Promoting the Konoha threat theory, and talking about the Hidden Mist Belt!

Prestige is something that is built up through success after success. Once that momentum is interrupted or something is done poorly, it is very difficult to rebuild it.

Especially if this matter is very important and involves everyone's vital interests, then this person will not be able to recover for at least several years.

For example... the issue of military spending.

“Let Hozuki Shingetsu come to see me.” Ren said with a smile to the ANBU beside him. “It’s time to meet our unparalleled foreign affairs officer in private.”

-

As soon as Hozuki Shingetsu entered, he saw Ren with his back to him, gazing out the window at the entire Hidden Mist Village.

"I am not yet strong, but when I grow strong, things will change!"

Hozuki Shingetsu gazed enviously at the wide, flowing robes of the Mizukage, silently reminding himself that the time was not yet ripe. Before possessing the strength to deal with the White Zetsu, Hozuki Shingetsu would never reveal his intentions.

"Lord Mizukage, is there anything I need you to do down there?"

"Haha, our Hidden Mist Village's genius has arrived! You've achieved remarkable results in the past few months since you took office as Foreign Affairs Officer! Who in the ninja world doesn't know you, Hozuki Shingetsu? The current situation in the ninja world is so good for our Hidden Mist Village, and you deserve the most credit!" Ren turned around and greeted Hozuki Shingetsu warmly.

Seeing his expression, Hozuki Shingetsu knew that nothing good was coming today. Sure enough, after a few perfunctory words, Ren got straight to the point.

"Let me represent Kirigakure to go to the capital to deliver New Year's greetings to the daimyo?"

"Indeed, this is your duty as a foreign affairs officer! Especially with your recent outstanding achievements, this is a good opportunity to report on the achievements of Kirigakure to the Daimyo!"

Hozuki Shingetsu remained calm, showing no surprise whatsoever.

From the day he became Foreign Minister, he knew this would happen.

Given the previously strained relationship between the Daimyo of the Land of Water and Kirigakure, the Ministry of the Interior would randomly assign this task to some unlucky person. Now that he has officially taken office as the Foreign Affairs Officer, this task has naturally fallen to him.

Lian probably sent him to annoy him. After all, the previous envoys were all verbally abused by the daimyo for dissatisfaction with their gifts. It's only because the daimyo lacked power that they could have pulled off such a thing as "confiscating gold and stripping titles."

"Oh, right, there's one more thing. There are rumors that the Daimyo is planning to drastically cut military spending next year. You must find a way to stop this when you offer your New Year's greetings," Ren added. He finally saw the troubled look on Hozuki Shingetsu's face, and in a good mood, he deliberately emphasized his words.

"This matter concerns the interests of the entire village, and I hope you will take it seriously. This trip must, no matter what, win back the daimyo's heart. If you fail to do so, and it leads to a significant reduction in the village's military budget next year, then the cuts will begin with your Ministry of Foreign Affairs' funding! Not only that, I will hold you accountable! Even if others speak up for you, I will not let you off the hook!"

Military spending is always a very sensitive issue, no matter when or where. Moreover, people have inherent flaws. No matter how much this guy has contributed or how much trouble he has caused in the ninja world, as long as everyone's interests are harmed because of him or he is involved, the enraged collective will definitely use him as an outlet for their anger, and Hozuki Shingetsu's reputation will inevitably undergo a complete reversal.

However, he never expected that the troubled look on Hozuki Shingetsu's face was completely a pretense.

He had long known that Lian hadn't made any moves lately, and that she was definitely up to no good. Although he hadn't expected it to be about military spending cuts, this matter and the previous mission to the capital were essentially the same thing.

That is, the daimyo had no goodwill towards Kirigakure.

Coincidentally, Hozuki Shingetsu had already devised a plan, a plan to win the favor of the daimyo.

He had been preparing for this since he took office as Foreign Minister, and the film industry professionals who had previously been controlled by the Kaguya clan were a key part of this plan.

The movie "30 Years a Slave," which was made some time ago to sow discord between the Uchiha clan and Konoha, has started to set a trend for movies in the ninja world. Nowadays, most people with a little money will choose to go see the movie and appreciate this new art form.

Well, due to the terrible filming techniques and methods in the ninja world, the most popular film right now is still "30 Years a Slave". It is said that Konoha once asked all the major cinemas to remove this movie, but even the cinemas in the Land of Fire simply ignored the news. After all, in this era, those who can afford to run a cinema basically have noble connections.

You're just a ninja; you should be grateful if the noble lords don't bother with you. You actually want to interfere with them?

It's against you!

Therefore, Konoha had no choice but to change the song "Kill That Uchiha" to "The Unkillable Uchiha" as a consolation and to show their resistance to such rumors.

So now that the atmosphere of the movie has been built up to this point, as long as Hozuki Shingetsu presents that biographical film during the New Year's celebrations, it will definitely be able to reverse the Daimyo's opinion of Kirigakure... no, it's about himself.

Chapter 30 Where can you make money faster than scamming subsidies?

Hozuki Shingetsu's plan to win over the daimyo was actually quite simple: to make a biographical film praising him.

There's a widely circulated saying from the past: "It's better to talk more than to do more, and better to write well than to do well." This can basically be considered an unspoken rule for career advancement.

Among those who joined the company at the same time, some people are able to vividly describe their mundane tasks as various urgent, difficult, and dangerous missions. Those with high emotional intelligence and good relationships with their superiors are often among the first to be promoted.

The same applies in the ninja world.

The reason why the Daimyo harbored such malice towards Kirigakure was ultimately because when the Second Mizukage took office, he felt that Kirigakure had offended him without asking permission. Since that was the case, wouldn't it be enough to make up for it?

How to make up for it?

A biographical film that comprehensively records the growth and struggle of the Daimyo, leading the Land of Water from weakness to strength, from poverty to prosperity, highlighting the Daimyo's wisdom, bravery, and domineering presence. I ask you, can you let the Daimyo feel the full sincerity of Hozuki Shingetsu?

No?

If that doesn't work, then increase the stakes!

Then in the movie, focus on belittling the daimyo of other countries, highlight the harsh international situation on the Land of Water, and emphasize the dramatic changes in the Land of Water before and after the daimyo took office. If all else fails, you can add some LSP (Likely referring to a character from a popular Chinese novel or TV show) plots that the masses enjoy!

After all, for those in high positions, there are only two things they seek: profit during their lifetime and fame after their death.

During his lifetime, as the Daimyo of the Land of Water, he had already reached the pinnacle of achievement unless he could unify the ninja world. But his posthumous fame is a different story altogether. Of all the Daimyo in history, how many are truly remembered unless they have made irreplaceable contributions?

Leaving aside the distant past, let's talk about the previous daimyo of the Land of Water. Who knows what he did?

As an ordinary contemporary daimyo of the Water Kingdom, who was worried about his posthumous reputation, a movie was delivered to his doorstep. From then on, the people of the Water Kingdom could admire his past achievements through movies. Who wouldn't be confused after watching this?

As for whether this is the truth... who cares? After all, how much of what everyone is spreading is actually true?

When they are overjoyed, why would the Daimyo cut the military budget of Kirigakure? With just one move, the dilemma can be resolved. Isn't that wonderful?

As for whether Ren will find another reason to withhold the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' funding afterward... sorry, Hozuki Shingetsu can put his hands in his pockets and loudly tell Ren, "What's the point of village funding if you can't cheat the government out of subsidies?"

With this movie as a foundation, if Hozuki Shingetsu could also reveal at the right time that he wants to polish a high-quality movie for the daimyo's sixtieth birthday, he would like to say that he has enough manpower, but is slightly short of funds. Wouldn't the daimyo be generous enough to contribute?

By starting with one example, and given the current daimyo's reputation for boasting, wouldn't he be more than willing to promote the movie in the ninja world? When the daimyo from various countries see it, they'll think, "Wow, even a big-eyed guy with thick eyebrows who doesn't do anything productive can make a movie like this. How can those of us who have accomplished something not have one?"

If Hozuki Shingetsu takes the opportunity to establish some offshore film companies, and secretly reveals that he can outsource to the original crew of the biopic of the Daimyo of the Land of Water, then the funds will flow into his hands.

After all, what the rich and powerful love most, and what they fear most, is comparison. If you have something that others don't, then comparison is inevitable; but if you have something that others don't, then you'll definitely be forced to compare yourself to others.

Therefore, this wave is the correct approach to opening up the ninja world's movies today.

However, the above plan is not to be told to outsiders. So, all outsiders can see is the current star of Kirigakure walking out of the Mizukage's office with a smug face. Then, with the Mizukage's active promotion, everyone knows about the problem that this foreign affairs officer is facing.

The rest were alright, but the issue of military spending truly affected everyone in the village, so someone couldn't hold back any longer and went to Hozuki Shingetsu's house to confirm the situation. After receiving a positive reply, all the departments were in despair, and they all began to rack their brains to prevent their own department's funding from being cut, trying to figure out how to get the knife to other departments instead.

But after thinking it over, I realized that everyone here is a cunning individual. If one department suddenly spends the budget, creating the illusion that departmental expenses are too high to be cut, another department will retaliate by reporting you for misappropriating public funds. This department will immediately launch many new projects, trying to create a fait accompli to hold the village hostage to continue allocating funds next year, while that department will dare to directly steal your accounting books.

In short, after everyone had gone around attacking, they suddenly realized that there was actually another department that could be a target. The Foreign Affairs Department, which had previously been neglected, was overlooked when funding was plentiful. Furthermore, the remarkable achievements made by Hozuki Shingetsu after taking over the Foreign Affairs Department led everyone to subconsciously ignore it.

But given the current situation, it's better to sacrifice a friend than oneself; who cares about anyone else? Anyway, the Foreign Affairs Department only has a few people, and the Hozuki clan is wealthy and powerful, so they can just pay for it themselves, right? In addition, some people were driven by jealousy, so everyone unceremoniously turned their anger towards the Foreign Affairs Department.

However, they were clever enough not to confront them directly, but instead used a strategy of flattery to praise the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' achievements. They claimed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' actions had thrown the ninja world into chaos, resulting in a much better international environment for Kirigakure, which they only needed to maintain next year; and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' frequent actions had created a subtle trend of targeting Kirigakure in the ninja world, suggesting that things should be quieter in the next few years, and so on.

The goal is the same: their own funding cannot be cut. If they have to cut it, then they should cut the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' funding!

"What a mob!"

After receiving the secret report, Hozuki Shingetsu sneered, completely ignoring these clowns.

Funding? Only incompetent people rely on government grants to survive. A bunch of people just keep calculating over the few buns in the pot. How can you expect to live a life of luxury without being quick-witted?

He shook his head and began to organize his plans for the coming period.

The current situation in the ninja world is extremely volatile, with war potentially breaking out at any moment. The "continental balance strategy" has already shown initial success. However, considering the actual circumstances of Kirigakure, this "continental balance strategy" is completely different from that of the previous era.

According to Hozuki Shingetsu's plan, the purpose of his "continental balance strategy" was to make the other four major countries, including the Land of Fire, believe that Kirigakure was not strong enough and could only maintain its presence by relying on these conspiracies and tricks.

In other words, they use high-profile propaganda to expose their "weakness," thereby concealing their covert recuperation and development. Ideally, they want to leave the impression that Kirigakure has no ambition whatsoever, but is only stirring up trouble in the ninja world out of fear of invasion by other nations.

If this impression can be successfully established, then Hozuki Shingetsu's goal will be achieved.

Well, so far, everything is going smoothly.

Besides, there are still more than two months until the New Year, and the most important thing right now is definitely going to the capital to meet the daimyo. In the meantime, Hozuki Shingetsu plans to have the film industry professionals polish the film based on the script he provided.

As a crucial part of the Hozuki New Moon Project, the fate of the situation hinges entirely on this film. Therefore, it certainly can't be rushed like the previous film, "30 Years a Slave." It needs to be even more refined in its filming techniques, costumes, and props.

Fortunately, one good thing about making movies in the ninja world is that you don't need to find actors. You can just use a transformation jutsu to create any kind of actor you want, saving you the trouble of makeup. Add in some real ninjutsu special effects, and Hozuki Shingetsu can already imagine the expression on the daimyo's face when he sees this movie, "The Daimyo's Splendor."

Chapter 31 Methods to Improve Personal Strength

Aside from currying favor with the powerful, the most important thing for him right now is to work hard to improve his personal abilities.

The Naruto world is, after all, a world of extraordinary power, where individual strength is always an indispensable element. Despite Hozuki Shingetsu's current prominence in the ninja world, if his strength remains stagnant, even if Ren falls from power, he won't have a chance to rise to the top.

Personal ability is the key to entering the circle. Only after reaching a certain threshold can you enter the circle and then talk about other things.

The period from twelve to sixteen years old is a golden age for ninjas to improve their strength. In the original work, the years from the end of the Chunin Exams to the beginning of Shippuden were also the period when the twelve Konoha 11's strength improved the most rapidly.

Therefore, after Hozuki Shingetsu had initially achieved his goal of disrupting the ninja world to buy time for Kirigakure and establishing prestige within the village, he began to plan the next step on how to improve his strength.

The current Hozuki Shingetsu possesses the three chakra natures of wind, water, and lightning. He is proficient in all the water-style techniques of the Hozuki clan except for the Steam Burst Technique. He has mastered the Destructo Disc and a half-finished water-style chakra mode. In all aspects, he has reached the standard of a Jonin.

Regarding his fighting style, Hozuki Shingetsu is very clear: he is a turret-style ninja who primarily uses ninjutsu for surprise attacks. Of course, to compensate for his lack of close-combat ability, Hozuki Shingetsu also created the Water Release Chakra Mode to deal with situations where he is caught in close combat.

Since Jonin is basically the limit that a normal person can reach, in order to break through this level, one must learn some unconventional ninjutsu.

Based on this, he currently has three branches of abilities that he can improve.

First, there's the technique of using the Steam Explosion. As the Second Mizukage's signature move, the combination of Steam Explosion and Mirage is a veritable "minion crusher" in every sense of the word. Even a skilled fighter can be seriously injured if they're not careful. The Second Tsuchikage, Mu, was covered in bandages because his skin was ulcerated from the explosion of this technique, forcing him to appear in bandages.

However, the drawbacks of practicing this technique are also obvious. Leaving aside the complexity of the ninjutsu itself, the very fact that it's a mixture of oil and water, relying on steam to create an explosion, is enough to convey the immense danger it carries. This is precisely why, for over a decade after Hozuki Gengetsu's death, no one in the Hozuki clan had successfully mastered it.

Secondly, it involves further refining the Water Release Chakra Mode. As the signature technique of the Yotsuki clan of Kumogakure, the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, while only a B-rank ninjutsu, has been developed to its fullest potential by the Yotsuki clan. Kumogakure's ninjutsu and taijutsu are considered unparalleled in the ninja world, and many members of the Yotsuki clan have achieved Kage-level strength through this technique. The Water Release Chakra Mode, drawing inspiration from this, demonstrates its immense potential power.

However, the drawback is equally obvious: how to master this Water Release chakra mode. It took decades, even centuries, for others to refine it to create the series of ninjutsu and taijutsu based on the Lightning Release chakra mode. Unless a master who has practiced the Lightning Release chakra mode teaches him step by step, it's hard to say how long it will take to complete it.

As for the third type, that is Sage Mode.