Lying on the luxurious sofa that Samui had purchased, Gojo Kaigetsu felt a twinge of guilt.

"Well, I can't just leave Kumogakure high and dry."

After all, he was a kind and benevolent ninja.

Just in case Samui eventually became his plaything, Kumogakure would be considered half her family!

As the saying goes, you can only shear a sheep so many times. He had already fleeced Kumogakure for so much; it wouldn't be right not to offer something in return.

Kumogakure had been pressuring him more and more lately.

It was understandable, considering she hadn't sent back any worthwhile intel for a month. They were bound to be getting impatient.

If they thought Samui was incompetent and decided to replace her, it would be a problem. Besides, revealing some inconsequential information could elevate Samui's standing in Kumogakure.

A higher position meant more support,

which meant more for Gojo Kaigetsu to exploit.

What was hers was his!

Gojo Kaigetsu stroked his chin, pondering. "What should I reveal…?"

Just then, Samui, after a busy morning at the High Academy Publishing House, returned home, dragging her weary body.

Her swaying figure quickly caught Gojo Kaigetsu's attention, sparking inspiration.

It was time to make Kumogakure ninjas feel inferior about their headbands!

He immediately adopted a mischievous demeanor and beckoned to Samui, who had just set down her briefcase.

"Kaigetsu-kun, what's the matter now?"

Samui sighed, her anticipation for Jiraiya's arrival growing stronger. As soon as she received information about Tsunade, she would leave immediately, never staying another moment by Gojo Kaigetsu's side.

"I have big news, but you can't tell anyone," Gojo Kaigetsu whispered, like someone who had heard a juicy piece of gossip and couldn't wait to share.

"Big news?"

Samui's attention was piqued, and she leaned in, ready to listen.

She didn't doubt the veracity of the information this time.

Through their time together, Samui had determined that Gojo Kaigetsu was nothing more than an incompetent and lecherous Konoha Chunin.

"According to intel recently gathered by Konoha's intelligence division…"

"Kirigakure might experience a rebellion soon!"

"What?!"

Samui suppressed a gasp, repeating the word "calm" in her mind several times before regaining her composure.

Knowing in advance that another village would face rebellion?

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Had Konoha's intelligence agency become that powerful? Or was this rebellion orchestrated by Konoha itself?

"Hehe, I was shocked when I heard the news too."

"Fortunately, it has nothing to do with Konoha. We can just sit back and watch the show." As Gojo Kaigetsu spoke, he couldn't help but reach out and caress Samui's soft hand.

Between betraying his village by revealing actual intel and fabricating false information, he chose to disclose the impending events in Kirigakure to Kumogakure.

After all, why not let someone else take the fall?

Of course, the information about the rebellion in Kirigakure wasn't fabricated.

Given the current timeline and the upcoming release of the new issue of "Iki," Gojo Kaigetsu was almost certain that Kirigakure was about to descend into chaos!

'Foolish!'

Knowing about a rebellion in another village in advance provided countless opportunities. She was confident that Kumogakure could profit from this turmoil!

Smart ninjas capitalize on opportunities, foolish ninjas just watch from the sidelines!

Unseen by Gojo Kaigetsu, Samui's eyes flashed with disgust.

To reveal such valuable intelligence to him was a complete waste. But thanks to his carelessness, she had gained access to this crucial information.

Samui also picked up another piece of information from Gojo Kaigetsu's words: it had nothing to do with Konoha!

It seemed this was likely covert intel obtained by Konoha's intelligence agents operating outside the village, not a rebellion instigated by Konoha.

She had to admit that, in terms of intelligence gathering, Kumogakure currently lagged behind Konoha.

Indeed, they needed to reflect.

…

…

"Kaigetsu-kun, you said Kirigakure would face a rebellion soon?"

"Where did you get this intel?"

Inside the Hokage Tower, Minato Namikaze's expression turned serious as he listened to Gojo Kaigetsu's report.

There were five Great Shinobi Villages, and internal problems within any one of them could trigger a chain reaction among the other four.

The motives behind the rebellion, the process of suppression… these were all valuable experiences rarely encountered in peacetime.

With safety ensured, they could even welcome defecting ninjas and fleeing merchants and funds, potentially enriching Konoha!

Therefore, Minato took this matter very seriously.

"Extremely reliable!"

Gojo Kaigetsu nodded with a serious expression, explaining without a hint of hesitation: "I extracted this information from the Cloud spy."

"Kumogakure's intelligence division has already discovered that a rebellion is imminent in Kirigakure."

He couldn't reveal that he had deduced this information himself.

For the sake of the village, even with their close friendship, Minato might not accept his suggestion. However, adding Kumogakure's endorsement significantly increased its credibility.

"Intel from Kumogakure?" Minato pondered for a moment. "Is that Cloud kunoichi trustworthy? Could this be false intel intentionally leaked?"

"Trust me, Minato."

"Samui is very tight-lipped. I had to work really hard to extract this… information from her."

"I see."

Minato had always trusted Gojo Kaigetsu's competence.

He had decided to keep that Cloud spy in his house for this very purpose.

The seeds he had sown had finally borne fruit.

Minato sighed. "It seems we still need to learn from Kumogakure in terms of intelligence gathering."

"Fortunately, we have you, Kaigetsu-kun, to prevent us from falling too far behind Kumogakure. I'll immediately issue missions in the name of the Hokage."

"We'll deploy personnel around Kirigakure early to maximize our gains."

Thus, the plan to capitalize on the situation and make inroads into Kirigakure was decided.

Minato pulled out a drawer and took out a brand new ninja headband, handing it to Gojo Kaigetsu:

"Kaigetsu-kun, this is the first new headband crafted by the Konoha headband factory, with the inscription on the back."

"As the designer, you get the first one!"

Gojo Kaigetsu accepted the new headband, his fingers tracing the cold inscription on the back.

He reminded, "By the way, Minato, make sure all ninjas taking missions related to Kirigakure wear the new headbands."

"Whether they are Jonin or Chunin, this is a prerequisite for accepting the mission."

"Eh, this…?"

Minato was momentarily taken aback before quickly understanding, a mischievous grin mirroring Gojo Kaigetsu's appearing on his face.

"I understand what you mean, Kaigetsu."