Naruto: The Sand Will Rise!

Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement as he turned to Sakura. "Sakura, hurry up!"

Without waiting for a response, he dashed toward the market, weaving through the bustling crowd. But as he neared the booth, he saw a massive swarm of people already fighting over the ninja tools.

Naruto grinned. "No problem!"

Shadow Clone Jutsu!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dozens of Naruto clones burst into existence, charging toward the booth like an unstoppable wave.

"Naruto! You think I'd let you!?" Choji bellowed, his body expanding as he rolled forward like a boulder.

"You little punk! No way I'm letting you get ahead!" Kiba snarled, Akamaru barking beside him.

Naruto smirked, sidestepping Choji's rolling attack. "You? One of you just eats a lot, and the other just bites things! Neither of you stand a chance against me!"

"Like hell we don't!" Kiba and Choji lunged at the clones, fists and claws swinging.

Chaos erupted.

Ninjas from different clans clashed, shoving and wrestling over weapons. Explosive tags sparked. Smoke bombs detonated. The entire market square had turned into a battlefield.

Meanwhile, leaning against a nearby wall, Shikamaru watched with a bored expression, lazily chewing on a toothpick. "Idiots."

He shook his head. "Ever heard the phrase 'buy low, sell high'? This is how you get scammed."

His eyes drifted toward Mufasa, the merchant behind the booth. The man simply stood there, arms crossed, watching the mayhem with a knowing smirk. Shikamaru frowned. Where did this guy even get such powerful ninja tools? If he had more of them, it could become a serious problem.

He sighed. "Not my problem. Too troublesome."

Suddenly—

"MUFASA!"

A voice boomed from above.

Tsunade stood atop a nearby rooftop, arms crossed, her sharp gaze scanning the chaos below. Sasuke's earlier lightning display had shaken the entire village, and the commotion at the market only added to the mess. Was this another uprising? A rogue ninja attack?

Without hesitation, she leaped into action, sprinting across rooftops toward the fair.

Mufasa's eyes widened. "Oh crap, the landlady's here. Time to clean up."

With a flick of his wrist, he activated his chakra-infused ability. Magnet Release!

A powerful force erupted from him, yanking the ninja weapons—and the fighting shinobi—into the air. In one swift motion, he hurled them back down onto the ground in an organized pile.

"You brats! My store might sell top-tier gear, but you're gonna line up like civilized people, got it? No fighting! No stealing! If you want something, it's all about luck!"

His words had the opposite effect.

The ninjas, still recovering from being thrown around, suddenly looked even more determined.

"LINE UP!"

"NO CUTTING!"

"That blonde idiot goes to the back!"

Temari, now standing beside Mufasa, snapped her fan open and glared at the rowdy crowd. "You heard him! Get in line or get lost!"

Under the watchful eye of the Fifth Hokage, the Konoha shinobi grumbled but quickly fell into an orderly line, each eager to buy their own weapons.

Naruto pouted. "Shikamaru, you didn't fight earlier, but now you're in line?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Duh. Cheap, high-quality ninja tools? Why wouldn't I buy?"

Naruto scowled. "Cheapskate."

Mufasa, watching the long line grow, could barely suppress his grin. Every sale meant more power, more influence, more profit.

+1.

+1.

+1.

The system notifications flooded his mind. Annoyed, he shut them off. He didn't need reminders—he could see the growing pile of ryo in his register.

"Ahem." Tsunade's voice cut through the excitement.

Mufasa turned. "What's up?"

Tsunade crossed her arms. "You seem way too happy."

"Wouldn't you be? Business is booming! Konoha's getting stronger! A sharper kunai could save a life, you know. You should be thanking me."

Tsunade paused, considering his words. Upgrading their village's arsenal was a good thing, wasn't it? But then again…

Her eyes narrowed. "Wait. That means your village's weapons are already upgraded, huh?"

Mufasa grinned. "Oh, we'll all be at peace soon. Doesn't really matter, does it?"

Tsunade hated these kinds of tricky debates. She huffed. "Whatever. But you're paying for the damage you caused."

She gestured toward the shattered stalls and debris-strewn streets where Mufasa had thrown half the village's shinobi.

Mufasa sighed. "Fine. No problem."

As she turned to leave, he called after her. "Oi, before I head back, how about I buy you a drink?"

Tsunade smirked. "Hah. Now you're talking."

With that, she leaped onto the rooftops and disappeared.

Meanwhile, deep within Konoha's underground Root headquarters, Danzo Shimura scowled as he listened to Sai's report.

"You're telling me Mufasa took one ninja tool capable of manipulating lightning and single-handedly crushed my influence over Sasuke?"

Sai remained silent, handing over a shuriken he had purchased from the fair. Danzo frowned and pulled out his own kunai, testing them against each other.

The Root-forged weapon snapped in two.

His scowl deepened. If this continued, Konoha's reliance on Sand Village weapons would only grow.

This was a dangerous development.

Danzo's fingers drummed against the table. "Summon Shigaraki Tanuki. We have work to do."

Shigaraki Tanuki, the lead scientist of the "Root" organization, was the mastermind behind their weapon development plan using interstitial cells.

Shigaraki arrived and bowed slightly. "My lord, you summoned me?"

Shimura Danzo eyed him sharply. "You must develop ninja tools stronger than those from the Sand Village."

Shigaraki hesitated for a moment. "May I ask what kind of tools you're referring to?"

Sai placed a bundle of ninja swords, kunai, shuriken, and other standard ninja weapons on the table.

Shigaraki blinked. "Sir, these are just basic ninja tools. Are you sure you need research on these?"

Danzo's expression darkened. "It is necessary. Not only do you need to study them, but you must also create something superior to what the Sand Village offers."

Danzo didn't understand economics—trade deficits, surpluses, or market competition—but he understood one thing: whatever his enemy built, he had to destroy it.

"Hmph. The ninjas in this village lack loyalty and sacrifice. Just because the Sand Village sells cheaper weapons, they flock to buy them without any regard for Konoha's honor."

He clenched his fists. "Imagine Konoha ninja running around with Sand Village weapons. It's disgraceful! This task is vital. You must complete it quickly."

Shigaraki wasn't an expert in metallurgy, but questioning orders wasn't allowed in Root. He gave a curt nod. "Understood, my lord. I will begin immediately."

Danzo smirked in satisfaction. "Good. I'll leave it to you. Mufasa, your success won't last."

The fair was a resounding success. Konoha ninjas eagerly bought ninja tools from the Sand Village, leaving Temari and the other Jonin thrilled.

Temari grinned. "My lord, I've already sent word for another batch of supplies to be delivered."

Mufasa nodded. "Good. The market has been established. The rest is up to you Jonin."

Temari saluted. "Understood, my lord. You can count on us."

As they spoke, a young Konoha ninja approached.

Temari turned to him. "If you're looking to buy ninja tools, head to the booth."

The young man shook his head. "I'm not here to buy. I want to apply for a job."

Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "Apply?"

The ninja nodded eagerly. "I see how well your business is doing, and I figured you'd need more hands. As a proud villager of Konoha, I'd like to work for you."

Mufasa chuckled. "We are the Faraday Industries. That's our name."

Hearing the word "apply" sparked an idea in Mufasa. Strength didn't come from Sand ninjas alone—he needed ninjas from all over. That was true unity.

The young ninja nodded. "Faraday Industry… That's a great name!"

Mufasa smirked. "And what's your name?"

"Kaminarimon Ereki."

Mufasa's mind clicked. Kaminarimon Ereki—the future head of Konoha's largest company, the mastermind behind the Lightning Car. A business prodigy.

A rare talent.

Mufasa was delighted. "Kaminarimon, what are your skills?"

Kaminarimon scratched the back of his head. "Accounting, sales—I know a bit about both. I've traveled a lot and enjoy inventing things."

Mufasa's grin widened. "Perfect. You're hired."

Kaminarimon blinked in shock. "Just like that?"

Mufasa extended his hand. "Congratulations on being the first Konoha recruit of Faraday Industries."

Kaminarimon grasped Mufasa's hand, still in disbelief. "Thank you, my lord! I won't let you down."

As a ninja with a passion for business rather than battle, Kaminarimon always felt out of place among his peers. But now, Mufasa had recognized his potential.

"I'll work hard!"

Mufasa nodded. "Good. Temari, show him around."

Kaminarimon followed Temari with newfound enthusiasm.

Night fell.

While Temari and the others took inventory, Mufasa returned to his room. He had unfinished business before leaving.

Activating his electromagnetic vision, he scanned the surrounding area. As expected, Anbu operatives were stationed in the woods near his house. With such a major figure in town, they were bound to keep watch.

Mufasa smirked. He pushed open his window, turned off the lights, and lay on his bed.

"Electromagnetic Release: Stealth."

His body vanished beneath the covers.

Effortlessly slipping past the Anbu, he arrived at the ruins of Naka Shrine, the long-abandoned Uchiha clan temple. Over time, it had gained a reputation as a haunted site. No one dared venture near.

Mufasa stepped inside, his eyes locking onto the shrine's stone wall, where twenty-seven Shinigami masks hung in three neat rows.

One of them belonged to the Uzumaki clan.

He chuckled. "Orochimaru must be suffering right now."

As an essential ally, it was only right for Mufasa to lend him a hand.

Reaching out, he plucked the white mask with fanged features from the wall. Its icy touch sent a chill down his spine. Faint whispers echoed from within—voices from the underworld.

Flipping his hand, Mufasa stored the mask within his summoning space.

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Word count: 1613