Chapter 88   - Ch88. Rei's spy network

It was morning and Rei laid in bed, kissing lazily Konan, his hand sn.a.k.e.d around her shoulder, pressing her to his side as they still sleepily enjoyed themselves. Just then, Rei shuddered and groaned while pressing his forehead on Konan's, tightening his embrace. It took a while for him to stop quivering and then he turned his head down, looking at Tsunade's smug face peeking from the sheets as she laid her b.r.e.a.s.ts on his belly, supporting her chin with her hands.

"Liked?" She teased while licking her lips and Rei narrowed his eyes at her. Only his sincere small smile betrayed his feelings on the matter as he didn't deem it necessary to answer her. His free hand quickly found its way onto her head, patting her which made Tsunade blush.

"Good girl." Rei quipped jokingly but both girls quieted down for a second as he said it. Before he could ask them what's wrong, Konan assaulted his lips again and Tsunade dragged herself up against his body until her mouth was close to his neck and started to hungrily trail kisses all over his neck. Rei could only hug them and use the meager amount of effort he was capable of mustering to try to fight back.

It took him a good hour until he lost and the trio dropped utterly exhausted to the sheets after a very satisfying morning 'exercise'. Rei was affectionately caressing the hair of both girls that laid with their heads in the crook of his neck, smiling in contentment.

"Rei~," Tsunade cooed and arched her head back to get a good look at his face. "Anything new about the situation with ROOT?"

It was already more than a year since Mei graduated and the war was getting increasingly closer. She already left Kirigakure... apparently went to visit her parents... or at least that was the official story for the Mizukage. But she hasn't yet gone to Konoha. She spent this year in their dimension, perfecting her medical and fighting skills. One could never be too careful and Tsunade didn't know if anything unplanned happened and she had to fight her way out of Konoha.

Rei looked at her with a sigh. "Yes... Most of it is just guesswork but the merchants of Biri-Biri company actually got quite a bit of intel about their actions. Apparently, the rumors spreading through the country are the work of ROOT."

This time, even Konan was awoken from her pleasure-induced dozing off as she heard that. "You mean the rumors that make the civilians fear and hate the bloodline clans?"

"Well... yeah." Rei nodded.

"But that's not all rumors." Konan stated dryly. "Kaguya really do attack villages and deserve nothing but be killed off to the last of them."

Konan really didn't like the Kaguya clan due to their 'traditions'. Anywhere else this clan would be killed off years ago but because of the treaty they had with the previous Mizukage and partly because of the pressure of the other clans who had no other choice but to do so or a precedent of having the clan treaties broken would be created, the Kaguya clan was protected here despite doing many crimes.

Once per year, they would attack an unsuspecting village killing all inhabitants except the really unlucky ones. The unlucky ones were mostly strong-looking males and females between ten to thirty years of age.

The men had a straightforward future from that point on. They were thrown into arenas made to make the children of the Kaguya clan more experienced in combat and killing. It was similar to the arena of the Kirigakure except they fought civilians rather than real ninjas. Needless to say, it was a massacre and these men didn't have a long life expectancy.

The females were different. They were used to satisfy the Kaguya males' more brutal s.e.x.u.a.l fantasies. They also were used to 'teach' the teens of the Kaguya clan their 'traditions', as they called it. It was a miserable life.

"Yes, but that's beside the point. Kaguya is an exception. You can't really say every clan is bad because one is too brutal for their own good." Rei said. "These rumors will impact every clan, not only the Kaguya one. It's actually quite a good and subtle way of destabilizing the situation in the country. If they really had a bit more time... three more years would suffice, Kiri would be unable to join the war due to internal strife."

"A pity the puppet boy will get impatient and kill the third Kazekage," Konan smirked. "which would start the war three years sooner than everyone plans."

Yes... everyone was preparing for a war that will start in three years. Except, Rei knew the war would start in a few months. That will really put a stopper to a mind-boggling number of plans. He knew that even the Mizukage was planning a long-term invasion of the land of fire but if his foreknowledge was to be trusted, there will be no such thing.

"Yeah... Danzo is efficient like that." Tsunade quipped lazily, cuddling to Rei. "I am quite amazed he managed to make a conflict between Iwa and Suna, and Iwa and Kumo, and now he is even mixing the waters of Kiri with potential civil war. That man is dangerous..." She sighed as this just made her reaffirm the fact that her going to Konoha was a good decision. Well, not like she will spend her nights anywhere else than in the bed with Rei, in his embrace. All was well... "If those rumors actually take a 'root'," Tsunade giggled. "the clans will be despised by the public, therefore cutting their revenue short. Kiri clans are not like those in Konoha that actually manage a large number of businesses all across the Land of Fire."

That was a thing that surprised Rei quite a lot. According to Tsunade, the clans in Konoha had a lot to do with the economy of the country too. Nara had a monopoly on pharmaceutics for example. It was a surprise because when he did research on various businesses of the Land of Fire, he never got even an inkling of something like this. The companies had nothing to do with these clans at first glance. It was only when Tsunade explained to him that the clans are the leaders in the shadows behind those companies he understood the clans in Konoha had way more influence than it seemed. They were an integral part of the Land of Fire by now.

"Somehow, I think that's exactly what's gonna happen and lead to a civil war in Kiri." Konan deadpanned, giving Rei a knowing look. He always had an idea what will happen next and she had no doubt this 'let's leave Kiri' had a deeper reason than 'there is nothing of value for us left here'. Rei just shrugged with a smile at her while leaning closer for a kiss.

After they finished their kiss he bumped her forehead with his. "Sure... you can think of it like that." He pecked her lips again and turned to Tsunade. "And you! Stop talking about these things. We are in bed and have more important things on our to-do list than discuss some one-eyed creep!" He admonished her playfully to which she lowered her head.

"You are right." Tsunade said in a sad voice and gave Rei a regretful expression that made him soften inside. He only meant it as a joke but Tsunade apparently took it seriously. But as he was about to apologize, he could feel Tsunade's thighs surround his mini-me and Tsunade's face instantly lit up with a mischievous smile. "Then... let me 'repent' and start doing these 'important' things." She said in a seductive voice.

"Ha? Not fair!" Konan poutily exclaimed and Rei found himself being double-teamed yet again. Yeah... who cared about the war when he had such divine mornings!