Hinata: I'm in charge of Konoha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's movements were very fast, no...

It should be said that the daimyo of the Land of Fire acted very quickly.

After Hiruzen Sarutobi finished organizing Hinata's plan based on Qi Wanlu Gao's, he immediately sent it to the daimyo of the Land of Fire.

In just three months, the ninja world underwent dramatic changes. The price of silk and satin from the Land of Fire, which had always been high, plummeted like an avalanche in a very short period of time. In its place, the price of silk products from the other four countries soared like a rocket.

This caused great hardship for mulberry farmers in the Land of Fire, leading many to switch to planting other crops.

In addition, due to the consecutive years of bumper harvests in the Land of Fire, the already low price of grain is gradually decreasing.

Merchants from the other four countries, like cats smelling blood, quickly switched to the silkworm business...

At the same time, a large number of so-called celebrities began to frequently appear in public, all of them dressed in glamorous silk costumes from the four countries...

The most famous of them was a female celebrity named Fujikaze Yukie...

Such drastic market fluctuations might have gone unnoticed by the ninjas, but the powerful figures of other nations seemed to have sensed a conspiracy.

Even so, they did not try to stop these things; instead, they took advantage of the turmoil to gain more benefits.

After all, it would be foolish not to make money when you can.

There has never been a precedent for business warfare in this world, so no one associates this incident with war!

Overnight, countless people became rich overnight and went bankrupt.

Among them was a local merchant from the Land of Fire who wanted to get his hands on silk, but in an instant, his family was ruined and all his property was confiscated.

……

-

"Hinata-sama, do you think this is pretty?"

At the Hyuga residence, Hyuga Natsu placed a newly purchased dress in front of Hinata, asking her questions with an expectant expression.

Hinata, who was sitting on the corridor floor sunbathing, glanced at the clothes that Natsu had brought with great enthusiasm, but didn't show much interest.

"Oh, it's alright..."

Hinata gave a perfunctory answer while drinking her juice.

"Why is Hinata-sama being so perfunctory..."

Hinata Natsumi pouted.

This is a new style from the Land of Water, yet Lady Hinata hasn't reacted at all.

Compared to the troubles caused by Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hinata was more concerned about something else.

Hanabi, her own younger sister.

Hinata Hanabi is already five years old, old enough to have the Caged Bird Seal carved on her head.

Hinata was unclear why, in the original story, neither Hanabi nor she herself were branded with the Caged Bird Seal in Shippuden.

It's important to understand that Neji was branded with the Caged Bird symbol when he was only three years old.

The fireworks show has already exceeded its deadline.

If the story follows the original manga, neither Hinata nor Hanabi were branded with the Caged Bird Seal, and their father, Hiashi Hyuga, must have played a crucial role in this.

but……

Hinata sat on the corridor, looking at her palm.

Being excellent is being excellent; Hinata would never deny herself because of so-called modesty.

Because of her excellence, she was almost universally regarded by the Hyuga clan as the next head of the family.

Even Hinata herself thought so.

Therefore, it is obvious who will be chosen to have the Caged Bird Seal engraved between Hinata and Hanabi.

Hinata has recently heard some rumors within the clan about when Hanabi will be branded with the Caged Bird Seal.

But Hinata refused.

He didn't want his sister to carve a caged bird, nor did he want to carve a caged bird himself.

"summer."

Hinata looked at the green plants planted not far away and suddenly spoke.

"What's wrong, Hinata-sama?"

The maid, who was fiddling with clothes, tilted her head and looked at Hinata.

"..."

Hinata looked at the maid in front of her.

Honestly, Xia is very beautiful.

Her short, dark green hair should have looked extremely refreshing and clean, but her soft facial features made her look gentle and charming.

If such a person weren't from a branch family of the Hyuga clan, even if her strength was only that of a Chunin, she would still have many suitors if she were from another clan... no, even if Hyuga Natsu were just a commoner ninja.

However, within the Hyuga clan, she was merely Hinata's maid.

"What's wrong?"

"Hinata-sama?"

"Is there something on my face?"

Hinata Hyuga noticed that he hadn't spoken for a while, so she reached out and touched her face in confusion.

"Xia, what do you think about your place in the tribe...?"

Are you happy?

Hinata swallowed the word "freedom" and used another word instead.

"happy?"

"Of course I'm happy!"

"Hinata-sama is a very good person."

"If I could, I'd like to take care of Hinata-sama for the rest of my life~"

Hinata Natsu didn't understand why Hinata suddenly asked that question, but she still answered in a lighthearted tone.

"What if it's freedom?"

Hinata frowned and continued to press for answers.

Hinata was neither satisfied nor happy with Hyuga Natsu's answer, and she didn't believe her explanation.

How could anyone possibly enjoy being a servant?

"free……"

Hinata Hyuga was momentarily stunned by Hinata's serious expression.

She had been by Hinata's side for five years and witnessed Hinata's changes and growth, but she had never seen Hinata so serious.

"This is definitely something I'd really like to have..."

Although Hinata Natsu didn't understand why Hinata asked that question, she still thought about it seriously.

"In the past, I actually just saw Hinata-sama as an ordinary little adult..."

Hinata Natsu gently took Hinata's hand with a look of reminiscence in her eyes.

"But four years ago, on that day, facing that strange Uchiha, it was Hinata-sama, who should have been the one protecting the main family from the branch family, who bravely stood in front of me."

Hinata Natsu spoke softly, her warm, white eyes seemingly possessing a tenderness that could draw one in.

Hinata remembered that the day Hyuga Natsu mentioned was the day she exposed Obito Uchiha when she was paying respects to the Uchiha clan.

Because he had seen Obito Uchiha's true face, and knew that Obito's target was him, he knew that even if Hyuga Natsu stood in front of him, it would be useless. So he stood in front of Hyuga Natsu.

I never expected her to remember this for so long.

"Perhaps Lady Hinata thinks that should be a trivial matter."

"But for me, that's a very important thing."

"so……"

"I want to take care of Hinata-sama for the rest of my life."

"For me, being able to stay by Hinata-sama's side is my freedom."

Hinata Natsu mustered her courage and slowly embraced Hinata. Feeling that Hinata did not resist in her arms, her embrace became bolder, and everything she said came from the bottom of her heart.

Her world is very small.

So small that it was just Hinata alone.

Hinata never expected that incident would have such a big impact on Hyuga Natsumi.

Feeling Hinata Natsu's tight embrace, Hinata could even feel his slightly rapid heartbeat.

She was very nervous...