The icon for [Hair Manipulation] began to blink. Slowly, the braid etched on it grew more detailed. Energy drained rapidly from him, more than he expected, making Renji grit his teeth. Still, his anticipation outweighed the cost. After consuming a considerable amount of energy, the updated icon solidified once more.
Focusing on it, new details surfaced before his eyes.
[Skill: Hair Manipulation, Lv.2]
[Effect 1: …]
[Effect 2: Controlled hair can interfere with the senses of an opponent upon direct contact.]
The first effect remained the same as when the skill was at Level 1. His eyes shifted to the second effect.
'That's a good one… it's similar to Genjutsu. I wonder just how strong the effect will be.'
He searched for a target and locked onto a grey braid about four hundred meters away. Through it, he sensed that the owner was slightly hungry.
He activated his skill. Since the hair already belonged to her, the connection was in place. Following that connection, he nudged her senses—making her feel just a little hungrier.
Immediately, her hunger intensified, but she didn't seem to suspect anything.
He smiled, 'Good. This is very covert.'
Next, he located a black bob—likely a kunoichi's, judging by how quickly it was moving. He nudged her senses, planting the fleeting image of a shady figure slipping into a nearby alley.
She halted almost instantly and moved to investigate. She didn't find anything, but didn't seem to suspect a third party intervention. The surge of emotions feeding back through the connection made Renji's lips curl upward.
'Success! This is really good! This is very covert, and I can probably control every one of the senses of anyone linked to the hair I command. The potential here… it's huge.'
Satisfied, he deactivated the skill.
The level-up had consumed a large amount of energy, so he decided to stop here and focus on collecting more for now. Even so, he couldn't help but feel a swell of satisfaction at the day's progress.
'From here on, I'll need to gather Bonded Hair from powerful kunoichi… and stockpile more energy. The salon should make this possible—right out in the open, with minimal suspicion.'
With that decided, he went out to speak with Teuchi about his plans for the salon.
The smell of rich broth filled the air as he stepped out to find the old ramen master.
"Teuchi-san, I'm planning to hire some women to work at my salon. Do you have any suggestions?"
Teuchi rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm… I can ask around. Do you have any requirements?"
Renji explained, "My plan is to make the salon feel comfortable for women of every age group and profession. The employees should be able to handle any customer—make them feel welcome, and even entertain them if necessary while I'm busy."
Teuchi nodded in understanding.
Renji continued, "Ideally, I'd like at least one person from each age group—a young woman, someone middle-aged, and another close to retirement. They'd complement one another when dealing with customers. I also plan to hire kunoichi eventually… but that will have to wait."
Teuchi was surprised. He had expected Renji to hire maybe one helper at most.
Still, he broke into a grin and thumped his chest.
"Alright, leave it to me! I'll spread the word."
Renji bowed deeply in gratitude.
"Thank you, Teuchi-san!"
The warm chatter of regulars filled the shop as Teuchi laughed heartily and waved him off. With that, Renji spent the rest of the day helping out at Ichiraku.
---
**Mikoto's POV**
Mikoto was working in the kitchen when she noticed Fugaku stepping into the house.
She greeted him with a gentle smile.
"Welcome back, dear. Dinner's ready."
Fugaku gave a short nod.
"Thanks. I'll wash up first. Where are Itachi and Sasuke?"
Her expression softened, and smiled fondly.
"Itachi is looking after Sasuke in the backyard, never letting him leave his sight."
Later, at dinner, Fugaku spoke in his usual expressionless face.
"The details of the move to the new area have been finalized. We leave in a week. Help me prepare everything at home. I will work with the elders to help the rest of the clan."
Mikoto felt a pang of resignation.
"It's come to this after all… hopefully the children won't be affected too much."
Fugaku responded flatly.
"Itachi is strong. And Sasuke is still too young to understand. Don't worry yourself too much."
She opened her mouth, wanting to bring up Itachi's troubles—but seeing the weight of the move already pressing on Fugaku's shoulders, she chose to hold it back for now.
Their conversation lingered on the heavy matter for a bit, but gradually drifted to lighter subjects—neighbors, gossip, trivialities. Mikoto welcomed the shift.
Eventually, she steered the conversation toward Renji's invitation to his salon opening.
"He's a curious young man. Even after learning we're Uchiha, he didn't treat us any differently. His memory loss is probably part of it, though… What do you think about his invitation?"
Fugaku gave a slight nod.
"That could be it. As for the invitation—go, if you're interested."
Mikoto nodded, deciding to go. She was curious herself, but she also wanted to use the opportunity to quietly gauge the public sentiment toward the Uchiha. With that matter settled in her mind, she let the topic drop, and their conversation shifted to lighter things once more.
---
By evening, several women arrived after hearing about the job opening at the salon. Teuchi's word-of-mouth advertising had worked far better than Renji expected!
On his suggestion, Renji interviewed them one by one by himself. In the end, he selected three: an older woman who had once worked at a bathhouse, a recently widowed woman in her thirties, and an energetic teenager of about seventeen—who bore a striking resemblance to Tenten.
They matched the qualities Renji had described to Teuchi… but he had other criteria in mind as well. During each interview, he held their hair within his mind space, continuously reading their emotions. In this way, he could gauge their true intentions.
Additionally, the three he chose possessed the most aesthetically pleasing hair among the short listed ones. This mattered—after all, when customers saw their beautiful hair, it would inspire confidence in both the salon and Renji's own skills!
With that, nearly everything was ready for the opening. All that remained was for the construction to finish the next day so he could decorate the interior and install the equipment. Since the deliveries were scheduled for Sunday, he decided to open the salon on Monday.
He asked his new employees to come in at eight o'clock on Monday morning for preparations and a bit of simple training. He gave them some money in advance as a nice gesture. With the recent tragedy, all three of them needed it. Grateful, they thanked him and, left for the day.
That evening, after dinner, Renji lay in his bed, lost in thought.
'Everything is going smoothly. Once the salon takes off, I'll have a steady supply of Demonic Energy and Bonded Hair—far better than raiding cemeteries or taking it from enemies. I won't neglect those options, of course… if I ever need a sudden boost.'
His thoughts drifted.
'Why am I doing all this? My main goal has been survival. Honestly, with the skills I already have—and with Kushina's hair by my side—I could just disappear. I can find some remote place, live out my life in peace. The disasters to come—the Konoha Crush, Pain's attack, the Fourth Shinobi World War, even Kaguya's revival… Naruto and his friends will resolve them. I only need to stay safe and out of the way. So then… why am I settling in Konoha, the very heart of all this chaos?'
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A/N: I'm curious. What would be your motivation if you're Renji's place?