**Chapter 378: Target, Cloud Village!**
Reiki stood at the village gates, face-to-face with Sarutobi Asuma and his mentor, Morishita.
"Why are you here, Asuma? Are you heading out on a mission?" Reiki asked casually, his tone masking a hint of curiosity. "Or is Morishita-sensei taking you out for field training?"
Asuma puffed out his chest. "Roy, my teacher says I've made great progress lately. I might've surpassed you already! Wanna spar with me? Or are you too scared?"
Before Asuma could finish his boast, Reiki acted.
---
**Three minutes later**
Asuma lay unconscious on the ground, defeated. Reiki calmly placed his hands over him, using medical ninjutsu to heal his bruises.
"Morishita-sensei," Reiki said with a knowing smile, "there were plenty of ANBU following me just now, and now you're here too. Should I assume Hokage-sama sent you?"
Morishita sighed. "Kid… What exactly are you up to that's making Hokage-sama so anxious? It seems like everything happening in the village right now somehow involves you."
Reiki tilted his head, his calm demeanor unwavering. "Is that so? Well then, sensei, I take it you're not here to drag me back?"
"No," Morishita admitted.
"Good," Reiki replied, walking toward the village gate. He pulled out an official pass, showed it to the gatekeepers, and disappeared into the distance.
---
**Morishita's Thoughts**
As Morishita watched Reiki vanish, he sighed deeply. "It seems Konoha's world is about to change…"
He looked down at Asuma, still sprawled on the ground, and kicked him lightly. "Get up, Asuma. You've got a long way to go."
The memory of Reiki effortlessly defeating Asuma replayed in Morishita's mind. Despite Asuma's progress to chūnin-level strength, he had been utterly outmatched. Reiki's abilities had far surpassed anything Morishita had expected.
---
**Reiki's Journey**
After leaving Konoha, Reiki quickly created multiple shadow clones and sent them scattering in different directions. When the ANBU trackers reached the area, they found themselves chasing shadows, unable to pinpoint the real Reiki.
As the ANBU fanned out, Reiki emerged from behind a large tree, his expression calm but thoughtful.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen… What are you trying to do?" he murmured to himself. "Why would you doubt me of all people? My actions have always aligned with the Will of Fire…"
Shaking his head, Reiki dismissed the thought. "Forget it. I have work to do."
With a flick of his wrist, Reiki summoned the **Evil Haunt** technique, cloaking his presence and making him undetectable to trackers. Moving swiftly, he left Konoha's guarded perimeter and arrived at a cliff overlooking the Land of Lightning.
---
**Meeting Krall**
Standing at the cliff's edge was Krall, the son of the Raikage, whom Reiki had once saved.
"Reiki, why are you seeking me out now?" Krall asked, his tone cautious.
"I need a favor," Reiki said plainly. "Help me with this, and I'll release you from any obligations to me. You'll be free."
Krall's eyes widened with surprise but quickly narrowed in suspicion. "What do you need me to do?"
"It's simple," Reiki explained. "Contact the Raikage and arrange for him to 'rescue' you. During the operation, he'll need to engage in a staged battle with one of my people. I'll ensure his safety and that of his forces."
As Krall listened, a tall figure stepped out of the shadows behind Reiki. Though Krall found the person vaguely familiar, he couldn't place them.
"This is all?" Krall asked hesitantly.
"Yes. If you don't trust me, we can formalize the agreement," Reiki said, producing a scroll inscribed with the word **Seal.**
The scroll was a binding contract: if either party failed to fulfill their part of the agreement, their chakra network would be sealed.
After a moment of thought, Krall nodded. "Fine."
Both parties signed the scroll, and Krall took it before vanishing into the night.
---
**Uchiha Madara's Role**
"Wait, you want me to fight the Third Raikage? A little overconfident, aren't we?" Uchiha Madara asked, stepping out of the shadows.
Reiki smiled. "Madara-sama, the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, died in a confrontation with Kumogakure. If you use that history as a pretext for this battle and injure the Raikage, we can use it to stir up the narrative."
Madara raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Reiki continued, "From there, we'll build momentum. Everything else is already in motion. I'll contact you when it's time."
Madara chuckled. "You're a cunning little one, aren't you? But what's your real purpose in all this?"
"You don't need to understand my purpose," Reiki replied, turning to leave. "Just prepare for the battle."
Madara watched Reiki disappear into the distance, a wry smile on his lips. "Interesting boy. The ninja world hasn't forgotten me yet… but they're about to be reminded."
---
**Back in Konoha**
Reiki returned to his home, exhausted but determined. His plans extended beyond Madara's reintegration—they included the relocation of the Kingdom of Loulan and the acquisition of Yucun.
As he sat down to review his plans, a knock came at the door.
"Anbu?" Reiki muttered to himself, opening the door to find one of Hiruzen's masked operatives.
"Reiki-sama, Hokage-sama would like to know about the monthly potion supply," the Anbu said.
Reiki sighed. "The teachers are out of the village, and the potions I can make on my own are limited. I barely have enough for myself. Tell Hokage-sama to wait."
With that, Reiki shut the door and returned to his work, muttering under his breath. "Sarutobi Hiruzen… just what are you trying to achieve?"
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