Orochimaru's words were filled with temptation. For Danzo, it was almost irresistible—like a certain star who, upon seeing the goat, simply can't walk away. Even so, Danzo still wore a grim expression. After some deliberation, he finally said:
"Give me three days. I'll have an answer for you then."
…
Elsewhere, hidden in the woods…
Out of curiosity, Senshi was using his Mantra to eavesdrop on Orochimaru's conversation. He only caught bits, focusing on Orochimaru's bargaining with Danzo over research funding.
"Whoa… Orochimaru really is black-hearted, asking for one billion ryō just like that!"
Senshi smacked his lips in disbelief. Orochimaru's current commission to hire him was set at 100 million ryō—Senshi had felt that was already pretty steep. Yet here Orochimaru was, asking Danzo for one billion. After Senshi was paid, he'd certainly fulfill Orochimaru's request 100%. But what Orochimaru had just done amounted to tricking Danzo with empty promises, and Danzo actually believed it?
Senshi shook his head—he had at least some understanding of Orochimaru's research progress on Wood Release. Even if there were some minor breakthroughs, they were nothing to brag about. Maybe he could grow a "Three-Room, One-Living-Area" sized wooden hut, at best. How had Danzo fallen for this? one billion ryō? Orochimaru was unbelievably bold, planning to con Danzo out of that huge sum.
Then Senshi grinned to himself.
"The more money Orochimaru wrings out, the better. After all, Orochimaru's money basically ends up being my commission. Most of Orochimaru's jobs can't be handled by ordinary ninjas; sooner or later, he'll have to hire me anyway."
He was pretty much on the mark: Orochimaru's big haul from Danzo would mostly go toward paying Senshi to do tasks. Orochimaru had discovered that although hiring Senshi was expensive, he always got perfect results. Better to let a professional handle things while he stayed in his lab.
Senshi soon sighed again, musing that Danzo must be quite good at raising funds:
"That guy actually has the leeway to get one billion. If he were the one giving me a mission at that price, I could 'take off on the spot.'"
Now that he thought about it, maybe he should see if he could snag a job from Danzo. Since Danzo could collaborate with a slimy traitor like Orochimaru, why wouldn't he pay a top-notch mercenary like Senshi?
…
In the woods, Orochimaru's every movement was under Senshi's watch, though Orochimaru was oblivious. Feeling content about duping Danzo, Orochimaru headed off, leaving Danzo standing there, staring in silence at the massive wooden villa. one billion ryō was an astronomical number to a normal person, and even for Danzo—someone who didn't care about wealth but loved power—coming up with that sum was no small matter. Still, as a high-level figure in Konoha, he had some means of drawing funds.
Now, he was like a gambler with one final throw of the dice: to bet on Orochimaru's experiment or not? Inside, he was shaken to the core. If I stop now, all my previous investment is wasted… If I go all in just this once… He let out ragged breaths. The money he'd poured into Orochimaru's research felt like pieces cut from his own flesh. He wouldn't accept not getting results. But if he invested more, maybe it would yield that long-sought Wood Release. That thought was like a shot of adrenaline to Danzo's system, making his single eye redden with excitement and the hand gripping his cane tremble. He pictured returning to Konoha wielding a perfect Wood Release, forging an entire army of Wood users, reviving the village's glory. Then, in that scenario, one billion ryō would seem trivial. He'd be hailed as Konoha's hero, surpassing Hiruzen, possibly even getting pushed onto the Hokage seat.
As the fervor set in, Danzo's mind underwent a subtle shift. His craving to merge with Hashirama's cells perfectly and gain the First Hokage's godlike power grew wild, nearly drowning out his rationality. Scenes he'd longed for danced before his eyes:
"You'll regret this, Danzo!"
"Hiruzen, I'm the real Hokage!"
Boom!
…
Under the bright sun and gentle breeze, Senshi and Karin continued through dense, emerald forests. Thanks to "Wood Release: Villa," camping outdoors was hardly different from staying at home. In fact, with the air so fresh, sleeping amid the trees was even more relaxing. Karin was excited to see Konoha—Senshi not so much. He knew Konoha's layout better than most anyway, and from what he recalled, there wasn't anything major going on there right now.
Karin, on the other hand, was in a great mood. Long ago, she'd heard about Konoha's prosperity, and she knew they'd once been allies of the Uzumaki in the Land of Whirlpools. Konoha even adopted the Uzumaki clan spiral on their flak jackets. If only Konoha hadn't been too busy dealing with its own troubles when the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed—maybe she and her mother wouldn't have had to flee to Kusagakure. Though, nowadays Kusagakure had changed drastically under Mui's leadership. In the past, it had been a horrific "hell" for Karin.
Eventually, they reached a winding mountain path. Not far off, a boy was training hard. He wore a dark-blue shirt bearing a red uchiwa fan on the back, climbing a perilously steep cliff. Kids that age usually wouldn't do such dangerous training, but this boy was different—his eyes full of grim determination, harboring a deep grudge against the man who'd murdered his entire clan: his brother, Uchiha Itachi.
"Huff—"
Sasuke exhaled a heavy breath. He trained at maximum intensity every single day, but at nine years old, he had no idea when he'd become strong enough to avenge his clan. Over a dozen wounds—both big and small—covered him, all from harsh training.
"I'll climb the rest of the way, then take a short rest."
Like this, risking death daily might squeeze out more of his potential, forging an iron will through repeated brushes with danger.
But—
Crack!
When Sasuke grabbed a protruding rock, he realized too late it was badly weathered. It crumbled in his hand, causing him to lose his balance and tumble off the cliff.
"Aaah—!"
Senshi and Karin had been strolling along the mountain trail, relaxed. Suddenly, they heard that cry and saw a boy falling from the cliff.
"Konoha kids are all this reckless?" Senshi muttered. "If they're not jumping around defacing the Hokage Rock, they're doing extreme training on a vertical cliff."
Even as he grumbled, lightning flashed around his body in a burst of chakra. An instant later, he appeared beside the falling boy. In Sasuke's shocked eyes, both he and Senshi vanished into a dark-red vortex. When they emerged from that swirling hole, they were back on solid ground.
Sasuke stared at him in utter disbelief. Karin peeped out from behind Senshi's shoulder, pushing up her glasses:
"Huh? A good-looking boy fell from the sky?"
While surprised, she took a closer look. Sasuke was quite handsome. He'd been the youngest son of the Uchiha Clan Head, a veritable prince before the massacre.
"What, like him?" Senshi teased, narrowing his eyes at Karin's reaction. Better not let my little assistant get kidnapped by Sasuke. In the original timeline, Karin ended up tailing him around…
Without missing a beat, he pressed Karin's head back down. Karin promptly flattered:
"He's nothing compared to you, Senshi!"
He grinned.
"Then how about I treat you to your favorite pork-cutlet bowl for lunch?"
"You're the best!" she squealed, hugging his leg in delight.
Meanwhile, Sasuke—having just witnessed Senshi's lightning speed and space-time ninjutsu—was stunned. But he quickly collected himself. Gaze flicking between the red-haired man and girl, he reined in his usual coldness long enough to offer a polite thanks:
"Thank you for saving me."
Despite what he'd gone through, he was, after all, the son of a major clan, well-raised to show manners. Senshi waved it off casually.
"No need. Your big brother and I—'One-Fights-Seven'—go way back."
Sasuke's eyes went wide.
"You know Itachi?!"
Before Senshi could answer, a familiar figure emerged from behind a tree: Orochimaru. Senshi was a bit surprised—hadn't that guy left already?
Seeing Senshi, Orochimaru gave a signature sinister grin:
"From a distance, I saw such a large-scale Wood Release. I figured it had to be you. Here to carry out that mission I gave you, are you?"
Senshi had thought Orochimaru would vanish after swindling Danzo. Guess not. He shrugged:
"What else did you think? I have a job to do. I work efficiently."
Orochimaru let out his odd version of a "hearty laugh."
"Heheheh. Your efficiency is as staggering as ever, I see. Not bad at all. Hiring you was definitely the right call. No matter what I assign, you deliver."
He was genuinely impressed by Senshi's speed. Now he understood why so many people specifically went to the Ame's black market seeking Senshi's help.
Senshi just gave a faint smile:
"Right? So, what is it—you got another task for me? After all, I know you just got a truckload of money out of Danzo, right?"
He snickered knowingly. If Orochimaru had indeed closed the deal, Senshi wanted his cut. Orochimaru was taken aback—he hadn't felt Senshi's presence at that distance, yet somehow Senshi knew about his conversation with Danzo. It dawned on Orochimaru that Senshi could eavesdrop from far beyond normal perception, meaning if Senshi so desired, not even a Five Kage Summit would remain secret. That was a terrifying notion. He forcibly buried those thoughts.
"Ahem, I haven't actually received that money yet," Orochimaru hedged, worried Senshi might ramp up his fees otherwise. He was about to say more, but then pointed at Sasuke and changed the subject. "Who's that kid? When did you adopt another stray?"
Originally, Orochimaru hadn't seen Sasuke at nine years old. Senshi considered brushing off the question, but a wicked idea flashed through his mind. With a smirk, he glanced at Sasuke.
That strange laugh sent a shiver down Sasuke's spine. Senshi said to Orochimaru:
"You mean you don't recognize him? This is the living Uchiha you've always dreamed of. You see him with your own eyes and can't tell?"
Orochimaru's pupils shrank:
"Huh? He is—?"
Senshi shrugged:
"He's Uchiha Sasuke, the last surviving member of Konoha's Uchiha clan. Interested in acquiring this living Uchiha?"
At that, both Sasuke and Karin went rigid with shock. Karin glanced at Senshi, flabbergasted: He's got to be joking, right?
Sasuke, for his part, was even more horrified: Have I just run into human traffickers…? And not just any—this guy has space-time ninjutsu.
"Shimatta!!" There was no way to run!
~~~
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