The new semester had begun again. Sasuke and Neji returned to the Academy, and for a moment, everything seemed to return to peace.
Naruto slipped back into his usual habit of teasing Hinata. Still, he couldn't shake the odd feeling that Shikamaru kept glancing at him from time to time.
Could it be…?
No way. He's gay?!
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
Naruto shook the ridiculous thought out of his head almost immediately. Even if Shikamaru was gay, there was no way he'd be interested in him.
Sasuke's the handsome one. He'd probably go after Sasuke instead!
"Achoo! Achoo!"
Not far away, Shikamaru sneezed twice, rubbing his nose, completely unaware that Naruto's imagination had already painted him in a strange new light.
When the dismissal bell rang, the Academy filled with cheers. Classes weren't very long—the rest of the time was meant for self-training. How much one improved depended on themselves.
For those from shinobi clans, training continued at home. The larger and stricter the clan, the more clearly their children came to understand the harsh reality of the ninja world.
This was especially true for the Hyūga Clan.
During holidays, many of Konoha's clans would teach their heirs secret clan techniques. Meanwhile, children from civilian families often lacked that wider perspective, and the difference between clan shinobi and ordinary shinobi grew ever more obvious.
"Ino, I heard a new shop called Seven Colors Trading Company just opened in Konoha. They've got so many amazing things! Let's go check it out!"
Normally by this point, Sakura and Ino would have already fallen out, but thanks to Naruto's butterfly effect, their friendship remained intact.
Naruto also noticed that Ino didn't seem as obsessed with Sasuke as Sakura was.
What he didn't know was that, from Ino's perspective, she often found herself stealing glances at him. Naruto was no longer the dead-last of the class—his relentless training had given him a strong, athletic build, and his cheerful demeanor had only grown brighter.
To Ino, Naruto now carried a mysterious charm and was… undeniably handsome.
Her childhood crush on Sasuke had dimmed somewhat, replaced by a curiosity about Naruto's true self. Still, because of his closeness with Hinata, Ino kept her little feelings hidden deep inside.
Snapped from her thoughts by Sakura's voice, Ino blinked and replied absentmindedly, "Huh? Oh… okay, okay!"
"N-Naruto-kun! I… I want to go too!"
Hinata tugged gently at Naruto's sleeve. Her father had finally given her a short break, and the rumors about the Seven Colors Trading Company had reached her as well. She wanted nothing more than to spend time with Naruto there.
Naruto was taken aback for a moment—this was the first time Hinata had ever asked him to go somewhere.
He smiled warmly, patting her head. "Alright! I'll take you."
Turning to Sasuke, he added, "Sasuke, I won't be training today. You and Neji go ahead without me."
Sasuke's expression went blank. Having a girlfriend really does make you forget your brothers…
At this point, Naruto and Hinata's relationship was already clear to anyone with eyes. The only thing missing was them saying it out loud.
And wasn't the Seven Colors Trading Company Naruto's own business anyway? He hadn't expected it to become this famous in Konoha.
Since partnering with Mizukage Mei Terumī, the company's expansion had skyrocketed. With the Mizukage's name attached, business had gone smoothly. And when greedy nobles tried to meddle, Shisui had quietly taken care of them with genjutsu.
In the end, those same nobles even ended up helping Naruto's group expand further.
As the group strolled through the streets, Shikamaru walked along with his usual lazy expression, having been dragged along by Ino. On the way, they overheard the excited chatter of passersby:
"This new shopping mall is really something!"
"I heard it's secretly backed by a powerful noble!"
"Bah, you're both wrong. I heard it actually belongs to the Daimyō himself…"
"What are you talking about? My relative works there, and he said even the Daimyō wouldn't dare cross the owner of the Seven Colors Trading Company. That guy's a monster!"
"Old Man Musashi, since when did you have such an important relative?"
"Oh, well… distant relative. My nephew's wife's sister's husband's younger brother-in-law!"
"..."
Naruto was left speechless by the conversations around him. Rumors really do spread like wildfire in this village…
The group continued on. Sasuke, having no interest in shopping, broke off from the others and left.
Figures. For him, training is way better than this kind of thing anyway… Naruto thought.
As he walked, Naruto noticed that a few villagers still gave him strange looks. But unlike before, no one dared to whisper too loudly or act too brazen. He had grown, both in strength and stature, and now carried himself as a shinobi. That alone made them keep their distance.
Soon, they reached the commercial street.
At the center of the bustling crowd stood the newly opened Seven Colors Trading Company, its lively atmosphere drawing customers in droves. Stalls and displays stretched wide, full of goods neatly categorized—some familiar, others entirely new.
Near the entrance was a clothing section. There were dozens of outfits unlike anything Konoha had seen before, fusing designs from the shinobi world with more modern inspirations—ideas Naruto had pulled from memories of his previous life.
Unsurprisingly, the unique styles had already caught the eyes of noblewomen and young ladies alike.
Sakura and Ino, naturally, were among the first to dive in.
"Wow! This dress is so pretty!" Sakura exclaimed.
She held up a cherry blossom-patterned cheongsam in soft pink. It was elegant yet youthful, perfectly suiting her figure and name.
Ino, meanwhile, had already chosen a light-blue cheongsam with flowing patterns that highlighted her fair features.
"Excuse me, how much is this one?" Sakura asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
The sales clerk, smiling brightly, replied, "That one is 1,888 ryō."
"Eh?! That expensive?!" Sakura froze, her face falling slightly.
In the world of shinobi, the standard currency was ryō. To put it in perspective, 1 ryō was roughly equal to 10 yen. That meant the dress was worth nearly 19,000 yen. For Sakura, whose family lived comfortably but not lavishly, her allowance wasn't nearly enough to cover it.
Still, she couldn't stop staring at the dress.
Ino, noticing, turned to the clerk and asked casually, "And how much is mine?"
"Your dress is 2,188 ryō," the clerk replied with another smile.
"I'll take it. And wrap up hers too."
"Huh? Ino, I can't—!" Sakura's face turned red as she waved her hands frantically.
She wanted the dress, yes, but she couldn't accept something so expensive from her friend. Before she could say another word, Ino cut her off firmly.
"Don't argue. This kind of money is nothing to me. When you're a shinobi, you can pay me back someday if you really want to."
Sakura was stunned into silence, her chest tightening with emotion. She knew Ino was only saying that to ease her guilt—Ino had no intention of ever asking her to pay her back.
Looking at her friend, Sakura felt her heart warm. So this is what true friendship feels like…
...
TN:
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