Surrounded by a dozen Mist ANBU, Night kept his harmless smile while mentally cycling through twelve different escape plans.
"Ninja-samas," he said, wiping non-existent sweat from his forehead with exaggerated fear.
"I'm just a small-time traveling merchant trying to make a living. The war just ended, and I heard supplies in the Land of Water are tight, so I thought I'd try my luck here."
The leader of the Mist ANBU narrowed his eyes, scanning Night sharply. "A merchant? In this sensitive period? What legitimate merchant dares to come to the Land of Water alone?"
"Oh, sir, you don't know the half of it," Night sighed, putting on a face full of suffering.
"The big caravans think this route is too dangerous, and the escort fees are skyrocketing. For a small business like mine, I have to do the hard work myself."
As he spoke, he deftly opened his pack, revealing an array of small goods that instantly caught everyone's attention.
"Look, these are just daily necessities. Combs, mirrors, sewing kits, soap... does any of this look dangerous?"
Among the Mist squad, a young female ninja kept glancing at a finely crafted wooden comb.
Night caught the detail immediately and launched into his sales pitch. "This lady has great taste! This is made from Fire Country sandalwood. Anti-static and naturally fragrant. If you like it, consider it a gift!"
He handed over the comb with a fawning smile but with just enough reluctance in his eyes to perfectly portray a shrewd merchant trying to curry favor.
"Nonsense."
The leader scolded her, but his tone was noticeably softer than before.
Seeing this, Night immediately pulled out a fancy porcelain jar from his bag.
"Sir, you guys are out on missions all day, plus with the sea breeze and strong sun here, your hair looks a bit dry and damaged. This is a specialty from the Land of Fire—'Pomade.' It's specifically for repairing and nourishing hair."
Like a true salesman, he hyped up a jar of ordinary hair oil as if it were a miraculous elixir of youth for hair.
The Mist ninjas listened, fascinated. Even the leader unconsciously touched his own hair.
Seeing the atmosphere relax, Night made his move. "You work hard protecting the country. These trinkets are just a token of my appreciation. Could you please do me a favor and let me into the town to do a little business?"
He emphasized "little business" clearly, implying he was only after money and wouldn't cause trouble.
The Jonin looked at the miscellaneous items and found nothing suspicious. Finally, he waved his hand.
"Go in. But you can't enter the village itself, only the surrounding towns. If we catch you acting suspiciously..." He made a throat-slitting gesture.
"Understood, understood! I know the rules!" Night nodded repeatedly, wisely not asking for the free samples back.
After passing the checkpoint, Night strolled into the town on the outskirts of the Mist Village with his goods.
The town was more bustling than he expected. Perhaps due to geography, the shops sold very similar goods—mostly seafood crafts or various aquatic products.
"Commercial goods in the Land of Water really are limited," Night thought, sensing a business opportunity.
He set up his stall at a street corner in the town center, arranging his goods neatly.
At first, people were curious about his stall and stopped to watch, but no one approached.
Night didn't panic. He took out a delicate folding mirror and started fixing his hair, occasionally applying some "Pomade" from a small jar.
This naturally attracted the attention of some young women.
"Um... how much is the mirror?" a cheerful-looking girl asked first.
"Great eye, miss!" Night flashed his professional smile.
"This is the latest high-end product from the Land of Craftsmen. Not only is the reflection crystal clear, but it's compact and foldable, perfect for carrying around. Since it's my grand opening today, everything is 20% off!"
Night used every sales tactic from his past life, his tongue glib and persuasive.
The people of the Land of Water had never seen such a pitch. The girl bought the mirror, a comb, and some accessories.
Soon, with the first sale made, his stall was surrounded by curious villagers.
"Boss, how much for this... Pomade?"
"Do you have other styles for the sandalwood comb?"
"Is everything on sale?"
Night handled the crowd with ease, offering fair prices and giving out small gifts.
He played the slick merchant to perfection, complimenting everyone.
He praised young couples on their beauty, middle-aged women on their thriftiness, and even cold-faced ninjas passing by were talked into buying "mission essentials."
By the end of the day, Night's purse was heavy. As he packed up, he deliberately announced loudly:
"Business was great today! I'll be here again tomorrow! Fam, don't miss out! Rain or shine, I'll be waiting for you!"
This was for the customers, but even more so for the Mist ninjas secretly monitoring him.
After packing up, Night checked into a somewhat run-down inn. The simple room fit his identity perfectly.
Counting his earnings, he was pleasantly surprised to find that even with the discounts, he made far more than a standard mission reward.
The next day, as soon as he set up, many familiar faces were already waiting.
"Boss, that Pomade worked great! Give me another bottle."
"How much do you have left? I'll take two."
"Me too!"
Night smirked internally but feigned surprise. "Thank you all for the love, fam! Since it's my first time here, I didn't bring enough stock..."
He deliberately created artificial scarcity, causing a buying frenzy. When stock ran low, he even implemented purchase limits, while selling the remaining trinkets as bundle deals.
By noon, he had sold out completely. Business was booming.
To the disappointed villagers, he promised not to worry. He would return soon with a new batch and could even take pre-orders.
After selling out, he didn't rush to leave. Instead, he spent the afternoon purchasing large quantities of local specialties, haggling aggressively like a true merchant planning to resell them in the Land of Fire.
Of course, he didn't forget his mission. While shopping, he scanned the area with his Mind's Eye of the Kagura, gathering massive amounts of intel effortlessly.