Senshi wasted no time and went straight to the point:
"Kakuzu, we've got a mission! (he shouts loudly)
"It's time for our 'mission-crazy squad' to shine again! We're heading off to Konoha for a big job!"
Sitting properly on his bed, Kakuzu met Senshi's gaze with a calm, confident stare. It was too bad Amegakure's tobacco trade wasn't developed—otherwise he'd probably have lit a cigarette, taken a lazy drag, and then replied in a haze of smoke. Still, maybe he'd get to rob Konoha's 'Crown Prince' later; who knew?
Once Senshi explained why he'd come, Kakuzu's face took on a look of regret. He shook his head decisively, speaking in an unusually firm tone:
"Sorry, I won't be joining you this time."
Senshi: "???"
After a brief pause, Senshi couldn't help but burst into laughter. Kakuzu, you're getting ahead of yourself! Do you think your decision even matters? It seemed to Senshi that Kakuzu had forgotten the fear of being forcibly hauled off to the black market for non-stop missions. Yet instead of using force, Senshi asked calmly:
"Why won't you come along?"
Given that Kakuzu was the "greatest hired hand in the shinobi world," a man who'd been at it since the First Hokage's era, his famous name held sway in black markets everywhere. When they weren't actively on a job, Senshi would let Kakuzu rest. But now a mission had presented itself, so naturally Senshi wanted to bring him.
Kakuzu sighed and spoke with a hint of sarcastic resignation:
"It's not that I don't want to; I've just got a new mission already."
He spread his hands, feigning helplessness, though beneath his mask his grin was practically unstoppable. He wasn't lying—he really did have another mission. Senshi, curious, asked:
"What mission? You can do it with me."
Kakuzu shook his head in regret:
"No can do. My assignment and yours won't line up. The organization told me to recruit a new member, so I can't go with you this time. I'll be setting off soon to do just that. You should go on and carry out your own mission."
Senshi: "!!!???"
At a loss for words, he finally complained:
"If you don't come along, that means I'll lose out on so many commissions I could pick up on the way!"
After all, Senshi's "brand" was relatively new—he'd been active in the black market less than a year. Kakuzu, on the other hand, was a "century-old" big name. When traveling around Amegakure, Kusagakure, or Kirigakure, Senshi's own notoriety was enough to land them tasks easily. But beyond those regions, his "Mission-Terrorist" reputation wouldn't open as many doors.
Hearing that, Kakuzu felt secretly overjoyed. Serves you right, Senshi! All those times they traveled together, Senshi had treated him as some tireless ox, running missions day and night without stopping. Now, at last, the Akatsuki had given Kakuzu a special assignment of his own—meaning Senshi couldn't rope him in. Seeing the dumbfounded look on Senshi's face only made Kakuzu more smug.
He said, with an air of mock seriousness:
"I, too, mourn that we can't join forces to scour missions on our way to Konoha. It's truly a shame. But there's nothing to be done. I promise there'll be a next time!"
Senshi, skeptical, asked:
"So why do I feel like you're not mourning at all, but rather enjoying this?"
Kakuzu flat-out denied it:
"I was trained in Takigakure—no matter how amusing the mission topic, I don't laugh. Right then, I'm off!"
With that, he practically fled his own room, afraid he wouldn't be able to contain his glee and would burst out laughing any second. At last, he had the upper hand. He'd been waiting ages for Senshi to come back, just so he could gloat.
Once Kakuzu had gone, Senshi went to see Kisame. If Kakuzu wasn't willing, maybe the "honest shark" would do. The Akatsuki usually operated in pairs, supervising and helping each other. True, sometimes people worked alone or in larger teams, but going with two was standard. Senshi used his Mantra to locate Kisame and then teleported there via Kāma, bringing Karin along.
The moment Kisame saw him appear out of nowhere, he felt a jolt of unease: Trouble's here! This devil of a guy just randomly showed up with some fancy space-time jutsu?
He licked his lips nervously and asked:
"Uzumaki Senshi, what do you want?"
Senshi cut straight to the point:
"I have a mission in Konoha. Want to come along?"
At that, Kisame shook his head with such vigor that his silhouette seemed to blur:
"No, no, no way!"
Though honest, Kisame had learned from experience. Teaming up with others might be draining, but teaming up with Senshi was downright suicidal. That time in Kirigakure, Senshi had beaten him half to death, then almost sold him to collect a bounty. Meanwhile, when working with Itachi, he might have to walk everywhere at a snail's pace, but at least it was safe. He trusted Itachi—who might be the only one in the Akatsuki who definitely wasn't an undercover agent. Kisame's face now showed aversion, fear, and outright refusal.
Seeing Kisame's unwavering stance, Senshi was speechless:
"What the—? You guys all bail at the crucial moment? None of you'll go. So I have to do this alone in that dangerous village?"
Kisame said nothing but privately thought, Facing Konoha's ninja, at least I can flee if it's too tough. Facing Senshi—I can't fight him or outrun him!
At that moment, Karin peeked out from behind Senshi's shoulder, speaking gently but resolutely:
"Don't worry, Senshi. If they're all turning you down, I won't. I'll go with you any time. I'll never dislike going on missions together."
Senshi turned to see Karin's earnest expression, and he couldn't help smiling wryly. Still, a sense of warmth spread in his chest. It was always better to have a companion than go alone.
"Thanks, Karin! All right, then, let's get going— cough, cough."
Karin, determined, nodded vigorously. The small arms she had wrapped around Senshi's neck unconsciously tightened, nearly choking him. She was set on being a competent partner—no letting Senshi down. If Senshi knew what she was thinking, he would have realized this was the power of 'bonds.' In the shinobi world, that's the supreme law; if you break it, even an Otsutsuki god might get smacked around.
Karin was thrilled—previously, she was just his little assistant. Now, she was a genuine partner! But after they walked a short distance, Senshi suddenly paused, face darkening. Confused and worried, Karin asked:
"Senshi, what's wrong?"
He complained:
"We're heading into unfamiliar territory. I tried to pick up an escort mission from a caravan, but we were out of luck… Missing out on that is a total waste!"
He didn't particularly care about the monetary reward—he cared about the System's bonus. Karin just blinked, wondering what was so serious, then offered:
"So…we can just teleport ourselves with space-time ninjutsu, right?"
Senshi shook his head:
"No. I wanted that mission so I could build some reputation in places where I'm not known. This time I plan to send out Wood-Style clones everywhere along our route to local black markets, to gain notoriety so I can snag missions easier in the future."
With that, he wove signs, and a series of Wood-Style clones sprouted from the ground like men out of the earth. Senshi decided Kakuzu must never hear about his failing to land an escort mission—his image as the unstoppable "Mission Killer" would suffer.
Observing all those clones, Karin gasped:
"Senshi, is it really okay to send so many Wood-Style clones? Won't that drain your chakra?"
She was no stranger to large chakra reserves herself, but it still seemed insane. Senshi, ruffling her red hair into a messy tangle, replied:
"It's fine. Feels like I hardly used any chakra at all."
Fuming, Karin pouted her cheeks and swung her little fists in mock anger. Senshi had a habit of messing up her carefully groomed hair. So annoying! He took off running, lightning quick, and she gave chase, unable to match his speed until she used her space-time jutsu herself:
"Zzzt—"
A swirling, translucent vortex opened before her, and she vanished, reappearing right in Senshi's path. If he didn't have dimensional tricks, he'd never outrun me now! Senshi was really just teaching Karin combat tactics through playful scuffling. She was a highly versatile ninja, after all: a sensory type, a medical type, and now someone with the Eternal Mangekyō. He wanted to help her develop her fighting powers properly.
"Susanoo!" Karin knew that Senshi's "games" were part of her training. So the moment she teleported in front of him, she activated Susano'o in a flourish.
"Boom—!"
A skeletal pink frame enveloped her. Transparent flesh formed over its bones, then armor plating, until it had legs, and eventually a full suit of armor. Then she controlled Susanoo to attack Senshi:
"Clang!"
A sword rang free from its scabbard with a horizontal sweep.
"Swoosh!"
Countless trees behind Senshi were sliced down. He leaned backward, disappearing into a dark-red vortex, courtesy of his Kāma, and reemerged above Susanoo, lightning flickering around him:
"Eat this Yaboku!"
"Boom—!"
Even though he wasn't using full force, the blow made Susanoo tremble. By now, Senshi's mastery of Lightning Release eclipsed any Raikage in history. If the Kumogakure knew, they'd probably beg him to teach them.
"Swoosh!"
Susanoo's blade struck upward. This time, Senshi didn't teleport away. Instead, he dashed in a lightning-quick movement, appearing right by the giant's forehead:
"Chop!"
"Wham!"
Lightning crackled as his punch hammered Susanoo in the head, making it totter precariously. If he were to unleash his full arsenal—like the True Several Thousand Hands—that would basically reenact Hashirama vs. Madara. After trading about thirty moves, he said to Karin:
"That's enough for today."
Karin deactivated Susanoo and asked eagerly:
"Did I improve?"
Senshi nodded, thinking to himself how far she'd come. In the original timeline, Karin might have been stumped by a single bear. Now she could flatten multiple bears unless a certain "Doraemon + Nobita" duo turned up! That said, he also noticed her offensive repertoire was limited. Against run-of-the-mill foes, she might easily dominate, but she didn't need Susanoo for just anyone. Still, he pushed that thought aside for now.
Before long, the two arrived at a clearing. Senshi clapped his hands together and cast a technique:
"Wood Release: Villa Jutsu!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Rows of wooden beams and boards sprang from the ground, rearranging themselves. In just moments, a luxurious wooden villa stood before them. Clearly, Senshi knew how to enjoy himself—he'd taken the Wood-Style Four-Pillar House jutsu, also joked about as the "Wood-Style Two-Bedroom Suite," and elevated it into a full-blown villa by virtue of his massive "Chakra tonnage." Possibly, Captain Yamato would feel envy at seeing Senshi's advanced version of the jutsu.
Glancing at the new house, Senshi said casually:
"Karin, let's rest here tonight."
~~~
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