Chapter 39: Shh, Freedom of Speech Doesn't Exist Here

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Samui walked towards the High Academy Publishing House.

The days filled with hardship finally seemed to be seeing a glimmer of hope.

"Once I find Tsunade and secure Gojo Kaigetsu's position as advisor, I'll immediately move out of that house!"

Samui fiercely rubbed her delicate lips once again.

Even though she had rinsed them with cold water several times, the warmth left by Gojo Kaigetsu seemed to be imprinted on her skin.

Disgusting! Nauseating! She wanted to vomit!

To be… violated by such a vulgar ninja… Samui felt defiled.

If initially, Samui fought for her village, now she fought not only for her village but also for her own chastity!

If she lost this "Advisor Protection Game," for the sake of Kumogakure, she would be forced to bear the offspring of that lecherous ninja, Gojo Kaigetsu.

"Calm down, Samui. You can do this."

Of course, if Gojo Kaigetsu knew Samui's thoughts… he would likely become even more excited.

The path to the High Academy Publishing House led through the new commercial street.

At first, Samui assumed nothing would change in her daily routine on this mandatory route.

However, a glance to the side caught a familiar sight.

She slowed her pace. "Eh?"

"Ninja Tools Shop?"

Samui blinked, her blue-green eyes filled with confusion. She walked inside.

The Ninja Tools Shop was doing quite well.

Although the Body Tempering Secret Medicine hadn't been developed yet, various health-promoting instant breakfast options were already on the shelves.

In the early morning, a few ordinary ninjas and civilians had chosen to dine here.

Ordering a pot of fine Konoha tribute tea and gathering with a few friends could easily pass the morning.

The "No Robbery" sign was gone, and shopkeeper face always wore a smile, devoid of vigilance…

The unpleasant experiences in Kumogakure seemed to be a thing of the past.

Konoha truly was a pleasant place.

"It really is shopkeeper Taiten, how did he come to Konoha?"

Samui wondered.

Typically, ninja tool shop owners would settle in one village for life. It was rare to hear of them relocating to another village.

Samui wasn't worried about her identity being exposed. During her time in Kumogakure, she had always consciously concealed her appearance when visiting the Ninja Tools Shop.

Since she had been scared away by Gojo Kaigetsu, she hadn't had breakfast.

So, Samui found a quiet seat, ordered a few instant food items, and quietly observed.

The waitress bustled between the ten or so round tables and stools, her light footsteps carrying snippets of conversations from the surrounding customers to Samui's ears.

"Hey, what are you reading so intently with that scroll so early in the morning?"

"Sigh, my child got accepted into the Ninja Academy. The expenses for shuriken and kunai for training are quite high. I'm planning to find another job to supplement the household income."

"Then you should use the 'Bosu Job Search' platform promoted by Advisor Gojo. All the places in the village that need extra hands are listed there."

"I'm already looking, I'm already looking."

The two conversing individuals took a sip of tea. "If you ask me, your child is too unruly. You should discipline them properly."

"How do I discipline them? I don't understand these things."

"Just read books. Haven't you heard? That 'Three Years in the Ninja Academy' book that suddenly became popular yesterday…"

"What's that…?"

Their conversation quickly attracted the attention of a nearby customer, who chimed in:

"It's a record of good deeds from the past 50 years since Konoha's founding."

"Especially the first story, it really moved me. To think that such an elderly person would resort to stealing Soldier Pills… I feel guilty myself."

"The Military Police officer and the Captain in the story were also quite something. They're good ninjas."

"If an official doesn't serve the people, they might as well go home and sell ramen!"

"The current Uchiha should learn from the Military Police officer in the story."

"You idiot! The Military Police officers back then and the ones in the current Military Police Force are the same! The story is about Uchiha clan ninjas!"

"Eh? How could that be? Are they actually good ninjas? But I heard… that the Uchiha ninjas are all… you know. And if they did good deeds, why not write their names directly?"

"Ahem. Enough, that's a sensitive topic." The person glanced nervously at the surrounding ninja headband-wearing individuals and whispered.

Samui raised her slender neck, finishing the last of her hot tea.

Her eyes were filled with deep confusion.

Wait, why hadn't these Konoha villagers figured it out yet?

The beginning and the middle weren't important, the crucial part was the last sentence: [The people of this village are guilty]

They were about to rebel, and these villagers were still concerned about their past good deeds?

Foolish Konoha ninjas!

Samui, born and raised in the shinobi world, didn't understand the power of public opinion and opinion pieces.

In this era of limited information, a single magazine could easily overturn superficial beliefs.

Jumping to conclusions was commonplace.

Rebellion and treason were major events, and it wasn't the place of low-ranking ninjas and ordinary villagers to worry about them. Cannon fodder should know their place.

However, the Military Police Force directly impacted everyone's lives.

There was a popular joke in Konoha: The three inevitable experiences in Konoha were "birth," "the Military Police Force," and "death."

News about the Military Police Force surfaced frequently, and any minor incident would become a topic of conversation.

Under the influence of the Will of Fire, Konoha ninjas still retained a simple sense of right and wrong.

In their eyes, the old lady in the story was pitiful, the Military Police officer was benevolent, and the onlookers and the war that caused all this were to blame.

The customer's words seemed to resonate with those around him, and one of them tearfully said, "I can't help but reflect…"

The recognition of the Uchiha, under the oppressive political atmosphere, spread like a virus.

Everything was unfolding as Gojo Kaigetsu had predicted.

Such was human nature. The more something was concealed or suppressed, the more people would instinctively seek the truth.

Driven by this desire to uncover secrets, the conclusions reached often left a lasting impression.

"Are the Uchiha actually this kind?" "Strange, why did we always think the Uchiha were bad?" "If they did good deeds, why not write their names directly in the book? Is there something shady going on?" "Someone is manipulating our judgment, we've all been deceived by a mastermind!" "Who's the mastermind? Shh, freedom of speech doesn't exist here."

Whoosh whoosh whoosh-

The villagers' sympathy and guilt towards the Uchiha transformed into a scorching wind, buffeting Samui's bewildered face.

Just like the customer had said, Samui couldn't help but reflect:

"Just what went wrong?"

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