At night,
After the store closed,
Ryunosuke looked at the ledger in his hand tremblingly, his breathing growing more and more rapid,
Then dashed toward Chiye's residence like a puff of smoke!
...
"Incredible!!"
"It's incredible!!"
"Patriarch!! This time, we're really going to rise again!!"
When Ryunosuke burst into Chiye's house, he found that Chiye was holding a clan meeting with several elders, including Uchiha Inabi, Tekka, and Yashiro!
But Ryunosuke couldn't suppress the excitement in his heart!
Chiye smiled slightly and said, "It seems the results are already out. Go ahead and tell everyone, the elders are all waiting for your report."
Even though most of the Uchiha elders had long been hardened by years of battle and politics, they couldn't help but feel their hearts pounding at this moment.
After all
To support the patriarch's new plan, these old men had already poured in everything they had left from the clan's coffers!
Under everyone's nervous gaze, Ryunosuke didn't even need to open the ledger the number was already burned into his mind.
He said loudly and excitedly: "Just today alone, the Dream Hall made a net profit of 8.2 million ryō! At this pace, in only three days, we'll recover the full investment! From the fourth day onward, everything is pure profit!"
Eight. Point. Two. Million. Ryō...
That was enough to buy nearly a third of the bounty placed on the S-rank missing-nin Asuma Sarutobi years later...
"!!!"
After hearing that number, the elders were stunned.
It had only been open for one day
And they'd earned more than eight million ryō?!
Was this robbery... or business?!
"Patriarch is truly wise!!"
"I never expected our patriarch to possess such a keen mind for commerce!"
"With Lord Chiye's leadership, the Uchiha will rise again our glory will surpass even the era of Lord Madara!!"
"..."
After the shock faded, the room was filled with praise and excitement.
Although the Uchiha clan looked grand to outsiders, in truth, they'd long been in financial decline.
Ever since being forced by the Third Hokage and Danzo to move to the outskirts of the village, their influence in Konoha had been waning. Their resources were thin, their shops monitored by the ANBU, and most members survived on the meager stipends of the Police Force.
It was ironic
A clan that once rivaled the Senju, now poorer than many civilian merchants in the village.
But now, things were different.
Chiye's idea had brought them not just profit but hope.
Hope that the Uchiha could stand independently again.
...
For making so much money in just one day, Chiye remained calm.
The "Sweet Dream Experience Hall" was based on a high-level genjutsu system an illusion woven from Yin chakra that mimicked perfect reality, more advanced than even the Infinite Tsukuyomi Konoha feared during the war.
Dreams created through illusion... they were like a fusion of Uchiha genjutsu and modern VR technology except within these dreams, no one realized they were dreaming.
That was something no ordinary ninjutsu or technology could ever replicate.
Chiye had come up with this idea only by placing himself in the shoes of ordinary villagers.
After all, life in Konoha wasn't easy.
Even those with steady jobs craftsmen, shopkeepers, shinobi on low-ranked missions carried unspoken weariness and pain.
Even the most optimistic person sometimes wished they could escape from the harshness of reality... into a peaceful, perfect dream.
And what about ordinary villagers who had lost family to wars between nations, or who worked endlessly without reward?
Almost everyone harbored dreams they could never achieve, or regrets they could never erase.
But in dreams none of that mattered.
In dreams, one could see their lost loved ones again. They could live the life they always wanted, without fear, without loss.
Some might say,
"This is mere self-deception a daydream, nothing more!"
But Chiye knew
Sometimes, what people truly seek isn't truth or power...
It's comfort.
And that was the core of the Sweet Dream Experience Hall's success.
Of course, Chiye also understood the potential danger
Sweet dreams could easily become a trap of obsession, especially when crafted by the illusionary prowess of the Uchiha.
But for now...
The clan needed wealth.
And if illusions could buy them time, influence, and survival
Then even dreams could become their greatest weapon.
"What if people develop dependence or even addiction after experiencing it?"
"You'd be harming the villagers, Patriarch!"
To this, Chiye only smiled faintly.
"Hmmm... Addiction?" he mused. "Even online ninja games from the Land of Iron's new tech craze can be addictive. Yet did the Daimyō ever ban them?"
Nope.
He sipped his tea calmly. "Pleasure and escape aren't crimes, it's the loss of control that's dangerous. And that's something we, the Uchiha, understand better than anyone."
"But Patriarch," one of the elders interjected nervously, "although our business is immensely profitable, there's a major problem!"
"Our model is too easy to copy!"
"After all, while genjutsu specialists are rare in Konoha, we are not the only ones! Once others catch wind of this idea, they could open similar shops. All they'd need to do is lower their prices slightly, and we'd instantly lose customers!"
Though Uchiha Ryunosuke had never done formal business, he was over seventy years old a veteran of both the Second and Third Shinobi Wars and his insight was sharp.
Hearing this, the other elders Uchiha Yashiro, Inabi, and Tekka grew tense as well.
He was right!
They weren't the only illusionists in Konoha.
Even the Kurama clan, descendants of the Land of Fire's ancient genjutsu bloodline, were famous for their dream illusions. If those people caught wind of the Dream Hall, they could easily imitate it!
Chiye, however, remained composed.
He smiled lightly and said, "Since I dared to stake all of our clan's remaining assets on this plan, do you really think I haven't already considered that?"
Then he turned his head and looked toward Uchiha Tekkō (Iron Fire), who was standing nearby.
"Tekkō, is everything ready?"
"Reporting to the Patriarch," Iron Fire replied respectfully, "I've already sent invitations to every major and minor clan in the village, including the Kurama, Yamanaka, and even a few civilian illusion users. They've all been invited to visit our store at their convenience."
"???"
The elders froze.
They'd expected Chiye to announce a secret strategy some hidden safeguard for their profits.
But instead, he'd gone and invited all their potential competitors to see the business firsthand?!
Was he out of his mind?!
Uchiha Ryunosuke, however, suddenly burst out laughing, eyes wide with understanding. "Patriarch... you are truly wise!!"
Some elders looked at him in confusion. "Ryunosuke, what are you talking about?"
Ryunosuke straightened his back, his Sharingan flashing faintly as he grinned. "This isn't an invitation, it's a declaration of dominance!"
He slammed his hand on the table.
"On the surface, we're showing hospitality. But in truth, this is a warning! The Patriarch is telling everyone in Konoha that this business belongs to the Uchiha. The meal hasn't even cooled yet, and anyone who dares reach for it will be challenging our clan's authority!"
"Whoever dares to steal business from us" his eyes gleamed with ferocity " is openly opposing the Uchiha!! And if they do... they can't complain when we stop being polite!"
After Ryunosuke's explanation, every elder present suddenly understood.
This was Chiye's real strategy simple, brutal, and utterly Uchiha.
No one in Konoha, not even the proud Hyūga or the scheming Nara, would risk direct conflict with a clan whose bloodline limit was the fearsome Sharingan.
For centuries, the Uchiha name itself had been synonymous with power, danger, and vengeance.
And now, that same reputation would serve as their strongest protection in business as well.
To safeguard their new venture, Chiye hadn't needed tricks or secrecy
He only needed to remind Konoha of one simple truth:
To challenge the Uchiha... is to invite death.
---