"Next!"

"Madam, please put your clothes on, roll your tongue back in, tuck away your lightning pouch, and tie up your hair! Don't try to tempt this official."

"Denied."

"Next."

"Approved. Pay the…"

Gojo Kaigetsu distributed the Konoha Green Cards at an astonishing speed.

He carefully selected elites among the Land of Water refugees.

Skilled workers, wealthy merchants, and seemingly ordinary civilian ninja… These individuals, who paid a hefty price to obtain Green Cards and join Konoha, quickly integrated into the village, becoming nutrients for the roots, fostering the growth of new leaves.

It was a new era led by Gojo Kaigetsu, imbuing the Will of Fire with a fresh meaning.

Standing at the entrance, Asuma Sarutobi watched the accumulating funds with astonishment.

Before Gojo-sama arrived, the Land of Water refugees hadn't shown much enthusiasm for joining Konoha; some even resisted the idea. The prevailing sentiment was to wait for the turmoil to subside before returning to their homeland.

Why the sudden change of heart?

To put it bluntly, was Konoha truly that great? Were these wealthy merchants willing to empty their coffers, skilled workers signing ten-year low-wage contracts, and civilian ninja signing mission contracts… all for a Konoha Green Card?

Sometimes, Asuma felt like the shinobi world had gone mad. He couldn't comprehend the mindset of these Land of Water defectors.

Of course, Gojo Kaigetsu wasn't just accepting any ninja. He rejected a considerable number of refugees, Those denied were advised to turn right and head towards the Kumogakure outpost.

Outside the tent, thousands of refugees still awaited their Green Card applications.

Based on rough estimates, in just one afternoon, Gojo Kaigetsu had extracted over a hundred million ryō in cash from the Land of Water refugees through the Green Card policy.

The logistics Genin reported that their storage scrolls were almost full.

"That's a wrap!" Gojo Kaigetsu handed out the last Green Card, declaring the day's work officially over. "Unfortunately, not a single ninja from a Kekkei Genkai family. Kirigakure sure keeps a tight leash on them."

He stretched languidly and instructed, "Asuma, Raidō, set up two more tents tomorrow and handle the Green Card applications the same way I did."

"We can't keep this up for long. Kirigakure's civil war will soon be quelled. They'll definitely come looking for their people then~"

"This, you see, is called 'village resource drain.' It's a serious problem."

"And with their own ninja defecting, we can't easily refute their claims of searching for lost soldiers."

"So, we need to act fast and suck as much blood as possible before Kirigakure reacts."

After an afternoon of hands-on teaching, Gojo Kaigetsu, now a hands-off manager, slipped out the back door with the Uchiha trio and headed towards the seaside.

It was his first time facing the vast ocean of the shinobi world.

He pointed towards the horizon and asked, "Shisui, Itachi, Izumi, let's test your knowledge. What do you think lies beyond the sea?"

"Kirigakure," Shisui Uchiha answered honestly after a moment of thought.

Itachi followed with, "Enemies."

Izumi Uchiha, having had her two answers preempted by her clan brothers, was momentarily speechless.

Gojo Kaigetsu didn't mind and said leisurely, "It's a good thing Kirigakure doesn't have walls, or that would be scary."

"I know this one! I've heard from the elders that our Konoha has relatively few Lightning Release users. If Kirigakure were to build walls around their village using Earth Release, it would greatly hinder Konoha's offensive capabilities."

"But, Izumi… Kirigakure has very few Earth Release users. It's rare to see them on the battlefield," Itachi Uchiha countered, offering his own insight.

The two five-year-old Uchihas simply had to regurgitate the knowledge instilled by their elders, but eight-year-old Shisui had more to consider.

"Perhaps the walls Gojo-sama refers to are the Land of Water people who were scrambling for our Konoha Green Cards this afternoon."

"If they have walls in their hearts, harboring reservations towards Konoha, we wouldn't have achieved such results."

'…Are you doing reading comprehension here?'

Gojo Kaigetsu unceremoniously placed his large hand on Shisui's head, ruffling his hair playfully.

"In my homeland, the Land of Flowers, there's a tale that's been passed down-"

"Legend has it that long ago, in the super-ancient shinobi world, ninjas possessed power far surpassing what we see today."

"The people of the Land of Water originally lived on the mainland. After losing a war against other great nations, they were exiled overseas."

"Using his ninjutsu, he erected walls fifty meters high around the Land of Water, sealing it off completely. He then used a forbidden jutsu to seal all the Land of Water ninjas within the walls."

"He issued a warning to the four nations on the mainland: If one day, ninjas from the mainland invaded the Land of Water, his descendants would break the seal on the walls, releasing all the Land of Water ninjas sealed by the forbidden jutsu, and they would flatten the entire shinobi world…"

"Later, the military might of the nation condensed into a hidden village. This is Kirigakure's declaration of the Roaring Earth, their last resort."

Gojo Kaigetsu's voice was deep and filled with reminiscence, as if he had truly witnessed that distant, super-ancient shinobi world.

The three children were captivated.

"But Kirigakure and the Land of Water have no walls. This is clearly documented in our Konoha databooks."

"That's why it's just a story! It's from the landlocked Land of Flowers, after all. People who haven't seen the sea tend to come up with imaginative tales about it."

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"But this reminds me-" Gojo Kaigetsu's tone turned serious. "Kirigakure, the Land of Water's geographical location… no matter how you look at it, it's a place Konoha must eventually conquer."

He then went on to utter terms like "backyard resort," "colony," "Black Ships," and "strategic depth," leaving the three children utterly bewildered.

"To all citizens of the Land of Water: I am Gojo Kaigetsu, advisor to the Hokage, speaking to all citizens of the Land of Water through the Will of Fire… My goal is to protect the villagers of Konoha.

"However, the entire shinobi world yearns for the annihilation of Konoha's ninjas. Through long years, hatred has festered, not just towards this village… Expel them all!"

The Uchiha trio exchanged glances, their eyes seemingly asking: Is Gojo-sama… always like this?

Why did he seem even more unhinged than their own Uchiha ninjas?

Gojo Kaigetsu flipped over, sitting up from the ground. "Alright, enough jokes. Before we left, I promised Fugaku-san that I would guide your training. Let me see your limits first."

"Let's play a game!"

Izumi Uchiha, still a child at heart, despite her maturity, was instantly drawn to the word "game." "Gojo-sama, what kind of game?"

"A game of… kunai snatching."

Gojo Kaigetsu, struck by a sudden impulse, pulled out his Flying Thunder God Kunai and brandished it before the three children.

"Within three minutes, you can use any… only Taijutsu. If you manage to snatch this kunai from me, you win."

Kunai snatching?

Shisui, the oldest of the three, was familiar with this. As the most promising youngster of the Uchiha clan, he had received elite training from a young age.

He knew this was likely a variation of bell snatching, designed to foster teamwork and coordination.

'Does Gojo-sama… truly intend to train us as his guards, rather than disbanding us after this mission?'

Itachi didn't overthink it. He instinctively touched his eyes, feeling that this competition seemed a bit unfair.

Well… unfair to Gojo-sama.

Perhaps he wasn't aware that both he and Shisui-nii were already Sharingan users with one tomoe, and Izumi was a highly talented individual within the clan.

The three exchanged glances and, with unspoken understanding, dispersed, surrounding Gojo Kaigetsu and searching for an opening.

Itachi's eyes revealed deep bewilderment. From a ninja's perspective, Gojo-sama was exposing far too many weaknesses.

'As expected, just an ordinary Chunin.'

'And without using Chunin-level chakra, his Taijutsu alone is unlikely to be a match for us.'

Gojo Kaigetsu placed one hand on his hip, nonchalantly spinning the Flying Thunder God Kunai around his index finger with the other.

This was his first time actively attempting to counter an attack from other ninjas, testing the limits of his Infinity technique.

While Gojo Kaigetsu was momentarily distracted, the trio sprang into action. Their movements were coordinated, targeting the kunai on his thumb.

'Got it!'

Shisui's heart leaped with joy. From his perspective, the kunai was within reach. All he needed to do was flick it outwards, and it would fall to the ground.

However, that seemingly short distance felt like an insurmountable barrier, firmly keeping him at bay.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't breach that final inch of space.

Constantly approaching, yet never able to touch.

'Huh? Strange, why can't I touch it? Am I under a Genjutsu?'

Itachi sensed something was amiss and instinctively looked up.

He saw Gojo Kaigetsu had already distanced himself from them, a playful smirk on his lips.

'When did he…? He was right in front of us a moment ago!'

Itachi recalled his father's assessment of Gojo Kaigetsu: His talent as a ninja is unremarkable, all his potential is focused on intelligence.

But the current bizarre situation made Itachi realize…

Gojo-sama wasn't just an ordinary Chunin as the rumors suggested. At least judging by this Genjutsu, which he hadn't even noticed being cast, he was definitely not an ordinary Chunin. He was at least a Special Jonin.

Shisui also came to his own conclusion.

Gojo-sama…

"He's been hiding his true strength!"

"I Am the Strongest!"

Under the astonished gazes of the three children, Gojo Kaigetsu casually tucked the kunai back into his pocket.

Shisui instinctively asked, "Gojo-sama, how did you… do that just now?"

But he quickly realized his blunder. The battle between ninjas was an intelligence war, and Gojo-sama maintained the image of an ordinary Chunin in public.

Inquiring about an adult's secrets so casually was extremely rude!

"I apologize, Gojo-sama. I…"

"Show your true abilities once we leave Konoha!" Gojo Kaigetsu waved his hand dismissively. "It's been a while since I've warmed up. If you want to learn, I can teach you~"

Gojo Kaigetsu wouldn't admit that he had simultaneously activated his Infinity and Blue techniques in that instant. While rendering himself untouchable, he had also created distance between himself and the trio.

Since it happened so abruptly, it was understandable that the inexperienced children mistook it for a Genjutsu.

In addition to cultural, economic, and political prosperity, Gojo Kaigetsu had also been contemplating how to enhance Konoha's military strength.

His own talent as a ninja was limited. Training a vast number of ninjas through conventional methods likely wouldn't work.

So, what else did he have?

Gojo Kaigetsu pondered. Techniques like Blue and Infinity were essentially localized adaptations of Space-Time Ninjutsu.

The prerequisite for Space-Time Ninjutsu was the extremely precise chakra manipulation amplified by his Six Eyes. Looking at the entire shinobi world, only Minato had achieved fame through Space-Time Ninjutsu, proving its difficulty.

However, the primary function of the Flying Thunder God was spatial transportation and long-distance teleportation. It didn't possess inherent combat attributes, which differed from Blue and Infinity.

But since it was classified as Ninjutsu, regardless of its difficulty, as long as it existed, it had the potential to be learned.

If extremely precise chakra manipulation was unattainable, perhaps precise chakra control could be considered… Could the Sharingan or Byakugan achieve precise control? If so, he could attempt to pass on his unique skills, significantly bolstering Konoha's military might.

"As for Izumi, since you haven't awakened your Sharingan yet, we won't consider it for now."

"Itachi, Shisui, come closer!"

Gojo Kaigetsu chose the relatively simpler Blue to teach. A while later…

"Damn it, with your learning aptitude, you're only fit for hand-rolling Soldier Pills!"

"This is the worst batch of students I've ever had."

Gojo Kaigetsu gave up. If even the geniuses of the Uchiha clan couldn't learn it… perhaps he'd try a Hyuga ninja someday.

Speaking of similarities, the Byakugan and Six Eyes were more closely related.

…

…

Compared to the thriving Konoha outpost, the Kumogakure outpost was filled with an unsettling atmosphere.

The Kumogakure commander discovered that the Land of Water merchants and civilian ninja he had painstakingly recruited were quietly withdrawing from the outpost. Judging by their direction, they were undoubtedly heading towards the Konoha outpost.

Why?! Was Kumogakure inferior to Konoha? Were their offered conditions not generous enough? And yet, they still chose to go to Konoha and pay a high price for those Green Cards? How pathetic!

The commander had learned about the Green Cards from refugees who had been rejected and came to their outpost.

Powerless to change the situation, the Kumogakure commander could only seethe with impotent rage, cursing the Land of Water defectors for their perceived foolishness.

However, after venting his frustration, he had to refocus on the remaining ragtag group of refugees.

According to reports from the southern Kumogakure ninjas, the first wave of Land of Water refugees had already caused considerable unrest. The crime rate was visibly rising.

Some hot-headed southern Kumogakure ninjas were even clamoring for "freedom" and "rights," planning to hire Earth Release users to build a separation wall, effectively refusing entry to these Land of Water refugees and preventing the disruption of their local ecosystem.

This had infuriated the Raikage's advisory council, who threatened to deploy the ANBU to enforce the decree. Friction had already occurred with the southern ninja groups, and the latest developments were yet to be reported.

Apparently, the Raikage had strong objections but was overruled by the advisors entrusted by the Third Raikage.

They spouted nonsensical phrases like "emotional volatility," "lack of composure," "too young," "the price of becoming the number one village in the shinobi world," and "golden kunai."

The enraged Raikage had no choice but to acquiesce once again. It was unclear when his pent-up frustration would finally erupt.

"Just… when did the village become like this?"

The outpost commander's face was filled with reminiscence. Initially, only the Fourth Raikage's voice mattered in Kumogakure's upper echelons.

But from a certain point onwards, the voice of the Raikage's advisory council grew louder and more prominent.

It was as if they had read some forbidden knowledge from a book, becoming unstoppable ever since. Even the normally assertive Raikage had to respect their opinions.

"Damn it, I'd say the Raikage relies too much on intelligence."

"If he trusted our Kumogakure ninja's muscles more, we wouldn't need all these roundabout schemes. We'd just fight Konoha directly and be done with it!"