Kumogakure, Temple of Wind and Thunder.
The delegation to Konoha had returned, and since the Raikage had relocated his office to the Temple of Wind and Thunder, everyone gathered there.
Reward ceremonies were always something to look forward to—and in Kumogakure, even more so.
The Third Raikage was known for his hot temper, short fuse, thick skin, and rough appearance. But! When it came to handing out gold and silver, he was fairly impartial.
Although the diplomatic mission to Konoha didn't yield any particularly impressive results, the most critical objective—securing the Fūinjutsu—had been achieved.
With the sealing technique in hand, they could now seal the Two-Tails.
And with a Jinchūriki, the village would no longer be on the defensive. Fewer shinobi needed for protection meant more room to make money.
This past year, the Raikage had nearly gone insane over money problems. His strained relationship with the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning meant he couldn't just ask for funding like the Hokage could. He had no choice but to tighten the belt and endure.
After thorough discussion, the rewards were finalized.
The young man named Taku, who was instantly defeated by Kagami and captured by Konoha, was officially selected as the new Jinchūriki.
Members of his clan stepped forward to congratulate him.
In Kumogakure, being a Jinchūriki didn't mean being ostracized or alone. On the contrary—it meant prestige and respect.
As for the others, aside from generous monetary rewards, each received a promotion.
When it came to Reiji, thanks to prior arrangements with Amai, he was assigned to the Field Service Department.
After bidding farewell to the Third Raikage, Reiji returned to Kumogakure.
The next morning, he reported to the Field Service Department located in the Raikage Building.
Soon, he was greeted by a middle-aged man gliding in on a board between two wire fences.
After a brief introduction, Reiji learned that the fat man's name was Tsuchibune—squad leader of the Field Service Department and younger brother of high-ranking advisor Tsuchishige.
Reiji made no comment, just gave a dry laugh in his mind.
Compared to Konoha, the Raikage's family connections seemed even more entrenched! The upper echelons were tangled like the roots of a tree.
Tsuchibune gave Reiji a tour of the small office: seven or eight desks, completely empty, cluttered with random junk.
"Haha, everyone's out on field duty, so I'm the only one holding down the fort."
With that, Tsuchibune swept the junk off one desk with his sleeve. "Raimei, you'll be sitting here from now on!"
Wow, are you some kind of desk-cleaning master?
Seeing the dust-covered sleeve, Reiji gave a strange nod.
Seeing him nod, Tsuchibune grinned, casually grabbed a dusty scroll from another desk, shook it twice, and placed it in front of Reiji.
"Raimei, this is a ninjutsu exclusive to the Field Department—Heavenly Transfer Technique. Master it quickly. If you've got any questions, ask me anytime."
Reiji hesitated for a moment, picking up the scroll he'd longed for, only to have it tossed to him so casually.
"Tsuchibune-sama… where would I find you?"
He couldn't help but ask—this office clearly looked abandoned! If he ran into trouble later, would he come here and just hope someone showed up?
Reiji felt like even if the Fourth Great Ninja War rolled around, this office might still be deserted!
"Eh, forget waiting for later. Just read it now—if you've got questions, ask now!" Tsuchibune scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
Wait a second…
Did I really guess it right?
Is this that infamous department where you get paid to do nothing?
Damn, this suits me perfectly!
If you'd put me here from the start, I wouldn't even need to be undercover—I was already one of you!
You wait until my mission's nearly over to show me this paradise?!
Stunned for a moment, Reiji finally opened the scroll at Tsuchibune's prompting.
Meanwhile, Tsuchibune pulled up a chair, sat across from him, and began explaining.
"Don't underestimate our department. The Field Service handles all out-of-village missions for every squad in the village.
We're responsible not just for supplies, but also for relaying critical intel back home.
I read your file—you went on a mission once with Ryūto's squad, remember that bandit extermination?"
Reiji nodded.
"Well, in that town you discovered, we had one of our own stationed there—our Deputy Director, no less!
He's the one who used the Heavenly Transfer Technique to send the money and valuables you recovered back to the village."
Hearing that, Reiji grew curious. "Tsuchibune-sama, does everyone in the Field Division know the Heavenly Transfer Technique?"
"Yep!" Tsuchibune nodded firmly, then added proudly, "But only the Deputy Director and I have enough chakra and sensory skill to transfer large loads.
The others can only send scrolls.
Still, that's plenty."
Reiji silently took note of this crucial intel.
To the Third Raikage, this technique was essentially a pinpoint version of the Flying Thunder God!
And without realizing it, Tsuchibune-sama had just handed over the very information Reiji was most interested in.
Seeing Reiji remain silent, Tsuchibune continued.
"The Heavenly Transfer Technique is an extremely rare type of space-time ninjutsu, but unlike the Body Flicker Technique, it doesn't rely on spatial sensitivity.
Instead, the most important requirement for mastering it is a large-scale perception ability."
As he spoke, Tsuchibune raised two fingers and gestured in the air.
"In our village, sensor ninja are trained in two types of perception.
The first type is short-range precision sensing. They can detect an enemy's chakra through various terrains—within a range of about one kilometer.
The second type is what we use in the Field Service Department—long-range perception. Our range exceeds a thousand kilometers.
However, we can't detect anything except for special location scrolls."
"What are those?" Reiji asked.
In response, Tsuchibune pulled out a small, plain-looking scroll from his ninja pouch and slowly unrolled it.
The scroll was covered in intricate and arcane patterns.
Shaking the scroll in his hand, Tsuchibune added, "This is a special location scroll—standard issue for the Field Department. You'll need to learn how to draw these yourself later."
After placing the scroll on the desk, he stretched out with a yawn.
"Once you can sense these scrolls, come find me with your questions!
Oh, and you've got a week off."
With that, he waddled out of the office, his belly swaying.
Wait—no work and I get vacation first?!
What kind of dream department is this? I'm loving it already!
Scroll in hand, Reiji strolled out of the office with ease.
...
Back home, Reiji lounged on his bed, enjoying the convenience brought by the Shadow Clone Technique.
Meanwhile, his mind was busy analyzing the outcomes of this Kumogakure assignment.
He had acquired the Lightning Release Chakra Mode from the Third Raikage, thanks to the groundwork he laid and by saving a large number of Kumogakure shinobi.
He had also secured the Heavenly Transfer Technique during the Konoha mission.
As for the intel Hiruzen Sarutobi had requested, he'd collected plenty of pieces—enough to wrap up his report.
What remained were the Two-Tails, Matatabi, and the Eight Inner Gates technique he'd been yearning for.
Now, what he needed was an opening—an opportunity when everyone would let their guard down.