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  “will… will Advisojo be alright?”

  “Why hasn’t there been any movement for so long?”

  Neji Hyuga was worried.

  If something happeo Advisojo on his watch, the Hokage would surely hold him atable. The resultiive public opinion could even engulf him and the Hyuga .

  He wouldn't be able to escape the bme for such a grave dereli of duty.

  Neji Hyuga was deeply ed about Advisojo’s solo a.

  However, rank had its privileges. For now, they could only maintain a perimeter around the area and atiently.

  After all, Advisojo was only a in. How could he dare face such a powerful ninja? Even he, a Jonin with the Byakugan, couldn't subdue the oppo.

  Judging from the chakra he'd observed with his Byakugan, the oppo was definitely ae Jonin.

  “Just trust him. If he needs reinforts, Advisojo will signal us immediately.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Movement!”

  Someone shouted, and all the ninjas’ gazes sowards the edge of the forest.

  They saw-

  Advisojo, apanied by her than the “intruder,” previously identified as ae Jonin. The intruder wore a jet-bck cloak that cealed their form, a strange mask hiding their face, as they walked beside Advisojo.

  From their gait and the subtle movements of the cloak, the intruder appeared to be a kunoichi.

  Had she taken Advisojo hostage?!

  This thought wasn’t exclusive to Neji Hyuga. The surrounding Konoha patrol ninjas tighteheir grips on their kunai, the atmosphere growing tense.

  Cp cp

  Amidst the tension, Gojo Kaigetsu cpped his hands, the sharp sound eg through the forest.

  “Alright, alright, the danger is gone. Everyone stand down.”

  “This…”

  The ninjas exged fused gnces. Neji Hyuga cautiously inquired, “Advisojo, may I ask who this is beside you?”

  “Her? She’s…” Gojo Kaigetsu paused, then said slowly, “A secret ninja.”

  “Huh? A secret ninja? That doesn’t seem right, Advisor.”

  Neji Hyuga instinctively g Fugaku Uchiha.

  Wasn’t it said that the secret ninja had persecuted the Uchiha d even captured Advisojo before? Moreover, weren't the secret ninja part of Root? Why would they be dressed like this and walking openly beside Advisojo?

  As one of the two promi s in Konoha, Neji Hyuga naturally khat the “secret ninja” in the rumors were Root, led by Elder Danzo.

  “Oh, I misremembered. She’s a member of the Shadow Guard.”

  “A Shadow Guard member? But the Shadow Guard members annou the Hokage Tower two days ago were Raido Namiashi, Genma Shiranui, and Iwashi Tatami. This one is clearly a woman.”

  Gojo Kaigetsu's previously amiable and approachable expression suddenly darkened. His face became stern.

  “Enough! I gave you an expnation as a courtesy, so you write your missio. If you really need a reason, are ten thousand enough for you?”

  “Hmph, take it or leave it. Your missio’s word t is doubled! Submit it to my office tonight.”

  “Let’s go!”

  With that, Gojo Kaigetsu walked ahead, Pakura closely following behind with small, careful steps.

  Pakura seemed unaced to the bck cloak, her legs held tightly together as if afraid something might fall out.

  “Hey, Advisor, wait!”

  Watg Gojo Kaigetsu’s retreating figure, Neji Hyuga ultimately held back his words of protest.

  He looked pleadingly at Fugaku Uchiha, only to receive a helpless shrug in response.

  Once Gojo Kaigetsu was far enough away to be out of earshot, Neji Hyuga grumbled softly, “Advisojo… that’s too high-handed! I was just ed about the vilge’s safety, fulfilling my duties.”

  Gojo Kaigetsu, as if iionally making things difficult for Pakura, maintained a brisk pace, always several steps ahead.

  As ae Jonin, Pakura should have been able to keep up with Gojo Kaigetsu's speed, but…

  The cold, hard sensation of her Suna headband against her ihighs made it difficult to trate.

  If she walked too quickly, the headband would undoubtedly fall to the ground and be soiled by dust.

  That… was uable!

  It was all Gojo Kaigetsu’s fault, f her to walk with a headbaween her legs!

  After about ten more minutes, Pakura, her back slick with sweat, finally caught her breath. The oppressive feeling and the unfortable chafing had lessened siderably.

  She finally saw it!

  In the distahe gates of Konohagakure came into view, with a long, orderly queue of travelers waiting to ehe vilge.

  There were signifitly more people than usual today.

  Among those waiting, she could clearly distinguish well-dressed merts, likely entering Konoha to purchase valuable goods.

  Covered wagons lihe road, their tents hiddeh cloth. Each mert gazed at the Hokage Rock with a look of longing.

  Being able to see the Hokage Rock meant they were just oep away from Konoha.

  ‘I hought I would enter Konoha like this.’

  A touch of sadness washed over Pakura. Sometimes, she would fantasize about abandoning the vilge that treated her as a mere pawn, revealirue strength as ae Jonin right at Konoha’s gates.

  Unleashing indiscriminate age within Konoha.

  It would not only shatter Konoha’s prestige, knog it off its pedestal as the number one hidden vilge, but it would also be a harsh retaliation against her own vilge, f Konoha to wage war against Sunagakure.

  But could she do it? Clearly not.

  From the moment one was born into the shinobi world, they were bound by ties. Whether it was the chakra ied through reination or the nurturing of social instincts…

  She could disregard everything and unleash her fury at Konoha’s gates, perf o dance before reinforts arrived. But what would happen to her Students in Suna?

  Would they bear the weight of her as, sent to Konoha as bargaining chips to suffer humiliation? Or would they be used as disposable pawns in a suicide squad attack against Konoha?

  The bonds of humanity had bee shackles around Pakura's neck.

  Literally.

  ‘But this is fioo.’

  ‘Let go of futile fantasies and start a neter. Nudge Suna in the right dire when necessary. That's the st thing I do for my vilge.’

  Gojo Kaigetsu led Pakura straight past the queue, towards the Konoha VIP trag envious gnces.

  Someotered, “Why do we have to wait in line, while that guy just waltz right in with someone?”

  The ninja cheg tempreen cards immediately barked, “How dare you! Do you know who that is? That’s Konoha’s Advisojo!”

  “Ah… Advisojo.” The muttering individual recoiled, their eyes filled with awe.

  A ripple of otion spread through the queue as people ed their necks, eager to catch a glimpse of the renowned legendary figure of Konoha.

  Gojo Kaigetsu didn’t stop to bask in the admiration of the outsiders. Maintaining an air of mystery was sometimes necessary.

  Finally, he led Pakura into Konohagakure.

  Pakura, as if stepping into a new world, was deeply awed by the sight before her. A sense of inferiority washed over her.

  Beyond Konoha’s gates y the newly built, bustling ercial street, filled with ies Pakura had never seen before.

  Food stalls lihe streets of Konoha's new ercial district, their entig aromas tempting outsiders like Pakura to stop and savor the delicious smells.

  Vendors bustled about, preparing priew snacks, delicious treats to the visitors. Konoha natives, however, merely g the stalls before heading to their usual local eateries.

  The vibrant se of the ercial street was a feast for Pakura's eyes, showg the vitality of the stro hidden vilge in the shinobi world.

  In Sunagakure, there was only one official bookstore iire vilge. Its colleostly sisted of outdated books purchased years ag the Third Kazekage's reign. Only exceptionally popur publications like “Iki” were procured at great cost.

  Alternatively, there were unlised, destine bookstores selling forbidden literature.

  But Konoha's new ercial street was different.

  Just within this area, Pakura could see three bookstores, with ohe “Green Card Bookstore,” standing out with its eye-catg decor.

  The reason? The “Green Card Bookstore” dispyed the emblems of the freat nations: Wind, Fire, Lightnih, and Water.

  It appeared to be an iional bookstore, instantly appealing to newers who viewed Konoha with the reverenight hold for a celestial capital, drawing them in with a promise of familiarity and fort.

  Currently, the Green Card Bookstore acked with sophisticated-looking outsiders, the queue extending out the door.

  Those emerging from the bookstore would immediately rush to the neighb “Green Card Honey Shop.”

  ‘Buy books first, then hohese outsiders… are strange.’ Pakura thought to herself.

  Her subtle observations didn’t escape Gojo Kaigetsu’s 360° vision. “Pakura-san, you seem to enjoy reading?”

  “It’s just a personal hobby.”

  “In that case, let me show you around Konoha.”

  Relying solely on the s of obligation to bind someone wasn't a long-term solution. It might hold them temporarily, but not forever.

  If Pakura’s ties to Suna were ever severed, she would bee a tig time bomb in Konoha.

  Gojo Kaigetsu was a seal person. He would iably develop feelings for a pet, even a human one, after a long enough time.

  To prevent such a disastrous sario, Gojo Kaigetsu decided to help Pakura fe es with Konoha.

  As they approached the bookstore, boisterous shouts filled with eagerness echoed from within.

  “Shopkeeper, give me ten copies of ‘The Academy Years: Collector’s Edition’! Here’s 200,000 ryō, keep the ge!”

  The booming voice of the bookstore owner was even louder and more assertive. “Not for sale! Didn’t you see the notice? Each person only purchase seven copies of ‘The Academy Years: Collector’s Edition’ with a tempreen card per transa. No more than that!”

  Oh, this portly fellow.

  Gojo Kaigetsu looked at the sweating shopkeeper with surprise. This guy was actually employing scarcity marketing tactics.

  “Damn it, why?! Fine, seven copies it is then.”

  The buyer’s hands moved quickly, snatg six 10,000 ryō notes from the stack of cash. Too impatient to wait for ge, they rushed towards the honey shop door without looking back.

  Pakura watched in bewilderment.

  “Seven books… 140,000 ryō? 20,000 ryō per book? What kind of book sells for so much?”

  Pakura was astouhis price… even a D-rank mission in Suna wouldn't guarantee enough earnings to buy a single book from this Konoha bookstore.

  Even D-rank missions in Sunagakure were fraught with danger, uhe trivial tasks avaible in Konoha.

  The price of this book was exorbitant, and the buyers were clearly outsiders. What kind of magic did Konoha possess to make outsiders so readily part with their cash?

  Pakura’s gaze shifted to the top shelf, where a gold-embossed cover caught her eye: “‘The Academy Years: Collector’s Edition,’ Official Retail Price: 178,000 ryō/copy.”

  ‘So expensive… And it’s a book I’ve never heard of in Suna.’

  “Hey, want to buy any books? Piything you like. sider it a wele gift from me to my… pet.”

  “…” Pakura ighe insulting term and asked, “Do you have ‘Iki’?”

  “Oh, we don’t carry ‘Iki.’ ‘Iki’ is prohibited from being sold within the Land of Fire. If found, it’s treated as forbidden literature.”

  “Huh? Why is that? Isn’t ‘Iki’ published by a publishing house in the Land of Fire?”

  Gojo Kaigetsu shrugged, shifting the bme. “Who knows? You’d have to ask the person in charge at the publishing house.”

  “Then… I’ll take a copy of ‘The Academy Years.’”

  Pakura settled for the sed best, her curiosity piqued by the book that had caused such a frenzy among outsiders.

  “Shopkeeper, one copy of ‘The Academy Years.’”

  Gojo Kaigetsu raised his hand casually, his tone rexed.

  “Show your tempreen card to purchase books! How many times do I have to say it?!” the shopkeeper shouted without looking up.

  Suddenly, as if realizing something, he stiffly raised his head. His gaze, filled with a mixture of gratitude and fear, met Gojo Kaigetsu's subtly amused expression.

  He hurriedly rubbed his hands, personally retrieving a pristine copy of “The Academy Years” from the shelf and handing it to Gojo Kaigetsu.

  “Oh, of course, of course. I already had o aside for you. How could I possibly ask you to ‘buy’ it? That would be disrespectful.”

  “Here’s your book.”

  Gojo Kaigetsu casually accepted the book and passed it to Pakura, again attrag surprised stares.

  A disgruntled backpacker among the outsiders called out, “Why doesn’t he have to show a tempreen card?”

  The shopkeeper gnced sideways at the backpacker, not even b to look him in the eye.

  “That gentleman is the one who issues the green cards. Show some respect!”

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