The smell of warm rice and miso filled the small kitchen as I moved with practiced ease, my hands working in sync with Hoshino-san. The old caretaker of the orphanage gave me a tired but fond smile as she stirred a pot of soup.
"You're up early again, Murakami-kun," she said, her voice laced with amusement. "You really don't have to help every morning."
I scoffed lightly, shifting the wooden ladle in my grip as I checked the consistency of the porridge. "And let you do all the work alone? I'd never hear the end of it if I sat back and watched."
Hoshino-san chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, at least you're useful in the kitchen. Unlike some of the others who only come in when they smell food."
As if on cue, a small head peeked through the doorway. "Is breakfast ready?"
I turned my head slightly to see Ichiro, one of the younger boys, standing with wide, expectant eyes. His short brown hair was a mess, and his oversized shirt made him look even smaller than he actually was.
"Almost," I said, smirking as I lifted the ladle threateningly. "Unless you want to be the first to taste it straight from the pot."
Ichiro yelped, disappearing behind the door frame before quickly peeking back in. "I don't mind being first!"
Hoshino-san let out a laugh, shaking her head as she began plating the food. "Murakami, take this out to the table, will you? The others will start swarming in soon."
I nodded, grabbing a couple of trays before making my way to the dining area. The large table in the center of the room was already starting to fill up with the younger kids, their sleepy expressions gradually replaced with excitement as they saw the food.
"Murakami-nii, sit here!"
"I saved you a spot!"
"Oi, don't hog all the rice!"
I smirked as I set down the trays, ruffling the hair of one of the younger girls, Emi, as she pouted at one of the older boys trying to steal her portion. "Alright, alright, everyone gets their share. No stealing."
I took my seat among them, quickly finding myself the center of their attention. This was nothing new. It had been this way for as long as I could remember. Even the older kids, the ones closer to my age, looked to me in some way or another—whether as a leader, a big brother, or just someone they could count on.
"Murakami-nii, are you going to teach us cool ninja moves soon?" Ichiro asked, stuffing his mouth with rice.
I raised an eyebrow. "You do realize I'm still learning myself, right?"
"But you're already better than most of us!" Daichi chimed in. "Even the older kids in the academy say you're scary smart."
I rolled my eyes, waving off the compliment. "That doesn't mean I can just teach you guys everything I know."
"Why not?" Emi asked, tilting her head.
"Because," I said, setting down my chopsticks, "some things need to be learned properly, step by step. You can't just skip ahead."
"Ugh, but that's so slow!" Ichiro groaned.
I chuckled, shaking my head. "You'll appreciate it later."
The conversation continued with the usual banter until breakfast was finished. As always, the younger kids took charge of cleaning up, a system we had all fallen into naturally. Meanwhile, those of us heading to the academy grabbed our things and made our way out.
The streets of Konoha were lively as usual, the morning sun casting a warm glow over the village. I walked with my usual group of orphans, their chatter unceasing as we made our way toward the academy.
"I hope today's lesson isn't just more writing," one of the boys, Haruto, groaned.
"We're ninja," Aiko added. "Why do we need to write essays?"
"Because," I cut in, "strategy and planning are just as important as throwing punches. You can't win a fight if you don't think."
Not to mention writing reports after missions.
"That sounds like something a nerd would say."
I smirked. "And yet, I'm the one who keeps winning spars."
That shut them up for a second, but soon enough, the topic shifted again.
"I wish we could learn more actual techniques," Aiko said with a sigh. "If only we had money, we could buy technique scrolls from the market."
I froze mid-step.
Scrolls?
Technique Scrolls?
That thought had never even crossed my mind before. I had been so focused on learning what the academy taught that I hadn't considered the possibility of buying jutsu on my own.
It was an obvious thing, now that I thought about it. The shinobi world wasn't some perfectly structured system where people just waited for knowledge to be handed to them. If you had the money and connections, you could gain access to a variety of techniques.
But why had I never thought about this before?
I frowned slightly, my mind racing.
I needed to look into this.
Hina could probably find out more. She had already proven herself useful in handling my store's finances, so asking her to look into purchasable jutsu wouldn't be much trouble.
I made a mental note to visit the shop later today.
"Murakami-nii?"
I snapped out of my thoughts, realizing that the others had stopped walking and were looking at me.
"You okay?" Aiko asked.
"Yeah," I said, clearing my throat. "Just thinking about something."
Haruto smirked. "About what? Some secret training plan?"
I chuckled. "Maybe."
They groaned in unison. "No fair!"
I smirked, continuing toward the academy. Today's lessons suddenly felt a lot less important compared to what I had just realized.
There was more than one way to get ahead in this world, and since I was already on my way, I intended to use every advantage I could get along the way.
…
The rest of the day passed by in a blur.
Daigk-sensei's voice droned in the background, but I barely heard a word. My mind was elsewhere, running through the implications of what I had just realized.
Jutsu scrolls could be bought.
If that was true, then why waste time waiting for the academy to spoon-feed me techniques at a sluggish pace?
The Shockwave Jutsu was a decent starting point, but if I could gain access to a variety of techniques—especially ones suited to my fighting style—I could accelerate my progress exponentially.
I knew I was already ahead of my peers in terms of analytical ability, control, and understanding of chakra. But technique-wise? I was still within the limitations of what the academy had provided. That needed to change.
The moment Tetsuo-sensei dismissed the class, I was the first one out the door.
…
The eastern market district was bustling with activity as I weaved through the crowds. The scent of grilled meat and fresh vegetables filled the air, blending with the occasional whiff of ink and parchment from the various stalls.
Merchants called out their wares, civilians haggled for better prices, and shinobi moved through the area with quiet efficiency, their presence a natural part of the village's rhythm.
But my focus was on one thing—the Lotus Store.
Turning a corner, I arrived at the newly renovated and expanded building. It was a two-story structure, its elegant wooden exterior polished to perfection. The sign above the entrance bore the Lotus Store insignia, a simple yet refined golden lotus flower, subtly marking its presence without being too flashy.
Pushing open the doors, I stepped inside.
The store was packed.
Customers moved from shelf to shelf, examining various goods, while the sound of money exchanging hands echoed in the background. Shelves were lined with high-quality fabrics, well preserved medicinal herbs, ink, paper, and various other essentials.
Everything was neatly arranged, giving the store an air of sophistication that set it apart from the more common, cluttered stalls outside.
The salesgirls, all dressed in elegant green haori, moved efficiently through the store, assisting customers with practiced grace. Each one was well-trained, their polite smiles and confident demeanor ensuring that the Lotus Store maintained an air of professionalism.
I nodded contentedly. This was exactly the kind of establishment I had envisioned.
Without wasting time, I made my way to the back office, where I knew Hina would be.
…
Hina was seated behind a polished wooden desk, flipping through a series of ledgers. Her dark hair was tied up neatly, and she was dressed in a simple yet elegant kimono that suited her role as the manager of the store.
She looked up as I entered, a small smirk forming on her lips. "You're early today, Murakami-sama."
I rolled my eyes at the honorific. "You don't have to call me that, you know."
"I do when we're in the office," she teased, gesturing for me to sit. "What brings you here in such a hurry?"
I sat down across from her, leaning back slightly. "I need information on purchasing jutsu scrolls. What's available, how much they cost, and where to find them."
Hina raised an eyebrow. "Jumping straight into business, huh? Not even a 'how's the store doing?'"
I exhaled, knowing that she wasn't going to let me rush past the financial details. "Fine. Let's get an update first."
Her smirk widened before she pulled out a detailed ledger and opened it to a specific page. "Alright. Here's where we stand:
The Lotus Store (Main Branch)—this one—has been averaging 2,300,000 ryo per week in revenue, with net profits sitting around 1,500,000 ryo after deducting expenses.
The West District Branch brings in 1,700,000 ryo weekly, with a net profit of 1,100,000 ryo.
The South District Branch, being the newest, is still growing but pulls in about 1,200,000 ryo per week, with net profits hovering at 750,000 ryo.
Altogether, we're looking at 5,200,000 ryo in revenue per week, with about 3,350,000 ryo in actual profits."
I nodded, impressed despite myself. "Not bad."
She smirked. "Of course not. I run this place."
I ignored that. "So, how much excess cash do I have available?"
Hina turned another page in her ledger. "After accounting for emergency funds, restocking costs, and business expansion investments, you currently have 19,800,000 ryo at your personal disposal."
I whistled lowly. "That's more than I expected."
"You don't really spend much outside of the store and the orphanage," she pointed out. "If you weren't hoarding your earnings, I'd be worried."
I smirked. "Well, I might be spending a decent chunk soon."
Hina arched an eyebrow. "On what exactly?"
"Jutsu scrolls," I repeated. "What are the going rates?"
She looked at me for a good while then exhaled and pulled out another document, this one detailing a price list.
"Alright. Here's the breakdown:
D-Rank Jutsu Scrolls – 10,000 ryo
C-Rank Jutsu Scrolls – 100,000 ryo
B-Rank Jutsu Scrolls – 1,000,000 ryo
A-Rank Jutsu Scrolls – 10,000,000 ryo"
I stared at the list, my lips twitching.
That was…a massive jump in price at each level.
"You're telling me a single A-Rank scroll costs more than half my available funds?" I asked dryly.
Hina nodded. "And that's just for common techniques. Rarer or forbidden jutsu could go for double, sometimes triple those amounts."
I rubbed my temple. This was going to require some planning.
D-Rank jutsu were practically dirt cheap—I could buy dozens without making a dent in my finances. C-Rank was reasonable, but B-Rank? That was already in the territory of significant investment.
And A-Rank? That was a purchase I couldn't afford to make lightly.
"I take it S-Rank techniques aren't even on the market?" I mused.
"Not in the legal market," Hina confirmed. "S-Rank jutsu are usually village secrets, passed down through specific clans or taught only to high-ranking ninja. You'd need serious connections or black-market dealings to get your hands on something like that."
I hummed in thought. So, I had options.
If I wanted to build a solid foundation, I could buy several D-Rank and C-Rank jutsu to enhance my arsenal. If I wanted power faster, I could aim for a single B-Rank technique, though it would cut deeply into my funds.
And A-Rank…was something I needed to think long and hard about before even considering.
I exhaled, leaning back in my chair. "Alright. I need time to decide. Can you compile a list of available techniques and their descriptions?"
Hina nodded. "Give me until tomorrow."
I stood up, stretching. "Good. I'll be back then."
As I left the office, I glanced back toward the bustling store.
This was just another step in my journey.
And if power had a price, then I was ready to pay it.