Chapter 10 – The Merchant's Harvest
Riverbank.
Watching little Naruto proudly show off his fish-catching skills, Aike couldn't help but sneer at the Third Hokage's hypocrisy.
The son of a war hero, forced to survive on expired rations and whatever he could catch, all so the village could keep the Nine-Tails under control.
Hiruzen and Danzō weren't so different after all.
"Let's see how well your little script plays out once I rip out Ashura's chakra."
Aike smiled to himself.
Without Ashura's subconscious influence pushing Naruto toward forgiveness and friendship, the kid's future was looking a lot darker.
One Sasuke, one Naruto, plus a supercharged Izumi.
No matter how he looked at it, Konoha's days were numbered.
Soon Naruto came running over with two fat fish, eyes shining like a puppy waiting for praise.
"Amazing job!"
"Leave the rest to the chef. You're in for a treat."
Aike took the fish, found a nice patch of grass, and set up a portable grill he'd synced from Tom (along with more than just the immortality perk).
Fifteen minutes later, the riverside was filled with happy eating noises.
"Big bro Ai, this is the best fish I've ever had!"
Naruto patted his stuffed belly and gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
No prejudice, no fear—just genuine warmth and delicious food.
In less than an hour, Aike had rocketed to second place in Naruto's heart, right behind the old man Hokage.
Time for the pitch.
During the casual chatter, Aike smoothly revealed his "profession."
"Anything can be traded, huh…?"
Naruto's eyes went wide with curiosity.
"Anything you can imagine."
"Then I want unlimited Ichiraku ramen! And… and tons of friends!"
"Done. But what will little Naruto give me in exchange?"
Naruto proudly pulled out his frog wallet. "I've got money!"
"That's not nearly enough, kiddo."
Naruto deflated. "But that's everything I have…"
"Here's an idea," Aike said with a kind, trustworthy smile. "I'll take one tiny thing from inside you.
In return, unlimited ramen and enough strength that all the girls in your class will think you're the coolest kid alive."
"I'll do it!"
Naruto agreed instantly, already daydreaming about punching Sasuke into the ground while Sakura swooned.
Hook, line, and sinker.
The golden scale materialized, drawing both Naruto's and Izumi's attention.
Curious, Naruto poked it—and a beam of light instantly enveloped him.
A translucent silhouette was slowly pulled from his body: the faint, lingering image of Ashura Ōtsutsuki.
With a casual wave, Aike erased the last sliver of Ashura's will, leaving behind a pure sphere of Yang-release chakra.
At the same moment, a flood of Uzumaki sealing techniques (conveniently "borrowed" from the Sarutobi vault) poured into Naruto's mind.
Returning stolen property to its rightful bloodline—how noble.
But Aike wasn't done.
He upgraded the Nine-Tails seal with an on/off switch, allowing Naruto to safely draw on Kurama's chakra whenever he wanted—a budget Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
Then, for extra spice, he gifted the kid master-class acting skills and a heavily edited "future script" full of every betrayal Konoha would ever commit against him.
With the malice-detection of Nine-Tails chakra and a head full of spoilers, good luck brainwashing him now, old man.
Looking at the peacefully sleeping blond, Aike clapped once, satisfied.
"Mission accomplished. Let's go."
Ten minutes after they left, Naruto woke up.
So did the hidden ANBU guard, who nearly had a heart attack when he realized he'd dozed off.
He relaxed only when he saw the boy happily grilling more fish.
What the guard couldn't see—from the angle hidden from surveillance—was the faint, cold glint now flickering in those once-innocent blue eyes.
Hatake Residence.
Kakashi sat silently in the dark, the White Fang's tanto laid across his lap.
Every time he looked at that blade, memories of his father's suicide flooded back.
Until tonight, he had buried the questions deep.
Now, doubts clawed their way to the surface.
A top-secret mission somehow became public knowledge overnight.
A beloved hero turned into a village pariah in a single day.
Someone had orchestrated it all.
Kakashi's eye turned ice-cold.
He picked up the tanto and vanished into the night.
…
Back in the village proper, Aike and Izumi strolled leisurely, cloaked by Kidō.
They visited plenty of "restricted" areas.
Like the Hyūga compound.
"Get up!"
"Stop crying and attack me again!"
In the courtyard, Hyūga Hiashi was drilling his young daughter mercilessly.
"Use the Gentle Fist I taught you!"
"Y-yes, Father…"
Unseen atop the compound wall, two uninvited guests watched with great interest.
"Byakugan have pretty decent potential too," Aike mused, legs crossed, staring at the tiny, shy Hinata.
He was seriously considering abducting—recruiting—her.
A fully evolved Tenseigan was no joke, and it looked way cooler than regular Byakugan.
And with his eye for bloodlines, he could tell Hinata's Byakugan purity far surpassed every other Hyūga he'd scanned.
No wonder Ōtsutsuki Toneri called her the "Byakugan Princess."
"You're not seriously thinking about that little girl, are you…?"
Izumi's stare turned suspicious.
"What kind of look is that? Do I seem like a lolicon to you?"
Izumi opened her mouth… then wisely closed it.
Given his track record with child Sasuke and child Naruto, protesting felt risky.
Her hesitation made Aike narrow his eyes.
An employee questioning the captain's character? Unacceptable.
A shiver ran down Izumi's spine.
She instinctively took three steps back.
"N-no, boss! I totally believe you're not that kind of person!"
Her voice was firm, but her legs were not.
Aike just smiled wider.
Tonight, Izumi was getting a "lesson"—the same intensive, hands-on tra
ining Nami and Carina received when they first joined the crew.
Love required discipline, after all.
Can't have her still obsessing over Itachi—even if it was pure hatred.
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