"Kitazawa-sama!"
Aburame Muta ran up to Kitazawa, practically buzzing with excitement.
In his hand was a chunk of gleaming golden ore.
Kitazawa instinctively gave it a once-over.
Clearly, it wasn't pure gold—plenty of impurities.
"It's a deposit!" Muta beamed. "There's gold, silver, and a bunch of ores I don't even recognize!"
"Nice work." Kitazawa nodded, satisfied. "Mark the location, then recall the kikaichū."
Since they'd found the vein, there was no need to waste more chakra.
"On it!"
Muta turned to the bow and relayed the order.
"There are that many minerals on the seabed?" Konan couldn't help widening her eyes.
In the shinobi world, ocean "development" was basically just fishing—constraints were everywhere. Ordinary folks didn't have deep-sea gear. Ninja had chakra to help them dive, but not many could reach the seabed—and more importantly, nobody realized how resource-rich it was down there. Even if they had, ninja weren't about to go mining; their job was taking missions. Period.
Konan fell silent. She didn't know minerals, but she knew the value of gold and silver. If there was enough, it meant serious money. For an instant she was tempted—then remembered: the Land of Rain has no sea.
Her thoughts drifted to the masked man calling himself Uchiha Madara. He'd loitered in Kirigakure for years doing nothing useful—and hadn't made a single ryo. Compared to Kitazawa, that "Madara" had squandered a golden opportunity. Then again, it wasn't entirely on him—Konan herself had never even considered seabed mining.
She glanced, curious, at Kitazawa but kept quiet. He wasn't going to share the spoils—or let her cash in. Since she'd be shadowing him for a long while anyway, she might as well observe and learn; maybe she'd find her own way to make money.
"Kitazawa-sama, all kikaichū have been recalled," Muta reported, reappearing before him.
Kitazawa released his chakra.
The sea rushed back in; the watery corridor to the bottom sealed in an instant.
"Kitazawa-sama's Water Release really is the best in the shinobi world," Muta said with respect—Kitazawa's expression hadn't changed a bit. Most users trying to part the sea couldn't last five minutes, let alone half an hour. Kitazawa had held it that long and looked fresh—terrifying reserves of chakra.
"In a couple of days I'll send an Earth Release team," Kitazawa said with a smile. "They'll build a passage down to the seabed."
If he did the mining himself it'd be easier—but he couldn't stay here long-term.
"That's fantastic!" Muta's eyes lit up. The undersea team had debated for ages how to mine the seabed simply and safely. Pressure and water made everything a pain; in the end they had no good plan—just brute-force digging with water-borne insects. One line from Kitazawa solved the hardest part. Build a passage, and the difficulty plummets. In the end, they'd been trapped in traditional shinobi thinking—no one had thought to put Earth Release ninja on construction.
"Earth users can be used like that?" Konan suddenly thought of Kakuzu. Could he prospect with Earth Release? Were there deposits in the Land of Rain? Would Kakuzu even bother? She could adapt—but that didn't mean every ninja would. To change how ninja are used, it has to come from the top down. Kitazawa was Konoha leadership now—strong and respected. No matter how odd his orders, someone would carry them out.
"I'll leave the rest to you—I've got other business." Without waiting for a reply, Kitazawa vaulted into the sea, tossed out the skiff from before, and landed neatly on it as it hit the water.
"Kitazawa-sama really is decisive," Muta breathed.
"Same style as the Hokage—no wonder he's her student."
"That's how you get things done."
"One move and he saved us ten days to half a month."
…
Kitazawa sailed back to the Land of Waves.
"Kitazawa," Kurenai appeared, "we've secured Gato."
"Weren't you supposed to infiltrate and gather intel?" Kitazawa arched a brow. "How'd we end up bagging Gato already?"
He had planned to nab Gato—just later.
"Kiba tripped an alarm by accident," Kurenai said, and explained the whole thing.
"Looks like someone's been tuning out in class." Kitazawa chuckled. "I'll pile on extra homework when we're back."
"Good thing you weren't my Academy Teacher," Kurenai teased. "I can't imagine how much homework I'd have had."
"I can tutor you at night." Kitazawa shot her a look and headed for Gato's compound.
Kurenai blinked, then caught on, a faint blush creeping in as she clicked her tongue and followed.
Gato's guards were all tied up, seated in the courtyard. Kitazawa scanned them—no familiar faces.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Ino, Kiba, and Tenten hurried over.
"Nice work," Kitazawa praised. "Few against many, and you still beat all those rogues and samurai."
"They were just scrubs!" Kiba said, smug. He'd panicked a bit when they first surrounded him, but once the fighting started it was easy—mostly genin level, with a few middling chūnin.
"But you did hit a trap," Kitazawa smiled. "Back in Konoha, report to Iruka and retake Traps class."
Kiba froze, then glanced helplessly at Ino and Tenten. They could only shrug.
"Where's Gato?" Kitazawa asked, switching to business.
"In the parlor." Ino suddenly remembered and handed over a folder. "This is his shipping company's employee roster."
Kitazawa took it and went inside.
"You Konoha shinobi better let me go!" Gato, tied to a chair, shouted without a hint of fear. "The Land of Water's got my back!"
Kitazawa ignored him and flipped the roster. Big outfit—over a hundred employees.
"Crow," Kitazawa called.
An Anbu in a crow mask appeared. Kitazawa hadn't just brought Konan—there was an Anbu squad too; they were here to take over Gato Shipping. "Crow" was a newly recruited Uchiha jōnin.
"Control him," Kitazawa ordered.
Crow clamped a hand on Gato's shoulder.
"You bas—" Gato got one syllable out before going slack-faced. The three-tomoe Sharingan had him.
"I'll speak; you relay it to him," Kitazawa said, looking at Gato. "From now on, your shipping company is being reformed."
He'd originally planned to kill Gato and replace him, but that was too much hassle. Better to control him and use his network and company to make money for Konoha.
Money's a good thing. Ninja aren't above it. Sure, once Akatsuki kicks off the Eye of the Moon plan money might not matter for a while—but Kitazawa was thinking about Konoha's future.
He was the future Hokage; the richer Konoha was, the better. Personally, he didn't care for money—this world respected strength, and strength was what he cared about. When you're invincible, everything else follows. Until then, you play by the rules.
Kitazawa laid out three reforms for Gato Shipping—the very reason he'd come to the Land of Waves and seized Gato:
First, stop smuggling contraband. Kitazawa might be thick-skinned, but he had a line—no need to earn that kind of money.
Second, build processing plants in the Land of Waves. Mining here was crude—people just sold raw gold and silver ore. The Fourth Kazekage Rasa, for example, panned gold with Magnet Release and sold it.
To Kitazawa, wasteful. Refine it, make jewelry and such; you earn far more. Get the daimyo to endorse it and build a premium brand. Hire locals as workers. It wasn't unlike Gato's model—just far gentler.
In the original story, Gato monopolized shipping and starved the locals, till they hired Konoha and he died for it. For the premium brand, Kitazawa had another idea: hire the Hyūga. With Byakugan, they could craft more precise, more beautiful pieces. Corner the market and be number one? Easy.
Third, run legitimate shipping. The Land of Waves sits in a sweet spot—Land of Fire to the west, Land of Water to the east, ports and islands everywhere.
With Terumi Mei as the new Mizukage looking to reopen ties and trade, Kitazawa could ride that wave and let Gato Shipping dominate the local lanes. Even just tolls and freight fees meant fat profits.
Of everyone, Konan was the most stunned—like a door to a new world had opened. She eyed Kitazawa with growing curiosity. It was novel—jaw-dropping, really.
But it felt late for Akatsuki to copy; Kitazawa and Konoha already had the jump on shipping and even had contracts with Kirigakure. Other industries, maybe?
In the end, execution mattered most. Kitazawa had only sketched the plan; theory and practice often diverge. She'd keep watching—botch the execution and she could bankrupt Akatsuki, which wasn't worth it. All of this took serious investment.
"So cool!" Ino said, starry-eyed.
"Did you get any of that?" Tenten asked.
"Nope." Ino shook her head. "But it sounded awesome."
Kiba, sentenced to remedial Traps, looked like a wilted eggplant—he hadn't heard a word.
"Kitazawa, where'd you learn all this?" Kurenai had followed a lot of it, but not everything. The Academy definitely didn't teach this.
"Just tinkered with the idea myself," Kitazawa said casually. "Ninja shouldn't be boxed in by 'missions only.'"
"That's downright heretical," Kurenai said, caught off guard. Her whole life had been mission-first, shinobi code. She couldn't accept his view immediately—but she didn't dwell on it either. Whatever Kitazawa said, she'd do.
"Crow, your squad stays," Kitazawa decided. "Keep Gato in line and assist the undersea team."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sama," Crow replied. Weird assignment or not, Anbu execute orders.
"Release Gato's guards," Kitazawa added after a beat. They weren't strong or useful. With Gato under Konoha's thumb, they weren't needed.
"Replace the staff, too. They're used to smuggling—asking them to go straight could cause trouble." He handed Crow the roster. As for new hires—recruit locals from the Land of Waves.
"Understood," Crow said, heading back into the courtyard.
"It's late. We'll rest here and return to Konoha tomorrow," Kitazawa told Kurenai and the others.
"Mm." No objections.
"Ino, you handle the mission report," Kitazawa said, ruffling her hair.
"Consider it done!" Ino stood straight and serious.
Gato's compound was big, with plenty of empty rooms. Kitazawa and Kurenai picked one at random—and of course cleaned it first.
"Another easy mission," Kurenai said, stretching, her graceful figure arching.
"The mission was incidental," Kitazawa explained. "Reforming this shipping company is the point. If it goes well, Konoha will earn a lot."
"Ever since you joined Konoha's leadership, you think so differently," Kurenai smiled, sitting on the bed and slipping off her shoes, pale feet peeking out. "Tell me what you need me to do."
If it was too complex, she couldn't be bothered to think it through.
"Nothing for now. How about I teach you an advanced sealing technique?" Kitazawa asked.
"I'm still short on Typhoon Water Vortex Technique," Kurenai said, shaking her head.
"That one requires both of us. When I'm not free, you can work on this seal." Kitazawa stepped up to her. "It's called the Cursed Seal of Heaven."
He set a hand on her snow-white neck. Curse marks spread swiftly, covering her body and limbs.
Kurenai's eyes flew wide in shock. She couldn't move a muscle—not even a finger. Trying to break the bind did nothing. The sensation was downright chilling.
"So—learn it?" Kitazawa dispelled the seal and smiled.
"Learn!" Kurenai nodded hard. It might take a while with her aptitude, but she had time—and it would make her stronger.
They trained through the night.
A new day.
Kitazawa sat up and rubbed his eyes. Kurenai was still asleep, worn out from practice. Good thing the mission had wrapped the same day; he had time to burn. His missions usually allotted three days—Saturday through Monday. It was only Sunday.
He dressed and stepped out.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Ino ran up. "I finished the mission report!"
"That fast?" Kitazawa took it, surprised.
"Does that earn bonus points?" Ino tilted her head, blinking those pretty eyes.
"Bonus points aren't for acting cute," Kitazawa said, unrolling the scroll. "Let me see how it reads."
Compared to Hinata, Ino was much more lively—but she knew her limits and didn't overstep. A smart girl.
"Not bad," Kitazawa said after reading. "Proper format, clear content—you get extra credit."
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!" Ino beamed.
"Come on, breakfast," Kitazawa said, pocketing the report and patting her head.
"Mm!" Ino hopped along beside him.
Kiba and Tenten were already waiting in the parlor. Breakfast had been prepared on Gato's orders. After they ate, Kurenai woke; once she'd eaten, the four headed back the way they came and returned home by evening.
Kitazawa went next door and briefed Tsunade on the shipping company.
"Weren't you out on a mission with students? How did this turn into taking over Gato's company?" Tsunade asked, a little dazed.
"Gato Shipping will be very useful to Konoha," Kitazawa said evenly. "It'll make us money and let us monitor the Land of Water and Kirigakure."
Ships running among ports and islands pick up plenty of intel—especially on Water Country and Kiri.
Tsunade opened her mouth, then shut it again. I get the logic—but the fact you quietly pulled off something this big makes me feel slow on the uptake.
After a long moment she said, "Do it your way."
Ninja doing business didn't really fit the rules—but she needed money. And if it let them keep tabs on the Land of Water and Kirigakure, she was in.
~~~
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