Chapter 106: Volume 3 - Chapter 7: Konoha Taijutsu Secret Technique: One Thousand Years of Death

After saying goodbye to Mito Uzumaki, Reiji brought Rie back home.

By midday, Meiko and the others were still hard at work.

Though they were dusty and exhausted, their faces brimmed with barely restrained smiles.

As members of the Konoha Unlimited Liability Company, they were already enjoying the perks before officially joining.

In this traditional-style mansion, each person had their own room.

The space wasn't huge, but for them, it was more than generous.

And for those who had pledged to follow Boss Rie for life, this place already felt like home.

After a quick greeting, Reiji returned to his room.

It was modest in size, with tatami flooring and a single low table—nothing more.

He sat cross-legged at the table, pulled out a pen, and began to write.

Before he knew it, he'd been gone for over six years.

He'd left at seven—now he was nearly fourteen.

After a moment of thought, he dipped his brush in ink and started a letter addressed to "Dear Lord Hanzō."

Dear Lord Hanzō, greetings!

Time flies like an arrow. It's already been over six years since I arrived in Konoha.

During this time, I've fully embraced the spirit of Amegakure, pushed my limits, and carried out my undercover mission with unwavering dedication.

And the results speak for themselves.

I've delivered valuable intel to Amegakure and climbed the ranks steadily within Konoha.

Which brings me to my question:

When can I come home?

We agreed on three years!

But now it's been three years… and then another three!

Do you have any idea what I've endured these past six years?

I spent every day (blue ink blotted out some text) living in constant fear of exposure, every second spent walking a tightrope.

Lord Hanzō, I've made it all the way to Jōnin!

Now I've even been assigned to protect Hiruzen Sarutobi's three personal disciples on a mission!

His personal disciples! One of them could very well become the Fourth Hokage!

At this rate, I'll end up in Konoha's top brass!

If this keeps going, will I ever make it back?

Will I still be able to go home and get married?

Mikiko's still waiting for me to marry her!

And the missions now—each one harder than the last. I'm terrified I won't survive the next one!

Finally... Lord Hanzō, I'm out of operating funds.

That monthly 10,000 ryō you've been sending? Gone.

Spent entertaining coworkers and blending in at the red-light district in Kabukichō.

Don't blame me—it's part of the intel-gathering process.

Please send more. I can't even afford shuriken anymore!

Your ever-loyal agent,

Shuku Kōhei

Reiji read over the heartfelt letter with a satisfied nod.

Once the ink had dried, he carefully folded it and tucked it into his ninja pouch.

Then he stood up and left the house, heading for the Hokage Building.

Even though Hiruzen had told him to handle the Hanzō matter himself, Reiji knew exactly what needed to be done.

He greeted the guard at the entrance without hesitation.

"Hey, you know where Tsuchigami is?"

The ANBU turned, stared at him for three full seconds, then replied gruffly, "First floor. Office next to the stairs."

"Thanks." Reiji nodded politely and strolled into the Hokage Building.

He found the office as instructed. The door was open, revealing a tight, compact space.

Inside, Sakumo Hatake was hunched over a small desk, mask off, scribbling away intently.

Reiji knocked casually on the open door and stepped in with a warm grin.

"Yo~ Doggy, long time no see."

Sakumo looked up briefly, clearly swamped, then glanced back down and muttered,

"What do you need?"

Without wasting time, Reiji pulled the letter from his pouch and placed it on the desk.

"Doggy, this one's for Amegakure."

"You already have the drop point and the contact address, don't you? Deliver it yourself."

Sakumo didn't even look up as he rattled off the words.

Reiji nodded, grabbed the letter, and gave it a little shake.

"You said it—if anything goes wrong, it's on you."

Sakumo immediately looked up, a dark vein twitching on his forehead, then let out a long sigh.

"Fine, fine. Leave it here.

Seriously... you're always making my life harder."

Reiji chuckled.

"Doggy, the way you said that—your tone and face looked just like Kagami's wife!"

Sakumo froze. His face turned pitch-black, and he replied, slow and deadly:

"Reiji. Do you have anything else?"

Startled, Reiji shrank back a little and chuckled nervously.

"Doggy... you got a spare 'Dog' mask? Mind giving me one?

The last one I bought was trash—barely breathable. I almost got a rash wearing it.

Worst of all, the damn thing bled dye!

You wouldn't believe what happened last time—"

Seeing Reiji ramble on, Sakumo let out a long-suffering sigh and handed him a fresh, pristine mask from his drawer.

"You... Stop calling me Doggy! I'm the deputy captain of the ANBU now—drop the nickname!"

Hearing that, Reiji accepted the mask and nodded obediently.

"Sakumo... Dog Brother—hey~"

Before Sakumo could blow his top, Reiji darted out of the office.

...

Leisure time always flew by, and in the blink of an eye, five days had passed—it was mission time.

Early that morning, Reiji showed up at the village gate, backpack slung over his shoulder and a mask just like Dog Brother's covering his face.

Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade were already waiting in the clearing.

With a quick greeting, the four of them set off.

Their destination: Uzushiogakure in the Land of Whirlpools, located in the southeastern reaches of the ninja world—a place Reiji had never visited before.

At ninja pace, it would take about three days to get there from Konoha.

The first day passed quickly.

That night, the team found a cave, set traps, and lit a fire.

When conditions allowed, most ninja still preferred to light a fire while on a mission.

As night fell, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru sat around the flames, scrolls in hand, discussing mission details.

Reiji, uninterested, volunteered to keep watch outside.

Hiruzen had made it clear: the three of them were on the cusp of advancing from Chūnin to Jōnin.

Reiji's job wasn't to eliminate all danger—it was to let them face it on their own.

At most, he'd step in only at the brink of death.

Thinking about that, Reiji yawned, pulled out a copy of The Tale of Genji, and leaned back against the cave wall, half-asleep as he read.

...

Inside the cave, the trio glanced out now and then between conversations.

"Jiraiya," Tsunade frowned, "don't you think Darabunba feels familiar?"

"Familiar how?" Jiraiya asked reflexively.

"The smell. There's something about it—it's like I've smelled it before."

Jiraiya looked at her, deadpan.

"You got a dog's nose or something?"

A split second later, a dainty fist slammed into his skull.

A large bump swelled immediately.

"Damn it, Tsunade! Sneak attacks again?!"

"You had it coming!"

As Jiraiya rubbed his head in pain, Orochimaru, who had stayed silent, finally spoke.

"I can't say if he smells familiar, but... Mr. Darabunba hasn't made the slightest effort to conceal his scent.

For a ninja, masking your smell is fundamental.

So either he's careless—or he simply doesn't care."

Tsunade nodded in agreement.

Seeing the two getting along so well, Jiraiya looked sour and clicked his tongue.

"What's the point of guessing? Let's just tie him up and take off the mask already!"

With that, he stood up, crouched low, and crept silently toward the mouth of the cave.

Tsunade and Orochimaru didn't stop him.

If it were someone they knew well, they might have stepped in to stop Jiraiya from doing something stupid.

But this Darabunba guy? He was shrouded in mystery.

More importantly, their next mission was ranked A—high risk.

Letting Jiraiya probe him a little would give them a better sense of his strength.

That knowledge could lower their risk down the line.

For the sake of the mission's success—and their lives—it was worth it.

Worst case? They'd apologize later.

...

Jiraiya soon crept to a spot just behind Reiji, who remained slouched against the mountain wall, flipping through his book half-awake.

Perfect distance, perfect timing.

Jiraiya silently formed a seal with both hands.

Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!

With a quiet growl in his heart, his white hair shot forward like spears, instantly binding Reiji tightly.

Seeing his trap succeed, Jiraiya leapt from the shadows with a smug grin and shot a glance at the other two.

"Alright, let Lord Jiraiya see what you look like!"

He strode up to Reiji and reached for the mask.

But just as his hand made contact—

Puff! A burst of white smoke exploded outward.

And in place of Reiji... was a fat wooden stump.

"Substitution Jutsu?! When did he even form a seal?!"

Jiraiya yelped in shock, pulling back his hair, eyes scanning the surroundings.

At the same moment, Orochimaru emerged from the cave and shouted,

"Behind you!"

Trusting his teammate, Jiraiya began to form a seal—but before his hands could meet, a sudden, uncomfortable sensation shot up from... somewhere sensitive.

And then came the voice:

"Konoha Taijutsu Secret Technique: One Thousand Years of Death!"