The Strongest Artist in Naruto

"Stop yelling. This is the leader of the Akatsuki," Deidara said with a smirk.

"Nagato."

Deidara gestured to the woman standing beside him. "This is my junior, Kurotsuchi. She's decided to join us."

Pain nodded, and after exchanging a few brief words, Deidara got straight to the point.

"Can we still contact Uchiha Madara?"

His plan was simple: if Obito wasn't too cautious yet, they'd set a trap—invite him to a 'banquet' and then gang up on him. With enough manpower, they were bound to take him down.

Pain shook his head. "Not only has he disappeared, but even Zetsu has vanished."

"Zetsu's gone too?"

It seemed the split between them and Obito was now official. This would severely weaken the Akatsuki's intelligence network going forward.

If that were the case, it was imperative to bring Kakashi into the fold—or at the very least, obtain his Sharingan. That would make dealing with Obito far easier in the future.

But this plan had to be executed with extreme caution. If Obito caught wind of their intentions, he'd undoubtedly strike first.

"By the way, where's Konan?" Deidara asked curiously.

"She's probably organizing her storage again," Pain replied.

"If you need her, follow me." Without waiting for Deidara to confirm whether he actually needed Konan, Pain stood up. Any excuse to leave the office was a good one in his book.

The three made their way down the tower, descending into the depths of Amegakure.

Deidara had known there was a secret base beneath the village, but he hadn't realized it was this massive.

"Release!" Pain placed his hand on a giant iron door, skillfully dispelling the sealing jutsu with his chakra.

As the door creaked open, both Deidara and Kurotsuchi let out audible gasps.

"How much stuff is in here?" Kurotsuchi exclaimed.

Before them stood a veritable mountain of supplies. The sheer scale of it made them feel as insignificant as ants.

"This must've cost a fortune!"

"Wait, are we just earning money so Konan can hoard all of this?" Deidara pulled out a stack of explosive tags. Judging by their texture and color, they'd been stored for quite some time.

And it wasn't just explosive tags—there were kunai, shuriken, food, clothing, medicine, and countless other items.

"This is the shinobi world, not some post-apocalyptic wasteland!"

Pain awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Because of her harsh childhood, Konan has... issues with feeling secure. She hoards supplies to compensate. Over time, it's just... accumulated."

"Wouldn't it make more sense to keep cash or gold? Why convert everything into physical goods?" Kurotsuchi frowned. "You'll never use all of this."

"What do you know?" Konan's voice cut through the room as she emerged from the shadows. Her tone was colder than usual, likely due to someone criticizing her deeply ingrained habits.

"Cash and gold are useless in a true crisis. You can't eat them, wear them, or use them in battle. Only essentials—things you can immediately put to use—have real value," she said icily.

While her reasoning made sense, the sheer scale of her stockpile was staggering. Deidara was at a loss for words.

Konan might as well be the economic powerhouse of the shinobi world. The number of producers and businesses sustained by her spending must be astronomical. The GDP generated by her hoarding could probably rival a small nation's.

"Konan, I get your point, but sometimes you need to trust your comrades," Deidara said, trying to reason with her.

"Amegakure and the Akatsuki aren't what they used to be. We're growing stronger every day. Funds should be used where they're needed, not locked away like this."

"So, you're here to ask for money?" Konan's eyes narrowed, her voice as frigid as the depths of a winter storm.

"Ahaha! No, of course not!" Deidara raised his hands in mock surrender.

"I just think it'd be nice if your cut from our missions could be a little... smaller."

Deidara went on to explain how the team's morale was low and no one felt motivated to take on missions anymore.

Pain sighed. "I figured this would happen."

"Konan, things aren't like they were in the beginning. Without proper compensation, this won't work."

He was referring to the days when Yahiko led the Akatsuki. Back then, it was a group of idealists united by a shared vision of peace. They took on missions without expecting payment, driven solely by their convictions.

But in the real world, such idealism wasn't sustainable. Not everyone could sacrifice themselves for the greater good.

Konan was silent for a moment. "How much should we take from the commissions?"

"Three percent. That's the standard for the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Maybe a bit more during wartime," Deidara suggested.

"Three percent it is," Konan agreed, though the decision clearly pained her. To her, nothing was more important than Yahiko and Nagato's dream. Everything else was secondary.

"Also, we need a system for allocating funds within the village," Deidara pressed gently.

"I'll form an advisory council in Amegakure. From now on, we'll consult them before making decisions about funding."

Deidara let out a sigh of relief. That had gone much smoother than expected. He almost felt like he was dreaming.

"Oh, by the way, what about that 120 million ryō Kakuzu owes me—"

"Get out!"

"Got it!"

As they left the central tower, Kurotsuchi looked annoyed.

"What's wrong?" Deidara asked.

"That woman is so full of herself! She was so rude!" Kurotsuchi grumbled.

"Don't mind her. She's always like that," Deidara said with a shrug. Everyone had their quirks, after all.

"Fine, let's just go home," Kurotsuchi said, grabbing Deidara's arm.

"Home?"

"Yes, your place in Amegakure. Or did you think I meant Iwagakure?"

Deidara suddenly realized something. He was a core member of the Akatsuki, yet he didn't even have a house in Amegakure.

Every time he came to the village, he had to stay in a hotel—and pay for it himself!

"This is ridiculous!"

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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