That very night, upon receiving the intel, Samui transmitted it back to Kumogakure.

She emphasized the importance and urgency of the information. Kumogakure had been facing financial constraints recently, and to partially repay the village for the ten million ryō they had invested in her, Samui sincerely hoped that her village could profit from this turmoil.

Having done her best, Samui felt she had played her hand well.

The moment the transmission was complete, she activated the Hiding in Mist Jutsu, erasing her chakra signature completely.

"Go, K… Go, Kumogakure!"

She caught herself mid-sentence, suppressing the catchphrase Gojo Kaigetsu constantly used and replacing it with the most heartfelt blessing for her village.

…

…

[....-Top Secret Intel....-]

[....-Warning: Opening This Document Is Restricted....-]

[Year 51 of Kumogakure, Informant: Samui]

[Source: Konoha's Fourth Hokage Advisor, Gojo Kaigetsu (and the Konoha ANBU under his control)]

[Intel: Kirigakure will experience a rebellion soon. Konohagakure plans to participate by issuing missions related to the event.]

…

…

**Raikage's Office**

A, Mabui, and the Raikage's advisory council held the intel report, their faces grim, a heavy silence filling the room.

Unexpectedly, Samui, who had been silent for a while, delivered a bombshell.

She had informed Kumogakure in advance about a rebellion in another hidden village.

This opened up a plethora of opportunities for manipulation.

The elder advisor, his mind still sharp, was the first to speak. "Currently, we have two options."

"First, immediately rearm and deploy a large number of our village ninjas to the smaller nations bordering Kumogakure and Kirigakure. When the rebellion breaks out, we seize the opportunity to invade Kirigakure!"

A clapped his hands in approval. "Good, good! I've had enough of those Kirigakure rats!"

"Second, issue missions in the name of the Raikage, allowing capable ninjas to travel to the border between the two villages independently."

"Personally, I recommend the second option."

"Why? Wouldn't launching an attack in the name of the village maximize the benefits for Kumogakure?" A voiced his doubts.

"We, Kumogakure, have only just emerged from the quagmire of war less than a year ago. Furthermore, those Iwagakure monkeys are constantly watching us. A direct attack inevitably carries risks."

"Moreover, a full-scale war would require establishing a temporary base in the Land of Hot Water, which is undesirable. We should strive to minimize our enemies and maximize our allies."

"And most importantly…"

The elder advisor paused. "Konoha has also chosen to act discreetly, avoiding a large-scale war."

"Reaping benefits from Kirigakure while protecting our own village from invasion is undoubtedly the best approach."

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Konoha, Konoha, always Konoha! Must we, Kumogakure, always follow Konoha's lead?"

"It's inevitable. Currently, Konoha is the only developed village in the shinobi world, a beacon for all. We need to learn from Konoha's advanced experiences and forge a unique development path suitable for Kumogakure!"

"Acknowledging the gap is the first step towards progress! A, you are too young and need to reflect and learn."

"Also, the new headbands are ready. Have the ninjas on the mission switch to them."

"In the Land of Hot Water, we might encounter Konoha ninja with similar intentions. We must showcase the demeanor of Kumogakure ninjas!"

"Nagging!"

Raikage A, once again disgruntled, left his office without voicing any objections… which was equivalent to tacitly agreeing with the elder advisor's suggestions.

He wasn't good with words, but deep down, A was unconvinced.

Was Kumogakure weaker than Konoha?! Why must they always imitate Konoha?

In his opinion, all they needed was to unleash their Lightning Release chakra and charge! Why bother with all these complexities?

When did the martial Kumogakure start competing with Konoha in "manners"?

Feeling irritated, Raikage A decided to visit Killer B, who was currently under "house arrest." He wanted to see if his little brother had gotten back on track during his confinement.

As an older brother, A was constantly worried about B.

"Extra, extra! The second issue of 'Iki' is out! Limited quantities, get yours while they last!"

The passionate cries of a bookstore employee echoed through Kumogakure's somewhat dilapidated shopping district.

Raikage A's sharp eyes noticed Yugito Nii, a promising ninja the village was cultivating, standing at the bookstore entrance with a copy of the magazine.

She seemed to have noticed him too, but her gaze… seemed a bit strange?

A puffed out his chest proudly, assuming his well-trained muscles had attracted the admiration of a fellow ninja.

A gentle breeze blew past, momentarily revealing a corner of the "Iki" magazine in Yugito's hands, exposing words like [Free Will] and [Rights].

Soon, Raikage A arrived at Killer B's confinement room.

Calling it a confinement room was a stretch. It was practically the most luxurious and comfortable single room in Kumogakure.

It was fully equipped with everything one could need, including a complete set of muscle-building equipment.

The walls were plastered with slogans like:

[Abstinence is the best medicine! Retention is the best tonic!], [One drop of semen, ten drops of chakra], [They enjoy it, I fear it, because I know the devastating consequences!], [You pleasure yourself, your symptoms torture you!], [Return to the Chakra Kingdom, pure power is the power to heal!], [No matter how much chakra a ninja has, his prostate is always fragile].

These slogans aimed to awaken Killer B, the perfect Jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails, to his true potential as a powerful ninja.

Just thinking about it made A angry.

Killer B had become his sworn brother because of his exceptional skill with the Lariat.

But during their last sparring session, A had sent B flying with a single headbutt.

It was clear that reading those forbidden books had weakened his muscles.

According to A's original plan, he should have been greeted by a vibrant, energetic Killer B overflowing with chakra.

The reality… wasn't far off.

Killer B sat cross-legged on the large bed, his body radiating powerful chakra.

Without the temptation of forbidden books, as a mature and powerful ninja, Killer B seemed to have returned to his true self.

Seeing this, A crossed his arms, a proud and relieved smile spreading across his face. As expected of his sworn brother, Killer B hadn't disappointed him.

Killer B seemed to sense A's presence. He slowly rose from the bed and spoke with unusual seriousness.

"Bro, there's something I need to discuss with you today."

"Oh? What is it? Do you want to ask about my latest muscle training methods? No problem, I can teach you."

"Let's talk about muscles later, yo~"

Killer B struck a classic rap pose, humming a strange tune as he swayed towards A.

"Bro, I feel that my right to free speech has been denied, yeah~"

"?"

"Yeah, Killer B has the courage to pursue freedom of speech, and Fourth Raikage A has a broad mind. That's why Kumogakure is the powerful hidden village that makes the Land of Lightning proud! Yo~"

"Bro, this is the story that should belong to Kumogakure! Let's create the legend of A and B!"

Then, he spouted more nonsensical phrases like "The daimyo of the Land of Lightning will also support," "Be bold," "It's awesome," "Even resort to force," "Give me a copy of 'The Hidden Kunoichi Chronicles'."

Well, at least it wasn't entirely incomprehensible. A keenly caught the keywords "bold," "force," and "kunoichi"...

Killer B's mind, along with the Eight-Tails within him, must have been completely corrupted by those forbidden books.

A clenched his fists, sadness welling up in his heart.

In an instant, he activated his scary Lightning Release Chakra Mode and roared at Killer B:

"Ninjutsu: Personality Correction Fist!"