Schnee had long since vanished into the wilderness, off on her mysterious "specimen retrieval" missions, which, knowing what they did about her, which wasn't much, could mean anything from hunting a giant beast to acquiring exotic flora to dissect for dinner.
That left Guldrin and Shiro alone in their newly acquired alchemy lab, which was, to put it mildly, the kind of place that encouraged either groundbreaking discoveries or catastrophic explosions, possibly both at the same time.
Who were they kidding, it was surely going to be both.
While Shiro busied herself with her latest experiment, her eyes alight with that dangerously familiar glint of unrestrained curiosity, Ino finally made her way downstairs, having finished her self-guided tour of the shop's weapons and armor section.
She had spent quite a bit of time admiring the craftsmanship of the various blades and pieces of armor, but now she found herself drawn to an entirely different section, the underground laboratory.
Stopping just short of one of the long wooden workbenches, her sharp blue eyes scanned the assortment of glass vials, bubbling beakers, and various powders and herbs neatly arranged on the shelves. A mixture of fascination and wariness flickered across her face.
"Whoa," she breathed out, taking a slow step forward. "What… is all this?"
Guldrin looked up from where he had been lazily inspecting a few bottles on the shelf, ready to respond, but Ino wasn't done.
"I feel like I just walked into one of Danzo-sama's labs," she muttered, rubbing her arms as if the mere thought of that place sent a chill down her spine.
"Vials, beakers, strange ingredients everywhere... And I have no idea what any of them are. Some of these must be volatile, right? Some are probably healing agents, but I couldn't tell the difference if my life depended on it."
Shiro, who was currently swirling a glass flask filled with a suspiciously glowing purple and blue liquid that was beginning to emit small plumes of smoke, barely glanced up from her work.
"Yup," she confirmed cheerfully, her tone far too casual for someone handling something that looked seconds away from gaining sentience, at least that was the impression Ino had gotten, "And that means no touching."
Ino let out a nervous laugh, backing away from the bubbling concoction. She had seen her fair share of horrifying experiments in Root, and whatever Shiro was currently cooking up in that flask gave her a very bad feeling.
But just as she was about to turn and leave Shiro to her dangerous science, something unexpected happened.
A scent.
A delicate, fragrant, wonderful scent drifted through the air, causing Ino to freeze in place. Her entire posture changed as she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as the gentle aroma filled her senses.
It was floral, sweet, with a hint of something else, something grounding, soothing, yet faintly nostalgic.
"What is that?" she murmured, her voice almost reverent. She turned her head slightly, chasing the scent as if drawn by some unseen force. "It smells like lavender… and something else. I haven't smelled anything this nice in years."
She hesitated, an odd emotion flickering across her face.
"I almost forgot what flowers smell like. The last time I enjoyed the fragrance of flowers was when I still lived with my parents, before… Everything…"
Guldrin, who had been watching this unfold with mild curiosity, was briefly taken aback by her reaction. He hadn't really considered how much life in a war-torn world had dulled the simple pleasures for people like Ino.
The way she spoke, it was as if the scent alone had dragged up some long-forgotten childhood memory, something soft and untouched by the horrors she had endured. That wasn't strange since the anime had made her out to be an adorable flower loving girl, but this version was denied a full upbringing and was indoctrinated by Danzo.
Following her gaze, he realized she was walking toward one of the shelves near the back, where several small rectangular blocks had been neatly arranged in stacks.
He blinked.
Oh.
That explained it.
"Ah," he said, stepping up beside her as she reached for one of the objects. "That would be soap."
Ino looked at him, confused. "Soap?"
Guldrin nodded, reaching for one of the bars himself and inspecting it. Now that he was paying attention, he realized that the previous owner of this basement must have had a personal interest in soap-making because there were quite a few varieties lined up here.
Some were floral, like the one that had caught Ino's attention. Others had a deep, woodsy pine scent, and there was even one that smelled distinctly like coffee.
"The last owner must've made a lot of it," Guldrin mused, flipping the bar in his hand. "There's a whole stockpile here."
Ino frowned slightly. "Soap…" she repeated, as if the word itself was foreign to her.
Shiro, who had been listening in, suddenly looked up, her own confusion evident. "Wait," she said slowly, "you do know what soap is, right? Like the stuff you wash your body and hair with?"
That was when Ino hit them with something neither of them was prepared for.
"You mean," she said, tilting her head, "water and lye?"
There was a long silence.
Guldrin and Shiro stared at her.
She stared back, looking mildly annoyed at their reaction.
"...You use lye?" Guldrin finally asked, his voice somewhere between horrified and incredulous. "That stuff is really bad for you."
"That's just how we do it," Ino said with a shrug. "You mix lye and water, scrub really hard, and that's how you clean yourself. What's the problem?"
Guldrin ran a hand down his face. "I-" He stopped, took a deep breath, and tried again. "That's… not what soap is supposed to be. That isn't at all soap."
Shiro, who had up until this point been completely baffled, suddenly let out a short laugh. "Okay, hold on, I think I get it now," she said, shaking her head. "You guys don't have soap, do you? Like, actual, proper, soap."
Ino narrowed her eyes. "If you mean fancy-smelling blocks of whatever this is," she said, holding up the bar she had picked up, "then no. Never seen anything like this before."
Shiro's face went completely blank.
"...I need a minute," she muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Meanwhile, Guldrin exhaled slowly and turned back to Ino. "Okay, let me explain. This is soap. It's a cleaning agent made with natural oils, fats, and lye, but in a controlled process that removes all the harmful stuff from the lye so that it doesn't burn your skin off."
Ino squinted at the bar in her hand, her fingers running over its smooth surface. "And this is supposed to be better than what we do?"
"Not only better," Shiro cut in, still looking vaguely offended on behalf of hygiene itself. "It's safer. It's designed to clean your skin without making it feel like you just got dunked in acid."
Ino didn't look entirely convinced, but she was curious enough to test it.
She held up the bar, sniffed it again, then hesitantly rubbed it against her hand.
At first, nothing happened.
Shiro splash a tiny bit of water on the spot.
Then, with the help of the water as she continued, a small amount of lather began to form.
Ino's eyes widened.
"What the…?" She rubbed a little more, watching as more foam built up. "It's… foaming?"
"That's what it does," Guldrin said, grinning at her reaction. "And when you use more water, it gets even better."
Ino was completely enraptured, as if witnessing some kind of sorcery. "I don't believe this," she muttered, rubbing the foam between her fingers. "This actually feels clean. Not like I'm stripping my skin off. And it smells good."
Shiro crossed her arms. "Welcome to the modern world, my poor, poor abused lost lamb."
Ino stood frozen, her eyes flicking from the neatly stacked bars of soap on the shelf to the amused expressions of Guldrin and Shiro. She looked as if she had just uncovered a long-lost treasure trove, something so absurdly luxurious that she couldn't quite wrap her head around the fact that it was just… there. Available. For anyone.
Her hands hovered over the bars of soap as if they might vanish the moment she touched them. Her mind raced through memories of her training, the countless missions, the grueling survival exercises, none of which had ever included something as indulgent as scented, skin-softening, hand-crafted soap.
The very idea that people could just buy this, use it every day, and even choose different scents depending on their mood was almost too much for her to process.
She turned to Guldrin, her expression serious. "And you're telling me people just have this?"
"Yes," Guldrin replied, watching her carefully.
"For cleaning?" she asked again, narrowing her eyes.
"Yes," he repeated, holding back a smirk.
"Not just for rich people?" she pressed further, almost as if she expected to be tricked.
"No," Shiro chimed in, clearly enjoying this far more than she should. "It's literally for everyone."
Ino was quiet for a long, long moment. Then, with the most serious expression Guldrin had ever seen on her, she declared with absolute finality:
"I'm taking all of it."
Shiro immediately burst out laughing, nearly doubling over as she clutched her sides. "Oh my god, Ino! You sound like you just discovered gold!"
Guldrin sighed, but couldn't help the amused glint in his eyes as he watched Ino clutch a bar of soap like it was the last rations of food in a famine. But then, an idea struck him like lightning, and his mind started spinning with possibilities.
"Ino," he said, his tone shifting to something more serious. "Be honest with me. I know Danzo suppressed your emotions and anything he deemed 'useless thoughts,'" at this, Ino flinched slightly but said nothing, "but how much of a hit would soap be if we sold it to everyone as a specialty item in our general and blacksmith store?"
Ino blinked at him. "You mean… this selling soap?" She looked guarded and clutched her soap tightly.
"Yes," Guldrin continued, getting more animated as he spoke. "Would it be worth it? Would it be a hit with the females? What if we made one for hair? Something that makes it shine and silky smooth while revitalizing it? Imagine an entire line of self-care products, basic soaps, fancier ones with exotic ingredients, specialized ones for hair, maybe even scents catered to specific moods! Making them is a piece of cake for me, and if I hit a snag, I could enlist Shiro to help where I make mistakes… So… tell me, would this work?"
Ino just stared at him. Her cheeks turned a little pink, not just because of the intensity of his gaze, but because, damn it, he was actually onto something.
For a Kunoichi, hygiene was important, but it was usually a second thought. Bathing was necessary, of course, but the quality of it varied wildly depending on the situation.
Most Shinobi used the simplest methods, water and whatever harsh substance could scrub off the dirt and grime. But something luxurious? Something that made the experience of washing up feel… good? That was rare. And rare things, when marketed correctly, became highly desirable.
She gulped and forced herself to think past the fact that Guldrin was staring at her so intensely. "You're asking me if women, if Shinobi, nobles, commoners, would want something that makes them smell good, feel good, and look better? Guldrin, are you an idiot?"
"Uh…"
"Of course, it would be a hit!" Ino smacked his shoulder, but there was excitement bubbling in her voice now. "Are you kidding me? If you can actually make good soap that works, especially one for hair, people will go crazy for it! Women will buy it like it's the last piece of food on the planet. If you market it right, nobles will pay out the nose for it, and commoners will scrape up whatever they can to afford it. Do you know how many women struggle with maintaining their hair, especially Kunoichi, who don't have time to pamper themselves properly?"
Guldrin smirked, looking pleased with himself. "So, you're saying we should do it?"
"Obviously!" Ino huffed, crossing her arms. Then she hesitated, biting her lip. "Wait… what does soap even do to hair?"
Guldrin chuckled. "It depends on how it's made. Some can dry it out, others can make it soft and shiny. With the right ingredients, we could make a hair soap that strengthens hair, makes it easier to manage, and even prevents breakage. If we experiment enough, we could even make ones that enhance natural highlights or add volume."
Ino's eyes were practically sparkling. "You mean I could have a hair-care routine that doesn't involve random plants and river water? And you're just casually sitting on this knowledge?"
Shiro, who had been somewhere between horrified and amused, finally decided to chime in. "And imagine this, custom scents. Imagine having something that makes your hair smell like jasmine, or sandalwood, or honey…"
Ino's breath hitched. "You're playing a dangerous game, Shiro."
Shiro grinned. "Oh, I know."
Guldrin opened his mouth to respond, but then his brain hit the brakes so hard that he nearly gave himself whiplash. He blinked, gears grinding furiously as a realization struck him like a lightning bolt.
"Hold up… If we're really doing this, we can't just slap some soap on a shelf and call it a day. This needs branding. A name. A whole line of products. We need it to be something people crave, not just 'some random soap we found in a basement.'" His hands gestured wildly as he spoke, his excitement building.
Ino's eyes lit up like a child discovering candy for the first time. "Yes! It has to sound elegant. Luxurious. Something that makes people feel like they need it, like their life is incomplete without it."
Shiro, ever the thinker, tapped a finger against her chin. "What about something simple but refined? Like… Moonlit Essence? Since the shop is already called The Moon Sanctuary, it would match the theme."
Guldrin leaned back slightly, considering. It had a ring to it, no doubt. But then, a thought struck him, one so absurd that he almost laughed at the sheer absurdity. His eyes narrowed as he studied the two girls, a strange glint appearing in them.
"Wait a second," he said slowly, eyes flicking between them. "The first night we stayed in the forest, I gave you both soap and shampoo. Basic stuff, sure, but still soap. And yet, Ino's reaction just now… it's like she's never seen the stuff before. Which begs the question…" His gaze honed in on them like a predator about to pounce. "Did either of you actually use it that day?"
Shiro shrugged nonchalantly, tossing her long, silvery hair over her shoulder. "Big boobs over here distracted me," she said, pointing at Ino with zero shame. "Most likely, the soap is still sitting exactly where you left it. I mean, I do have a cleaning spell, so it's not like I needed it. And let's be honest, I was probably too jealous, I mean, too intrigued by Ino's bust size to remember it."
Ino, caught completely off guard, went as red as a ripe tomato. "E-Excuse me?!" she sputtered, crossing her arms over her chest like that would somehow protect her from the shameless observation.
Shiro simply smirked in response, looking far too pleased with her reaction.
Still flustered, Ino turned back to Guldrin, trying to regain some dignity. "I did see some weird bottles, but I didn't think they were for bathing," she admitted. "I left them alone. Strange substances can be dangerous, and at the time, it didn't even cross my mind that they were meant for hygiene. I just used lye, the way I always do…"
Her voice trailed off, her expression shifting slightly as the realization fully sank in.
Guldrin stared at her, then at Shiro, then back at her again. Slowly, he raised a hand and ran it down his face, muttering something under his breath about wasted opportunities.
"You're telling me," he finally said, voice filled with an odd mix of exasperation and amusement, "that I gave you high-quality soap, stuff that could've revolutionized your entire outlook on cleanliness, and you just… ignored it?"
Ino, still blushing furiously, folded her arms even tighter. "I didn't ignore it! I just… Look, when you've lived a life where every unknown object could be a potential threat, you don't just go rubbing random substances all over your body! That's how people get poisoned!"
Guldrin let out a long, suffering sigh. "Ino… it was soap."
"I didn't know that! And, for the record, it's not like I was dirty! I take care of myself just fine, thank you very much!"
Shiro, clearly relishing the moment, leaned in closer with a sly smirk, her golden eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh? Do you now? Because let me tell you, Ino, once you start using actual shampoo, the real deal, not just whatever random concoction you've been using, you're going to see the difference. Your hair will be clean. Like, truly clean. It'll be soft, silky, and shimmering in the moonlight like something out of a fairytale. You'll feel like a goddess when you run your fingers through it." She dramatically flipped her own silver-white hair over her shoulder, letting it cascade like a waterfall, as if to prove her point.
Ino's eyebrows twitched, her competitive nature instantly flaring to life. She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes, already feeling like she was being challenged. "Are you saying my hair isn't good enough now?" she asked, her voice dangerously calm, as if daring Shiro to say something she'd regret.
Shiro, sensing the bait had been taken, grinned like a cat that had just cornered a particularly feisty mouse. "Oh, I'm not saying it's bad. I'm just saying it could be better. Like, significantly better." She held up her index finger, waggling it playfully. "And wouldn't you want to be the absolute best? Even when it comes to hair?"
Ino huffed, puffing out her cheeks slightly, clearly not one to back down from a challenge, no matter how ridiculous. "Alright then," she declared, grabbing a bar of soap and some of the bottled concoctions they had found. "I'll go test this out right now and give you my honest opinion."
Guldrin, who had been watching the exchange with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, raised a hand lazily. "Uh, yeah, about that. Schnee did say to stay inside, remember? And she seems like the kind of person who takes that very, very seriously. Like, 'I'll freeze you into an icicle for disobeying' kind of serious."
He waved a hand toward the upper floors of the house. "How about you take a shower upstairs instead? I mean, think about it, there is no way in hell someone from the modern world didn't build a personal shower if they had the resources. No way. I refuse to believe it."
Shiro nodded sagely. "He has a point. If I were in a medieval world and had magic, plumbing would be at the top of my priority list. Baths are great, but a hot shower? That's peak civilization and comfort."
Ino looked skeptical. "You act like showers are some kind of divine gift. We have them, you know."
Guldrin gave her a blank stare, then slowly rubbed his forehead, sighing. "Oh, it's my fault my sense of expectations is completely skewed. My bad. I should have known. It's just that, you know, you didn't have soap," he pointed out, his tone dripping with exaggeration.
Ino gave him a deadpan look. "Just because we don't use your weird bottled stuff doesn't mean we're savages. We have our own ways of keeping clean."
Shiro snickered. "Yeah, but lye soap isn't exactly luxurious, now is it? You could just admit that you're curious. No shame in it."
Ino scoffed, then tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Fine. I'll go take a shower and see what all the fuss is about. But if this doesn't blow my mind, I'm coming back down here and dumping a bucket of cold water over your head."
Guldrin waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Go have your life-changing hair revelation. We'll be here when you're ready to admit you were wrong."
With a final huff, Ino marched off toward the upper floors, determined to prove them wrong, or right. She wasn't sure which one she wanted more.
The moment Ino disappeared up the stairs, Guldrin and Shiro exchanged a knowing look, the kind that two people share when they're absolutely certain of an outcome but are still going to enjoy watching it unfold anyway.
"She's going to love it," Shiro said smugly, crossing her arms as she leaned against the nearby table. Her golden eyes gleamed with amusement, already savoring her inevitable victory.
Guldrin smirked, stretching his arms behind his head and lounging back like a man with all the time in the world. "Oh, without a doubt," he said with the casual certainty of someone who had seen this exact scenario play out in his mind a hundred times over. "Wanna take bets on how long it takes her to admit it?"
Shiro tapped her chin thoughtfully, pretending to weigh the odds, though in truth, she already knew the answer. "Mmm. Fifteen minutes? Maybe twenty if she's being particularly stubborn?"
Guldrin let out a short chuckle. "You're being way too generous. I say ten minutes max. Once that lather hits her scalp, it's game over."
Shiro tilted her head. "You think it'll be the shampoo that gets her?"
"Oh, absolutely," Guldrin said with confidence. "The moment she feels how effortlessly it works through her hair? That luxurious foam? The scent? She'll be a believer."
Shiro sighed dramatically, shaking her head. "No soap… I still can't get over it. I mean, I just assumed Danzo was particularly cruel, making us wash with nothing but cold water." She shuddered at the memory. "And I thought I was so clever, coming up with that cleaning spell just to make up for it. Turns out, people out here are just living like this. By choice… Or ignorance."
She gave another exaggerated shiver, then turned back to her experiment, rolling up her sleeves with a determined look. "Well, I'm not waiting around for her to finish her out-of-this-world experience. I have work to do."
Guldrin chuckled, letting her focus on her task as he stayed put, arms crossed, eyes lazily scanning the ceiling. He was waiting. Because he knew. This wasn't a matter of if, it was only a matter of when.
Upstairs, the sound of running water filled the hall as Ino stepped into the shower.
At first, she remained skeptical.
Sure, she had agreed to try this "modern luxury," but deep down, she still believed her hair-washing methods were perfectly fine. Sure, her usual routine took a bit of time, and maybe her hair wasn't always as effortlessly soft as she wanted, but that was normal. Right?
She picked up the shampoo bottle, eyeing it warily. The liquid inside was thick, shimmering under the dim light. It smelled… nice. Almost too nice. She squeezed some into her palm, and the moment it hit her skin, she paused.
This was different.
Her usual methods required scrubbing, a lot of rinsing, and the faint lingering scent of whatever herbs she had on hand. But this? This was like silk. The moment she massaged it into her scalp, it lathered effortlessly, transforming into rich, foamy bubbles that slid through her hair like a dream.
Her fingers glided through her strands with almost no resistance, something that had never happened before. It was… smooth. Softer than she had ever felt it before.
Her eyes widened slightly.
No.
No, no, no.
She wasn't going to admit it yet.
She needed to test more.
She grabbed the shampoo again hoping to see different results, applying it hesitantly, and within seconds, once again she felt a transformation she couldn't deny. Her hair, normally requiring patience and effort to detangle, now felt as light as air.
What sort of witchcraft was this?
The warm water cascaded over her shoulders, steam curling around her like a soft veil as she stood frozen in place, hands still buried in her hair. Her fingers combed through the strands again, then again, then once more, slower this time, just to be sure.
No snags. No knots. No resistance. Even better than before.
She pressed her lips together, narrowing her eyes at the sheer absurdity of it all.
This wasn't normal.
At least, not by her standards. She had spent years dealing with the hassle of washing her hair, endless tangles, time-consuming rinses, and the struggle of getting it to feel remotely manageable afterward.
It was just how things were. That's why she had been skeptical when they handed her these strange bottles with their promises of effortless cleanliness. She had expected a mild improvement, maybe even a slight convenience, but this?
This was something else entirely.
She never knew just how dirty and neglected her hair was till she noticed the differences,
Her hair felt... weightless. Softer than she had ever imagined possible. The silky texture slid between her fingers like water, smooth and luxurious in a way that made her heart clench with reluctant wonder.
No.
She was not going to give them the satisfaction.
Even as her mind reeled from the undeniable results, she refused to rush downstairs and admit it to them. There was still more testing to be done. Just because one product worked well didn't mean the others would.
At least, that was the excuse she gave herself as she reached for the second bottle, the one labeled conditioner.
She studied it warily, as if the mere act of holding it would somehow force her into accepting defeat. Her fingers tightened around the plastic, knuckles whitening slightly. Fine. If she was going to be thorough, she needed to follow the instructions.
She squeezed a small amount into her palm, watching as the thick, creamy substance pooled there. It had a different scent than the shampoo, richer, smoother, something almost... indulgent. She hesitated for only a second before running it through her damp hair, letting it coat every strand from root to tip.
The moment she started working it in, her breath caught.
It melted through her hair like butter on a hot pan, spreading effortlessly. Her fingers glided with an ease that made her pause, stunned. She had been expecting some level of struggle, even with the shampoo's unexpected effectiveness, but this?
This was pure sorcery.
Her usual hair-washing routine involved patience, careful maneuvering, and an inevitable tug-of-war with knots. But now, there was no resistance. No effort. The conditioner seemed to unravel tangles that didn't even exist yet, leaving nothing but perfect, flowing strands in its wake.
She took a deep, steadying breath.
She wasn't going to freak out.
No, she was going to be rational. Logical. This could just be a temporary effect. Maybe it was a trick. Maybe her hair would dry into a disaster. Maybe…
Her fingers ran through her hair again.
And again.
Her lips parted slightly, disbelief settling into her chest like a stone dropped into a still lake.
No.
She refused to be impressed.
But that tiny voice in the back of her mind, the one she had been trying so desperately to ignore, was practically screaming now.
'This is amazing!'
She scowled at herself, shaking her head furiously as if that would dislodge the traitorous thought.
No. She wasn't going to jump to conclusions. She still had to test the final product, the bar of soap.
With an almost defiant determination, she reached for it. A simple, unassuming bar, resting innocently on the shower ledge. Unlike the bottles, it didn't boast any extravagant claims, no fancy packaging, no misleading promises. Just a solid, plain rectangle.
Good.
She could work with that.
Picking it up, she turned it over in her hands, noting how smooth it felt. There was a mild scent to it, nothing overpowering, just clean. Simple. She could respect that.
She lathered it between her hands, expecting the usual gritty texture of traditional soaps, but instead, it produced a surprisingly rich, foamy lather almost instantly.
Her eyes narrowed.
That was... unexpected. Guldrin was right, it works much better with more water, like night and day better.
She started scrubbing, fully prepared for the usual dry, somewhat stripped feeling that lye and water often left behind, but to her mounting confusion, that sensation never came. Instead, the foam was creamy. It spread smoothly across her skin, washing away the remnants of sweat and grime with an almost too easy efficiency.
She rinsed it off quickly, half-expecting a waxy residue or some unpleasant tightness, but there was nothing.
Nothing except clean, soft skin.
She frowned, inspecting her arm as if expecting to find some hidden trick at play.
There wasn't one.
She ran her hands over her arms, her shoulders, her stomach, everywhere, searching for the familiar dryness she had always associated with soap.
It wasn't there.
She hesitated just a moment before she decided to clean her most treasured location, and the results?
She would never wash it with anything else again, it was smooth, elastic and squeaky clean beyond her wildest dreams.
She stood motionless under the warm spray, water trickling down her back as she processed the undeniable truth.
Everything worked.
Everything.
Not just well, but almost too well.
Her fingers twitched at her sides.
She should be happy about this, right? Excited, even? This was the easiest, most efficient shower she had ever taken. But instead of satisfaction, all she felt was an overwhelming annoyance.
Because now, she had to admit it.
They were right.
And she hated that.
Her pride waged war against common sense as she stared at the shower wall, the weight of inevitability pressing down on her like a lead blanket.
She could stay here forever, pretending she hadn't just experienced the single most life-changing shower of her existence... or she could step out, dry off, and face the smug expressions that were absolutely waiting for her downstairs.
She groaned, dragging a hand down her face.
Maybe if she played it cool, she could still get away with some level of denial.
She turned off the water, stepping onto the bath mat with reluctant movements, as if delaying the moment would somehow make it easier. Wrapping herself in a towel, she ran her fingers through her hair once more, just to be absolutely sure.
Still soft. Still perfect.
She clenched her jaw.
This was going to be a problem.
Bracing herself, she took a deep breath and opened the bathroom door.
Wrapped in a towel, her mind in turmoil.
Sighing, she ran her fingers through her damp locks once more, and to her horror, delight, whatever it was, the softness remained. Even wet, her hair felt incredible and was only getting better as it began to air dry.
She took a deep breath.
She had to play this carefully.
Downstairs, Guldrin was still lounging when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He sat up slightly, a smirk already forming.
"That was fast," Shiro noted, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't even take her the full fifteen minutes."
"Told you," Guldrin muttered, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
Ino entered the room, standing at the doorway with an expression that was far too neutral.
Suspiciously neutral.
Guldrin leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "So?"
Ino crossed her arms. "It was… fine."
Silence.
Shiro slowly lowered the flask she had been working with, turning her head ever so slightly. "Fine?" she repeated, her tone dripping with disbelief.
"Yeah," Ino said with a casual shrug, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I mean, it did what it was supposed to do, I guess."
Guldrin chuckled. "Mmm, sure. That's why you keep running your fingers through your hair."
Ino froze.
Damn it.
She yanked her hand away from her hair immediately, as if that would erase the evidence. "I'm just making sure it's dry," she said stiffly.
Shiro gasped dramatically. "Oh, she totally loves it. Look at her! She's trying so hard not to admit it!"
She shook her head, "Nuh uh,"
Another silence.
Then Shiro smirked.
"You're lying," she said matter-of-factly.
Ino flinched. "I am not."
"You are so lying," Shiro pressed, taking a step closer. "Your ears are red. You loved it."
Guldrin leaned back, watching the exchange with a lazy grin. "It's okay, Ino. Admitting it is the first step."
Ino scowled, her arms tightening around her torso. "I am not lying," she insisted, but the way she kept running her fingers through her hair betrayed her words.
Shiro gasped dramatically. "Oh, she is! Look at her! She can't stop touching it even after we pointed it out!"
Guldrin chuckled. "Yeah, she's doomed. She'll be hoarding bottles by tomorrow."
Ino's eye twitched, but she said nothing, stubbornly maintaining her defensive stance.
Shiro, never one to let things go, especially when she was so obviously, undeniably, and completely correct, leaned in with a victorious glint in her eye, a smug smile tugging at her lips as she invaded Ino's personal space.
"Say it," Shiro demanded, her voice dripping with amusement and triumph. "Say, 'Shiro, you were right, and I will never doubt shampoo again.'"
Ino, in true Ino fashion, whipped her head to the side, refusing to meet Shiro's gaze. The slight pink on her cheeks was barely visible, but to those who knew her, it was as good as waving a white flag.
"I will not say that," she stated stubbornly, arms crossed, chin raised, as if sheer willpower alone would erase the truth of the situation.
Shiro gasped, clutching at her chest dramatically. "Coward."
Guldrin, watching the exchange, was thoroughly entertained by the spectacle, and let out an easy laugh, shaking his head. "It's okay," he said with mock sympathy. "We'll give her time."
And sure enough, not even an hour later, while they were busy laughing and talking, Ino was seen, ever so casually, sneaking another bottle of shampoo into her belongings.
The act was executed with all the grace of a seasoned Shinobi, sleight of hand, smooth movements, not even a glance in their direction, as if doing so would solidify her crime.
She thought no one would notice.
They noticed.
Shiro immediately pointed, scandalized, her expression torn between gloating and sheer delight. "HAH! Caught red-handed!"
Ino stiffened for half a second before tilting her chin up, turning back to face them with the air of someone who had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Shiro's face lit up, "You're a terrible liar," she sang, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Just admit it! Admit the shampoo is amazing!"
Ino scoffed. "It's...acceptable."
"Ohhh, that's not what your hair is saying."
"You can't hear my hair."
"I can. And right now, it's singing my praises. Beautifully soft, knot-free, so silky it makes clouds jealous-"
Guldrin coughed, cutting off what was bound to be an unending monologue about hair products. "Alright, alright, enough of that. Jokes aside..." His tone shifted slightly, amusement still lingering but something sharper edging in. His fingers tapped lightly against his knee as he considered their next steps. "If we actually tried to sell this, would it take off?"
Ino, now focused, considered the question seriously.
"Would people buy it?" he continued, shifting his weight. "Would it become a key seller? How fast would word spread? And, more importantly, how likely is it that we'd attract the wrong kind of attention?"
The atmosphere in the room changed, humor fading as reality crept in.
They had escaped Danzo, which in itself was a miracle, but miracles had a price. They couldn't afford to be careless. Every move they made had to be calculated, every decision weighed against the potential consequences.
They had weapons. Armor. Given time, Guldrin could learn the craft of forging, but the truth was, the weapons they had weren't from this world.
They were beyond it, too advanced, too dangerous to sell without caution. He could, maybe, sell a few to someone extremely wealthy, but that was a delicate game. The wrong buyer could spell disaster.
No, that was a path best tread carefully.
However, if he could learn to forge well enough to create enhanced farming tools, sturdy, efficient, not flashy enough to draw suspicion, or slightly less intricate weapons, then maybe they could set up a proper business. A shop that wouldn't immediately draw the eye of power-hungry nobles or Shinobi warlords.
But that would take time.
Which was why they needed something else.
A specialty item.
Something unique, useful, and profitable, but not dangerous. Something that wouldn't immediately make people question where they had come from or who they were working for.
And that was why they needed Ino's opinion. She was their test subject, their gauge for how the average person would react.
Ino leaned back slightly, humming in thought. "If you can get people to try it," she said slowly, "then yes. This would sell."
Shiro tilted her head. "But?"
"But it depends on how you market it. If you go too high-end, you'll attract noble families, and that comes with risks. If you make it too cheap, people will assume it's a scam or won't bother. You need the right balance. And more than that..."
She paused, frowning.
"The moment this gets too popular, someone will try to take it from you. That's just how things work here."
Guldrin exhaled slowly, nodding. That had been his concern.
Ino crossed her arms. "The second a noblewoman uses this and realizes it makes her hair feel amazing, she's going to want more. If she finds out you're the only supplier, she'll either try to buy you out or force you to work for her."
Shiro rolled her eyes. "Tch. Let her try."
Ino gave her a knowing look. "It's not about brute force, Shiro. You could fight off a few thugs, sure, but nobles don't play fair. They have connections. Money. Influence. They could have you arrested, spread rumors, ruin your ability to sell anything. Or worse, just make you disappear."
Shiro pursed her lips, clearly displeased with the thought.
Guldrin leaned back, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he weighed the possibilities.
He wasn't the kind of person to rush blindly into something, especially not when it had the potential to change the way people lived, possibly even disrupt entire industries. He had seen firsthand how powerful something as simple as information or a well-placed product could be, and hygiene wasn't something people in this world truly understood yet.
They bathed, sure. Some more than others. But real hygiene? Proper hair and skin care? The idea of deep cleanliness beyond just not smelling terrible? That was a whole different matter.
"So, if we do this," he said, his voice measured, "we have to be careful. Keep it small, at least at first. Control the supply, make sure it doesn't explode too fast."
Ino, who had a sharp mind for the way people operated, especially those with wealth and power, nodded in agreement. "Exactly. If you can keep it subtle, introduce it through the right people, like the wives of well-respected merchants rather than nobles, it might grow in a way that you can manage."
She had a point. If they went straight to the nobility, they'd be inviting trouble. The second something valuable was noticed by the upper class, they wouldn't just want it, they'd want to control it. Buy them out, force them to work under their banners, or, worst-case scenario, simply steal the formula and cut them out of the equation entirely. No, it had to be subtle.
Shiro, always the strategist in a different way, tapped a finger against her arm as she thought. "We could also fake scarcity. Make it seem rare from the start. That way, even if demand grows, people expect limited stock, so they don't question why it's not everywhere."
Ino's eyes lit up with understanding. "That would work. Make people think they have to be lucky to get a bottle. It'll spread interest without making it seem like you're mass-producing it overnight."
Guldrin couldn't help but smile slightly at that. The idea was solid, playing into people's natural desire to chase what they couldn't easily get. But he also had a larger goal in mind. This wasn't some corporate cash grab where he could just sell a luxury item and call it a day. This was about shifting the way people thought about hygiene itself. The soap would in turn provide them with an alternate outlook, funnel money from these useless skirmishes, and take up much more manpower to fulfil the need for this new necessity.
"That could actually work," he admitted, tapping a finger on the table. "But… the plan was to revitalize the world's hygiene, right? What if we sell a less fancy version regularly, something affordable, something that people can actually get their hands on? And then, the special fancier ones, the ones that smell better, feel richer, maybe even have a few unique effects, scents, and textures, those are the ones we market as you described. We could even make general surface cleaners."
Shiro's lips curled into a smirk. "Now you're thinking. Keep the basics common enough that people get used to the idea, but make them still want the premium versions. That way, we don't simply create a trend, and make not mistake, it would trend, but we can also change habits."
Ino crossed her arms, considering it. "It could work, but you'll need a way to distribute it that doesn't rely on existing merchants too much. The second they realize what you have, they'll either try to take a cut or push you out."
Guldrin exhaled through his nose. That was another problem. If he relied on normal merchants to distribute the product, he was putting his trust in a system that already favored those with more power. He needed another way.
"We sell direct for as long as possible," he decided. "At least at first. No middlemen, no big contracts. Word of mouth, trusted people. Maybe even make it seem like we're just 'acquiring' it from somewhere, rather than making it ourselves."
Ino let out a small laugh. "A shop that moves locations… A mysterious supplier? That could work. Make people curious about where it's coming from. That keeps them from trying to strong-arm you for the recipe."
Shiro nodded approvingly. "We can also make sure only people we trust handle the real production. No loose ends. We can start by making it ourselves, and when we make allies, then branch out."
The idea was starting to solidify into something real. Guldrin could see the path forming in his mind, the necessary steps and precautions. It wouldn't be easy, and it would take time, but if they played it right, they could introduce something revolutionary without immediately painting a target on their backs.
"Alright," he said, leaning forward, "so let's break this down. First, we start small. A few bottles, given to the right people, introduced as a rare, high-value product. We control the narrative, make it seem exclusive, almost secretive. Meanwhile, we start working on the affordable version, something people can actually get their hands on."
"Right," Ino said, already thinking through potential people they could start with. "And we make sure the fancier version has just enough extras to make it desirable without feeling completely out of reach. That way, people will always want to work their way up to it."
Shiro tilted her head slightly. "What about branding? Do we want people to know it's coming from us, or do we want to keep that vague for now?"
Guldrin leaned back slightly, running a hand through his hair, deep in thought. The plan they were forming had potential, real, tangible potential, but it was a delicate thing. Too much exposure too soon, and they'd attract more attention than they could handle.
On the other hand, playing it too safe meant losing control over the growth and direction of their own creation. It was a balancing act, one that required careful planning and a level of manipulation that made him excited and slightly wary.
"We keep our names off it for now," he finally said, his voice decisive. "Let the product do the talking. People don't need to know where it's coming from, only that it works and that getting their hands on it puts them in an exclusive club."
Ino, who had been lounging against the counter with her arms crossed, let out an amused chuckle. "Sounds like you've got a solid grasp on marketing."
Guldrin smirked, leaning forward slightly as he rested his arms on the table. "I've seen enough brands in my life to know how this works. People don't just buy things for their function; they buy them for how they make them feel. If we make them feel like they're part of something exclusive, something refined, they'll crave it. And if we control the supply just right, that desire will only grow stronger."
Shiro, who had been quietly listening while absentmindedly tapping a finger against her arm, gave an approving nod. "Then it's settled. We start small, keep tight control over the supply, and build the hype naturally. In the meantime, we work on a separate, more accessible version for everyday use. Once people get used to proper hygiene, there's no going back."
"That's the key," Guldrin agreed, standing up and beginning to pace slightly, his mind working through the details. "Once people see the benefits, they'll never want to return to how things were before. Even the ones who resist at first will fall in line when they see what they're missing out on."
Ino stretched her arms above her head, grinning. "I like this… You're changing habits, shifting the culture itself. And if we do it right, we'll be the ones steering that change."
Guldrin nodded, already envisioning how to position their products. "Let's talk branding. The fancier version should stand out, but we can't make it look too garish. It needs to exude sophistication without looking desperate for attention. I was thinking of a crescent moon design, simple, elegant, and mysterious."
Shiro glanced up from her work, intrigued. "A crescent moon, huh? It does have an appeal. Subtle but memorable."
He continued, getting more animated as the vision took shape. "We'll use three main colors: light blue, blue, and white. Light blue will be for the high-end version, elegant, refined, and marketed more toward women, floral and other womanly scents. Blue will be its counterpart, tailored for a masculine audience, woody, piney, or just masculine in general. And then white will be the everyday version, the one that sells the most, the one that truly spreads the idea of hygiene to the masses, I picture a neutral scent. We'll make sure it's accessible, but we'll limit the fancy versions just enough to maintain their desirability."
Ino tilted her head, considering it. "Not bad. You're playing off color psychology too, light blue feels delicate, sophisticated, and calming, while the darker blue gives off strength and reliability. And white? Classic, neutral, and universal."
Guldrin glanced at Shiro. "Unless either of you think it should be different, I'm just throwing out ideas right now."
Shiro set down her vial, giving him a look of mild annoyance before brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "It's a solid plan. But before we worry about branding, we need to make sure the product itself is perfected. No point in having it fancy if it doesn't work."
"Fair point." Guldrin leaned back against the cluttered workstation, arms crossed, eyes flickering between the various bubbling concoctions and half-finished prototypes strewn about the lab.
It smelled like a mix of chemicals, herbs, and something vaguely metallic, probably the remnants of whatever the previous owner had been working on before abandoning this place. His fingers twitched as he absentmindedly reached for a glass vial, curiosity getting the better of him.
A sharp smack landed on his wrist.
"Stop touching things," Shiro muttered without even looking up from her work, her delicate hands carefully measuring out a deep red liquid from a thin pipette. She was focused, intense, completely absorbed in her task, her eyes glinting with concentration.
"I'm trying to make a healing potion. The formula was left behind by the last owner of this lab, and it's a mess. If you want some HP pots for when you inevitably do something stupid and get hurt, then shut up, let me work, and I'll help you with your epic soap project later. Deal?"
Guldrin recoiled slightly, rubbing his wrist dramatically, as if she'd just delivered a fatal blow. "Damn, Shiro, you wound me. Here I thought we were in this together."
Shiro finally spared him a glance, her lips twitching with amusement. "Oh, cheer up. Go play with Ino's boobs or something."
Ino, who had been quietly pretending to be absorbed in drying her hair, immediately choked on air. "W-What?!"
Shiro grinned deviously, her violet eyes gleaming as she leaned back, resting her chin in her palm. "I mean, you're bored, right? Might as well do something productive. Just be careful, she might faint, or blush, or hit you. Or maybe, just maybe, she'll let you. Doesn't that sound fun?"
Guldrin raised an eyebrow, shooting Ino a playful smirk. "Hmm, interesting proposition. What do you say, Ino?"
Ino's face went up in flames, her entire posture stiffening like she'd just been caught red-handed doing something illicit. "I- what kind of insane suggestion, Shiro! You can't just say things like that!"
Shiro waved her hand dismissively, completely unbothered by Ino's flustered reaction. "Why not? I'm giving him permission. Aren't I a good girlfriend slash wife?"
Ino was too busy short-circuiting to form a coherent response.
Guldrin chuckled, shaking his head. "Shiro, you are many things. Dangerous. Mischievous. Terrifyingly smart. But 'good' is debatable."
Shiro merely smirked in response, going back to her alchemical work without a care in the world.
Guldrin exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he took a step back, rubbing his chin in thought. The air in the lab still carried the faint scent of alchemical reagents, a mixture of herbs, something metallic, and a touch of ozone from Shiro's recent experiments. Despite their casual banter, there was an undeniable weight to what they were doing here. This wasn't idle play, if they pulled this off, it could change everything. Their product, their vision, had the potential to be massive.
"You know," he mused aloud, voice steady but laced with the excitement bubbling just beneath the surface, "we're over here joking around, but this whole thing? It's going to be huge."
Shiro, still focused on the bubbling contents of her cauldron, didn't even look up. Instead, she casually responded, "Who said I was joking?"
Both Guldrin and Ino froze. A silence stretched between them, one thick with uncertainty, disbelief, and something else, anticipation?
"W-What? But he's your boyfriend!" Ino blurted out, her face instantly heating up. Her heart slammed against her ribs as she tried to process what had just been casually thrown into the conversation like an offhand remark.
Shiro finally looked up, her expression as unreadable as ever, though the smallest hint of amusement played at the corners of her lips. "Yeah, and I already know my boyfriend-slash-hubby-san won't stay mine alone. That's just reality. He's got the kind of energy that attracts people, and sooner or later, someone else is going to make a move. So, logically speaking, who better to join than his first linked follower?" She tilted her head, watching as Ino's face went through several shades of red.
Ino sputtered, searching for words, but Shiro wasn't finished. "It's a simple matter of strategy," she continued, as if she were discussing battle formations rather than something as absurdly outrageous as orchestrating a preemptive faction within a yet-to-exist harem.
"You just have to be loyal to my faction. Harems always have factions, even if they coexist and consider each other sisters. This is just ensuring that when, not if, someone more prominent joins, I already have loyal allies in place." She gave a small, knowing smile before promptly turning back to her work, casually stirring something viscous into the cauldron.
The small cauldron let out a puff of purple smoke, curling toward the ceiling like an exasperated sigh, and for a moment, the room was quiet except for the gentle bubbling of the mixture.
Ino, still processing what had just been dumped on her, gawked. "You… you make it sound like you're planning a military campaign," she finally managed, half accusingly.
Shiro merely shrugged. "Everything is strategy. If you think about it, this is just proper planning. You'd rather be an early investor than someone hopping on the train too late, right?"
Guldrin, who had been listening to this entire conversation with a bemused smirk, finally decided to intervene before Ino's brain completely short-circuited. "You do realize," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "that talking about this like it's a done deal is kinda… weird, right?"
Shiro turned, resting her chin on one hand as she peered at him, her other hand still lazily stirring the mixture. "Oh? And do you disagree? Do you think no one else is going to start showing interest eventually? That you'll somehow defy all expectations and stay completely unbothered by extra attention? And don't even get me started on your occasional lingering gazes of Skye, and that oddly too familiar way you mesh with Rika, or how you practically gleam with delight when you meet Saeko… What to refute me? Isn't it better to have permission?"
He hesitated. He could say no, insist that he wasn't the type to gather unwanted romantic entanglements, but that would be a blatant lie. He'd seen the signs, little glances, accidental lingering touches, the way people seemed drawn to him in ways that went beyond casual interest. Hell, he was guilty of all that too…
He wasn't oblivious, just… avoiding the conversation. Until now.
His silence was answer enough for Shiro. She smirked, satisfied, before turning her attention back to her potion.
Ino, meanwhile, had gone from embarrassed to defensive, arms crossing over her chest. "You make it sound like I already agreed!"
Shiro raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you?"
Ino opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, then groaned in frustration. "That's not the point! The way you just, just casually decide these things!"
Guldrin let out a laugh, shaking his head. "This is absurd. We're supposed to be working, you know. Instead, we're standing around debating the logistics of a harem like it's some kind of guild hierarchy."
Shiro grinned. "Multitasking."
"Right, because stirring a potion and matchmaking at the same time is peak efficiency."
"Exactly."
The amused back-and-forth did little to calm Ino's nerves. She turned, taking a deep breath to steady herself before muttering, "I hate that this conversation is starting to make a weird kind of sense."
Shiro gave her a slow, knowing nod. "That's because it does make sense."
"You are terrifying," Ino admitted.
"Thank you," Shiro said cheerfully.
The bubbling in the cauldron intensified, and Shiro's eyes flickered toward it, her expression immediately sharpening. She reached for a vial on the side, pouring in a shimmering blue liquid with the precision of someone who had done this countless times before.
That precision was all thanks to the chemistry proficiency she had just been awarded.
The potion hissed as the new reagent was introduced, the color shifting from murky purple to a bright, translucent gold.
Guldrin leaned forward slightly. "That looks promising."
Shiro hummed in agreement. "It should be ready soon."
Ino, who had finally managed to recover some of her composure, shook her head in exasperation. "I still can't believe we just had that conversation."
Guldrin grinned. "Believe it. You were just recruited by my wonderfully eccentric girlfriend…"
"I didn't agree!"
"You didn't say no either," Shiro pointed out, far too pleased with herself.
Ino groaned. "I hate both of you." Though she said this, she was really enjoying being freed from Danzo and the new influx of feelings returning, let alone the long forgotten dream of getting a perfect man for the future… Things were looking up for future Ino…
(Give me your POWER, Please, and Thank You! Leave reviews and comments, they motivate me to continue.)