Chapter 19

Normal POV

The market district was alive with energy despite the war.

As they said, even if the world ends, the markets would still run.

The sun had dipped below the horizon, but the lanterns had just begun to flicker to life, casting warm glows across the wooden stalls.

The air buzzed with the chatter of merchants haggling, children laughing, and the occasional clang of metal as blacksmiths finished their day's work.

The shops were still bustling, but for the moment, Murakami stood at the back of his small store, his fingers stained with ink as he observed his latest creation.

The storage seals were lined up neatly on the counter, sturdy, compact, and efficient.

A quick glance toward the shop's front confirmed that Hina was busy attending to a small group of customers.

Murakami had never been one for heavy salesmanship, but the way she interacted with potential buyers was almost effortless. She was a natural. And that, Murakami thought with a satisfied smirk, was why he needed her on this venture.

"Three more sold," Hina called from the front of the shop, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Murakami's eyes flickered to the stack of empty boxes in front of her. For every scroll seal sold, she carefully wrapped it, packaged it, and slid it into the basket that would be handed to the next customer.

His mind drifted back to the first day they put the seals out for sale. It had been a gamble, a leap of faith, but now, the results were clear.

He turned back to the seals.

His success rate had risen steadily over the past week. The adjustments to the batch production technique had yielded consistent results, and while there were still some failures, they were fewer than ever before.

He knew he was on the right track.

"How many left?" he asked, his voice quieter now, more thoughtful.

Hina looked up from her counter, raising an eyebrow. "Why, you looking to restock already?"

Murakami gave her a wry smile. "I think we can both agree that we're just getting started."

She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "We've sold over thirty in less than a week. That's not too bad for something we started on a whim."

"Not bad at all," Murakami said, eyes gleaming.

To her maybe, but to him?

"But that's just the beginning. I've been thinking. We're selling these one by one. But what if we could expand? Maybe make a bigger push."

Hina raised an eyebrow. "Expand how?"

"I've been considering... custom orders. Personalized seals for customers with specific needs. Maybe even collaborating with other vendors."

"You want to take over the whole market, huh?" Hina teased, but Murakami could see the calculation behind her eyes. She was already considering the potential too.

"Not take over," he said, shrugging with mock humility. "But why settle for small when you can scale up?"

Hina leaned forward in intrigue. "Okay, but you know we'll need to make more than just storage seals to keep people interested, right? We'll need variety."

Murakami nodded, already steps ahead. "I've been thinking about that too. Suppression seals for chakra control, even locking seals for security. We can start with a few simple ones and see how customers respond. Once we get a feel for what they want, we can expand."

Hina's eyes lit up. "You've got a plan, huh?"

"Something like that," he replied, turning his attention back to the scrolls in front of him. "It'll take time, but if we can make something more durable, more versatile, we could corner the market on affordable, custom seals."

The thought of it thrilled him. It wasn't just about the seals anymore, it was about creating something that people relied on, something that could make life easier for so many.

The following days passed in a blur of activity.

Murakami was up at dawn every day, working in the back room of the store, crafting new seals, testing variations, and adjusting his techniques.

The ink stains on his hands became more permanent as he spent hours refining his craft.

But despite the grind, he never lost his focus.

Every failure only spurred him on, every success fueled his drive to do better. He was constantly analyzing and thinking, solving the problems that cropped up one by one, until the seals became almost second nature to him.

Meanwhile, Hina took charge of the shop's front, managing the sales and talking to customers. She had been right: they needed variety.

Murakami had already begun creating locking seals, simple but effective, and even suppression seals for chakra users.

On the sixth day of their new venture, a merchant came in asking for a custom order.

Murakami's heart raced when Hina handed him the customer's request:

[I need a secure storage seal for an important item. It must be able to lock and only open with my signature. Also, I want it compact, easy to carry.]

Murakami felt a sudden surge of excitement. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for.

"I can do that," Murakami said, his voice steady, his mind already working through the logistics of creating such a seal. "It'll take a four days to craft, but I'll get it done."

The merchant agreed to the timeline, and with a bow of his head, he left the store, leaving Murakami to contemplate the task at hand.

Creating the Custom Seal

Murakami spent the next two days focused entirely on the merchant's request. He studied the principles of locking seals, ensuring that the right chakra signature would be required for access.

"Complicated," he muttered to himself as he worked, his fingers moving swiftly over the parchment. But it wasn't impossible. He knew it wasn't.

He experimented with several designs, each time testing the seals on small items to ensure the locking mechanism would work. The first few attempts were clumsy, the seal malfunctioning or failing to lock properly. But he refused to give up.

By the third attempt, the seal was near perfect. It was compact, it locked securely with a designated chakra signature, and when activated, it would only unlock for the owner's chakra. He couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment as he held up the final seal, admiring the intricate design he'd managed to achieve.

When the merchant returned two days later, Murakami presented the seal. "Here it is."

Murakami placed the finished seal onto the wooden counter with a steady hand. The merchant reached forward and picked it up.

He turned it over in his fingers, his gaze scanning every line of the intricate design.

The tension in the air was almost tangible as this was Murakami's first high-value commission, and though he was confident in his work, there was always that lingering uncertainty, would the customer see the value in it?

One had to understand that presently, the Uzumaki clan were in full swing so being a seal master wasn't that much of an important thing.

The merchant pressed his fingers against the seal and flared his chakra. A faint glow pulsed along the inked lines as the security function activated.

Murakami had programmed it precisely: without the correct signature, the contents inside would remain sealed indefinitely.

A slow smirk spread across the merchant's face. "Flawless," he murmured. "Better than I expected."

Murakami exhaled, though he hadn't realized he was holding his breath.

The merchant set the scroll down and reached into his satchel, pulling out a bundle of ryo. He counted the payment with practiced efficiency before sliding a total of 100,000 ryo across the counter.

Murakami's fingers twitched. That was double what they had originally agreed on.

"You're paying more than the discussed price," Murakami said, frowning slightly.

The merchant let out a low chuckle. "Kid, I deal in valuables. I need security that doesn't fail. What you gave me is worth at least twice this amount, but consider the extra a down payment. I'll be back for more soon, and when I return, I expect priority treatment."

Murakami met his gaze and understood the implications. This wasn't just a one-time job. If he played his cards right, this merchant could become a repeat customer, a valuable one.

A slow grin crept onto his face as he picked up the ryo bundle and weighed it in his hand. "Deal."

The merchant nodded in approval, tucking the scroll into his inner coat pocket before striding toward the door. He paused briefly, casting one last glance over his shoulder.

"You've got a talent for this," he said. "Don't waste it."

With that, he disappeared into the busy market street, leaving Murakami standing behind the counter, the bundle of ryo still in his hand.

From her spot near the register, Hina whistled. "A hundred thousand ryo for one scroll seal? Not bad, genius."

Murakami exhaled, shaking his head in amusement. "Not bad at all."

Hina grinned. "You just got yourself a high-profile customer."

Murakami's fingers drummed against the pouch. "And I plan to keep him."

Murakami stood there for a moment. He could feel the weight of the moment. This was the turning point, the sign that they were ready for the next step.

"We've got something good here, Hina," he said quietly, a satisfied smile creeping onto his face. "This is just the beginning."

Hina, who had been watching the exchange from the back of the store, grinned. "Told you so."

Murakami chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. But now we're in business."

He could already see it, the future he had imagined. Expanding their product line, making custom orders, maybe even supplying other stores and merchants.