Freelancer in the Ninja World

Uchiha Itachi's judgment was undeniably correct.

Shimura Danzo was always coveting the Sharingan, and Orochimaru likewise wanted a living Uchiha as a vessel for his Living Corpse Reincarnation. With the Sharingan being one of the ninja world's top-tier bloodline limits, it was impossible for others not to covet it!

Thinking of this, Itachi could no longer stay calm. If he had a space-time ninjutsu, he'd wish to teleport straight to Konoha right now!

Kisame, seeing that Uchiha Itachi looked anxious to leave again, was a bit puzzled.

"Itachi-san, you're heading out once more? You just got back from a mission—aren't you going to rest?"

He was starting to suspect that maybe Itachi had caught the "Senshi Virus" and, out of nowhere, had become super-enthusiastic about missions. Of course, Itachi might just have other urgent matters to handle. Normally, the Akatsuki's workload wasn't that high. From his time teamed up with Itachi, Kisame had grown used to a slower-paced life—both of them were the type to take it easy, unless their leader assigned a mission. Uzumaki Senshi, however, was a complete outlier in the Akatsuki—practically a beast who treated taking missions like rest.

After Kisame's question, Itachi didn't hide anything; in an extremely calm tone, he said:

"I need to go to Konoha for a bit."

Kisame: "???"

When he learned Itachi intended to go to Konoha to find Uzumaki Senshi, Kisame immediately started dissuading him:

"Itachi-san, why go after that Senshi fellow? That guy's not normal—I strongly suggest you keep as far away from him as possible."

He still remembered how that man nearly beat him half to death in Kirigakure and almost sold him off. Even with his iron-hard mentality, he was left with an unshakable trauma. Kisame had no intention of seeing Itachi team up with Senshi. If Senshi had another bout of madness, who's to say he wouldn't sell Itachi off too? Kisame didn't want to lose "Itachi-san."

Itachi spoke in a level voice:

"I have no choice; I must go. Are you coming with me?"

He was confident in himself, but he felt a strong sense of oppression from Senshi. If it came to a fight, he might not be able to beat Senshi alone. Having Kisame by his side would increase his odds. Right now, in Itachi's mind, Senshi posed an even greater threat than the Akatsuki's own leader.

Kisame instantly shook his head so fiercely it practically left afterimages.

"Itachi-san, yamero desu ne~"

"Senshi may be an Akatsuki member, but until he finishes a mission, he absolutely won't treat us as comrades."

When it came to dealing with Senshi, Kisame's thoughts were absolutely clear: keep your distance. After all, the memory of being nearly sold off in Kirigakure needed a lifetime to heal. Just hearing about teaming up with Senshi for a mission or something was enough to send chills down his spine. He'd rather not lose Itachi-san as well.

Seeing Kisame's reaction, Itachi merely nodded slightly and swiftly left the Akatsuki's base. Kisame watched his departing figure with a complicated look on his face. Truly, it wasn't about lacking bonds—blame Senshi for being so heartless. If Kisame ended up in that guy's hands again, perhaps there'd be no return. He didn't fear "Uchiha Madara" nearly as much, but as for Senshi…just recalling that terrifying grin (Senshi's self-styled "professional, kind service smile.jpg") made Kisame's skin crawl.

…

In the forest around the outskirts of Konoha:

Orochimaru was quite looking forward to the next step of his plan. Amid that excitement, there was a bit of unease.

"I wonder if Danzo settled things on his end? If he actually raises one billion ryō, a great many of my upcoming projects become easy to push forward. With Uzumaki Senshi's terrifying power and inconceivable mission efficiency…so long as I have enough funds, many of my research projects can advance in leaps and bounds!"

Just picturing it caused Orochimaru's mood to keep climbing. He had personally tested many times that Senshi's strength was enormous—even if the Six Paths of Pain confronted Senshi, they likely wouldn't be his match. With such an insanely strong figure clearing obstacles, whatever research materials Orochimaru desired, so long as he was willing to pay, Senshi would be certain to fetch them. Plus, Senshi possessed an intelligence network that Orochimaru still didn't fully understand. Other ninjas might not be able to glean the necessary intel, but Senshi typically could. Even Senshi's own body offered extreme research value. And if Orochimaru had a perfect Uchiha vessel while simultaneously digging deeper into Senshi's secrets, combining all those advantages could break technical barriers—fulfilling his goals might be just around the corner.

Danzo, for his part, might disappoint everyone else, but never Orochimaru. One billion ryō sounded ridiculous to anyone, yet Danzo set his concerns aside and conjured the funds for Orochimaru's research anyway. In the future, if the ninja world advanced scientifically thanks to Orochimaru's work, the ninjas ought not to forget the contribution made by the "5.5th Hokage," Shimura Danzo, who'd sponsored so much research funding. Without Danzo's consistent support, Orochimaru's R&D path couldn't have gone so smoothly.

Danzo had arrived with a money-filled case not far from Orochimaru, looking at him wordlessly. Orochimaru showed a grin more benevolent than ever, practically splitting his face from ear to ear:

"Danzo-dono, is the research budget I need finally ready?"

At this, Danzo's face was expressionless, silent. Inside the box in his hand lay stacks of notes, each redeemable at the money exchange for one million ryō—and there were a thousand of them in all! Even though he had mentally prepared for this, handing such an amount to Orochimaru still made his heart ache. After a long silence, Danzo fixed Orochimaru with a stern gaze:

"Let me ask one last time: how long do you need to deliver results?"

Orochimaru paused, then said:

"Conservatively, two months. But I'll hurry as much as I can. Not only that, I can use the technique to train as many Wood Release–capable ninjas as you'd like. Very soon, Konoha will stand at the pinnacle of the ninja world, thanks to you. Hiruzen-sensei is far too soft—only your doctrine is correct."

That last remark struck Danzo right in the heart. He'd told the Sandaime countless times that this gentle approach to governing was flawed, and that he personally proposed superior strategies on many occasions, only to be overruled by Hiruzen's "I am Hokage." Recalling that, Danzo stared at Orochimaru, speaking in a grave voice:

"One month! I want to see results in one month! If a month passes and I'm still not satisfied, I assure you, you'll regret it!"

Orochimaru was well aware how Danzo operated. They'd worked together a long time, so Orochimaru knew perfectly well his means. He was certain Orochimaru grasped the stakes: If Orochimaru tried to cheat him, it wouldn't end well.

Seeing Danzo's look, Orochimaru gave his trademark "amiable" smile—once, he never could have spoken so "professionally."

"Understood, Danzo-dono. I'll skip meals and sleep if I must, to give you a satisfactory answer asap."

Danzo snorted coldly:

"It had better be so, or you'll never withstand the consequences of toying with me!"

With that, he handed the cash-laden box to Orochimaru. Orochimaru opened it for a quick count. Meanwhile, Danzo couldn't help imagining the scene when, after transplanting Wood Release, he appeared before Hiruzen with True Several Thousand Hands. Just picturing Hiruzen's reaction made his heart race. He looked back at Orochimaru:

"Go. Complete your research at once! You know full well I'm no expert on the technical side, but I do respect your craft. Achieve success, and I can give you even more support for further experiments."

"Danzo-dono, just wait for my good news. I'll be off now," Orochimaru said, then turned to leave.

Danzo had no intention of keeping him around. He couldn't wait for time to fast-forward a month.

…

Meanwhile, Senshi was wandering Konoha's streets with Karin. After Karin hinted that Orochimaru was around, Senshi used his Mantra to eavesdrop on the conversation between Orochimaru and Danzo. Learning that Orochimaru had indeed acquired one billion ryō made Senshi's eyes shine with excitement. Orochimaru's money was basically his commission money, after all! So Senshi immediately decided to head toward Orochimaru's location.

Orochimaru, unaware of how Mantra worked, knew that Senshi possessed a powerful perception jutsu but had no idea that within a certain range, Senshi could monitor his every move. Right now, Orochimaru was as happy as a big spender with one billion coins in a game. Then, all of a sudden, his expression froze—he saw Senshi approaching with a broad grin.

"Yo, if it isn't Snake-bro! Fancy meeting you here. Long time no see—look at you, more suave and dashing than ever! You heading somewhere, or itching to get back to your experiments? Indeed, all geniuses spend 99% of their time sweating in private… I truly admire you!"

While Senshi spouted all this, Karin pressed a hand to her forehead in disbelief, knowing the real story. Senshi obviously discovered Orochimaru's location by eavesdropping with Mantra; upon learning Orochimaru had gotten the one billion, he rushed right over. Just as Danzo may not "understand technology" but "respects technology," Orochimaru might not be a black-market professional, but he certainly respected the black-market pro Senshi. If Senshi was this cordial, it almost certainly meant he had ulterior motives.

Sure enough, Orochimaru hastily cut him off:

"Uzumaki Senshi, I don't have any new jobs for you right now. If you have time to chat me up, maybe get back to finishing your existing tasks."

Orochimaru, though he held a hefty one billion ryō, wasn't letting it cloud his judgment. He always handled matters with calculation and purpose. This was a one-shot trick he'd pulled on Danzo, meaning he couldn't expect more in the future—he also had to worry about Danzo taking his life. So on tasks that required Senshi's terrifying power, he'd gladly pay, but otherwise he'd try to save his funds. He'd used so much effort to trick Danzo; he wasn't about to blow the money away.

Hearing Orochimaru's direct, somewhat forceful attitude, Karin was a bit surprised. Previously, Orochimaru had been quite smooth in dealing with Senshi, knowing he needed Senshi's power. Now, apparently flush with cash, Orochimaru was acting casual, borderline rude.

Senshi thought: Huh, that snake's grown bold after pocketing some cash. Indeed, being rich gave you swagger. Still, Senshi was helpless; Orochimaru was still a client. He had indeed accepted the huge commission from Orochimaru to capture a living Uchiha—Obito, specifically. And Orochimaru now had an additional ten billion. So he had every right to be "arrogant." Until Senshi found a way to bleed that money out of him, anyway.

Still complaining inwardly, Senshi spread his hands:

"Orochimaru, haven't you seen my diligence? The moment I accepted your mission, I rushed here to Konoha. But the ninja who has Obito's other Sharingan isn't in the village—what could I do? The ninja world's huge; I can't go combing every corner looking for him. And that giant stash of money you got—what good is it if you don't use it, right? We're both from the same organization, practically old buddies. Surely it's better for us both to enjoy it than for you alone to have all the fun. Why not commission me for some additional tasks? Wouldn't that be great?"

He sighed, then gestured at Karin. "You see how I'm struggling? Karin's just a little girl, forced to go everywhere with me on missions. Times are tough—she's going hungry and growing thin!"

"???!!!"

Karin's small head sprouted a big question mark. Not at all! She definitely hadn't lost any weight—she was probably gaining it. Meanwhile, Orochimaru's mouth twitched uncontrollably, evidently wanting to flash a huge question mark of his own.

~~~

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