While Senshi was keeping himself happily busy at the Mission Assignment Center , Terumi Mei and her group arrived as well.
This time, Terumi Mei had come fully prepared.
Although she appeared empty-handed, both Chōjūrō and Ao carried what could be called the "Senshi Trapper": namely, a large sum of money and written mission requests.
As soon as Terumi Mei, wearing the Mizukage's hat, appeared in the Kumogakure, she startled the Fourth Raikage.
After all, it's never a small matter when a Kage from one village shows up in another. Even though there had been no prior notice, and her visit was sudden, the Raikage still came out personally to greet her at the village entrance.
At the entrance to the Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage saw Terumi Mei in her blue robe and was rather puzzled. He couldn't figure out at all why the Mizukage had come. However, he was the host, and the Mizukage was the guest. When he saw the Mizukage, he greeted her politely and asked:
"Mizukage, what brings you here so suddenly? Is there some pressing matter?"
Terumi Mei shook her head. "Nothing urgent."
Her words left the Fourth Raikage momentarily stupefied.
Not something important, yet you came all this way in person?
Though his mind was a swirl of questions, the Raikage kept his patience:
"Does the Mizukage require any assistance from the Kumogakure?"
Terumi Mei again shook her head. "I appreciate your kind offer, Raikage, but no. There's nothing I need."
Fourth Raikage: "?"
At that moment, the Raikage began to suspect that this woman was playing him for a fool. She wouldn't say why she'd come, and when he asked if she needed help, she insisted she didn't.
If that was all, why did she come here?
Because Terumi Mei had arrived so quietly and unexpectedly, he assumed she must have had some urgent business to discuss with him, the Raikage.
By now, Terumi Mei herself was beginning to feel a bit annoyed. She simply said:
"Raikage, I came this time to look for Uzumaki Senshi."
Fourth Raikage: (⊙_⊙)???
So that was it. The Mizukage had rushed over, and it had nothing whatsoever to do with him—she was here for Senshi. But why on earth would Terumi Mei come looking for Senshi?
Unable to figure it out, the Raikage nevertheless wanted the two villages to remain on good terms for mutual development, so he said:
"If the Mizukage is here to see our village's Mission Advisor, allow me to guide you."
The Raikage couldn't tell if Terumi Mei had come to hire Senshi for a mission or if there was some dispute she wanted to settle. But in any case, it wouldn't hurt for him to tag along and see what happened; if something came up, he could deal with it right away.
To his surprise, Terumi Mei refused again:
"No need. I already know where to find Senshi."
Having said that, Terumi Mei led Ao and Chōjūrō straight to Kumo's Mission Assignment Center.
Watching them go, Killer Bee rapped impromptu:
"Yo-ho! Mizukage's here to chase Senshi down.
The two of them must have a thing goin' on!
Omoi's girlfriend count is still at none—
Big Bro, you gotta say I'm not wrong!"
Omoi: Master, I beg you, please stop!
At that moment, the Fourth Raikage didn't have the time or patience to squabble with Killer Bee; he immediately followed Terumi Mei. He, too, began to sense that Terumi Mei and Senshi seemed to have a fairly close relationship—and that might not be a good thing for the Kumogakure.
Since Senshi had become the Mission Advisor for the Kumo's Mission Assignment Center, he had generated enormous profits for the village. Word spread that whenever Senshi took on a mission here, clients from all over the Land of Lightning—and even from beyond—would come looking to commission him. Many people came purely out of admiration, wanting to meet the legendary figure of the Black Market, the strongest mercenary. And once they arrived, they often posted additional missions that the Kumo ninja could then handle.
As for the high-level missions, Senshi scooped them all up. But he had absolutely no interest in the lower-level ones. His efficiency in completing missions was astonishing. Ever since he took the position of Mission Advisor, the Mission Assignment Center's revenue had soared daily—quite spectacular.
From Kumo's perspective, they absolutely couldn't allow Senshi to be lured away by Terumi Mei. On one hand, he brought enormous direct benefits to the village. On the other hand, Kumo had spent a fortune to hire him, and they did not want to get "scammed" yet again. Having already lost 1.1 billion ryō, Kumo wanted no part in letting Terumi Mei snatch Senshi away.
After a few brief inquiries, Terumi Mei and her group found their way to the Mission Assignment Center. By that time, the Fourth Raikage and his entourage had also arrived.
Just then, Senshi happened to appear, returning from a mission.
"Huh? Terumi Mei?"
Seeing her, Senshi froze for a moment. He felt as if he must have looked up at the sky incorrectly and tried again—otherwise, why on earth would Terumi Mei have come all the way from Kiri to Kumo?
He looked up once more and confirmed his first impression: Terumi Mei was indeed there.
This surprised Senshi a bit. Terumi Mei was that fabulously wealthy, slender-waisted, long-legged "top-tier, mature beauty." She was practically one of the original investors in his rise to prominence. Back when he'd first gone to the Kiri, she gave him several large and small missions, and finally arranged a long-term employment contract between him and the village, which proved to be a huge opportunity for him. He hadn't been nearly as powerful then as he was now. But during his stay at Kiri, thanks to Terumi Mei's support, he earned a fortune. That was one of the key stepping stones in his rapid ascent, so he'd always had a very good impression of her.
Senshi walked over with a big grin, looked Terumi Mei up and down, and teased,
"Yo! If it isn't my dear Sister Mei. What brings you to the Kumo? You're not looking for me, right? Any missions for me?"
Terumi Mei, in a tone laced with wounded resentment, replied:
"I am indeed here for you. Otherwise, who'd show up in this place for nothing, surrounded by these big brutes?"
Terumi Mei clearly had zero interest in these "tall and muscly" men. In her Infinite Tsukuyomi dream, her ideal partner had always been more of a "prince on a white horse" type.
Her straightforward words made both the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee bristle with displeasure.
Karin: ⊙▂⊙!!!
Senshi: ⊙▂⊙!!!
Neither Senshi nor Karin, though, paid much attention to Terumi Mei's blunt remark. They were more amazed that Terumi Mei had just taken up the banter. Since Senshi's debut, he'd used that same greeting countless times, and never once had someone come right back at him like that. More importantly, he had casually asked if there were missions, and indeed he got one on the spot.
If Terumi Mei wasn't just joking, then she'd specifically come here to "take care of him"—in other words, to give him a job!
Instantly, Senshi dropped his playful manner, adopting a more professional smile.
"Sister Mei, what mission have you got?"
Terumi Mei merely let out a soft "hmph," then looked at Senshi with lingering resentment. This perplexed him. Back when he went to Kiri, he'd just taken her money—not her heart, right? So why the strange look? Anyone could easily get the wrong idea.
Fortunately, she didn't say anything too shocking. Instead, she launched straight into her complaint:
"Senshi, among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, we of the Kiri were the first to form a strategic partnership with you, right? We've collaborated multiple times in the past, and both sides have benefited. Clearly, we have a good foundation and plenty of success stories working together. So why did you not prioritize Kirigakure this time around?"
Terumi Mei's questions caught Senshi off guard. Strictly speaking, she had a point. Among the Five Great Villages, it was indeed the Kiri that first employed him. They had given him plenty of support. Both Elder Genji and Terumi Mei were free-spending, generous employers—and overall great to work with.
But before he could explain, Terumi Mei pressed on:
"Recently, because you became the Mission Advisor of Kumo, our Kiri has been deeply affected. Many clients who used to come to us for missions are now flocking to the Kumo. Don't you think you owe me an explanation?"
Killer Bee glanced first at Senshi, then at Terumi Mei, and confirmed his suspicions. A moment before, he'd felt there was "something going on" between the two. Now he was sure they had a special connection.
He formed the gesture for rap and threw out an impromptu verse:
"Yo yo! Uzumaki Senshi, you ain't half bad!"
"Fess up and tell us, when'd you hook the Mizukage?"
"Tell it to us straight, no fibs or fakes!"
"You do mission after mission—do you think about her or not?"
"The Mizukage's heart is all about you, so come on, say you love her too!"
"If you speak it like I do, her heart'll open up for you—yo-ho!""
Though Killer Bee was talking nonsense, Senshi was dumbfounded all the same.
Senshi: (O_O)???
After momentarily being at a loss for words, Senshi flashed Bee a thumbs-up:
"Whoa, Bee! That was fire! 'Skrrt! Skrrt!'"
Having gotten Senshi's approval, Killer Bee felt even more inspired and prepared a second verse—he planned to give Senshi some sweet double rhymes to prove that he was the Shinobi World's "rap godfather."
But before Bee could continue, the Fourth Raikage barked:
"Bee! That's enough! Senshi is our Mission Advisor, and the Mizukage is here trying to poach him! Don't go spouting off about a 'relationship'! They have nothing going on!"
Having once lost 1.1 billion ryō, the Fourth Raikage had become very quick to catch any whiff of financial risk. Senshi was profitable for the village. Terumi Mei saw the same potential and wanted to entice him away. The Raikage wasn't about to stand for that.
Momentarily, Terumi Mei also froze at Bee's remarks. Oddly enough, though his rap was complete nonsense, in her mind she found that she did want to know those answers. Still, this wasn't the time—there were more urgent matters at hand.
So Terumi Mei turned back to Senshi and said:
"When it comes to naming a village's Mission Advisor, I hope you'll consider Kiri as well."
Senshi rubbed his chin.
"It's not that I refused to prioritize the Kiri; the Kumo is the one who sought me out first. When I was in Kiri, nobody mentioned a post like Advisor. Still, if you want to hire me for the same position over there, it's not impossible. But you have to realize, I have a deep bond with the Raikage and Bee—they're like dear brothers to me. If I become Kiri's Advisor, it may create problems for them, so…"
Before Senshi could finish, Terumi Mei decisively interrupted, "I get it!"
She snapped her fingers, and Chōjūrō immediately stepped forward with a heavy chest of money.
Senshi: (O_O)???
Karin: (O_O)???
Seeing this, Senshi sighed in admiration. Wow, Terumi Mei has leveled up. She used to be nothing but 'rich and gullible,' but now she can practically predict my every thought…
Karin pushed up her glasses, her large eyes studying Terumi Mei intently. She sensed that this woman was no simple character—she could read Senshi like a book!
Their deal, however, was interrupted when the Fourth Raikage stepped up and growled,
"Mizukage! I won't allow you to do this. Our Kumo has already hired Senshi. You should go back!"
Terumi Mei only sneered, that flawless face showing utter disdain:
"Raikage, you clearly don't understand Senshi at all."
As if to confirm her point, Senshi said with righteous conviction to the Raikage,
"Big Bro! I only signed an employment contract with you. It's not a lifetime 'selling-my-body' contract. If you want an exclusive arrangement, that'll be extra."
"Hahaha~"
Hearing that, Terumi Mei couldn't help but laugh. She wore a look of "I saw that coming a mile away."
The Fourth Raikage: [OﾟˋДﾟˊO]!!!
…
Some time ago, when the Blood Mist remnants were causing trouble in the Kiri, they triggered a rampage by the Three-Tails. It went completely berserk, and Terumi Mei had been anxious and powerless to stop it. Had the Kiri tried to handle it alone back then, the cost in lives would have been unimaginable. Just as Terumi Mei was in despair, Senshi intervened.
He overwhelmed the Three-Tails with devastating power, subduing it so thoroughly that it was left with a lasting psychological scar—it never rampaged again. Witnessing his terrifying yet awe-inspiring might during that fight, Terumi Mei etched Senshi's heroic figure in her mind.
At first, she only saw him as a powerful, reliable man—nothing else. After a brief stay in Kiri, he left. Soon after, however, he sent a Wood Clone back to Kiri's Black Market to farm missions, while also fulfilling the village's long-term commissions. By the time his real self had departed, the Blood Mist remnants began stirring again. Those troublemakers were a constant headache for Terumi Mei—until she realized that the man's Wood Clone was every bit as dependable as he was. Each time the remnants tried anything, they were promptly crushed. With its help, they rooted out the last vestiges of the Blood Mist era in swift, sweeping fashion.
All that done, the Kiri transformed from the "Bloody Mist" into an "Open Mist," and faced no further internal roadblocks. Terumi Mei, meanwhile, due to her strength and contributions, was unanimously nominated as the Fifth Mizukage by Elder Genji and the rest of the village.
Like every citizen of Kiri, Terumi Mei felt great gratitude toward Senshi. Although she later worked mainly with his Wood Clone to see Kiri through numerous crises, she realized that if even his clone was so strong and dependable, then his real body must be all the more so. Over time, she came to admire him more and more, with an added dash of romantic regard.
So now, seeing the irreverent Senshi again, Terumi Mei immediately thought: If only I could entice him to the Kiri… With his current might—absolutely dominant among shinobi—he would bring unparalleled benefits to her village:
1. Security: With Senshi around, nearly nobody in the shinobi world could inflict serious damage on the Mist.
2. Prestige and Profit: His renown would attract the same flourishing mission scene Kumo was now enjoying.
3. Unmatched Problem-Solving: Kiri could hire him for any seemingly insurmountable challenges during its development.
He might single-handedly propel the Kiri to become the top shinobi village.
With these thoughts settled, she promptly extended a long-term employment offer to Senshi. In order to "capture" Senshi, she just had to go straight to the bait he liked best—missions.
"Ahem, Kiri has decided to hire you, at an annual rate of 150 million ryō, as our Mission Advisor."
Senshi was delighted. You can never have too much commission income or too many mission points. Although he currently had few, if any, equals in the shinobi world, the greatest threat was really the alien Ōtsutsuki Clan. While the weaker ones might not be a problem—he himself bore a "Kāma" seal—the Ōtsutsuki possessed an ultimate boss, Ōtsutsuki Shibai, who had devoured countless worlds to evolve into something beyond comprehension. Senshi doubted he was strong enough to take that on yet. All the more reason to keep doing missions, keep building up his mercenary group, and draw more powerful "cheats" from the system. Only then could he remain completely safe.
Having heard Terumi Mei's proposal, he happily made an additional request:
"Sister Mei, once I become Kiri's Advisor, would you mind helping arrange some benefits for me as well?"
She agreed without hesitation:
"No problem. If it'll benefit both you and Kiri, whatever requests you have, I'll grant them."
Overjoyed, Senshi thought, It has to be Sister Mei—wealthy, low-drama, straightforward, and gorgeous. It's always a pleasure just to look at her. So he nodded:
"I'm in."
Seeing him agree, Terumi Mei's exquisite features lit up in a satisfied smile. She snapped her fingers again, and Ao handed Senshi the heavy chest. A moment later, system messages flashed in Senshi's mind:
[Long-Term Employment Mission Accepted!]
[Client: Terumi Mei]
[Goal: Serve as Kiri's Mission Advisor!]
[Reward: 150 million ryō per year]
[Mission Rank: S]
[Mission Bonus: 150,000 employment points + 1 Super Draw!]
He had just earned another 150 million plus 150,000 points, and also got a super draw—Senshi couldn't be happier. He glanced at Terumi Mei much more favorably now—not simply because of her beauty, but because she was on track to rival Orochimaru as his chief patron. Moreover, unlike Orochimaru, who dealt in one-off transactions, Terumi Mei stood behind the entire Kiri and the Land of Water, with far more stable and abundant resources.
Having accepted the payment, Terumi Mei said with a sweet smile:
"All right, then. Let's head back to the Kiri together."
Senshi hesitated. "Huh? Right now?"
He still had an unfulfilled mission in the Kumo—capturing the tailed beast. Shaking his head, he replied:
"Sister Mei, I'm not quite done here. I have a mission in Kumo I need to finish first."
With a slight frown, Terumi Mei asked, "How long will it take?"
He thought for a second before answering frankly:
"If we're lucky, just a few minutes. If not, who knows? I still don't know where my target is."
At that, Terumi Mei relaxed her brow. She wasn't in an urgent hurry, anyway. The Kiri was currently more stable and peaceful than ever. One of Senshi's Wood Clones remained there, and she could afford to wait a while in Kumo until he finished his mission.
"All right. I'll wait for you here in the Kumo until you've wrapped up. Then we'll head back together."
Senshi was surprised that she was willing to wait. He had been about to offer to send a Wood Clone to escort her back, but if Terumi Mei didn't mind waiting, he definitely had no objection.
…
To the A-B brothers (the Raikage and Bee), there was good news and bad news. The good news: Senshi hadn't yet been whisked away by Terumi Mei. The bad news: soon, he very likely would be.
Still, it was perfectly natural. If the Mizukage was using her feminine charms plus a long-term, lucrative contract, how could most young ninjas resist?
While the Fourth Raikage stood there, scowling at Senshi and Terumi Mei, Bee burst out with another idea:
"Yo yo! Big Bro, wasn't I right? Mizukage and Senshi, they're a tight sight!"
"Omoi stands alone and sheds a tear, but it's no big deal, so never fear!"
Omoi: Master, for the love of god—thank you, but please stop…
The Raikage, veins popping, roared:
"Bee! This is not the time for gossip. Senshi is about to be taken away by Terumi Mei!"
Bee made his signature gestures and came back with:
"Big Bro, Big Bro, calm down, calm down!
We can get Darui—call a meeting now!"
Despite Bee's ridiculous lines, the Raikage and his men understood exactly what he meant: They needed an emergency meeting to figure out how to keep Senshi in the Kumo.
And so, as Senshi headed for the Mission Assignment Center to see what missions were left, the Raikage returned to his office with his top aides for an urgent discussion.
Upon arriving at the Assignment Center, Senshi discovered there were no more high-level missions that day—he had already completed them all. Spotting this, Karin beamed with delight:
"Senshi, there are no more missions, so we can take a break, right?"
Though she actually enjoyed traveling and doing missions with him, they hadn't yet had time to explore the Kumo. Now that the day's high-level commissions were done, they could relax and have some fun.
After a bit of thought, Senshi nodded. He had been pushing them pretty hard lately, so a little downtime was fine.
Karin, throwing up a small hand, exclaimed:
"Senshi, I wanna go to a hot spring!"
Senshi had no objection:
"Sure."
Right then, Terumi Mei—who had quietly stood by—spoke up with a smile:
"A hot spring? I'll join you. My trip here was quite tiring; I could use the relaxation."
Senshi shot a glance at the wide-eyed Karin, then back at Terumi Mei:
"No problem. Actually, I do have a small favor to ask of you."
Terumi Mei: (O_O)???
Given her own growing affection for Senshi, Terumi Mei's mind jumped to some "not entirely appropriate" possibilities. A favor he asks of me…while at the hot spring? If he really wanted something that bold, should she refuse? Or might she…? Her thoughts ran wild.
At the village hot springs, Terumi Mei looked at Chōjūrō and Ao:
"You two can do as you like now; I'll go in alone."
Chōjūrō: (O_O)???
Ao: (O_O)???
As her guards, they couldn't exactly follow her into the women's area. Yet they lingered in the vicinity, staying on alert outside in case anything happened.
Inside, Terumi Mei was mentally preparing herself, uncertain how to respond if Senshi really did have a "certain kind of favor" in mind. But Senshi's real plan was quite different. After checking the setting, he handed Karin over to Terumi Mei:
"Sis Mei, could I ask you to help Karin get cleaned up? She's starting to smell a bit."
Karin instantly bristled: "You're the stinky one, Senshi! I smell great!"
And indeed, Karin had always taken pride in her daily hygiene—Senshi was just teasing her.
Terumi Mei: (O_O)???
She stared at Karin in confusion, muttering inwardly, That's it? This is the favor he specifically waited to ask me in the hot spring?
Fortunately, she hadn't blurted out any embarrassing misunderstandings. Otherwise, she would've really made a fool of herself.
Kumo's hot spring facility had separate areas for men and women, divided by wooden partitions. It wasn't exactly foolproof if someone was determined to peek, but enough for ordinary circumstances.
So Terumi Mei led Karin to the women's pool, while Senshi headed to the men's area, pulling Hidan along with him (since Hidan can't drown, he simply tossed him into the water). Donning a bathing robe, Senshi sank into the hot water with a sigh of comfort.
Off in a corner of the men's pool, beyond Senshi's direct line of sight, another figure was also enjoying himself—a middle-aged man with a shock of long white hair. He wore a forehead protector marked with the kanji "油" for "oil." Besides being a ninja, he was also an author. In the name of gathering "writing material," he'd long become accustomed to peeping at the women's side of mixed or open-air hot springs.
Senshi was just closing his eyes to relax when he noticed, from his peripheral vision, someone slowly raising his head above the wooden partition—evidently trying to spy on the ladies' bath.
Senshi: Is he for real?
He instantly realized the man was up to no good. Terumi Mei and Karin were over there; there was no way he'd let a peeping tom get away with it. Raising his hand, Senshi channeled lightning, intending to jolt the intruder into paralysis for an hour or two.
"Rumble!"
A crackling blue bolt flashed toward the corner. Yet to Senshi's surprise, this white-haired man with the "oil" forehead protector dodged it with lightning speed—barely a half-second's chance to move, and he still escaped the strike. Using a roll, he avoided the thunderbolt, then propped himself on one hand and glared at Senshi.
Jiraiya: (O_O)???
Senshi: (O_O)???
Senshi was astounded. Even a casual thunderbolt from him nowadays was lethal to ordinary ninjas. It wasn't every day someone could evade so adroitly.
Standing there in the steam, his expression sharp, the white-haired man was none other than Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin. Fixing his gaze on Senshi, Jiraiya spoke in a low, displeased voice:
"Hey, were you trying to kill me just now? Using such a powerful jutsu so casually?"
Senshi stared back at this "oil" forehead protector, piecing it together. Then he gave a broad grin:
"Well, if it isn't Jiraiya of the Sannin…"
~~~
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