A year had passed, carrying Makima gracefully into her fifth year at the Academy. The relentless grind of training, combined with the innate vitality of her Uzumaki lineage, had done its work. The small, delicate girl of nine years had blossomed into a stunning pre-teen of ten, standing tall, slender, yet with curves that spoke of a nascent, powerful maturity.
Makima stood before a full-length, polished mirror in her private dressing room within the Utatane compound. The room was spacious, dominated by fine silk draperies and dark wood—a stark contrast to the modern efficiency she had brought to the clan's finances.
She lifted her crimson braid, heavy and vibrant, over her shoulder, critically examining her reflection. Her face, still framed by the arresting color of her hair, was flawless—not a single blemish marred the porcelain skin that covered her cheeks or the gentle line of her jaw. Her height had surged, elevating her above most of her peers.
The most noticeable physical change was the maturity of her form. Her chest had developed dramatically over the year, now presenting a soft, defined curve that approached a B-cup. This body, the vessel of the Control Devil, was rapidly becoming the perfect instrument of feminine beauty and terrifying power.
She reached down, pulling off the Academy tunic. She was currently wearing the prototype of her greatest non-shinobi invention.
Her undergarments were a stark departure from Konoha's traditional silk binding strips. She wore a pristine white cotton bra, designed with meticulous attention to support and aesthetics, featuring a small, cute red satin ribbon centered between the cups. Beneath it were matching white cotton panties, patterned with a delicate, yet cute, floral design. The fabrics were soft, breathable, and infinitely more comfortable than anything else available.
I am beautiful, I am efficient, Makima confirmed silently, enjoying the sensation of perfectly structured support. The world demands order, and that includes the internal order of the body.
The invention of modern undergarments had not been a sudden stroke of genius, but a calculated move to secure a permanent, politically insulated revenue stream for the Utatane Clan.
Makima had observed the other major clans: the Nara sold specialist medicinal herbs, the Akimichi ran the Yakiniku Q restaurant chain, and the Yamanaka dealt in intelligence and rare mind-altering substances. The Utatane Clan, focused on politics, often lagged behind in liquid assets.
Using her past-life knowledge of fabric technology, design, and market demand, Makima had pushed the Elders to invest heavily in the Woman's Scent project a year prior, leveraging her status as the "prodigy heiress with an uncanny understanding of logistical efficiency." Crucially, Makima never revealed the idea was hers. Instead, she framed it as a "necessary, highly efficient market correction" that Elder Koharu, acting on Makima's detailed analysis, championed. This shielded Makima's intellectual property while giving the Utatane Elders the public credit for their shrewd, profitable business acumen.
The result was the immediate invention and mass production of bras and fitted panties. They were an instant hit. The brand name was called "A Woman's Scent".
The women of Konoha—Kunoichi, matriarchs, and commoners alike—had immediately abandoned the uncomfortable, restrictive silk strips in favor of Makima's comfortable, supportive, and perfectly designed cotton bras. The product line quickly diversified to capture all segments of the market. Sports bras provided essential stability and support for active kunoichi and rigorous training drills. For social and romantic purposes, the highly sought-after silk bras and delicate lingerie became an instant, roaring phenomenon. Women purchased these items not just for comfort, but as a calculated effort to impress their men, transforming a basic necessity into a powerful tool of feminine influence and appeal. This rapid diversification ensured the market was entirely captured.
The economic impact was colossal. The Utatane Clan was now one of the village's leading commercial enterprises, holding a near-monopoly on high-quality inner garments. Its success was not contained to Konoha: the "Woman's Scent" brand quickly expanded, with major trade outlets opening in the major cities of other countries—including the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth—creating a vast network of international commerce under the Utatane umbrella. This new source of income gave Elder Koharu tremendous economic leverage, which in turn gave Makima—the genius behind the venture—unparalleled access to classified financial and strategic data.
Makima finished dressing, pulling on a sleek, tailored training uniform. She felt the smooth fabric of the bra beneath the tunic—a hidden piece of control.
Her ultimate control was hidden in her mind, but her secondary control—over the comfort, commerce, and attention of her subordinates—was sewn into the very fabric of Konoha and now, the wider ninja world. She had given the women of the village physical comfort and social confidence, and in return, the Utatane coffers and Makima's personal influence had swelled exponentially.
Makima gave a final, perfect, cold smile to her reflection, ready for her fifth year. She was not just the most beautiful girl in the Academy; she was now the most financially and internationally connected. Her path to power was as perfectly structured as the bra beneath her uniform.