Chapter 71: Senshi Virus

Hearing that, Naruto glanced curiously into the ramen shop.

"Is it Iruka-sensei? I don't see him."

Sasuke ignored Naruto's question. He turned back toward the inside of Ichiraku Ramen. "Come in," he said.

Though Naruto was still puzzled, he followed Sasuke inside, partly out of curiosity. Once inside, he could finally get a proper look around. Other than Teuchi (the owner of Ichiraku), there were two people sitting at the counter: a red-haired girl about his age, and a very handsome young man.

Yet for some reason, the instant Naruto's eyes landed on that young man, he felt a strange sense of familiarity and closeness—like the warm feeling one gets from a family member.

He wasn't stupid. One look told him that this extraordinarily good-looking man was most likely Sasuke's teacher. But when had Sasuke gone and found himself a new teacher? Wasn't that why Sasuke was the number one student at school—because he had a private tutor? I'd sure like to have a teacher like that too…

All sorts of thoughts swirled through Naruto's mind. Even though this was Ichiraku Ramen, and Teuchi was one of the few people in the village who didn't give him weird looks, Naruto still lowered his head upon seeing Uzumaki Senshi.

Senshi, for his part, glanced at Naruto, who looked uneasy. Inside, he found it almost laughable. This early in the timeline, Naruto was still the kid who sat alone on the swing, watching others get picked up by their parents, wishing he had someone like that too. The sheer loneliness and longing inside him were intense. That the village could treat the "Hero's Child" in such a way was…incomprehensible.

A sudden idea flashed in Senshi's mind. Without a word, he pushed over a freshly made bowl of ramen—untouched by chopsticks—to Naruto.

"Go ahead and eat."

"F-for me?" Naruto swallowed hard, and his stomach rumbled audibly. He was starving, but he couldn't believe that a stranger was offering him free food.

"Of course."

Senshi nodded.

"Thank you, big bro!" Naruto broke into a trademark grin, plopped onto the stool, and started wolfing down the ramen.

"Don't rush." Senshi gave a wry smile. "If it's not enough, order another. Just don't make yourself sick."

He recalled clearly that nobody really looked after Naruto, so the boy usually survived on expired instant noodles and milk. It was pretty much a miracle he never keeled over and died, thanks to his robust Uzumaki bloodline.

Karin watched with a skeptical look, glancing between Naruto and Senshi. She'd never seen Senshi be so gentle to a stranger. It wasn't at all like his usual behavior. Could this boy truly be Senshi's…illegitimate child? Why else would Senshi treat him so kindly, especially when their chakra signatures felt somewhat similar?

That possibility flitted through her mind, and she couldn't help herself:

"Why does his aura feel so familiar? Is he your…" Karin trailed off.

Senshi nodded. "Of course you find it familiar. He's one of our clan."

Those words shocked both Naruto and Karin. Naruto even paused mid-bite. They both blurted the same thing, "Our clan?"

Senshi smiled and nodded.

"Naruto Uzumaki, right? I'm Senshi Uzumaki, and this is Karin Uzumaki."

…

Meanwhile, before heading to Kumogakure, Orochimaru first planned to return to Amegakure. He wanted to set up some sort of 'revenue project' before leaving.

People often say Orochimaru is cunning, insidious, cruel, and vile. They also claim he's arrogant and foolish—he lost more than once to the Uchiha brothers, after all. But it's hard to deny he's also a master of science in the shinobi world—he's perpetually researching and developing new methods. And his sheer survivability is second to none. He's notoriously difficult to kill; even Senshi finds the idea of killing Orochimaru a headache. Even without his extra eight lives from the "Yamata no Orochi Fruit," Orochimaru had techniques like the Orochimaru-Style Body Replacement Technique, Living Corpse Reincarnation, Curse Mark resurrection, and so on.

Now, with the Fruit enhancing him and granting multiple extra 'lives,' Orochimaru was practically the definition of "legendary cockroach." He was so adept at preserving himself, he could still "birth" a synthetic child in the new era and even send him to study in Konoha. It's an apt example of his unmatched self-preservation methods.

Yes, he's cunning, insidious, possibly deranged, but his scientific prowess is top-notch. Otherwise, how could he have invented so many groundbreaking things in the shinobi world—heck, he even "developed tattoos" before the village started doing fancy "Mangekyō contact lenses."

And so he was better than some stubborn old fossils at adapting and learning, especially from Senshi. After so many dealings with Senshi (and taking so many losses), even a pig would've picked up a thing or two. Orochimaru was no pig—he was a genius.

Senshi's greatest skill is the "two-birds-one-stone" trick: a single mission, and somehow he gets paid from both sides, with both sides feeling grateful to him. It's ridiculous. Senshi always ends up with his pockets full, yet no one really seems to feel cheated. It's almost beyond comprehension.

But Orochimaru had gleaned Senshi's method: if there's no existing demand, create one, then simultaneously satisfy both parties. That's the heart of Senshi's "double-dip" strategy. Orochimaru wanted to put that into practice.

Therefore, since he already planned to go to the Kumogakure, why not drop by Pain's place first and secure a Tailed Beast capture mission? That way, he could execute his own plan while also scoring payment from Pain. After all, the Kumo holds not one, but two Tailed Beasts. Now that Orochimaru was so much stronger with Senshi's help, snagging a Tailed Beast along the way didn't seem out of reach.

Still, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel a bit weird: he had joined the Akatsuki originally to investigate Uchiha Itachi, staying aloof from most missions and rarely interacting with his partner. He never imagined he would end up actively requesting an Akatsuki mission one day. But what could he do? He needed money. He still had a few hundred million ryō, but in a sense, that money was already earmarked for Senshi. Because if you want Senshi—the one who charges sky-high, borderline criminal fees—to do anything, you have to be prepared to keep paying. He's like a black hole: once he starts working for you, it's hard to stop paying him. Yet he's so good at what he does that you can't just abandon him. It's a love-hate relationship.

Hence, Orochimaru decided he must seize every opportunity to make money. If Senshi is the "Terrorist" in the black market, Orochimaru intends to be the same in the Akatsuki.

With that in mind, he returned to Ame and approached Pain with confidence.

"Pain," he said, voice low yet resolute, "I'm here for a mission. I can take down the Tailed Beast in Kumogakure. Just leave it to me."

Hearing that, Pain was momentarily stunned. He was full of questions. Orochimaru, asking to undertake a Tailed Beast capture mission…??

He studied the figure before him carefully. It was undoubtedly Orochimaru. That voice, that posture—maybe if the guy's face were covered, Pain would've mistaken him for Senshi, since Senshi was the one always asking for jobs. But the Akatsuki were notorious slackers; nobody except Senshi usually came looking for missions like this. Could Senshi's personality be contagious? Was Pain under a genjutsu? But that was impossible—he had the Rinnegan, so visual illusions wouldn't affect him. Did Orochimaru develop some flashy sound-based genjutsu?

Confused, Nagato (the man behind Pain) felt a headache coming on. The Akatsuki members were all rogue shinobi, each with their own rebellious nature. Leading them was never easy. But ever since Senshi joined, everything started getting turned on its head. First, the previously most diligent member, Kakuzu, was forced to "take breaks" because he couldn't keep up with Senshi's mission "harvesting." Now, even Orochimaru—someone who was all about his own research and cared little for organizational tasks—was voluntarily coming to take a mission. And he wanted to capture a Tailed Beast in the Kumo, of all places. It was as if the world had flipped upside down.

Still, speaking through Pain, Nagato maintained a stern stance. "The Kumogakure belongs to the Land of Lightning. With our current strength, we should avoid direct conflict with any of the Five Great Nations."

Orochimaru immediately took offense. If they weren't going to fight Kumo and capture the Tailed Beast, there'd be no mission—and hence no payout. That also meant no funds to commission Senshi for anything. Unacceptable.

"Akatsuki should get moving on the Tailed Beast capture plan. We're much stronger than before," Orochimaru pressed. "Besides, we already have the Three-Tails sealed away. If the Five Great Nations find out, they'll likely ramp up their defenses. We should capture at least one Tailed Beast from a Great Nation to see how they respond. Starting with the Kumogakure seems right."

Nagato fell silent, pondering. He was inclined to refuse because he didn't trust Orochimaru's motives. This man had layers of hidden agendas. But logically, Orochimaru made a valid argument. The Akatsuki nowadays, bolstered financially by Senshi's efforts and Kusagakure's annexation, plus the Land of Rain's rapid development, was far stronger than before—strong enough that the shinobi world could no longer ignore it. Meanwhile, the Kumogakure, with its typically abrasive diplomacy, had already offended many nations and had few true allies; it might not be able to rally an effective counterattack against the rising power of Akatsuki.

Furthermore, the Tailed Beast plan had to keep moving. Why not use this opportunity to see how the Five Great Nations would react?

With that reasoning, Nagato nodded slightly. Indeed, they owed a lot of their rapid growth to Senshi. That same Senshi was being slandered by Obito (a.k.a. "Madara"), who wanted to remove him from the organization. Nagato frowned, wondering if he should ramp up the intensity next time "Madara" showed up unannounced. But he kept those thoughts to himself and spoke through Pain.

"All right. I'll let you handle capturing the Kumo's Tailed Beast. Bring Sasori with you. He's your partner."

Orochimaru frowned. Sasori…? The name rang a bell—that guy who turned himself into a human puppet in pursuit of eternal art. Yes, Sasori was theoretically his assigned teammate, but Orochimaru never really teamed up on missions, preferring to do his own research. They had collaborated on research once, but they never truly got along—Sasori was big on puppet transformations, while Orochimaru was about body modifications. Different approaches to "immortality."

Moreover, Orochimaru wanted the mission profit all to himself. Why share it with Sasori? So he insisted, "No need for Sasori. A single Tailed Beast isn't worth worrying about. I can deal with it alone."

Nagato, however, sounded displeased. "Don't underestimate the Tailed Beasts, Orochimaru. Even if you're confident you can handle one, the Kumo holds two. And that doesn't include their entire village's response. It's impossible for you to leave unscathed. With Sasori's help, you'll be safer. Besides, we have a rule in Akatsuki—operations are done in pairs. Even Senshi never refused that."

Orochimaru scowled. "Like I said, Sasori and I don't get along. Not only does it not help, it might even reduce our efficiency."

Nagato stood firm. "Regardless, Tailed Beast capture missions always require two-person teams."

In reality, it was only partly about safety. The other goal of pairing members was that in the Akatsuki, full of rogue ninja with their own secrets, nobody completely trusted anyone. Working in pairs was also a form of mutual surveillance—less chance both members would conspire to betray the group.

Noting Orochimaru's reluctance, Nagato continued, "If you refuse Sasori, you'll have to wait. Senshi said he'll be back soon. Perhaps the two of you can do it together—your success rate would be higher."

That made Orochimaru's heart skip a beat. He sensed danger at the mere idea of letting Senshi in on his plan. He had a strong feeling he'd come out on the losing end of any such collaboration, so he quickly backpedaled:

"N-nevermind! I'll go with Sasori. Tomorrow—no, this afternoon, we'll depart!"

Nagato gave a blank nod. "Very well. I appreciate your effort. You're dismissed."

But Orochimaru's next words nearly made Nagato spit blood in shock, almost succumbing to the "Senshi virus" on the spot.

"Hold on, Leader. We still need to discuss my mission fee."

…

Meanwhile, in Konoha's Root Division…

Danzō sat behind a desk, frowning at the documents in front of him. They detailed Root's current dire situation with painful clarity.

"Bang!"

He slammed his fist down on the table in rage. "Orochimaru—that accursed snake!"

Danzō was truly furious, more so than he had been in a long time. Orochimaru's disappearance was like "defecating on his head." Yet ironically, Danzō had no way to get back at him. Worse, he couldn't even contact Orochimaru at this point.

Seething, Danzō glared at the stack of papers—files sent over from the Hokage's office—and an undercurrent of resentment built up in him. Just then, a member of the Shimura clan entered.

Shimura Moya, nervous as could be, approached Danzō. Everyone in Root knew Danzō had been in an abysmal mood lately—he was mercurial at the best of times, but recent events had only made him more volatile. None of them wanted to bring him bad news, but Moya, being from the main branch of the Shimura clan, had drawn the short straw and was forced to make the report.

He had already heard the loud crash of Danzō's fist hitting the desk before entering. Now he could see cracks webbing across the tabletop. Swallowing hard, Shimura Moya steeled himself for the worst, fearing that if he delivered the bad news, Danzō might slap him dead on the spot.

But he had no choice. He stepped forward, though he could barely speak. Danzō eyed him darkly and snapped, "You come in here without reporting? Do I have to toss you in interrogation to loosen your tongue?"

Moya trembled under Danzō's biting words and forced himself to talk:

"Danzō-sama, the Shimura clan's monthly provisions…the Hokage-sama refused to approve them. He also said…"

At that point, Moya's voice grew quieter and quieter, until even Danzō, with his honed hearing, couldn't make it out.

"Speak up!" Danzō roared. "What did Hiruzen say?"

Stammering, Moya replied, "He…he said if we want money, we should ask you to fund it. The village won't pay a single coin…"

"Crash!"

Before he could finish, Danzō slammed his palm onto the table again. Wooden splinters flew in all directions with enough force to cut Moya's face to the bone. Streaks of blood trickled down, but Moya dared not utter a single complaint. He only bowed his head, trembling.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, you really don't take me seriously, do you?!" Danzō roared, fury blazing in his eyes. He cut a scathing glance at Moya. "You've made your report—now get out!"

Grateful to escape, Moya fled without another word. Danzō stared after him with open malice. Ever since he diverted that one billion ryō from Konoha's treasury, he hadn't had a single easy day. The other village elders, the so-called "Konoha F3," had been pressuring him nonstop, leaving him no wiggle room.

And it was all thanks to…

"Orochimaru!!"

Just the thought made his blood pressure spike. Ever since I struck that deal with him, not one piece of good news has come my way. And now he's vanished entirely, leaving me to face all the heat alone. Even for Danzō, it was becoming overwhelming.

Pacing in his Root office, he reflected that he'd already dispatched his own forces to find Orochimaru. How could so much time pass with no news at all?

Just then, a masked Root ninja flickered into the room.

"Danzō-sama, we've visited Orochimaru's research base. He's gone. All the research facilities have been taken, and the site has been thoroughly cleared. We found no useful clues or research results."

Hearing that, Danzō's anger burned so fiercely he couldn't even put it into words. It's obvious now—Orochimaru practically took the money and ran.

Yet he hadn't even received a single coin for himself; it was all in Orochimaru's hands. If Orochimaru had at least shown some shred of progress, perhaps Danzō could've used that to placate Konoha's leadership. But now, there was nothing, and the bigwigs all assumed it was Danzō who spent the money.

Even as "Kage of the Shadows," Danzō felt buried under a mountain of blame he couldn't shrug off. Should he go try explaining everything to Hiruzen? He instantly dismissed the thought—Hiruzen likely wouldn't believe him, or he'd pretend not to, using it as grounds to take Root away. That would end any hope Danzō had of becoming Hokage. Unthinkable.

He kept pacing until finally, a certain face flashed through his mind—Uzumaki Senshi.

That ninja… If he accepted my protection commission, maybe there's a chance I can use him to get some money back?

~~~

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