Konoha Ninja Shop System

"What are you two doing sneaking around?"

A cold voice suddenly cut through the silence like a blade. It was Kakuzu.

Upon hearing the voice, 007's body froze stiff. Slowly and reluctantly, it turned its head, only to see Kakuzu standing not far behind them, his expression dark and unreadable.

It's over. It's really over! Lord Kakuzu actually caught me red-handed this time! There's absolutely no escape now. If I'd known it would come to this, I wouldn't have been so greedy...

Although 007 was utterly panicked inside, years of working in fraud and customer service had trained it well—it knew how to hide fear behind a smile.

Trying its best to remain composed, 007 forced a grin and said with an awkward chuckle, "Haha... Lord Kakuzu, the weather is so lovely today that I thought I'd come out for a little walk."

As it spoke, 007 scratched its head awkwardly, trying to appear casual—while masking the tidal wave of unease rolling in its heart.

But the heavens seemed to have no intention of giving 007 even that small bit of dignity. Just as the words left its mouth, a loud boom echoed across the sky—thunder exploded, and the light drizzle that had been falling over the Rain Shinobi Village instantly transformed into a torrential downpour.

007 and Jiraiya stood there, dumbfounded, soaked and speechless.

Damn it! Why did the drizzle have to turn into a storm the second I said the weather was nice?! Is the universe mocking me now?!

Wiping the rain off his face, Kakuzu said flatly, "The weather is truly pleasant, isn't it? Now, tell me your work number."

Upon hearing that, 007 nearly cried on the spot.

"Lord Kakuzu, please don't do this... If Lord Black Zetsu finds out about this, I'm done for!"

Kakuzu, his expression unchanged, responded coldly, "You snuck into the Rain Shinobi Village without proper authorization. I suspect you've been bribed and are leaking confidential organizational information."

Those words felt like the sky collapsing.

Flustered, 007 began to stammer, "L-Lord Kakuzu, please let me explain! It's not what you think!" But though it opened its mouth, no actual explanation followed. It just stood there, speechless.

Because, in truth, Kakuzu's suspicion was spot on.

007 had, indeed, been bribed by Jiraiya and had already leaked some intel about Orochimaru's status within the organization...

"Oh? Then please, do explain," Kakuzu said, raising an eyebrow in interest.

At that moment, 007 was about to mentally collapse. What was it supposed to say? Admit it outright? Tell him, "Yes, I took Jiraiya's money in exchange for sensitive information"?

If Kakuzu found out the truth, not only would it lose the money it had taken from Jiraiya, but word might get out that it was moonlighting and earning income off the books. That was even worse!

If Black Zetsu discovered it had been evading taxes and misreporting earnings, he would surely confiscate all the money it had painstakingly amassed. Worse, he might even reassign it to some awful, backbreaking job...

Just imagining it made 007's stomach churn—delivering newspapers in the scorching heat, or worse, working in the smelly, disgusting sanitation department. No way! That would be a living nightmare!

But then—suddenly—an idea flashed through 007's mind like lightning. Its eyes lit up.

It jogged over to Kakuzu, rummaged through its robe, and pulled out a thick wad of banknotes, presenting it with both hands and a respectful bow.

"Lord Kakuzu, I met this gentleman in the Land of Fire. He said he was eager to join the Akatsuki organization. This money is a donation he gave me, requesting that I put in a few kind words on his behalf. I thought it would be more appropriate for someone of your stature to handle this..."

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed slightly. He calmly took the money from 007's hands. He didn't need to count it—years of dealing with cash had made him a human scale. Just from the weight and thickness of the stack, he could tell it was no less than 100,000 taels.

Satisfied, he patted 007 on the shoulder and said, "You're quite the character. What's your employee number?"

Hearing the compliment in Kakuzu's tone, 007 was overjoyed. It straightened up, proudly saluted, and reported, "Sir! I'm the deputy team leader of the intelligence department. Employee number 007!"

Kakuzu gave a small nod and even cracked a faint smile. "A talent like you working in the intelligence department? That's a waste. Starting today, you'll join the interview team—under my command."

After all, a White Zetsu who understood how the world really worked was a rare commodity. Kakuzu had no reason not to bring such talent into his fold.

"Thank you, Lord Kakuzu!" 007 bowed deeply, expressing heartfelt gratitude.

Kakuzu turned his gaze to Jiraiya. "Didn't you say that man wanted to join us? Bring him along."

With that, Kakuzu turned and headed back toward Akatsuki's base.

Watching Kakuzu walk away, 007 was still dazed. "Heh... I really didn't expect this! I thought I'd narrowly avoided disaster, but I actually got promoted instead!"

From now on, 007 was no longer an obscure deputy team leader of customer service, but had risen to the prestigious position of Chief Interviewer of the Akatsuki Organization!

And considering there was only one interviewer in Akatsuki—Kakuzu himself—007 had just become the second in line, a position of immense influence.

Aside from Ah Fei, there might not be another White Zetsu with a higher status than him. It was no exaggeration to say he was now: Second only to Ah Fei, and above tens of thousands!

At that moment, Jiraiya scratched his head and asked, "Didn't you bring me here to see Orochimaru? Why are you asking me to apply for Akatsuki instead?"

007 finally snapped out of his excitement and glared at Jiraiya. "How dare you ask me that?! If you hadn't made such a ruckus, would Kakuzu have shown up?! I had no choice but to improvise!"

Jiraiya chuckled awkwardly. "Oh, I see... Well, it's not a big deal. Since Orochimaru's part of this group too, joining doesn't sound too bad…"

"Alright, enough chit-chat! Let's go quickly—we can't keep Lord Kakuzu waiting. This is my first day under his command. If I mess up now, he'll think I'm unreliable!"

007, a master of workplace etiquette, knew better than to commit such a rookie mistake. First impressions were everything.

---

Akatsuki Base – Interview Hall

Inside a dimly lit but spacious room, Kakuzu sat at a simple wooden table. His arms were calmly crossed in front of him, exuding an air of authority.

In front of him stood a finely polished nameplate. Etched into the wood in bold, vigorous calligraphy were the words:

"Akatsuki Chief Interviewer — Kakuzu"

Standing to the side, 007 picked up the kettle and carefully poured hot tea into Kakuzu's porcelain teacup. Kakuzu took a small sip. The tea was bitter and slightly sweet—the perfect balance. He set the cup down slowly.

Then, he turned his eyes toward the man standing before him—Jiraiya—and spoke in a steady, low voice, "Just briefly introduce yourself."

Jiraiya, surprisingly, looked nervous. It was his first ever formal interview.

He stood up straight, cleared his throat, and said, "Hello, interviewer. I'm Jiraiya from Konoha Village, located in the Land of Fire. I'm a novelist by profession, and my hobby is... um... peeking into women's bathhouses."

007: "???"

Kakuzu: "...???"

The silence in the room was deafening.

Jiraiya scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly. "Just being honest…"

Kakuzu's eye twitched.

007 buried its face in its hands, deeply regretting everything.

pàtreøn (Gk31)