The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi/Novel

The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi is a novel written by Akira Higashiyama and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. Except for the dust jacket, the entire book is formatted as though it were the actual book that appears in the anime and manga, with Jiraiya being given author credits. Included with it are a map of the book's world, Jiraiya's autograph, and a picture of him, Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki.

Summary
Several ninja villages exist around. During the First Ninja World War, the northern village,, tried to conquer the village of. Konton sought aid from the southern village,, and together they began the to create a destructive kinjutsu called.

When the chance for peace with Kotsu emerged, Gukōizan was no longer needed. Shuku's Second Village Chief, Kaen Mahiru, ordered everyone involved in Gukōizan's creation be killed so that knowledge of its existence wouldn't get out; Naruto and Renge's fathers died during the war, possibly because they were part of the Sōten Project. Kaen also broke the village of Konton in two in order to further keep Gukōizan a secret, with to the east and  to the west.

Prologue
Some time after the Second Ninja World War, Naruto Musasabi fights a ninja that tries to attack Shuku. (This is the same scene that Naruto and Nagato envision in the manga and anime.)

Chapter 1
Naruto and Tsuyu's teacher, Shū, summons them to a meeting with Shuku's Third Village Chief, Kokage Mahiru. He informs them of the recent destruction of Ton due to the shifting of Mount Hyakki. Kokage worries that its destruction may be a sign that Kon has rediscovered how to use Gukōizan, possibly with the help of Renge Momoashi, who recently abandoned Shuku to discover the larger world. Kokage instructs Naruto and Tsuyu to find and eliminate Renge.

Chapter 2
Naruto investigates Renge's house to try and learn his whereabouts, and while there he is attacked by a giant centipede. He defeats it, but not before it bites his neck, leaving a mark resembling a cross between a spider web and a compass; he finds this same mark drawn on a wall in a hidden room.

Kokage summons Naruto and Tsuyu to meet with him again the following day. He modifies his previous order to instead have them capture Renge alive and bring him back to Shuku. To help them with this, he assigns Nikaku Onikoma, a sensor, to help them track Renge down. Nikaku was thought to have died during the First Ninja World War, executed for killing his allies. In order to prevent the public from learning he's still alive, he disguises himself as a donkey. Naruto and Nikaku have several donkey-related arguments before setting out to search for Renge.

Cast

 * , a jōnin from Shuku. Trained in the Sage Arts, Naruto's ninjutsu include, which generates a focused whirlwind, and , a giant ball of wind and lightning. His personality is similar to Jiraiya's.
 * Tsuyu, a jōnin and medical ninja from Shuku. Tsuyu's ninjutsu include, a palm strike that releases a gust of air filled with flower petals. Her personality is similar to Tsunade's.
 * , a missing-nin and formerly a jōnin from Shuku. Hailing from a clan of centipede users, Renge's ninjutsu include, which causes his form to sway and flicker, allowing him to easily avoid enemy attacks. His personality is similar to Orochimaru's.
 * , a sensor-type shinobi from Shuku. A talented shinobi once known as "Nikaku the Assassin", many of Nikaku's ninjutsu revolve around the gourd he wears around his neck, such as the, the inspiration for Naruto's Comet Sphere.
 * , Shuku's Third Village Chief.
 * , Kokage's predecessor.
 * , Kotsu's village head. Similar to Hanzō, he dubbed Naruto, Renge, and Tsuyu the "Legendary Three Ninja" during the Second Ninja World War.
 * Kaosu, Kon's village head.
 * Shima, a jōnin from Kon.
 * Shū, the sensei of Naruto, Renge, and Tsuyu. When he isn't scolding Naruto he is leading Team Shū, Shuku's Anbu-like organization.