Hearing Ryunosuke's explanation, the villager's heart began to stir.
After all, what he had just experienced in the illusion felt utterly real as if his body had truly soaked in the hot spring, and his soul had traveled beyond Konoha's walls.
For an ordinary civilian like him, traveling to the Land of Hot Water was nothing but a distant fantasy. Most villagers spent their entire lives within the borders of the Land of Fire, too poor or too afraid to travel abroad. But here, for only ten thousand taels, that dream had come true within minutes.
It wasn't just affordable, it was miraculous.
He calculated in his head. To really go to Yu no Kuni, I'd spend more than five hundred thousand taels… and who knows if I'd even make it back alive. And as for meeting that beautiful hot spring hostess? That was the sort of thing that only happened in dreams.
He looked up with a grin. "Elder Uchiha, what you said makes perfect sense. I think I'll do it again! This time, I want to go skiing in the Land of Iron! And haha.if I can meet a bold, beautiful samurai woman while I'm there, that'd be even better!"
Ryunosuke chuckled. "No problem. Our dreams can take you anywhere even the snowy peaks of the Land of Iron."
Once again, the man took his seat. A young Uchiha stepped forward, his Sharingan glinting like rubies. Within moments, the villager's eyes glazed over as the genjutsu took hold, his body relaxing completely. Soon, a blissful smile spread across his face as if he were truly gliding down icy mountains beneath a silver sky.
Seeing his expression, the surrounding villagers exchanged astonished looks.
If the first demonstration had impressed them, this one utterly captivated them.
Then, from the back of the crowd, a middle-aged man raised his hand. "Elder Ryunosuke… my dream is a little strange," he said with a sheepish grin. "I've always wanted to become Hokage protect the village, save everyone, be a true hero. But I was born without chakra talent. No matter how hard I tried, I could never even pass the academy's genin test. So… I want to live that life, even just once, in my dreams."
The crowd murmured approvingly.
And then, a woman with soft eyes stepped forward, her hands trembling. "Three years ago," she said quietly, "while I was working the fields, my mother passed away from illness. I never got to say goodbye… That regret has never left me. If possible, I just want to see her again even if it's only in a dream."
Ryunosuke's gaze softened. "Understood," he said gently. "Please, take a seat. Both of you."
Two Uchiha genjutsu specialists approached and activated their Sharingan. The crimson tomoe began to spin slowly, and both the man and woman soon drifted into the illusion.
A quiet hush fell over the room. Minutes passed. Then, both awoke almost simultaneously.
The man sat upright, eyes bright and wet. "Hah… it's strange," he said softly, "even though I know it was only a dream, I really felt it. The crowd cheering my name, the Hokage cloak on my shoulders, standing on the monument and protecting everyone, it made me feel… alive. If I died right now, I'd have no regrets."
The woman couldn't speak at all. Tears streamed down her face. After a long moment, she stood, bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you… thank you so much. Even if it was just once, I got to see my mother again."
Her gratitude was sincere and heavy with emotion. Ten thousand taels suddenly seemed like nothing compared to the peace she had found.
The room grew silent, and then a wave of voices erupted.
"That's incredible!"
"I want to try!"
"Can you let me meet my late husband again?"
"I want to relive my youth in the Academy!"
In an instant, the line of customers grew longer and longer.
The Uchiha's "Sweet Dream Experience Hall" had become the hottest topic in Konoha.
Ryunosuke stood at the entrance of the new Uchiha establishment and declared loudly,
"Because today is the first day of opening, all dream services are completely free! We only ask one thing after you experience your perfect dream, spread the word throughout Konoha! Let more people know that this store exists within the Uchiha District!"
Of course, this approach wasn't Ryunosuke's idea alone.
It was Chiye-sama's original instruction her exact words were, "Beat the fame out first. Profit comes after recognition."
In the ninja world, even the greatest jutsu needs reputation to thrive. As long as the name "Sweet Dream Hall" echoed throughout the Hidden Leaf, income would follow naturally.
Those who experienced the dream technique firsthand returned to their homes raving about it. While sharing drinks at Ichiraku Ramen or gossiping near the Hokage Monument, they told their friends of the illusion that could fulfill any wish.
Their friends told others, and those others told even more.
Just like that ten told ten, ten told a hundred and before the night had ended, nearly the entire Konoha Village had heard of a mysterious new shop run by the Uchiha Clan that could grant dreams, heal regrets, and even let one meet the departed once again!
Even the chunin stationed at the front gate whispered about it while on duty.
When Ryunosuke arrived early the next morning to open the doors, he was utterly stunned by the sight before him.
Although there was still a full hour before opening, a line stretched all the way from the Uchiha main street to the outskirts near the Nakano River. Civilians, merchants, even off-duty shinobi waited impatiently, clutching their coins.
Ryunosuke froze in place.
He had expected good business after the soft opening but not this. Not an entire village queued outside their compound!
Once he regained his composure, he entered the building and gathered the Uchiha who were assigned to work there. They were all genjutsu-capable members those whose Sharingan had matured to at least one tomoe.
Ryunosuke cleared his throat and said seriously:
"First of all, I'll convey the patriarch's words. To keep everyone motivated, the patriarch, Lady Chiya, has introduced a new system a commission plan!"
He looked around the room, watching eyes widen with curiosity.
"To put it simply," he continued, "on top of your monthly fixed salary, you'll earn an extra one thousand taels for every customer you serve with excellence! The more guests you satisfy, the more you earn. Work more gain more!"
The moment Ryunosuke finished speaking, the room erupted like a spark on oil.
The young Uchiha attendants clenched their fists in excitement. Under such a rule, even ordinary genjutsu users could earn two or three times their usual mission pay from the Konoha Mission Office.
Within moments, everyone's spirits soared like they had just taken a dose of soldier pills!
Ryunosuke raised his hand again for silence.
"And remember," he warned, "we have only just opened. A single bad review could destroy our reputation before it's even established. Every guest no matter how ordinary must leave completely satisfied!"
He paused, then added gravely, "The clan has invested every last ryo of its fund into this project. Whether the Uchiha can live comfortably again whether we can rebuild our reputation within the village depends entirely on you, the ones serving here."
Then he straightened his back, his voice firm and commanding.
"So tell me do you have confidence?!"
The gathered Uchiha shouted in unison,
"We do!!"
Their voices echoed through the entire compound, strong and proud just like the battle cries of their ancestors during the Warring States Era.
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