When Reiji got home, he knew someone had their eyes on him—but he had no idea that girl had spent the entire night thinking about him.
And not just thinking—panting, too.
Still, he had his own matters to deal with.
Over on Sakumo Hatake's side, he was already in sync with Hiruzen Sarutobi's thinking and had agreed to join in.
But Hiruzen only had one condition: Reiji needed to give him a hint about what kind of business he was planning.
Reiji modestly replied that the company's general manager was one of Hiruzen's ANBU, so if he really wanted to know, finding out wouldn't be difficult.
In just one night, hundreds upon hundreds of Shadow Clones sprang into existence.
Like a swarm of locusts, they surged into the Land of Iron.
It was only a matter of time before the country's pig iron exports dropped dramatically.
These Shadow Clones would continually transport iron ore to the underground warehouse in Yugakure, in the Land of Hot Water, ready for Sakumo Hatake to sell.
At last, the Shadow Clone Technique and Flying Thunder God Technique had found their true calling.
Mining and logistics combined—Konoha Unlimited Liability Company's very first division, the "Mining Department," was officially up and running.
There were some hiccups along the way, but all things considered, it was a solid start.
Reiji clearly remembered last night's pep talk to his clones.
"Hello, fellow Reijis! I'm Reiji." The original stood on a raised platform, looking fired up as he introduced himself.
Below, an endless crowd of clones packed together shoulder to shoulder.
"Reijis! Tonight, Konoha Unlimited Liability Company is born!
First off, congratulations on standing out among countless clones to become our first batch of employees.
Second, with your tireless hard work...
Tomorrow I can drive a BMW!
The year after, I'll have a villa!
And the year after that, I'll marry two concubines!"
The clones immediately and enthusiastically cursed his ancestors.
"Why the hell aren't you down here digging yourself?! All you ever do is boss us around!"
The original just said, "If you guys could make more clones, you wouldn't have to do it either."
In the end, every Reiji clone stared blankly and muttered in unison, "This guy's unbelievable... We're disgusted with ourselves."
After an all-nighter, Reiji strolled back into Raimei's house, satisfied. He sat on the toilet, ready to start a perfect new day.
Just as he was hitting his stride, a frantic knock sounded at the door.
"Hold on! I'm in the bathroom!" Reiji shouted as he cracked open the door.
The knocking paused for a moment—then resumed, even louder.
"Ugh..." He let out a long sigh, gave a push, and reluctantly finished up. With a helpless look, he cleaned himself up and went to answer the door.
Outside stood Amai in a gray-and-white uniform, her tight miniskirt hugging her hips, and the buttons on her chest straining like they were ready to pop into Reiji's face.
Behind her stood five masked ANBU.
"Miss Secretary, what can I do for you?" Reiji asked, sounding curious as his gaze casually swept over the group outside.
"Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to check in. What? You're not inviting us in for a sit-down?" Amai smiled seductively, her pale green eyes never leaving his face.
Reiji scratched his head awkwardly and stepped aside with a gesture.
"Pardon the mess—please, come in."
Amai strode in with the ANBU right behind her, not even bothering to remove their shoes.
The place was... lived-in, to say the least.
Empty instant noodle cups, an overflowing trash bin, messy bedding, and dirty footprints on the floor—every detail screamed of a messy, chaotic life.
But honestly, it suited Raimei's personality perfectly.
With his relentless training sessions that left him half-dead, he'd just collapse into bed the moment he got home. There was no energy left to worry about tidying up.
Amai glanced around the room with an inward sneer.
She was an undercover agent herself—or rather, one of the few professionally trained infiltrators in Kumogakure.
The furnishings in this place, basic as they were, meant nothing.
Up to this point, her suspicion toward Raimei still outweighed any trust.
Reiji led her to the table. Seeing how messy the place was, he didn't even bother to clean up. He just scratched his head awkwardly and gave a sheepish grin.
"Sorry for the mess. I live alone."
"It's fine. Totally normal." Amai smiled gently, showing no hint of distaste as she walked over and knelt gracefully at the table.
She was hoping her warm demeanor and alluring figure would lower Reiji's guard.
But to Reiji—someone who'd seen more than his share of scenes—this just felt... awkward.
Wait, what's with this sudden shift?
Wasn't she the cold, domineering CEO type? Now she's playing the sweet girl next door?
What happened to that whole "I'm the queen" act?
Why go full "Love you~" mode out of nowhere?
Amai, unaware of the mental monologue she'd triggered, casually reached into her handbag and pulled out a paper bag, placing it on the low table.
"First time visiting, so I brought a little tea."
She gave another soft smile and added, "Last time we met, you seemed to like tea, so I brought some along."
Truthfully, most people would already be falling for her—curves in all the right places, voice gentle and pleasant.
Even if they didn't fall, they'd at least start to feel something for a woman this considerate.
Unfortunately, Reiji's mind was more fortified than a bee's nest.
And he never forgot—he was undercover. He had to stay sharp, always.
Still, since he hadn't figured out what exactly this woman was after, he could only take it one step at a time.
"Thanks," Reiji replied, a lazy smile tugging at his lips. He took the tea and casually explained, "I'm not much of a tea drinker, honestly. The old lady next door, Orin, loves the stuff though."
"Oh? Then what do you like?" Amai leaned in with genuine curiosity, her pretty eyes locked onto Reiji's dark, unreadable face.
Reiji's mental alarm went off immediately. His guard cranked up another three levels.
No way—this woman's definitely up to something.
Could it be the intel I turned in was so good she actually fell for me?
Nah. No way. That's got to be one of those trashy romance tropes.
A woman who falls for you that fast will fall for someone else just as easily.
More importantly, no matter how simple and straightforward the Raikage may seem, the people around him definitely aren't.
"Ahem... Lady Amai, I—"
Just as Reiji lowered his head to come up with a reply that fit his character, Amai suddenly leaned forward, her cleavage boldly on display.
Reiji froze on the spot.
Wait, wait, wait... is this even legal for a minor to see?
Before he could react, Amai gently but swiftly placed a delicate hand over his mouth.
"Don't speak. Just look. Am I beautiful?"
At the same time, her other hand moved behind her back, forming a one-handed seal.
Poof!
With a soft puff of smoke, the youthful-looking Amai transformed into a mature, alluring woman dressed in a shoulder-baring yukata.
The only thing that remained the same... were those two massive Tailed Beast Balls on her chest.
What the hell?!
Mikiko! The owner of the Amei Free Information Center!
Damn it, no wonder those "melons" looked so familiar!
In that instant, Reiji almost blurted out, "Wife...!"
Magnet Release: Expressionless Mask Technique!
He screamed internally.
Hidden beneath his black robe, his hands swiftly formed seals. In a flash, the iron sand beneath his facial skin locked his expressions in place, stiff and unmoving—sealing away any trace of shock.
No wonder when I first met Team Ryūto and said, "No one told me I was joining a new team," Ryūto looked awkward and mumbled, "Maybe Lady Amai was just too busy and forgot."
No wonder I always felt like that woman kept staring at me during patrols!
No wonder she didn't give gifts to anyone else—only brought me tea!
No wonder those Tailed Beast Balls looked so damn familiar!
While Reiji's mind was racing, Amai kept her eyes locked on his expression.
But what she saw left her disappointed. Aside from him staring straight at her... there was not a single trace of surprise on his face.
Could I have been wrong?
Is he really just Raimei, and maybe something just clicked after losing his teammates?
Impossible.
He was clearly distracted by my cleavage—how could he stay this calm afterward?
No way. No one like that could possibly exist.
Her guess had been right all along—but Reiji had been on guard from the very beginning.
And in the end, he just straight-up used Magnet Release to cheat his way out.
No wonder she couldn't figure him out.
Poof!
The transformation dispersed in a cloud of smoke, and Amai knelt back down across from Reiji, confusion written all over her pretty face.
Reiji snapped back into the moment and scratched his cheek, putting on a casual look.
"Miss Amai, who was that you just transformed into? Could you... maybe introduce me sometime?"
Amai's mouth twitched twice, and she forced an awkward smile.
"A friend. You don't know her."
Just as she finished, the usually lazy Raimei suddenly lit up, scooted up to her eagerly, and rubbed his hands together with a grin.
"Then could you introduce us?"
Amai was completely speechless.
There's a real-life bombshell sitting right in front of you, and you're into a Transformation Technique version instead?
Your taste really is... something else.
"Uh... she's out of the village on a mission. Maybe next time~"
With a couple of dry coughs, Amai shoved Reiji's face away and stood up quickly.
"Well, now that I've made my visit, I'll be going."
Her tone turned cold in an instant, shedding all previous warmth—like she'd just tossed away something she no longer needed.
Reiji just rolled his eyes, unfazed. He stood up and casually walked her to the door.