Karin had already activated her Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and summoned her pink "Gundam."
Hearing her call out, Senshi narrowed his eyes and grinned.
"Don't worry, we were just talking business. But it looks like the other side wasn't very sincere."
With that, he couldn't help inwardly complaining about Obito. Showing up empty-handed to 'negotiate?' Total waste of time. At least he now had a bead on Obito's whereabouts.
Indeed, just a moment ago, Senshi had left a marker inside Obito's Kamui dimension. If he wanted to catch Obito later, the guy couldn't possibly run far.
Right then, someone leapt through the forest, arriving at their location with a few quick bounds. It was none other than Orochimaru. He glanced at Karin, surrounded by that pink Susano'o, and—spotting the striking Eternal Mangekyō in her eyes—couldn't help feeling envious.
He'd already come to appreciate the terror of the Sharingan when he fought Itachi. If only Senshi were willing to hand Karin over, he'd skip all the trouble. But Orochimaru didn't push that—he was worried if he even hinted at it, Karin might come charging at him in her "Gundam," and that would be more trouble than it was worth.
Besides, his recent misadventure with Itachi had taught him an important lesson: If you want something done right, leave it to a professional. If Senshi fought Itachi, the outcome would almost certainly be different. But Senshi had already said he didn't want to break with the Akatsuki, so capturing Itachi was off the table—leaving Obito as Orochimaru's only viable option.
Approaching Senshi, Orochimaru exhaled a long, helpless sigh and got straight to the point:
"Lord Senshi, if it has to be Obito…so be it. I'll pay the fee!"
Senshi was a bit surprised Orochimaru came back so quickly—he'd named a sky-high price of one hundred million ryō for the commission. That wasn't just a few tens of millions; it was an astronomical sum. Still, Orochimaru wouldn't be getting fleeced for no reason—there was probably no one else in the shinobi world who could handle this mission. After all, thanks to Obito's Kamui, you needed space-time powers just to keep him from escaping. And if Orochimaru also wanted Obito's other Sharingan, currently with "50-50" Hatake Kakashi, that was tricky intel to begin with—never mind infiltrating Konoha to snatch it.
Truth be told, the Sharingan caused as many problems for Kakashi as it solved: he didn't have Uzumaki physiology with near-limitless chakra; nor did he have Hashirama cells to freely power the eye. On top of that, he only had the one eye to begin with, limiting its full potential. Later, he'd even develop Chidori, a unique Lightning Release technique that required no Sharingan at all. Clearly, Kakashi would still have become formidable without it.
Standing on the wooded path, Orochimaru finished speaking and waited for Senshi's reply. In his view, Senshi was the only one who could pull off this task. Senshi thought so too. Although going to Konoha, he'd best not walk right up to the main gate—after all, the two gate guards there might be "Six Paths–level" security forces. In future arcs, no matter who assaults Konoha—Nagato or anyone else—they practically never come in through the main gate. Perhaps they're afraid of crossing that unstoppable pair: "Six Paths Hagane Kotetsu" and "Six Paths Kamizuki Izumo." Joking aside, once you're inside Konoha, you also have to remember never to underestimate any so-called "genin." In this village, "lowly" ninja have a habit of pulling off the impossible—like in the fabled incident where the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist got turned into a "Three Treasures of Good Fortune" by a single Konoha genin. Not to mention the notorious "Eternal Genin," Maruboshi Kosuke…there's no end to these "Konoha tall tales."
Senshi didn't plan to decline Orochimaru's job, though. The only question was whether Orochimaru could really produce such a massive sum of money. Eyeing Orochimaru, Senshi asked exactly that:
"You got a hundred million ryō lying around so quickly? You've got all those labs, equipment, experimental materials, a troop of subordinates on your payroll. Are you sure you can scrape together that much without messing with me? Because if you're playing games, you won't like what happens. Lab work is expensive—how could you have saved that much?"
Senshi knew Orochimaru well. Sharing those details out loud left Orochimaru with a sour expression. Indeed, in the shinobi world, the most critical factor is often information. Why had Asuma Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist suffered in certain encounters? Because intelligence can make or break you. Orochimaru had bases all over and many underlings, but hearing Senshi casually recite the details of his operations was hardly pleasant.
After a short pause, Orochimaru said:
"At the moment, no. But soon, I will. I have ways of acquiring that much. So long as you accept the mission, I can take steps to secure the funds."
He had no intention of cheating Senshi. Considering the huge gap in power between them, if Orochimaru tried anything funny, Senshi might just take a Konoha job to arrest the "missing-nin Orochimaru" on the spot. Orochimaru soon added:
"Based on the intel you provided, Obito's other Sharingan is in Konoha. So you can start anytime. I want you to deliver me a living, complete Uchiha— not a one-eyed version!"
(Too bad Shisui was gone; otherwise that "Susanoo with one eye" guy might dispute whether both eyes were truly needed.)
[Ding! A new employment mission has been detected!]
[Client: Orochimaru]
[Mission Objective: Capture Obito and retrieve his second Sharingan.]
[Commission Fee: 100 million ryō]
[Mission Rank: S]
[Mission Reward: 100,000 Employment Points]
Seeing that pop-up, Senshi didn't hesitate. Evidently, Orochimaru was serious, and yes, he did have a way to cough up the hundred million. Senshi smiled indifferently as Orochimaru spoke.
"Don't worry. Leave it to me—I'm a pro."
Orochimaru had no doubt of his competence. After all, it was hard to find anyone else in the shinobi world who'd completed so many missions with a 100% success rate. Still, Senshi couldn't help wondering how Orochimaru had been pushed to take this step so quickly. Maybe it was that disastrous fight with Itachi. Or maybe something else had triggered him.
Having accepted the mission, Senshi heard Orochimaru ask:
"How long do you need to wrap it up?"
Instead of answering directly, Senshi replied with a question:
"How soon do you want it done?"
Orochimaru thought for a moment:
"Within three months. Can you deliver a living Uchiha with both eyes in that time?"
Senshi nodded firmly:
"Not a problem. Just get my commission ready, then wait for word."
Orochimaru had zero doubts about Senshi's reliability. Handing this off to him, Orochimaru planned to start gathering the commission money. He'd have to find some hapless "big spender." Obviously, he might go running to an old buddy: Danzo. Through Danzo, he might "extract" funding to cover the expense—since Danzo relied on Orochimaru's research for many of his own shady projects.
So, leaving Senshi behind, Orochimaru headed out in good spirits. As he walked, he told himself:
"No doubt about it—Senshi has the skill. And from my fight with Itachi, plus all the intel I've gathered on the Sharingan, I'm more convinced than ever that the Uchiha body is the perfect vessel. Once I have it, with my talents, I'll soon be able to unleash the clan's full power."
Just as Orochimaru went to secure the fee, Senshi was readying to act. If Orochimaru asked him to capture other Uchiha—like Itachi or Sasuke—Senshi might weigh the pros and cons more carefully. But capturing "Obito the shit-stirrer," whose Kamui had forcibly tried to drag him in? No need for second thoughts. Besides, Obito had basically just tested him, flaunting his Mangekyō and ignoring Senshi's "tattoo powers."
Meanwhile, Orochimaru wasn't bluffing. The moment he left, he hurried off to contact Danzo, the 'First Hokage of Pots and Kettles' and secure the money. With Danzo's backing, he'd gather enough experimental funds to carry out their mutual dark dealings.
Somewhere in Konoha's Root base:
"Achoo!"
Danzo sneezed out of nowhere. He silently grumbled, "Those evil Uchiha brats…there are barely a handful left, yet still they cause trouble." He had no idea that via a chain of cause and effect, he was about to lose a hundred million ryō thanks to the Uchiha.
Back on Senshi's side, once Orochimaru departed, he started preparing for the mission. If someone asked him to take down the other remaining Uchihas, he might hesitate. But Obito, the prime "problem child" of the ninja world? No problem. Besides, Obito had just tried to Kamui him without offering a single coin.
When Orochimaru went off, he was visibly content. Before long, Senshi was about to leave as well. At that moment, Karin, glancing up at him, asked curiously:
"Senshi, we're going after Obito, so that means we have to go to Konoha again, right?"
Historically, the Land of Whirlpools had been Konoha's close ally, but when her homeland was destroyed, Konoha hadn't been able to help them. Karin, as an Uzumaki descendant, knew the story well but had never seen Konoha herself. So if she got to go there with Senshi—ahem, for a mission—she'd be delighted.
Senshi nodded with a slight smile.
"Yes, Karin. We're in for a busy stretch. But before we head to Konoha, let me fill you in on 'Konoha's Urban Legends.'"
Karin's pretty Mangekyō eyes flashed with confusion. Tilting her head, she asked:
"Urban legends? What do you mean?"
With a serious face, Senshi explained:
"They're special tidbits of intel about Konoha that few outsiders know. First off, avoid using your Sharingan around Konoha, or they might brand you an 'evil Uchiha.' Next, if you run into a green-skinned, kappa-like ninja who keeps shouting about 'youth,' don't say the word 'youth' within earshot—he might go berserk. And then there's…"
He rattled off a string of so-called "Konoha Tall Tales." Karin listened attentively, practically tempted to pull out a notebook from her Kamui dimension and record every bit of nonsense. Senshi described how Konoha apparently had so much talent they stationed two Six Paths–level guards at the main gate, forced another potential Six Paths–level shinobi to open a ramen shop, and so on—purely to entertain her.
After joking around, he activated his Kāma space-time ability, conjuring a dark-red, black-hole-like portal in front of them. A moment later, they reappeared in their own room.
"Karin," he said casually, "go pack up; we're about to head out for a while."
"Okay!"
Karin bustled around in her bedroom, organizing her things. Then she ran to the kitchen, storing her cookware in her Kamui dimension. At this stage, her usage of the Sharingan was basically limited to "Gundam Cooking Mode." The First Hokage, Hashirama, once admired Madara's creativity in summoning Susanoo with a Tailed Beast overlay. If he ever saw Karin frying meals in a pink Susano'o, he might marvel at how the "innovative spirit of the Uchiha" had been passed down.
Once she finished, the two of them dashed over to Kakuzu's door. Senshi kicked it open—but contrary to his usual scenario of scaring Kakuzu out of bed, he found Kakuzu already sitting there calmly, legs crossed, as though he'd been expecting him.
~~~
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