Aside from that, if he joined a ninja village and took on some high-ranking position, he wouldn't need to travel around everywhere, painstakingly taking large and small jobs. He could just sit in an office and enjoy a comfortable life.
Terumi Mei just couldn't figure it out—no one in the ninja world could truly grasp Uzumaki Senshi's thought process. She said to Genji:
"Lord Genji, I also want to keep hiring Uzumaki Senshi long-term, to provide Kirigakure with strategic deterrence. This time's Three-Tails incident was secretly instigated by the Blood Mist faction. I'm going to speak to Lord Senshi now and knock those Blood Mist people down a peg."
When she had arrived lakeside earlier and only saw the Three-Tails emerge from the water—without catching the Blood Mist members in the act—she could do little if there was no solid proof. Nonetheless, leveraging Uzumaki Senshi's formidable presence would at least let her intimidate the Blood Mist crowd.
Before long, Terumi Mei brought Senshi over to the two elders of the Blood Mist again.
Upon seeing her arrive, neither Hōzuki Getsuki nor Karatachi Tachii showed any change in expression. Standing behind them was Kondō Ryū, looking stern; and not far away, Kondō No wore a slight smile. He knew Terumi Mei's party would come to "demand an explanation," but that didn't bother him. He did things cleanly—he wouldn't leave her a shred of evidence.
The moment Terumi Mei arrived, she got straight to the point:
"Blood Mist—are you all planning to betray the village? You actually resorted to using a secret technique to force the Three-Tails into a rampage!"
Hōzuki Getsuki shook his head at her words:
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
Likewise, Karatachi Tachii spoke coldly:
"Nonsense! What does the Three-Tails going wild have to do with me? The Three-Tails is our village's strongest weapon. At present, nearly all of the village's authority is tightly clutched by Lord Genji. If something went wrong with the Three-Tails while the power rests in his hands, obviously he bears full responsibility!"
He snorted.
"Sure, it looks like this Three-Tails crisis has been resolved for now, but who's to say whether there might be deeper issues? Maybe right now the Three-Tails is only temporarily suppressed, harboring its resentment. After some time passes, it'll rampage even more violently!"
Standing next to Terumi Mei, Senshi silently thought it was quite amusing. After all, his two employers—Akatsuki and Mui—both wanted a Tailed Beast. As soon as he had the chance, the Three-Tails might not even remain here for too many days. For these two old men, or for Terumi Mei and her people, they should cherish whatever time the Three-Tails still stayed in their village, because one day it could vanish before their eyes.
Terumi Mei heard Karatachi Tachii and got angry:
"We're sending specialized ninjas to keep watch around the Three-Tails. Without Lord Genji's authorization, none of you Blood Mist folks are allowed anywhere near it."
Hearing that, Kondō No merely shrugged:
"Since the days of the Fourth Mizukage, we were the ones in charge of everything related to the Three-Tails and its research. Nobody in the Kiri knows the Three-Tails better than we do. So naturally, we should be responsible for guarding it."
His words were logical, but Terumi Mei retorted sarcastically:
"Entrust it to you, so you can steal it under your own guard?"
Kondō No showed no anger, simply maintained his slow, unhurried tone:
"At least the Three-Tails didn't go amok on our watch this time. So does that mean you folks lack the ability to watch it properly? Don't forget: once something has happened once, it can happen again."
While Kondō No and Terumi Mei bickered, Senshi was just standing by, enjoying the show. He noticed these two were both eloquent, likely to argue all day if no one intervened. Thus, he calmly stepped forward and turned toward Hōzuki Getsuki, Karatachi Tachii, Kondō Ryū, and the others. In a mild voice, he said:
"We've met already. Let me emphasize once more: anyone who tries to undermine the Kirigakure's peace and prosperity is my enemy."
Seeing them look dark, he continued:
"I hope none of you interfere with my tasks. You get what I'm saying?"
Hōzuki Getsuki and Karatachi Tachii definitely understood him. Inwardly, they loathed him but kept silent. Not too long ago, this was the same freak who had beaten the Three-Tails into submission! Nobody dared protest.
Even the resourceful Kondō No did not speak rashly. He lacked detailed intel on Senshi and could only surmise that he was fanatically dedicated to completing his tasks—any sabotage might earn them a swift death. Provoking that man was not wise.
Seeing their reactions, Senshi was satisfied. Right now, Hōzuki Getsuki and Karatachi Tachii all but had "I want to stir up trouble" written on their faces, while Kondō No—best at lying low—showed no emotion and uttered not a word, as though he'd accepted fate. The dog that bites does not bark; in Senshi's view, Kondō No was the truly dangerous one.
Yet for Senshi, the more troublemakers the better. The future livelihood of the Kiri's mission feed depended on them. If he scared them too much, so they never dared act again, it would reduce the job supply he gleaned from the Kiri. So it was wise to threaten them lightly, then back off.
After taking them down a peg, Senshi turned to Terumi Mei:
"The assignment you gave me to deal with the Three-Tails rampage is finished, right?"
Terumi Mei froze, then quickly grasped his meaning—but her expression betrayed how pained she felt:
This blasted mercenary is so…ridiculously expensive!
She was glad at least that she herself had no addictive gambling habit like Tsunade from the Konoha. If her personal funds were empty, she couldn't possibly cover the sum for these two hires. Ultimately, the payment had to come from the village budget.
So with a heavy heart, Terumi Mei said:
"Lord Senshi, please come with me. Let's meet Lord Genji and collect your payment."
Senshi had no particular objection: who paid was irrelevant, as long as he got his money. Thus, led by Terumi Mei, he soon stood before the Kiri's top authorities. For now—given that the Five Kage Summit was still far off—this same group would continue to govern.
Senshi seized the opportunity to "advertise":
"Lord Genji, everyone of the Kirigakure, greetings. I'm a freelance ninja from the Ame's black market, name's Uzumaki Senshi. So far, I've completed more than a hundred S-Rank missions, with zero failures.
"I've also completed countless A-, B-, C-, and D-Rank missions. My success rate remains 100%. If you have any unsolvable problems, you can hire me. If you face assassination from shinobi of another village, hire me. If your village is threatened by Tailed Beasts or Kage-level foes, hire me!"
"One hire, lifetime satisfaction guaranteed! Issue a commission? Come to Uzumaki Senshi. Excellent service attitude, high efficiency, 100% completion rate—you won't regret it!"
When he finished, his eyes shone with job-hungry enthusiasm.
The elders of the Kiri were rendered speechless. A top-tier Kage-level fighter with zero sense of dignity?
Terumi Mei, seeing it all, was left dumbfounded:
These ultimate shinobi at the top of the ninja world really do stand out from the norm. They all have such bizarre personalities… Didn't they say "God of Shinobi" Senju Hashirama was a big goof with huge emotional swings?
Sighing inwardly, Genji at last nodded gravely. Indeed, the village severely lacked high-end combat power, and in certain extreme scenarios, Senshi's services would be indispensable. Then he turned to Terumi Mei, who described how she had hired Senshi in the village's name—twice. Upon hearing the price tags, Genji's elderly face froze:
"This damned mercenary!"
"He wants 10 million ryō for a single mission. And on top of that, the village has to pay a monthly 10 million for long-term hire… Our finances are already in dire straits. This is salt on the wound!"
Though bitter, Genji retrieved the checks, giving one to Terumi Mei and another—worth 10 million—to Senshi.
[Commission Complete!]
[Client: Kirigakure]
[Objective: Subdue the rampaging Three-Tails, prevent it from ravaging the village, and send it back underwater]
[Reward: 10 million ryō]
[Mission Rank: S]
[Mission Bonus: 10,000 Employment Points]
Once Senshi had the money, the mission was deemed complete. He'd gained 10,000 Points from it—10 draws—quite a harvest indeed.
After taking the money from Genji, Senshi and Terumi Mei departed together.
"Terumi Mei, is something weighing on your mind?"
Senshi noticed how she frowned and leaned toward her. Whenever there was friction or annoyance, that might hint at a job! He was always eager to seize or even create opportunities for more commissions. This was his shinobi way.
At first, Terumi Mei was baffled: Why is he asking me that so oddly? Then she saw how his gaze kept darting to the money in her hand. Realization dawned, and her face stiffened:
"This insatiable mercenary… After raking in 10 million from the Kiri, plus 80-plus million from the Blood Mist, now he's eyeing the little bit of money I hold?"
~~~
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