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Chapter 101: Crows and Kannon

Konoha War Ninja Film Set

"That's a wrap! Yakitori tonight!"

"Pop the champagne!"

After over half a month of hard work, "Konoha: War Ninja" had finally completed all filming and post-production.

The final cut was ready.

All that remained was to secure approval from the Five Great Nations and distribute it using specialized chakra technology. This meticulously crafted, main melody, red-blooded epic, extolling the Will of Fire, would soon grace the silver screens across the Five Great Nations.

Gojo Kaigetsu, the behind-the-scenes producer and screenwriter, arrived on set early to celebrate this joyous occasion.

Director Muraki Yuta of Yukigakure, discreetly approached him, a worried expression on his face. "Gojo-sama, according to my initial plan, 'Konoha: War Ninja' was intended for release within the Land of Fire and surrounding smaller nations."

"However, your request for simultaneous release across the Five Great Nations might be… difficult."

"If the film censors in other countries thoroughly review 'Konoha: War Ninja,' they might not grant us distribution permits."

The current shinobi world was in a period of cold war, following the recent conflicts between the various villages. The great nations backing these villages were constantly seeking ways to undermine their rivals' development.

And cultural products like "movies" and "television" were always subject to review by the nations supporting the villages.

Therefore, even if Konoha had established commercial and comprehensive alliances with Sunagakure and Kirigakure, it couldn't influence the decisions of the respective daimyo.

After all, in name, the villages were merely the military branches of the larger nations.

Unaware of Gojo Kaigetsu's methods, Muraki Yuta naturally voiced his concerns.

In response, Gojo Kaigetsu simply smiled faintly and gestured dismissively. "Don't worry about that."

"I've already smoothed things over through the proper channels."

"The film will be released on screens across the shinobi world tonight."

Before officially launching the "Invade the Four Great Nations Plan," Minato had granted him 450 million ryō in cash as a dedicated fund for the project.

Despite his past poverty, Gojo Kaigetsu hadn't pocketed a single ryō of this sum.

He had used it all to bribe officials of varying ranks within the different nations, ensuring the smooth distribution of "Iki."

Later, when "Iki" became a massive hit, generating substantial profits, Gojo Kaigetsu split the earnings 70/30, taking the larger share for himself while using the remaining 30% to continuously funnel benefits to those officials.

Gojo-sama's money wasn't so easy to swallow.

Those who dared to accept it had to give him the green light!

With just a word, no matter how overtly patriotic or virtuous "Konoha: War Ninja" might be, these officials, paved by money, would open the gates to their nation's collective psyche.

Allowing Konoha's spear to pierce straight through, reaching their hearts.

"Your foresight is remarkable," Muraki Yuta praised sincerely.

The final obstacle hindering the success of "Konoha: War Ninja" had been removed. Excitement welled within him. Perhaps his name, alongside "War Ninja," would be etched into the annals of shinobi cinema history.

"So, are you interested in immigrating to Konoha with your film crew and family?"

"I can arrange permanent residency permits for you."

Gojo Kaigetsu extended an olive branch.

For a village to develop comprehensively, focusing solely on commerce and military might wasn't enough.

There was a significant talent gap in areas like filmmaking.

The larger nations and villages tended to underestimate the potential of this medium. However, smaller villages like Yukigakure were already far ahead in the realm of film and television culture.

"Is that so…"

A spark of excitement flickered in Muraki Yuta's eyes.

Konoha was fantastic.

No one understood the comforts of present-day Konoha better than someone immersed in culture like him.

During his time there, he had used a small portion of the film budget allocated by Gojo Kaigetsu to indulge in Konoha's pleasures.

In other villages, even with money, the extent of enjoyment was limited to purchasing a larger estate and hiring a few attractive servants.

Further entertainment options usually involved gambling dens like Tanzaku Quarters, seeking the dopamine rush of games of chance.

Even that grew tiresome after a while.

There was also the constant worry of political instability within the village, where film producers like him could be treated like fattened pigs, ready for slaughter.

But Konoha was different. With money, it was paradise.

There were so many novel experiences to be had.

During the day, one could sample a wide variety of fresh snacks or, if wealthy enough, visit high-end shops offering exclusive, status-symbol goods.

At night, one could belt out tunes at the newly established karaoke parlors in the commercial district, even requesting the company of "down-on-their-luck foreign princesses" with tales of "sick brothers" or "mothers needing tuition."

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After a night of singing, one could relax with a foot massage and back rub at a spa, purging the day's accumulated fatigue.

By the end of the day, one felt incredibly refreshed, like waking up on New Year's Day in fresh underwear.

He had heard that permanent residency in Konoha required significant financial investment or possession of special skills.

Muraki Yuta had initially planned to apply at the Hokage Tower after completing "War Ninja."

Now, having the influential Gojo Kaigetsu make the offer directly was simply too good to pass up.

"In that case… on behalf of the entire film crew, thank you, Gojo-sama!" Muraki Yuta bowed deeply, expressing his sincere gratitude.

"Eh~" Gojo Kaigetsu waved his hand dismissively, a hint of longing in his eyes. "The food at tonight's celebratory feast smells amazing. It reminds me of the village banquet we hosted for the Sunagakure delegation the other day. That flavor… was even better than tonight's feast. Elder Mitokado mentioned that the banquet's budget was 50,000 ryō per day."

"Every bite was pure bliss."

"Ahahaha…" Muraki Yuta chuckled along, feigning envy.

Coming from a cultural background, he had experienced high-budget meals while filming movies for nobles in other villages, but 50,000 ryō per day was truly extravagant.

This was the affluent Konoha!

He replied, "With Gojo-sama's capabilities and Konoha's wealth, you'll surely have more opportunities to enjoy such meals."

"Eh, you seem to have misunderstood me. There's no telling when foreign emissaries will visit Konoha. Wouldn't it be wonderful if someone could treat me to meals of that caliber for a whole month? Wouldn't that be something to look forward to?"

"Huh?"

Even the slow-witted Muraki Yuta gradually caught on. Gojo-sama wanted… him to cover the cost?!

Was… was he joking?! He had only embezzled 500,000 ryō from the film budget. Covering a month's worth of village banquets would mean coughing up another 1.5 million ryō!

He instinctively wanted to refuse, but glancing at Gojo Kaigetsu's thin smile, he swallowed his words.

He chuckled nervously, scratching his head, his heart aching. "Of course, of course! Consider it done. Your meals for the next month are on me!"

Hearing this, Gojo Kaigetsu finally nodded in satisfaction. No one could swindle him out of a single ryō!

This Muraki Yuta was quite perceptive. Otherwise, he might have resorted to less savory methods.

Having dealt with this minor matter, his gaze shifted to Kakashi.

The boy looked utterly drained, his dead fish eyes more vacant and listless than ever.

"Yo, Kakashi, perk up! Tomorrow, you'll debut as an idol, the official spokesperson of the Will of Fire! You can't look like you're half-dead!"

"Ah… Gojo-sama, I'll… pull myself together."

Kakashi responded weakly.

Debuting as an idol… He had absolutely no interest!

Half a month of filming had been more exhausting than an S-rank mission. While the pay was good… it wasn't about the money!

Given a choice, he'd rather remain hidden in the shadows, serving as an elite ANBU operative.

But it seemed… Gojo-sama had other plans for him.

As a ninja, all he needed to do was blindly follow the orders of his superiors…

"Speaking of which, seeing you so down, let's increase the intensity a bit."

"?"

Kakashi asked cautiously, "Did you just say… 'elbow'? I think that taijutsu style is enough for Guy to learn. I can't do it."

Since his discharge from the hospital, Guy had been diligently practicing elbow strikes with Gojo Kaigetsu. While he still hadn't mastered the Evening Elephant, his resilience and elbow technique had noticeably improved.

At least after each elbow session with Gojo Kaigetsu, he could still drag his battered body to the film set and share his daily elbow training diary with his best friend.

"Not that kind of intensity… Your skinny arms and legs wouldn't even withstand a single elbow strike from me."

Gojo Kaigetsu's expression darkened. "Have you forgotten what I promised you?"

"What you promised… You mean, a position in the Military Police Force?"

"Precisely. The Military Police Force is holding open recruitment today. They're probably at the final stage now. If you don't hurry, even if the Police Chief wants to give me face, he won't have an excuse."

"Skipping the exams and directly joining the Military Police Force wouldn't be procedurally sound. It might give Elder Mitokado ammunition to attack me."

A position!

The magical word flowed like a warm current into Kakashi's weary heart, instantly revitalizing him. He sprang up from his chair with renewed ninja-like vigor.

He coolly adjusted his headband and said in a low voice, "Let's not delay any further. Let's go, Gojo-san."

As Gojo Kaigetsu had predicted, the Military Police Force recruitment had reached the final interview stage.

Ten young ninja sat on chairs, eight of them bearing the Uchiha clan symbol on their backs. The remaining two were independent ninjas: Yamashiro Aoba and Chiriku.

Gojo Kaigetsu glanced at them with mild curiosity.

It seemed the allure of a position in the Military Police Force was quite strong, even drawing Chiriku, the monk who would later become one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, to compete.

Gojo Kaigetsu strode in casually. "My, my, I'm a bit late."

"Here, Kakashi, take a seat."

Kakashi: "…"

He had heard that the Military Police Force selection process was quite complex. It started with an assessment of ideological understanding, followed by an unrestricted ninjutsu battle to determine strength, and finally, this interview to assess character…

Was it really okay to blatantly skip the first two stages?

Having spent considerable time with Gojo Kaigetsu, Kakashi had developed a thicker skin. He took a deep breath and sat beside Chiriku.

Gojo Kaigetsu, as if he owned the place, stood naturally behind Kakashi. He hadn't forgotten his agreement with Fugaku.

This act made Fugaku frown.

He had already named Kakashi and allowed him to enter late. Was there a need for further theatrics?

The eight Uchiha ninja didn't react to Kakashi's insertion. After all, he had been personally brought in by Gojo-san.

Respect! Deference!

Yamashiro Aoba and Chiriku, however, were displeased. They had diligently passed two rounds of testing to reach this stage.

What right did this guy have? They all lacked the Sharingan.

Even Gojo-san couldn't interfere with the village's official recruitment process, could he?

Uchiha Yashiro, seated to Fugaku's right and serving as the secondary examiner, spoke. "All of you have reached this stage through rigorous selection. Now, demonstrate your abilities once more."

Upon hearing this, the eight Uchiha activated their chakra, revealing the tomoe in their eyes.

One tomoe, two tomoe, three tomoe…

Yamashiro Aoba summoned crows, while a faint halo of the Thousand-Armed Kannon appeared behind Chiriku.

Gojo Kaigetsu raised an eyebrow. Not much power, but impressive special effects..

If Hashirama's Buddha statue had such dazzling light and shadow effects, it might have disoriented Madara for a moment during the Valley of the End battle, securing a decisive victory.

Chiriku turned his head, giving Kakashi a pointed look as if to say, "And you? Everyone here is a highly skilled ninja. What special abilities does the one who walked through the back door possess?"

Unhurriedly, Kakashi lifted his headband, revealing his one-tomoe Sharingan as he channeled chakra.

With Gojo-san's backing, this interview was merely a formality.

Time to hide his true strength!

"What?! You too…" Chiriku gasped.

Was he an Uchiha as well?

Uchiha Yashiro calmly surveyed the group, his gaze lingering on Kakashi for a moment.

Those eyes… belonged to Obito, the only Sharingan wielded by someone outside the Uchiha clan.

Yashiro understood and exchanged a look with Fugaku.

Those who had reached the interview stage were indeed chosen fairly. But the interview wasn't solely based on ability.

Setting aside those with the Sharingan…

Yamashiro Aoba could summon crows. Good. Crows were considered a symbol of the Uchiha. He would be accepted.

As for the monk named Chiriku…

Kannon was associated with the legendary First Hokage's Buddha statue; that was one strike against him. Chiriku was also close friends with the Third Hokage's son; the Uchiha weren't that magnanimous. That was strike two. Gojo-san wasn't standing behind him; that was strike three!

In conclusion…

Uchiha Yashiro cleared his throat:

"The successful candidates for this Military Police Force recruitment are: Uchiha Akira, Uchiha Jiro… Yamashiro Aoba, and Hatake Kakashi!"

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