In the Land of Lightning, it wasn't just the A-B brothers who were gloomy and distressed. The head of the local black market, Bodoi, was equally worried.
This time, Bodoi had severely miscalculated. Things did not go the way he had envisioned!
In Bodoi's mind, even if Senshi were made of iron, how many nails could he break with his bare hands?
He had guessed that Senshi would complete about a dozen tasks at most, and the rest would naturally fall into the black market's lap.
But Senshi did not stop after picking up just a dozen commissions!
Before Bodoi's eyes, Senshi accepted all the posted jobs.
In fact, that alone wouldn't have mattered; Bodoi even found himself seeing Senshi in a slightly better light. After all, Senshi was the Black Market's No. 1 ninja, but he didn't seem to have accurately assessed how long it would take to complete these tasks. Taking on more than three hundred commissions in one go—who knew how long it would take to finish them all?
Many of those assignments were urgent or had strict deadlines. There was no way he could complete them on time if he accepted so many at once!
Yet things still weren't going the way Bodoi predicted, adding another layer of melancholy in his heart.
If Senshi had only taken on a dozen or so commissions, that would have been the end of it—no big deal. But now, he had grabbed every posted job on the black market. This turn of events was far beyond Bodoi's expectations.
All he could do was secretly comfort himself: "Maybe Uzumaki Senshi's fame is overblown. No matter how many tasks he has accepted, he can't possibly finish them. Accepting them is pointless!"
While Bodoi was still silently reassuring himself, Senshi's next move snuffed out that last flicker of hope.
"Pa!"
"Wood Style: Wood Clone!"
In Bodoi's puzzled gaze, Senshi clapped his hands together. Immediately, the ground around him began to crack.
"Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!"
One after another, wood clones identical to Senshi sprouted continuously from below. In just a moment, a neat formation of over a hundred wood clones appeared before everyone.
These clones deftly took the commission slips and set off at once to carry out the tasks.
Three hundred-plus missions—all gone in the blink of an eye!
And out of these three hundred missions, none were D-rank or C-rank. They started at B-rank, and there were even several S-rank assignments among them!
Seeing this spectacle made Bodoi break out in a cold sweat. He couldn't help but turn to his blue-haired assistant Kayui and say, "Kayui, bring me the mission ledger."
His tone had lost all earlier brashness; now, there was only tension and unease.
Kayui could no longer smile either. She never imagined events would turn out like this. She quickly handed the ledger to Mr. Bodoi.
As the black market manager, Bodoi did have some skill. He skimmed through the numerous missions at high speed and made a rough calculation of their total payouts.
Kayui didn't know what he was doing, so she asked in a low voice, "Boss, what exactly are you trying to figure out?"
Shaking his head, Bodoi replied, "I'm roughly calculating the total commissions for these tasks. The result…these missions together exceed three hundred million ryō!"
"Hiss—!"
Both Kayui and Azei gasped in shock.
Damn it, not only did their black market fail to earn a single coin on these deals worth three hundred million, they would also have to pay Senshi an additional 10% reward—thirty million ryō out of their own pocket.
It was three hundred million in total black market business that should have brought them substantial fees. Now they weren't earning a thing and would end up losing thirty million themselves. It was a total bloodbath!
"Thump!"
Mr. Bodoi's eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the ground.
"Boss! Are you alright?!"
"Boss fainted! Quick, give him first aid!"
Kayui was frantic at the sight of Bodoi passing out, and the other black market staff rushed over to help, pinching him, fanning him—doing whatever they could. It took quite some time before Mr. Bodoi was finally revived.
Seeing him regain consciousness, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. But they cheered too soon. Right then, another receptionist ran in, looking distraught.
Upon spotting Bodoi, the newcomer blurted out, "Boss! Something terrible has happened! Not only did Senshi accept the three hundred new clients' missions, but now he's also taken every remaining job in the black market! He swept them all up!"
The news hit Bodoi like a bolt from the blue. He nearly spat blood on the spot and passed out again!
"It's over! It's all over! Everything is completely out of control now!" he muttered in despair.
Seeing Bodoi in such a state, Azei thought for a moment, a fierce look crossing his face. "Boss, given the situation, why don't we—"
As Azei spoke, he made a slicing gesture across his neck. His meaning was obvious: if you can't solve the problem, then solve the person who caused it.
Bodoi erupted at those words, cursing, "Are you out of your mind? Even the Raikage couldn't defeat him! How are we supposed to attack him?!"
Meanwhile, in one corner of the black market in the Land of Lightning:
Karin was utterly exhausted, clinging to Senshi's thigh like a koala.
Hidan, on the other hand, was sleeping while standing up—taking advantage of any brief moment to doze off.
In between them, Senshi was happily counting mission slips. "Never thought smacking the Raikage around would bring such a pleasant surprise!"
He grinned. "Someone define 'pleasant surprise'? If I'd known beating up a Kage would come with this sort of perk, I'd have beaten up the Third Hokage back in Konoha, too! Wasted my time with that useless Danzō—got nothing out of it. A total loss!"
Senshi found himself daydreaming about openly challenging Hiruzen Sarutobi in Konoha for the same benefits in the Land of Fire's black market. Imagining countless missions flooding his way made his grin even wider than an AK's muzzle flare.
Laughing to himself, he picked up Karin—who was still clinging to his leg—and hoisted her onto his back. Then, along with his mission partner Hidan, he set off to take on a massive number of black-market jobs.
"Hidan, it's time to work! Let's go nuts and clear all these tasks!"
…
Inside the black market's main hall, in the administrator's office:
Mr. Bodoi looked like a ghost, terrified to the extreme. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the financial report in front of him.
"Damn it!"
"In just two days, this black market has lost more than twenty million ryō!"
And that's only the extra reward money they had to pay out to Senshi. In truth, the black market's real losses were even larger. They had spent more than twenty million ryō on bonuses alone, meaning over two hundred million ryō worth of business had gone through the black market's hands without yielding them a single coin.
In two days, not only did they fail to make money, they wound up paying out twenty million. Bodoi was at his limit. Any further loss would be enough to buy themselves a Sarutobi Asuma!
He was merely a manager, not the true owner. Ultimately, he had to answer to the higher-ups who actually ran the black market. Over these past two days, the black market under his watch had done nothing but bleed money. Worse still, he had no plan to stop it.
If the black market bosses found out about such a huge loss, the consequences would be dire—he could never take responsibility for this. Bodoi now felt deeply, hopelessly regretful.
Like Bodoi, the A-B brothers were equally in despair. In merely two days, the mission center in Kumogakure stood completely deserted.
Meanwhile, word had spread across the Land of Lightning that a certain top-tier mercenary capable of defeating the Raikage had set up a stall at a black market near the Kumogakure. He had a 100% success rate, and his speed in completing tasks was absurdly fast. Best of all, he took on any and all missions, and you could hire this Kage-level mercenary for the same price as a normal contract.
That was something nobody would have dreamed possible. So, every client who needed a ninja rushed to that black market to hire Senshi.
…
Kumogakure, Raikage's Office.
These days, the atmosphere was grim. The Fourth Raikage studied the intelligence on his desk, looking helpless. Darui and the others were silent, facing what seemed like an unsolvable problem.
The Raikage frowned. "It's been two days, and Senshi is still here. According to the intel, he doesn't seem ready to leave at all. Apart from waiting for him to leave on his own, is there any other way?"
Hearing the question, everyone fell into contemplative silence. Darui finally spoke, sounding both weary and resigned: "Raikage-sama, there's no current solution. Someone at his level simply can't be compelled by Kumogakure."
"Until we find a more perfect approach, our only option is to wait."
Samui also chimed in: "Yes, Raikage-sama. Not acting prematurely might be our best move right now. Otherwise, if we provoke a conflict with Uzumaki Senshi, the village will only suffer greater losses."
Of course the Fourth Raikage understood they were right, but that wasn't the answer he wanted. While he might be able to wait, what about all the other ninja in the village who needed commissions to earn a living? As the Raikage, how could he tell them to wait any longer?
He could only press on: "Think again. Is there any way to drive him out? Or do we have any proof that he came to the outskirts of Kumogakure just to complete a certain job, after which he'll leave?"
At that, Samui hesitated, then brought up a piece of intel they had collected. "From our investigations, Senshi never moves without profit. He's either on a mission or traveling to a new job. It follows that if he suddenly appeared near Kumogakure, it must be to complete a particular commission. After he's done, he should leave."
Her words did little to comfort the Raikage. For the past two days, they had been working hard on this problem, keeping track of Senshi's situation in the black market, yet it looked like he wasn't planning on going anywhere soon.
Information gathered by the Kumo's intelligence unit only made the village leadership more anxious: Senshi, known in the black market as "the Devil," "the Mission Terrorist," and "the Task Terminator," was a man who seemed to live and breathe for missions. As long as there were jobs, Senshi would show up.
If the black market's higher-ups had been more cautious, none of this trouble would have escalated so quickly. Ordinarily, no matter how strong Senshi was, he would have needed to start small and gradually build up to higher-level jobs in the black market, and his fame would have taken time to grow. But the confrontation with the Raikage changed everything in one night—he became legendary in the Land of Lightning.
Moreover, the black market manager Bodoi made yet another mistake: by giving Senshi unlimited authority to accept missions, he opened the floodgates. Now the black market's situation had spiraled out of control, leaving both Bodoi and the Fourth Raikage in a pinch.
…
Five days later at the black market in the Land of Lightning:
Senshi had been on a mission spree day and night. Karin was thoroughly worn out. As for Hidan, he just drifted around in a daze, having been electrocuted into numbness one too many times.
In one corner of the market, Senshi lounged on a pile of money boxes, happily eating some dango. Karin, face full of fatigue, sat on another stack of cash, a wad of bills still in her hand.
Puffing out her cheeks, she turned to Senshi with a weary look: "Senshi, whenever I close my eyes now, all I see are mission slips and money. My life is over, isn't it?"
Senshi handed her another skewer of dango from his storage space and patted her on the head. "Karin, you call that 'over'? It means you're growing into a real woman who can handle everything!"
She eyed him suspiciously. "Are you pulling my leg? Are heaps of commissions and piles of cash really the sign of a mature woman?"
(If Tsunade had been around to hear this, she might have raised her hand and murmured, "So that's why I'm always broke—guess I'm not mature enough.")
Seeing Karin's doubtful look, Senshi wondered if he should take out some kind of novelty item from his storage to amuse her. After all, she was still a kid, and a fun gadget could boost her spirits in a second.
But at that moment, a group from Kumogakure arrived. Karin perked up, thinking maybe something exciting was about to happen so she wouldn't have to keep sorting mission slips and counting money. If they'd come looking for trouble, she planned to jump right in. But she was disappointed—the Kumo ninjas came with courtesy rather than aggression.
Led by Darui, they approached Senshi for negotiations. They'd finally come up with a plan after five days of racking their brains. Since Senshi clearly had no intention of leaving, and since commissions flocked to him wherever he went, why not invite him to the Kumo's own mission center? Let Senshi handle tasks there.
Of course, Senshi's presence would bring in an influx of clients, but once his schedule was full, Kumo's own ninjas could pick up the rest. Additionally, they could directly hire him to handle any extremely difficult crises. Since Senshi was unbelievably strong yet still chose to earn a living through missions, it suggested he was someone you could reason with.
So Darui stepped forward, speaking with respect: "Lord Senshi, the Kumo wishes to collaborate with you. If you're willing to operate from our mission center, we'll give you the best possible terms."
Unlike smaller villages like Amegakure or Kusagakure, the Kumo was one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—wealthy, powerful, and officially recognized by the Land of Lightning.
Senshi looked interested. On the one hand, he had a good deal at the black market with manager Bodoi, but if he kept squeezing the black market forever, it was bound to provoke the wrath of the organization's real owners. Since he preferred not to burn every bridge, working with the Kumo might be a solid alternative.
Still, a bit of haggling was in order. Senshi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Kumo wants to work with me, does it? Have you looked into the terms Bodoi offered me?"
Darui's expression flickered. After studying what had happened here, the Kumo leadership had no intention of offering the same deal as Bodoi, because they weren't about to challenge the limits of Senshi's chakra at the cost of their treasury. Still, they needed to get him on their side somehow.
Taking a deep breath, Darui said, "Lord Senshi, we're aware of the conditions Bodoi offered. Frankly, we can't match those payment terms. But in many other respects, the Kumo can show you the utmost sincerity."
"Oh?" Senshi kept his tone casual, but his gaze suggested he was weighing everything carefully.
Sensing the tension, Karin put her hands on her hips: "So, what exactly is this 'utmost sincerity' you're talking about?"
Darui exhaled in relief—at least they were still willing to talk. "We can't offer the same commission bonus as the black market. But we can provide many benefits that only a major shinobi village can. If there's anything you want, as long as it doesn't conflict with the village's core interests, we'll do our best to accommodate. And even if there's a conflict, we can still negotiate for a solution."
Karin rolled her eyes. "Sounds like you're just throwing empty words at us. You haven't actually said anything concrete."
She wasn't wrong. Darui was speaking in a roundabout way. Kumo couldn't simply throw money at him like the black market, so they had to rely on intangible advantages, status, resources, connections—anything to sweeten the deal without bankrupting themselves.
Realizing he couldn't pull the wool over their eyes, Darui cleared his throat. "Lord Senshi, I truly am here in good faith. Let me outline the tangible perks the Kumo can offer, then we can hear your specific demands. Anything I can approve on the spot, I will. If it's beyond my authority, I'll go back and seek Raikage-sama's decision."
Senshi nodded. "Go on."
Darui continued, "We can give you three major conveniences. One, the lowest commission fee rate among all the major villages. Two, full assistance in expanding your mission channels. Three, we'll handle all the tedious administrative work around your missions. Beyond that, if there are any other issues or requests, we can talk."
This was far more practical. Senshi thought it over, then replied, "Working with the Kumo isn't impossible. If you meet some conditions, I'm willing to do a long-term contract with you."
Darui's eyes lit up. "May I ask what conditions you have in mind? And what would the long-term contract entail?"
With a small smile, Senshi explained, "You can commission me with a standing job contract—let's call it a long-term employment mission—appointing me as a senior mission advisor for the Kumo's task center. My presence alone would be a draw; after all, a mercenary who defeated the Raikage working out of your mission center will definitely attract a flood of new clients."
Darui nodded. "With your abilities, that's guaranteed."
But Senshi wasn't done. He rattled off three more things that left Darui very surprised:
"One: While I'm stationed at your mission center, I won't take all the tasks; I won't interfere with the village's own mission flow.
"Two: If your village faces serious trouble, you can hire me first and foremost to handle it.
"Three: …"
Darui and his companions wondered why Senshi would offer such generous concessions, but they suspected his next request would be big. Their guess proved right. Senshi said:
"I've formed a mercenary group. Besides the contract with me personally, I want the Kumo to grant my group the right to take on missions. Let my people work out of the Kumo as well."
This was no small matter. Darui couldn't agree to that on his own. Looking grave, he said, "Lord Senshi, that's a major request. I'll have to report it to the Raikage and wait for his decision."
~~~
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