Walking down the empty streets of Konoha, Reiji glanced around with curiosity.
On a distant rooftop, aside from "Dog Brother"—who had a thing for lewd stuff and was a bit of a moody type—there was no one else.
"That's weird..." he muttered, then looked up at Sakumo Hatake and shouted,
"Dog Brother! Has anyone been looking for me?"
Sakumo's foot slipped on the tiles, and he tumbled off the roof in a blur.
After a moment, the ninja scrambled back up, covering his mask and looking rather disheveled. He snapped irritably,
"No!"
"And seriously, yelling in the middle of the night? Where are your manners?!"
"Then what should I be doing?" Reiji shouted again.
Immediately, angry shouts erupted from the surrounding residential area.
Seeing the commotion, Sakumo instinctively ducked his head and appeared beside Reiji in a flash using the Body Flicker Technique. He whispered,
"Sleep. Go home and sleep!"
"Sleep?" Reiji scoffed and raised his voice deliberately.
"At our age, who can sleep? Don't you have any drive?"
More angry shouts of "I love you" rang out from the houses nearby.
Sakumo's face visibly dropped beneath his mask.
"Son of a..." he muttered, formed a seal with one hand, and vanished with another Body Flicker.
Seeing Dog Brother flee, Reiji didn't linger either. Before the villagers could come out and beat him up, he bellowed one last time,
"Screw sleep—get up and party!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Reiji copied Dog Brother's hand seal and disappeared with his own flicker technique.
...
When he reappeared, Reiji stood atop the high wall surrounding the Senju estate.
After spending so long in the Land of Lightning, he'd gotten used to seeking high ground.
With a single leap, his dark skin blended seamlessly into the night.
As long as he didn't smile, his stealth bonus went up by 20%.
Following the scent, Reiji located Rie's room.
It was a spacious bedroom, the floor covered wall-to-wall with tatami mats.
Scrolls lay everywhere—some unrolled, some sealed shut.
A little messy, but spotless.
Clearly, Rie lived well.
The little girl was sprawled out on the tatami, hugging a pillow with her swollen little hands, snoring softly in her sleep.
She looked exhausted.
Reiji's gaze drifted over the scrolls on the floor.
[Fire Release: Flame Bullet]
[Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet]
[Fire Release: Flame Dragon Bullet]
He nodded in approval, but when his eyes landed on an open scroll beside Rie, the smile faded from his face.
Wait... [Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning]?
What the hell—are they trying to turn my sweet little Rie into a damn chimney?
With his usual rigid, old-school mindset, Reiji scowled and gently picked up the ash-spewing scroll.
Damn it. This has to be from that old geezer Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Casting a glance at his sister, Reiji left the room, feeling satisfied.
...
Out on the wooden veranda facing the courtyard, a refined, graceful woman in an elaborate kimono sat calmly, gazing at the moon.
"Is that you, Reiji?"
Mito Uzumaki didn't turn around, her eyes still fixed on the sky.
Reiji stepped forward, walked up beside her, and gave a slight bow.
"Lady Mito, thank you for always looking after my sister."
Mito glanced at him with a kind smile and patted the spot beside her.
"Come, sit. I hope you don't mind listening to an old lady ramble a bit?"
Reiji quickly shook his head and sat next to her, respectfully keeping a bit of distance.
"Not at all. It's my honor to chat with someone as dignified and beautiful as you."
"You smooth talker," Mito said with a warm smile, clearly not offended.
Bathed in moonlight, she finally got a good look at Reiji's face, and a playful glint appeared in her eyes.
"You've gotten so dark, kid."
Reiji scratched his head, grinning sheepishly and flashing his bright teeth.
"Can't be helped. Everyone in the Land of Lightning looks like this. I stood out too much with my original skin tone."
Mito nodded thoughtfully.
"Dark's not bad—makes you look sturdy. But your physical energy's grown a lot stronger. Are you focusing on Taijutsu?"
Truthfully, she was more surprised than she let on.
She knew Reiji wasn't from the Senju or Uzumaki clans.
And yet, in under a year, the boy's physical energy had doubled.
Even more baffling, that power wasn't the immense vitality of the Senju, nor the enduring lifeforce of the Uzumaki.
It was something completely different.
Inside this child was a pure, explosive strength—like a thunderclap waiting to strike.
Thinking of this, Mito Uzumaki couldn't help but ask, "Reiji, where are your parents from?"
Reiji looked calmly at the small stream flowing through the courtyard and shook his head.
"Lady Mito, I don't know. I've had no memories since the moment I woke up."
As Reiji spoke, Mito Uzumaki's eyes flicked toward the house behind them.
She had sensed it.
Her granddaughter, Tsunade, was crouched at the wooden sliding door, secretly eavesdropping.
Still, she said nothing to stop her, nor did she warn Reiji.
"A tragic past… Reiji, have you ever thought about joining Konoha?" she asked, her tone suggestive.
Reiji fell silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled like a mischievous boy and said half-jokingly, half-seriously,
"Lady Mito, can you keep a secret? If you promise not to tell anyone, I'll share what's really on my mind."
At his words, Mito Uzumaki went quiet.
Secrecy is a fundamental ninja trait—but how many can truly keep a secret?
After a moment's thought, she nodded.
"As long as it doesn't harm the village Hashirama loved, I'll keep it."
Behind the door, Tsunade blinked her big eyes and gave a firm, silent nod—"Me too!"
Seeing Mito Uzumaki's response, Reiji smiled inwardly.
He never actually expected her to keep it. What he was about to say was simply a message—something he wanted passed along to Konoha.
With that in mind, he didn't hesitate any longer and began to speak.
"From the moment my identity was exposed, joining Konoha was no longer an option.
To survive, I used Hiruzen-sama's words to present my value and abilities to Tobirama-sama.
It was the only way to stay alive—but it also meant that the higher-ups in Konoha no longer saw me as just a kid.
Think about it. What village would—pardon my arrogance—let someone who toyed with their intellect just live peacefully among them?
From that moment, even if I gave my all to become part of Konoha, they couldn't afford to let me in.
Back then, Old man Hiruzen was still a bit naive. But not anymore.
Since then, I've never been out of ANBU's sight for a single moment.
If I had to guess, the Third Hokage probably checks in on Rie often, right?
Rie is the weakness I show—and also my real one.
A weapon should understand its role. That much, I do get.
Otherwise, how would the Second or Third Hokage ever allow someone like me to roam free?
Tell me—do you really think I still have a shot at joining Konoha?"
As Reiji's calm voice trailed off, Mito Uzumaki fell into silence.
From the shadows, Tsunade stared ahead, dazed.
She knew Reiji had a rough past.
But she never imagined that even after coming to Konoha, he had to live so cautiously—struggling with every step.
And yet, somehow, he'd climbed his way out of it, bit by bit.
...
Eventually, the smile on Mito Uzumaki's face faded.
She turned to look at Reiji, her gaze layered with complex emotions.
"Reiji, do you have a dream?" she asked softly.
Reiji went quiet for a while, then chuckled bitterly.
"I suppose I do.
To kill Hanzō of the Salamander… and protect this village that's been torn apart by war."
"Is that your dream?" Mito Uzumaki asked, sharply.
"Uh… it's my teacher's dream."
"Then what's yours?" she pressed.
"Just to live a simple life. What else is someone like me supposed to want?" Reiji replied with a cheerful smile.
But Mito Uzumaki didn't let up. Instead, her expression grew serious.
"Reiji, do you want peace?"
Reiji understood what she really meant. Or rather, he understood that her question was Konoha's question.
He shook his head.
"No. Not peace. My peace."
With that, Reiji placed the scroll of [Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning] down, stood up, bowed, and disappeared from the Senju estate with the Body Flicker Technique.
...
Behind the wooden door, Tsunade listened as his voice faded, then sank to her knees, staring blankly into the darkness.
His words had been clear. But… would he come back?
...
With a few leaps, Reiji left the Senju estate and returned to the streets of Konoha.
It was late.
The pale moonlight hid behind clouds, reluctant to cast even a sliver of light.
Reiji strolled through the quiet streets, waiting for the final meeting of the night.
Before long, an ANBU with a cat-faced mask appeared in front of him.
A white mask. A black hooded cloak.
"Reiji Sakuhō. Danzō-sama requests your presence."
...
Soon after, Reiji was led into a pitch-black underground chamber.
Though his head was covered, he could tell by the terrain that the entrance was somewhere above Hokage Rock.
Once the hood was removed, Reiji squinted against the candlelight and looked around.
It was a square underground room, about a hundred square meters, lined with countless flickering candles. Behind him, a heavy door slowly closed.
In front of him, Danzō Shimura sat motionless on a stone chair, flanked by two masked ANBU.
"Yo~ Long time no see, Danzō-sama!" Reiji waved cheerfully.
Danzō, who had been sitting in silent contemplation, slowly lifted his head, revealing his signature "X"-shaped scar on his chin.
"Long time no see, Reiji...Sakuhō," he said slowly, his tone devoid of hostility.
"Tell me, Reiji, why would you go to Kagami Uchiha's house so late at night?"
Hearing this, Reiji felt a flicker of satisfaction.
As expected, Hiruzen, ever the fence-sitter, had passed the dirty work of monitoring the Uchiha to Danzō.
After a brief pause, Reiji smiled and replied,
"That's pretty normal, isn't it? Just catching up with an old friend. With my status, it's not exactly convenient to visit during the day."
Danzō gave a faint smile, eyes narrowing as he studied Reiji.
"Reiji, I doubt it's that simple.
Ah, I forgot to mention—Lord Third has appointed me to oversee the village's relations with the Uchiha Clan."
"Really?" Reiji feigned surprise, then put on a remorseful expression.
"My apologies, I wasn't aware of your new role. I shouldn't have kept it from you.
I went to Kagami's place to talk about the usual—he's curious about how to bring the Uchiha and the village closer together."
Danzō scoffed inwardly at the answer, but responded casually,
"Just follow Tobirama-sama's will."
Reiji nodded repeatedly.
"Exactly what I told him! I said, forget all the clan politics and focus on climbing the ranks in Konoha.
Even if Hokage's out of reach, getting a spot like Homura Mitokado or Koharu Utatane as a top advisor shouldn't be a problem!"
Danzō's eyes twitched, and his pupils visibly contracted.
If Kagami aimed for a high-level position, that fool Sarutobi would support him with everything he had.
And that would mean even more division of power—what little remained would be spread thinner still.
Thoughts racing, Danzō forced a mild expression and nodded.
"Indeed. Kagami has the strength and the aptitude. So what did he say?"
Reiji clapped his hands, grinning brightly.
"He was surprisingly cooperative this time! Said he'd discuss it with his family, but honestly? I think he's already leaning toward it."
Danzō felt a chill run down his spine.
Just as he feared—he never should've let this kid get so close to Kagami!
Kagami used to act so lethargic and indifferent. Who would've thought this brat could actually get through to him?
Worried about losing more influence, Danzō didn't hesitate.
Having sparred with Reiji in wit and will for so long, he knew this kid had the charisma and cunning to sway even someone like Kagami.
And as someone who always assumed the worst of others, Danzō didn't care if Kagami really had those ambitions or not.
What mattered was: he had to secure that power.
With that resolve, Danzō suddenly extended an offer.
"Reiji, I heard your sensei, Mizukuma Sakuhō, was killed by Hanzō of the Salamander. Don't you want revenge?"
"Of course I do," Reiji answered without hesitation.
Danzō's eyes narrowed with satisfaction as he pressed on.
"Then why waste your time with the Uchiha? Are you planning to borrow Kagami's strength to take revenge?"
Reiji's slight look of surprise didn't go unnoticed. Danzō caught it and pushed further, voice coaxing.
"I know Kagami. His loyalty lies with the Uchiha—he won't help you, no matter how close you are.
And Hiruzen won't let you act rashly either. Hanzō is the buffer protecting Konoha's western front.
You understand that, don't you?"
Reiji nodded.
Seeing that, Danzō continued,
"So instead of wasting your time with them, why not work with me?
Sure, we've had our disagreements, but believe me—I only act in the village's best interest.
If you join me, you'll have access to money, forbidden jutsu, manpower—everything.
You'll grow stronger and take revenge on your own terms.
Isn't that the better option?"
As Danzō spoke with such benevolence, Reiji was already laughing inside.
Oh, Danzō... credit where it's due—your silver tongue really is impressive. I almost believed you.
But with your current influence, could you even show me the Scroll of Seals? I doubt it.
Still, I have to admire your clever little plan to use me as a weapon.
Too bad... I only see you as my younger brother.
My foolish little "Otouto," drown in hatred. Be consumed by it. And keep living your wretched life.
Reiji's grin suddenly widened. He stared at Danzō with barely contained excitement.
"My dear Danzō-sama! Everything you said makes sense.
But first... you'll have to beat me."