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Hokage Tower
“Eh, Kaigetsu, what brings you to my Hokage office today?” Minato Namikaze asked pyfully, looking at Gojo Kaigetsu standing before his desk.
As a Hokage advisor, receiving an advisor's sary, yet rarely appearing in the Hokage Tower, such severe dereli of duty was rare in the shinobi world.
If not for the strong boween Minato and Gojo Kaigetsu, the overwhelming number of impeats would have iably led to the dismissal of his advisor status.
“Of course, I have urgent matters to report, Fourth Hokage-sama.”
“Urgent matters?” Minato’s warm smile faded, repced by a serious expression upon hearing it was official business. “Did something g with your ‘Ihe Freat Nations Pn’? Or is it about the Cloud spy impersonating your member?”
“It’s like this…”
Gojo Kaigetsu proceeded to ret the events of the previous night, cleverly omitting the details about his Six Eyes.
“You’re saying… you secretly intercepted the Cloud spy’s outgoing intel and altered it to be about headbands?”
“As expected of you, Kaigetsu! Judging by the mission rank, intercepting and tampering with enemy intel easily qualifies as a B-rank missiher.”
“However…” Minato’s face was filled with curiosity. “Is there a deeper meaning behind the message you said to engrave on the back of the headbands? I think it’s quite good, but wouldn’t sharing such a strategy with Kumogakure be a bit…”
As he spoke, Minato’s tone hi reluce.
The strategy offered to Kumogakure seemed rather suitable for Konoha’s current development needs.
Gojo Kaigetsu, as if he were at home, took out a disposable paper cup, poured himself some tea, and took a rge gulp.
“Of course, we in Konoha will also modify our ninja headbands. But naturally, it won’t be the same message we gave Kumogakure.”
“Then…?”
Without hesitation, Gojo Kaigetsu removed his own headband and, with a flourish, wrote on the back-
[No matter where you are in the ninja world, the mighty Konohagakure will always be your unwavering support. Remember, you are a Konoha shinobi.]
“Hiss-”
Minato gasped, staring at the bold decration on the headband. It seemed to be the por opposite of the [Abide by local ws] message given to Kumogakure.
One was timid and shrinking, like a cowardly lizard. The other was overflowing with fidence, like the ruler of the shinobi world…
If he, Minato Namikaze, were an ordinary ninja, holding the tter headband-
Even the poorest and weakest vilge-loving Genin of Konoha, remembering the wealth and power of Konoha, would undoubtedly stand tall with pride when entering in or even Jonin from other vilges!
Konohagakure was the most reliable bag!
Oher hand, those holding the former headband, even with Jonin-level strength, would involuntarily soften their stance due to the vilge’s attitude.
The attitude of a vilge determihe attitude of an ordinary ninja in the shinobi world duriime.
Minato slowly raised his head, meeting Gojo Kaigetsu’s gaze. However, he still harbored s. “Wouldn’t this incite emotions within Konoha? We ’t afford another war right now.”
“There might be some, but everything has its pros and s.”
“However, I believe it’s better for ninjas to be fident. And more importantly, a Shinobi World War won’t start or end because of a message on the back of a headband.”
“What matters more is showg our attitude, showing it to those wavering merts.”
“Fourth Hokage, if you were a mert, would you choose to hire ninjas from a strong and assertive vilge or those from a timid aant one?”
“Well… defihe former.”
Minato’s furrowed brow gradually rexed. He let out a sigh of relief, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Gojo Kaigetsu.
Kaigetsu-kun… always seemed to have ued surprises up his sleeve.
Who knew a small ninja headband could be used in such a way? While the y was ohing, it seemed genuinely effective.
This also made Minato realize that battles between ninjas and vilges sometimes cluded without even a single kunai or explosive tag being thrown.
In this war of ideologies… this war of minds, Konoha had already gained a signifit advahanks to Gojo Kaigetsu.
Perceptions shifted subtly over time.
It would be fine if those muscle-headed fools in Kumogakure didn’t adopt the strategy. But if they did adopt Gojo Kaigetsu’s false intel ahen “iently” pared to Konoha by bystanders…
Wouldn’t the discrepancy bee apparent?
By then, it would be difficult for Kumogakure to reverse the impression formed by merts and other vilges.
“Brilliant, simply brilliant!”
“Let’s do as you say, Kaigetsu-kun! We’ll allocate a special fund for crafting these new ninja headbands.”
Minato gave Gojo Kaigetsu a thumbs-up without hesitation.
[You thwarted Kumogakure’s espionage pn. Prosperity +33]
[You devised the headband strategy targeting Kumogakure. Prosperity +50]
Hearing the pleasant notification, Gojo Kaigetsu smiled with satisfa.
Thankfully, Minato was a wise, young, and ambitious Hokage who readily adopted policies beneficial to Konoha, regardless of whether they were radical or servative.
If it were the Third Hokage in charge, with his group of old geezers as advisors, the headband pn might have been pletely rejected for potentially “ing warm ses” within Konoha.
Thinking back to the Third Hokage’s performance during the peace treaty iations with Kumogakure, Gojo Kaigetsu felt a headache ing on.
Fortunately… Minato was the Hokage!
Having finished his report, Minato asked curiously, “By the way, Kaigetsu-kun, how is the ‘Ihe Freat Nations Pn’ progressing?”
“How is it progressing?”
Gojo Kaigetsu interlocked his fingers, stretg his arms. “The initial batagazines required for the pn has been fully printed and distributed to the Freat Nations. If all goes well… today, they’ll start selling oreets of those nations.”
“As for when the mert css of the Freat Nations will notice these articles and undergo a subtle shift in perception…”
Gojo Kaigetsu raised his index finger, waving it in front of Minato. “One month, I estimate it will take one month.”
“After one month, the number of issions Konoha receives from other nations will signifitly increase.”
“The issue of Konoha’s limited development funds will also be alleviated.”
“Is that so…”
Minato leaned bafortably in his Hokage chair, envisioning the se Gojo Kaigetsu had painted for him, a month into the future:
“Then, on behalf of Konoha, I shall look forward to it!”
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