C15

After hearing Kain's question, Aya turned to look in the direction of the door, then waved to the red-haired girl standing outside.

"Boss, this is Kushina. She has been coming to the store frequently these past few days to buy chocolates and candies," Aya said, introducing Kushina to Kain with a slight smile.

Kain immediately recognized her. Kushina, a Jinchūriki. While he didn't want to get too close to her, he also had no intention of avoiding her. "Ah, I see. A regular customer. You can take care of her, Aya."

Kushina suddenly spoke up. "Are you the boss? I want to buy a lot of chocolates at once. Is that okay?"

Kain, slightly amused, looked at Kushina and asked, "As long as you have the money, you can buy as many chocolates as you want. You can even buy the whole stock."

"Really? Thank you, boss!" Kushina exclaimed. She quickly pulled out a stack of ryo notes from her pocket and placed them on the table.

Kain counted the money. Kushina had brought out five thousand ryo, which was quite a large amount for a child. She intended to buy chocolates, which previously cost 200 ryo each. Kain glanced up at her. It was quite a sum for someone so young, but he knew better than to underestimate her.

"Five thousand ryo? That would get you twenty-five pieces of chocolate," Kain announced, his tone neutral as he called over Aya. "Aya, help pack up the chocolates for her."

But before he could finish, Kushina slammed her hand down on the table, her voice rising in protest. "Twenty-five pieces? Last time, I bought ten pieces with one thousand ryo. This time, I should get fifty!"

Kain raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. "Well, you're pretty sharp with numbers," he remarked.

Kushina scratched the back of her head, suddenly looking bashful. "That's right! But don't try to flatter me, boss! I know how much I'm supposed to get!"

"Unfortunately, the price has increased," Kain said, shrugging helplessly. "Just before you came, we decided to raise the price on some items. Chocolates are now 200 ryo each. If you don't want to pay the new price, I can return your money."

Kushina's face fell. Chocolates were a luxury, and while she loved them, they were now much more expensive. She had borrowed money from Tsunade and Nawaki, but asking for more was out of the question. The idea of asking Grandma Mito for money for snacks was embarrassing beyond measure.

After a long pause, she finally sighed and muttered, "Fine, I'll buy twenty-five pieces."

Seeing her disappointment, Kain pretended to think for a moment before smiling. "Tell you what, since you're a regular, I'll throw in an extra five pieces. From now on, for every five you buy, I'll give you one extra—no limits."

Kushina's eyes lit up instantly. "Really? Thank you so much, boss!" She beamed at Kain, bowing gratefully.

"Thank you, boss. You're a good person," she added as she grabbed her bag of chocolates, her earlier frustration forgotten. After all, she had ended up with thirty pieces instead of twenty-five.

As she left the store with her bounty, Kain chuckled to himself. It was easy to manipulate customers by giving them small favors after raising prices. People like Kushina, who felt like they were getting a good deal, were always eager to come back for more.

After Kushina was gone, Kain gestured for Aya to follow him to the neighboring store. "We need to prepare this shop. I'm thinking of selling basic medical supplies like bandages, swabs, and daily medications here."

Aya was slightly surprised by the plan. "Boss, you're going to sell medicine here too?"

Kain nodded. "That's right. We'll recruit a few more people to help run the place. We can start cleaning up now and aim to open the store in three days."

Aya hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Boss, I know someone who might be a good fit for the job. His name is Mirai. He used to be a ninja, but he lost his hand in battle and had to retire. He knows some medical ninjutsu, but... well, he hasn't been the same since his injury."

Aya looked a bit uneasy. Mirai was the husband of her friend, and despite receiving compensation after his injury, it hadn't lasted long. Unable to work, he had fallen into a state of depression, ashamed to rely on his wife for support.

Kain thought for a moment. "If he knows medical ninjutsu, that could be useful. Tell him the pay will be the same as yours, and ask if he's interested in joining us."

Aya smiled, clearly relieved. "Thank you, boss. I'll talk to him right away."

"Good. We'll also need two more people for physical work, but make sure they're trustworthy. I don't want anyone who steals or slacks off."

"Understood. I won't let you down."

With that, Aya left to find Mirai and the other potential employees. Kain, meanwhile, busied himself with the inventory and customer transactions while Aya was gone.

Kain knew he couldn't stay in Konoha forever. Once the war subsided, his plans would take him beyond the village's walls. His goal was to establish a foothold in the Land of Fire and then slowly expand his influence into the smaller surrounding countries. Medicine and food were profitable industries, but they had their limits, especially with Konoha's monopoly on medicine for the time being.

"The entertainment industry... maybe that's something worth exploring," Kain mused aloud. He remembered how much money Jiraiya had made from writing a few popular novels. Behind Kain was an entire world of stories that hadn't been introduced to this one yet. If he played his cards right, he could trigger a cultural renaissance in the ninja world.

He had already brought ten novels with him, enough to start a small revolution in entertainment. If he introduced them slowly, allowing demand to build, it could be a lucrative side business.

"Let's see where this goes," he thought with a smirk, already envisioning the possibilities. With control over both goods and culture, he could gradually influence the flow of public opinion across the ninja world, one step at a time.