Near Amegakure, inside Orochimaru's research base.
Over the past few days, Yakushi Kabuto had been waiting with growing impatience.
Based on previous experience, he had already realized that Lord Orochimaru's sudden disappearances were due to Uzumaki Senshi.
According to Kabuto's initial assumption, Lord Orochimaru would reappear shortly after vanishing, just like last time.
But this time, Kabuto miscalculated!
He waited day after day without any word from Orochimaru.
This inevitably made Kabuto worried.
"Lord Orochimaru has already developed the Yamata no Orochi Fruit, as well as Byakugan and Sharingan, to a very high level,"
"Logically speaking, there are very few shinobi in today's ninja world who could pose a lethal threat to him. From what I know, possibly only Uzumaki Senshi fits that description."
"But now that Lord Orochimaru has been taken away by Uzumaki Senshi again, could they have had a conflict?"
Kabuto had always been confident in Orochimaru's current strength, but if his opponent was Senshi, that was another story entirely.
Seeing that Orochimaru hadn't returned to the research base for several days in a row, Kabuto began to wonder if he should go out and search for him.
However, just as that thought arose in his mind, a somewhat haggard figure appeared at the entrance to the research base.
The tattered figure who suddenly appeared was none other than Orochimaru.
Seeing him in such a state shocked Kabuto. He quickly stood up and walked over:
"Lord Orochimaru, you're hurt? What happened?"
Orochimaru waved his hand dismissively.
"Just some superficial wounds; they've already healed."
Hearing this, Kabuto looked closely and asked uncertainly,
"There are some noticeable bite or 'winding' marks. Were they caused by Uzumaki Senshi?"
Orochimaru shook his head.
"If it were him, you wouldn't see any such marks. You wouldn't even find any trace of me at all. Not long ago…"
Orochimaru selectively repeated his recent experiences to Kabuto, keeping it concise.
When Kabuto finished listening, he commented:
"That man is extremely dangerous!"
Although the A-B brothers of the Kumo are strong, their level of danger isn't remotely comparable to Senshi's!
Orochimaru had been able to injure the A-B brothers and get away unharmed when they fought, but someone as powerful as him could still be easily handled by Senshi. Hence, there is no doubt that Senshi is exceptionally dangerous in the ninja world.
Orochimaru agreed with Kabuto's assessment. He nodded:
"Senshi is a double-edged sword. In order not to be cut by it, we need to amass enough funds."
On this point, Orochimaru was well-versed. As long as you have enough money, Senshi will go easy on you—so easy, in fact, he might give you a pass seventeen or eighteen times over.
As a long-term client of Senshi's, Orochimaru understood this 'super Kage-level mercenary' very well.
So in the future, not only would he focus on research, he would also be focusing on making money—both hands must work together, both must be strong!
Hearing Orochimaru mention "amassing funds," Kabuto immediately perked up.
In order to follow Lord Orochimaru's footsteps closely, Kabuto had been saving money during this time.
But he was still far from having 100 million ryo, so he couldn't afford to miss any opportunity to make money. He was already itching to obtain more treasures like the Yamata no Orochi Fruit!
Right away, Kabuto's glasses glinted. He looked at Orochimaru and asked:
"Lord Orochimaru, where are we going next to conduct our 'business'?"
Their business was a bit unusual. Typically, there were no repeat customers; they'd "strike once, then move on."
Previously, Orochimaru had told Kabuto to pack up, ready to depart. But before he had the chance to say where their new business would be set up, he vanished.
So Kabuto had no idea where Orochimaru planned to operate next.
After brief thought, Orochimaru answered:
"First, we head to the Land of Water."
There was a reason for choosing the Land of Water. Its location was relatively close to the Land of Lightning. Orochimaru wanted to act before the Land of Lightning's information was passed on to the ninja in the Land of Water—so he could "pull off a job" in time. Otherwise, it might be too late.
Hearing they were going to the Land of Water, Kabuto immediately made a suggestion:
"Lord Orochimaru, from the intel we've gathered, the Land of Water still has a Tailed Beast. Should we take a mission from the Akatsuki while we're there and capture that Tailed Beast as well?"
Orochimaru: (O_O)???
Kabuto's words stunned Orochimaru!
Clearly, Kabuto was just too eager to improve. Taking a two-pronged approach was usually fine, but doing so against Senshi was out of the question!
Not to mention that Senshi's little assistant, Karin from the Uzumaki Clan, was extremely spiteful. Orochimaru had merely expressed initial interest in purchasing Karin from Senshi, and Karin had written him down in her mental "revenge notebook"!
Seeing Orochimaru remain silent, Kabuto pushed his glasses up and continued:
"Lord Orochimaru, Senshi is currently in the Land of Lightning, trying to capture the Tailed Beast in the Kumo. He won't be able to finish that mission right away and return here. We can seize the moment and capture the Tailed Beast in the Kiri while he's busy!"
Kabuto didn't bring it up for no reason: in the Akatsuki, capturing a Tailed Beast started at a minimum of 100 million ryo. And the beast left in the Kiri was no weakling. Negotiating the mission fee with the organization could yield a high payout!
But Orochimaru immediately rejected Kabuto's proposal:
"Kabuto, your idea is extremely dangerous!"
Last time, Orochimaru had tried something on a whim and almost got crushed. If he hadn't been quick-witted, in his Yamata no Orochi form, he might have ended up with only seven heads left.
When Senshi looked at him back then, that look in his eyes—like staring at a dead man—was already etched in Orochimaru's mind.
Orochimaru understood precisely what Senshi meant: there's only one kind of person who will never fight him for a mission—and that's a dead person.
Realizing that Orochimaru was competing for his mission, Senshi immediately intended to kill him.
Because of this event, Orochimaru developed a "Fear of Senshi"—the terror of snatching Senshi's missions.
Just thinking of it made Orochimaru shiver. With such a profound lesson in mind, he would never again try to snatch one of Senshi's jobs.
He sternly warned Kabuto,
"Don't ever bring up capturing Tailed Beasts again. We're leaving, now!"
Kabuto: (O_O)???
Kabuto couldn't understand. With Orochimaru's strength at its current level, completing that mission shouldn't be too difficult. It's worth at least 100 million ryo! How could they not take it? That was so unlike Lord Orochimaru!
Orochimaru didn't bother explaining further. He simply ordered:
"Prepare a few different sets of clothes for me. Going forward, when we head out for business, we're not wearing the Akatsuki cloaks anymore."
Kabuto: (O_O)???
This instruction left Kabuto even more confused. He couldn't figure out why Orochimaru was making these arrangements.
…
Land of Lightning, Kumogakure, Raikage's Office
Darui had returned and reported everything about his negotiations with Senshi to the Fourth Raikage and his advisors.
This time, Senshi's demands put the Kumo in a tough spot:
He wanted to bring his entire mercenary group into the village's mission assignment center to accept tasks.
There was no precedent for such a thing in the whole ninja world.
They couldn't just reject him, but agreeing was also worrisome.
For a ninja village, many decisions aren't about choosing between a "good" result and a "bad" one, but between a "bad" result and a "worse" result.
Allowing a mercenary group to operate within your village's mission center was full of uncertainty. Even the impulsive and quick-tempered Raikage wasn't about to make such a decision lightly.
In the Raikage's office, he surveyed those present and said:
"Darui, Samui, share your thoughts."
They both nodded. Darui spoke first:
"Lord Raikage, since Senshi is staying right near the Kumo's black market, our mission assignment center has gotten virtually no commissions these last few days."
"If we work with Lord Senshi, this situation would drastically change. Wherever Senshi is, that's where missions go."
After Darui finished, the beautiful Samui also offered her viewpoint:
"Lord Raikage, from what we currently know, agreeing to collaborate with Uzumaki Senshi seems to be the best option."
"Although allowing Senshi's mercenary group to take on missions in our village does bring a lot of unknowns, from Darui's report, it's clear Senshi is showing genuine goodwill this time."
The Fourth Raikage frowned:
"Why do you say that?"
Samui replied:
"Because Senshi has made two major concessions:
1. He won't accept low-level commissions from our mission center.
2. He won't endlessly take on high-level tasks that would undermine the growth of the Kumo."
She paused briefly to let the Raikage absorb that. He mulled it over and said, "Go on."
Samui continued:
"Senshi is a mercenary, or you could say a high-end service provider. Mercenaries are driven by profit and want ongoing revenue. Furthermore, his credibility has always been very good, so if he makes these promises, there shouldn't be any issues."
"Therefore, I'd say Senshi hopes to create a win-win relationship with our Kumo."
Samui's conclusion might be a bit forward, but the information they have suggests that cooperating with Senshi would benefit both sides.
After Darui and Samui each presented their analyses, Killer B also chimed in, casually making a couple of rap gestures:
"Yo! Bro, what's it gonna be? I think we can go for it!"
The Fourth Raikage had been listening intently. Based on their analyses and his own thoughts, he decided that collaborating was better than refusing.
Not to mention, a large number of Kumo shinobi rely on missions to make a living, and they've been going hungry. Many of those who didn't save much now face genuine hardship.
While the higher-ups could manage for a while, some ordinary ninja families were already at a breaking point.
With that in mind, the Raikage made his decision:
"We'll accept Uzumaki Senshi's terms and hire him as our Kumo's Senior Mission Advisor."
Not long after, this decision reached Senshi.
Upon receiving the news, he and his assistant Karin, along with his mission partner Hidan, headed to the Kumo's mission center to finalize negotiations.
…
Land of Lightning Black Market, Black Market Manager's Office
Manager Bodoi was mentally preparing to face ruin—he'd been considering whether the rooftop would be chilly this time of year and how he could jump off with some dignity.
Just then, the receptionist Kayui rushed into his office, sounding very excited:
"Boss, good news—great news! Uzumaki Senshi left the black market and went to Kumo for cooperation talks!"
This information didn't come from Senshi's own advertising but from Kumo's efforts to publicize that they'd invited Senshi to work in their mission center. They wanted everyone to know that if you wanted to hire Senshi, you should head to the Kumo instead of the black market.
After Kayui relayed what she'd learned, Bodoi nearly jumped up from his chair in excitement.
Tears welled in his eyes. He felt nothing but relief. These past few days had been a nightmare—every day, the black market lost massive amounts of money trying to keep up with Senshi's presence.
If the Kumo was the "big sucker" in the Land of Lightning, then Bodoi had felt like the "little sucker."
But now, just as he was on the brink of giving up, Senshi finally left!
Wiping away tears, Bodoi exclaimed,
"Thank heavens, that devil has finally gone!"
As for the Kumo's cooperation with Senshi, Bodoi didn't care. The black market exists because certain tasks can't be exposed publicly—those sorts of commissions can only be posted there. So even with Senshi in the Kumo, the black market still had its niche.
…
Kumogakure, Mission Assignment Center
The Fourth Raikage of the Kumo officially met with Senshi, the leader of the mercenary group, for final confirmations regarding their collaboration.
The Raikage spoke candidly:
"Uzumaki Senshi, starting today, the Kumo will pay you 100 million ryo per year to serve as our Senior Mission Advisor, and we grant members of your mercenary group the authority to accept regular missions from our center. Is there anything else you want to add?"
Senshi was overjoyed. Another 100 million ryo—another long-term job. What more could he ask for? Outwardly, he kept a calm demeanor, just nodding slowly.
Wasting no time, the Raikage handed him a chest of money. The moment Senshi accepted it, a system prompt rang in his mind:
[Long-Term Employment Mission Accepted!]
[Client: Fourth Raikage A]
[Goal: Serve as Kumo's Senior Mission Advisor!]
[Reward: 100 million ryo / year]
[Rank Level: S]
[Mission Bonus: 100,000 Employment Points + 1 Super Draw]
With that, the 100 million ryo, 100,000 Employment points, and the lottery draw were securely in Senshi's hands. He was delighted.
Unlike Orochimaru—who only cared about receiving money—Senshi did his job seriously. After taking the Kumo's long-term employment fee, he worked diligently to fulfill his duties.
Senshi's star power alone caused a massive turnaround in Kumo's mission assignment center. In just a few days, it went from empty to jam-packed.
And he kept his promises:
No low-level commissions,
Not excessively taking all high-level commissions and depriving the Kumo of job opportunities,
Maintaining lightning-quick efficiency for the commissions he did accept—he'd complete morning commissions by noon, never dragging things out.
As his reputation grew, more and more people flocked to the Kumo to hire him or just to catch a glimpse of this "black market legend," the "mercenary with a 100% completion rate."
…
While the Kumo advanced, other villages were growing as well.
Among the Five Great Ninja Villages, the earliest to profit from a partnership with Senshi wasn't the Kumo but the Kiri. They hired Senshi as a long-term, high-level security advisor to deter the Blood Mist remnants in the village.
Even though Senshi himself wasn't present in the Mist, he'd left a Wood Clone handling tasks at the local black market—just like in the Land of Fire.
With Senshi's intimidating power, the troublemakers never dared to surface. This allowed Master Genji and Terumi Mei to complete their power transition far more quickly.
As a result, Terumi Mei became Mizukage earlier than in the original timeline. Yet, just like in that timeline, she ended up swamped with village business—which didn't help her single status.
Under the old regime, everyday citizens lived under a grim atmosphere. Now, the Kirigakure had shifted from "Village of the Bloody Mist" to an "open village," and everyday life for the people had improved drastically.
Everywhere you looked, people were smiling, and many openly discussed the two who made it possible:
"We owe it all to the Fifth Mizukage and that man—Uzumaki Senshi!"
Early on, when tensions ran high between the Loyalist faction and the Blood Mist remnants, it was Senshi's intervention—crushing the remnants in one blow—that propelled the village forward.
Kenbee, an ordinary resident (and distant relative of the ninja Gonbee) who inherited his father's tavern, was seeing more customers than ever thanks to the village's flourishing economy.
One day, Naoki, a local fisherman, came in with his son and daughter. The children greeted Kenbee excitedly. After ordering food and drink, they started talking about how life in the village had changed for the better.
Across the tavern, other patrons joined in the discussion about Senshi—praising and thanking him. Their improved lives were in no small part thanks to him.
Meanwhile, outside the Kiri's mission center stood Terumi Mei, the Fifth Mizukage, wearing a long blue robe. She watched Senshi's Wood Clone depart and couldn't help but scowl slightly:
"That troublesome guy—he never shows up in person, just leaving a Wood Clone behind to handle commissions. What a slacker!"
"Yes, it's powerful enough, but it has zero personality—nothing like that jerk's usual banter."
In her presence, she always addressed him politely as "Lord Senshi," but in her heart, she grumbled, calling him that "infuriating man."
Lately, something else had been puzzling her: the number of clients at Kirigakure's mission center had drastically dropped. She had sent Ao to investigate, and he was due to report his findings shortly.
Sure enough, Ao rushed back and delivered his intel:
"Lady Mizukage, I've found out why we're losing so many clients lately. The Kumo in the Land of Lightning recently hired an incredibly powerful advisor. People are flocking to the Kumo to post missions now."
"Many of the clients who would normally come to us have also been drawn to the Kumo!"
Terumi Mei: (O_O)???
Stunned by Ao's report, she zeroed in on the phrase "incredibly powerful advisor." Instinctively, only one red-haired mercenary came to mind:
"Could it be that mission-obsessed maniac…Uzumaki Senshi?"
~~~
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