Naruto: Reincarnated with a programmable system core.

Konan couldn't help but glance at Hiroshi as they walked. Unlike the previous mission, he didn't wear his mask.

'Can't waste an opportunity to try his luck with Mei, can he?' Konan thought.

"Something wrong?" Hiroshi asked without looking at her, his tone amused. He had definitely caught her staring.

"Nothing,"

Hiroshi smirked but said nothing, walking ahead as they reached the meeting point.

The trio entered a large, dimly lit room where Mei waited, flanked by two of her loyal resistance fighters.

"Welcome to the Hidden Mist," Mei said, her voice both welcoming and cautious. Her gaze lingered briefly on Hiroshi.

Hiroshi bowed slightly, his movements smooth and calculated. "A pleasure to meet you, Lady Terumi. I've heard much about your fight against tyranny. I'm here to help."

Mei gestured for them to sit at the table. As they settled, she got straight to the point. "We need your help with a particular," she began.

"There's a merchant—Tarashi—who has been a key financial backer of the Mizukage's regime. His resources are critical to their operations."

Kisame leaned back, resting Samehada against the chair. "Why not just take him out? Problem solved."

Mei shook her head, her expression firm. "If we assassinate him, the Mizukage will simply replace him with someone else.

What we need is to turn him to our side. If he supports the resistance, his financial resources could cripple the Mizukage's operations while giving us a major boost."

"So, you want us to... convince him?"

"Precisely," Mei said, her voice carrying a mix of authority and confidence. "But it has to be done carefully. If he suspects anything, he'll alert the Mizukage's forces, and we'll lose our chance."

Konan glanced at Hiroshi, fully expecting him to suggest something ridiculous. To her surprise, he was deep in thought, his fingers tapping the table rhythmically.

"I can think of a few ways to approach this," Hiroshi finally said, his tone calm and measured.

"But first, I'll need to know more about his habits, his preferences, and what he values most. If we're going to turn him, we need leverage."

Konan raised an eyebrow. "Leverage? That sounds ominous."

Hiroshi smirked. "Not every solution requires brute force, Konan. Sometimes, a little finesse goes a long way."

Kisame snorted. "Coming from the guy who trapped me with adamantium chains, that's rich."

Mei handed Hiroshi a scroll filled with details about Tarashi's business dealings, his personal life, and his known connections. Hiroshi flipped through the pages quickly, nodding occasionally as he absorbed the information.

"This should be enough to work with," he said, closing the dossier. "We'll need to approach him indirectly at first. Offer him a deal he can't refuse."

"And if he refuses?" Kisame asked, a predatory grin spreading across his face.

Hiroshi met his gaze, his expression cold. "Then we make sure he's no longer a problem—one way or another."

As the meeting wrapped up, Mei rose from her seat and extended her hand toward Hiroshi. "I'm counting on you," she said, her voice steady.

Hiroshi took her hand, his grip firm but respectful. "You won't be disappointed....also maybe I will need your help."

As the group prepared to leave, Mei's gaze lingered on Hiroshi for a moment longer than necessary.

Konan noticed it, 'Why does she look like she's buying this act? He's not that charming!'

…

Tarashi's shop,

The shop was small but packed with shelves upon shelves of ninja supplies—antidote pills, basic weapons, storage scrolls, and other tools for shinobi.

Hiroshi, disguised as a tall, clean-cut blond man, stepped inside, his arm casually draped around Mei's shoulder.

Mei, in her disguise as Hiroshi's cheerful wife, played the role perfectly, smiling softly as she glanced around the shop.

Behind them, Konan followed in her disguise, she disguised as Hiroshi's younger sister.

The merchant was sitting behind the counter. He glanced up as the trio entered,

"Welcome," he said. "What can I help you with today?"

"Good afternoon. As we were passing through, I couldn't help but notice your fine selection of scrolls." Hiroshi reached into his cloak and pulled out a storage scroll,

"I was wondering if you could make me a scroll like this one."

The merchant's frown deepened as he picked up the scroll, turning it over in his hands. His trained eyes immediately noticed the intricate seals etched into its surface, seals far more advanced than anything he had ever seen! He unrolled the scroll slightly, his expression shifting from curiosity to disbelief.

"This... this isn't possible," the merchant muttered, more to himself. He placed the scroll back on the counter and leaned forward.

"Where did you get this?"

"Oh, this old thing? I picked it up a while back. Why? Is it special?"

The merchant's eyes narrowed further.

"Special? This scroll's storage capacity is at least ten times greater than any ordinary storage scroll. It's designed to store other storage scrolls inside it without destabilizing the seals. Something like this shouldn't even exist—it breaks the fundamental rules of sealing."

'No, it just uses some loophole in fundamental rules, hehe~' Hiroshi laughed in his mind.

Mei, playing her part, leaned in with a curious smile. "Is that so? My husband's always finding strange little trinkets on his travels. He has a knack for stumbling across the unusual."

Konan, standing a few steps behind, resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 'Knack for stumbling across the unusual? Sure, I can see that!' she thought as she looked at Mei.

"Sorry, I can't make a scroll like this; it's impossible to create."

Mei leaned closer. "Oh, come now. Surely you can do something like this, can't you? My husband found this lying in the trash."

"Lady, let me tell you something. I've been in this business for 30 years. No one, and I mean no one, found a scroll like this. It defies the fundamental principles of sealing!"

Konan smirked, muttering just loud enough for everyone to hear, "Maybe he's just not as good as he thinks he is."

The merchant bristled. "Excuse me? I'm the best in the Land of Water! If this scroll exists, I need to know where it came from. Who made it? Was it a rogue ninja? A rival merchant? I'll even give you a year's supply of ninja tools and antidotes if you tell me!"

Hiroshi leaned against the counter, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "A year's supply, you say? That's... tempting." He turned to Mei. "What do you think, darling? Should we tell him?"

Mei played her part perfectly, pretending to consider the offer. "Hmm, I don't know. That scroll is so special to us. It's practically one of a kind."

'That woman changes color faster than a chameleon!' the merchant thought.

"Exactly," Hiroshi added, nodding. "And if we told you where it came from, what's stopping you from turning around and making a cheap knockoff? It's a question of trust."

The merchant's face turned red. "I would never—"

"Relax," Hiroshi interrupted, holding up a hand. "I'm just saying, it's a big risk for us. If you want the information, you'll have to sweeten the deal."

"Sweeten the deal?" The merchant flinched slightly, but his curiosity outweighed his caution. He glanced at him.

"Fine," he said, trying to sound composed. "If you won't tell me, at least sell me the scroll. I'll pay you triple its worth."

Hiroshi raised an eyebrow, trying to look surprised. "Triple its worth? That's quite the offer. But I'm afraid this scroll isn't for sale. Sentimental value, you see."

Mei stepped in. "Perhaps we can come to some sort of arrangement," she said, "You provide us with the supplies we need, and we'll make sure you're compensated in... other ways."

The merchant eyed her warily, clearly unsure of what she meant. "What kind of arrangement?"

Hiroshi took out a scroll—a list of hard-to-find metals and herbs in the mist; he wrote the location at the end and threw it at the merchant.

As they left the shop with their supplies in hand, Konan couldn't resist shooting Hiroshi a pointed look. "You enjoy playing games with people, don't you?"

Hiroshi smirked. "What can I say? It's part of my charm."

Mei shook her head, though there was a hint of amusement in her expression. "If this is your version of diplomacy, I'm almost afraid to see how you handle real negotiations."

"Don't worry," Hiroshi replied, his tone light. "When it comes to real negotiations, I'm even more impressive."

…

The merchant adjusted his robes nervously as he approached the secluded meeting spot Hiroshi had given him.

It was a clearing near the edge of a mist-covered lake, the same lake where he encountered Kisame first time.