"Eh?! Is that really okay? But wheered the vilge, I heard them say that you're a ninja now, Kaigetsu."

  "Isn't your work reted to being a ninja?"

  "I'm just an ordinary person. Is it really okay for me to get involved in ninja business...?"

  This is happening way too fast!

  Samui had anticipated many possibilities, but she hadn't expected Gojo Kaigetsu to invite her into the inner ws of Konoha so quickly.

  'As expected, he's just a medioinja who got his positioo his es with the Fourth Hokage. It won't be long before I pletely trol him and use him for the be of Kumogakure.'

  Samui thought to herself. If Gojo Kaigetsu really was just a medioinja, then her subsequent pns could proceed smoothly.

  As for whether Gojo Kaigetsu had seen through her disguise and was deliberately luring her in... Samui was fident that her chakra-suppressing teiques and her ag skills were far beyond what an ordinary in like Gojo Kaigetsu could detect.

  This game between the hunter and the prey-she was sure she would be the winner!

  "Of course, it's no problem!"

  Gojo Kaigetsu acted like the stereotypical overfident fool, eager to funt the power he had acquired:

  "A ninja? So what?! I've gotten to where I am today all because of my own intelligence!"

  Gojo Kaigetsu tapped his temple with a finger, his tone mysterious: "My business is actually... a publishing house."

  "A... publishing house?!"

  Samui's breath hitched for a moment, as if she was both puzzled and had suddenly found an answer. From the way her pupils dited untrolbly, Gojo Kaigetsu had a pretty good idea of why she was really here.

  Pieg together the clues he had, Gojo Kaigetsu formuted a theory:

  Given the ret dee in sales of traband books in Kumogakure, it was likely that selling these books to Kumogakure had been discovered. Because a signifit figure's child was affected, they had sent a kunoichi like Samui to infiltrate Konoha and elimihe publisher.

  At least, that's what it looked like right now.

  But Samui was too skilled, and the higher-ups in Kumogakure were probably pnning for her to remain in Konoha long-term, perhaps even to gain a rger advantage by posing as a distaive.

  'So, they really think I'm just some easily maniputed fool, huh?'

  Beh the dark fabric c his eyes, Gojo Kaigetsu's gaze turned cold.

  True, he ehe kind of iations where the woman involved uimated him beforehand. But in a formal situation, such disdain was a diresult to his pride as a ninja!

  But that's fioo-the more they uimate him, the greater the gap in information, aually...

  Gojo Kaigetsu's gaze swept up and down Samui with ill iions, thinking: 'Wheables turn, it'll be your loyalty to Kumogakure that's humiliated, not mine.'

  "Yes, it's a very special publishing house. It's a secret business of mine~ Because of its sensitive nature, I orust it to those I deeply trust. Your arrival, Ai, is a big help to me!"

  Samui instinctively crossed her arms over her chest. In that brief moment, she had a strange feeling that Gojo Kaigetsu had pletely seen through her. It felt as though, beh that dark fabric, there wasn't the warm gaze of a newfouive, but rather the calg eyes of someone ready to devour her whole.

  "Is that so... Kaigetsu-kun, you're really impressive. I'll leave it all to you then, because holy, I don't know what I'd do on my own in Konoha."

  Samui softened her voice, making it as gentle as possible, but the words were insincere: "Handling so much must be exhausting for you~"

  'What an idiot!'

  She thought bitterly.

  A publishing house... that's not what she was after! But for now, she had to proceed cautiously, gradually gaining Gojo Kaigetsu's trust until he began sharing more sensitive political and military information about Konoha.

  If she performed well at that publishing house, surely Gojo Kaigetsu would trust her more!

  'Stay calm, Samui! You've already successfully made tact with Gojo Kaigetsu. That's a solid start.'

  They exged a wordless gnce, but the dark fabric between them prevented any real e. No matter how expressive her eyes were, they might as well have been aimed at a blind man-at least, that's how Samui felt.

  Finding the situation dull, she abandoned her pn to subtly flirt with Gojo Kaigetsu.

  Siletled over them, until Gojo Kaigetsu finally broke it:

  "Ai, my house is pretty spacious. You're wele to stay there. If you get tired from work, you just rest at home-no problem at all~"

  "You wouldn't want to keep staying in the Konoha guesthouse, right~?"

  Gojo Kaigetsu leaned forward just slightly.

  Samui stiffened, easily catg the implications in his words. Her already low opinion of the young Konoha politi sank further. This guy wasn't just inpetent-he was also a lecher!

  She uneasily rubbed her arms, f a strained smile: "No, no, that wouldn't be necessary, Kaigetsu-kun. I wouldn't want to trouble you."

  "I've still got some money left. I nning to find some time tomorrow to rent a p Konoha."

  "I see... Even though you're my retive. Well, okay, I'll respect your choice."

  Gojo Kaigetsu pulled back, his tone carrying an unintended note of distance, whily made Samui more uain.

  'Did I mess up the pag? Was I too servative? Or... has the atmosphere in Konoha bee so open that...?'

  ...