A coastal city in Eastern Fire Country
Having left the village for the first time in this world, Menma had traded his orphanage rags for a set of simple, nondescript traveler's clothes. He strolled along the bustling stone quays of the city's harbor.
"My Lord! Do you need a laborer? I can do anything!" Along the streets lining the pier, desperate, unemployed men pleaded for work.
Most were clad in tatters, their faces gaunt from hunger. They watched the harbor traffic—especially those dressed in fine silks—with eyes that flickered between primal terror and naked longing.
On his journey from Konoha, Menma had seen far too many commoners displaced and broken by the tides of war.
The conflict between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning was currently drawing to a weary close. The shinobi forces of both nations remained locked in a stalemate within the borders of the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Springs. While skirmishes flared up occasionally, both sides were exercising uncharacteristic restraint.
With the Cloud's envoy already sent to Konoha for "peace talks," the shadow of total war was lifting. The coastal cities of the Land of Fire were rapidly regaining their pre-war splendor. Merchant vessels moved in a constant stream, including, notably, ships flying the colors of the Land of Lightning.
The ninja world was never truly at peace.
Beyond the wars of Great Nations, bandits and marauders roamed the wilds. The civilization of this world remained firmly rooted in a feudal era—a rigid hierarchy of Daimyo, Nobles, Merchants, Shinobi, and Commoners.
Ironically, despite possessing combat power that defied natural laws, the social standing of a shinobi was roughly equivalent to that of a merchant. In fact, most of the time, ninjas were simply high-end mercenaries hired by merchants to ensure the flow of capital.
Those who specialized in the art of killing were, socially speaking, only slightly above the peasantry.
Of course, rogue ninjas or wanderers often chose to murder merchants and seize their wealth. However, this usually only happened to small-time traders. Major merchants typically enjoyed noble patronage, and even the boldest shinobi hesitated to cross the aristocracy.
To kill a Noble was to invite the wrath of a nation's absolute ruler—the Daimyo. Such an act would trigger a massive bounty funded by the entire noble class to preserve the sanctity of their rule.
This peculiar social structure had endured for nearly a millennium.
During his time in the Limited Tsukuyomi world, Menma had spent his spare time studying this hierarchy, finding it utterly baffling. While many things in that "Mirror World" were the opposite of reality, the core social structure remained identical. Even with supernatural power, the shinobi had never truly grasped the reins of national sovereignty.
A delicate, symbiotic relationship existed between the state and the hidden villages. The shinobi didn't seek to overthrow the government, and the government didn't seek to replace the shinobi clans.
Menma stepped into a small, seaside eatery.
"Welcome, honored guest! A table for one?" The waiter greeted him warmly, showing no sign of condescension despite Menma appearing to be barely in his teens.
The technology of this world was as inconsistent as its politics. In some metropolises, development was rapid; in others, life seemed ancient. One could find classical pagodas standing next to modern skyscrapers, and in certain rumors, even massive iron-clad warships.
Menma found a seat by the window overlooking the moored ships. He pulled out two banknotes and gave them a light flick. "A ramen set, no narutomaki. Also... are there any merchant ships heading to the Land of Lightning recently? The safer, the better."
As a shinobi, Menma had no need to hitch a ride on a merchant vessel. This was merely a pretext to identify the most powerful player in the local market.
The waiter snatched up the two hundred-rye notes, his enthusiasm doubling. "The safest? That would be Lord Gato's shipping company! He has samurais and even ninjas for escorts."
While shinobi were the dominant force, the samurai had not vanished. Beyond the Land of Iron, many ronin served as underworld enforcers or high-priced bodyguards. Traditionally, ninjas avoided getting involved in commoner disputes, and their wars tried to bypass the peasantry—though once the fire of battle started, it was rarely contained.
After the cost of the meal, the waiter was looking at a tip of over a hundred rye. In the complex currency systems of the continent, the Fire Country's currency remained the most stable gold standard.
(Note: Based on the exchange rate of 1 Rye = 10 Yen, a hundred-rye note is roughly equivalent to a thousand yen.)
"Gato?" Menma's deep-seated memories stirred at the name.
"That's the one! Lord Gato is a rising star in the merchant world!" The waiter, eager to earn his tip, leaned in. "They say he has powerful nobles in the Capital backing him. His fleet moves through these waters like they own them. Even during the war these past few years, his business barely skipped a beat."
Menma listened in silence.
He calculated the timeline. It was currently the year 54 of the Konoha Era. There were still nine years until Naruto's graduation and the start of the main story in the year 63.
In nine years, Gato would be one of the wealthiest men in the world, capable of maintaining the long-term contract of an S-rank rogue like Zabuza Momochi. Zabuza was a monster who had attempted to assassinate a Mizukage and lived to tell the tale; an elite Jōnin who could fight Kakashi Hatake to a standstill. His fees wouldn't be cheap.
Menma vaguely recalled that the reward for a single S-rank mission was at least one million rye. Furthermore, Zabuza traveled with Haku—a youth whose abilities were easily Jōnin-level. Without Naruto tapping into the Nine-Tails, Haku would have been untouchable.
As the waiter retreated, Menma rested his chin on his hand, watching the frantic activity at the docks.
His previous culling of the White Zetsu around the orphanage was only a temporary fix. To permanently escape their surveillance, he needed to relocate to the heart of the village—specifically, a district near the Hokage Building or the Hyuga Compound.
By positioning himself near the Anbu, the Sensory Division, and the constant prying eyes of the Byakugan, he could make it too risky for Zetsu or Obito to keep a close watch on him.
But Menma's physical body was that of a three-year-old. Living alone was impossible, and buying property near the seat of power required both immense wealth and political influence.
Therefore, Menma decided, I need a merchant as my pawn. Ideally, a Fire Country merchant with a touch of noble connection.
He would have this pawn establish a residence in Konoha, then use the excuse of "adopting a gifted orphan" to pick Menma out of the crowd. It was the perfect bridge out of the orphanage.
As for why he didn't just find a Noble to adopt him? Too much trouble.
To live long-term near the Hyuga or the Hokage, he couldn't simply control his pawn with Genjutsu forever—the pawn needed to serve him out of genuine loyalty or self-interest. A noble, bred for centuries to believe they were superior to all, would never truly submit. A greedy merchant, however... a merchant was much easier to buy.