Konoha. Reiji sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, frowning as he prepared to depart.
At that moment, strange bulges kept shifting under his skin, as if tiny mice were crawling beneath the surface. From the corners of his eyes, a thick black liquid slowly oozed out, converging toward his pupils, trying to engulf his entire gaze.
In his mental world, a pitch-black creature covered in writhing tentacles thrashed wildly on the ground.
Reiji's consciousness sat firmly atop the creature, rubbing his chin, thoughtfully watching it struggle beneath him.
Weird.
Way too weird.
He was only planning a trip to the Land of Wind, yet this thing was acting up for no reason.
Baffled, Reiji reached out and gave the back of the "creature's" head a few impatient pats.
"Hey, what's your problem?"
The creature ignored him, roaring as its inky tentacles reached for his consciousness.
Startled, Matatabi instinctively backed up several steps. The flames on its body flared up with a whoosh, making it look like a startled kitten.
"Reiji, th-this thing seems really angry. And... and really, really anxious."
Huh?
Reiji blinked, confused. Angry? Anxious?
What was there to be anxious about?
Unless...
A vague realization began to form in his mind.
"The One's Own Life Reincarnation technique?!"
The moment he spoke, the creature began thrashing violently.
Looks like this thing really didn't want him heading to the Land of Wind to get that technique.
But what was it so afraid of?
Was it worried he'd resurrect Mizukuma and further stabilize the anchor?
Even so, Mizukuma's body had long decayed—only a small portion of preserved tissue remained.
With the One's Own Life Reincarnation, there was no way he could bring someone like Mizukuma back!
Thinking this, Reiji shrugged it off and chuckled at the creature below.
"I don't care what you're thinking. If it's something you don't want me to do, then I'm definitely doing it!"
As he spoke, his consciousness transformed into an unyielding cage, sealing the creature inside despite its struggling.
...
Outside, Reiji slowly opened his black-and-white eyes.
Land of Wind, Kazekage Tower.
Today, an uninvited guest had arrived.
Reiji stood before the Third Kazekage's desk, smiling as he introduced himself.
"Lord Third Kazekage, I'm Reiji Sakuhō, Daimyō of the Land of Rain. I've come a long way."
The Third Kazekage, a man in his thirties or forties, sat behind the desk with his fists clenched, elbows resting on the surface, eyes locked tightly on Reiji.
"Daimyō, what brings you here?"
Reiji nodded with a smile and stated his request.
"Well, I heard that your village's Second Kazekage once developed a secret technique—One's Own Life Reincarnation. I was hoping I could take a look."
Hearing this, the Third Kazekage gave a cold, mocking smirk.
"Daimyō, do you really think that's possible?"
"It is!" Reiji nodded, unfazed by the Kazekage's scornful look, and continued sincerely.
"The Land of Wind and the Land of Rain have been working together for a long time. The canal connecting the border to Sunagakure is already more than halfway done.
Before long, a river full of fresh water will reach Sunagakure.
With that in mind, I think lending me a secret technique isn't a big deal. Honestly, even letting me borrow Shukaku for a couple of days wouldn't be too much."
Seeing Reiji's self-assured attitude, the Third Kazekage suddenly laughed, his voice dripping with contempt.
"Reiji Sakuhō, was it? I don't know whether to call you naive or just plain foolish.
You know the canal is nearly complete—so tell me, why should I keep paying for it?
And let me remind you, there are more than 100,000 civilians working on that project!"
The meaning behind his words was clear: he wanted the Land of Rain's water.
And the 100,000-strong labor force as well.
But as for paying anything in return? Not a chance.
Seeing this, Reiji let out a helpless sigh and shrugged.
"Lord Third Kazekage, you remind me of Lord Third Raikage.
You both give off that bandit vibe—but the difference is, you're kind of stupid!"
The moment he finished, Chiyo, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, suddenly stepped forward and snapped,
"Watch your mouth, brat! Even if you're just the daimyō of a small country like the Land of Rain, you shouldn't speak to Lord Kazekage that way! Even the daimyō of the Land of Wind wouldn't dare!"
"You're the ones who need to watch your tone."
Reiji didn't back down an inch, scoffing.
"Your daimyō at least has some foresight—knows how to think. Unlike you people, who just sit back and waste resources.
Sometimes I really wonder if your brains are clogged with chakra.
And you want to lecture me on tone?
When I get back, I'll just cut off the canal at the source.
Or maybe I'll have Hanzō of the Salamander poison the water.
Or better yet, I'll reroute the river straight into the Land of Rivers.
You've got 100,000 mouths to feed now—can you handle that?
Try mining with your Magnet Release. Let's see how much you can dig up!"
Seeing Chiyo ready to argue, Reiji only grinned wider.
"What? Thinking of using force now? Planning to threaten me with your so-called chakra? Or threaten the Land of Rain?
Go ahead! You won't return my people, and now you want to threaten me?
Fine—I'll just move to Konohagakure and become neighbors with the Fire Daimyō.
And when that happens, don't blame me for turning over all of the Land of Rain's defense and diplomacy to Konoha!
Oh, and just so you know—it's not only you people who can use ninjutsu. I can too. I'm actually a shadow clone right now~"
At that, a thin layer of cold sweat slowly formed on Chiyo and Ebizō's foreheads.
They already knew how this would end.
All the effort and money they'd poured into digging the canal would be for nothing. It'd just get filled up with sand again.
Sure, these people had been rescued by Reiji from small countries where they couldn't survive—but it was the Land of Wind that had been feeding them all this time!
If that canal wasn't completed, not only would Sunagakure fail to support the 100,000 people, but the village's own economy might collapse.
With that realization, Chiyo, now a middle-aged woman with no charm left, shot Reiji a vicious glare.
She didn't feel the slightest bit wrong for threatening him. On the contrary, she thought Reiji was in the wrong for not giving in to her threats!
But Reiji had no intention of humoring her. He tapped the table with a smile.
"My demands are simple. Once the canal is finished, return all 100,000 people to the Land of Rain—every last one!
Lose even one, and I'll block the canal just a little more.
Oh, and the annual water fee—three hundred million ryō.
Don't want to pay? Fine. We'll cut off the water supply every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and provide intermittent flow on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Or hey, feel free to send troops to guard the river mouth, keep me from blocking it. Try it. Bet you can't stop me."
Seeing Reiji's smug expression, the Third Kazekage clenched his fists under the desk.
He knew a bit about this guy.
The name Reiji Sakuhō, a Konoha jōnin, was likely an alias. His real name was probably Dan Shimura—younger brother of Danzō Shimura, one of Konoha's top brass.
Chances were, the two of them were the masterminds behind the "Raw Iron Heist."
With that thought, the Third Kazekage lightly tapped his prayer beads and spoke in a low voice.
"You can have the secret technique—but I want a discount on the water fee."
Reiji froze, then nodded, speechless.
No wonder the Land of Wind refused even the Tailed Beasts during the first Five Kage Summit. That kind of poverty takes real character.