Konoha had officially entered its New Year holiday. Even the ANBU were granted rare days off, leaving only a skeleton crew on duty.
After breakfast, Kitazawa headed to the ANBU base.
"Kitazawa."
Konan was already waiting in the office, as usual.
"This is for you."
Kitazawa handed her a thick document.
"Silver Jewelry Promotion Plan?"
Konan read the title aloud, puzzled.
"Your silver jewelry line targets the lower-tier market," Kitazawa explained. "And the New Year is the perfect time—everyone's free, traveling, or celebrating."
"I understand. I'll inform the others to open the stores immediately."
Konan couldn't hide the spark in her eyes. They'd prepared for months. Now, it was finally time to earn—truly earn.
"Make sure you promote before opening day," Kitazawa reminded, tapping the cover.
Konan nodded and flipped it open.
The plan was vast—far beyond anything she'd ever seen. But ultimately, it boiled down to four major strategies:
1. Media Promotion
TV, film theaters, newspapers—even if it sounded absurd, these existed in the shinobi world.
And in the future, they could produce their own dramas and movies, sponsor celebrities, or launch collaboration campaigns.
2. Financial Sponsorships
Shrines, small shops, local businesses—any that weren't direct competitors would take money gladly.
Gift shops, matchmaking agencies… many could form indirect promotional chains.
3. A New Year's Eve Party Featuring a Beauty Pageant
The Akatsuki's silver jewelry stores had only three branches—two in the Land of Earth's major cities and one in Iwagakure.
The target audience was concentrated there.
A New Year's Eve gala with a beauty pageant centerpiece would create massive buzz.
And the rules? Contestants must wear the Akatsuki's silver accessories.
A simple gimmick—but one with explosive impact.
4. New Year Discounts
Prices would rise to normal levels, then be discounted.
Cheap items always sell—especially when they look premium.
And Akatsuki's silver jewelry, crafted from Kitazawa's designs—originally famous pieces from his past life—eclipsed all other designs in the market. With discounts added, they were unbeatable.
The reason Kitazawa could offer such prices was simple:
Akatsuki's silver jewelry had almost zero production cost.
Mines from the Land of Rain—free.
Extraction by Kakuzu—free.
Transportation via summoned creatures—free.
The only real expense was the wages of Rain civilians at the processing plant, and even those were low.
If Konan chose to be ruthless, she wouldn't even need to pay them—after all, the Akatsuki ruled the Land of Rain.
And if she wanted to be even more ruthless?
Kakuzu's clones or White Zetsu could run the whole production line.
Konan lowered the document, stunned.
The plan didn't just shock her—it shattered her understanding of what "business" could be.
Most of these concepts she had never even heard of, let alone imagined.
But it wasn't her fault. The shinobi world was still essentially feudal.
Promotion, as she knew it, was primitive.
These methods were normal in Kitazawa's past life—but revolutionary here.
A realization struck her:
Depending solely on bounties and hired missions was far too narrow for the Akatsuki.
"You should return to the Akatsuki today," Kitazawa said. "Move fast, or you'll miss the best promotion window."
"Thank you."
Konan tucked the plan away, treating it like a priceless scroll.
"It's nothing. I'm technically your advisor too," Kitazawa joked lightly. "I truly hope you earn a mountain of money."
"Without you, we wouldn't earn even half of it."
Konan shook her head gently.
"We haven't even started yet," Kitazawa said, smiling. "No need to exchange thanks."
Konan paused, her lips quirked upward in a faint smile, then quickly hid it.
After bidding him farewell, she departed from Konoha.
As she glanced back, she saw a village steeped in peace, order, and prosperity.
A pang of envy hit her chest—when would the Land of Rain ever know such stability?
And inevitably, her thoughts drifted back to Kitazawa.
The longer she worked with him, the more mysterious he became.
He's nothing like any shinobi I've ever known…
Two days passed.
December 31st – Ōmisoka, the Last Day of the Year
The heavy snow of last night stopped at dawn, leaving the sky brilliantly clear.
Kitazawa stood in the yard, circulating Yang Release through his body—awakening every cell like someone dragged to a festival bonfire in the middle of the night.
His body thrummed with vitality.
He didn't know how long he'd been training when the door behind him creaked open.
"When did you wake up?"
Kurenai yawned, stretching lazily against the doorway.
"Same as always. Around seven," Kitazawa replied casually.
"Pervert."
Kurenai huffed.
She wasn't talking about him.
She was talking about his physique.
They had clearly exerted the same amount of effort yesterday… yet Kitazawa was bursting with energy the next morning, while she was barely functioning—exhausted, groggy, and needing three extra hours of sleep just to stand straight.
Kurenai felt that if things continued like this, even a jōnin like her wouldn't be able to keep up with him.
"Thanks for the compliment," Kitazawa replied dryly, ending his morning training. "After breakfast, let's go shopping."
"Let's just eat outside," Kurenai said, stretching lazily. "It's already so late. I don't feel like cooking."
"That works too."
Even during the New Year break, many Konoha shops stayed open—after all, it was the busiest, most profitable time of year.
"Are you heading out?"
Shizune's voice came from behind.
"Happy New Year, Sensei!"
Karin waved cheerfully.
"Here, a red envelope."
Kitazawa handed one to her without hesitation.
"And mine?"
A fair, elegant hand suddenly extended toward him.
"Lady Tsunade… shouldn't you be the one giving me a red envelope?" Kitazawa countered.
"No red envelopes," Tsunade said shamelessly, "but I do have IOUs. Take as many as you want."
"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune hissed in exasperation.
"I'm kidding," Tsunade pouted.
Kitazawa sighed and handed her a red envelope anyway.
"Shizune, he gave it willingly. I didn't ask," Tsunade said proudly, accepting it with a grin.
Then she peeked inside—and froze.
Instead of a small New Year's gift, she found… a bankbook.
"Let's go, Tsunade. We'll shop together," Kitazawa said with a subtle smile.
He wasn't being overly generous—he was giving her her own money. The bankbook contained proceeds from the Ocean Heart Jewelry Store, which was partially hers.
"Lady Tsunade, you can't gamble during the holiday!" Shizune suddenly exclaimed, panicking.
"It's a holiday! Why are you still monitoring me?" Tsunade snapped.
"You're still the Hokage even on vacation. What would people think if the Hokage spent New Year's at a casino?" Shizune said sternly.
"Tch…"
Tsunade clicked her tongue, looking irritated but unable to argue.
Kitazawa's mind shifted—an idea forming.
Maybe I should just open a casino myself.
Not for business—just to monopolize Tsunade's gambling habits.
Anything she lost would return straight to him.
He could recreate casinos from his previous life:
Better service, more diverse games, fair rules…
No Konoha casino would stand a chance.
Of course, he wouldn't be the face of it. Gato's shipping company could handle everything.
And if Tsunade knew it was his? She'd never set foot inside.
The group wandered Konoha's festive streets—eating whatever looked good, trying games, laughing freely.
These peaceful days continued until January 5th, when the holiday ended.
The Academy hadn't reopened yet, but shinobi had returned to work.
Diligent students also resumed their training.
When Kitazawa arrived at the training ground, he saw Sasuke, Naruto, Lee, and the others already pushing themselves—Naruto and Lee especially were practically shaking the earth.
Kakashi, Chen, and Kosuke were also present.
"Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata, Neji—come here."
Hinata was the first to dart over, flustered but bright-eyed.
"Happy New Year, Kitazawa-sensei!" Naruto beamed.
Hinata flinched—she'd forgotten to greet him first.
"Happy New Year," Kitazawa said. "I called you for something important. I have a special mission for you."
"What rank?!"
Naruto practically vibrated.
"S–rank."
"What?!"
Naruto froze, jaw dropping.
Even Sasuke, Hinata, and Neji couldn't hide their shock.
This was far beyond what students should be doing.
"Meet at Konoha's main gate tomorrow at 9 AM," Kitazawa said casually. "And don't panic. You'll have plenty of teammates for this mission."
Sasuke, Hinata, and Neji immediately understood: this was not their mission—it was Kitazawa's. They were tagging along to gain experience.
"I got it!"
Naruto pumped his fist. "Kitazawa-sensei, I'll complete it flawlessly! Believe it!"
"Idiot," Sasuke muttered.
"Alright. Continue training."
Kitazawa dismissed them with a smile.
Once they left, he headed off to privately practice Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.
"What?"
Sasuke blinked. "Brother, you're coming too?"
"Mn."
Itachi smiled gently. "Our first mission together."
"That's awesome!"
Sasuke lit up immediately. "Brother, watch closely—I'll show you how strong I've gotten!"
If Naruto had been there to hear that, he would've exploded—Sasuke had mocked him for saying something similar yesterday.
"This is an S–rank mission," Itachi reminded, flicking Sasuke's forehead. "Don't let your guard down."
"With you here, it'll be easy!" Sasuke declared without hesitation.
"Itachi, please take good care of Sasuke," Mikoto said nervously.
If Kitazawa hadn't specifically requested Sasuke's involvement, she would never have allowed him anywhere near an S–rank mission.
"Mom, don't worry!"
Sasuke waved confidently. "Big Brother and I will finish the mission and be back before you know it!"
"This is excellent news."
Fugaku nodded in deep satisfaction.
At only eight years old, being personally chosen by Kitazawa for an S-rank mission meant Sasuke was already standing at the core of Konoha's next generation. Fugaku could practically see the future—his son becoming Hokage, fulfilling the dream the clan had carried for generations.
Of course, he wasn't without rivals: Naruto, Neji… talented children everywhere. But none of them were Uchiha Sasuke.
"Brother, what exactly is this mission?"
Sasuke asked eagerly as they walked. "What should I do?"
It was his first mission alongside Itachi—he wanted desperately to impress him.
"Kitazawa-sama will brief us at the gate," Itachi replied. "Just follow along for now."
"Mm."
Sasuke swallowed his excitement and walked beside him, practically glowing.
They soon reached Konoha's gate.
Since Izumo and Kotetsu had joined the newly formed Cursed Seal Unit, new faces were standing guard—ninjas Kitazawa didn't recognize. There were simply too many shinobi in Konoha. During the Fourth Shinobi War, the village had mobilized nearly ten thousand ninja. Kitazawa had never met even half the genin and chūnin.
"SASUKE!"
Naruto waved wildly from a distance.
"…Why aren't you answering?" Itachi asked calmly.
"Good morning, Naruto."
Sasuke replied with obedient politeness.
Kitazawa couldn't help but chuckle.
Only Itachi could crack that cool façade. In front of his brother, Sasuke wasn't aloof at all—just an earnest eight-year-old boy.
'If Sakura were here, she would absolutely faint. Or accuse someone of casting genjutsu.'
"Everyone's here. Let's head out," Kitazawa said.
"Wait, is it just the six of us?"
Naruto blinked, confused.
He remembered Kitazawa saying they'd have a lot of teammates. Why did they only gain one more Itachi?
"Of course not."
Kitazawa snapped his fingers lightly.
"Come out."
Shadows flickered.
Dozens of masked figures materialized silently around them—Seven ANBU squads, twenty-eight elite operatives.
Then, just as quickly, they faded back into the landscape.
"WHOA!"
Naruto nearly fell over. "They disappeared just like—poof! That was so cool!"
"They're ANBU," Kitazawa explained. "They specialize in operating unseen."
Naruto nodded in admiration.
Neji, however, frowned.
Seven ANBU squads? That's a task force you send to assassinate a Kage.
Hinata didn't think that far—she was simply happy to be going on a mission with Kitazawa.
Sasuke was the same; with Itachi present, he didn't bother overthinking.
"Our mission target is the Box of Paradise," Kitazawa said, giving them a short rundown.
"It grants any wish?"
Sasuke blinked. "So… if I wished to be as strong as my brother, would it really come true?"
"It would," Kitazawa said without hesitation.
"H—Huh?"
Sasuke didn't expect a straight answer.
"If you're going to make a wish," Itachi interjected gently, "wish for the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Keep it simple."
He wasn't sure if the box would grant nuanced, complicated wishes. Better to aim for something precise.
"It's actually real?"
Naruto puffed out his chest. "Then I'll wish to become Hokage!"
"NO—my wish comes first!"
Sasuke snapped. "I'm going first!"
"If it helps you catch up to me, go ahead," Naruto said generously.
Kitazawa turned to Hinata and Neji.
"And the two of you? Any wishes?"
"I don't believe such an artifact exists," Neji said calmly.
"I… don't have any wishes."
Hinata shook her head shyly.
Her life right now—with Kitazawa's guidance and her friends around her—was already more than she'd ever dreamed of.
They chatted until they left the forest surrounding Konoha; afterward, they traveled in silence at full speed.
By nightfall, they crossed Fire Country's northwestern border and entered the Land of Grass.
Hozuki Castle lay offshore—an isolated island surrounded by a body of water too large to be called a lake, yet not quite an ocean.
After resting overnight, they reached the coast.
"Are you from Konoha?"
Four Hozuki Castle shinobi surrounded them cautiously.
Kitazawa's eyes slid past them to the transport boat.
Normally, ninja villages delivered prisoners here for incarceration.
"Where are your prisoners?"
One guard asked.
"Itachi."
Kitazawa began walking toward the boat.
"You—!"
Before the guard could react, a flash of crimson bloomed in front of him.
Four bodies hit the snow at once.
Sasuke's breath caught.
Naruto's eyes sparkled.
"That was AMAZING!" Naruto yelled. "He just looked at them!"
"This… is the power of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan."
Sasuke puffed his chest out proudly. "Once I awaken mine, Naruto, you'll never beat me again!"
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