Chapter 11: rushed*

As the trio made their way to the famous Yakiniku Q, Hiroshi found himself unable to shake off the surprise that lingered from the revelation about Mia's new side. His memories of her depicted a gentle and strong-willed sister, an orphan like him, who had faced a difficult life even within the clan compound due to poverty, from that, she harbored a deep love for money.

Hiroshi leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper, "Uhm, this is awkward."

Itami's response was casual, almost matter-of-fact. "Don't mind her. Just keep talking with her like you usually did" she advised, her tone nonchalant. "She's only like that in front of her pal, like me, and maybe you, definitely not the guard though. He's an old man. And honestly, if we're both enjoying the show, why bother?"

"I see," he replied, a hint of understanding in his voice.

"But she still ...", Itami's words trailed off abruptly as Mia, with a graceful yet swift movement, brought her hand to cover her mouth, a subtle hint of embarrassment in her eyes, but this time, her action successfully stopped Itami before she could say anything.

Mia, with a subtle blush gracing her radiant face, approached Hiroshi with a gentle smile. "It's a bit awkward to shatter the previous images you might have about me. I'm truly sorry about that."

Hiroshi felt a wave of nostalgia at the sight of the gentle Mia from his memory. "Yes," he managed to reply before adding, "Well, you do you. And, uhm, honestly, I like the show." 

But upon seeing she began to tremble with excitement, he smoothly shifted the conversation, realizing they were still on the road. "So, Have you read my book?"

"Oh, yeah, I've already read it! Ojou-sama gave it to me. I never thought you were that kind of literary person before. And, I heard you made a lot of money from that, right?" Mia changed her state, responded with genuine interest then unhurriedly said "I just have an idea recently, and I may need your help."

"Sure, tell me", Hiroshi replied, his curiosity piqued. He felt that there was no reason not to get close to a perverted Hyuga, though perhaps not right now as he was still too young. Something was still too small, it would be a shame to be seen now after all.

"Well, I've been thinking," Mia continued, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. "I've had some ideas about writing something similar to Jiraiya-sama's works. Do you think you could help me with some ideas and, like, publish it for me? I don't want people to know it's me who's writing something like that after all."

Hiroshi couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement himself. A flash suddenly appeared in his eyes. He pushed his imaginary glasses up and looked back at Mia. "I can, and I will help you with that, but not here. Come to my place later."

Suddenly, he felt a sharp tap on his head from Itami. "Don't you dare touch her, she's my servant," she scolded.

Hiroshi replied innocently, "I will not, but I have a lot of ideas, Lots of them, and some of them would need her to help me 'demonstrate' to see if they are 'feasible'. Can't you?" as he turned to Mia.

Upon hearing this, Itami looked back at Mia, who nodded timidly with a blushing face, then turned to Hiroshi. "As her master, I also have the obligation to observe her new activity, so I will be there as an audience."

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As they made their way into Yakiniku Q, Hiroshi signaled for the waitress, a friendly young woman dressed in traditional attire, "Excuse me," he called out, "could we please have the biggest set you offer and a private room?"

The server nodded with a warm smile. "Of course, sir. Right this way," she replied, leading them to a cozy private room tucked away from the bustling main dining area.

As they were being led by the waitress, Hiroshi couldn't help but notice the lively atmosphere of the restaurant. Despite the late hour, Yakiniku Q was still bustling with activity, the sound of sizzling meat and cheerful conversation filling the air.

"It's amazing how busy it still is," Hiroshi whispered to Itami, not wanting the server to overhear, glancing around the restaurant. "Even with all the high prices, they're still as popular as ever."

Itami nodded in agreement, her eyes scanning around with interest. "What can we get from this situation?" she asked, making Hiroshi utterly surprised. 

"You mean for our company? We still haven't signed any document yet, you're certainly moving too fast, miss." then he answered with a smile "But I like it."

Their conversation was interrupted as they reached the room. As they settled in, Hiroshi naturally took a seat next to Itami, positioning himself opposite Mia.

Without waiting for long, the food was being brought in.

"Ah, it all looks delicious!" Itami exclaimed, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the sizzling dishes.

Mia nodded in agreement. "Indeed."

As they began to dig in, Hiroshi took a moment to explain. "You know, Itami, there are differences between Kanbi Fast-Food and Yakiniku Q. While both establishments offer dining experiences, they cater to a distinct clientele. Kanbi Fast-Food appeals to those seeking quick and convenient meals, often on the go, whereas Yakiniku Q provides a more leisurely dining experience centered around grilling and enjoying high-quality meats."

Itami nodded thoughtfully, taking a bite of the sizzling beef. "That's true. so we don't need to care much, right?"

"Not really," Hiroshi continued. "If we were to do something like opening a new Kanbi Fast-Food branch near Yakiniku Q, it could pose a potential risk. We'd need to consider factors like overlapping customer bases, potential cannibalization of sales, and the overall impact on both businesses, especially considering the fact that Yakiniku Q is owned by the Akimichi clan."

Itami listened intently, her curiosity piqued. "So, what should we do?"

"Well," Hiroshi replied, "we'd need to conduct thorough market research to assess the potential benefits and guarantee benefits against the risks. If the overall benefits outweigh the risks, then we can consider doing it. However, I don't want to mess with the Akimichi clan, so this is not gonna happen."

Itami nodded in understanding. "That makes sense."

"I know right" Hiroshi agreed, smiling. "And I appreciate you paying such close attention."

"I told you, I don't want to earn money by doing shitty tasks." she put down her chopsticks and looked at him, "Things like this suit my appetite, so I want to learn," Itami added.

Hiroshi paused, his chopsticks hovering midair as he absorbed Itami's words. After a moment, he set them down and turned to her with a thoughtful expression. "Hey, Itami," he began, his voice earnest and sincere,

"How about joining me tomorrow?" Hiroshi proposed, "I'm gonna make some necessary preparations for the new factory, and I can guide you through the whole process. I'm quite confident in this aspect, you know."

Itami raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Hiroshi's request. "Sure, why not?" she replied, her curiosity piqued. "I'm all ears. So, what's your plan?"

Hiroshi leaned back, a thoughtful expression crossing his face as he considered Itami's question. "Well," he began, his words measured and deliberate, "First of all, I've been contemplating how to find the perfect location outside the village. It's crucial that it's easily accessible, preferably close to the clan area for added security. Once we've pinpointed a suitable spot, I'll need to reach out to the construction team to assess the site. After that, I'll coordinate with a Hyuga jounin to journey to the Land of Snow and establish connections with the raw materials provider. You already know that I need your help with that. Additionally, I'll need to assemble a group of engineers from outside the village, as the ones in the village suck, to construct necessary machinery for the factory, such as the Blast Furnace, the BOFs or EAFs - probably BOFs though - and the Continuous Casting Machine,... However, my first step is just to register our company in the registration office. That's to give you a general idea of what we're working with."

Itami nodded in agreement, a smile forming on her lips. "Sounds like a professional," she said, impressed by Hiroshi's approach.

"Yeah, 'cause I am, if you compare me with local merchants," Hiroshi replied with a shrug, his tone casual.

"Could you teach me more?"

"Sure, call me sensei."

Meanwhile, Mia observed the 'serious' conversation between Itami, her master and Hiroshi, her little brother, and a light bulb suddenly appeared above her head. She reached into her inner kimono pocket, retrieved a pink remote control, and pressed a button. A faint blush gradually spread across her face as she saw deadpan expressions on their faces.

"I am just about to ask you to be the secretary."

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After paying the money, which was 30.000 taels by the way, the price of asking a Hyuga out for a BBQ, they went back to their respective homes. 

Hiroshi still needed to go to the administrative building to register the company, some of the technology from the steel manufactury needs to be registered as patents, such as Refractory Materials, and Refractory Anchoring Systems,... (which may later be used in different factories like, for cement,...), so he would need to make a trip to the Fire Capital later to register it. 

The process of building a complete industrialized system for steel manufacturing will take a long time, maybe a few months since developing such systems involves intricate processes, technology integration, testing phases, and lots of capital flow, and it would take him closer to the eminent Nine-tails incident. 

But it must be done, first, as controlling the steel industry could indeed be strategically important for Hiroshi's plans, especially since he aims to influence sectors like railway and infrastructure. Steel is a fundamental material in construction and transportation, so having control over its production could provide leverage and facilitate his broader objectives. And after the factory operates, it would give him a perfect excuse to spend a whole month if not more in the Fire Capital at any time for the purpose of a "Proposal about the development of the railway system in the Land of Fire." Such things will probably take more than a month because of the complexity of it, the huge interest that may be involved, and securing investments. 

Other directions, for example, developing a mobile phone (yeah, Naruto has a radio, and camera with the video function on it, but no mobile phone), continuing to expand the Kanbi shop (which he is currently still doing, albeit slowly since he doesn't want to get ahead of himself and go bankrupt in the process), development of transportation like buses, cars, and wheeled vehicles in general (This world has bikes, but that's it. But the problem with this is that he doesn't have much knowledge about vehicles, so he would need to invest and hire a group of scientists for development, but since he already has a general concept, inventing the car should not be a problem), ... 

But the reason why he chose railways is...Well, After all, railways were railways. No need to say anything.

As he arrived at his still-not-relocated home, he noticed a letter nestled in the mailbox.

/*let's just say this is just an invitation for commoners so there's no need for the ANBU to deliver the news.

*/

 Curiously, he plucked it out and scanned its contents. "An invitation from the Daimyo? To recognize my achievements as a writer?" he muttered incredulously. "And the event is in just a week?"

He scoffed at the thought. "Things like this cannot be refused, Tch." The idea of this unexpected trip irked him, it wasn't part of his original plans and threatened to put him in a passive position.

Entering his house, he slumped onto the couch and carelessly tossed the letter onto the table. "Fuck it, should I just go with the flow then?" he pondered, feeling drained by the impending trouble.

He wasn't wealthy enough yet, influential enough yet, not yet able to bribe anyone within the Daimyo's system. Now was certainly not the suitable time for him to have a meeting with such a powerful figure.

"No, calm down, this may not be a bad thing," he reasoned, straightening his posture. Retrieving a notebook from a drawer, he began to jot down his plan.

"I plan to go to the Fire Capital for patents and take the chance to bribe some administrators there anyway. This letter just makes me go from high to low, rather than from low to high like before. Not much changes. Check."

"Next, for potential troubles... hmm, I've been invited as a writer for a reward. If all goes well, someone from the Daimyo's family must have liked my book. I just have to stay low and please them with words. It should be doable. Check."

"Next, for the current plan for the steel factory... hmm, let's get as much done as I can, then let Itami handle it for a few days. She has a Jounin under her family, so even if something goes wrong, there shouldn't be any trouble. Check."

Feeling more at ease, he leaned back on the couch. But suddenly, a thought struck him. Hastily, he grabbed the notebook and added a line [Get closer to Hyuga Mia, the only Onlyfans materials in this world.]