Naruto 407

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Naruto
#407: A Message For Naruto
[side text: Frankly, compared to the pounding of my heart for that one special person... that silly code is nothing!!]

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[insert text: The decoding efforts continue...!!]
[sign: Cipher Department]
Shikamaru: You've just been dead silent this whole time... / There's gotta be something, right?
Naruto: M~~~m...
Shiho: ......
Shikamaru: I already tried asking the Fifth and Kakashi-sensei, but neither of them had any idea. // In other words, I have a feeling that Jiraiya-sama intended this code for you... / ......No, I'm sure of it.

3
Shikamaru: Something... there has to be something.
Shiho: If there's anything at all that catches your interest about it, then please, speak up... / We're not telling you to suddenly solve the whole code all by yourself.
Naruto: Well, there's one thing that's been bothering me ever since I first saw it...
Shikamaru: What's that?
Naruto: Well, I was just wondering why on Earth... / ...there's just one katakana stuck in the middle of all those numbers.
Shikamaru: Huh?
Shiho: Katakana?
Shikamaru: What are you talking about?!
Naruto: See - here.

4
Shikamaru: ...And how is that a katakana? // It's just the number 9, surely?
Naruto: Well, I thought that too, to begin with... / But this isn't a number "9". // It's a katakana "ta".
Shikamaru: Mmmm... // Well, now you say it, I can kind of see where you're coming from... but it's a bit of a stretch...
Shiho: ...... // (Could it be...?)

5
Shiho: Uzumaki-kun. / Could I ask you frankly... why do you think that this is a katakana "ta" rather than a number "9"?
Naruto: Well... Ero-sennin was always writing books and stuff... / ...well, he is an author... // ...and while I was with him all that time, he made me read quite a bit of his handwritten stuff... // He wanted my impressions. / Not that it was any good... // But yeah, his "ta" characters were always kind of hard to read... // I'm pretty sure they looked like a number "9"... / ...now I think about it...
Shiho: I see... a writing habit!
Shikamaru: So that's it...
Shiho: So it's like this...

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Shiho: When Jiraiya-sama writes the katakana "ta"... / ...He has a habit of making the first stroke unusually short, so it's practically linked up with the third stroke. // And then his second stroke curves around...
[Labels: Jiraiya-sama // Normal]
Shiho: And that's how the "ta" ends up looking like a "9". // Frankly, I think we could say that this fact... / ...is the common "key" shared by Jiraiya-sama and Uzumaki-kun!
Shikamaru: Why didn't you mention an important thing like that the second you spotted it?
Naruto: Well... so what it it's a "ta"? What does that even mean?

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Shikamaru: ...... // Well, let's see... // What about that book you were just talking about?!
Shiho: Th - that's it, Shikamaru-san! // I'm sure there must be some kind of hint buried in one of Jiraiya-sama's books! // The numbers probably refer to character numbers, line numbers, or page numbers... // I'm sure we're getting closer to solving this code!
Shikamaru: Naruto... is there anything special about the character "ta" with regard to Jiraiya-sama's books...?
Naruto: Uhh... let's see...
Shikamaru: Hm...! / How about this - how many books has Jiraiya-sama actually published in total?
Naruto: ...I'm not totally sure on this... about four or five?
Shikamaru: At any rate, let's investigate each one of them!

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Kakashi: I think this is the one you're looking for.
[book: Icha Icha Tactics]
Shikamaru: Icha Icha Tactics... // The "ta"!
Naruto: Kakashi-sensei!

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Kakashi: I was wondering how you were doing, so I dropped round, and I happened to hear what you were saying. // So yeah, I've heard what you figured out.
Naruto: ...But this is... / ...the book Ero-sennin was writing while I was out training with him...
Shikamaru: You're probably the only one who would've spotted it. / I guess this code really was something Jiraiya-sama meant for you.
Kakashi: The "ta" at the beginning of the code... / ...I can only imagine it was intended to indicate this particular book out of the Icha Icha series.

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Shiho: Well, if it's a code based around a book, there are line numbers and character numbers to think about too... // ...but the obvious thing to try first is to look at page numbers. // Let's see... the numbers separated by commas are 31, 8, 106, 7, 207, and fifteen... six letters in total. // In other words, we're looking at six pages... // First off is page thirty-one. / Try opening the book to that page.
Kakashi: Page 31... // Got it. // Now what am I looking for?
Shiho: The first thing to try would be looking at the first character on the page. // And since it would be helpful to give the character some context, just read us the first sentence.

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Kakashi: Huh...?
[First line of book: Do you really love me?]
[TN: The rest looks a little... steamy... as well, but I really can't be bothered to try and translate tiny bits and pieces of sentences into anything intelligible ~_~]
Kakashi: Ah... no...
Naruto: What's the problem?! / Hurry up and just read it out!
Kakashi: Ah... ahhh...
[sign: Cipher Department]

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[Text:]
P31: Do you really love me? ...
P8: It's just like bartering, really. But still...
P106: The leaves are in the way... I just...
P7: Wow, it's surprisingly big, your...
P207: I - I couldn't possibly... I mean, my...
P15: The chair made a creaking noise...
[/Text]
[TN: Yeah, okay, so my translation doesn't preserve the actual code. So sue me. I'm translating the actual sentences (as best I can, considering they're fragments ~_~), not jumping through hoops to try and make an English version...]
Shikamaru: .........
Shiho: Right! That's all six pages!

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Naruto: And...?
Shiho: If we read the initial characters according to the order of the code... // It can be read as... "Honmono wa inai"...
[TN: "The real one isn't here". Or possibly "There is no real one"? I think the wa/ga distinction, as well as the appearance of a new Pain at the end of the chapter, both point to the former... but I'm not confident enough to rule out the latter completely as a possible translation... Second opinion?]
Kakashi: ......
Others: ......
Naruto: ...So what's it mean?

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Kakashi: I think it's time we had another little talk with Fukasaku-sama. // Since he actually fought with Pain, he may be able to make more sense of it.
Shikamaru: Well, then, let's ask the Fifth to get Fukasaku-sama immediately.
Shiho: Would you mind if I came along too?
Shikamaru: Sure, feel free, Shiho.
Naruto: All right! / Time to go talk to the old lady!

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Tobi: You seem hesitant...
Pain: Well, this was a very sudden visit.
Tobi: But still, to think he gave you trouble, with your invincible ability... / I suppose that's what must be expected of Jiraiya of the Sannin.
Pain: However, I eliminated him. / With that accomplished, we can begin hunting the Kyuubi at our leisure.

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Tobi: Since you took out Jiraiya, you'll certainly have caught Konoha's attention. // The longer the wait, the higher the possibility that they'll think up some kind of strategy against you. / We should move before things become difficult.
Konan: Pain is invincible... / No matter what may occur, he will obtain the Kyuubi.
Tobi: ...Only two Bijuu left to get. // I've sent Sasuke after the Hachibi.
Konan: Is that all right?
Tobi: Oh, I can vouch for Sasuke.

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Pain: Konan, make preparations immediately. // We head for Konoha.
[side text: With the code's meaning still unclear, Pain moves out!!]
[bottom text: Konoha is shaken by Pain's invasion!! Next issue, "All Of A Sudden"...!!]