Konoha,
At the Akimichi tavern,
The fifteen-person group gathered once again.
Another rare get-together—
Well, actually, it's already the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th... time this year.
Uh…
When they're free,
They just get together whenever there's nothing to do.
That's just how it is in Konoha.
Eating alone is eating, eating with friends is still eating, right?
Of course, a gathering of fifteen people doesn't mean everyone sticks to one conversation.
They naturally split into several groups.
Inuzuka Rinko and Uzumaki Kushina formed the "best friends" duo,
Whispering about something to each other.
Though… their cheeks seemed a little flushed.
But what could girls possibly be talking about? Surely nothing bad.
Akimichi Chōza and Aburame Shikuro, the "honest guys" duo:
Chōza: "Want some?"
Shikuro: "Mm, it tastes good. This is edible honey insects. Want to try?"
Chōza: "Wow, so sweet! Is this honey?"
Shikuro: "A new product from the Kamizuru clan—No. 24 Queen Bee Honey."
Chōza: "How much is it? Can I buy some?"
Shikuro: "Chōza, if you want to eat it, just come over anytime. As much as you like—but only you."
Chōza: "Shikuro, you really are my best friend."
Yamanaka Inoichi: ???
Nara Shikaku: ???
Yamanaka Inoichi and Aburame Shibi formed the "flower-growing" duo:
Inoichi: "What? Your Aburame clan actually has a way to boost flower reproduction?"
Shibi: "It's not really ours. It's thanks to the Kamizuru clan's bees. When they gather nectar, they also help with pollination—something like that. Anyway, in the areas where they keep bees, flowers grow especially well and in huge numbers. To keep the roads clear, we even have to remove some of them."
At that moment, Shibi suddenly felt someone staring at him—
It was Inoichi, eyes shining intensely.
"Well… want me to take you to see it later?"
"Oh, I'd feel bad imposing… when are you free?"
…?
That's basically a yes, right?
After thinking it over carefully, Shibi came to that conclusion.
...
Namikaze Minato, Hyūga Hizashi, and Hyūga Hiashi—the "complaint squad":
"Hizashi, Hiashi, don't you think what they're doing is wrong? As ninja, we should earn money honestly by taking missions. What kind of skill is robbery?"
Minato righteously criticized the actions of another group.
I've been working hard and earning honestly—how can you guys just get rich overnight?
"That's right, that's right."
Hiashi agreed enthusiastically.
You guys made money without me—I want to be rich too.
And that damn Hiyasu—he's already made so much money himself, and he still asks me for more.
Hizashi could only keep smiling awkwardly,
Trying to calm his teammate and his hot-headed older brother,
Sighing inwardly.
Do you really think it's inappropriate? You're obviously just jealous.
...
Finally, the last group—the most important and most infamous shameless duo:
"Shikaku, are you really not considering joining? I'm making way more than you now."
Uchiha Kamito teased.
He still remembered Shikaku saying his funding chain would definitely collapse.
"No. The Nara clan's land and medicinal business are enough for self-sufficiency. Besides, having too much money isn't always a good thing."
Shikaku replied calmly.
"But with your method, how are you still making money? Are those nobles and rich merchants idiots? Letting you rob them for five years straight?"
That was what Shikaku couldn't understand.
Since when was robbery a sustainable business?
"Hehehe, now that's where you don't get it."
"Shiken's idea."
Hyūga Hiyasu suddenly chimed in.
"Then I understand. So it was Shiken's idea."
When Shikaku said this, he deliberately glanced at Uchiha Kamito.
"Hyūga Hiyasu!!!"
"Your grandpa's right here!"
The two immediately ran off to start bickering again.
...
"Shiken, how did you do it? Didn't those nobles and merchants resist?"
Shikaku quickly sat down beside Aburame Shiken,
Humbly asking for advice—that was his ninja way.
"It went roughly like this. In the first year, Kamito was too brutal—he just used force directly. Even though it was all dirty money, resentment still built up. It was only a matter of time before it exploded. So in the second year, I went to meet those merchants and officials."
"Wait, I heard this whole thing started with you. How did you even have the nerve to meet them?"
"Well… according to their own words, compared to Kamito, I'm practically a saint."
"…In that case, Kamito really deserves the main credit."
Shikaku said helplessly.
When an even worse villain appears, the previous one suddenly looks like a good person—where's the logic in that?
"And then?"
Shikaku pressed on.
"Seeing how polite they were, I felt too embarrassed to rob them again. So I started doing business with them instead."
You probably went there planning to rob them again, didn't you?
Shikaku thought to himself shamelessly.
"And they just agreed to do business with someone who robbed them?"
"They can tell the difference between being robbed and doing business. Plus, I promised that if they worked with me, Kamito wouldn't rob them anymore."
"…That's a hard offer to refuse."
Shikaku thought it over.
Doing business with one villain not only removes that villain but also gets protection from another one—instantly eliminating two threats.
That's a massive win.
Even he wouldn't be able to refuse that.
Maybe the Nara clan's approach should change too… open schemes might be the future.
"So what kind of business are you doing?"
"Coal."
"Coal? That black stone you burn? Can that really support such huge expenses?"
"Shikaku, don't underestimate coal's value. It provides heat. You need fire to cook, warmth in winter, bathhouses need it… And coal is something only the Land of Fire has. Why do you think it's called the Land of Fire? The Land of Lightning is full of cliffs, the Land of Earth is full of iron ore, the Land of Wind is just sand—not even worth mentioning—and the Land of Water is a bunch of tiny islands with nothing. Coal is a monopoly, a daily necessity, and it can be exported. How could it not make money?"
"If it's that profitable, why didn't they do it before?"
"They did. But with so much coal, how were they supposed to mine it? Rely on overworked civilians. The ruthless ones used slaves and worked them to death. But how could that compare to our Aburame insects? Working 24 hours non-stop, no wages, no rest—when one batch dies, we replace it with the next. That efficiency, that output… how could those old coal bosses compete with me?"
The more Shiken spoke, the more excited he became.
This way of making money was even faster than robbery.
"Shiken, do you have anything else you trade with them?"
"Of course. Kamizuru's Queen Bee Honey and Hundred-Flower Honey are both very popular."
"Count the Ino–Shika–Chō trio in."