Silence. A long, heavy silence.
Outside the window, the midsummer sun bathed the village in light. The constant chirping of cicadas added a layer of noise to the lush, green scenery.
Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his pipe rhythmically until the tobacco inside had burned to ash.
"Reiji, tell me—why do you want to become stronger?"
After a brief pause, Reiji took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
"To protect my bonds... and fulfill the dreams left behind by the dead."
Hearing this, Hiruzen gave a slow nod.
His expression stayed neutral, but a flicker of satisfaction stirred deep in his eyes.
"Very well. Konoha will make this deal. But—you must promise me one thing. Never harm the village."
Reiji grinned and shook his head.
"Come on, old man. That's too vague. Be more specific!"
"Er..." Hiruzen was caught off guard for a moment, then chuckled and shook his head.
"You… you always make people feel like they can trust you, but at the same time, they can't fully relax."
When Reiji didn't reply, Hiruzen gradually let the smile fade and spoke more seriously after a brief thought.
"No harming the village or your comrades. No leaking village secrets. No helping other villages against Konoha."
"Alright. I agree. So, deal?"
"Mm, deal." Hiruzen nodded lightly, looking slightly relieved as he pulled open a drawer and took out a pouch of tobacco.
Seeing him about to light up again, Reiji clicked his tongue and said,
"Old man, maybe ease up on the smoking? When you get home tonight, you think your wife's still gonna let you kiss her?"
"You brat! That's none of your business!" Hiruzen mock-scolded, raising his pipe as if to smack Reiji with it.
Reiji darted out of the office, then peeked his head back through the door.
"Oh, right—Old Man, have ANBU send me a copy of the intel on Iwagakure."
With that, he withdrew and left the Hokage's office.
...
Kumogakure. High atop a cliff, Reiji sat cross-legged, gazing down at the bustling village below, a restless energy stirring inside him.
Beside him lay two scrolls—one for training in the Eight Inner Gates, the other containing intelligence on Iwagakure.
Was it simple? It was.
Was it difficult? Also yes.
He'd spent over two months preparing for this—endless planning, laying the groundwork to openly infiltrate Kumogakure.
He'd taken huge risks, launching attacks on the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki at the Valley of Clouds and Lightning, and the Two-Tails at the Temple of Wind and Thunder.
It all looked straightforward on the surface, but underneath was a web of precise calculations and in-depth analysis of the Third Raikage's temperament and mindset.
The goal wasn't just to sneak into Kumogakure undetected.
It was also to shatter the stereotype that the higher-ups in Konoha—especially Hiruzen Sarutobi—held of him.
Once, in Konoha's eyes, he'd been nothing more than a scrappy kid, surviving on cleverness and pity.
And a scrappy kid—could he really sit at the same table as the leader of the Five Great Nations, the Hidden Leaf of the Land of Fire?
Of course not.
The gap in standing was too vast.
But now, after everything he'd done—
He had proven he could throw an entire village into chaos.
This was the path Reiji had chosen: infiltration.
To showcase a power that could be controlled—not one that was destructive and uncontrollable.
And through consistent, daily intel gathering and reporting, he continued to reinforce that image.
I, Reiji Sakuhō, am controllable. I'm not a threat to Konoha.
I'm like the fine sword Shusui—not the cursed blade Kitetsu.
At the same time, he stayed laser-focused on completing his mission.
Built on that foundation of trust, he shaped a persona of integrity.
Step by step, slowly but steadily, he chipped away at the impression people like Hiruzen had of him.
Like spring rain quietly softening stone, he melted their defenses.
And now, at last, he had fully established a new image—one that was powerful, reliable, and above all, trustworthy.
Only then could he present his request naturally, as part of a fair and logical exchange with Konoha.
Reasonable? It was perfect.
At the same time, by persistently harassing the Tailed Beasts, he heightened the anxiety in Kumogakure—and in the Third Raikage, more specifically.
With any other Kage, he might've used a less aggressive, confrontational approach.
But this was the Third Raikage.
He didn't need to say much—he knew the man's character inside and out.
This was the most valuable insight he had gained from years of clashing with clients in his past life.
When I want something, the first step is understanding the personality of the one who holds it.
Once I grasp their personality, I can more or less predict their tendencies.
From there, I refine my judgment by factoring in their status, influence, beliefs, and clan background.
Put simply—belief shapes direction.
First off,
The Raikage is, above all, a Kage—a village leader. But he's also a responsible one.
Which means, at his core, all of his decisions are grounded in the best interests of his village.
Next—
Personality and status are like close brothers, always connected yet always pulling in opposite directions.
The Raikage's hardline nature ensures that his leadership style is bound to be highly authoritarian.
And with concentrated authority comes arrogance and impulsiveness.
So when it comes to decision-making, he favors speed and results over subtlety and diplomacy.
Lastly,
Family and clan loyalties shape how benefits are distributed.
Which is why I was never worried about being made the Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails or Two-Tails.
Putting it all together—
Raikage's decisions in a self-created crisis are predictable.
When both the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails were attacked, he had to choose. And from both village and clan perspectives, the Eight-Tails came first.
So when the Two-Tails went on a rampage, he arrived late—giving me the perfect stage.
Later, when the Two-Tails slipped away again, with no other options, he had to seal it into a Jinchūriki.
No sealing technique? No problem!
For the bandit-style Third Raikage, the first instinct is obvious—steal one!
But Uzushiogakure, home to powerful sealing jutsu and notoriously easy to bully, is all the way southeast of Konoha, across the entire Land of Fire from the Land of Lightning.
Too far. Too risky.
So next best thing—ask Konoha directly.
But with someone like me feeding Konoha intelligence, would they just hand it over?
Obviously not.
No one wants to strengthen a future enemy, especially not one they might face in battle.
Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi had lost his mind, he'd still know that much.
If they can't get it... then, being Kumogakure, they'd go for the classic solution—kidnapping.
Let's be honest—if they didn't try kidnapping, could they even call themselves Kumo ninja?
And from there, it's a chess game between two great powers.
War or peace?
Konoha, stuck in a geographically awkward spot, wants peace more than anyone.
Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi were brash and overconfident, his strategic direction is locked in.
He can't afford to fight—he has to choose peace.
Which means, when Reiji Sakuhō comes asking for something, would Hiruzen, fresh off being humiliated by a diplomatic mission, say no?
Not a chance.
"You want the Two-Tails? Then go all in, Reiji."
He's still in his thirties.
If he weren't a little hot-blooded, could he even be called young?
As for the Eight Inner Gates—
On the basis of equal footing, Hiruzen traded this Kinjutsu for peace.
And in doing so, secured a powerful combatant who now counted as half Konoha's own.
Would he refuse?
Maybe—if he weren't Hokage yet.
But now that he carries the weight of the village on his shoulders, only a fool would turn it down.
This was open strategy—an honest, clean punch. And every punch hit squarely on the weaknesses and desires of both Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Third Raikage.
Everything I did up to now was for that one scroll I wanted.
Looking down at the bustling village of Kumogakure, I slowly broke into a grin and murmured to myself,
"Waiting around for scraps? Not my style.
If I want something, I take it myself.
But for now—there's still a mission to finish.
Konoha still has plenty of things I'm after~"
With that, he stood up lazily, patted his shoulder with a smug grin, and joked,
"I am Invincible... Truly amazing, isn't it?"