"Check it out for me! Find out who owns this Seven Colors Chamber of Commerce!"
Mei Terumī rubbed her temples, her expression heavy with exhaustion. The Hidden Mist Village had only recently abolished the infamous Blood Mist policy, and everything needed to be rebuilt from the ground up.
Because of that brutal era, Kirigakure's number of shinobi had dropped drastically. The volume of missions had declined as well, and the village was still struggling to recover.
They had originally hoped to rely on the Land of Water's unique seafood trade to ease the economic burden, but to their dismay, the suddenly emerging Seven Colors Chamber of Commerce had seized the market across the shinobi world.
Everything felt like it was going wrong.
Still, Kirigakure was not alone. Even Konohagakure was in a recovery phase.
More than half a year ago, the Uchiha Clan massacre had shaken the entire shinobi world. Yet Kirigakure's situation had been so dire that they couldn't capitalize on Konoha's weakness.
Other villages had wanted to act, but with the Third Shinobi World War ending only a few years earlier, most nations were still licking their wounds. Rumor had it that the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, had even resorted to panning for gold himself to support Sunagakure's finances.
In truth, none of them were much better off than Kirigakure.
The Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth were also in the midst of recovery, their shinobi war-weary. Otherwise, the Fourth Raikage might already have led troops against Konoha.
Even so, Konoha remained a lean camel larger than a horse. Despite the loss of the Uchiha Clan and the absence of the Legendary Sannin, they still had the Ino–Shika–Chō and other powerful clans to maintain strength.
Time passed quietly…
Two figures clashed fiercely, one of them forming hand seals at incredible speed.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
A massive fire dragon erupted from Sasuke's mouth, roaring forward.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Naruto unleashed a powerful gust of wind. Though technically a C-rank ninjutsu, in Naruto's hands it carried the force of a B-rank technique.
Wind beats Lightning, Fire beats Wind—but here Naruto's wind jutsu completely overpowered Sasuke's B-rank Fire Style.
Dozens of shuriken whistled through the air, forcing Naruto to leap high into the sky.
"Tempest Kick—Sky Severing!"
Arc-shaped air blades tore through the ground as Naruto kicked out, forcing Sasuke to retreat again and again. Smoke and dust billowed, obscuring the battlefield. Naruto vanished—only to reappear right behind Sasuke.
Alarmed, Sasuke began weaving the hand seals for a Substitution Technique.
But suddenly, a hand burst from the ground beneath him, gripping his ankle and dragging him down.
Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu?!
When had it been set up? Through a shadow clone? Or hidden in the earlier smoke?
Realization dawned, and Sasuke gave a bitter smile.
Over these past months, he had finally come to understand just how unfathomable Naruto's strength was.
His chakra reserves were immense, his control precise, his taijutsu monstrous—and his ninjutsu, frankly terrifying.
He didn't even know where Naruto had learned all these techniques. Some, Sasuke had only picked up by watching him.
"Sasuke, I told you already—ninjutsu doesn't always need so many hand seals. You have to learn to simplify!"
Naruto's teasing voice echoed in his ears.
Sasuke scowled. Not everyone had chakra control like Naruto. He could now manage about five seals per second and had even managed to simplify a few jutsu thanks to Naruto's example, but for him, it was still far from perfect.
Half a year ago, after recovering from his injuries, he had gone to Naruto to demand the truth—but instead had been dragged into another fight. The outcome had been inevitable: Sasuke was beaten soundly.
In the end, Naruto told him that knowing the truth was meaningless without strength. And so, with no other choice, Sasuke had begun training under him.
Though they had sparred in taijutsu before, it had always been occasional. Now, Sasuke was confronted with just how overwhelming Naruto's growth truly was. He doubted even the teachers at the Academy could stand against him anymore.
"Do you think everyone's a freak like you?" Sasuke grumbled.
He had only recently started practicing tree climbing and water walking. His chakra control wasn't anywhere near Naruto's level.
Naruto just grinned, ignoring the strange system-like voice in his head.
[Wind Style: Great Breakthrough — Proficiency +3]
Helping Sasuke out of the ground, Naruto slung an arm around his shoulder.
"Come on, let's get something to eat."
This time, he didn't bother cooking for himself. After erasing the traces of their sparring, Naruto brought Sasuke to the Seven Colors Restaurant.
Of course, the restaurant—like the entire Seven Colors Chamber of Commerce—was his property. He was always welcome.
Compared to its humble beginnings, the Seven Colors Restaurant had flourished under Naruto's direction. He had subtly guided its chefs with genjutsu, refining their skills, and with his advanced cooking methods, even the simplest dishes became a hit across Konoha.
Though not quite on par with Naruto's own cooking, the flavor was more than enough to capture the hearts of shinobi and civilians alike.
The Seven Colors Restaurant had quickly become a staple in Konoha.
Unlike Ichiraku Ramen or the popular yakiniku grills—dishes people could only enjoy every few days—the Nanashiki Restaurant was packed almost every single day. Its steady stream of customers brought Naruto no small amount of satisfaction.
…
The Land of Water. Kirigakure, the Hidden Mist Village.
Mei Terumī sat in her office, carefully studying the dossier her Anbu had delivered.
The report was startling. The Seven Colors Chamber of Commerce had only emerged a little over half a year ago, yet in that short time, its products and unique sales model had become wildly popular. Wherever their merchants appeared, local economies seemed to blossom in their wake.
Ordinary citizens ran most of the organization, but there were shinobi among their ranks as well. What drew Mei's attention most was how even the ninja treated these civilians—with respect, not superiority.
That was unheard of.
In the shinobi world, the relationship between civilians and ninja was rarely one of equals. Even in an employer–mercenary relationship, civilians usually treated shinobi with a mix of fear and reverence, never the other way around.
But the Seven Colors Chamber of Commerce was different.
What Mei didn't know was that these shinobi were actually members of Umbrella—men and women who had once been broken or abandoned by the world, only to be saved by Shisui.
Influenced by Naruto's ideals, they no longer looked down on ordinary people. On the contrary, they respected them, recognizing each person's unique worth.
Every one of them had become a loyal follower of Naruto.
After befriending Kurama, Naruto had also gained the ability to perceive good and evil. With this gift, he could easily discern those with ill intent toward him. Only those who carried goodwill were entrusted with high positions within his growing network.
Mei Terumī frowned slightly as she tapped her finger against the edge of the report. The deeper she looked into the Seven Colors Chamber of Commerce, the more convinced she became that its existence was no accident.
Its structure, its philosophy, its efficiency—everything pointed to the guidance of an extraordinary mind.
"Brilliant…" Mei muttered under her breath, her jade-green eyes flashing. "The entire framework is ingenious."
The thought of such a mastermind intrigued her. Who was pulling the strings behind the Seven Colors Chamber of Commerce?
"Someone, come!"
At her command, an Anbu appeared silently before her.
"Continue the investigation," Mei ordered, her voice soft yet firm.
"I want every scrap of information you can find on the Seven Colors Chamber of Commerce."
"Yes, Lady Mizukage."
As the Anbu vanished, Mei's crimson lips curved into a faint, alluring smile. Her eyes shimmered with determination and a dangerous charm.
From what she understood so far, the Seven Colors Chamber of Commerce had grown immensely wealthy.
If she could bring it under her control, the Hidden Mist would never again lack for resources. Their reconstruction would accelerate by years, perhaps even decades.
Her gaze sharpened, her ambition clear.
The Seven Colors Chamber of Commerce… no matter what, I will have it.