Freelancer in the Ninja World

"How about what we discussed a couple of days ago—have you given it some thought?"

"Forgive me, but I must refuse." Kakuzu shook his head decisively.

"Hmm?" Senshi wore a look of genuine surprise. He really hadn't expected Kakuzu to refuse.

"Why?" he couldn't help asking.

After a slight pause, Kakuzu slowly replied:

"Based on what I know about you, going to Takigakure with you is definitely a trap! I have every reason to suspect that you just want to trick me into doing manual labor. So, I'm not going."

Hearing this, Senshi thought to himself that Kakuzu had gotten wiser, seeing the big picture so clearly. Still, he needed Kakuzu to help him carry out any plans in Takigakure. Kakuzu, as a "living fossil" of that village, knew its ins and outs better than anyone. Bringing Kakuzu along would make everything go more smoothly.

After a moment's thought, Senshi said:

"Kakuzu, how can you look at it that way? Come on, think about it. Ever since we started partnering on missions, haven't your earnings multiplied many times over? This trip to Takigakure is definitely not a trap!"

"Besides, remember how they slandered you and wanted to execute you, even though you were a hero of Takigakure? Aren't you still holding a grudge? You know, there's a rumor going around the shinobi world: when you went to assassinate the First Hokage, supposedly you threw two shuriken from 800 miles away and then ran for it."

As Senshi spoke, Kakuzu's expression grew increasingly grim. Indeed, the old folks from Takigakure deserved to die for what they did back then.

Seeing Kakuzu show a hint of wavering, Senshi pressed on:

"Just say the word, and I'll take you back there in no time to settle this once and for all."

Even then, Kakuzu still shook his head:

"Takigakure actually has quite a few strong jōnin. And from the intel I've gathered, Takigakure's Tailed Beast Jinchūriki is a perfect Jinchūriki—someone who can fully utilize the Beast's power. That, combined with their many skilled jōnin, would cause us huge trouble if we start something there. It'd be loud, and word might get out to other villages. Spy networks exist everywhere. If our actions in Takigakure were exposed, we'd be in a very bad position."

By the looks of it, Kakuzu had indeed thought carefully about the matter. There was something else on his mind, too: back when he accompanied Senshi to Kusagakure, he'd met Mui, the man who held absolute power there. Once Mui took charge, he looked exhausted, as if he'd aged ten years overnight. That was only natural—a shinobi village has countless problems to deal with. Becoming the "Kage" of Takigakure would bring nothing but headaches, and Kakuzu strongly suspected that Senshi's aim was to get him doing the dirty work again.

No matter what Senshi said, Kakuzu had resolved to refuse this time. But then another unsettling thought occurred to him. He turned to Senshi and asked:

"Wait a second. You just mentioned stuff from decades ago—events that happened before you were even born. Takigakure has always been cut off from the outside world… So how do you know all these ancient details?"

Senshi didn't answer directly. He just gave a mysterious smile.

"Information like that… is it really so hard for me to find out?"

At that, Kakuzu stopped talking. He'd known for a while now that Senshi possessed a strange yet incredibly efficient intelligence network—one that surpassed even Orochimaru's or the Akatsuki's. While others might not know such old secrets, it wouldn't be surprising if Senshi did.

Yet, no matter what Senshi said, Kakuzu wasn't about to let himself be roped into labor again. Ignoring his protests, Senshi threw an arm around Kakuzu's shoulder.

"C'mon, c'mon, no need to be shy. Let's go see the Leader and ask for a mission. This time, we'll make sure you finally settle that old score!"

Kakuzu wanted to say no—that he only cared about making money now, not traveling far to Takigakure. But he had no chance to refuse. Senshi activated the Kāma space-time portal, grabbing both Kakuzu and Karin, and they vanished on the spot.

…

Atop Amegakure's Tower

In the open space where the Akatsuki usually met, Senshi, Kakuzu, and Karin arrived shortly afterward. Before long, the Deva Path of Pain and Konan dropped down from above. Observing through Pain's eyes, Nagato felt a headache coming on.

For most other Akatsuki members, even when assigned missions by the organization, they weren't particularly motivated. They traveled on foot—sometimes not even bothering with a carriage or using Body Flicker. Senshi was the anomaly—overly enthusiastic, always hungry for action. If there was a mission, he took it right away. If there wasn't one, he'd invent one himself.

Worst of all, it was never a trivial matter: either capturing a Tailed Beast or forcibly bringing a shinobi village under Akatsuki's (or his own) influence. He was efficient, yes, but also ridiculously expensive. First he subdued Kusagakure with brute force, then he captured the Three-Tails from Kirigakure. Now, seeing Senshi, Kakuzu, and Karin all looking eager, Nagato couldn't shake a sense of foreboding.

Dropping onto the platform, Pain and Konan confronted Senshi.

"Uzumaki Senshi," Pain said. "What do you want this time?"

Senshi answered without hesitation:

"Leader, I intend to press on and subdue another medium-small shinobi village."

Nagato (back with his real body) involuntarily twitched at Senshi's words.

"Sure enough," he thought wryly. "This guy either captures Tailed Beasts or takes over villages—no middle ground."

Out loud, the Deva Path's voice was calm as ever but slightly less imposing than usual:

"Which village?"

"Takigakure," Senshi answered.

Nagato, listening through Deva Path, was taken aback. Pain simply said:

"Reason?"

Senshi had already prepared his talking points:

"There are many benefits to taking over Takigakure.

1. Takigakure is secluded behind a great waterfall. Once it's under our control, we can set up a secret base there.

2. They have something called the 'Hero Water,' which greatly increases a ninja's chakra. I'm not sure if they still have it, but it's worth checking.

3. Among the smaller hidden villages, Takigakure has some of the best overall skills. Their many jōnin would bolster Amegakure's high-end fighting force.

4. Most crucially, even though it's just a small village, Takigakure has a Jinchūriki. 'Those who possess treasure often suffer because of it.' We can't just leave that alone. We'd be missing a big opportunity."

While Senshi spoke, Pain and Konan listened carefully. Indeed, what he said was logical—this kind of takeover would benefit both the Akatsuki and Amegakure. But after a brief silence, Pain shook his head.

"No."

Senshi looked baffled.

"Why not?"

Having already subdued Kusagakure, he found it highly rewarding. Even though his main body was standing there chatting with Pain, his Wood-Style clones were busy in Ame's black market and in various parts of Kusa, constantly accepting and completing missions. Even his summon, Kuro-maru, hadn't stopped working since they signed their contract.

All that work netted him not only vast wealth but also tons of system rewards. If Takigakure also joined the emerging "Shinobi Alliance" under Ame's lead, that meant more missions, more points, more growth.

Pain's refusal was based on sound reasoning:

"Takigakure is different from other villages. The Land of Waterfall has close ties with the Land of Fire, and Konoha maintains frequent interaction with them. We can't treat them as we did Kusagakure. The Daimyō of the Land of Fire won't sit idly by. The Akatsuki isn't ready to face the Great Nations head-on yet. We don't have enough manpower. We can't move on Takigakure now."

Nagato, frail though he was, still thought clearly. Unlike a certain Tsuchikage who might become muddleheaded with old age, Nagato's decision-making and situational awareness remained sharp. If the Land of Rain suddenly seized a faithful subordinate of the Land of Fire, the Fire Daimyō would definitely retaliate. At this stage, Amegakure and the Akatsuki were not ready for that.

Senshi immediately bristled, speaking with dramatic flair:

"You and the organization may not be ready, but I am. All I need is your say-so, and I'll go subdue Takigakure right this moment. As for any pressure from the Land of Fire… Don't worry. If you give the word, uh…assuming you cover my expenses, I'll just go kidnap their Daimyō for you!"

He was stirring up trouble without a care. Truthfully, Senshi wasn't bothered by any threat from Konoha—he'd grown so strong, so fast, and had few reasons to fear them.

Nagato, watching through Pain's eyes, nearly choked on Senshi's words, coughing violently. He knew Senshi wasn't bluffing: the guy feared nothing, had terrifying power, and was developing even faster. But even so, Nagato wasn't willing to say yes. The last time Senshi pulled off a grand achievement—capturing a Tailed Beast—it had caused Nagato quite a bit of trouble. If Senshi now went after Takigakure, that would drag the Land of Fire into the conflict prematurely, and neither the Akatsuki nor Amegakure could afford that yet.

Hence, Pain (controlled by Nagato) spoke with earnest seriousness:

"The organization needs time to prepare. Once that's done, whether it's subduing smaller villages or capturing Tailed Beasts, we'll have major hiring opportunities for you—and you'll get your big paychecks. But not yet."

In other words, Nagato was handing Senshi a "promise of future bounty." And he actually meant it: even without Senshi, the Akatsuki would still pursue all the Tailed Beasts. Senshi's presence just made success more likely. But right now, they simply weren't ready.

Seeing that Nagato was firmly opposed, Senshi realized there was no pushing it for the moment. Over on Kakuzu's side, he silently let out a long breath of relief. He was certain Senshi's plan involved using him as a workhorse. With Pain's refusal, he could finally take a break. After all, Senshi's Wood-Style clones could handle most low- or mid-level missions. Kakuzu hoped that meant some leisurely days ahead.

But back home, as Senshi was sighing in disappointment, an unexpected visitor appeared. Senshi's Mantra had detected him in advance—it was none other than Orochimaru, a member of the Akatsuki.

Knock, knock, knock!

The pale-skinned Orochimaru arrived at Senshi's door, knocking lightly. Senshi opened the door at once.

"Orochimaru, what brings you here?"

Orochimaru's lips curved into a chilling smile. Slowly, he produced a long-term mission request. Senshi's eyes widened; then he looked slightly awkward.

It hadn't been too long ago that Orochimaru tried to purchase Karin for research, which Senshi had refused. Instead, he'd offered up his own unusual abilities—like his elementalization—for Orochimaru to study. They even fought, ending in Senshi obtaining a long-term mission contract from him. But to be honest, Senshi had only wanted that contract for the "Super Draw" reward, not for any genuine interest in letting Orochimaru keep studying him. After signing the deal, he had only provided Orochimaru with two drops of blood and two strands of hair.

Eyeing Orochimaru's contract now, Senshi asked curiously:

"Orochimaru, you're still looking for more research material?"

Senshi intended to brush the whole thing off. He'd already gained the Super Draw reward, so from his point of view, there was no need to continue.

But Orochimaru wasn't so easily fooled. He looked at Senshi and said:

"Since we signed our long-term deal, you've only given me two drops of blood plus two strands of hair. That's four samples in total. Don't you think that's far too little?"

Senshi forced a laugh:

"Haha… Orochimaru, you're thinking too small. Just one drop of my blood is worth dozens—or even hundreds—of ordinary samples. And considering how quickly I'm growing in power, the difference between the first and second blood samples I gave is huge. So…how's your research on those four samples going?"

He was clearly trying to brush it aside. Orochimaru's thoughts, however, were racing:

Indeed, the material he provided is incredibly precious and unusual.

His cells can rival those of Hashirama. In some respects, they're even more perfect.

His lightning-release aptitude is simply mind-boggling. Each drop of blood could launch a dozen research projects.

Even the difference between the two blood samples is vast—his power level jumped tremendously in that time.

I haven't had enough time to study them thoroughly, anyway…

Orochimaru wouldn't say these things out loud, of course. Instead, he met Senshi's gaze and said seriously:

"Let's discuss it in my lab. I have a new mission commission for you."

At that, Senshi brightened right up:

"Alright, sure!"

Just as he spoke, he activated his Kāma portal again, instantly transporting Orochimaru—and Karin—into the latter's research base. Orochimaru felt a brief shock. He realized that Senshi's space-time ability was, in some ways, even more advanced than the Second Hokage's Flying Thunder God. Flying Thunder God required a special seal; Senshi's jutsu seemed able to reach anywhere at will.

Senshi and Karin had been here a few times before, but they were surprised to see that Orochimaru had apparently moved more research equipment into the lab. There was also stuff missing, presumably relocated to other bases. Orochimaru might be in the midst of "moving house." Senshi recalled that Orochimaru later founded the Otogakure in the Land of Rice Fields. Perhaps he was already making preparations for that.

As Senshi let his thoughts wander, Orochimaru pulled him back to the present. Taking out a scroll, Orochimaru slapped it against the floor.

"Huh!"

~~~

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