In the Hokage's office, Reiji stood in front of the desk, flanked by three kids carrying bulky bags.
"Uncle Hiruzen, I'd like to take these three out on a mission."
Same tone, same words, same old eye-roll.
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't bother with appearances—he simply rolled his eyes hard, his wrinkled face stretching with exasperation.
"Hmph! Let me guess, you're using your identity as the Daimyō of the Land of Rain to issue the mission again?!"
His voice was laced with sarcasm.
Reiji grinned sheepishly and nodded.
"You're as sharp as ever. The village is lucky to have someone like you."
Tch! That kind of shameless flattery? Absolutely no shame!
The moment he spoke, everyone in the room instinctively squinted in discomfort and rolled their eyes in sync. Only the head of the Hyūga clan sitting nearby simply glanced around silently—he didn't need to roll his eyes; his were naturally like that.
Hiruzen glanced at Reiji, who stood there smiling without a care in the world, and sighed inwardly.
It was like watching a mother-in-law evaluate a son-in-law—once you like someone, you just like them no matter what.
He genuinely hoped his successor would have Reiji's level of thick skin.
Because for a truly effective politician, being shameless wasn't just an asset—it was essential.
And no one understood that better than someone like Hiruzen Sarutobi, who'd spent a lifetime in power.
After a brief pause, Hiruzen asked calmly, "So... what's the excuse this time? What's the mission?"
Reiji's grin faded. He pulled a small map from his ninja pouch and laid it across the desk.
He pointed to the southeastern section—Land of Water.
"A-rank mission. Ongoing hostilities between Amegakure and Kirigakure.
Mission objective: infiltrate Kirigakure in the Land of Water, blend into their leadership, and extract confidential intel."
The office, which had been buzzing with discussion, fell silent in an instant. Everyone was stunned, too shocked to even question the mission's classification.
Only Hiruzen and Shikaku Nara, standing beside him, had a faint gleam in their eyes.
The rest of the room, however, was filled with unease.
They were worried—if Reiji and those three kids were exposed, it could spark a war.
But Hiruzen, who knew Reiji well, understood one thing clearly:
Reiji hated owing anyone anything. If the mission failed and things went south, he would never drag Konoha down with him.
That was good—but it also meant he kept the village at arm's length, never forming deeper bonds.
Still, that wasn't Hiruzen's concern anymore.
What mattered now was that Reiji was willing to pass on his undercover expertise.
Rie, Teuchi, Fugaku—those three brats may not be the most reliable, but their strength was undeniably solid.
Now with the new generation from the Ino–Shika–Chō clans, Hiruzen didn't expect much—he only cared that Shikaku Nara turned out well.
Shikaku, meanwhile, looked at his son—sweating, hauling a heavy load behind Reiji—with a mix of pride and worry.
He didn't even need to think about it: following Reiji meant getting thrashed nine times out of ten. Just look at Fugaku Uchiha next door—his Sharingan awakened from sheer pressure!
But if they could endure it, they'd walk tall in Konoha.
Even that Uchiha kid, always picking fights on the street and preaching about love, lived like a king. Who dared stop him?
Even his own clan members avoided crossing him.
Last time he beat up two Hyūga heirs, nothing came of it!
Reiji? He's like a twisted old tree that's been growing crooked for two hundred years.
Great for his own people to rest under—but hang any outsider that gets too close!
Thinking this, Shikaku's father, Shikachū Nara, cleared his throat and looked at Hiruzen.
"Lord Hokage, I think it's worth trying... but Team 11 should be allocated some support."
At that, Reiji's eyes lit up, and a wide grin spread across his face.
Nice one, Shikachū Nara—you really get how to work the system!
No wonder you ended up as Hokage's advisor with a fat promotion!
After hearing Shikachū's suggestion, Hiruzen played along, pretending to be deep in thought as he slowly lit his pipe and took a long drag.
Shikachū is still young...
Does it even matter whether we give the funds or not?
Hiruzen, who had dealt with Reiji countless times, knew the truth:
Reiji's loyalty was welded shut.
Give him money, and he'd grin politely—but behind your back, he'd still call you a crusty old man.
Don't give him money, and he'd scowl—but if the chance for collaboration came up, he'd still show up.
So really, whether you give him a few coins or not—it's all the same.
His maximum favorability rating was maybe an E.
But the thing is, compared to other villages? They didn't even register on his favorability scale.
After quietly taking a few more puffs, Hiruzen finally looked up and met Reiji's gaze.
"I'll approve the mission—but not a single coin for you!
The village is on the brink of war. Where do you expect me to find money for your nonsense? You should be glad we're not bleeding you dry!"
Just as Hiruzen expected, Reiji's face immediately darkened.
Old bastard. Two-faced. Absolute clown.
With a dramatic eye roll, Reiji spun around and waved at the three sweaty kids behind him.
"Let's go! The village won't give us a dime, so I guess we're walking to the Land of Water on foot."
He herded the kids out like they were stray pigs and headed for the door.
The moment his left foot crossed the threshold, Danzō—who'd been silently watching from the side—couldn't hold back any longer.
"Reiji! Hold it. I've got questions for you."
"What is it?" Reiji turned back, quickly shooing the kids out of the room and shutting the office door behind them.
He already knew what Danzō was going to bring up.
And this conversation wasn't something the kids needed to hear.
Once the door clicked shut, Danzō spoke.
"What's really going on in the Land of Rain? What's the situation with Amegakure?
War could break out any minute—where does Amegakure stand?!"
The blunt question landed hard. Reiji's expression slowly sobered, his brows tightening slightly as he spoke.
"Amegakure's stance..."
Everyone in the room, openly or not, sucked in a sharp breath.
Amegakure might not be much in Konoha's eyes—but the man standing in front of them was a different story.
As the tension simmered, Reiji's voice cut through again.
"Naturally, we're aligned with Konoha."
A wave of relief visibly swept through the room.
"I can promise you this—Amegakure will never strike Konoha, nor will it help others do so.
But you know how it is. I'm just the Daimyō of the Land of Rain. I can't exactly meddle too much in village politics."
He spread his hands casually, then grinned—wide and sly.
"So if you want Amegakure to join the war effort... you'll have to pay up."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression soured.
That tone—it was back again.
Off to the side, the Uchiha clan head, silent until now, scowled and looked ready to protest. But Hiruzen shot him a warning glare that made him sit right back down.
This wasn't a merchant's table anymore.
From the moment that door closed, only two people in this room had the right to speak: Hiruzen Sarutobi and Reiji Sakuhō.
Well, three—if you counted Danzō. He had long-standing ties with both sides.
Hiruzen tolerated his interruptions, and Reiji wouldn't dream of blaming him.
Reiji scanned the room, then held up three fingers.
"Three options. Three price tags. Don't hold it against me, Uncle Hiruzen—I've got over a hundred thousand mouths to feed.
Option one: muddy the waters.
Once war breaks out, Amegakure enters the conflict, declares war on the Fire, Earth, and Wind factions—but secretly supports Konoha.
That'll be 100 million ryo.
Option two: two-pronged assault.
When the war starts, Amegakure declares war on Sunagakure. I'll take command of the southwest front. Not a single soul from the Land of Wind will make it past their borders!
That'll run you 1 billion ryo.
Option three: full delegation.
Konoha hands the entire war effort over to Amegakure. I'll personally deal with the Wind and Earth nations. I guarantee no organized enemy forces will breach the Land of Fire's borders!
Price tag? 2 billion."
The words hit like thunder, shaking everyone to the core.