Kakuzu listeo Uzumaki Senshi brag about his 100% success rate on missions a an urge to bst a Fire Style: Searing Migraine right in Senshi’s face. If not for this meddlesome punk, Kakuzu’s st mission wouldn’t have failed.

  When Senshi heard that Kakuzu and Orochimaru were not here to hire him, his smile vanished araightened up.

  “Tch!”

  He spat on the ground right in front of Kakuzu.

  “If you’ve got no ission, why the hell are you blog me?”

  He flung Kakuzu’s right hand aside, then casually grabbed Orochimaru’s sleeve to wipe his own hand.

  “Quit wasting my time!”

  Seeing this, Orochimaru’s mouth twitched a few times, itg to pull out his Kusanagi sword and skewer Senshi on the spot. Kakuzu raised a hand, signaling Orochimaru to keep calm: Uzumaki Senshi wasn’t a pushover, and there was o start a fight over something so trivial.

  Kakuzu addressed Senshi:

  “We don’t have a job for you, but—”

  Senshi didn’t wait for the rest. He immediately turo leave. If they weren’t hiring him, why hang around? Every moment ted in pig up more missions. Until he was strong enough to survive an alien invasion iure, he had to prioritize taking as many issions as possible, leveling himself up nonstop.

  Thanks to his Merary System, he could potentially develop ninjutsu infinitely. Many of these jutsu might start off unimpressive, but with the system’s help in refining them, they could bee incredibly powerful. Moreover, his chakra reserves and physical body could tinually be strengthened. He reed that if he kept grinding, he’d bee a “sage” someday—though not the Mount Myoboku kind.

  As he led Karin away, Kakuzu once again stepped forward to block him. Senshi halted, his face growing cold.

  “Don’t push your luck.”

  Kakuzu g the red-haired girl Senshi was leading by the hand and said icily:

  “You go, but leave the girl. She’s got nothing to do with your mission—she is my target.”

  Senshi tilted his head.

  “Oh?”

  The implication was: “You really think you take her from me with your meager skill?”

  Crackle, crackle

  In a fsh, brilliant blue arcs of lightning danced around Senshi. He was bathed in potent Lightning-Release chakra, ready to strike at any moment.

  Cck!

  Kakuzu immediately retreated, putting distaween them while f hand seals, prepared to unleash a jutsu. Their st enter had taught him that uimating Senshi was a grave mistake; this time, he’d give everything he had if a fight broke out.

  Swoosh—

  Orochimaru’s hands rose instantly, also starting to form seals. Senshi’s btant disregard for the legendary Sannin had him itg to retaliate. If not for Kakuzu stopping him earlier, he would have already made a move.

  Around them, the bck market ninjas quickly scattered as soon as they sensed a fight brewing. Anyone who had spent time here knew better than to stay close whewo were involved. Eveing was risky, let aloing caught in the crossfire.

  Uzumaki Senshi was notorious for stantly taking issions, successfully pleting them oer another without fail. Kakuzu, too, was known for being formidable—ea their own was trouble, but together? Definitely a situation to keep away from.

  Sensing Senshi’s rising chakra, Kakuzu eyed him with growing apprehension. Though his mask hid his expression, his mind was ing.

  “Impossible… It’s only been a few days, yet his Lightning-Release chakra has grown this much stronger?”

  Feeling the immense lightning power surging from Senshi, both Kakuzu and Orochimaru stiffened slightly. Kakuzu thought frantically:

  “This guy is incredibly dangerous. The bounty on this mission isn’t even that high—there’s no point risking my life for something like this.”

  Moreover, a sudden brilliant idea popped into his head: Uzumaki Senshi was also a well-known merary in the bck market, rumored to be obsessed with money. Aren’t we actually perfect partners, then?

  With that in mind, Kakuzu gave a couple of dry coughs.

  “Uzumaki Senshi, I aowledge your strength. Are you ied in joining our Akatsuki anization? If you do, you’ll receive a hefty monthly reward just by pleting the missions they assign.”

  Senshi rolled his eyes. Still holding Karin’s hand, he walked away, grumbling:

  “I don’t care about some small-fry anizati-fry anization. Don’t bother me when I’m trying to grind missions!”

  Money didn’t matter mu anymore; he was already earning way more than he could spend. Pohat truly mattered.

  Then something happehat Senshi never expected:

  [Long-term issioed!]

  [t: Kakuzu]

  [Objective: Kakuzu, on behalf of Akatsuki, aowledges your strength.]

  [Reward: Upon accepting, you receive a SUPER DRAW immediately! ission Points at final settlement will be DOUBLED!]

  Just as Senshi lifted his foot to leave, the system bombarded him with prompts. One glimpse at these new rewards stunned him.

  No er Draw?

  That was a guaranteed SSS-level prize. His current Heavenly Lightning talent was something he’d drawn from a Super Draw in his newbie gift pack. It had boosted his Lightning Release affinity to S-level and greatly increased his ces of rolling lightning-based jutsu. It was insanely strong.

  And now there was a sed Super Draw? Plus, at the final settlement for this “long-term mission,” the ission Points would be doubled? Who could refuse that?!

  Senshi didn’t hesitate; he spun around 180 degrees, grinning broadly as he returo Kakuzu. Grabbing both Kakuzu’s hands, he excimed:

  “Kakuzu, my man! You’re the best! From now on, you’re my big bro!”

  “Please, let me join Akatsuki—gotta let me in!”

  Afraid Kakuzu would ge his mind, Senshi gave him a nudge and a wink, patting him on the shoulder in the most ingratiating ossible.

  His behavior flipped so drastically that Karin, Kakuzu, and Orochimaru were all stupefied. Karin clutched her forehead, at a loss for words. Kakuzu and Orochimaru were just as puzzled and astonished.

  Once again, Kakuzu studied Senshi carefully. This guy was capricious and pletely impossible to read. Then again, his abilities were first-rate—even within Akatsuki, he’d be a standout. And his merary mi would fit right in.

  After a moment’s hesitation, Kakuzu said:

  “Follow me. I’ll take you to see our leader.”

  Orochimaru had no objes. He had his own agenda and didn’t really care. Kakuzu had worried that Senshi might turn down the offer, but it turned out he was more than happy to join.

  However, now Kakuzu faced another headache. Akatsuki’s secrecy was a huge part of its power—few outsiders khe location of its bases, let alos leader. Yet Uzumaki Senshi was already strolling toward the Amegakure tower, leading a bewildered Karin by the hand as if he kly where to go.

  “Wait—who’s really the Akatsuki member here, me or him…?”

  Kakuzu couldn’t help but wonder if there was a left in Akatsuki that Senshi didn’t already know. The answer was obvious: if anything, Senshi might know even more than Kakuzu did. Orochimaru, witnessing all this, wore an intrigued expression. The ever-mysterious Akatsuki had basically s at all in Senshi’s eyes.