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Noticing the good atmosphere around, as both Mito and Kazuki were kind of on board with the idea to varying degrees,

Haru cleared his throat and said, "Grandma, while the whole experience can really bring the customers in, it's still very easy to replicate, even if not to the same degree."

Mito thought for a while and replied, "Well, to those businessmen, they can do anything for money. It's pretty normal, but we can do nothing about it. We can't just forbid them from opening a tea house across the Land of Fire."

Now even Kazuki was frowning and thinking hard. The idea Haru suggested might really work, but as he said, it was very easy to replicate. She had been in contact with those businessmen for a long time.

So she said, "What Haru said is right. Once they realize the money is there, they will smell it like sharks, and then a lot of similar places will spawn across the Land of Fire."

Seeing the result go his way, Haru didn't continue his acting. Especially since the emotion radar was beside him, he couldn't go too far and be obvious.

He sat straight and gestured for both women before he said, "They may be able to copy us, but at the very least, they will need some time. We can use that as a buffer and try to bring something more unique that will be harder to imitate.

We can use the tea house as kind of a base and create other stuff to go along with it. That way, the tea house itself can be imitated to a certain degree, but the other stuff can't."

This idea hit the nail on the head for both Mito and Kazuki, especially the latter. Now, she was more on board with the idea than before.

So Kazuki asked, "What kind of product do you think we can sell?"

Haru had mostly succeeded, so he spoke straightforwardly, "I think we should start slowly. At the beginning, we need something to catch people's attention, something really exclusive that can't be found in another place."

The psychology of people can be very interesting, especially when they have status and wealth. Then they like to show it off in any way possible. Haru still had vague memories of people buying clothes and accessories made of mostly the same material as the rest, but they still bought them at extravagant prices.

"If it worked on them, it surely will work on those nobles who have money and free time to play around," Haru thought to himself.

Seeing that the two were paying attention, he explained, "My idea is to try and cultivate unique tea leaves that can be exclusive to us. Then, it doesn't matter how many copycats there are, they will never be able to get the real deal. This can be our signature for the long term. Then we can try and expand our product and also the tea house itself. We can try to open multiple locations."

Mito looked at the tea in her hand and lost herself in thought for a while. She tried to imagine if tea alone could grab that much attention, and the answer came to her quickly.

Tea culture was deeply rooted in many noble antiquities, and tea ceremonies and art were still prevalent. Having a unique new brand of tea that was not available anywhere else would surely grab their attention, especially since it was targeted at them from the beginning. If they marketed it as a product that only the most noble and elite people could have, then the price of the product wouldn't matter anymore. The status it would bring would be the main selling point.

Thinking of this, she clapped her hands and said cheerfully, "Since you were the one to bring it up, I'm sure you can figure out how to cultivate it yourself. If you need any help, you can ask."

Haru smiled. Working with Mito was really easy and simple, as long as he had anything to offer. All the help available in the clan could be at his fingertips.

But what he was going to ask could be a slight problem, so he asked back, "Do we have any archives about related topics, like cultivating medicinal materials and such?"

Mito didn't reply this time and just focused her eyes on him. They kept eye contact for a while in silence. While Mito could play this game for a long time, today she was in a good mood.

So she broke the silence and said, "Don't beat around the bush. I know you best. Just tell me straight up what you need."

Haru sighed, dissatisfied with Mito's answer. He knew that with her ability to sense, he couldn't play around with her a lot. But she always went along with him, so why not this time?

Seeing the frown on his face, Mito's good mood improved even more. "You deserve it, you brat. It's your punishment for always playing around with this old lady," she thought.

Sometimes she was able to sense when Haru was acting around her and Kazuki, but she didn't say anything. It was a silent agreement between the two. They both knew that the other party knew, but chose to keep silence. For them, it was like their own little secret game.

So Haru was not happy when Mito stopped their little game, and he snorted to show his displeasure. But seeing the smile in her eyes, he went right back to the topic and said, "I don't have that much experience in cultivating any plant. Since we want the product to be special, we mostly can't just rely on it to grow naturally. I thought about it, and I need those archives and also some of the First Hokage's notes. You yourself said his trees were very special."

Mito's eyes sharpened at the mention of the First Hokage, and she looked deeply at Haru. She understood how special her husband and his abilities were. Anyone would be curious about him, especially someone doing research like Haru.

Haru just sat there in silence, noticing the atmosphere getting heavier by the second. It wasn't just Mito; even Kazuki was looking at him a little differently now.

'Their reaction is kind of big,' he thought. 'I was expecting some reaction, but this is more than I thought.'

The relationship that he and Mito had was very strong, not only as family but also as her student. For her to have this reaction was very surprising.

'Something is wrong, very wrong,' he thought.

'Is she aware of the experiment around the First Hokage?' Haru asked himself inwardly. This was the closest answer based on her reaction.

On the outside, Haru seemed just confused about the reaction, but inside, surges were going on. A lot of questions and theories were being rejected one after another.

'Orochimaru shouldn't start his experiment now,' he thought. 'But maybe he isn't the only person. Maybe there were experiments before. With the power that the First Hokage had, anyone would want to replicate it, including the village itself for the protection such power brings, and individuals for selfish reasons.'

He sighed inwardly again blaming himself. He really should have thought of this before he opened his mouth.

It took a while before Mito replied, "Sorry, Haru. This time I can't give you complete access like before."

Haru nodded and replied positively, "Yeah, I think so too, Grandma. The Hokage Wood Release is very complicated. I don't think I can do any real research on it currently. It's way more than I can handle. All I want is some of his experience, not the jutsu itself. Maybe it can aid me in creating some unique tea, even if not at the same degree. It will surely be a great help."

Hearing this, Mito was relieved a little. She then said, "Well, I can allow this much, but be careful, Haru. Don't try to get too deep into replicating the Wood Release. It's like a black hole that will consume you. Remember what you said - just try to use it to learn. Don't do anything more."

Haru nodded repeatedly like a chicken. This was the most severe Mito had been in years. So he tried to ease her worry and said, "Yeah, all I want is some tea leaves. I don't think I need to delve too deeply into the Wood Release. Just the surface should be fine."

Mito just nodded, but her mood still seemed low. Noticing this, Haru decided to take his leave.

Once he left, Kazuki hesitated a little before asking, "Mito-sama, are you sure?"

Mito looked at her, then sighed as she looked at the wall, lost in thought. "Don't worry, Haru shouldn't be too interested in the Wood Release. Maybe he just thought it may help. But keep your attention on him and don't give him too much. You know how crazy the desire for power can be. Haru doesn't have the Senju bloodline, so he's less likely to be interested in the Wood Release. But just be cautious, okay?"

Kazuki nodded, agreeing and keeping the order in her mind.

She was one of those who had witnessed the greed people had for the First's power, from inside the clan to the whole village and even the ninja world. Even those open-minded clansmen turned into power-hungry monsters she didn't recognize. At the very least, now accidents were becoming fewer and fewer as fewer people had witnessed the Wood Release with their own eyes.

"As Mito-sama said, Haru doesn't have the Senju bloodline, and he didn't witness the Hokage himself. His desire for research should just be some fleeting curiosity," she thought.

While Kazuki was right about the bloodline, Haru had more in common with the First Hokage than she thought.

As he headed back, he couldn't help but smile. Although he didn't plan to start his research in the Wood Release itself, its relationship with nature energy and the difference it makes when used with it had piqued his interest. "With my control over nature energy, and with some help from the First Hokage, I can surely cultivate something new," he thought.

Nature energy is soil, water, and earth. Researching the relationship between it and plants could be very interesting for Haru, to say the least.