Terumi Mei paused to think, then turned to Ao and asked, "Do we have any detailed information on that 'Mission Advisor' from the Kumogakure?"
Ao shook his head. "No detailed info yet, but I did manage to find some useful clues!"
Hearing this, Terumi Mei's cool yet melodious voice came through: "So, what useful information have you discovered so far?"
Not wasting any time, Ao began his report:
"That Mission Advisor of the Kumo is most notable for his striking red hair. He used a powerful Lightning Release to defeat the Raikage in the Kumo, making his name known throughout the Land of Lightning. Later, thanks to his outstanding mission performance and his intense commitment to fulfilling missions, the Kumo officially hired him as their Mission Advisor."
After restating the intel he had gathered for Terumi Mei, Ao felt an odd sense of déjà vu.
Sure, many ninja in the shinobi world have red hair; many specialize in Lightning Release as well—especially those from the Kumo. And practically all ninja complete missions; having great mission capabilities is hardly unique in the shinobi world.
But when you combine all those traits into one person, he started feeling that this Kumo "Mission Advisor," whom he had never met, was strangely familiar.
Had he encountered someone like this during a past mission?
Being cautious by nature, Ao wasn't about to jump to a conclusion with so little to go on.
Terumi Mei, however, thought differently. The more she heard, the more she was convinced: "Damn it—this has to be that jerk, Uzumaki Senshi!"
A striking redhead, incredibly mission-focused, skilled in Lightning Release…
He even used an extraordinarily powerful Lightning Release to defeat the Raikage!
Given that kind of power, appearance, and obsession with missions, could there even be a second shinobi like this in the entire ninja world?
Case closed!
It's definitely Uzumaki Senshi—no doubt about it.
Once Ao finished, Terumi Mei was absolutely certain that Kumo's "Mission Advisor" was Uzumaki Senshi.
At that realization, she couldn't help feeling a little resentful.
After all, she had been in contact with Senshi quite some time ago. Not only that, she had worked hard to establish a cooperative relationship between Senshi and the Kiri, which earned Senshi a long-term employment contract from the village.
And when the Blood Mist remnants caused trouble, she had even paid out of her own private savings to hire Senshi. But after all that, he went off to Kumo to expand his business!
That left this alluring, mature Mizukage in a foul mood, muttering a harsh complaint in her mind:
"That scoundrel. He swindled me out of my private savings and then never bothered to come back to Kiri to check on his mission!!! Fine, so he doesn't come to Kirigakure anymore—but to go and help the Kumo develop?! And now, even the people who normally post jobs here are running off to Kumo to commission him!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got!
After all, doesn't priority go to those who cooperate first? Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, the Kiri was obviously the first to work with Senshi.
By that logic, if he wanted to become a "Mission Advisor," he ought to have done it in Kirigakure!
At that thought, Terumi Mei immediately turned to Ao. "This is ridiculous! Get Chojuro—let's head to Kumo and demand an explanation from that guy!"
Ao looked dumbfounded. Had their Mizukage really deduced the man's identity from such limited intel? Truly worthy of being a leader blessed with both brains and beauty!
Not wasting another moment, Ao hurried off to inform Chojuro.
…
Meanwhile, Orochimaru and Kabuto had journeyed through mountains and rivers at top speed, finally arriving at Kirigakure.
Yet once they got there, both were stunned.
The current Kirigakure was bustling and prosperous—completely unlike the one in their intelligence reports.
Seeing the vibrant scene before them, Kabuto wondered if they'd come to the wrong place altogether. He carefully sized up his surroundings and spoke cautiously:
"Lord Orochimaru, something seems off! Under the oppressive 'Blood Mist' policy, Kirigakure's development had stagnated, and people were living in dire poverty. But now, this place is nothing like the village we've heard about—its economy seems to have skyrocketed; the entire village is bustling and wealthy."
Orochimaru merely smiled indifferently. "Wealthy and bustling, you say? That's perfect for our 'business.' The more prosperous it is, the better it is for us."
He paused for a moment and then continued in a low, sinister tone:
"From what I know, the village used to be split between the Blood Mist faction and the New Mist faction, locked in fierce conflict. In such a scenario, we ought to be able to 'fish in troubled waters' quite easily."
As Orochimaru's assistant, Kabuto was already aware of much of this information. Orochimaru's reasoning wasn't flawed—he was just bothered that the reality was so different from the intel they'd gathered. Something about it felt unnatural.
After a brief silence, Kabuto asked, "Lord Orochimaru, should we still go through with our plans?"
Orochimaru nodded. "Of course."
Kabuto pressed on, "Then…where should we go first?"
Without a second thought, Orochimaru answered, "Straight to the Mizukage's Office to negotiate our deal with the top brass."
While they talked, a figure passed by not far from them. Orochimaru and Kabuto glanced over, and both froze.
That figure wore a black robe with red clouds… and sported red hair.
They knew all too well who that was, if not Senshi.
But the biggest shock came next: as Senshi walked down the street, the villagers treated him with surprising warmth. Everywhere he went, people greeted him happily and respectfully.
Orochimaru: (O_O)?!?
Kabuto: (O_O)?!?
They stood there, utterly dumbstruck.
When did Senshi become so highly regarded in the Kiri?
From the look of it, his reputation here rivaled what he had in Ame. Orochimaru knew that in the Amegakure, Senshi had spent a fortune establishing ninja schools and aiding refugees, which earned him tremendous respect. But here in Kiri, what could he have possibly done to be so well-loved?
Moreover, Orochimaru could sense that the red-haired figure wasn't Senshi's real body but a Wood Clone—his actual self was still off doing missions in the Kumo. Even so, the impact he'd made in the Kiri was astounding.
Once Senshi's Wood Clone disappeared from view, Orochimaru quietly stopped one of the villagers. "Excuse me. I'm a merchant from Amegakure. Could you tell me who that person was just now?"
The villager—an older gentleman—smiled affably.
"That was our village's Security Advisor, Lord Uzumaki Senshi. We owe all our current prosperity to him!"
Orochimaru: (O_O)!?!
Hearing the old man's words, Orochimaru was stunned to the core.
A 'Security Advisor'? Clearly, Senshi must have taken on a long-term contract here as well, sending one or more Wood Clones to help develop the Kirigakure.
Given this current scene, it looked as though Senshi had effectively turned the Kiri into a personal project—and if Orochimaru tried any "business" here, it would inevitably interfere with Senshi's ongoing mission.
That realization made Orochimaru's face darken. It seemed this entire trip had been for nothing.
Seeing Orochimaru's expression change, Kabuto asked quietly, "Lord Orochimaru, do we still go to the Mizukage's Office to negotiate?"
Orochimaru said nothing, simply stood there trembling. If he wasn't the paying client in a deal with Senshi, any encounter with that man always spelled trouble—especially with that vengeful woman by Senshi's side!
When Orochimaru stayed silent, Kabuto continued, "Lord Orochimaru, if it's too risky, maybe we should move our business elsewhere…"
Orochimaru nodded, playing along. "Since you want to go somewhere else, then let's just do that."
Kabuto: (O_O)???
It definitely didn't sound like it was his idea, but he didn't probe further. Their "business" had almost no overhead, so they could turn a profit anywhere; relocating wasn't a problem.
Just then, Orochimaru still couldn't quell his puzzlement about Kirigakure's transformation. He knew Senshi had done some missions here, but how had he become their "Security Advisor"? And what exactly had he done for the villagers to revere him so much?
As far as Orochimaru remembered, Senshi hadn't spent a great deal of time in Kiri—and ever since, he'd been running around all over. At most, he could have deployed a few Wood Clones.
Could that alone have skyrocketed his standing here?
Moreover, Senshi had even taken Kiri's Tailed Beast, yet they still got along well with him? Orochimaru couldn't wrap his head around it. He could easily have asked a villager and gotten an answer on the spot, but he ultimately chose not to investigate further—this had nothing to do with him now.
His plans for "business" in Kiri were scrapped. The last time he accidentally moved in on Senshi's target, he almost lost his life. Now that Senshi was Kiri's Security Advisor, meddling here would be directly undermining Senshi's mission.
There might be some dark thrill in being the first to break Senshi's 100% mission success streak, but Orochimaru knew he'd never live to gloat about it.
Recalling the fear of being at Senshi's mercy, Orochimaru shuddered. He said nervously to Kabuto, "Let's get out of here—quickly—before Senshi notices us! This place is nothing but trouble!"
Taking just a few steps, Orochimaru grew increasingly uneasy. Muttering to himself, he activated his Body Flicker at full force, disappearing from Kabuto's sight after just a few lightning-fast leaps.
Kabuto stood there, stunned. Was this really necessary?
He'd crossed paths with Senshi multiple times. In Kabuto's experience, the man wasn't that unreasonable!
But Kabuto could only think that because he'd never personally offended Karin; if she had a grudge against him, Senshi likely would have used it against him by now. People's experiences differ, after all.
At any rate, the Kirigakure wouldn't realize that their "Senshi Anti-Fraud Center" had just driven Orochimaru away, preventing him from carrying out any shady business there.
…
All the while, as Senshi began operating in the more prominent nations—such as the Lands of Water, Fire, and Lightning—his influence on the ninja world as a whole was growing more profound, and it continued to do so…
…
Konohagakure, Hokage Residence, in the Hokage's Office
Hatake Kakashi, sporting two huge dark circles under his eyes, pushed open the door and came in. His expression was one of utter exhaustion and resignation.
He plopped down into a chair without a word.
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a puff of smoke, watching as a question mark formed above his head. Kakashi's demeanor took him by surprise.
While Kakashi was never the strictest, most serious ninja, he'd never been this discourteous in an official setting.
After sipping his water, Hiruzen asked, "Kakashi, did something happen?"
Kakashi still seemed drained of all energy, looking half-dead. He heaved a deep sigh. "Lord Hokage, I don't think I can handle this assignment anymore!"
It was a first for Kakashi to want to quit a mission partway through. The Third Hokage naturally found that suspicious.
Frowning, he asked, "Kakashi, did you encounter something particularly difficult on this mission?"
In Hiruzen's mind, that just shouldn't happen. Kakashi was one of Konoha's most formidable ninja, a veteran tested by war. Among his contemporaries, he was the standout elite Jonin. In the Anbu, he was similarly top-tier. How could there be any mission he couldn't handle?
Yet Hiruzen soon recalled the matter of Uchiha Obito—someone who was supposed to have died heroically long ago but turned out to be alive, never returning to the village. Not to mention the time Kakashi had lost his Sharingan. If not for the higher priority assigned to Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, Hiruzen might have already given Kakashi the resources to look for Obito.
Could Kakashi be consumed with worry over Obito, to the point he couldn't focus on his current assignment?
With that assumption, Hiruzen said, "Kakashi, I know you've been preoccupied with Obito's situation. Rest assured, once you finish your responsibilities to Naruto and Sasuke, I'll gather the manpower needed to help you investigate Obito."
But Kakashi shook his head. "Lord Hokage, it's not Obito. It's Naruto and Sasuke…"
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. He shifted from a relaxed posture to a tense one.
"So there is a foreign ninja trying to contact them? Have they already been colluding with someone outside the village? And that outsider is so powerful even you can't handle it?"
If that were the case, Konoha's "F4" elders would need an emergency meeting.
Kakashi was baffled. "No, nothing like that. While I've been monitoring them, neither Naruto nor Sasuke has made contact with any ninja from another village."
That only made Hiruzen more confused. "Then…what's going on?"
Kakashi thought for a moment and sighed again. "Lord Hokage, I'm not sure how to phrase this, but Naruto and Sasuke are obsessed with taking on missions—beyond the normal scope!"
Hiruzen couldn't help smiling at that. His stern expression softened to that of a kindly elder. "They're just kids, Kakashi. How dedicated can they be?"
Unspoken was the thought: Even if they're enthusiastic, they're still children—how many missions can they realistically handle?
Kakashi, however, saw it differently:
"Lord Hokage, even though they're young, both Naruto and Sasuke possess extraordinary physical endurance. On missions, they'll skip meals or eat late; they're out at dawn and back late at night, working non-stop. They sometimes just pop a soldier pill instead of a proper meal. As for sleep…they try to avoid it altogether, using every spare minute to tackle more missions!"
Hiruzen looked at Kakashi with some amusement. Perhaps Kakashi's own stamina had dropped after so many years of having the Sharingan forced open continuously—maybe he hadn't fully recovered even though his new Sharingan was more manageable.
So Hiruzen told him, "Kakashi, for a long time, that Sharingan caused tremendous physical strain on you. During missions, be mindful of rest. Your body will return to top form soon enough. Try to endure it a bit longer."
Kakashi froze. It really wasn't a matter of stamina—he was simply on the brink of a mental collapse dealing with the two mission maniacs!
"Lord Hokage, ever since I accepted this assignment, I haven't had a single normal night's sleep. I barely lie down before one of them is tugging me awake to go do something. This happens every single day…"
…
In the ninja world, everyone has their own "challenge." Kakashi is, at the moment, lacking sleep. For Hiruzen Sarutobi, one of his challenges is dealing with Kakashi's predicament.
Meanwhile, Kakuzu has his own challenge: finding a way to regain his spot as Senshi's perfect partner—the position he believes rightfully belongs to him! He wants to reclaim his glory and prove he's the best partner for the strongest mercenary in the ninja world.
In Amegakure, Kakuzu had begun an all-out mission spree. He's fixated on doing missions—and making money. That's his true ninja lifestyle.
He adores the idea of taking missions to earn cash. So, these past days, he had completed an enormous number of commissions, repeatedly breaking his own old records for solo missions. Along the way, he employed a bit of strategy—going for the "friends and family" approach.
Normally, to get close to Senshi this way, his best bet would be through Senshi's assistant, Karin. But she was always off somewhere else with Senshi. So, Kakuzu turned his attention toward the Uzumaki clan living at the Amegakure's refugee shelter.
Given how Senshi treasured the Uzumaki, Kakuzu felt that if he helped them, Senshi would take note and favor him more.
…
Amegakure, Refugee Shelter
A pair of bright green eyes drew a lot of attention—belonging to none other than Kakuzu, who had a large sack slung over his shoulder. Rest assured, it wasn't a corpse; it was packed with supplies.
He headed straight for the area where the Uzumaki clan resided. Initially, only about fourteen or fifteen members were there; more recently, two more arrived.
Historically, the Uzumaki had a large population, owning the whole Uzushiogakure and the entire Land of Whirlpools. Now reduced to just a handful, they were scattered across the ninja world.
Senshi had put out a "special favor" policy for any Uzumaki survivors quite a while ago. Aside from the first group who'd arrived—led by Uncle Takumori and his folks—two more Uzumaki refugees had trickled in.
When Kakuzu appeared again, Uzumaki Haruko and Uzumaki Yutai—the younger generation—were delighted, bounding over to greet him:
"Kakuzu-san, you came to see us again!"
"Kakuzu, look! I'm wearing the clothes you gave me last time—everyone says they look great. Thank you!"
Moments later, Uzumaki Takumori and Uzumaki Musen showed up. By now, they were well acquainted with Kakuzu. Although Takumori was suspicious of Kakuzu's motivations, he appreciated the aid given to the clan.
Takumori spoke courteously:
"Kakuzu-san, thank you for helping the Uzumaki all this time. Is there anything we can do in return?"
Kakuzu handed over his big sack.
"Takumori, distribute these supplies to your people. Now that you're part of Ame's big family, simply living your lives well contributes to this village's prosperity. If you ever run into something you can't handle on your own, feel free to commission me for a mission."
Truthfully, Kakuzu didn't need or expect any direct repayment from them—he merely hoped Senshi would acknowledge his deeds in helping the Uzumaki, strengthening his position.
He was determined that once Senshi returned and learned how Kakuzu had stepped up his mission volume and helped take care of the Uzumaki clan, the man would surely mark all this in Kakuzu's favor. He would beat Hidan and reclaim his title as Senshi's "ultimate partner"!
As these thoughts filled Kakuzu's mind, little Haruko offered him a bun, asking, "Kakuzu-san, what's your connection with Lord Senshi? You're both wearing those same cloaks."
Kakuzu politely declined the bun and replied offhandedly:
"I'm Senshi's one-true-perfect partner. This robe belongs to Akatsuki—an organization we're both part of. Our ultimate goal is world peace."
Those two sentences left Haruko and the other young Uzumaki wide-eyed. They never knew Senshi was in Akatsuki, nor that Akatsuki aspired to bring world peace.
All of a sudden, the children were excited. The Uzumaki had suffered tremendously from wars, losing parents, siblings, and friends. If there were no wars, they would still be together with their loved ones.
Now that they knew Lord Senshi was part of Akatsuki—an organization committed to ending war—they all looked at Kakuzu with bright, pleading eyes.
He, however, was a bit confused. What do these little brats want from me? he wondered. Some special treat? They gazed at him so earnestly.
Haruko timidly spoke up, "Kakuzu-san, I want to join Akatsuki!"
Then the other kids chimed in:
"Please let us join, too!"
Just as the little Uzumaki were clamoring to get into Akatsuki, a blue-haired beauty wearing a white flower ornament arrived: the village's "Angel," known to them as Konan.
For some time, Konan had frequently visited both the ninja school and the refugee shelter. She also occasionally helped out the Uzumaki.
So it was no surprise that she happened upon this scene of kids begging to join Akatsuki. It made Konan reflect on Akatsuki's early days—when the group was a refuge for war victims, fighting for genuine peace. Back then, they were small and impoverished, yet everyone huddled together, believing that one day peace would come through their combined efforts.
Until Yahiko and their comrades died, shattering those dreams.
While Konan reminisced, Kakuzu pointed at her and told the young Uzumaki, "If you want to join Akatsuki, you shouldn't be asking me—you should ask her. I have no say in this, but she does."
Following Kakuzu's gesture, the kids rushed over to Konan, excited and talking over each other:
"Angel-sama! Please let me join Akatsuki!"
"Hey, Yutai, you dummy! I told you, if it's not an official occasion, call her Konan-nee-san!"
"Oh—Konan-nee-san, can I join Akatsuki?"
"Konan-nee-san, you're so pretty! Let me join Akatsuki!"
All of them adored Konan, especially since she'd often given them little paper-folded gifts. Children appreciate any gift, no matter how small, so they grew really fond of her.
Konan likewise found it relaxing to be around them. Bending down, she gently tidied Haruko's messy hair—Haruko's head of red locks had gotten ruffled from running around. Then Konan took a pink hair clip from her pocket and secured Haruko's hair.
Haruko beamed: "Thank you, Konan-nee-san! You and Lord Senshi are both so wonderful!"
That put a faint smile on Konan's face. Yutai and the others gazed at her hopefully, since she still hadn't given an answer about joining Akatsuki.
They truly wanted to join Lord Senshi's group.
But Konan did not agree immediately. Akatsuki had some peripheral members beyond the core, but for two main reasons, she couldn't yet accept these children:
1. She co-led Akatsuki with Nagato, so unusual matters like recruiting these kids needed his approval.
2. They were still too young. It would be better to let them grow up more first—or maybe consult with Nagato about starting an Akatsuki "youth division."
While the children swarmed around Konan, Uzumaki Takumori and Uzumaki Musen stood at a distance. Takumori quietly remarked to Musen, "You've matured, not running around with them this time."
To him, Musen's restraint signified growth. In the past, Musen would've likely been just as loud as the younger ones.
Hearing that, Musen nodded. "Uncle, I'm done being a kid. My goal now is to pursue the lovely, kind Angel-sama!"
Takumori: (O_O)???
He froze in shock. Since when did his nephew become infatuated with the Angel? Sure, there's an age gap, but that aside, is Musen old enough to worry about romance?
Then Takumori realized: apparently, he hadn't pushed Musen's training hard enough—he still had too much free time to daydream.
Seeing Musen's eyes still fixed on Konan's graceful figure, Takumori grabbed him and dragged him away for extra training. Uzumaki's potential is huge—look at how powerful Lord Senshi is. Takumori was currently the only genin of the clan, but they needed to raise Musen to genin level at least!
As Musen was dragged away, arms folded, he seemed unruffled. He'd already known the path to winning over the Angel wouldn't be easy; a little "hell training" was no big deal.
Naturally, Konan had no idea there was a teenage boy crushing on her. She still saw Musen as just another of the older "kids," no different from Haruko and the rest.
After spending some time with the Uzumaki, Konan returned to Ame's central tower late that evening, heading to Nagato's room. Overusing his Rinnegan had left Nagato bone-thin, practically just skin and bones, but he still managed a gentle smile as she entered.
"You seem a lot brighter lately," he said.
Konan looked surprised. "Have I changed that much?"
Weak though he was, Nagato nodded. He was genuinely pleased to see Konan returning to her old self, reminiscent of the days before Yahiko's death.
Worry clouded Konan's face as she observed his condition. She confided in him about Senshi:
"Nagato, not long ago, I asked Senshi to find a way to restore your health so you could use the Rinnegan normally. I'm sure he'll have results soon. And look—thanks to him, Amegakure's ninja school and the village at large are flourishing. Everything is moving in a good direction. Couldn't we abandon our plan to… 'remake this world'? We've found a better way now."
Konan felt that extreme measures weren't needed anymore. The current Amegakure looked a lot like the peaceful society they'd once dreamed of, and with Senshi guiding the new Akatsuki, they were doing things much like the original Akatsuki had done—except this time, if Nagato could be healed, the organization would wield even greater strength, making their older, radical plans unnecessary.
But Nagato only shook his head firmly. "No. We can't call it off. People who haven't experienced true pain can't comprehend how precious peace really is."
Konan's eyebrows knit together. She wanted to speak again, but he cut her off: "Konan, let's abandon such naïve thinking."
With that, he turned to stare out the window, memories of Yahiko's death and the corpses of his fallen comrades flooding his mind—scenes that strengthened his resolve.
…
Far away in the Kumo, Senshi had no idea Nagato's body had wasted away to skin and bones. It wasn't that he didn't care about Nagato—it was simply that multiple "hundred-draw" attempts hadn't yielded a surefire solution. He might have to resort to using Senzu Beans to keep Nagato going…
~~~
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