Yugito Nii, eighteen years old, was a Special Jonin of Kumogakure.

Her long, tea-brown hair was styled in a braid that reached her waist, giving the fleeting impression of reins.

(Due to reasons we all understand, her age has been adjusted.)

Yugito possessed a haughty personality. Standing over 170 centimeters tall, she often carried herself with a queenly air. However, she could also be understanding and gentle, making her a classic example of a tough exterior hiding a warm heart.

At this point in time, she was still just an ordinary Special Jonin of Kumogakure, not yet the Two-Tails Jinchuriki.

During her leisure time, when not on missions, she enjoyed visiting the local food stalls to buy a couple of warm milk and dorayaki treats, followed by browsing the bookstore for titles favored by sophisticated ninja.

One day, Yugito, with a bag of snacks in hand, entered a small bookstore near the village outskirts, seeking some intellectual nourishment.

A magazine with a fresh and eye-catching cover, displayed prominently on the front shelf, quickly caught her attention.

Its unique aesthetic design was somewhat avant-garde for ninjas accustomed to living on the edge.

Yugito read the magazine's title aloud, a hint of curiosity in her voice:

"…'Iki'? What a strange name."

During this era in the shinobi world, most book titles were straightforward and easy to understand.

For example, there were titles like "Make-Out Paradise," "Make-Out Tactics," and "Make-Out Violence" by the esteemed Jiraiya-sama… There was also "The Young Ninja," which had recently caused quite a stir in Kumogakure. More serious titles included uninspired periodical names like "Chronicles of the Land of Lightning" and "The Legend of Ninja XX."

However, the peculiar two-character title "Iki," despite offering no clue about its contents, somehow resonated with Yugito.

She stepped forward, took the magazine from the shelf, and casually flipped to the first page-

[In Konohagakure…]

"Hmm? Is this about Konohagakure?"

Yugito's brow furrowed slightly. The relationship between Kumogakure and Konohagakure had always been strained.

Moreover, her convictions, her ninja way, were centered around Kumogakure.

If the following content boasted about the strength of Konoha ninjas or the prosperity of Konoha, She would not hesitate to throw the book away and report it to the authorities.

However, as her gaze moved downwards, Yugito's frown gradually softened.

"Huh, bandits robbing a store? It seems Konoha's public safety isn't all that great~"

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"But the villagers of Konoha are quite interesting. Even though the shopkeeper chose to accept his loss, they still voluntarily offered money…"

"The villagers of Konoha are quite kind."

Yugito nodded in approval. She was a ninja with traditional values.

Ninjas were ninjas, and ordinary villagers were ordinary villagers. The gap between them was greater than that between humans and dogs.

The strength of a hidden village had nothing to do with its ordinary villagers.

Therefore, the content of this article essentially had nothing to do with ninjas. It was merely a story about a small incident in Konoha.

From her perspective, this "Konoha Shop Under Attack" was clearly written by a person who failed to grasp that the strength of a hidden village depended on the number of powerful ninjas it possessed.

However, one could glimpse the whole from a single part.

Through these simple words, Yugito still sensed the virtuous qualities of the Konoha villagers, qualities that the rough and tough villagers of Kumogakure lacked.

"They're so well-mannered~"

"Sigh~"

Yugito sighed. Manners…

A sliver of longing for Konoha bloomed in her heart. Of course, this longing wasn't a ninja's yearning for powerful jutsu.

Instead, it was a yearning for the well-mannered villagers of Konoha. As the comment at the end of the article suggested, protecting such villagers might offer a sense of solace amidst the hardships. In that regard, she envied the Konoha ninjas.

As a Special Jonin, Yugito had completed numerous missions and was well aware of the general demeanor of the common folk in Kumogakure and the Land of Lightning…

In the rough-and-tumble Kumogakure, scenes of shopkeepers offering compensation and villagers voluntarily paying were unheard of. Incidents of shoplifting, ninja tool store robberies, and brawls with scantily clad shopkeepers were commonplace.

Yugito casually flipped through a few more pages, discovering that most of the content resembled travelogues, documenting the customs and heartwarming stories from various nations in the shinobi world.

Such writing was undoubtedly novel and impactful for Yugito, allowing her to experience life beyond the perspective of a ninja.

She nodded in satisfaction and, with the book in hand, made her way to the cashier to pay.

In front of and behind her, a long queue had formed. Many of those waiting shared a commonality: they all held copies of "Iki."

A villager with dreadlocks and dark skin, engrossed in the magazine, suddenly started dancing and chanting incomprehensible words:

"Very good. Iki, makes my inspiration spin~"

…

…

Yugito's purchase of the magazine was a microcosm of a phenomenon sweeping the entire shinobi world.

Similar scenes played out among the ninja class across the Four Great Nations.

Initially, the merchant class hadn't paid much attention to this small magazine. However, things changed when nobles, even royalty, within their respective nations started carrying or mentioning "Iki" during important gatherings.

Catering to one's preferences.

This simple principle applied everywhere. To understand the new interests of these greedy, pot-bellied nobles and the latest market trends, merchants also joined the ranks of "Iki" purchasers.

For a time, the most discussed topic among the merchant class of the Four Great Nations became-

"Have you read the new magazine, 'Iki'? My noble friends are all reading it."

The more it was discussed, the more attention it garnered, leading to increased admiration for the friendly civilians of Konoha and the Land of Fire.

Like a gentle rain seeping into the earth, the influence was subtle yet pervasive.

Konoha villagers = Citizens of the Land of Fire = Friendly and well-mannered potential customer base. This peculiar equation quietly embedded itself into the stereotypes of many merchants.

Of course, many merchants who had prior dealings with Konoha villagers denounced this as a conspiracy by the "cunning and despicable Konoha people."

However, such voices were drowned out by the dominant narrative, becoming insignificant ripples in a vast ocean.

Thus-

Gojo Kaigetsu's plan to invade the Four Great Nations achieved its initial phase of victory.