Ryouhei let out a breath. "Of course you did."
"How did it hold up?" he asked.
"It worked," she said. "Better than I expected."
A pause.
"You should improve the stitching," she added. "Some of the seams weakened after direct flame."
He nodded, already filing the detail away.
Konan walked slowly to the table, brushing her fingers over a stack of new blends. Her movements were deliberate, precise—like everything about her.
"I used to make paper," she said suddenly. "When I was a child. It was… the only thing that felt mine."
Ryouhei looked up.
"Now it's just another tool," she said. "But I remember the feeling."
He didn't know what to say to that. So he didn't try to explain it away.
"I think about that, sometimes," he said quietly. "What we lose when things become useful."
And with that, she turned and left.
Ryouhei stood in the quiet after she left, the scent of mint and smoke still clinging to the air. Her words lingered longer.
What we lose when things become useful.
He turned to his ledger and added a note: Stitching — reinforce with waxed twine. Double-fold the edges.
He worked late into the night, his thoughts quieter than usual.
✦ ✦ ✦
✦ Two Weeks Later ✦
The shop was alive.
Soap bars were stacked in organized rows, wrapped in cloth stamped with simple leaf or wave motifs—designs Tetsu helped create using carved bits of wood.
The smell of lemon balm and cedar filled the air. Above the counter, a handwritten sign read: "Trade Welcome – Fair Prices – Ask About Custom Batches."
The wax-treated wraps were popular now—shinobi used them for carrying herbs, sealing scrolls, even protecting kunai.
Ryouhei had refined the process, mixing beeswax with fine ash to add heat resistance. The stitching had improved too—Kaede said so herself.
Orders came in almost daily: medics wanted yarrow soap in bulk, patrols asked for citrus bars to keep fresh in the field, even Goro had started bringing samples to traders during missions.
The Ryo were steady. Not much, but enough that Ryouhei no longer worried about whether the roof would collapse that week.
Tetsu had two regular chores now—sweeping in the morning, grinding herbs in the afternoon. He wore a too-big apron like armor and made a show of telling visitors, "I help make the mint blend. Smells strong because of me."
One rainy evening, a caravan rolled in from the western path. Their carts were loaded with barrels and reed baskets.
Most were traders Ryouhei had seen before, but one man was new—a tall, middle-aged merchant with a sharp jaw and a fox's grin.
He wore a straw hat under a plastic hood, and introduced himself simply as Haru.
"Nice setup," Haru said, looking around the shop. "Never thought I'd find a place like this in Amegakure."
"I hear that a lot," Ryouhei said, wiping his hands. "What do you trade in?"
"Food mostly. Sometimes textiles. I've been through the mountains, the border towns… and recently, the Grass."
Ryouhei's ears perked. "The Hidden Grass Village?"
Haru grinned. "That's the one. Tight-knit place, but they're not unfriendly if you come with money. Their bamboo goods are some of the best I've seen—soft weave, water-resistant. Great for wrapping, packing, even sleeping mats. And their dried food? Clean, light, and lasts for months."
Ryouhei scribbled notes. "We could use something like that here. How's the price?"
"Cheaper than the Border Ring," Haru said. "Better quality too. They've got access to good soil and clean water, unlike half the villages on this side of the mountains."
Ryouhei tapped his pencil against the ledger. "Is it safe to travel?"
"Relatively," Haru said. "But the road winds through the lower ridge—easy to get turned around. I'd recommend going with someone who's made the trip. I've got two more stops before I head back there in ten days. You're welcome to tag along."
Ryouhei considered it.
The idea of expanding supply chains made sense. Amegakure's markets were too unstable, and traders like Soma were growing harder to deal with. If he could get high-quality food and materials directly—and cheaper—he could grow faster. Maybe even stabilize prices in his shop.
And if Konan heard that he was opening trade beyond the village, proving resourceful without any chakra at all…?
He smiled slightly.
"I'll think about it," Ryouhei said. "If I go, I'll need to bring goods to trade. Soap's too heavy for long hauls. But wraps? Cards? Maybe even the wax cloths... that could work."
Haru nodded. "Bring what sells. And bring grit. The Grass's peaceful, but the roads aren't."
Ryouhei looked around his shop—at the rows of clean-wrapped soap, the neat ledger, the wax bundles waiting by the stove.
He had made something out of nothing here.
And maybe it was time to stretch that something even further.
That night, after Haru left, Ryouhei sat at the counter with the ledger open and a cold cup of tea beside him.
The idea was good—solid. Grass could work. The bamboo and dried food were useful, the prices were right, and it was close enough to Amegakure to be manageable.
But it wasn't the end goal.
It was a test run.
He tapped his pencil slowly against the page, then flipped to a clean one and wrote in small, deliberate strokes:
Long-Term Expansion: Land of Fire
More stable than Border Ring
Wealth concentrated in cities
Higher demand for refined goods
Civilian markets exist (less reliant on shinobi)
Potential: High-margin soap, luxury batches, wrap sets
He underlined the words "luxury batches." That was the key.
Not just regular soap anymore—but something special. Good smells. Nice wrapping. A small mark on each one to make it feel important.
Something people in rich villages would pay ten times more for.
Places like Konoha didn't just buy what they needed. They bought what they liked.
Ryouhei leaned back in his chair and whispered, "If I can sell there... I won't need chakra. Just a good name."
But he wasn't ready yet.
First, he had to prove he could make one successful trade outside Amegakure. He needed a plan that worked. One he could repeat.
The Grass Village trip would be the first test.
If he could sell his wraps and soap there—talk to traders, stay safe, and build trust—then going to the Land of Fire wouldn't be just a dream.
It would be the next step.
He looked at the back room. Tetsu had left a mess of herbs and wood shavings on the floor.
This had started as a way to survive.
But now?
Now it was becoming a real goal.
✦ The Next Morning ✦
Ryouhei didn't tell Konan. Not yet. He needed to be more prepared.
So he worked harder.
He cleaned up the shop's supplies. He made sure everything was in order. He changed a few soap recipes.
Then he started making small samples—tiny fancy soaps, wrapped in smooth, waxed paper. He stamped each one with a dried flower or leaf.
He also set aside the best herbs he could find—lavender, rose petals, plum bark. He stored them in a clean box for later.
That batch wasn't for Amegakure.
That batch was for the Land of Fire.
He told no one. Not Kaede. Not Goro. Not even Tetsu.
He would take it slow. First, test things with Grass. Then, if it worked, he would go bigger.