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[Konoha's Ninja Village was plunged into darkness as a store was suddenly attacked by bandits.]

[Soon after, the store owner announced over the intercom, "For the safety of our customers and to avoid any trampling incidents, you may take the items in your hands for free as compensation for this unfortunate attack. Please exit the store in an orderly manner." Upon hearing this, the villagers left the store in a calm and orderly fashion.]

[When Konoha's reinforcements arrived, the store owner was shocked to find the cash registers filled with bills ranging from hundreds to tens of thousands of ryō. It turned out that after the announcement, the conscientious villagers of Konoha had estimated the value of the goods they held and left the appropriate amount of money behind before leaving. What a civilized, harmonious, honest, polite, and friendly ninja village!]

[An anonymous official commented on this, saying, "The strength of a ninja village is not determined by the number of powerful ninjas it has, but by the values of its people. Clearly, Konoha has achieved this, as even when given the opportunity to take goods for free, they still chose to pay! If I were a ninja, I would feel genuine happiness in protecting such kind-hearted people!"]

…

…

"Lord Fourth Hokage, Gojo Kaigetsu reporting as per your orders."

Gojo Kaigetsu entered the Hokage's office, standing straight with his hands clasped behind his back, facing the blond man in front of him, who was dressed in ceremonial robes.

"Kaigetsu, I've told you before, just call me Minato in private."

"That wouldn't be appropriate, Lord Hokage. When working, we should address each other by title."

Minato Namikaze waved his hand, refusing to communicate with Gojo Kaigetsu in a superior-subordinate manner.

After finishing the first article in the magazine titled Iroha, Minato raised his head with a peculiar expression, looking at his former comrade and friend.

He couldn't help but ask, "Kaigetsu... Is this the 'Invasion of the Four Great Nations' plan you requested 3.5 billion ryō for? From a conceptual standpoint, it seems feasible…"

Minato hesitated, aware that as the Hokage, he needed to consider the bigger picture and avoid favoritism, even with someone like Gojo Kaigetsu. 3.5 billion ryō was no small amount, and he needed a compelling reason to approve it.

Gojo Kaigetsu nodded solemnly. "Yes, this is my plan. I've already paved the way for distribution routes to the major nations. Wind, Water, Lightning, and Earth. Due to time constraints, the smaller nations' channels will be established later. All we need now is money to make it happen."

"Also, the article on the front page was written by me, while the rest are standard pieces. But even this much is sufficient."

"I'm concerned that if we push too hard, it might alert the other four ninja villages."

Gojo Kaigetsu tapped his temple with his index finger. "All related articles are already written and stored in my mind, ready for weekly or monthly publication. By the time the four great ninja villages realize what's happening, it will be too late."

Minato nodded thoughtfully, refraining from discussing the funding immediately. Instead, the straightforward man voiced his curiosity:

"The store mentioned in your article, which one is it?"

"If they made such a decision during a rogue ninja attack, I believe as Hokage, I should reward them."

"And this anonymous official, which Fire Country minister is it?"

Minato's suggestion was well-intentioned. Rewarding the store owner would set a positive example for Konoha's ordinary villagers and ninjas, encouraging good behavior.

However...

Gojo Kaigetsu shook his head. "In reality, there is no such store in Konoha, nor is there any official. The entire story is fabricated by me."

Minato was stunned, even more surprised.

Fabricated?

Does that mean... it's a lie?

Of course, as the Hokage and a rational adult ninja, he didn't ask such a trivial question. Instead, he waited quietly for Gojo Kaigetsu to continue.

Gojo Kaigetsu pointed to the cover of Iroha, which he had personally designed. "The main purpose is to attract merchants from the other four great nations."

"Ninja wars are fought not only with the strength of high-level ninjas but also with the economic capabilities of each village."

"And economic capabilities require a large amount of money."

"I've done the math. Besides the support we receive from the Fire Country's daimyo, the missions issued by Fire Country merchants have nearly saturated... The consecutive wars have created a huge deficit in Konoha's finances."

"We're spending more than we're earning, and that can't continue. We need to attract foreign investment!"

Minato, being a quick thinker, immediately understood.

Based on Gojo Kaigetsu's explanation, Minato couldn't help but take another look at the article titled The Attack on Konoha's Store.

"So, the ultimate goal of this article is to portray Konoha as the perfect place for business to outsiders?"

"A perfect business environment, with honest and conscientious villagers, and the trust of foreign merchants..."

Under Gojo Kaigetsu's influence, Minato had picked up some unusual terms. His bright blue eyes sparkled as he envisioned the grand future Kaigetsu had painted.

Setting aside national grievances, the essence of being a ninja is just another job. Ordinary ninjas need to eat, to earn money by completing missions.

If Gojo Kaigetsu's plan succeeded, the missions from the other four great nations would drastically decrease, meaning fewer earnings for their ninjas... Over time, the economic lifeblood of the four great ninja villages would be drained by Konoha.

Of course, this is an extreme scenario. Basic missions will always exist to sustain the villages, but growth would be impossible.

As Kaigetsu said, it's now the beginning of the 51st year of Konoha.

War is a gold-devouring beast, where one exploding tag costs thousands of ryō. Even a village as large as Konoha struggled after the Second and Third Ninja Wars.

The current ninja world lacks godlike figures, and the era where super-powerful ninjas are everywhere hasn't yet arrived. Among active ninjas, no one exists who can single-handedly destroy an entire village.

Kage-level ninjas are the absolute peak, with Jonin representing the village's strength, Chunin as the backbone, and Genin as... valuable cannon fodder.

A few more shuriken, a few more exploding tags, and perhaps the outcome of a ninja war could be changed, reducing casualties. Training a mature ninja takes time. Konoha has reached the point where even teenagers must go to the battlefield...

Minato would never want his own child to step onto the harsh ninja battlefield at such a young age.

He put down Iroha, and with a serious expression, placed his hands on Gojo Kaigetsu's shoulders, meeting his gaze:

"If that's the case, Chunin Gojo Kaigetsu, I approve your 'Invasion of the Four Great Nations' plan!"

"The 3.5 billion ryō will be transferred to you within one working day."

"This will be a harsh and long-term plan, but if it succeeds... Kaigetsu, you will become a hero of Konoha!"

Gojo Kaigetsu smiled and nodded. "The better Konoha is, the better I'll be."

The solemn and sacred task was handed over, and the atmosphere in the Hokage's office relaxed.

Minato looked at his friend, teasing him, "Kaigetsu, I think you're more suited to be Hokage than I am. How about I hand over the position to you, and you become the Fifth Hokage?"

"Don't joke around!"

Gojo Kaigetsu replied seriously, "Minato, you are the Hokage!"

"Is that so... Kaigetsu, don't regret it later!"

...

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