A sprawling estate near the heart of the village.
Once the ancestral grounds of the Senju Clan, it was now home to Mito Uzumaki—and also Tsunade.
At that moment, Tsunade pushed open the wooden gate with an angry huff, ponytail swaying as she stormed inside.
In the vast courtyard, a mature woman with a red bun and a violet diamond-shaped mark on her forehead gently set down a watering can. Smiling warmly, she opened her arms wide toward Tsunade.
The moment she saw her grandmother, Tsunade's angry expression vanished. She leapt into Mito Uzumaki's embrace like a baby bird returning to its nest.
"Grandma, what made you decide to water the flowers today?" Tsunade asked sweetly.
"Last week, I visited Asakusa Temple. The head priest gave me a five-jeweled azalea, so I figured I'd plant it."
Despite being nearly fifty, Mito Uzumaki didn't look her age at all. She gently stroked Tsunade's silky hair, her large eyes curving into narrow crescents.
"Never mind me—what's going on with little Tsuna today? Grandma can tell you're upset."
Tsunade pouted.
If it had been anyone else—even her great-uncle Tobirama—she wouldn't have shared what happened.
But Mito Uzumaki was different. To Tsunade, her grandmother was the kindest, most understanding person in the world.
"Grandma, there were two super annoying jerks at school today…"
With that, Tsunade recounted everything that had happened that afternoon at the Academy, describing Reiji and Jiraiya as the most obnoxious, detestable scoundrels in the universe.
Mito Uzumaki listened patiently, then chuckled softly.
"So, my little Tsuna is growing up. Boys are starting to chase after her."
"Is that Jiraiya boy handsome?"
Seeing the teasing look on her grandmother's face, Tsunade immediately squirmed in protest.
"Grandma! You're teasing me again! Jiraiya's not handsome at all! He's always at the bottom of the class—and he's so annoying!"
Mito smiled fondly and pinched Tsunade's cheek.
"You shouldn't say that. Your grandfather was quite the troublemaker when he was young. Boys grow out of it."
"Hmph! I don't believe it!" Tsunade huffed, puffing her cheeks.
...
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Tobirama Senju sat expressionless, eyes scanning the scroll in front of him.
Kneeling before him was a man wearing a dog-faced ANBU mask.
The scroll detailed every aspect of Reiji's life during this period.
Not just his routines—it even logged when he used the bathroom and how long he stayed there.
When Tobirama saw the part where Nakaryū Ōzora switched Ryōta Uchiha's seat with Tsunade's, his eyelid twitched slightly.
Up to now, he had been quite satisfied with Reiji's behavior.
For someone who had been unmasked as an undercover agent, Reiji had acted remarkably harmless—especially over the past week at the Academy.
Other than getting close to the orphan Jiraiya, who sat next to him, Reiji barely interacted with anyone else.
Which was exactly what Tobirama wanted.
After all, he was the only one in Konoha who truly understood how dangerous Reiji was.
Setting Hanzō of the Salamander aside, Reiji's strategic mind and ability to manipulate people alone made Tobirama wary.
Frankly, even if Reiji's taijutsu rivaled that of a Jōnin, Tobirama was confident he could subdue him instantly.
But take away the one-on-one element, and on the battlefield, Reiji's intellect was a far greater threat.
If Tobirama hadn't secretly marked Reiji with the Flying Thunder God Technique, he would never have allowed him to roam Konoha unchecked.
And now this dangerous man had been placed next to his brother's granddaughter—by that idiot Nakaryū Ōzora, no less.
Infuriating!
"Tsuchigami, go get Saru for me."
"Yes!" Tsuchigami bowed and vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
A short while later, the office door creaked open and a young Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped inside.
"Sensei, you called for me?"
Tobirama gave a nod and set aside the scroll that had been giving him a headache.
"Saru, do you think we should tell Reiji Sakuhō about Mizukuma Sakuhō's death?"
At first, Hiruzen felt a flicker of excitement—being asked directly meant Tobirama was placing more trust in him. But that excitement quickly soured at the thought of Mizukuma's death.
He had thought about this question before—many times, in fact—but even now, he had no good answer.
If Reiji learned the truth, knowing his personality, he'd leave Konoha to seek revenge.
And letting Reiji go was out of the question. Whether because of his origins or his capabilities, he was a key asset that Konoha couldn't afford to lose.
So long as Reiji hadn't fully pledged allegiance to Konoha, it was too risky to let him act freely.
Hiruzen had once considered using Rie Sakuhō to keep Reiji anchored, but that idea never went beyond a thought.
Keeping Rie in the village might drive a wedge between Reiji and Konoha. The consequences were unpredictable.
And if Reiji left to investigate Mizukuma's death, there were too many variables to control.
In the world of shinobi, death was the norm. No matter how clever he was, when it came to life-and-death moments, even the sharpest mind was no match for a well-timed kunai.
In the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi still had high hopes for Reiji.
He firmly believed that, guided by the Will of Fire, Reiji would one day become a great asset to Konoha.
With that thought, Hiruzen gathered his resolve.
"Sensei, my opinion is that we shouldn't tell him—let him find out on his own."
"Hmm." Tobirama Senju paused thoughtfully, then asked deliberately, "What if he ends up blaming Konoha for keeping it from him?"
It was clear Tobirama already knew the answer. He was testing Hiruzen.
"He won't!" Hiruzen replied with certainty.
If he were an immature kid who didn't understand how things worked, maybe he'd resent Konoha's leadership over something like this.
But Reiji wasn't like that. Hiruzen was sure of it—his mind was far more mature than most, even more so than many adults in the village.
And a truly mature person understands—helping is a kindness, but not helping is just someone doing their duty.
Tobirama let out a long sigh as he looked at Hiruzen's determined expression.
Saru... he really does remind me of my brother!
...
Konoha's commercial district—lively and bustling, the heart of the village's trade.
After school, Reiji and Jiraiya stood shoulder to shoulder in front of a food stall, drooling as they stared at the skewered balls grilling over the flame.
Takoyaki. Three per skewer. Topped with bonito flakes. The kid next to them was practically crying with envy.
"Here you go, enjoy!"
The lady working the stall handed them each a skewer.
The two of them grabbed their food in sync and stuffed the balls into their mouths.
"Mm, this stuff's seriously good!"
Reiji's mouth was full, but he still managed to give his verdict with a satisfied look.
Next to him, Jiraiya nodded vigorously, cheeks puffed out.
They devoured both skewers in no time, and even afterward, the two of them stood there drooling, eyes locked on the sizzling skewers still on the grill.
Damn, this stuff is amazing.
Being more into savory snacks, Reiji never cared much for taiyaki or candied apples. But salty, flavorful takoyaki balls? Right up his alley.
And Jiraiya, it seemed, was a fellow salty-snack rebel.
Even though he wanted more, Reiji didn't say anything.
Jiraiya only had 200 ryo in his pocket, and he'd already spent 20 on the balls. That was a big splurge for him.
"Here, take this—it's a return gift!"
In front of the dango stand, Reiji pulled out a small green pouch from his coat.
The moment Jiraiya saw it, his eyes went wide.
"Is that... a ninja pouch? You bastard, Reiji, where'd you steal this from?!"
His first reaction was suspicion—Reiji was an orphan, after all, and orphans usually lived on the edge.
Reiji scowled.
"Steal? I grabbed it fair and square off Old man Ippongi's shelf. How's that stealing when it's ninja business?!"
Then came a whole string of words Jiraiya didn't understand.
"You want it or not? If not, I'm tossing it."
"I want it! I want it!" Jiraiya quickly snatched up the pouch. It had some weight to it. He opened it and found shuriken and kunai neatly packed inside.
No senbon, though.
Reiji figured that this weirdo—with that razor-sharp white hair—was already sharper than a whole set of senbon.
Holding the ninja pouch and looking at Reiji's nonchalant expression, Jiraiya suddenly found himself tearing up.
"Damn it, Reiji, you... you—"
Reiji casually picked his nose, turned, and waved dismissively.
"I noticed you weren't in the last throwing class, so I prepped this for you. Think of it as payback for the takoyaki!
Save the thank-yous for later. Or, if you're up for it, I guess I'll let you be my little bro or whatever.
Anyway, I'm off to work."
...
As Reiji walked off, Jiraiya felt a deep warmth bloom in his chest.
Since losing his parents, no one had ever looked out for him like this.
"You bastard... trying to make me your little bro? Just wait—once I'm stronger than anyone, I'll be the one looking out for you!"
...
After parting with Jiraiya, Reiji headed to Katō's tool shop to help out. With the weighted gear strapped on, he could feel his body growing stronger with every step—whether walking, sleeping, or hammering metal.
To Reiji, that was more satisfying than mastering some forbidden jutsu.
After all, Mizukuma-sensei always said: Ninjutsu might decide life or death in battle, but Taijutsu determines dignity in bed!
Reiji figured he could take death—but losing his dignity? Never.
...
After finishing his day's work, Reiji returned to Ippongi house.
He grabbed a quick dinner and went straight to his room.
On the tatami mat, Rie was sitting cross-legged in her turtle pajamas, looking cute and serious.
Ever since she got the chakra extraction scroll, she'd been training hard.
Reiji had noticed—she really had a knack for being a ninja. In just a week, she could already sense her chakra.
Back when he was stuck in that cult base, it had taken him over two weeks just to feel his chakra flowing.
Comparing the two, Rie clearly had more natural talent.
But to Reiji, that was great news—the more potential Rie showed, the more Konoha's higher-ups would value her. That meant she'd be much less likely to die.
Well—unless she did something reckless.
Still, with a responsible big brother like him, Rie was bound to grow into a skilled and steady ninja.
Watching her train so diligently, Reiji felt like he couldn't slack off either.
With that thought, he dove into his warm futon, fired up.
Yep—training and I just don't mix.
I'll just wait till I steal the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Then I'll let the clones do the work!