Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than half a year had passed. The New Year was just around the corner.
According to the returning ninjas, the battle with Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning was nearing its end.
Reiji continued living at his own pace.
Putting aside his role as an undercover agent, he was actually doing pretty well.
Aside from eating and drinking every day, and helping out at Ippongi's ninja tool shop after school, he had plenty of free time. He used it to finally take a good look around Konohagakure.
There was no denying it—Konoha really was the largest hidden village. Its population far exceeded Amegakure's, and its size was four or five times larger.
This massive population naturally led to a huge number of shinobi, something made possible by the village's favorable climate and fertile land.
Thinking of that, Reiji couldn't help but smile as Mizukuma came to mind.
That guy Mizukuma was probably rolling in bed with his two wives right now! Damn it, I should've introduced him to that chubby widow selling orange soda outside the red light district.
Just imagining Mizukuma enjoying his little harem made Reiji feel a mix of envy, jealousy, and frustration.
Still, wasn't there any reply from Hanzō of the Salamander to the letter he'd sent?
No way—it's already been over six months. They should've sent someone to back me up by now!
With that thought, Reiji let out a silent sigh and picked up his pace, slipping into the classroom just before class started.
The dull day passed quickly.
At 3:30 in the afternoon, school let out on schedule.
Still preoccupied with thoughts of Hanzō's reply, Reiji didn't linger. He waved goodbye to Jiraiya, who stayed behind for extra lessons, and turned to leave the school grounds.
Back at Old man Ippongi's house, Aunt Kyōko was helping Rie practice writing. As soon as Reiji walked in, Rie ran over, asking her big brother to pick her up.
Kyōko stood to the side, smiling as she watched Reiji lift Rie and spin her around, the little girl squealing with joy.
"Oh, right." Kyōko suddenly remembered something and pulled a thin letter out of the desk drawer. "Reiji, there's a letter for you."
At her words, Reiji's heart skipped a beat.
He didn't need to guess—he knew it had to be from Amegakure.
Keeping a calm face, he tucked one arm under Rie's knees and took the letter with the other, nodding his thanks.
"Thanks, Aunt Kyōko."
"No problem." Kyōko waved it off, her smile unchanged.
Though Reiji knew Kyōko's true identity—and she knew his—they both kept up the appearance of normalcy, showing no signs of tension.
With the letter in hand, Reiji said a polite goodbye with Rie and returned to his room.
He shut the door, sat down, opened the envelope, and read the letter.
It was short and to the point, signed by someone named Amegawa.
The message said a four-person covert team had arrived outside Konohagakure and needed Reiji to meet them.
Though the wording was vague, Reiji could still read between the lines.
This ninja named Amegawa had brought three others with him, and while they'd made it to Konoha's outskirts, they hadn't been able to get inside—maybe because of the village's tight security, maybe because the team was just incompetent. In any case, they ended up writing a letter and finding someone to deliver it to Reiji, asking for his help.
"Tch… useless," Reiji muttered, frowning. He didn't bother to hide the letter, leaving it openly on the table.
"Big brother, someone from your village came?"
Rie, who recognized quite a few characters, glanced at the letter curiously.
Reiji's stern expression softened. He reached out and gently patted Rie on the head.
"Nope, Rie."
Then he dipped a brush in ink and wrote "1:00 a.m." on the envelope, before leaving the room with Rie.
Inside, an ANBU wearing a dog-faced mask dropped silently from the ceiling beam, landed by the table without a sound, glanced at the letter, then vanished again without a trace.
In fact, the ANBU had already examined the letter's contents before it ever reached Reiji.
Later, Reiji returned from a casual stroll with Rie.
The room was exactly as they'd left it—except now, a bright red circle had appeared in the lower-right corner of the letter on the table.
Reiji knew what it meant. Konoha had approved his activity for 1:00 a.m. that night.
As night fell and all of Konohagakure lay quiet in darkness, peace hung heavy in the air.
In the silence of his room, a pair of sharp eyes suddenly opened. Reiji sat up, calmly pulled on a black short-sleeved shirt, slung his ninja pouch over his shoulder, quietly slid open the wooden door, and stepped into the night.
Reiji strolled leisurely through the streets of Konoha, his mind running through every possibility.
If the operatives Amegakure sent were idiots, he'd take them out himself. It'd be the perfect chance to show off a bit for the ANBU tailing him.
But if they turned out to be clever, he'd help them "infiltrate" Konoha.
Reiji wasn't worried about smart agents throwing off his plans. On the contrary, experienced operatives would make it easier to earn Hanzō of the Salamander's trust.
Since arriving in this world, he'd never underestimated anyone. But the one who demanded his full attention wasn't Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, nor the soon-to-be Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi—it was Hanzō of the Salamander.
Anyone who could lead Amegakure through an era like this clearly wasn't someone to be taken lightly. His strength and intellect were the real deal.
And a smart operative would be the perfect pawn for influencing Hanzō of the Salamander.
Suspicious people never fully let their guard down—but what about when it's not just one person? What if it's two? Three?
When enough smart people say the same thing over and over, even the most cautious will start to relax.
Reiji thought to himself, I'm not trying to be some overambitious mastermind who crashes and burns — I'd rather just play it smart, stay low-key, and come out on top in the end.
With that thought in mind, he casually walked out of the village and headed for the meeting point.
He crossed a stream and stepped into the dense forest just beyond the borders of Konoha.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared behind him, and a cold kunai pressed against his neck.
"Hey, kid—wandering around this late? That's not a great idea," a mocking voice said from behind.
Reiji froze for a second and sighed internally, already disappointed in the operatives Hanzō had sent.
A kid, seven years old, walking through the forest alone in the dead of night. Seriously? That doesn't raise any red flags?
Even if they knew he was a covert agent, approaching like this was way too reckless.
He kept calm on the outside.
"I'm Shuku Kohei. I'm here for Amegawa," he said plainly. His voice echoed through the silent woods.
The figure didn't move, the kunai still cold against his skin.
"How do you prove it?"
"There's an Amegakure forehead protector in my bag."
Without flinching, Reiji waited as the bag was opened. A brand-new Amegakure forehead protector appeared in the man's hand.
"Alright."
The kunai at his throat began to pull back—then suddenly slashed across his arm.
His sleeve tore open, blood welled up. That mocking voice returned, this time laced with cruelty.
"Forgive me. Just a precaution against Transformation Technique. Heh~"
Reiji curled his lips, held his arms out in mock surrender, and forced a smile.
"No worries. You guys are real pros."
In truth, he was cursing up a storm inside.
You bastard—I wore short sleeves on purpose to show my forearms, and you still had to slash my upper arm?!
That shirt cost me 200 ryō! Damn you! You're dead!
After confirming his identity, the shadow shoved him forward, leading him deeper into the forest.
They wound through the trees until they reached a hidden cave.
Inside, a fire crackled. Three adult men in civilian clothes sat around it. As soon as Reiji stepped in, all three turned to stare at him.
"Shuku Kohei. Heard a lot about you," said the young man furthest inside.
His face was forgettable—average eyes, average nose, average mouth. One corner of his lips curled into a sneer.
If he wasn't smirking, he'd actually be a decent candidate for an undercover agent.
Reiji recognized him.
Amegawa. One of Amegakure's covert agents. He used to gather intel at the bounty station and was one of the few survivors after the village's intelligence division was hit.
Amegawa sat by the fire, bags of supplies stacked around him. He squinted at Reiji, the smirk on his lips growing more pronounced.
Shuku Kohei. Yeah, he knew the name.
Truthfully, most shinobi in Amegakure had heard of the brat.
After all, he was Hanzō of the Salamander's disciple.
As the head of Amegakure and a man hailed as the Demi-God of the Shinobi World, Hanzō of the Salamander was deeply revered by the village's ninja.
And the more they worshipped Hanzō, the more they resented this kid who got lucky and became his disciple.
No other reason—just because Reiji had been chosen by Hanzō.
But now, that brat had clearly fallen out of favor.
Amegawa sneered inwardly, put on a superior tone, and gave an order like an elder addressing a child.
"Kohei-kun, I called you here because there's something I need you to take care of."
"Yes, sir." Reiji responded with a timid expression.
Seeing his cowardly demeanor, Amegawa's smirk deepened with disdain.
"First, draw us a map of Konoha's defenses. Then, arrange four identities for us. Finally, hand over all the intel you've gathered lately."
Reiji nodded like a pecking chick.
"Understood, Amegawa-sama. But before that, I'd like to ask about the current status of Mizukuma Sakuhō."
"Silence!" Amegawa's expression suddenly hardened.
"That's not something you're qualified to ask about!"
It was a trick he often used—start off friendly, then drop a sudden rebuke to assert dominance, followed by a show of generosity to keep people in line.
At this point, Amegawa already saw Reiji as his subordinate.
And for subordinates, it was essential to apply both pressure and reward.
Not that he had any information on Mizukuma to begin with. And even if he did, he had no intention of sharing it.
But Reiji wasn't rattled by the outburst.
Instead, he narrowed his eyes, watching Amegawa's every move with sharp focus.
He was assessing—did Amegawa actually know anything about Mizukuma? Was this guy still useful? What should he do next?
Unfortunately, it was clear: Amegawa either knew nothing, or simply didn't want to tell him.
Deciding to keep playing along, Reiji forced a stubborn expression onto his face.
"Tell me about Mizukuma-sensei!"
Amegawa's eyes flickered with interest at Reiji's emotional outburst. Inwardly, he sneered.
So the brat's sentimental? Perfect—easy leverage to make him work harder for me.
"Write down the intel on Konoha first. Once that's done, I'll have someone send you the information on Mizukuma Sakuhō."
"What?!"
Reiji's face twisted in anger.
"What do you mean you don't have any info on Mizukuma-sensei?! Hanzō-sama promised you'd bring it!"
"You little brat!" Amegawa roared suddenly.
"How dare you call Hanzō-sama by name?! Where are your manners?!"
He scolded him harshly, just like one of those insufferable corporate bosses.
Reiji didn't reply. He just stared at Amegawa, defiant.
He'd figured it out. Amegawa didn't know a damn thing about Mizukuma.
If he did, someone like him—who loved acting important—would absolutely be dangling that info as bait.
But this entire time, not one mention. Definitely clueless.
Realizing this, Reiji's expression turned cold. He muttered under his breath,
"Asshole. What a waste of my acting."
Amegawa remained oblivious to the death sentence Reiji had already passed on him in his mind. Still thinking he was in control, he shifted gears, preparing to "reward" his subordinate.
Since he'd just finished scolding the kid, it was time to throw him a bone and keep him motivated.
With that, Amegawa's face softened again. Putting on his fake kind smile, he reached into his luggage and pulled out a thick wad of cash and an envelope.
"Here you go, Kohei-kun. You asked for operational funds, didn't you? Take this—5,000 ryō."
Feigning generosity, he peeled a single 5,000 ryō note from the stack and handed it over with the envelope.
Reiji didn't even bother pretending anymore. He rolled his eyes, visibly disgusted, and took the bill.
Seriously? What is this, pocket change?
Figures. Following Hanzō-sama means being broke for life.
Seeing Reiji's disdain, Amegawa only grew more smug himself.
"Come on, don't look so sour. Use the 5,000 ryō to buy some candy or something. What does a kid need that much money for, anyway? The envelope's got a personal letter from Hanzō-sama. Go ahead, read it now."
Reiji felt his blood pressure spike.
This guy never shuts up!
...
While Reiji and Amegawa were talking, outside the cave, seven or eight figures in black cloaks and animal masks had already surrounded the area.
In the deepest shadows of the cave, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the scene by the bonfire with great interest.
If his hunch was right, Reiji would arrange for these four to be brought into Konoha.
Which was exactly what he wanted.
As the Hidden Village of the Land of Fire, Konoha couldn't avoid infiltration by enemy agents.
But—if those agents could be secretly controlled, the village could turn this liability into an asset. Not only could they manage the leak of information, they could also manipulate the agents for their own ends.
Hiruzen figured Reiji would let them in precisely because they were so incompetent.
After dealing with Reiji so often, his standards had risen. Compared to Reiji, the spies sent from Amegakure looked childish and laughable.
With that thought, Sarutobi smiled faintly.
Unless something went wrong, Reiji—with his smarts—should have no trouble manipulating the four of them.
Unfortunately, he was wrong again.
Reiji had no intention of letting those four out of the cave—let alone into Konoha.