In this world, industries such as weapons, pharmaceuticals, and bounty stations were among the most profitable businesses outside the shinobi villages. They were also Oniichirō's long-term targets.
Unfortunately, each of those industries was backed by powerful forces. A small player like Oniichirō had no qualifications to get involved. The fact that he could hold onto his mine without it being seized already demonstrated that public order in the Land of Lightning was relatively strong. If he forced his way into a high-profit industry, he would likely be eliminated.
So before doing anything, he needed market research—otherwise he would be fleeced like a fool.
Leaving the mine under the management of his steward, Mikuri Tomokazu, Oniichirō went to a nearby large town and began observing a prominent restaurant.
The establishment had three floors, a large scale, and steady customer traffic. It was precisely the kind of restaurant Oniichirō envisioned.
It wasn't until three in the morning that the restaurant closed.
Oniichirō created a Shadow Clone to lure away the two shinobi guards. Masked, he slipped inside and subdued the owner.
"The money's in the chest—don't kill me! Please don't kill me!"
Mistaking him for a bandit, the owner trembled and immediately revealed where the household funds were hidden.
To be honest, the speed at which robbery produced money tempted Oniichirō.
But even organizations as powerful as the Akatsuki or the Five Great Shinobi Nations followed rules when earning money. That alone proved that robbery was a high-risk, low-return enterprise. The more you stole, the harder others would hunt you.
In any world, the richest people were never bandits.
Suppressing the urge, Oniichirō deliberately altered his voice.
"Tell me. Who backs you? How much do you pay?"
The owner answered without hesitation.
"Each month we hand over one-fifth of our income to Tagawa Ryōzō. He's a subordinate of Minister Nishio Takeyoshi of the Land of Lightning. The shinobi stationed here were assigned by them."
Nishio Takeyoshi was a trusted minister of the Lightning Daimyō, overseeing internal affairs and taxation. Oniichirō had heard the name before.
As expected, with Kumogakure's presence, the Lightning Daimyō's administration was strong. Merchants needed powerful patrons. A situation like Gatō controlling the Land of Waves would never happen here.
"Where do you purchase your ingredients? Who backs them?"
"Ordinary produce comes from the market. But premium seafood must be bought from the Matsushita Trading Company. They're backed by the lord of Kuroiwa Castle."
Kuroiwa Castle was a coastal city not far from here. With an excellent harbor and well-developed docks, it received abundant seafood daily.
Clearly, the regional fishing industry had already been consolidated. A small eatery might avoid scrutiny, but a large restaurant had to buy from Matsushita Trading Company—or face consequences.
What was he supposed to do? Kill the merchants? Then the castle lord? And then whoever backed the lord?
Where would it end? Eventually, he would meet someone he couldn't defeat.
After gathering more information about the restaurant industry's web of interests, Oniichirō sheathed his blade and left.
In short, the Land of Lightning's market was saturated. Every sector was carved up by established interests. Even if he forced his way in, he would be exploited at every layer, leaving most of his hard-earned profits in others' hands.
"Looks like I need to go abroad. Smaller nations may have limited markets, but their entrenched powers are weaker. Whatever I earn will be mine."
Back home, studying a map, Oniichirō's gaze settled on the neighboring Land of the Moon.
It might be worth the gamble.
"Young Master, please return safely."
One morning, Mikuri Tomokazu watched reluctantly as Oniichirō's figure disappeared down the road.
At the same time, Kyōsuke was also heading toward the Land of the Moon.
After completing a series of missions, Team 19 had entered a rest period. Kyōsuke accepted a solo mission, intending to rendezvous with Oniichirō and help him establish a foothold.
If the two of them still failed together, then Oniichirō would have no choice but to return to the Land of Lightning, earn modest profits, and try again when stronger.
Kyōsuke's mission involved eliminating a wild beast terrorizing a village in the Land of Fire.
It turned out to be a wolf infused with a trace of chakra. Using traps and strategy, Kyōsuke dispatched it with ease before continuing onward.
Several days later, the two finally met.
Though they saw each other daily within their shared dream space, this was their first meeting in reality.
Kyōsuke grinned.
"You're surprisingly plump and fair. Doesn't match your name at all. And if you don't lose weight, you'll never get a girlfriend."
Oniichirō patted the pack on his back.
"Enough nonsense. I brought all my funds. If this fails, we really will have to turn to robbery—so take this seriously."
"What's your plan? I can't stay away from the village too long."
"I've already investigated. There's a restaurant in the next town on the brink of bankruptcy. I'm buying it today."
Kyōsuke stared at him and gestured to indicate the size of his head.
"Your skull's not small—so is it full of mush? If the current owner can't keep it running, why would you succeed? Where's this confidence coming from?"
Oniichirō chuckled.
"You don't know. It's the only restaurant in town. Business was good, but recently several shinobi arrived and deliberately harassed the place, ruining it. I suspect someone wants to acquire it cheaply. I'm planning to cut in."
At the mention of shinobi, Kyōsuke's tone turned serious.
"How strong are they? If they're jōnin-level, we're not their match."
"It's a small town—two or three thousand people at most. Anyone wealthy enough to hire jōnin wouldn't be interested in this place."
"That makes sense."
Kyōsuke paused, then asked, "You're not actually planning to stay in the restaurant business, are you?"
Oniichirō shook his head.
"Of course not. The restaurant is just a starting point—to practice and build connections. Once we have a foundation, we pivot. No matter what, our wealth must grow in proportion to our strength. Otherwise, even if we earn too much, we won't be able to protect it."
After discussing details, Oniichirō approached the owner to make an offer, while Kyōsuke hid nearby to provide protection.
The owner had been losing money for days and had nearly pulled out all his hair from stress. When Oniichirō offered a fair price, he agreed immediately.
By that evening, after settling matters with the staff and transferring ownership, the former owner departed.
During the process, Kyōsuke noticed a shinobi monitoring the restaurant.
As soon as the shinobi saw that Oniichirō intended to buy it, he hurried toward a nearby residential house.
Kyōsuke created a Shadow Clone to follow him.
Inside, voices rose in anger.
"Damn it! We were about to succeed, and now some brat ruined everything!"
"Boss, let's just kill them!"
"We've tolerated enough! There aren't any other shinobi here—we're the strongest in this town!"
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