Hokage's Office - Dusk
The last rays of the setting sun shone through the window, staining the mountain of documents on the desk a blood-red hue. Tsunade on the table, making the teacups clink.
"What a Raikage!" She grabbed the letters from Sunagakure and Iwagakure, her Chakra involuntarily leaking out, scattering the documents all over the floor. "He wants Konoha to become a charity? Why doesn't he reveal his Lightning Release Armor Technique first!"
Shikamaru looked up from the pile of documents, his dark circles under his eyes as if he'd been hit by Explosive Tags. "Ugh... Another Five Kage Summit?"
Shizune quickly handed over a new teacup. "Kumogakure is taking advantage of our misfortune! The Heavenly Screen is already foreshadowing a crisis, and they still..."
"It's precisely because it's a crisis of the 'future'," Shikamaru interrupted, his fingers unconsciously toying with shogi pieces. "Humans only fear the swords and blades before them." He pushed open the shogi scoreboard, which was densely covered with comparisons of the combat strength of each ninja village.
"Kumogakure recovered the fastest after the Third Shinobi World War, and now has 30% more Jonin than us." The chess piece landed with a thud at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. "They dare to exert pressure because they've calculated that we've just experienced—"
"Orochimaru's attack and Sunagakure's invasion." Tsunade replied with a cold laugh, her fists clenched so tightly they cracked. "Konoha has been a village for decades, and this is the first time someone has come to our doorstep..."
Suddenly, an explosion came from the Training Ground outside the window, and Rock Lee's passionate shouts could be faintly heard. Tsunade walked to the window, looked at the village with smoke rising from the chimneys in the twilight, and suddenly turned around:
"Shikamaru, draft two replies."
"To Sunagakure: Thank you for sharing the information. Konoha will remember this friendship."
"To Iwagakure: Since Ōnoki is so concerned about Kirigakure's movements, why not send more people to help them search for Orochimaru?"
Shikamaru's pen paused. "Is this... to divide them?"
"No." Tsunade unbuttoned the collar of her Hokage robe, revealing a long-lost, maniacal smile, "to tell those old foxes—"
She suddenly slammed her hand on the desk, her voice Hokage out:
"Konoha's fist is still the hardest!" Shizune ordered Kakashi to lead the elite Anbu north immediately. She glanced at Shikamaru.
"Border exercises." The brilliant strategist sighed helplessly, "How about setting up a testing ground for the newly developed Chakra Armor near the Land of Land of Hot Water? That way, we can keep an eye on the movements of the Kumogakure."
Tsunade nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly grabbed the seal and slammed it heavily onto the document. The bright red "Approved" character, still wet with ink, resembled a declaration of war.
Meanwhile, in the office of the Kumogakure Raikage's Office Shadow...
"Achoo!"
Raikage A sneezed suddenly, soaking most of the newly written meeting agenda. Yugito Nii frowned, looking out the window at the darkening sky.
"The weather is about to change."
Konoha - Training Ground Area
The setting sun dyed Kakashi's silver hair a warm orange as he leaned against a tree trunk, flipping through "The Make-Out Tactics." Shizune hurried across the Training Ground, her medical kit swaying gently with each step.
"Kakashi- senpai!" She stopped, slightly out of breath, "The Lord Hokage's urgent order."
Kakashi slowly closed the book, his single eye curving into a crescent moon. "Oh dear... looks like my vacation is coming to an early end."
Shizune handed over the scroll, adding, "Lady Tsunade specifically instructed that this operation must demonstrate Konoha's power without excessively provoking Kumogakure..."
"Hmm... what a delicate balance." Kakashi scratched the back of his head, his gaze sweeping over the green figure walking upside down on the Training Ground. "How about we bring Gai along?"
"Huh?" Shizune pushed up her glasses. "But Lady Tsunade specifically asked Guy-senpai to guard the village..."
Kakashi's gaze followed the exaggerated weight on Guy's back—the weight of three adults. He recalled the crimson steam that pierced the battlefield in the Heavenly Screen.
"Look," he lowered his voice, "If Kumogakure accidentally saw Kai's morning practice... like the Seventh Gate or something..."
Suddenly realizing Shizune, a glint flashed in her glasses. "I understand! I'll go ask Lady Tsunade right away!"
As she turned away, Kakashi casually added, "By the way, I suggest Kaido bring some green bodysuit merchandise; maybe it'll open up the Kumogakure market..."
Hokage's Office - Ten Minutes Later
"Let Kai go?" Tsunade's pen snapped in her hand. "Are you sure this won't turn into a showdown between Konoha's Blue Beast and Cloud Shadow's brute?"
Shizune, she handed over a new fountain pen. "Kakashi- senpai said... we could arrange for Guy-senpai to 'accidentally' encounter the Kumogakure patrol on the border riverbank and do 5000 push-ups..."
Tsunade suddenly burst into laughter, causing the documents to rattle. "Fine! Let the Raikage find out the truth of the Heavenly Screen's contents!" She signed the order with a flourish, "Tell Guy that he's only allowed to open up to the Seventh Gate —but if he dares to shatter the boundary marker, he'll be punished by sweeping toilets for a year!"
The next morning, at the Konoha Gates
The rising sun gilded the Konoha Gates, where a dozen elite Jonin in neat rows. Kakashi stood at the very front, his deadpan eyes even more lifeless than usual—the enormous backpack on Guy's back, nearly half a person's height, emitted an eerie green glow in the sunlight.
"Kakashi! This is the passionate expedition of youth!" Guy's tears traced shimmering arcs in the morning light. "I can already imagine the heroic figures of the Kumogakure warriors in these battle robes!"
Through the gaps in the luggage, dozens of fluorescent green bodysuits could be vaguely seen, each with the words "Eight Gates: Konoha's Orthodox" embossed in gold on the chest. The topmost special edition even had a label embroidered with "Seventh Gates Trial Version".
"Um... Senior Kai." Genma Shiranui, Senbon dangling from his Genma Shiranui, twitched at the corner of his lips. "We're going to the border for deterrence this time, not to hold a fashion show..."
"That's right!"
Kai suddenly appeared in front of everyone in a Body Flicker Technique, startling several young Jonin drew their swords.
"It's precisely through the export of clothing culture that we can showcase Konoha's soft power!" He gave a thumbs up, his teeth flashing with a blinding white light. "According to my research, the average body fat percentage of Kumogakure is 2.3% lower than ours, making them absolutely the most suitable group for bodysuits!"
Kakashi turned a page of "Icha Icha Paradise," covering his twitching lips. (Yesterday was really just a casual joke...)
"Ahem." Aoba Yamashiro cleared his throat tactically. "Kai, shouldn't this kind of clothing related to inherited secret techniques...?"
"I understand!" Kai suddenly lowered his voice, mysteriously patting his bag. "That's why we've specially prepared a trial version—only 998 taels for a three-hour experience! The advanced version requires Chakra input to activate the fluorescent effect!"
The scene was deathly silent. Even the surveillance Anbu in the trees nearly fell off their branches.
Kakashi immediately closed the book. "Let's go!"
The instant he Body Flicker Technique to the treetop, he heard screams rising and falling behind him. "Wait! Senior Kai, don't try it on now! My eyes!"
On Hokage Rock
Tsunade gazed at the moving group in the distance, spearheaded by an eerie green light, and suddenly pressed her temple. "Shizune, should I send a medical team to accompany them?"
"It's already arranged." Shizune, she handed over the painkillers. "However, according to the Anbu report, the Kumogakure patrol just upgraded their binoculars yesterday..."
"Haha!" Tsunade suddenly burst into laughter, causing dust to fall from the rock face. "Let that muscle-bound idiot Raikage taste the effects of mental pollution!"