Hunger Marketing

Namikaze Yoru faced the encirclement of over a dozen Kirigakure Anbu, yet still wore that harmless smile on his face, though a dozen escape plans had already flashed through his mind.

"Honorable ninja-samas," he said, feigning panic as he wiped sweat from his forehead that wasn't there.

"This humble one is just a traveling merchant running solo for a hard-earned living. The war's barely settled, and I figured the Land of Water's short on supplies, so I took a risk to try my luck here."

The leading Mist ninja narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping over Yoru: "A merchant? In this sensitive time, what legitimate merchant would dare come to the Land of Water alone?"

"Ah, honored sir, you wouldn't know," Yoru sighed, putting on a full display of misery with expert acting.

"The big merchant caravans all think this route's too dangerous, and their freight fees are sky-high. For a small-timer like me, I've got no choice but to tough it out myself."

As he spoke, he deftly opened his carry-on bundle, and a dazzling array of small goods immediately drew everyone's attention:

"Look, these are all daily necessities. Combs, mirrors, needles and thread, soap... which of these looks like a dangerous item?"

Among the Mist ninja squad, a young female ninja's gaze kept drifting toward a finely crafted wooden comb.

Yoru caught this detail instantly and launched into a warm sales pitch: "This lady has excellent taste! This is made from premium sandalwood from the Land of Fire—no static when you comb, and it carries a natural fragrance. If you like it, how about I gift it to you?"

He handed out the comb with a full-faced smile, but his expression just barely showed a hint of reluctance, playing the shrewd peddler to perfection.

"Nonsense."

The squad leader barked a reprimand, but his tone was no longer as harsh as before.

Seeing this, Yoru immediately pulled a delicate porcelain jar from his bundle:

"Honored sirs, you're out on missions, and with the Land of Water's environment—sea winds and strong sun—all your hair's looking a bit dry and damaged. Take a look at this specialty from the Land of Fire, Sidan Kang—it's specifically for repairing and nourishing hair."

Like a true salesman, he spun a tale about an ordinary bottle of hair oil, as if using it would give your hair a new lease on life.

A few of the Mist ninja listened somewhat entranced, and even the squad leader unconsciously touched his own hair.

Seeing the atmosphere ease, Yoru promptly made a suggestion: "You sirs work hard on duty—these little trinkets are my token of goodwill. Please do me the favor and let me into town to do a bit of small business."

He emphasized "small business" clearly, hinting that he only sought profit and would absolutely not cause trouble.

The jonin looked over these odds and ends, found no flaw, and finally waved his hand:

"Go on in, but you can't enter the village itself—only the surrounding towns. If we catch you doing anything suspicious..." He made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Understood, understood, this kid knows the rules." Yoru nodded repeatedly, wisely not taking back the samples he'd already given away.

Having passed the checkpoint smoothly, Namikaze Yoru, with his goods in tow, leisurely entered this small town on the outskirts of Kirigakure.

The town was busier than he'd imagined. Perhaps due to its location, the shops had a very narrow range of goods—mostly crafts made from seashells and seafood, or various marine products.

"Looks like the Land of Water's commerce is really isolated," Yoru mused to himself, but keenly noted this as a business opportunity.

He chose a street corner in the town center to set up his stall, laying out his goods neatly.

At first, many people were curious about his little stall, stopping to stare, but no one approached.

Yoru wasn't in a hurry. He pulled out an exquisite folding mirror and began fixing his hair, occasionally taking some "Sidan Kang" from a small jar beside him and applying it to his head.

This act naturally caught the attention of a few young women.

"Hey... how much for that mirror?" a more outgoing young lady asked first.

"Great eye, miss!" Yoru immediately switched on his professional smile.

"This is a top-tier product fresh from the Artisan Country—crystal clear reflection, and the key point is it's compact and foldable, perfect for carrying around. Since it's my first day open, everything's twenty percent off."

Yoru mimicked the sales tactics of merchants from his past life, smoothly recommending his wares.

The people of the Land of Water had never seen such a spectacle—they not only bought the folding mirror but also picked up combs and some small accessories.

Soon, with the success of that first sale, his stall was surrounded by curious townsfolk.

"Boss, how much for this... Sidan Kang?"

"Do you have this sandalwood comb in other styles?"

"Is everything on discount?"

Yoru handled it all with ease, not only offering fair prices but also throwing in small gifts from time to time.

He played the slick, worldly peddler to the hilt, complimenting everyone he met.

To young men and women, he praised their youth and beauty; to middle-aged women, he lauded their household management skills; even the cold-faced ninja passing by got roped into buying a few so-called "travel essentials."

By the end of the day, Yoru's purse was considerably heavier. As he packed up, he deliberately announced loudly to the crowd:

"Business was good today. I'll be here again tomorrow. 'Folks,' don't miss me when you pass by—rain or shine, I'll be waiting right here."

This was said for the customers, but even more so for the Mist ninja watching from the shadows.

After closing up, Yoru casually found a rundown inn in town to stay at. The room was shabby, but it fit his small-time merchant persona perfectly.

Counting his earnings, he was pleasantly surprised to find that even with the discount, today's take far exceeded the reward for an ordinary mission.

The next day, as soon as he set up his stall, he saw many familiar faces from yesterday already waiting nearby.

"Boss, that Dan Kang stuff from yesterday worked pretty well—give me another bottle."

"How many more do you have? Give me two more bottles."

"And me!"

Namikaze Yoru rejoiced inwardly, but kept a look of feigned surprise on his face. "Thank you all for your patronage. Since this is my first visit, I'm a bit short on stock."

He deliberately created a sense of scarcity, spurring people to rush and buy. When only a little remained toward the end, he even started limiting purchases, and practically gave away the rest of the small goods as buy-one-get-one-free.

In just half a day, he had sold out everything in hand—business was exceptionally brisk.

To the villagers who missed out, he also assured them not to worry, saying he would make return trips in a while with the next batch of goods, and even offered a proxy purchasing service if needed.

After the goods were sold out, he didn't leave in a hurry. Instead, he made a show of buying a large quantity of Land of Water specialties in the town, planning to bring them back to the Land of Fire for sale, haggling here and there along the way—the very picture of a merchant.

Of course, he hadn't forgotten his mission. Even if he only took a glance around during the purchasing trip, the moment he opened his Mind's Eye of the Kagura, a wealth of information poured into his mind.