37

An idea suddenly struck Haru, one that could make him money. He snickered as he realized that in every place, there are people with more money than sense, and the ninja world was no exception. The nobles and elites had always lived extravagantly, ignorant of the value of money. Haru knew they were the best source of income, and that they loved to flaunt their wealth with things that set them apart from normal people, like fancy clothing and other accessories.

With this idea in mind, Haru felt like he was walking on air as he made his way back to his room, lost in thought about the possible products he could sell. He considered items from his previous world and the one he was in, and after careful consideration, he finally landed on one that he felt would fit well in the current world.

Once he was in his room, he went straight to his desk and started writing an outline for his idea. While it may not be impressive or groundbreaking, it had a lot of potential for growth and expansion, and his main focus was on that. He finished writing quickly because he knew a lot about the subject personally. Suddenly, he stopped and thought of another possibility he could use for it and grinned. This was really going to be fun.

The next day, after a busy day at the hospital, he went back home and looked for Kazuki. "Kazuki-san, I have something to discuss with you," he said.

Kazuki nodded before they both went to her study. "Can we pick up where we left off yesterday?" he said as they sat down. "I was wondering about the number of customers we have."

Kazuki thought for a while before she answered, "The number itself is not very big. We have the most customers with the Uchiha."

"The customer pool itself was small," Haru thought. It made sense because the customers' interests should not conflict with the village, which in return decreases their numbers. Although the Hokage didn't mind them doing business, that was based on the condition of not conflicting with the village.

Thinking of this, another question arose. "What about the Hyuga? Do they just accept this situation?" While the Hyuga might not be as strong as the Uchiha and Senju, their need for resources might be even greater since their main family didn't do missions and lived like nobles, resulting in higher spending than the other two clans.

"They have other sources of revenue, so they aren't as interested in this," Kazuki said. Hearing this, Haru raised an eyebrow. For those three big clans, doing business inside the village couldn't sustain them. They needed a monopoly for that to happen with the current village population, which wasn't possible due to the presence of other clans and civilian ninja and commoners who relied on doing business to survive.

Then an answer came to Haru's mind: "Do they have any business outside the village in the Land of Fire?" he asked. It was the only explanation left.

"Yes," Kazuki replied, and then the room fell silent as Haru's thoughts raced. That would make sense, but why didn't the other two clans do the same? Seeing Haru's confusion, Kazuki explained, "The Hyuga have been involved in business ventures even before the village was formed, so they just continued with them."

That explains it, Haru thought. With the creation of the village and all the events that happened after it, especially since the Uchiha and Senju were mostly at the center of it, they wouldn't have had the time or energy to venture into business, especially outside.

"What about before?" Haru asked. While he had some ideas for the answer, he still decided to ask. Although the Warring States period was very chaotic and filled with conflict and war, since the Hyuga were capable of conducting business, it was also possible for the other two clans to do so.

Hearing his question, Kazuki's eye twitched a little before she said sullenly, "We were always in conflict with the Uchiha. Anything that we did, they would destroy it to weaken us. At that time, nothing was safe from them and their fire."

Haru sighed. This is what he had expected. While the Hyuga were also a big and strong clan and had conflicts with others, they didn't have the same animosity to the same degree as the Senju and Uchiha.

Then the answer to the current situation was found. From Madara's betrayal to the first Shinobi World War, both clans at the center found no time or energy to create a stable source of income in the midst of that chaos. With missions in the village stopped during times of war, the only source of quick money left was performing tasks for businessmen and nobles.

These new pieces of information solidified Haru's idea that a stable income was crucial for a clan's stability. Despite the Hyuga's problems, they remained stable even during the time of Naruto, which was still a decade away. Although he wasn't sure if the Uchiha would pursue business ventures in the future, it was a possibility. The Senju also needed to consider this. Thinking of this, Haru began his acting.

He sighed and said, "Then we should learn from the Hyuga, Kazuki-san. Now times have changed, and even in times of war, business can still go on. Unlike tasks and missions, what if something happens like another war? Then I don't think we can do those tasks. And even if we have them, we won't have the energy to do them."

Kazuki became more serious as she listened to Haru talk, and what he said really made sense. "We have been trying for some time now, but we need a very profitable one. Those smaller ones can't help much as the energy required to run them is very big compared to the return," she sighed at the end.

Haru smiled slightly before he said, "Well, I may be able to help with this. I previously had some ideas that may help. Let's go to grandma and discuss."

While Kazuki was curious about his idea, she agreed and went with him to Mito's study. Mito was slightly surprised to see the two of them, especially since she sensed Kazuki's emotions. She looked at Haru since he was surely the reason for their visit.

Haru sat down and said, "Grandma, I was talking with Kazuki-san, and I wanted you to listen too. I have some ideas. Why don't you see them first?" He took out the scroll he had written yesterday and gave it to them.

While both Kazuki and Mito were reading, Haru took his time and started making tea. This time, he made the best one he could. After a while, both of them finished reading and looked at Haru, who was busy making tea. After he finished, he served two cups to them and said, "Here, drink and give me your opinion. Do you think we can sell this?"

They both took a sip of the tea. While they both agreed that it was delicious, Kazuki said, "Well, Haru, the tea is really delicious, but can we sell it at a big price? I don't think people will pay for it." Mito nodded, agreeing with her.

"Yes, most people won't buy such an expensive tea. But you're mistaken. This tea is not for the average person. It's for those nobles and rich people who want something that sets them apart," he said, grinning at both of them. "To those people, you need to sell the status, not the product itself."

Mito's eyes brightened as she thought of what he said. As the Hokage's wife, she had some contacts with those people, and she understood how vain they could be. With all that money, pride, and status, it was possible for them to just buy it to flaunt it around.

Kazuki also understood what he meant, but she still wasn't fully convinced. However, since Haru had grabbed Mito's attention, that was all he needed. Unlike Kazuki, who was very cautious, Mito could be more adventurous.

Mito said, "Then, for those kinds of people, the place needs to be very luxurious." Haru nodded. "Yeah, the whole experience needs to be special, from the decor to the maids, and everything in between, including security. We need them to think that this is a special place that not everyone can enter."

Hearing this, Mito was more focused, so she and Haru talked about the whole thing, down to the smallest details. Even though she wasn't a noble herself, Mito knew a lot about high-end items and experience.

In the middle of their conversation, Haru said, "We don't need a lot of decor. Our calligraphy is very good, so we can put some of it there." Both Mito and Kazuki thought this was a very good idea, so they agreed, and they continued discussing this for a while.

Then the focus changed when Mito said, "Also, for security, we can use some simpler seals for it. It can also help to prevent disturbances and such." Haru smiled at Mito and said, "Yes, Grandma, you're starting to understand what I mean now," with a big grin on his face. Mito could surely be a capable businesswoman, he thought.

Mito laughed and agreed, and they continued discussing the topic for hours. Eventually, their focus turned to furniture. Haru said concerned, "If we want to create the experience we envision, we need some customized furniture. It should be special and exclusive to our store, so the material should be the focus, as the design can be easily copied."

Mito acknowledged what he had said, so they both thought for a while. Eventually, Mito suggested, "The trees that the First Hokage created are very solid. We can use them as a base. They are very high-end compared to the normal trees outside."

Haru didn't know about this, but it was easy to understand the First Hokage's Wood Release, especially with his Sage Mode. He could surely create some special trees with the help of nature chakra.

"Won't the Hokage say anything?" he asked. Even Kazuki, who had mostly been outside of their conversation, chuckled and said, "It was the First who created it. He has nothing to say if we want to use some."

Haru agreed and thought for a while before deciding to strike while the iron was hot and ask for something that could help him personally.

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Hey It's time for an update nobody asked for (I'm just gonna vent, so please bear with me).

trying to write while fasting is like trying to juggle flaming pineapples - it's hard! My mind feels as empty as a bucket with a hole in it. Yesterday, I struggled to form a proper sentence, and my English was so bad, I think I accidentally created a new language!

Today is slightly better, my brain is starting to adapt to fasting . But, let's be real, I'm used to writing in the evenings, and that's just not happening right now. After I eat, I transform into a cat and all I want to do is sleep. So yeah, writing is not happening then either.

I need to find a way to balance it , so please wish me luck!