Businessman's Sense of Intuition

Soon, Uchiha Kagami compiled a list of merchants in Konoha Village. Based on his knowledge, he chose a merchant named Yurao as the publisher. It is said that Yurao valued the future of the village. Having just left his country to settle here, he was quite adventurous. In his early years, Yurao accumulated wealth faster than most, by not taking the conventional path. Since Fumori Masaki had never written fairy tales before, Uchiha Kagami figured that most merchants would be hesitant to invest in such an unknown genre. However, he believed that someone like Yurao, who dared to take risks, might be willing to give it a try.

Uchiha Kagami approached Yurao with the proposal. Intrigued by the idea of publishing fairy tales, Yurao requested to see some drafts for review.

After reading the drafts repeatedly, Yurao realized that the morals of these stories closely mirrored the teachings of the Ninshū philosophy. The principles of Ninshū were clearly explained in an accessible way, making it easier to understand than the traditional Ninshū texts.

Masaki's original intention was to sell the books within Konoha Village, but Yurao had other ideas. He believed this new style of storytelling had potential beyond the village, and he saw an opportunity to promote it to the capital.

Although Yurao had left the capital, he never lost sight of it. While Konoha had potential, the capital still held influence. He knew that the royal princess had recently been promoting Ninshū tradition, which was gradually gaining traction among the capital's nobles.

Yurao trusted his instincts and felt that this trend would continue to grow, especially with the princess's support. If the daimyo's beloved sister was promoting Ninshū culture, it could re-emerge strongly. Seeing the potential, Yurao wondered if it was worth taking the risk. Of course, it was. He was confident in his business acumen and knew that getting in early would reap greater rewards.

"I'm willing to publish these books," Yurao said to Uchiha Kagami, "but I'd like to discuss the details with the author directly."

Uchiha Kagami nodded and took Yurao to meet Masaki. Masaki had already heard about Yurao and believed he was the right choice for a publisher. He had anticipated discussing how to distribute the books within Konoha. However, Yurao surprised him by suggesting they sell the books in the capital as well.

Masaki had once considered the idea of selling to the capital, but he doubted that the nobles would appreciate fairy tales. Instead, he had thought about writing more sophisticated literature for the upper class. Clearly, Yurao had come to a similar conclusion and inquired about Masaki's interest in creating such works.

"Do you realize the potential of these books?" Masaki asked.

"Absolutely," Yurao replied without hesitation. "I'd like to know if you'd be willing to write more refined pieces for a literary market?"

Masaki understood that Yurao wanted to target the upper-class nobles of the capital. After considering Yurao's bold approach, Masaki was intrigued by the idea.

"Of course," Masaki said with a smile.

"In that case, I hope we can sign a contract to publish these books separately from the fairy tales," Yurao said immediately.

"That's fine, but it won't be me writing them. I'll introduce you to someone who can," Fumori replied, gesturing to a set of manuscripts. "These stories are short, so I had time to write them. But for longer works, I have someone else in mind."

"Who would that be?" Yurao asked, surprised.

It wasn't long before Yurao found out. The author Masaki referred to was none other than Kana, the artist behind the "Legacy of Six Paths" presented at the princess's birthday banquet! The princess had begun promoting Ninshū culture because of Kana's work, and Yurao had always wanted to meet the artist in person.

Kana, Sister of the daughter-in-law of the Uzumaki Daimyo and daughter to God of Shinobi,  Senju Hashirama and Daughter of Leader of Uzumaki clan, Uzumaki Mito, was a noblewoman. While Masaki had a high status in Konoha, he was still a ninja, so Yurao didn't feel too intimidated by him. However, Kana's noble status made Yurao much more cautious.

When meeting with Kana, Yurao was extremely respectful, far more so than during his meeting with Masaki. He carefully negotiated the contract, ensuring Kana had complete creative freedom, and he even offered generous compensation for her work. Despite this, Yurao didn't feel that he was at a disadvantage. The long-term benefits of working with someone of Kana's status far outweighed any losses.

At this time, Kana had not written anything yet, but Yurao was in no hurry. He told her to take her time and only write when inspiration struck. After signing the contract, he left happily, ready to start preparations for publishing Masaki's fairy tales.

After Yurao left, Kana looked at Masaki with mild irritation. "Honestly, Masaki-Nii. I'm not even ready to publish a book yet, and now I have to start preparing."

"It's fine," Masaki reassured her. "He's already gone, and you can take your time."

"That's easy for you to say," Kana sighed. "I don't even know how to write like you. He expects me to create something like your fairy tales, but I've never written a story before."

"I'll help you," Masaki said, trying to comfort her.

Kana laughed. "You're just trying to trick me into doing your work for you, aren't you? But seriously, why don't you just write the books yourself?"

"It's not the same," Masaki replied. "I can only write simple stories, but your literary knowledge is far beyond mine. You can write something more profound."

Despite her protest, Kana's face flushed slightly with embarrassment at Masaki's praise.

"This first book will need a lot of thought," Masaki said. "If it makes a big impact, the revival of Ninshū won't just be a dream. And Kana-chan, you'll be at the forefront of this movement."

Hearing this, Kana felt her heart race. This was a new challenge, but she had faced one before with the "Legacy of Six Paths," and she had succeeded then. She could do it again.

"By the way, what exactly is Tsuna studying with you? She hasn't been home," Kana asked.

"Huh? She hasn't gone home?" Masaki was surprised. "She's probably at the hospital. I've been having her focus on medical ninjutsu. Since she's progressed so quickly, I asked her to learn more advanced techniques from Risa. After all, I can teach theory, but not surgery. As for the rest, she always finishes on time. She must be staying at the hospital for more practice."

"Risa? You mean Senju Risa from your team?" Kana asked.

"Yeah, don't call it that anymore, war already ended" Fumori waved dismissively, referring to the group that had fought alongside him during the Ninja War.

Kana shrugged, "Why focus so much on medical ninjutsu? It can heal, but it can't defeat enemies, right?"

Masaki smiled, his thoughts turning briefly to the future. "That's a common misunderstanding. If a medical ninja knows how to fight, they're a formidable opponent. To heal others, they must know the human body's structure inside and out, and they can use that knowledge to target an enemy's weak spots. Medical ninjas also know how to cure poisons, and that means they know how to create them too. If a medical ninja learns how to fight, their skills can be a deadly weapon."

Kana was stunned. She had never thought of it that way. It was true that Tsunade's physical prowess made her an exceptional case. Combined with medical knowledge, she could be an unstoppable force.