NOVEL NEXT Chapter 29: Chapter 29 : Question
"A year ago, when tensions between the Great Shinobi Villages were at their peak, the leader of Amegakure, Hanzo of the Salamander, emerged as a new force and waged war against the Land of Iron, Sunagakure, and Konohagakure in succession.
Under Hanzo's command, Amegakure's forces took nearly half a year to seize control of almost half of the Land of Iron's territory. His overwhelming victory cemented his reputation as a legend on the battlefield.
After establishing himself as a dominant force, Hanzo turned his attention to Sunagakure.
However, his deadly poisons, which had previously wreaked havoc, were countered by Chiyo of the Hidden Sand.
This unexpected setback forced Hanzo to retreat, as Amegakure lacked the sheer military power to overpower Sunagakure completely.
Now, Hanzo has turned his sights back on us.
At the same time, Sunagakure has been launching skirmishes against Konoha's border forces.
While other villages are caught up in their own conflicts, Konoha has not yet been directly targeted by them.
Shin-kun, the battlefield we're heading to is likely Amegakure. They're sending Lady Tsunade in a rush—I'm afraid Hanzo's poisons have already taken a severe toll on Konoha's forces at the frontlines.
I'll most likely be serving as a medical-nin, which means I won't be in too much life-threatening danger.
But you, Shin-kun… you'll definitely be deployed to the frontlines, so you have to be careful!"
Uchiha Mikoto explained the current war situation to Uchiha Shin, analyzing the shifting allegiances and risks. More than anything, her concern was for him.
Even though she knew Uchiha Shin was strong, she couldn't help but worry. Worrying about him didn't require a reason—it was simply how she felt.
Uchiha Shin, who had already gathered some intelligence about the war, listened carefully. After Mikoto finished speaking, he nodded at her and responded seriously, "Don't worry, Mikoto. I won't die. You can be sure of that. Just wait for me to come back."
His gaze flicked toward the bathroom for a moment before he smirked at Mikoto.
She immediately caught his meaning, her face flushing slightly, but she still nodded seriously.
After a brief discussion, they left Kanako behind to look after the house and set off together.
Upon reaching their destination, they spotted Tsunade, dressed in her standard Konoha shinobi attire.
Her usual revealing outfits were replaced by a proper jonin uniform—sleeveless vest, mesh armor, and arm guards.
However, even with the shinobi attire covering her, her impressive curves were impossible to conceal.
Shin immediately noticed something seemed different about her today.
"…They're smaller. Did she bind them down, or is she using some kind of armor plate?"
His eyes instinctively lingered on Tsunade for a moment, his thoughts wandering.
Sensing his gaze, Tsunade quickly turned her head away, biting her lower lip.
A faint blush dusted her normally fair skin.
Shin had changed too much in the past two years. He was no longer a scrawny twelve-year-old brat.
Even though Tsunade had never actually compared men's physiques in detail, she was confident that Shin's build had developed into something beyond the normal standards of his age.
It was as if he was physically compensating for his already monstrous chakra reserves.
It was all because of his absurd rate of growth. The last time they drank together, things had almost gotten out of control.
She still hadn't had a boyfriend before. She had been suppressing herself for so long… and now, the consequences of that were clear.
This can't get out. If anyone found out, I'd definitely be arrested for "corrupting a minor"!
She absentmindedly touched her lips with her fingertips, still feeling some residual heat.
Uchiha Mikoto, standing nearby, caught onto something. There was a different kind of tension in the air when Tsunade and Shin locked eyes.
However, she didn't dwell on it too much. Instead, she cleared her throat and spoke softly, "Lady Tsunade… shouldn't we get moving?"
"Oh—! R-Right, let's go! The squad is waiting at the village gate!" Tsunade blurted out, quickly regaining her composure.
She stole glances at Uchiha Shin as she began explaining the upcoming mission.
Just as Mikoto had predicted, their destination was indeed Amegakure.
Sunagakure was currently engaging Konoha's forces, but that battlefield was being handled by none other than the infamous "Konoha's White Fang," Hatake Sakumo.
As a result, Konoha's legendary trio—Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade—were assigned to Amegakure's frontlines. Their mission was to repel Hanzo's forces before regrouping with Hatake Sakumo to counter Sunagakure.
Sakumo's sword techniques were particularly effective against Sunagakure's puppet-based combat style.
Meanwhile, Tsunade, as Konoha's foremost medical-nin, was critical in developing a countermeasure against Hanzo's deadly poisons.
The Third Hokage's strategy relied heavily on each battlefield neutralizing the enemy's strengths. Theoretically, this approach was the safest course of action.
However, Uchiha Shin knew something that the Third Hokage did not.
They were underestimating Hanzo of the Salamander.
Right now, the shinobi world wasn't yet at the stage where Kage-level fighters were treated as common foot soldiers, and "Super Kage" warriors ran rampant.
However, Hanzo was one of the rare individuals capable of single-handedly shifting the tide of an entire war.
"…That poison of his is a game-changer."
Understanding the future course of events, Shin started contemplating how he could maximize his own gains while ensuring the safety of Mikoto, Tsunade, and himself.
With that in mind, he moved closer to Tsunade and subtly hooked his pinky around hers.
Tsunade, who had been walking with the main group, stiffened for a moment before shooting him a side-eye glare filled with affection.
"We're heading to the frontlines, you idiot," she muttered under her breath. "Now's not the time for this."
Despite her words, she didn't pull her hand away.
Shin chuckled but quickly got to the real reason he approached her.
"Tsunade, how's your progress on the Strength of a Hundred Seal?"
"Oh—that." Tsunade visibly relaxed.
When she had escorted members of the Uzumaki Clan in the past, she had received some invaluable sealing techniques from them.
Though she wasn't able to master high-level Uzumaki techniques like the Adamantine Sealing Chains, she had taken inspiration from their knowledge.
With Shin's guidance, she refined her Yin Seal development considerably.
She lifted her forehead protector slightly, revealing the diamond-shaped mark on her forehead.
"It's nearly complete. There are just a few minor adjustments left to stabilize chakra output."
Shin nodded. "That's good. As long as you can control the output frequency and maintain chakra storage efficiency, you'll be able to keep your body in peak condition for extended battles."
Hearing his approval, Tsunade couldn't help but smile slightly.
After all, she had always valued his insights.
--------------
A Question
---
Hey guys, I have a doubt.
I've noticed that many authors on Patreon offer advanced chapters for their novels. For example, some authors provide 30 chapters for $12, 60 chapters for $25, and 90–100 chapters for $38–$40. But here's what I don't get:
Why don't they just post the entire completed novel on Patreon for a fixed price?
Let's say a novel has 230 chapters. And 30 public chapter so private chapter are 200 chapters
If an author releases 100 advanced chapters for $40 in one month, then adds 30 extra chapters each following month, it would take about five months to release the full novel, meaning readers end up paying around $200 in total.
Instead of stretching it out like this, why don't they just sell the complete 200-chapter novel at once for a single price?
Why do they keep dragging it out with cliffhangers instead of letting readers buy and read the entire thing upfront? Is there a specific reason behind this strategy?
If an author offers 100 advanced chapters for $40, that means $40 = 100 chapters in one month.
After that, they release 30 extra chapters per month for the next four months:
Month 2: 130 chapters total
Month 3: 160 chapters total
Month 4: 190 chapters total
Month 5: 200 chapters complete
If someone continues subscribing at $40 per month, the total cost for all 200 chapters over 5 months would be $40 × 5 = $200.
So reality, it takes five months, meaning the total cost is $200.
Is this because people wouldn't pay a large amount upfront to read the entire novel, but they're more willing to pay a monthly subscription to read a little at a time?
Would love to hear your thoughts!