Time flew by, and before anyone realized it, the night before departure had arrived.
At the moment, Rinjin was lounging in his room, flipping through a book out of sheer boredom.
Without even knocking, Awa'i pushed the door open and walked straight in.
"Raimui, there's a mission."
"Not going!" Rinjin replied lazily, slumping his shoulders and putting on a look of utter disinterest.
"Oh, you're going, whether you like it or not!" Awa'i crossed her arms, a cold smirk on her face.
Hearing this, Rinjin knew the real show was about to begin. He tossed the book aside, walked over to his bed, and lay down.
"Not going. Find someone else. I'm not interested!"
Seeing Rinjin acting like he'd rather die in bed than move, Awa'i walked over with a forced smile and grabbed his shoulder.
"You're going. The team for this mission is already waiting outside, and Advisor Doshō is leading it. Are you really not coming?"
She deliberately emphasized Doshō's name.
Her intention was simple: to make Rinjin understand that this mission was non-negotiable. Refusing would only risk exposing himself.
Hearing this, Rinjin frowned and reluctantly got up from the bed, grumbling, "What's the mission?"
"No idea. Just follow orders!" Awa'i replied, feigning seriousness.
Watching her act all professional, Rinjin rolled his eyes in exasperation and stepped out of the room.
Outside, Doshō and three others were waiting, their expressions a mix of impatience and resignation.
After a brief explanation, the mission began.
Under the cover of night, Doshō led the group of five through the streets and alleys of Konoha.
To his credit, the man knew how to avoid the Hyūga clan's territory. Say what you will, but becoming a village advisor requires some brains.
The group stopped and started repeatedly, taking over an hour to cover less than a kilometer.
During this time, however, Rinjin managed to gauge the extent of Doshō's sensory abilities.
They were precise and extensive, with a range of at least a kilometer.
Doshō could consistently sense patrolling ANBU units and preemptively guide the group into hiding.
The delay between his detection and the ANBU's arrival was nearly a full minute.
And in the ninja world, a minute is more than enough for these rooftop-hopping ANBU to cover over a kilometer.
With careful maneuvering, the group arrived at the Senju clan's compound, located right next to the Hokage's office.
Since the deaths of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju, the once-thriving clan had fallen into decline.
Now, only Mito Uzumaki, Tsunade, Rinjin's younger sister Rie, and a few servants resided there.
Even the ANBU stationed nearby were far fewer in number, primarily tasked with protecting the jinchūriki.
Doshō led the group into a dark alley and closed his eyes.
"Two to the south, two to the north, and two more in the courtyard—on the rooftop," he whispered, before silently assigning tasks to the group.
Rinjin and a burly man were to handle the two to the north, while the other two ninja took the south.
Doshō himself would deal with the rooftop guards.
It was clear he had confidence in his abilities.
Soon, the group moved into position. As Doshō made the first move, the rest followed suit.
Various techniques were unleashed in unison.
Elite jōnin versus ANBU. A surprise attack in the dark.
In an instant, the outcome was decided.
Holding the unconscious ANBU he had subdued, Rinjin couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
Ninjas—high attack, low defense, fragile as glass. Berserkers are still the way to go!
Even though the ANBU had the skills to fight back, they stood no chance against the sneak attacks of elite jōnin trained by the Hidden Cloud Village clans.
On the rooftop, Doshō's fight ended just as quietly. A combination of genjutsu and taijutsu ensured a swift and silent victory.
What they didn't know was that atop the Hokage Rock, a pair of scarlet Sharingan eyes were watching their every move.
The five regrouped, and Doshō pointed to a wooden sliding door in the courtyard.
"There."
He had sensed a massive chakra presence inside, brimming with vitality.
As for the other two rooms, one housed a child with significant but fiery and explosive chakra.
The innermost room, however, exuded such a malevolent and overwhelming chakra that Doshō dared not probe further. It was far more sinister than even the Eight-Tails.
Following Doshō's instructions, Rinjin used his incredible speed to reach the sliding door first.
Silently opening it under the cover of darkness, he approached the sleeping Tsunade.
At that moment, Tsunade's eyes snapped open. Her brows furrowed, and she raised her hand, ready to pummel the intruder.
Damn, sharp as ever!
Rinjin silently praised her but quickly pressed her down, pretending to knock her unconscious.
Leaning close to her ear, he whispered in a voice no one else could hear:
"It's me, Rinjin. Play along—I'm here to protect you."
Without waiting for her reaction, he scooped her up in a princess carry.
Still dazed, Tsunade struggled against the unfamiliar face, but Rinjin held her tightly.
"Immortality, little Tsuna."
Hearing this, Tsunade's amber eyes widened in shock.
The secret of Rinjin's immortality was known only to her—a promise they had made never to reveal.
Realizing his identity, Tsunade immediately stopped struggling and pretended to be unconscious, letting her head rest against his chest.
Outside, an impatient Doshō whispered, "Raimui, what's taking so long?!"
Tsunade, hearing his voice, quickly played along, tilting her head to feign unconsciousness.
Noticing her cooperation, Rinjin carried her out and muttered, "This one's strong. Took some effort."
Doshō didn't doubt him.
After all, Awa'i had mentioned Tsunade's immense strength beforehand.
And given Raimui's performance during the Chūnin Exams, Doshō believed it wasn't an issue for him.
With his thoughts quickly shifting, Doshō nodded seriously and whispered, "Retreat!"
Nestled in Rinjin's arms, Tsunade wasn't worried at all. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying herself, snuggling slightly closer.
This guy actually said he'd protect me.
What a jerk. Who asked for your protection anyway?
Hehe~
Tsunade thought to herself, her lips curving into an uncontrollable smile as she buried her face in his chest.
Feeling the familiar warmth and steady heartbeat, her delicate cheeks flushed a deep red.
Holding Tsunade, the group of five turned to leave.
Just then, a calm and commanding voice rang out.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
A roaring dragon of flames surged forth, forcing the five to retreat from the Senju compound.
Watching the overwhelming flames, Rinjin's face instantly darkened. If it weren't for the night and his naturally dark complexion, Doshō might have noticed.
Damn it, Kagami!
I told you to make it flashy, but did you really have to start with a Great Dragon Fire?
Why not just use Great Fire Annihilation and burn down the entire Senju estate while you're at it?
As the fiery dragon roared toward them, Doshō quickly formed seals mid-air.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
In an instant, water from the Senju compound's pond coalesced into a dragon, colliding head-on with the flames.
Sparks flew as steam filled the air, creating a thick mist.
As the five landed, Doshō wasted no time, shouting, "Take the hostage and retreat! Taku and I will hold them off!"
Before his words faded, a figure emerged from the rising steam—a confident and composed silhouette.
At the same time, a calm yet assured voice echoed: "Retreat? None of you are leaving."
Heh~ When it comes to being dramatic, no one does it better than you, Kagami.
Rinjin silently mocked him.
Just then, Taku, one of the elite jōnin, roared in anger and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind Kagami.
Kagami didn't even flinch at the blade aimed at his back. He merely turned slightly, his scarlet Sharingan locking onto the jōnin.
In an instant, Taku froze, as if paralyzed.
The next moment, he collapsed to his knees, coughing up blood.
Damn it! Invisible flexing at its finest!
Rinjin muttered inwardly, recognizing Kagami's use of Tsukuyomi.
But when he turned to look, Rinjin was genuinely startled.
Kagami's Sharingan had four tomoe, with a small black dot trailing behind each one.
Holy crap! A Mangekyō! Is this really the same Kagami I know—the one who's all fun and games?
So he really is Shisui's grandfather or great-uncle!
I just wonder what ability his other eye holds.
Seeing his subordinate taken down in an instant, Doshō broke out in a cold sweat.
"Sharingan! Be careful! Don't look into his eyes. Scatter and retreat!"
At his command, Doshō immediately began to fall back.
But just then, Kagami's Mangekyō flared.
In an instant, a skeletal figure appeared beside him, its form quickly enveloped by a dark green chakra cloak.
Susano'o!
Rinjin felt his scalp tingle.
Damn it! I told you to make it flashy, not to bring out the Gundam!
Without hesitation, Rinjin shot Kagami a subtle glance before pretending to flee with Tsunade.
Receiving Rinjin's signal, Kagami playfully winked and launched a non-lethal attack.
The next second, Susano'o's massive hand swung down, sending Rinjin flying.
Taking the hit on his back, Rinjin held onto Tsunade tightly while cursing inwardly.
You bastard! Just wait! Once I master Lightning Release Chakra Mode, I'll smash your turtle shell to pieces!
Despite his grumbling, Kagami's aim was impeccable, sending Rinjin hurtling straight toward Mito Uzumaki's room.
As Rinjin soared through the air, a flash of red light erupted from Rie's room nearby.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
A surge of flames shot out, singeing Rinjin mid-air.
Without even looking, Rinjin knew his stylish afro was on fire.
Moments later, the human torch that was Rinjin crashed into Mito Uzumaki's room.
Still smoldering, Rinjin scanned the room to find Mito sitting calmly by her bed, a faint smile on her face as she watched him.
Rinjin's face darkened. He quickly placed the still-pretending-to-be-unconscious Tsunade on the bed.
Tsunade "woke up," her expression shy as she looked at Rinjin and said, "Huh? Is it over already?"
"It's over," Rinjin replied, his face still dark. Then, as if remembering something, he added:
"Find an excuse to scold Rie.
If you cover for her, I'll deal with you when I get back!"
With that, he angrily punched himself in the face, sending himself flying out of the room.
Meanwhile, in Rie's room, the little girl, who had been gleefully spewing flames moments ago, suddenly froze.
For no apparent reason, she felt a chill run down her spine.
What's going on? Why do I feel like someone's out to get me?
Feeling uneasy, Rie abandoned her fiery antics and retreated under her blanket, clutching it tightly as she trembled.
Unbeknownst to her, Kagami had been observing her the entire time.
When she accidentally set Rinjin ablaze, he nearly laughed himself to tears.
Still, this little girl had incredible talent in both chakra control and Fire Release.
The thought of taking her as a disciple briefly crossed Kagami's mind.
The entire skirmish lasted no more than two or three minutes, but reinforcements had already arrived.
Seeing the influx of ANBU, Kagami deactivated his unique green Susano'o and stepped back.
In the end, three of the Hidden Cloud ninjas were captured.
As for the remaining two, Doshō had vanished, and Rinjin, if he wanted to escape, was practically unstoppable.
The ANBU quickly divided into two groups—one to extinguish the fires, the other to escort the captives away.
Following Rinjin's instructions, Kagami kept silent and didn't linger. Hands tucked into his sleeves, he turned to leave.
Just then, an ANBU stopped him and respectfully said, "Lord Kagami, Lady Mito requests your presence."
Kagami nodded, his face calm and polite. "Very well. I'll go at once."
Inside Mito Uzumaki's room, the dignified and noble woman sat by her bed, with a well-behaved Tsunade at her side.
Kagami knocked lightly on the door, and upon receiving permission, entered with a humble demeanor.
Unlike other Uchiha who might have let tonight's events inflate their egos, Kagami remained composed.
This was partly due to Rinjin's prior instructions and partly because Kagami himself was neither arrogant nor reckless.
In front of his teacher's wife, Kagami was especially respectful.
"Lady Mito, you called for me?"
Mito looked at Kagami warmly, a faint smile gracing her lips as she nodded slightly.
"Kagami, thank you for your assistance tonight. Without it…"
Before she could finish, Kagami interrupted with a modest smile.
"You flatter me, Lady Mito. As a member of Konoha, it's only right to act when needed."
Hearing this, Mito's smile grew even gentler.
"Kagami, you're a good child. Hashirama and Tobirama didn't misjudge you."
At her words, Kagami waved his hands modestly, though inwardly, he couldn't suppress his joy.
This was Lady Mito Uzumaki—a figure of immense stature and influence.
Her praise wasn't just praise; it symbolized goodwill from a significant portion of the Senju clan.
Reflecting on this, Kagami couldn't help but think:
That million ryo was well spent. Much better than cleaning up Ryōta's messes!