Naruto：Immortality and the Eight Inner Gates[Double agent]

After explaining that they couldn't accept a mission because the team wasn't fully assembled, the Raikage refused to issue a task to Ryuto.

Upon learning the reason, Rinjin nodded in exasperation and gave Ryuto and the others a faint smile.

"Captain Ryuto, wait for me a moment. I can't let these walnuts go to waste."

With that, he hurriedly began gathering the scattered walnuts into a sack.

Ryuto and his two teammates were once again left speechless. This guy was beyond saving.

Such terrifying strength, yet instead of fighting on the frontlines, he's here cracking walnuts for snacks.

Clearly, the death of Awafu must have hit him too hard, leaving his brain a little... off.

Feeling a wave of sympathy, Ryuto made a decision: during this mission, he would find a way to help Raimui open up and process his trauma. After all, how could someone so young, with a messed-up head, even think about settling down, getting married, and starting a family?

Soon, the fully assembled Ryuto squad arrived at the mission assignment office.

The mission room was adjacent to the Raikage's office and just as spacious. Inside, the Third Raikage sat on a large chair, intently poring over a scroll.

Knock, knock. They entered the room.

Raikage glanced casually at Ryuto's squad, but when his gaze landed on Rinjin, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Hey, Raimui, come here!" The Raikage's booming voice echoed through the room.

Hearing this, Rinjin lazily stepped forward and stood in front of the Third Raikage.

"Raise your arm and let me take a look!"

Rinjin obediently lifted his arm.

The Raikage reached out, grasping the arm guard on Rinjin's forearm. He weighed it in his hand for a moment, and a wide grin spread across his face. He looked quite pleased.

"Not bad, kid! This thing weighs about a ton, doesn't it?" (Note: A ton of iron is approximately 0.127 cubic meters.)

Rinjin scratched his head awkwardly, giving a sheepish laugh.

Seeing this, the Raikage gave the arm guard another careful look and asked, "Can you handle it? If not, I can get you something even heavier!"

What? You're offering me free upgrades?

Say no more—I'm wide awake now!

"Of course I can handle it! Look at this!" Rinjin exclaimed.

Out of nowhere, he pulled a walnut from his pocket and placed it in the palm of his left hand.

The moment Ryuto saw the walnut, his face twisted, and he slapped a hand over his forehead.

For crying out loud—this guy again!

Can you just leave walnuts alone? Did a walnut kill your parents or something?

Unfortunately, Ryuto's silent complaints didn't seem to affect the two kindred spirits in front of him, one big and one small.

Rinjin stared intently at the walnut, his right hand hovering above it, making precise, deliberate movements.

The Third Raikage, meanwhile, was equally focused on the walnut, his eyes gleaming with interest.

"Ha!"

With a sharp exhale, Rinjin's right hand descended with a rhythmic grace, striking the walnut with precision.

He was determined to showcase his effortless strength and finesse, hoping to score some freebies from the Third Raikage.

At that moment, everyone in the room, even the endlessly complaining Ryuto, had their eyes fixed on the walnut.

"Crack!" A comedic slap-like sound echoed as the walnut was utterly obliterated into powder.

Ryuto's face twitched uncontrollably as he watched the scene unfold.

Bro, can you be any less reliable?

This is the mission assignment office, a place of utmost seriousness!

And here you are, dragging even the Raikage's demeanor into your nonsense!

The Third Raikage erupted into hearty laughter, slapping the dejected Rinjin heavily on the shoulder.

"Raimui, kid, go back and keep training! Hahaha! And eat more pork legs while you're at it—bulk up some more!"

Though he laughed heartily, the Raikage was deeply impressed with Raimui. This kid was a natural-born taijutsu prodigy.

Don't be fooled by how Rinjin smashed the walnut. That was purely due to the speed of his hand. If he had slowed down, he could have easily cracked the walnut without destroying it. But what would be the point of that?

With straightforward people like the Raikage, it was best to play along with their style.

In high spirits, the Raikage quickly issued two missions.

One was a request from the Land of Moon to clear out a bandit hideout within their territory.

The other was a village-assigned task: patrolling the border. However, in true Kumogakure fashion, the "border" they were to patrol wasn't their own—it was the border between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Moon.

Raikage's philosophy was clear: "My borders are mine, and your borders are also mine."

Due to the delay in regrouping and accepting the mission, the Ryuto squad decided to set out the following day.

As Rinjin left the Raikage's building, he was unaware that two women were whispering about him in a corner somewhere.

---

The next morning, the four members of Ryuto's squad gathered at the village gate and set off southward toward the Land of Moon.

According to the mission briefing, the bandits' hideout was located near the border between the Land of Moon and the Land of Lightning, atop a treacherous mountain peak.

At the base of the mountain lay a relatively minor trade route. Thanks to their strategic location and restrained methods of robbery, the bandits had been living a rather comfortable life.

Unfortunately for them, the Raikage had decided they were fattened up enough to be slaughtered.

This was standard operating procedure for Kumogakure, the rogue village. They would tolerate bandits who played by the rules and only targeted foreign merchants, letting them grow fat and complacent.

Now, with the perpetually grumpy daimyo of the Land of Lightning refusing to fund the village, the Raikage had no choice but to butcher these little piggies ahead of schedule.

In comparison, the relationship between Konoha and the Fire Daimyo was much more amicable. Whenever Konoha was short on funds, they merely had to extend a hand, and money would flow in.

This top-down dynamic was why Konoha produced so many freeloaders—like Sakura Haruno, Sakura-chan, the pink-haired demon, the female member of Team 7, and so on.

Typical behavior: eating with one hand while cursing the provider with the other.

Lost in these idle thoughts, Rinjin trailed at the back of the group, casually "guarding their six."

Before long, the four of them arrived at their destination—a perilous mountain range.

The mountain itself wasn't particularly majestic, but its steep cliffs were nearly vertical. The bandits' hideout was reportedly perched at the summit, and they usually used a pulley basket system to ascend and descend.

You had to give it to these bandits—choosing such a location for their base was a stroke of genius.

At first glance, Rinjin even wondered if he had somehow wandered into Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.

Ryuto quickly found a concealed, wind-sheltered cave and began outlining the battle plan with a serious expression.

"First, we'll gather intel, and then we'll wipe them out in one fell swoop."

Rinjin nodded along enthusiastically, his face full of approval.

Excellent! A fantastic plan! Truly in line with Kumogakure's style!

But, Captain Ryuto, have you considered the fact that I can't walk on water or climb trees?

The plan was finalized quickly. Given Rinjin's newcomer status, Ryuto assigned him to guard the base of the mountain.

Rinjin shrugged indifferently. It didn't matter to him where he slacked off.

Under the cover of night, the operation began.

Ryuto, along with Yui and Kohaku, skillfully scaled the nearly vertical cliff, their movements swift and precise.

Watching their silhouettes disappear into the darkness, Rinjin muttered to himself, "Go for it, Captain. I've got Newton's coffin lid nailed down for you."

Soon, the sounds of battle erupted from above. Rinjin, seated cross-legged on the ground, looked up in confusion.

Aren't ninjas supposed to be all about stealthy assassinations? Why does this sound like a full-blown brawl?

Then it hit him.

Oh, right. This is Kumogakure. Never mind.

The battle ended quickly, with no twists or surprises. Ryuto and the others returned, covered in blood—not their own, but that of their enemies—carrying large sacks of loot...