Raimei's home.
Reiji lounged on the bed, leisurely flipping through a copy of The Scandalous History of Hashirama and Madara, unable to hold back a sigh.
"Tsk tsk tsk, the ninja world really has its fair share of talent!
Is this what they call seeing the world through rotten eyes?"
Thinking back to the original storyline, Reiji suddenly realized something important.
The Fourth Shinobi World War—Obito's defeat wasn't unjust, and Madara's was even less so!
Just look at Naruto and Sasuke—their friendship levels were off the charts.
And Obito? His best friend, Kakashi, ended up getting close with Might Guy.
Sure, Kakashi and Guy were the original pair, but that didn't change the fact that Obito was alone, without that best friend power boost.
Now take Madara—his best friend Hashirama ended up with Mito Uzumaki.
All alone and pitiful, honestly!
So, if I want to get stronger… do I need to find a best friend and unlock that best friend aura?
At that thought, Reiji shuddered involuntarily, shaking his head hard.
"No, no, no!
Dog Bro used to be a solid pick, but lately he's been bingeing The Daimyō and the Twelve Guardian Ninja: The Untold Chapters—he's starting to act like one of those overly intense, boundary-pushing older bros.
Kagami Uchiha? Even worse. Weak, playful, and that's already a sin!
And I refuse to talk to anyone driving a Gundam before I've got one myself."
Grumbling to himself, Reiji placed the book on his nightstand and muttered,
"This book isn't for me! Better send it to Jiraiya!
Let's see if he can write a whole new kind of Icha Icha Paradise."
As he was speaking to himself, a knock suddenly came at the door.
"Coming, coming." Reiji nimbly jumped out of bed and opened the door.
Standing outside was Amai, dressed in her usual sexy ninja uniform, staring at him with a complicated look.
"What's up, Samui?" Reiji asked.
"?"
Amai blinked in confusion, then narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.
"Who's Samui?
Huh?
Seriously? Where'd you meet another little vixen?"
Caught off guard, Reiji scratched his head with an awkward smile.
"Uh, guess I had a memory slip. Just felt like 'Samui' really suited you."
At that, Amai's eyebrows shot up. She grabbed Reiji by the collar and snapped,
"Samui means cold! Do I seem cold to you? My name's Amai!"
She puffed out her chest with pride and added,
"Amai is sweet!"
Reiji glanced at her bouncing chest and raised an unimpressed eyebrow.
"Heh, who knows~"
Amai, clearly not one to back down, stuck her chest out again and challenged him, "If you've got the guts, try it!"
Reiji's eyes lit up.
Kid, you're asking for it! But—
"Sorry, I prefer real Tailed Beast Balls over cheap knock-offs!"
That made Amai's face flush with rage, but just as she was about to snap back, her expression froze. She looked at Reiji again, her gaze turning complicated.
"Raimei, have you been back to Amegakure?"
Reiji immediately understood the reason behind her look.
She must've investigated Amegakure, which was practically full of holes, and found out about Mizukuma's death.
"No. I've just been exchanging letters with Hanzō-sama.
Later, when Konoha caught wind of it, I handed the task over to their ANBU.
Why?"
Seeing the sincerity in Reiji's eyes, Amai pressed her lips together, not answering directly.
Instead, with a troubled expression, she asked,
"Then, all that effort for Hanzō-sama and Konoha—was it just to keep Mizukuma safe?"
Reiji gave a small smile and shook his head.
"Not entirely. I also have a younger sister, Rie Sakuhō, staying in Konoha. That played a part too."
Silence fell.
Amai didn't speak, her gaze locked on Reiji, eyes full of conflicting emotions.
After a long pause, she finally snapped out of it, a warm smile slowly spreading across her face as she took Reiji's hand.
"You've been pushing yourself too hard. Let me help you relax today!
Since everyone in the village already thinks we're a couple, let's go shopping!
This time, I'll show you around Kumogakure—just the two of us, no interruptions!"
Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed his hand and led him outside.
Reiji didn't resist. He let her pull him along through the streets of Kumogakure.
Though he'd been undercover in the village for a year, Reiji had never taken the time to really explore it.
Unlike Konoha, there were no little street stalls here, no lively crowds filling the roads.
In this martial-arts-centric village, what dominated the streets were ninja uniforms, gear shops, and weapon stores.
The rest were a few specialty food shops.
It seemed the people of Kumogakure weren't too fond of flashy clothing.
With the men on the street casting hostile stares, Reiji was pulled by Amai into a clothing store...
"Raimei, I got paid today. I'm buying you clothes," Amai said smugly.
Reiji glanced down at his slightly worn Kumogakure-style ninja outfit and shook his head.
"No need. It's still good enough to wear."
Amai's gentle face puffed up in annoyance as she pursed her full lips.
"No! I said I'm buying them, so I am."
She turned and disappeared into the racks, muttering as she went.
"You seem to really like wearing black. Why's that?"
Half-joking, half-serious, Reiji replied, "Because I've already turned dark inside—you just can't tell."
Amai poked her head out from the clothes, rolling her eyes.
"Why not just say you deliberately tanned yourself?"
"Heh, not exactly on purpose. Let's call it… premeditated."
The two of them chatted like any pair of close, candid friends.
Soon, Amai had picked out a full set: black pants, a black shirt, and a long black cloak.
Reiji gave the outfit in her hands an approving nod.
Nice—she even got me night ops gear. Trying to give me a hint, are you?
He didn't turn down Amai's enthusiasm.
After all, anyone who's buying me stuff is a good friend in my book!
After paying and grabbing the bags, Amai once again naturally took Reiji's hand and led him back out onto the street.
"Raimei, want a design drawn on? Like the 'Thunder' on Raikage-sama's shoulder?"
Amai pointed to a nearby body paint stand.
Reiji stroked his chin, thinking for a moment.
"Sure. But I want the character 'Hard'!"
Amai gave him a sly sideways glance, eyes full of mischief.
"Hard? Seriously?"
"You've never heard the saying? The more someone lacks something, the more they want to show it."
MetalGarurumon Reiji says: Give it up, woman. You can't seduce me!
Amai rolled her eyes, exasperation dancing in her gaze.
Not long after, the word "Hard" was boldly painted on Reiji's muscular arm.
Amai held the oil marker and looked at her work with pride, as if waiting for praise.
...
Time slipped by.
Before they knew it, the day was over.
As the sun set, casting its last golden light over the village, Reiji, arms full of bags, had Amai walk him back home.
After putting everything down, Reiji stood outside the door, ready to leave.
Just then, Amai, still standing gracefully at the entrance, suddenly tugged on his sleeve.
"What is it?" Reiji asked, slightly puzzled.
Amai slowly looked up, eyes narrowing with a soft smile.
"Reiji… would you say I'm one of your bonds?"
Caught off guard, Reiji paused for a moment, then scratched his head and nodded.
"What are you saying? You've always been my friend."
He smiled, turned around, and walked away.