The timid stood still, while the brave had already charged ahead.
Hozuki Shingetsu had quietly set his subordinates to approach the influential figures as soon as this public-opinion campaign began.
The influential figures, who had always looked down on shinobi, were astonished to discover that ninjutsu could be used for entertainment. One after another, they became extremely interested.
Right then, expert tutors from Kirigakure's most reputable families had already volunteered to visit and provide one-on-one instruction.
They had even brought out the Forty-Eight Hands of Konoha, supposedly compiled by Sarutobi Hiruzen himself. It was a collection of fine ninjutsu, carefully selected by Lord Hokage.
Articles such as "Konoha's Secret Tradition: One Hundred and Eight Uses for the Clone Technique," "Transformation Technique: Details Determine Success," "How to Master Chakra Threads in Thirty Days," and the Puppet Development Manual were all widely praised by influential figures across the nations. For the first time, they realized that they were the country bumpkins all along.
For the sake of such thoughtful service, these influential figures not only paid through the nose, but also couldn't help developing a fondness for Kirigakure. They found themselves saying:
"Thanks!"
So while Sarutobi Hiruzen was wondering how to fob Himi Saki off, Hozuki Shingetsu had already handed the entire matter to Ao, putting him in charge of its continued operation.
The follow-up was simple: keep using Sarutobi Hiruzen as the protagonist to "create" the kind of spiritual sustenance the people loved, injecting a clear stream into the entertainment desert that was the Shinobi World.
Hozuki Shingetsu had already prepared the outlines for Ao. All they needed was to find a few ghostwriters to expand on them, and the result would be more than enough to crush every competing work in the Shinobi World.
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