The days following his successful Hiraishin integration had been a blur of refinement and testing; Renjiro had pushed the technique to its limits, mapped its boundaries, and documented every variable he could identify. Now, as he prepared to travel to Kumogakure, he faced a different challenge. He had been sent ahead of the Konoha delegation to inspect preparations for the upcoming exams, a diplomatic mission that required him to travel to the village of his former enemies.
He considered using Hiraishin immediately, then remembered the obvious problem; he had never been to Kumo after learning the Flying Thunder God. He had no physical Hiraishin formula there, and he had no EMS chakra mark on anyone there. Therefore, he could not teleport directly to Kumo.
I only have to walk somewhere once, he reminded himself. After that, I never have to walk there again.
The journey began alone. Renjiro left Konoha at first light, his body moving at maximum speed through the familiar terrain of the Land of Fire. He used Body Flicker, chakra-enhanced movement, high-speed jumps, and terrain traversal; each technique propelling him forward with relentless efficiency. The landscape blurred past; forests, rivers, mountains, and valleys all blending into a continuous stream of motion.
Rather than simply travelling, he turned the journey into an opportunity. Along the route, he manually placed physical Hiraishin formulas; marking mountain ridges, bridges, major crossroads, abandoned way-stations, forests, valleys, defensible terrain, and important routes between Land of Fire and Land of Lightning. He didn't randomly place them; each marker was selected for strategic usefulness.
Every marker becomes a retreat point, he thought. An emergency destination, a future supply route, a potential battlefield position, another node in my growing Hiraishin network.
He realised that the journey itself was creating permanent strategic infrastructure. The route between Konoha and Kumo was now marked, mapped, and connected. He had walked this path once; he would never have to walk it again.
The terrain gradually became mountainous as he approached Kumo territory; the familiar forests of the land of Fire gave way to rugged peaks and deep valleys. Kumo's security presence became increasingly obvious; shinobi monitored him from the cliffs above, their chakra signatures visible on his active chakra field. He was not surprised; the relationship between Konoha and Kumo had improved politically, and the recent marriage between their Daimyō's children had helped stabilise relations. But the Third Shinobi World War remained fresh in everyone's memory; soldiers from both villages remembered fighting and killing one another.
Diplomatic relations can change in a year, he thought. Memories of war take considerably longer.
He continued his approach, his posture relaxed but his senses alert. He was a representative of Konoha, a Jonin Commander, and a shinobi who had fought against Kumo during the war. His presence would be watched, assessed, and measured.
He was formally greeted by Makarui of the Silver Steel, Kumo's Jonin Commander. She was a highly experienced shinobi, her posture carrying the particular confidence of someone who had survived countless battles. Her hair was silver, her eyes sharp, and her demeanour was professional, restrained, and somewhat cold. She clearly understood Renjiro's reputation.
"Jonin Commander Uzumaki," she said, her voice carrying the weight of a formal greeting. "Welcome to Kumogakure. I am Makarui, your counterpart. I will be your liaison during your inspection."
Renjiro responded politely but without unnecessary warmth.
"The honour is mine, Makarui-san. I appreciate your willingness to guide me through the preparations."
Neither insulted the other; neither pretended that the historical hostility between their villages did not exist. Makarui saw Renjiro as a powerful Konoha shinobi, a political representative, and someone who could become extremely dangerous if negotiations failed. Renjiro saw Makarui as competent, cautious, politically responsible for Kumo's side of the arrangement, and someone he needed to negotiate with rather than intimidate unnecessarily.
Makarui personally guided Renjiro through the planned locations, her pace brisk, her commentary efficient. They inspected examination arenas, training grounds, spectator areas, medical stations, security checkpoints, administrative buildings, and genin accommodations. Each location was examined with the thoroughness of someone who understood the importance of preparation.
Renjiro remained unusually quiet throughout the tour. What he was actually doing was conducting a complete security assessment; he studied patrol routes, defensive barriers, sensory coverage, blind spots, possible infiltration routes, escape paths, locations where an enemy could attack the genin, and positions from which Kumo shinobi could monitor Konoha's participants.
Makarui eventually realised that Renjiro was not simply inspecting the facilities; he was auditing Kumo. Her expression shifted, becoming more guarded.
"Is there a problem, Uzumaki-san?" she asked, her voice carrying the weight of her suspicion.
"No problem," Renjiro replied. "I'm simply ensuring that everything meets Konoha's standards."
The genin accommodations were the next stop; Makarui showed him where Konoha's participants would stay. Renjiro immediately began examining the quarters with the same thoroughness he had applied to everything else. He checked room quality, bedding, food, water, sanitation, medical access, security, emergency exits, and proximity to other Konoha personnel.
Makarui began to find his inspection excessive. She pointed out that Kumo was treating their guests properly, her voice carrying the weight of her irritation.
"Uzumaki-san, I assure you, Kumo's hospitality is not in question. Our guests will be treated with the respect they deserve."
Renjiro's response was calm but unyielding.
"Konoha's genin are under Kumo's temporary protection. Their treatment is therefore part of the diplomatic agreement."
He paused, his gaze meeting hers.
"Poor food, deliberately inferior accommodations, covert surveillance, unauthorised sensory monitoring, and manipulation of their chakra would constitute a breach of trust."
He did not raise his voice; he did not threaten violence explicitly. But Makarui understood exactly what he meant. If Kumo mistreated Konoha's genin, Renjiro would personally intervene.
The discussion moved toward examination administration. Makarui proposed that Kumo receive a 2:1 advantage in proctors, her argument being that Kumo was the host village, knew the terrain, controlled the facilities, was responsible for local logistics, and therefore required more proctors to manage the event effectively.
Renjiro immediately rejected the proposal. He pointed out that Kumo already possessed the natural advantage of hosting the examination; they controlled the environment, the infrastructure, the security apparatus, and had superior familiarity with the terrain. Giving them twice the proctors would simply create another artificial advantage.
"Home territory logistics is not a valid argument," Renjiro said, his voice carrying the weight of his dismissal. "Kumo already has the advantage of hosting; adding more proctors would only compound it."
The discussion became increasingly tense, with Makarui pushing back and Renjiro remaining completely unmoved. Eventually, Makarui agreed to equal proctor representation; 50/50, with equal numbers, equal authority, and equal oversight.
The two began finalizing the prizes that would be presented by the Kage. Konoha's gift was Trench Blades, forged from high-grade chakra-conductive metal and capable of transmitting elemental chakra with exceptional efficiency. It was a practical weapon rather than merely ceremonial treasure. Kumo's gift was a Lightning-Forged Armour Scroll, a rare scroll containing a specialised defensive technique bound within a sealing formula, derived from Kumo's unique lightning-based armoury techniques.
Renjiro recognised that the prizes served two purposes; rewarding the winning genin and demonstrating technological and military goodwill between the villages. Neither village was giving away something meaningless.
With the logistical matters settled, Makarui commented on Renjiro's behaviour.
"Is everything a battle to you, Uzumaki-san?" she asked, her voice carrying the weight of her curiosity.
"Preparation isn't hostility," Renjiro replied.
"You inspected our security network."
"Preparation."
"You threatened me over the accommodations."
"Preparation."
"You argued with me for twenty minutes over proctors."
"That was negotiation."
Makarui gave him a long look. Renjiro simply walked away.
Before leaving, Renjiro discreetly placed additional Hiraishin formulas around Kumo; on the examination grounds, the Konoha genin accommodations, the village entrance, the administrative district, a nearby mountain ridge, and a concealed emergency position outside the village. He now had several destinations available in the village.
The journey that originally frustrated me has actually solved the problem, he thought, his internal voice carrying the weight of his realization. I had to walk here once. I won't have to do it again. Kumo is now permanently connected to my Hiraishin network.
Renjiro prepared to leave. Makarui expected him to depart normally, to walk out of the village and begin the long journey back to Konoha. Instead, Renjiro activated his Hiraishin; yellow-red chakra flashed, space folded, and he disappeared instantly.
Makarui stood silently for a moment, her expression unreadable. She understood the strategic implication; Renjiro had just travelled hundreds of kilometres to Kumo, and now he could return in an instant. And because of the markers he had placed, Kumo was no longer distant from him.
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