next guest!"

'It's strange, this person's movements are so skilled... There is no stagnation at all, unlike ordinary people who have never worn it before. He obviously said no, but had actually practiced it many times secretly? He is definitely an Otaku.'

After entering the venue, more than half of the people who came and went were wearing various kinds of forehead protectors, giving Logan a surreal feeling. Fortunately, the 'Ninjas' here were weak, their steps were sloppy, and their movements were not precise. The casual clothes of the two societies were also very different, but this semi-compulsory action seemed to have helped fans overcome their embarrassment, creating an excellent experience.

Logan looked at the prominent stage in the center, where a few people were still setting up. A huge poster displayed the event schedule and the performance lineup.

Scanning the Japanese names at the top, Logan thought back to his research the night before. Logan didn't do anything too outrageous. He just took a look at the composition of the local members sent by the Japanese's Manga Company.

'The original author certainly wouldn't be here, as the series was still ongoing.' Logan is not disappointed. Getting some internal information about the Manga Artists as a reference was already good enough. After all, he always planned to visit Japan someday.