After sending Kakuzu off, Reiji returned to his room and started writing a letter.
"Dear Hanzō-sama, I've gathered some leads on the person you asked me to investigate.
Dan Shimura—Danzō Shimura's younger brother.
He's a Jōnin of Konohagakure. Based on my intel, he's extremely strong and excels in all kinds of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu.
He's about twenty years old and ridiculously handsome—way above average! The kind of guy that makes housewives swoon.
According to my informant in the ANBU, he's very low-key, always eager to help, generous, and exceptionally kind."
Reiji shamelessly continued writing, not the slightest hint of embarrassment on his face.
"At the same time, this Mr. Dan is also a strong candidate to become the Fourth Hokage.
Even the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, once praised him as a once-in-a-century genius.
What's even more admirable is that he's not the least bit arrogant. On the contrary, he often lends a hand to widows and orphans around the village, earning universal praise."
At this point, Reiji paused, pen in hand, rubbing his chin thoughtfully and nodding to himself.
That should do it. Enough to stir up Hanzō-sama and still humbly present his own image.
Genius.
Setting the pen down, Reiji smugly patted his own shoulder and muttered to himself, "Calm and confident—the mark of a true hero."
He handed the letter to Meiko and asked her to pass it to Amegakure's agent in Konoha. Then, he changed into his ninja attire and left the village.
...
Takigakure, the hidden village veiled behind a massive waterfall.
Though surrounded by four countries, its unique geography had kept it safe from foreign invasions for generations.
Today, Takigakure received a very unusual visitor.
The figure was clad in black long sleeves and pants, topped with a short cloak and a signature Amegakure oxygen mask.
It was Reiji, in disguise.
Relying on Kitty's sense of Seven-Tails Chōmei, Reiji soon arrived at the entrance of a small, low courtyard in the heart of the village.
Suddenly, thick clouds of white scale powder burst out from the courtyard, rushing straight at him.
Instinctively, Reiji narrowed his eyes and murmured to himself.
"Kitty, looks like Seven-Tails Chōmei has noticed you too."
In his mind, Kitty's stammering yet defiant voice echoed back.
"This is all your fault! You and that stupid Slippery Bastard technique—you're completely useless!"
Hearing her grumbling, Reiji rolled his eyes in exasperation.
He wanted to snap back, but now wasn't the time for idle chatter. The scale powder was spreading fast.
"Time to pull out!" Reiji barked, spinning on his heel to retreat.
But just then, a swift figure burst from the white mist, charging at him with incredible speed.
He focused his gaze.
Well, well—a bearded man with wings flapping furiously behind him. As he formed a series of hand signs, his chest puffed out like he was powering something up.
Reiji halted mid-step and spun around instantly.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode, activate!"
In a flash, lightning surged and Reiji vanished from sight, reappearing as a streak of lightning right in front of the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki.
In that split second, his hand clamped down on the Jinchūriki's shoulder.
The world spun violently.
When they reappeared, they were suspended over a wide lake.
The sky loomed gray, with a gentle rain falling and ripples spreading across the water's surface.
Not far away stood a towering forest of steel.
The Seven-Tails Jinchūriki immediately flickered away from Reiji, scanning his surroundings. He gasped.
"Amegakure!"
"Bingo. But no prize."
Reiji muttered as lightning flickered once again around his body.
The Jinchūriki instinctively tensed, brows furrowed, bracing for a fight.
The man in front of him—masked and calm—radiated immense pressure.
And inside him, Chōmei, the Seven-Tails, was frantically sounding alarms.
Watching from a distance as sweat beaded down the Jinchūriki's forehead, Reiji brought his four fingers together and slashed forward.
At the same time, the Flying Thunder God seal he had left on the Jinchūriki began to glow faintly.
"Hell Stab—Four-Fingered Thrust!"
With a low shout, Reiji instantly appeared behind him and swung down a razor-sharp hand blade.
In the next moment, a dark red tail suddenly sprouted and was flung away.
"The speed of that Tailed Beast transformation... impressive.
But what about this?!"
Just as the words left his mouth, Reiji vanished again. When he reappeared, an arm flew through the air, blood spraying in all directions.
Outside Amegakure, a piercing, shrill buzz echoed across the land.
At the same time, a massive insect with seven tails burst into the sky, radiating a terrifying pressure.
"Damn, this guy already lost control?"
Without a second thought, Reiji turned and sprinted full speed toward Amegakure.
As the chase continued, the distant form of Chōmei was already spotted near the village, and piercing alarms rang out one after another.
Reiji dashed across the water's surface, narrowly dodging mini Tailed Beast Bombs as they exploded around him.
Soon, the gates of Amegakure came into view.
The guard stationed there turned out to be someone Reiji recognized—that ninja who might've had the surname Cao.
There was no time to chat. Reiji rushed into the village, ducked into a deserted alleyway, and formed a one-handed seal.
A dizzying spin later, he reappeared in Sunagakure, in the Land of Wind. Holding an official decree from the Daimyō, Reiji passed through unhindered and arrived at the residence of the rotund Daimyō himself.
"Daimyō, it's time to begin." Reiji removed his oxygen mask, revealing his true face.
The Daimyō of the Land of Wind nodded eagerly.
He had grown quite impatient.
All the other Daimyō from the Great Nations had cities under their direct control—he was the only one who didn't.
Not that it was surprising. The Land of Wind was barren, nothing but endless yellow sand.
Even when they found an oasis, it wasn't enough to support anything larger than a small settlement.
So, bringing in water had become urgent.
The Daimyō had pinned his hopes on building a city beside the river they were digging.
...
And so, the ninja forces of Sunagakure were mobilized. A massive contingent of Suna shinobi, hauling supplies, charged straight into the borders of the Land of Rain.
When they encountered resistance from the Amegakure ninjas, the Suna forces all gave the same response.
"We were hired fair and square by the Daimyō of the Land of Rain. It's all written in black and white. Who are you Amegakure people to interfere?"
"Besides, Amegakure isn't even officially recognized by the Daimyō anymore. You're basically just bandits squatting on land and calling yourselves rulers. What right do you have to block us?"
They were flat-out aggressive.
The Amegakure ninja were furious, but none dared to speak out.
Of course, the main reason was simple—they couldn't win.
As the Suna shinobi brazenly entered the Land of Rain and began relocating civilians en masse, the surrounding smaller nations and armed factions—even Iwagakure—collectively lost it.
This was it. Their moment had come.
Months of pent-up rage exploded.
If the Great Nations fought wars, it was a contest of military strength and economic power—structured, calculated.
But when smaller factions picked a fight, it became an all-out brawl—a chaotic mess stirred by agitators.
And behind those armed groups? Wealthy sponsors, merchants, and feudal lords—people who had suffered huge losses during the "Raw Iron Crisis."
That's why their motives for starting a war were completely different from the major powers.
If they had their way, these chaos agents would drag all Five Great Villages into the conflict. Only then could they sell off their hoarded wrought iron at a high price.