Freelancer in the Ninja World

Crack!

A crisp shattering sound rang out.

Two precious hearts were lost just like that, and the job still hadn't been completed. Kakuzu felt such heartache that he could scarcely breathe. He fixed Senshi with a cold, piercing stare.

However, Senshi didn't pursue another attack. He reined in his aura, shrugged, and spoke in an easygoing, teasing tone.

"Are we still going? We're both in the black-market business, just trying to make a living. There's no need for us to risk our lives fighting over a commission fee. Why don't we each take a step back and leave it at that? If you ever need my help in the future, I'll give you a 10% discount—friends' rate."

When Senshi finished, Kakuzu's expression darkened. His emotions were all over the place. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his seething anger. Then he gave Senshi one final frigid glance before turning and leaving.

Recalling the scene moments before—where Kakuzu had slaughtered so many as though it were child's play—Mizunai and the others still felt their hearts pounding. The caravan guards, as well as the various ninja Mizunai had spent so much time and money hiring, were only now snapping out of their daze, as if awakened from a nightmare.

"W-we're still alive…like we were dragged back from the gates of Hell."

"The ninja our boss hired is incredible! Those jutsu were practically blinding!"

"If not for him, we'd have been dead a long time ago!"

Their eyes brimmed with the relief of survivors, still clearly shaken by the fear Kakuzu had instilled. Yet at that very moment, Mizunai suddenly blew up. As the client, he was filled with rage.

"How could you let him get away?!"

He roared in anger. Throughout the battle, Senshi had held an overwhelming advantage, cornering Kakuzu. If he'd put in just a bit more effort, he could've kept that monster from escaping! Yet the man who had killed so many of his guards had simply walked away. Mizunai felt his blood pressure spike.

Upon hearing his outburst, Senshi merely raised a hand and mockingly rubbed his ear.

"Lord Mizunai, you only hired me to rescue your subordinates. Whether to chase him or capture him was never part of the deal. Aren't your men safe now—every last one of them? The job's done, so about that 200,000 ryō commission…time to pay up, don't you think?"

With that, Senshi stretched out a hand, palm facing upward, casually awaiting Mizunai's response. The man's face twisted with anger. Though he was seething inside, he couldn't do anything but grit his teeth and hand over the money. Senshi's strength clearly outmatched even Kakuzu's, and Mizunai didn't dare provoke him further.

The moment Senshi received the commission, a timely system prompt appeared:

[Commission Completed!]

[Reward: 200 Commission Points]

Snatching the system reward felt like a warm breeze sweeping across him, and Senshi's face took on a contented smile. The client's payment was secondary; the system's additional reward was what really mattered. After collecting it, Senshi glanced at his status screen, new plans already forming in his mind:

[Name: Uzumaki Senshi]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: 18]

[Commission Points: 721]

[Chakra Natures: Fire (D), Wind (B), Lightning (S), Water (C), Yang (D), Yin (D)]

[Chakra Capacity: SSS (your chakra reserves are monumental—truly astonishing)]

[Physical Strength: SS (both strength and speed far surpass elite jōnin)]

{Talents}

[Heavenly Thunder: Greatly boosts affinity for Lightning Release; higher chance to draw lightning-type rewards in the lottery]

[Kekkei Genkai: None]

{Ninjutsu}

[Substitution Jutsu: B-level proficiency]

[Lightning Release: Lightning Ball: C-level proficiency]

[Lightning Release: Lightning Clone: D-level proficiency]

[Lightning Release: Earth Slide: A-level proficiency]

[Lightning Release: Elbow Bolt: S-level proficiency]

[Lightning Release: Lariat (Lightning Plow Hot Knife): A-level proficiency]

…

…

After reviewing his attributes, Senshi's face lit up. He only needed 300 more points for his next ten-pull from the system. When he glanced at Mizunai, he saw the man still staring gloomily at his fallen guards and ninja.

Reading Mizunai's thoughts, Senshi smiled mischievously.

"If you really can't let it go, just say so. I'll bring him back for you to deal with however you like."

Mizunai let out a cold snort.

"You'd really do that out of the goodness of your heart?"

Senshi rubbed his fingers together, letting out a sly chuckle.

"Four million flat fee. Of course, if you only want his head, I'll do it for two million. Or if you'd like him alive—maybe you want to recruit him—I can hand him over unharmed for six million.

Think of it as our 'friends and family' deal."

Though Mizunai had half-expected such a thing, he still stared in shock at Senshi's offer.

"Six million?! Are you messing with me?"

Senshi replied with complete seriousness:

"He wiped out so many of your people, and you just let him walk off. Can you stomach that? I sure couldn't. Besides, six million is already the discounted price. Someone who knows Kakuzu's power would ask sixty million, at least."

Mizunai let out an incredulous laugh. In all his life, he had never met someone so shameless.

"Aren't you the one who let him walk away in the first place? And with that price, I could hire three of Konoha's top jōnin to handle it! Why bother with you?!"

Senshi nearly rolled his eyes.

"Top jōnin? Right… Why not top chefs while you're at it? You haggled over a few thousand ryō earlier. Please—you think that'll get you far in Konoha? You'd be a third-class citizen at best."

…

Meanwhile, several figures hidden among distant shrubs quietly watched the caravan. They wore white, animal-like masks and gray sleeveless flak jackets, each with a ninja blade on their back.

"Their protection is too strong. The plan has changed."

"Lord Danzo's orders: move to the backup plan."

…

Thus, Mizunai's convoy resumed its journey. In reality, Mizunai had another trick in mind all along. His true goal wasn't mere protection but to contact a secret organization within the Land of Fire. Mizunai was indeed a merchant, yet what he dealt in were people: those with special abilities. He'd already made multiple transactions with certain Konoha ninjas, who had promised him that once this deal was done, he'd be granted citizenship in the Land of Fire.

As the caravan pressed on, Mizunai grew uneasy, constantly scanning their surroundings.

"Something's off… According to our agreement, this should be the meeting point."

He pulled out a map to double-check. Meanwhile, Senshi lounged at the front of Mizunai's wagon, continuing to pitch his services:

"You're really not going to reconsider? I'm not just blowing smoke; I'm on par with Konoha's elite jōnin, easily. And if you do want me, I'll give you a 'returning-customer' discount."

Senshi was desperate to raise his strength. After all, the ninja world was far from peaceful—it was rife with dangers and alarmingly high birth rates. Though it seemed calm on the surface, a treacherous undercurrent lurked beneath, with numerous forces waiting in the shadows. And in a few more years, there would even be an alien threat invading the shinobi world. Only by becoming powerful enough could he protect himself in this turbulent land.

Inside the wagon, Mizunai tuned him out entirely, sneering to himself:

"Go on and gloat. You swindled me out of two hundred thousand and let Kakuzu walk away. As if my money were that easy to take."

Just as Mizunai was stewing over these thoughts, a group of Konoha ninja finally appeared in the distance.