Uchiha Makoto sat at the base's control console, his fingers clattering across the virtual keyboard.
The schedule on the screen was so densely packed it made his eyes swim.
"Phase one of public opinion guidance, commence." With a lollipop in his mouth, he mumbled, "Nako, I've got a mission for you."
Nako's brief reply came through the communicator beside him. "Understood."
"Listen," Cheng said, shifting the lollipop to the other side of his mouth. "Change your look and wander around teahouses, breakfast stalls, places with lots of people and loose tongues. Don't force it. Just pretend you're making small talk and find a chance to 'casually' mention a few things..."
He counted off the instructions on his fingers. "Say Lord White Fang's mission was actually really complicated, nothing like the simple story going around. What? How do I know? Oh, my cousin's teammate's sister's boyfriend's uncle works in intelligence. That's where I heard it!"
"Then mention that, compared to cold, impersonal missions, a ninja willing to save his comrades is someone worth trusting. Make it sound natural, not like you're reciting lines."
"Oh, and sound a little hesitant, like you're not entirely sure yourself and you're just chatting. Got it?"
"Got it."
Nako's voice remained flat, but Cheng knew she would carry it out perfectly.
After ending the call, Cheng brought up another interface.
Forge a few anonymous thank-you letters. As for the contents... something like, "Thank you, Lord White Fang, for saving my family member during such-and-such mission." Keep the details vague, but make the emotion sincere.
Then, under cover of a dark, windy night, secretly slip them into the suggestion box outside the Hokage Building, the one covered in a thick layer of dust.
"And the noticeboard in the Mission Hall..." Cheng rubbed his chin, thinking. "Use that