Naruto looked at the blonde girl in front of him—her appearance practically screamed "I'm rich!"—and couldn't help but curl his lips into a grin.
She was practically walking money!
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Hinata's hesitant gaze.
"What's wrong? Do you want something too?" Naruto asked casually.
Before Hinata could respond, he grabbed her small hand and pulled her along toward the clothing racks. Hinata's pale cheeks instantly flushed red.
"N-Naruto-kun… th-there are people watching…"
Her shy protest and the way her face turned crimson only made Naruto smirk.
"So, if no one's around, then it's okay?"
"A-ah! N-no, even then… it's not okay…"
Hinata's voice grew softer and softer, as if it might disappear at any moment. Naruto knew if he teased her any further, Hinata might actually faint right there in the store. He wisely let it drop—for now.
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage's Office, the so-called "Konoha F4" were already in session.
"Hiruzen!" Danzo slammed a stack of papers down in front of the Third Hokage. His voice was low, muffled by the bandages covering most of his face, with only a single eye glaring out. "This 'Seven Colors Trading Company' has been spreading across the Five Great Nations. I suspect a conspiracy. Look at this."
To an outsider, Danzo's appearance would have been terrifying—half his body bound in bandages, radiating a sinister aura. But to the other council members, it was a familiar sight.
Hiruzen Sarutobi adjusted his pipe and slowly flipped through the document. His expression deepened.
Within just a month, the Seven Colors Trading Company had opened branches across multiple nations. Its products and sales methods were wildly popular with the public, and even within Konoha a Seven Colors Restaurant had already been established.
But what truly shocked Hiruzen were the numbers.
The profits, even if exaggerated, were staggering—enough to tempt even him. He glanced sideways at Danzo. That man wasn't just suspicious of a conspiracy… he was clearly coveting the company's success.
It's only a trading company… what kind of threat could it really pose? In this world, only power and strength matter.
"Hiruzen!" Danzo's voice cut through his thoughts. "They aren't just selling food and trinkets. They're dealing in weapons and equipment! What do you think that means? Whoever is behind this must be plotting something. We must uncover them!"
Hiruzen handed the report over to Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. After skimming it, the two elder advisors exchanged equally shocked looks.
"A simple trading company monopolizing so many industries…" Koharu muttered. "It doesn't seem ordinary. I agree with Danzo—there must be something more behind it."
Both she and Homura swallowed hard. The sheer profits written on the page stirred a flicker of greed in their own hearts.
Hiruzen looked at the three of them. For once, the elders—who usually bickered and schemed against one another—were aligned. And disturbingly, he could feel his own heart wavering as well.
He cleared his throat. "For now, we'll continue to observe. A mere trading company can hardly topple nations, but we must remain vigilant. If spies are using this as cover to infiltrate, we'll root them out."
The three elders' eyes gleamed. They all understood his hidden meaning.
Proceed carefully. Investigate in secret. And if necessary, accuse the company of espionage.
Hmph. That's the Hokage for you.
For once, faint smiles tugged at the lips of all three advisors.
"We should still confirm the background of whoever's behind it," Koharu said coolly.
"I'll handle this through Root," Danzo interjected immediately, puffing himself up. "Root is the shadow that protects Konoha."
Of course, his real goal was to seize the Seven Colors Trading Company's profits for himself.
...
Meanwhile, in the Land of Water, Hidden Mist Village…
The Mizukage, Mei Terumī, sat in council with her advisors.
Their cooperation with the Seven Colors Trading Company had been extremely profitable. In just a single month, the village had already received 100 million ryō in dividends.
And that was only the beginning. The company was still expanding aggressively, requiring constant reinvestment of capital. Once its operations reached every corner of the shinobi world, their dividends would multiply many times over.
By next year, the projected returns were expected to surpass one billion ryō.
The room of Mist officials, listening to Mei's calm report, could not hide their satisfaction.
Such a vast sum of money was something the Hidden Mist had rarely seen.
With this revenue, they would no longer have to rely so heavily on the Land of Water's Daimyō for provisions. They could expand their shinobi ranks, build new training grounds, forge superior weapons, and steadily restore the village's strength.
Even though they had to assign some shinobi to assist the Seven Colors Trading Company, those who did were compensated with commissions, leaving them not resentful but rather satisfied.
For the village as a whole, the current dividends might not yet be enormous—but the future potential was plain to see.
Because of this, the internal factions within the Hidden Mist had grown far more respectful toward Mei Terumī. In the past, she had often relied on the authority of the Marshal to hold these groups in line. Now, with tangible prosperity beginning to flow in, her standing was rising in earnest.
"Enough. Let's move on to the next matter."
The Marshal's gaze swept the room. His prestige still carried immense weight—perhaps even more than the Mizukage herself.
"Lately, there have been unknown shinobi investigating and even attacking the Seven Colors Trading Company. I strongly suspect they come from Konoha's Root."
The company's profits were immense, and nearly everyone present in the meeting viewed it as if it were their own enterprise. That made the attacks feel like a direct assault on the village itself.
The Marshal's certainty stemmed from one thing: the attackers' ruthlessness.
Danzo's Root agents never wore the Leaf insignia when dispatched, but their combat style and techniques were unmistakable. They fought with the same merciless efficiency as assassins who didn't value their own lives. Even subtle physical traits and the harsh, trained mannerisms in battle gave them away.
"They dare to snatch food from a tiger's mouth?" one of the elders growled. "Then let them pay the price!"
The room erupted in indignation.
Mei Terumī remained silent, observing. It was rare to see the notoriously fractured leadership of the Hidden Mist stand together so firmly against an external threat.
The Seven Colors Trading Company had recruited villagers, brought jobs, and infused wealth into their land. Commerce had awakened economic development, and with prosperity trickling down, shinobi were once again being hired for missions.
For the first time in years, there was genuine hope for the Mist's revival.
Mei's emerald eyes hardened. I will not allow anyone to destroy this chance. Not when the Hidden Mist has finally glimpsed the path to prosperity again.
If someone dared to stretch out their hand, then that hand would be severed.
"I'll handle this matter personally," Mei said, her tone carrying the weight of steel. "Those people will learn that the Seven Colors Trading Company is untouchable."
The aura she released was overwhelming, making the others in the room instinctively straighten. Her strength had grown, her mastery over multiple kekkei genkai becoming more refined than ever.
For a moment, the councilors exchanged uneasy looks—but their apprehension quickly turned into something else. Excitement.
The stronger Mei Terumī became, the more secure their village's future would be—and the more benefits they all stood to gain.
...
TN:
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