Time passed in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, news spread throughout the village—Second Hokage Tobirama Senju had fallen in battle, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had been appointed as the Third Hokage.
Outside, a torrential rain poured down.
Dressed in black, Reiji sat in the corridor, watching raindrops splatter against the rockery in the courtyard, watching ripples spread across the small lake, and watching the rhythm of the water as it jumped and flowed.
"The Senju Clan has officially stepped down from the stage of history."
The two Hokage from the Senju Clan who passed away were no more than tools of war.
Thinking of this, Reiji was suddenly struck by a deep sense of loss.
He wasn't sure why—maybe it was the mournful mood that had spread through the village, or maybe it was the unexplainable admiration he felt for Tobirama Senju, the man who had spared his life twice.
He was a transmigrator—someone who knew what the future held, someone who wasn't foolish and even had a bit of wit. Yet even with all those advantages, he still felt like he was walking on thin ice when facing Tobirama Senju.
No one else had ever given him that feeling since his arrival in this world.
"What an incredible man." Reiji smiled and shook his head.
He had never met Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha, but instinctively, he believed that neither could compare to Tobirama.
Madara Uchiha was consumed by ideals and hatred, nothing more than a puppet manipulated by Black Zetsu, utterly unaware of his own downfall.
Hashirama Senju might've been immensely powerful and strong-willed, but he was too simple-minded. On that point, Madara's scornful words about Hashirama not seeing things clearly were surprisingly accurate.
But Tobirama Senju…
Most of Konoha's foundational structures bore his mark.
The village's overall strength had been built by his hand.
The peace that followed the First Shinobi World War, spanning two decades, had been made possible by the strong foundation he laid for Konoha.
He had vision, patience, and the drive to carry it all out. That alone made him remarkable.
Thinking this, Reiji let out a quiet, self-deprecating laugh and muttered to himself, "Enough of this nonsense. It's time."
With that, he stood and slowly pushed open the bedroom door.
Inside, Rie—who was in the middle of changing—screamed.
"Brother! What are you doing in here?! Get out, quick!"
Reiji glanced at Aunt Kyōko, who was holding a black short-sleeved shirt, then looked at Rie and clicked his tongue.
"You little brat. Did you forget? I was the one who dressed you yesterday—and now you're acting all uppity!"
Rie stayed defiant.
"That was yesterday. Today I'm a big girl! You can't look at me anymore!"
Hearing that, Reiji smacked his forehead and groaned.
"Damn it, I should've never let you hang out with Meiko and the others. What kind of crap are you spewing?
Forget being your brother—even if I said I was your dad, people would probably believe it!"
Rie darted behind Kyōko and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Bleh~"
"My mom would never go for someone like you!"
"You little punk!" Reiji exploded, rolling up his sleeves and lunging to deliver the day's dose of "fatherly affection."
Kyōko, kneeling on the tatami, could only shake her head, half amused and half helpless.
Still, she had to admit—Reiji really was too mature for his age. People often forgot just how young he actually was.
Eventually, Reiji left the room with a stormy look on his face.
Out in the hallway, Ippongi Katō and Dan Katō stood dressed in black.
Soon, Kyōko stepped out with Rie in tow.
The five of them opened umbrellas and headed into the street, merging into the sea of black-clad villagers.
At the Konoha Ninja Cemetery, countless heroes of the village lay buried. Near the very back, beside the grave of Hashirama Senju, a new tombstone had been erected.
By the time Reiji and the others arrived, the place was already packed.
Up front stood Tobirama Senju's family, his disciples, and fellow shinobi, lined up in solemn silence.
Reiji wasn't anywhere near the front. From a distance, he watched as person after person approached the grave with somber or grief-stricken faces, placing small white flowers on the stone.
The rain kept falling. No one knew how long had passed before the funeral ended and the sky darkened.
The mourners began to leave in silent clusters.
Reiji held his umbrella as he gently set Rie down.
"Aunt Kyōko, could I trouble you to take Rie home? Something just came to mind."
Still wearing a look of quiet sorrow, Kyōko nodded and took Rie's hand.
Reiji gave a nod to the Katōs and watched their huddled figures disappear into the rain. Once more, he fell silent.
Night had fallen completely.
The cemetery was deserted, save for a small figure standing before one of the graves.
Tsunade, dressed in a black short-sleeved shirt and skirt, stared blankly at the photo of Tobirama Senju on the tombstone. Her young face was numb, and no one could tell whether the drops falling from her chin were rain or tears.
Reiji's eyes briefly passed over her back, but he said nothing.
As an undercover agent, he was destined to keep his distance from Tsunade—the princess of Konoha.
He stepped past her and slowly approached the tombstone, looking at Tobirama Senju's composed and handsome face.
Expressionless, Reiji pulled a white flower from his chest and gently placed it on the stone.
Then, he quietly sat down cross-legged, facing Tobirama Senju's grave.
"Tobirama-sama, this time, you win. You should be satisfied now."
"Honestly, I was completely out of options."
"Playing dumb felt like I was insulting your intelligence... but if I had told the truth, the two of us might've ended up buried here together."
"Still, you're the truly incredible one—to corner me like that."
As he spoke, Reiji's voice grew softer and softer. Eventually, a faint smile tugged at his otherwise emotionless face as he murmured to himself,
"This time, you won. I owe you a life."
"If you ever need something from me... just send me a dream."
With that, he pushed himself up off the ground and slowly turned to leave.
At that moment, Tsunade caught sight of Reiji's face. A flash of hatred lit up in her vacant eyes.
She lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar. Her eyes burned with fury as she screamed hoarsely,
"You! You spy from Amegakure! Was it you who leaked Grandpa Tobirama's location and got him killed?!"
Tsunade's raw voice echoed through the empty graveyard.
Reiji said nothing. His cold gaze swept over her without emotion.
That look alone sent Tsunade into a rage. Whatever restraint she had left was instantly consumed by her anger.
"Bam!" She threw a heavy punch at Reiji's cheek.
But her strength was gone. The punch barely had any force behind it.
Reiji's head turned slightly from the hit, his eyes lowered to the ground. There wasn't a shred of hatred in him—only sorrow for the girl before him, and for himself.
Tsunade didn't stop. Still gripping his collar, she pounded his face with fist after fist.
Rain mixed with tears streamed from her eyes as she cried out,
"Why?! Why do people like you always chase war, always look for enemies, always tear families apart?! Why?!"
Her voice cracked as she screamed, and finally, she let go of Reiji's collar. She dropped to her knees, collapsed onto the wet ground, and sobbed uncontrollably into her hands.
Reiji remained silent. He knew—there were countless ANBU watching him at that very moment.
And yet, in front of this helpless girl kneeling in grief, he couldn't even say a single comforting word.
With a bitter smile, he wiped the blood from his nose, turned around, and walked away.
He had figured it out—why Tobirama Senju had told Tsunade about his identity as a spy.
Maybe, in that moment, Tobirama wasn't acting as the Hokage.
Maybe he was just a grandfather.
Because someone like him... was never meant to be close to Tsunade.
"Tobirama Senju... always worrying about everything," Reiji muttered as he left the cemetery.
...
The rain still fell.
Tsunade remained on her knees before Tobirama's grave, her hoarse voice long since lost.
Then, the rain over her head suddenly stopped.
She lifted her numb face and saw who had come.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood beside her, holding a black umbrella.
Tsunade's delicate brows furrowed once again.
"Why? Uncle Hiruzen, why did the village keep that despicable spy, Reiji Sakuhō?!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes stayed fixed on his teacher's photo on the tombstone. He let out a long sigh.
"Before he passed, Tobirama-sensei told me not to tell you about Reiji Sakuhō."
As he spoke, his expression dimmed.
"I understood what Sensei meant—he didn't want you to get too involved with Reiji Sakuhō."
"So I asked him, 'Why not let people of our generation begin accepting him?'"
"Sensei stayed quiet for a long time. Then, just like when I was a child, he patted me on the head."
"And finally, he told me to decide for myself."
Hiruzen turned his gentle gaze toward Tsunade.
"Now, I leave that choice to you. Are you willing to let the village accept Reiji Sakuhō?"
Tsunade shot to her feet. She raised her head high, eyes blazing.
"No! I'll never accept someone who only brings destruction to our peace!"
Hiruzen's eyes darkened slightly. He nodded slowly.
"Very well. Then you don't need to know why the village chose to keep Reiji Sakuhō."
Tsunade froze.
She didn't understand.
She didn't understand the difference between keeping and accepting.
She didn't understand why she wasn't allowed to know the reason behind keeping Reiji Sakuhō.
Thinking about it, she shook her head stubbornly.
"Uncle Hiruzen, I want to know!"
Hiruzen didn't reply. He looked up at the dark clouds above and began speaking in a vague, distant tone.
"Reiji Sakuhō. A spy from Amegakure, the personal disciple of Hanzō of the Salamander.
He was sent to Konoha on an undercover mission to steal intelligence.
His cover identity was that of a war orphan—one of only two survivors from a village massacred in the Land of Hot Water.
Cunning, greedy, with a vile personality.
Ranked at Jōnin level. Exceptionally strong in taijutsu. Possesses Magnet Release, a Kekkei Genkai.
Highly intelligent. After we exposed his cover, he immediately chose to cooperate with Konoha, feeding Hanzō false information, and was even capable of influencing Hanzō's actions."
Hiruzen paused briefly, then added, "Is that enough?"
Tsunade, grinding her teeth in frustration, froze.
What did he mean, "enough"? How could that be enough?
She needed to know everything about that guy—only then could she drive him out of the village.
Gritting her teeth, Tsunade shook her head with determination.
Seeing this, Hiruzen showed no reaction. He continued, voice just as elusive as before.
"Reiji Sakuhō was originally from the Jashin cult. A child offered as a sacrifice—subjected to all kinds of abuse.
He eventually escaped, fled to Amegakure, and killed the Jashin envoy who came after him.
That caught Hanzō's attention, and he took Reiji in as a disciple.
But due to what was seen as mediocre talent, he was cast aside."
Hearing this version, so different from what she'd just been told, Tsunade stared at Hiruzen in disbelief.
But Hiruzen continued to gaze into the sky.
"Then Reiji met his mentor—Mizukuma Sakuhō—and took on his surname."
Tsunade's eyes widened.
She knew exactly what it meant to inherit someone's surname.
It meant that Reiji had deeply acknowledged Mizukuma Sakuhō. That kind of bond wasn't formed lightly.
Still, Hiruzen didn't stop.
"Later, that bond was discovered by the ever-suspicious Hanzō. To protect Mizukuma Sakuhō, Reiji accepted the mission and became a spy.
He was sent to Konoha.
While stationed in the Land of Hot Water, he encountered Amegakure ninjas slaughtering villagers. He intervened, killing his own comrades.
That's when he saved his little sister, Rie.
Before her death, Rie's mother begged him to raise her. Reiji agreed—and passed on the Sakuhō name to her."
By now, Tsunade was too stunned to speak.
She hadn't realized how much pain and compromise lay beneath the surface of everything.
Reiji Sakuhō… he was just a child too.
Tsunade asked herself—at his age, could she have done any of that?
She didn't want to admit it, but deep down, she knew the answer.
She couldn't.
Not even geniuses like Orochimaru, or the prodigious Dan Katō, or Ryōta of the Uchiha clan—none of them could have carried that kind of burden.
Her thoughts drifted back to the Ninja Academy—Reiji's carefree, mischievous grin.
How did he manage to smile like that?
Hiruzen continued his explanation.
"Reiji later disguised himself as an orphan and entered Konoha with his sister, Rie Sakuhō.
Thanks to our intel on Amegakure, we saw through his cover the moment he arrived."
"Then why didn't you kill him?" Tsunade asked, her voice laced with urgency.
At that, Hiruzen let out a long, quiet sigh.
"He asked us to take care of his sister. He said, tell the world he didn't betray Amegakure—just that his cover was blown."
Tsunade's rain-soaked body trembled slightly, then went still.
Even at the end... that guy still wouldn't let go of his bonds, of his responsibilities?
Seeing the shock in her dilated pupils, Hiruzen slowly placed the umbrella in her hands and gave his thoughts on Reiji Sakuhō.
"Reiji Sakuhō, a child thrown into chaos.
So young, yet he bore the weight of protecting his sister and his teacher in Amegakure.
Just to preserve those few fragile bonds, he maneuvered through conspiracy and deceit.
In the end... he's just a pitiful soul."
With that, Hiruzen clasped his hands behind his back and walked away slowly.
In the pitch-black night, beneath the steady rain, the graveyard lay silent.
Only Tsunade remained—alone, lost in thought.