The Temple of Wind and Thunder was still a construction site.
"Take this!" a cheeky voice rang out.
A brick flew through the air at high speed. A Kumogakure Jōnin, eyes wide in panic, flickered out of the way just in time.
Clang! A dull thud followed.
His eyes rolled back, knees buckling—he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Behind him, Reiji had already transformed back into the middle-aged man from before, one hand forming a seal, the other gripping a brick.
Around his feet, more than a dozen ninja lay sprawled in disarray.
Staring at the pile of unconscious bodies, Reiji looked speechless.
To be fair, taking them all down wouldn't normally have been this quick.
But what he hadn't expected... was that the workers rebuilding the temple had been using his Flying Thunder God Technique bricks as ordinary construction bricks.
Seriously? He'd nearly been screwed over by that.
The end result: it took him barely ten seconds to flatten this group into muggles.
Tossing the brick aside in exasperation, Reiji formed another seal and vanished on the spot.
...
A second later, he appeared inside the massive cave where Two-Tails, Matatabi, was being held.
Whoa!
Before he could even glance at the beast, his attention was immediately drawn to a figure in the corner—struggling with a set of chains.
"Master Chōkū, trying to loosen Matatabi's bindings again?"
At the sound of his voice, Master Chōkū flinched violently and turned his head with a trembling smile.
"A-Ah, you've returned, honored one..."
Reiji looked at his awkward grin and, intrigued, asked, "So, Master, how do you even get in here? I checked every inch and didn't see an entrance."
Chōkū averted his gaze, scratching his bald head with a sheepish expression.
"Well, about that... You know that big Buddha statue sitting cross-legged up there?"
Then he pointed at his own crotch with a toady grin.
Reiji's face darkened instantly.
What the hell kind of insane entrance is that?
Does the Buddha know what you're doing with it?
As Reiji stared at him in stunned silence, Matatabi, who'd been lying nearby, slowly opened her eyes.
A wave of intense resentment slammed into Reiji.
Immediately, the sound of chains grinding under tension echoed through the cave.
But this time, the Wind and Thunder Chains were tied tight—Matatabi could barely move despite her struggle.
Apparently, the Third Raikage, who sealed her himself, had some serious rope skills.
What really surprised Reiji, though, was that—maybe because the cat talked too much or just wouldn't shut up—Lord Raikage had even gagged her.
Perfect! That was actually a good move. Who knew Lord Raikage was so... multitalented?
Stroking his chin with a humble, inquisitive look, Reiji inspected the Wind and Thunder Chains like he was studying a masterpiece.
Matatabi immediately erupted, thrashing and growling through the gag.
Watching her bare her fangs in frustration but unable to do anything, Reiji knew—this was his moment.
If he could seize this chance and win her over...
He'd finally have a cat of his own!
After thinking for a moment, Reiji walked over and sat cross-legged in front of her.
Poof! A soft sound.
He made a seal and released the Transformation Technique.
In the next second, a handsome young man appeared before Matatabi. The only problem—his skin was ridiculously tanned.
Ignoring that, Reiji looked up seriously, locking eyes with her.
"Two-Tails little gir—cough, I mean... Miss Matatabi. I'm Reiji Sakuhō. Nice to meet you again!"
"Mmrrgghhh!" came a low, muffled growl.
"Uh... Master Chōkū, mind untying our girl here?"
Reiji turned to glance at the trembling monk cowering in the corner.
Chōkū forced a smile, trying to look helpful.
"It's not that I don't want to, sir... but A tied the chain too high. I just can't reach it!"
As he spoke, he pointed at a chain extending up to the Great Buddha's backside.
Reiji couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.
Chains rattled in protest.
Realizing his mistake, Reiji quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, looking embarrassed.
Dammit!
This is all the Third Raikage's fault—I totally lost it.
He grumbled inwardly, then glanced at Matatabi, who was now glaring at him with burning eyes.
Time to redeem himself.
With that thought, Reiji sprang to his feet and bent his knees slightly.
Boom! A thunderous crack split the air as he shot upward like a bolt of black lightning.
Not far away, Master Chōkū stared in awe.
He'd already thought Reiji's teleportation jutsu was freaky enough—
But now he finds out the guy's also got monstrous physical power?
Up above, Reiji had already caught hold of the massive Wind and Thunder Chain.
Instantly, his palms were hit with a sharp, stinging numbness.
And the longer he held on, the more that sensation spread through his body.
No wonder the Land of Lightning managed to seal the Two-Tails without a Jinchūriki.
This chain's a real treasure.
Without a second thought, Reiji braced himself against the pain and unfastened the knot tied around the strange protrusion on the Great Buddha's rear.
Clang! A sharp metallic crash rang out.
Reiji and the Wind and Thunder Chain slammed to the ground together.
Boom! A muffled thud followed as the impact left a wide, cracked crater in the earth.
Reiji quickly leapt out of the pit, dusted himself off, and looked at Matatabi with an eager grin.
In the corner, Master Chōkū's mouth twitched. He was quietly stunned.
That physical strength...
Was this guy... A's chosen successor for the next Raikage?
Just as Chōkū was speculating, Matatabi—her mouth now free—suddenly lunged, stretching her neck out. Her gaping maw, filled with massive fangs, shot toward Reiji.
Her canines alone were almost as tall as him.
Hah! Ungrateful little thing!
Facing that enormous mouth just inches away, Reiji raised an eyebrow and quickly formed a seal with his left hand.
"Flying Thunder God Technique!"
In an instant, he appeared right in front of Master Chōkū, his right hand resting squarely on the monk's bald head.
He gave it a quick pat—surprisingly smooth.
Chōkū looked up. Their eyes met, and Reiji grinned.
"Master, didn't your mom ever teach you to wash your hair regularly?"
Then the Flying Thunder God Technique activated again.
They vanished.
...
When they reappeared, Reiji was holding Chōkū above his head like a shield, straight in front of Matatabi's open mouth. Chōkū flailed and screamed in terror.
"Lady Matatabi, please don't eat me!!"
The enormous jaws suddenly froze mid-bite.
"Put him down, you dirt-planted freak!" Matatabi snapped in a crisp, high-pitched voice.
Reiji shook his head firmly.
"Nope. Not unless you agree to something."
"No way! I won't agree!" Matatabi huffed, tilting her head with a tsundere pout.
...Huh?
Reiji blinked, a little thrown off.
"Hold on. I said I need you to agree to something. You're supposed to ask, 'What is it?' Then I tell you what it is. How did we skip straight to 'I won't agree'?"
"I don't know!" Matatabi replied confidently.
Reiji's face darkened. He grabbed Chōkū by the collar.
"All right, fine! Let's take this to the sea and settle it!
If you win, I'll never bother you again.
But if you lose—you're coming with me. Got it?"
Matatabi shook her head like a rattle, her voice clear and sharp again.
"No! I don't want to get buried with you!"
"What now?" Reiji frowned, thoroughly confused.
"Rephrase that. What do you mean by 'get buried'?"
Matatabi just shook her little cat head and stayed silent.
Seeing this, Reiji's grin turned sly. He gently stroked Chōkū's shiny bald head.
"Oh, you're not talking? Fine. I'll sell your little monk buddy here to the Land of Hot Water to work as a bathhouse scrubber!"
"Nooo! I don't wanna scrub backs!" Chōkū shrieked in horror, his shiny head shaking frantically.
Matatabi, despite all her years of life, had never heard such a bizarre threat. She panicked immediately.
If Chōkū was gone, she'd be stuck here, permanently chained and drained of strength. She'd never get to experience the outside world again.
Fuming, she glared at Reiji.
"Getting buried is just... getting buried! I don't know why—I just have this gut feeling that you belong in the ground!"
Reiji looked totally baffled.
"You really don't know?"
"Why are you so sneaky and complicated?! That's all I know! But... that stinky fox probably knows more."
Reiji frowned, a headache creeping in.
He knew exactly who she meant—the Nine-Tails.
But "should be buried in the ground"? That was... a bit much.
Still, one thing was clear—it probably had something to do with his immortality.
He made a mental note to ask the Nine-Tails when he got back to Konoha.
For now, though, the priority was winning over this cat spirit.
After all, whether it was the Flying Thunder God Technique, the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, or the future Lightning Release Chakra Mode—it all required massive chakra reserves.
Once he mastered Lightning Release Chakra Mode, his physical strength would skyrocket.
Then, if he could somehow acquire the Eight Inner Gates and combine it with his immortality...
Only then would he finally have the power to truly protect himself.
And when that time comes—
Even if they bury me in the dirt...
I'm not sprouting a damn thing!