…
By the time Murakami arrived at the Lotus Store, the streets had already darkened considerably.
Warm lantern lights illuminated the storefront while the faint scent of herbs and incense drifted gently through the evening air.
Murakami's gaze swept the surroundings once before he approached the entrance calmly.
The moment he stepped inside, his chakra shifted subtly as his presence thinned.
Rather than disappearing completely, it became strangely forgettable and difficult to focus on.
Even the sounds of his footsteps faded as he moved deeper into the building.
The employees working the lower floor barely noticed him passing by as Murakami quietly made his way upstairs.
Eventually, he arrived before a familiar sliding door near the top floor.
Hina's office.
Knock. Knock.
Without waiting long, Murakami slid the door open gently before stepping inside.
The room smelled faintly of ink, several scrolls were spread neatly across the desk while soft lantern light illuminated the otherwise quiet office.
Hina looked up immediately.
For a brief moment, surprise flashed across her face, then relief.
A soft smile bloomed almost instantly afterward, reaching all the way to her eyes.
"You're back."
There was warmth in her voice that caused Murakami to chuckle slightly.
"I am."
Hina stood up quickly from behind the desk and walked toward him.
"How are you?" she asked immediately. "Were you injured? How was the mission? Did everything go smoothly? Was your team hurt?"
The questions came one after another without pause.
Murakami paused before a small amused smile tugged faintly at the corner of his mouth.
"Calm down," he said lightly.
Only then did Hina seem to realize how quickly she had been speaking.
A faint trace of embarrassment crossed her expression.
Murakami lifted the container he had been carrying.
"I had a feeling you hadn't eaten yet," he said calmly. "So I brought you something."
Hina stared at the food container briefly.
Then back at him.
And somehow, her smile softened even further.
"…You really didn't have to."
"Maybe," Murakami replied, "but I did anyway."
Walking further into the office, he placed the container down beside the small round table at the center of the room.
Then he glanced toward her.
"Come sit," he said. "Eat while I tell you about the mission."
For once, Murakami didn't seem particularly eager to disappear back into solitude.
Hina looked at him quietly for a moment before finally walking over to the table and sat down opposite him.
Murakami opened the container calmly, revealing the neatly packed food inside.
Steam still rose faintly from it.
Hina blinked in surprise. "…It's still warm."
"Insulated seal," Murakami replied simply.
Hina smiled helplessly. "Of course it is."
Murakami sat across from her while she began eating, and for a brief moment, the room fell into a comfortable silence.
Then…
"So?" Hina asked softly between bites. "How was your first mission really?"
Murakami leaned slightly back into his seat.
"It was simpler than expected."
That immediately earned him a look.
"…Somehow I doubt your definition of simple matches everyone else's."
A faint trace of amusement flickered through his eyes. "Maybe."
And just like that, he began recounting the mission.
The journey.
The village.
The scouts hidden near the outskirts.
Sora and Hideki's reactions during their first real confrontation.
Hina listened quietly while eating, her attention fully on him.
Occasionally, she would ask small questions.
"Were you nervous?"
"Not really."
"Did your teammates do well?"
"They adapted."
"And the bandits?"
Murakami paused briefly at that.
"Weaker than expected."
Hina sighed softly.
"Only you would say something like that after fighting armed criminals."
Murakami tilted his head slightly.
"They were untrained."
"That's not comforting."
A small chuckle escaped him at her response.
The sound caused Hina's expression to soften slightly again.
Because moments like this were rare.
Murakami wasn't someone who spoke much about himself voluntarily.
Yet tonight, he was talking more openly than usual.
Eventually, Hina finished eating and placed the chopsticks down gently.
"…You know," she said after a moment, "I was worried."
Murakami looked at her.
Hina avoided his eyes briefly.
"It was your first mission, and not just that, but outside the village," she admitted quietly. "Even if I know you're capable… missions are still dangerous."
Murakami remained silent for a few seconds. "I know."
The answer was simple but genuine.
No one knew how dangerous a mission performed outside the village could be more than he did.
Hina finally looked back at him again. "And?"
Murakami's gaze drifted briefly toward the window beside the office. "…I came back safely, and I will continue to do so."
Something in her expression eased hearing that. Murakami's tone brokered no room for doubt.
That self confidence was something she quite admired about him.
The room gradually grew quiet afterward.
Not an awkward silence but the comfortable kind.
Outside, the lights of Konoha flickered peacefully beneath the evening sky while inside the office, Murakami found himself lingering far longer than he originally intended.
Perhaps it was the comfort of being around a familiar presence.
Murakami's gaze drifted briefly across the office. Then he spoke. "How is the business going?"
Hina didn't even hesitate as she shook her head lightly. "Don't bother asking," she said.
Murakami blinked once.
Hina continued, tone calm but firm. "I'm not going to tell you."
That earned a faint pause from him.
"You already have enough on your plate as a shinobi," she added, folding her hands neatly on the table. "And you don't have the mental space to be worrying about merchant operations on top of that."
A slight, knowing smile appeared on her lips. "So don't."
Murakami exhaled softly through his nose as a wry smile formed. "…You're not wrong."
Because she wasn't.
He had already prepared enough sealing tags and prototype modules to sustain the store's next expansion cycle, likely enough to cover an entire year's demand for their upcoming move into the Capital market.
The operational side was already in motion.
And Hina… would handle it properly.
She always did. Ishida and Hashimaru too.
Murakami's gaze lowered slightly as the thought settled.
All that remained for him now was his personal strength.
Owning wealth without the strength to protect it was akin to building a mansion of sand on a beach.
A single wave and the entire structure goes down.
So what matters most now is the improvement of his strength.
That would ensure his survival in this unforgiving world.
He stood up slowly as the chair slid back with a soft sound.
Hina looked up at him.
"You're leaving already?"
Murakami nodded once. "I should go."
Hina rose as well. "I'll see you off then."
Murakami paused, then shook his head lightly. "No."
Hina paused, taken aback slightly, but Murakami's expression remained calm.
"No one saw me come up," he said. "It would be strange if they saw you seeing me out."
A brief silence followed before Hina let out a small, resigned sigh, though there was amusement in it too.
"…You think like a shinobi even when you don't need to."
Murakami didn't deny it. Instead, he gave a small nod. "I'll come again."
Hina's expression softened. "I'll be here."
Murakami turned toward the door.
A faint gust of wind gathered around him as he reached the exit.
Then, like he had never been there at all, he disappeared into the night air.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
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