Exiting the Hokage Tower, Gojo Kaigetsu smiled and walked towards Konoha Hospital. From a distance, he waved at Guy, whose arms were wrapped in bandages.

"Yo! Guy, how's your recovery coming along?"

Might Guy, having spotted Gojo Kaigetsu, froze. He quickly turned his body, feigning ignorance, and made a dash for the hospital entrance.

The painful experience on the training grounds had given him a psychological scar regarding the Hokage's advisor.

Was that even human?

In eight seconds, he'd been elbowed over twenty times, the speed so fast that even with the Sixth Gate open, he couldn't react, only managing to cross his arms in defense. He'd been elbowed into unconsciousness, forcefully deactivating the Eight Gates.

Even his hospital nightmares were haunted by flickering black elbow strikes.

Such a Hokage advisor… was utterly scary.

And! And he was a Chunin, right?! A Chunin like that?!

Even Might Guy, a taijutsu specialist, knew the general upper and lower limits of Chunin abilities. He was well aware that in the eyes of others, Gojo Kaigetsu was perceived as an ordinary Chunin.

He'd believed that with the Sixth Gate open, he was invincible amongst Chunin, but he hadn't expected someone like Gojo Kaigetsu to be even more ferocious.

In the year Konoha 51, for the first time…

"This kid, why does he run away at the sight of me?"

Gojo Kaigetsu glanced around, noticing that no one was paying attention to him. He quietly activated Blue, his figure flickering before appearing behind Guy. He raised his hand and clapped him heavily on the shoulder.

"Guy~ Your advisor is greeting you. Isn't it a bit rude to just run off without a word?"

"Ah… Gojo-sensei… I didn't notice you waving at me just now."

Might Guy's heart pounded. He and Gojo Kaigetsu had been at least a hundred meters apart! Or had he seen wrong? How did he get behind him so fast…

"Guy, I paid your hospital bills and even applied for a monthly stipend of 200,000 ryō for you from the Hokage. Are you sure you want to upset me?"

Hearing the figure of 200,000 ryō, Guy's eyes widened. He stopped in his tracks, the muscles in his injured arm suddenly feeling much lighter.

Grinning, he revealed his pearly whites. "R-Really? 200,000 ryō? Gojo-sensei, if you have any requests, please don't hesitate to ask. The youthful Green Beast of the Might family never fears hardship."

"Actually, it's nothing much. I just wanted to take you for a spin, to see how your dear friend Kakashi is doing on set."

"Kakashi? On set? What happened to him?"

"You don't know yet? Your dear friend is preparing to debut as a Konoha idol!"

A short while later, Gojo Kaigetsu led Might Guy to the outdoor set constructed in the Land of Snow. Many Konoha villagers, with time on their hands, had gathered to watch. Konoha fan children, with snack trays hanging from their necks, weaved through the crowd, selling treats.

Among the onlookers, Gojo Kaigetsu even spotted his old acquaintance, Genzo, enjoying the show with a bag of sunflower seeds.

Travelers with temporary green cards and immigrants with permanent green cards were also present.

A film set, no matter the time or place, always attracted a crowd, especially these out-of-towners who hadn't seen the world of Konoha. From elders' confidants to travelers from small nations, no one was an exception.

Might Guy, his hand still bandaged, stood on his tiptoes, trying to catch a glimpse of his dear friend.

Gojo Kaigetsu, meanwhile, casually found a spot behind the crowd, using his height advantage to get an unobstructed view.

The director from the Land of Snow seemed quite adept at adding drama. To emphasize the righteousness of [Kakashi saving ordinary Mist villagers], he had even hired two extras, a man and a woman, to play a newlywed couple.

[This newlywed couple, married for only three days, was mercilessly murdered by Cloud invaders. The Cloud invasion squad, having penetrated deep into the Land of Water, discovered this couple and heartlessly blew them to pieces with explosive tags.]

[Life, it's a bittersweet song, only love is eternal…]

[The Cloud's cruelty enraged Kakashi…]

The crew had reached the climax of the scene. Kakashi's ninja uniform was tattered, his prop headband covered with kunai scratches. His deadpan eyes perfectly conveyed the meaning of "forced to work."

At the director's signal, Kakashi removed his prop headband and, grabbing a branch, raised it high.

The inscription on the prop headband was particularly conspicuous in the refracted light.

"Inherently evil Cloud ninja!"

"Yes! Excellent acting!"

"So moving!"

"No matter where you are… this is Konoha!"

Gasps of amazement erupted from the crowd of Konoha natives and out-of-towners. The bold declaration on the headband shocked the travelers, while the Konoha natives and permanent green card holders puffed out their chests with pride.

"Konoha's War Shinobi" hadn't even been released yet, but its impact was already subtly spreading amongst these people.

...

"Kaigetsu-kun… What are you doing here?"

From afar, Samui, having finished a day of arduous work, approached while rubbing her stiff shoulders.

During the days when she couldn't extract any information from Gojo Kaigetsu, she had been diligently fulfilling her duties as an undercover kunoichi.

Through her extended cultural and intelligence work in Konoha, Samui had gradually gleaned some patterns in Konoha's development. Based on these observations, she had devised several potentially beneficial policies for Kumogakure.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Konoha seemed keen on promoting the positive image of the Hokage and war heroes as role models.

There was a popular newspaper in Konoha called "Konoha News," which published heroic deeds, positive stories about the Hokage, and recent village policies.

From Samui's experience at the publishing house, this model seemed quite effective.

Kumogakure could adopt it without any risk!

Lost in her thoughts about how Kumogakure could benefit from implementing similar strategies, Samui's first instinct upon seeing Gojo Kaigetsu was to avoid him. However, remembering that she had already divulged everything she could, further avoidance was pointless. She steeled herself and approached him.

She couldn't lose this competition for Mei Terumi's favor!

The crowd was thick, and the atmosphere lively. She could vaguely hear words like "Cloud," "despicable," and "bandit." Samui took note of these, her curiosity piqued.

"Oh, it's Ai~ Off work? Come watch the filming with me."

"Filming?"

Samui stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Gojo Kaigetsu, finding a prime viewing spot.

The director, seemingly dissatisfied with the actor opposite Kakashi, yelled "Cut!" and stepped forward to give instructions.

"How many takes has this been?"

"You represent the ninjas at the Konoha outpost, ready to provide support. Your comrades are being attacked by Cloud ninja. You need to deliver the order for a long-range attack with conviction!"

The director roared, "Fire!!"

"You need to yell it with passion, understand? With tears in your eyes, filled with rage!"

Samui's eyes narrowed.

Cloud? What did the Cloud have to do with this?

A quick glance at the set and the prop headband revealed that they were filming the incident during the Mist rebellion, back when she was in Tanzaku Quarters.

But… filming was one thing, why drag the Cloud through the mud? If the village elders found out about this director from the Land of Snow… hmph, he would be signing his own death warrant!

Samui began to plot, devising a way to teach the director a lesson, to demonstrate that Kumogakure's authority wasn't to be trifled with.

As if reading her thoughts, Gojo Kaigetsu said with a sigh, "It's wonderful to have a film like this, spreading the words engraved on Konoha's headbands to the entire shinobi world."

"Eh? The words on the back of the headbands?"

At this point, Samui still hadn't realized that the content of her Heart-to-Heart chakra thread had been tampered with by Gojo Kaigetsu.

"Yes, there's a message on the back of the headbands: No matter where you are…"

Hiss-

"That's… quite a bold declaration, just like you, Kaigetsu-kun." Samui smoothly delivered a compliment.

She failed to notice the cold glint in Gojo Kaigetsu's eyes beneath his dark glasses.

"Konoha's War Shinobi" was made specifically for Kumogakure to see. By the time they realized the inscriptions on their headbands were completely different… they would likely hold Samui accountable.

And then, Samui would discover the alteration of her chakra thread…

Perhaps that would be the time for a complete showdown? Although it was a pity, all good things must come to an end. The game he was playing with Samui was nearing its conclusion.

Gojo Kaigetsu had already tasted Samui's initiative in Ai's hospital room that day. Next, he would savor the moment the undercover kunoichi's cover was blown.

Unlimited Void deployed, followed by a merciless… ahem.

Of course, if Samui reached her own conclusions about the situation, the game could continue.

Gojo Kaigetsu gently stroked Samui's smooth, golden hair as if petting a docile Persian cat.

The performance continued:

[Fire-!!!]

[Ugh! Aargh!]

[The Cloud ninja who had cornered Kakashi collapsed, their unsightly forms on full display.]

Samui felt a wave of discomfort. She forced herself to look away from the scene that tarnished the image of Cloud ninja.

Their Cloud ninja, no matter how cruelly treated, would never display such weakness! Samui had already proven this during her time in the Konoha Hospital!

Even now, with the lingering ache in her chest, she hadn't yielded then!

Turning her head, she saw a bushy-browed, strangely dressed man in green spandex, tears streaming down his face, his bandaged hands raised as he shouted about his dear friend and youth.

Samui instinctively turned her head back, meeting Gojo Kaigetsu's downward gaze.

"What's wrong, Ai? Don't you like it? I think this movie is quite entertaining."

"Eh, i-is that so? Actually, I… quite enjoy it too."

Samui's face paled as she lied through her teeth. To witness her village being slandered right in front of the enemy… she was no longer pure.

But as a spy, the mission was paramount.

She could play along too! She could feign indifference towards her village!

"If you enjoy it, then watch attentively. Don't look away~ Those who aren't attentive have to swallow a thousand times..." Gojo Kaigetsu wiggled his joined index and middle fingers.

So inappropriate!!

Seeing Gojo Kaigetsu's gesture, Samui seemed to recall a scary memory. A blush, like the flush of drunkenness, spread across her fair face, and she turned her head away.

Just then, an impassioned Konoha child shouted tearfully, "Go, Kakashi! Defeat the evil Cloud! Everyone, lend your chakra to Kakashi!"

Cupping his hands around his mouth, Gojo Kaigetsu joined the cheer. "Defeat the evil Cloud!"

As he shouted, he glanced at Samui, urging her to join in.

Samui, suppressing her discomfort and anguish, joined the chant, each cry a stab at her conscience.

When the final reshoot of "Konoha's War Shinobi" was complete, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Gojo Kaigetsu first told Samui to head home, then led Guy towards the Uchiha District.

"Gojo-sensei, isn't this the Uchiha District? Why are you bringing me here?"

"To meet your future colleagues~"

"?"

Along the way, the younger generation of Uchiha stopped to greet Gojo Kaigetsu with utmost respect.

News of Gojo Kaigetsu's visit to the Uchiha clan quickly spread throughout the district. Upon hearing the news, Fugaku, dressed in his Konoha Military Police Force uniform, hurried over, followed by the familiar trio that Gojo Kaigetsu had previously taken for training.

"Yo, Fugaku, long time no see." Gojo Kaigetsu waved with a smile and patted Guy's back. "Here, Guy, the three behind the Uchiha Clan Head are your future colleagues."

"You all get along now~"

"Ah… Oh… Colleagues."

Guy hesitated, glancing at himself, then at the three young Uchiha. He felt a considerable age gap between them, at least in terms of youthfulness.

However, Guy quickly accepted this, revealing his bright smile and giving a thumbs-up. "Hello, everyone! We'll be colleagues in the Advisor's Guard from now on."

Leaving the future powerhouses of Konoha to mingle, Gojo Kaigetsu beckoned Fugaku towards the main house where Mikoto resided.

"Oh, it's Kaigetsu-kun."

"Mikoto-san, it's been a while."

Gojo Kaigetsu glanced down, noticing Mikoto's noticeably larger belly compared to their last meeting.

'Sasuke's almost here~'

Gojo Kaigetsu thought to himself as he and Fugaku sat down.

"Gojo-kun, is there something you need?"

Fugaku personally poured tea for Gojo Kaigetsu. Knowing that Gojo Kaigetsu never did anything without purpose, his sudden visit to the Uchiha clan during Danzo's absence likely meant there was an important matter to discuss.

Could it be… eradicating Danzo's influence within Konoha? A glint flashed in Fugaku's eyes. If so, he would be more than happy to cooperate.

"I heard that the Military Police Force is holding open recruitment in a few days, no longer limited to clan members."

"I~ would like to have a junior of mine, who isn't an Uchiha, join the Konoha Military Police Force~ I wonder if that's possible?"

"...If that's your request, Gojo-kun, it's naturally no problem. Just give me the ninja's information." Fugaku's hand paused slightly as he poured the tea, a gentle smile on his face.

Let alone one ninken joining the force, even ten would be fine with him.

A position considered a highly desirable, secure job by ordinary Konoha villagers was so easily promised away.

"Eh, don't say that." Gojo Kaigetsu waved his hand. "The necessary procedures still need to be followed, and the assessments must be taken. The main issue is that this ninja may not be able to come to work regularly. His ninken will have to clock in for him."

"That's also...acceptable. Does this ninja have any distinguishing features?"

"Eh, what are you saying, Fugaku? If you know his distinguishing features, you'll definitely treat him differently! Don't make me commit a mistake~"

"I came here today specifically to give you a heads-up!"

"During the interview, I'll be standing behind him, observing whether your Konoha Military Police Force conducts the interview fairly and impartially!"

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