Chapter 40: Regarding the Matter of Spreading the Soldier Pill Spirit in Konoha

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The problem lies in the fact that

There are bad people among the masses!

"My Lord, our performance wasn't bad, was it?"

"Hmm, not bad, veteran actors. Here's your reward."

Using a Transformation Jutsu and donning a mask, Gojo Kaigetsu distributed rewards to the actors in a dark alley within Konoha.

There was no such thing as instant popularity in Konoha; it was all orchestrated from behind the scenes.

There were many actors present.

The old lady who spoke up for the Uchiha at the ramen shop, the random passerby who chimed in at the ninja tools store…

The actors beamed as they received their payments.

Among them, the young man codenamed Gin rubbed his hands together.

"Lord, do you have any further instructions?"

"Actually… I do."

"Memorize these lines. When you notice the public opinion shifting in an unexpected direction, use them flexibly."

"Eh? What are they?"

The actors were filled with curiosity.

Most of them were propaganda elites personally Created by Gojo Kaigetsu. Compared to the simple-minded shinobi world, they were adept at manipulating public opinion.

Laymen wouldn't understand the intricacies of propaganda, seeing experts as frogs in a well gazing at the moon. If laymen understood propaganda, they would see experts as insignificant ants!

The more they worked under Gojo Kaigetsu, the more they marveled at his skill with words.

Gojo Kaigetsu cleared his throat:

"In Konoha, first they imprisoned the ninja who petitioned for the people, and I did not speak out-because I was a coward; then they oppressed the Uchiha ninjas, and I did not speak out-because I was not an Uchiha."

"After that, they imprisoned those who spoke up for the Uchiha, and I did not speak out-because I was just a bystander."

"Finally, they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me."

The veteran actors exchanged glances, their eyes filled with astonishment.

One of the most eager among them stepped forward and praised loudly:

["In these dark times, persecuted by the evil forces of the village, we, the villagers of Konoha, are disgusted by this. The fate of ninjas and villagers is often intertwined."]

["If we do not uphold truth, justice, and fairness, if we only care about our own interests in the face of the village's evil forces, if we remain indifferent to the injustice, bullying, and persecution of others, ultimately, we will be the ones punished."]

"Who could possibly remain indifferent to the Uchiha's plight after hearing this! As expected of the brilliant script written by our !"

"My Lord, you're amazing!"

"My Lord, you're incredible!"

"My Lord, you're amazingly incredible!"

The barrage of flattery made Gojo Kaigetsu blush under his mask.

"Alright, even the ninken in the village are registered. Don't be so eager to impress."

"You know the rules. Stay safe and don't expose yourselves."

Leaving these instructions, Gojo Kaigetsu vanished with a flicker, disappearing into the shadows.

He had personally selected the usual contact methods and locations using his Six Eyes. While not completely safe, he wasn't worried about surveillance from Root.

The members didn't know each other's real names, only their codenames assigned by Gojo Kaigetsu.

These veteran actors would serve as his propaganda tools for quite some time, helping him consolidate power within Konoha.

After Gojo Kaigetsu left, only the veteran actors remained.

Among them, the one codenamed Vodka couldn't help but whisper, "Who… exactly is our ? He even knows about the registration of ninken in the village?"

"Be careful what you say, Vodka!"

"Have you forgotten the organizational rules our told us?"

"Don't reveal secrets that shouldn't be revealed. Don't ask questions that shouldn't be asked. Don't look at things that shouldn't be seen. Don't discuss secrets in non-confidential locations!"

…

…

Within a small, unknown ninja clan.

"We should learn from the Uchiha clan, learn their attitude towards their ordinary clan members!"

"In the Uchiha clan, if children argue with their parents and run away from home, if they are hungry, they can go to any Uchiha household and receive a free Soldier Pill!"

"Do you know why the Uchiha clan members are so wealthy, why there are no homeless people in the Uchiha district due to poverty?"

"Because the relatively wealthy and powerful Uchiha clan members like to casually drop Soldier Pills on the roadside. Those in need can pick them up to stave off hunger, and even sell the excess Soldier Pills to shops for profit."

"The wealthy help the less fortunate, the strong help the weak! First, let a portion of the clan become wealthy and strong, then use that strength to help the weaker members. This is the reason for the Uchiha clan's prosperity!"

"What a united, friendly, harmonious, and kind clan!"

"The Uchiha's strength is not without reason!"

"I've decided to define this spirit as the Soldier Pill Spirit! From now on, we shall sing its praises and learn from it within our clan!"

An elderly-looking clan elder voiced his opinion in a raspy voice, recounting a modified version of the Soldier Pill story he had heard from somewhere.

A clan member hesitantly raised his hand in objection:

"But… but Elder, didn't you always warn us to avoid interacting with the Uchiha clan?"

"Foolish, times have changed."

An old person in a clan was like a treasure.

The elder's cloudy eyes shimmered with the wisdom of one who had seen through the fog of the world.

"It doesn't matter what the Uchiha clan is truly like. What matters is what kind of Uchiha the village needs! What kind of Uchiha the era demands!"

"We define the Uchiha based on what the higher-ups need."

"We cannot afford to choose the wrong side."

"This is the way of survival for our small ninja clan."

"Is… is that so…?"

After the meeting concluded.

The young ninja clan members gathered in small groups, discussing the elder's speech.

The true nature of the Uchiha clan didn't really matter. The prevailing atmosphere in Konoha had always revolved around criticizing the Uchiha.

The shinobi world was a vast and chaotic stage, and the majority of ninjas were nothing more than a disorganized mob.

Not criticizing the Uchiha? Were you not part of the group?

Over time, this oppressive atmosphere had taken hold.

The "Soldier Pill Spirit" suddenly declared by the elder today forced these young ninjas to re-evaluate their attitudes towards the Uchiha, leaving them with a strange feeling.

It was like in a classroom at the Ninja Academy, where ordinary students, under the coercion and temptation of the class bully, would participate in bullying the studious and high-achieving student.

Then one day, a new homeroom teacher arrived and announced a crackdown on bullying.

Suddenly, the bully cowered and was taken away for disciplinary action, while the ordinary students who had participated in the bullying changed their attitudes towards the studious student.

Someone looked up at the overcast sky and voiced their doubts:

"Huh? Is the weather about to change?"

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