Ch117. Mission report

Rei moaned as he woke up, feeling somebody laying on his chest. He half-opened his eyes and relaxed when he spotted the messy and tangled mess of blue hair enter his vision. Clearly, they took it a bit too far with Konan yesterday night and both fainted. Releasing a deep sigh of relief, Rei put his hand on Konan's head and gently caressed her hair, carefully to not wake her up, causing her to snuggle more into his chest. He would chuckle if his mind didn't freeze as he spotted Mei standing next to their bed with her arms crossed and exaggerated pout on her lips while her eyes were trying to drill a hole through Rei's face.

"Uh... hi?" He awkwardly greeted her, scrunching his eyebrows. "What are you doing here, Mei?"

Mei only jealously huffed as she turned her head towards the still sleeping Konan who was blissfully sprawled on Rei's chest with a megawatt smile, her hands possessively around his waist. Rei saw Mei let out a small whine before she turned around towards the door and her back now faced the duo lying in the bed. "I just came to inform you that you were called to the Mizukage's office." She sullenly said before stiffly walking out.

'Is she... jealous?' Rei wondered in amusement.

...

Rei, Konan, and still sullen Mei walked into the office of the Mizukage and couldn't help but wonder how much it changed with Himeno not being around. The first thing they noticed was the air becoming stale and stuffy. The Mizukage most likely didn't open the window often. The room was not really messy. It was tidied up but didn't give the feeling of proper care and neither was there the vibe of superiority that was always present when Himeno was there to tend to it. Frankly, the woman knew exactly how to arrange things for people to feel small or insignificant when in her presence and something was clearly missing in the room to give it that important vibe of it belonging to someone important.

Further in the room, Mizukage was wrestling with stacks of paperwork. He no longer looked cheery, rather he had a weary look and black circles under his eyes as he sat with his shoulders slumped while filling out form after a form. Rei could understand why the Council wanted him to name a successor. The man was ruined and lost his drive.

"Team Downpour reporting as ordered." Rei stated, snapping the Mizukage from his reverie, causing him to look up at them. His eyes were quite dull and sleepy, making Rei frown. This was really not the man who welcomed them in Kirigakure years ago. It was almost sad.

"Ah... Rei. Sure, I wanted to hear how your mission went." The Mizukage stated hollowly, no longer having that vicious bite in his tone that always produced witty arguments between them. Rei frowned at that. He enjoyed their verbal sparring. It wouldn't do if the man completely folded. Nevertheless, he started explaining what happened...

"Wait! You used PRANKS to get attention in Tanera!?" Mizukage shrieked. "I ordered you to destroy it!"

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I most assuredly did." The Mizukage spat with a venom lacing his tone as he gave Rei a scathing glare.

"Oh, well. I must have forgotten, then." Rei said with a light uncaring tone, making the Mizukage groan. "But the mission was a success nevertheless. We stalled hundreds of ninja and thousands of samurai so not like anyone can complain. Well, anyone besides the inhabitants of Tanera since they were the victims of our witty and nefarious plans on how to screw Konoha over. I think we did an incredible job since most of them are jobless and penniless." Rei finished with a beaming innocent smile that made somehow the Mizukage aware Rei was angry with him at being given such a mission.

"Rei..." The Mizukage called out almost pleadingly. "You are a ninja, act like it!"

Rei's smile dropped and complete seriousness filled the room. "Sure... You are also a ninja, act like it too, then."

The world stilled as the Mizukage and Rei stared into each other's eyes before the Mizukage chuckled. His chuckles slowly morphed into snickers before becoming small laughter and ending up as full-blown unrestrained laughter as the man banged his fist on the table, hunched over from stomach pains due to laughing.

All members of Team Downpour were just awkwardly standing in front of his desk, staring at the apparently new madman until he finished with his practice of mad laughing.

'Was I too straightforward?' Rei thought worriedly.

'Did he crack?' Konan thought in amusement.

'Somehow, I am suddenly glad we are leaving Kiri.' Mei thought as she gave the Mizukage a weirded out look.

The Mizukage finally stopped laughing, and only an occasional chuckle left his lips as he tried to calm down. "Thank you for that, Rei. I needed the reminder."

'So he didn't go crazy. Such a pity' All three members of Team Downpour thought ruefully. Outwardly, Rei just nodded in acknowledgment.

"Now, care to explain why one of my genin is marked as SS-rank by Iwagakure?" The Mizukage glanced at Mei before he turned to Rei with his left eye twitching in irritation and exasperation.

"The Iwagakure is crazy?" Rei tried to sound innocent but the Mizukage instantly gave him a deadpan stare. "Fine! She fought ten thousand enemies." Rei shrugged.

The Mizukage could only groan again. "Why does it have to be always so difficult with you?" He idly asked, not expecting an answer but Rei obliged nevertheless.

"Because I am special?"

The silence became deafening in the room and it took a few seconds before the Mizukage started speaking again. "Right... Anyway, we fought ten thousand people is NOT an answer, Rei."

"But I didn't say 'we' fought them. I said 'she' fought them."

That stopped the Mizukage short, causing him to be completely flabbergasted. "Wait. You want to tell me that a genin managed to win against-"

"Yup," Rei interrupted. "I am apparently a marvelous teacher!" He gave the Mizukage a thumbs-up before Konan swatted him on the shoulder while barely restraining her snickers. Mei had no such problem and openly laughed at Mizukage's expression. Maybe Rei really was a bad influence? Nah, that couldn't be it.

The Mizukage looked from Mei to Rei and back before his eyes settled at Konan. "Is it the truth?"

"Oi!" Rei rebuked, annoyed at being doubted but both Konan and the Mizukage just ignored him.

"Yes." Konan stoically said with a nod.

"I see... Fine." The Mizukage sighed. "I want a full report on that battle on my table in a week at most. You are dismissed." He said and returned to his paperwork with a lighter and happier look.

'Really, I am such a good therapist!' Rei proudly thought to himself only to receive another swat on the shoulder from Konan who instinctively felt her lover was thinking something stupid.