Murakami POV
It was strange how time passed in here. The light through the window didn't feel like it moved. The hours stretched, soft and uneventful, and yet somehow the days still piled up.
I had no idea what was going on outside these walls.
Even the nurses rarely said more than what was necessary. I could've been the only person in Konoha, and the village might've been on fire or celebrating for all I knew.
Still, today felt different.
I noticed it the moment I heard their voices in the hallway—laughing, bickering lightly, then, the door slid open with a clack.
"Look who's finally awake and not pretending to be asleep," Aiko announced as she strode in with the confidence of a seasoned medic-nin.
Katsuro followed with a lazy nod. "Barely."
And then Daichi, clutching a cloth-wrapped bundle, entered last. He shut the door gently behind him like he didn't want to disturb anyone. It was a habit he probably didn't even know he had.
"Well," Aiko said, hands on her hips. "Don't just stare at us like a ghost. Say something."
"I was trying to figure out if this was a dream or a hallucination." I leaned back into the pillow. "Still not sure."
"You wish you were dreaming me," she shot back.
Daichi gave me a small nod and set the bundle on the side table near my bed. "I brought you something."
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "Did you buy this from a mysterious street vendor again?"
Aiko smirked immediately. "He cooked it. As always. And as always, he's trying to act like he didn't."
"I didn't say that," Daichi mumbled, but he was already blushing and fiddling with the cloth ties. "I just don't want to get your hopes up too high. It's simple."
He unwrapped the cloth to reveal a small bento: grilled mackerel, rice with sesame seeds, thin slices of tamagoyaki, and lightly seasoned greens.
My stomach growled embarrassingly loud at the sight of it, but with a straight face, "Looks incredible," I said, already reaching for the chopsticks.
Daichi ducked his head. "I was experimenting a little. Trying to make something light but filling."
"You mean you wanted an excuse to cook again," I said between bites. The fish was tender, flaky, with just the right hint of citrus. "You're better at this than you are at stabbing people, you know."
"I won't argue with that," he said, and then Katsuro added without looking up, "He probably thinks about recipes more than he thinks about ninjutsu."
"That's because recipes don't scream, threaten your life or explode," Daichi muttered.
I smiled and kept eating, glad for the taste, for the warmth it brought. It had been almost a month since I'd asked Hina to have a wheelchair made for me.
Still no word.
Either she was still negotiating with some artisan over the aesthetics, or she was taking her sweet time on purpose. I didn't blame her. Maybe I did need the rest.
But lying in bed, waiting, thinking, not knowing… It was annoying.
I couldn't train my body, refine my chakra and to make matters worse, my mindscape was still inaccessible.
Whenever I try to access it, I'm met with a head splitting pain that probably knock anyone unconscious.
"So," I said, after finishing half the rice, "what's been going on?"
They all exchanged glances. Aiko was the first to speak. "You really don't hear anything in here, do you?"
I shook my head. "Not a word. They treat me like I'm under diplomatic isolation."
"It's peaceful," Katsuro said, voice dry. "If I wasn't so busy, I'd fake an injury and move in."
I rolled my eyes at the Nara but still held his gaze.
"Konoha is holding together," Katsuro said. "Barely. With the news of the ceasefire spreading, civilians who fled to other regions are returning and new ones are also moving in. Businesses are also reopening. But there's… damage. Supply lines are still recovering. Lots of families trying to pick up the pieces."
"We heard from one of the trade agents," Daichi added. "Food shipments have been irregular, especially from the western region. Some merchants are stepping in to help."
Aiko leaned forward slightly. "Have you heard of a merchant group called the Lotus Pavilion?"
I paused mid-chew. "Lotus Pavilion?"
"Yeah. Based in the Fire Capital," she said. "Apparently they've been quietly supporting Konoha. Selling food, medicines, even equipment at fair prices. No one knows who's funding them."
"I'd never heard of them before," Daichi said. "But now people are talking. Apparently, they've been donating to our orphanage for some time."
"And that's rare in itself," Katsuro added. "Merchants don't usually care about places that can't pay them back."
I shrugged, feigning ignorance. "Maybe it's someone who grew up in a place like that. Someone who remembers what it's like."
I left the statement at that and up to their interpretation. Aiko gave me a sideways look, but didn't push.
The conversation drifted from there. They told me about the few developments in the village.
But I found myself returning to that one name. Lotus Pavilion.
It was strange, hearing it from their mouths like that—like it was just another headline in a news scroll.
Something abstract. Not something I had built piece by piece, deal by deal, from behind curtains and shadows.
I kept my face still.
Because in moments like this, it wasn't about plans or schemes. It was just us; four friends sharing laughter. This is a kind of peace you don't realize you had until you've missed it.
Even if I was still waiting for that damn wheelchair.
Just then, there was a knock on the door and it opened before I could respond, and Hina stepped in. She paused when she saw the others, her brows rising slightly.
"I didn't expect you to have visitors."
I gave her a small smile. "They just came by."
If this was the world playing with me, then…so not cool. Still…I gestured to the side. "You know them—Aiko and Daichi…and Katsuro Nara."
Aiko straightened. "Hina-neesan?" her voice taking a questioning tone. And as though giving her a reply, Daichi nodded and said. "It's been a while."
She returned the nod, a faint smile on her face. "You've all grown bigger."
Aiko grinned. "Time has that effect on people. I mean, look at you." A bit of jealousy could be felt from her voice as she gave Hina a look over.
"That's true," Hina said with a small chuckle while walking toward the bed.
She set a folded paper down on the side table without glancing at it. Then she looked me over, hands back in her kimono "So when did you become a VIP?"
I blinked. "What?"
"This is a restricted wing," she said, her tone light but pointed. "I had to sign in just to bring you this. Didn't realize you were such an important figure now."
Oh. That's right. Hiruzen… I shrugged. "I'm as surprised as you are."
She didn't press. Just stood there for a moment before adding, "We'll talk after."
I looked at her before looking at the others then shook my head. "There's no need. How's the task I gave you? You sure took your time."
"Of course. Describing a chair with wheels to the blacksmiths could only paint so much." She said with a wry smile. "You should've seen the first prototype."
"You could've just drawn it." I said in a matter of fact tone.
"And where in my profile did I identify as an artist?" Hina shot back with a glare. "You don't just give me a mental picture and expect me to be able to draw it out. I only ever learned business management skills from you and Ishida-san."
"Wha…well, I assumed you…sigh. Whatever. I take it you succeeded then. Considering how long you took." There was no point in dwelling on the issue. The fact that she was here was already good enough.
She nodded and then glanced at Aiko, Katsuro and Daichi who were observing us with wide curious eyes. Her meaning was clear but I shook my head. It was no use hiding it from them anyway.
"Let me reintroduce you to each other. Guys, meet Hina, Chief Directing Officer of the Lotus Pavilion and my employee. Hina, meet Aiko, Daichi and Katsuro."
Katsuro blinked slowly, then said flatly, "Employee?"
Aiko's jaw dropped. "Wait. What?"
Daichi just stared, eyes darting between Hina and me like he was trying to piece together a puzzle with missing edges.
"You're kidding," Aiko finally said, pointing at Hina. "She's the Director of the Lotus Pavilion? And you—what do you mean your employee?"
I leaned back against the pillow, arms folded behind my head. "Exactly what I said."
"But you—what—how?" Daichi stammered. "You've been a Genin for less than two years—"
"Technically," Hina cut in smoothly, adjusting her sleeve, "the business has been running for longer than that. He bought the first store roughly nine years ago."
"Nine—NINE YEARS?" Aiko shouted, her voice bouncing off the walls. "Wait…what were we doing nine years ago? Playing tag and failing kunai drills in the academy?! You were starting a secret business?!"
Katsuro rubbed his temple. "This explains… so much."
Daichi was still frozen. "All those times you vanished during breaks… the weird scrolls with numbers you said that was math homework—"
"It was," I said. "Practical application."
"I HELPED YOU DO THE MATH ON THAT!" Daichi cried.
"And you were very helpful," I replied, nodding seriously.
Aiko threw herself into the chair beside my bed like the weight of my nonsense had physically struck her. "This is insane. We thought you were just weirdly into budgeting."
"I am into budgeting," I said with a grin. Their reaction was priceless if I do say so myself.
"You're secretly rich, aren't you?" Katsuro said, eyes narrowing. "That's why you never blink when you give people money. And that chakra skin beast you ordered that one time—" his eyes widened as he had a moment of realisation. "No wonder…you've been playing the long game."
I gave a noncommittal shrug. "Define rich."
Aiko pointed at Hina, flabbergasted. "And you—how are you just standing there like this is normal?!"
Hina gave her a patient smile. "Because it is. And I have taste."
Katsuro sat down hard on the window ledge. "We're friends with a Genin who has apparently been running a merchant network for almost a decade."
"You're not wrong," Hina said, smirking faintly.
Daichi flopped down like his legs gave out. "I feel like my whole life just recontextualized. Like the ramen guy's been secretly the Hokage this whole time or something."
Aiko's gaze turned toward Hina, her eyes narrowed. "And you just let him do this? Run an entire empire while pretending to be a regular Genin?"
"Academy student actually." She corrected. "He's capable. And determined. And," she added, "he pays well."
I cleared my throat. "Very well."
Katsuro shook his head, muttering, "I think I'm in the wrong profession…"
Aiko stared at me like I'd grown a second head. "Murakami, you're actually terrifying."
I just smiled. "Thanks."
There was a moment of silence.
Then Daichi pointed at the untouched bento. "...So are you still eating?"
"Why not?" I nudged the box toward him. "If you keep bringing more of this, maybe I'll let her include you in the next expansion."
Aiko groaned. "You're impossible."
Katsuro snorted. "But he's ours and that begs the question…why now?"