Chapter 82: Time to Instill the Will of Rain!

After hearing all that, Konan understood that Orochimaru really had been near death but was saved by Senshi, and afterward became even healthier. Yet she still furrowed her brows slightly and asked, "Could Nagato use the same method to get stronger, too?"

Although Orochimaru didn't know why Nagato needed a power-up, he answered firmly, "Konan, you can always trust in Senshi's ability to solve problems!"

Senshi was thrilled to hear that. Karin served as his "Hype Assistant No. 1," and now it looked like Orochimaru—the big-money (or big-sucker) client—was acting as "Hype Assistant No. 2." When faced with large deals, he could have Karin and Orochimaru help clinch them.

After telling Konan how Senshi not only restored his health but also gave him incredible new powers, Orochimaru continued, "My body is in a state of unprecedented peak condition. With Senshi's help, I gained astonishing abilities."

When he finished, Orochimaru activated his Yamata no Orochi form.

"Roar—!"

Suddenly, Orochimaru transformed from a single head into eight. The middle snake head looked 70–80% like Orochimaru's face, while the other seven heads were a pale white.

"Swish!"

Those eight huge snake heads spat out eight swords at once.

Clap clap clap!

Even though Karin loathed Orochimaru for being a creep, she still applauded the spectacle. It was indeed impressive. She might dislike him personally, but she couldn't deny the flamboyance of his display.

Orochimaru snorted, then retracted his swords and returned to his normal form. Konan clearly looked shocked, and Orochimaru felt a bit smug about that. Compared to those two muscle-bound brutes in Kumogakure who hadn't been impressed, at least Konan seemed stunned. If the Kumo shinobi had been any smarter, he might not have been able to scam them so smoothly.

The intense aura and overflowing vitality Orochimaru displayed in his Yamata no Orochi form made Konan recognize that Senshi's solution truly had some merit. She was now much more confident that Senshi could solve Nagato's problem. Still, thinking of Orochimaru's new form, she spoke quietly to Senshi: "The commission fee isn't a problem, but can you find a fruit that won't turn Nagato into a snake? Having eight snake heads is rather disgusting."

Senshi: (°ー°〃)

Orochimaru: (╬•᷅д•᷄╬)

Konan's words left Senshi momentarily speechless and Orochimaru thoroughly offended. Who says eight snake heads are ugly? They're awesome! Clearly, Konan must have no appreciation for the aesthetics, he groused inwardly.

Not wanting to see Orochimaru and Konan argue—both were valuable clients—Senshi quickly teleported Orochimaru away, especially since looking at his mismatched eyes made Senshi want to laugh again.

…

Back at Orochimaru's research base, Kabuto had waited only a short while when Orochimaru reappeared. Seeing him, Kabuto blurted, "Lord Orochimaru, are you all right? Was it Senshi who did this?"

Orochimaru nodded. "Yes, it was Senshi who teleported me." Hearing Orochimaru was okay, Kabuto breathed a sigh of relief. "Then shall I continue the surgery on your other Sharingan eye, my lord?"

But Orochimaru waved him off, a serious look on his face. "Kabuto, I have a question, and I need you to answer me truthfully."

Adjusting his glasses solemnly, Kabuto replied, "Yes, Lord Orochimaru—ask away. I'll be completely honest."

Looking intense, Orochimaru asked, "Does my Yamata no Orochi form have artistic beauty?"

A fair question for Kabuto, whose sense of "art" was…unique. Even if Orochimaru sprouted a face on his belly, Kabuto would likely find it splendid. He answered candidly, "Lord Orochimaru, your Yamata no Orochi form is absolutely the pinnacle of ninja-world art!"

With that, Orochimaru was reassured. Obviously, Konan either didn't understand art or lacked taste. If both he and Kabuto saw that eight-headed snake form as the peak of beauty, then the problem must be with Konan's aesthetics.

…

Meanwhile, in the Amegakure's principal's office, Senshi and Konan were still discussing the mission. Konan's only complaint—besides wanting Nagato to recover—was ensuring he wouldn't look like a snake monster. Senshi wasn't bothered by that at all. If Konan had insisted Nagato get eight heads as well, that might have been difficult. The Yamata no Orochi Fruit wasn't necessarily going to reappear in the draws, but there were plenty of other possibilities.

Seeing Senshi so quiet, Konan came closer and added, "Price is no object. Just don't give Nagato the snake look!"

Senshi realized this was his chance to name a high price. If she didn't want an eight-headed outcome, fine. He'd just have to keep pulling new fruit from the system. He mulled it over briefly, then said, "Konan, I'll offer you a special friends-and-family price: a total of 150 million ryō, and I'll resolve Nagato's condition!"

That was certainly not cheap. Chiriku of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve was only worth 30 million ryō. Senshi's price was effectively the cost of five Chiriku. But Konan could handle it. The Akatsuki had money—and this was a worthy cause. Spending 150 million for Nagato's well-being was a bargain.

After some thought, Konan agreed: "All right. I'll pay you 150 million ryō to fix Nagato's health."

The system pinged in Senshi's ear:

[New Employment Mission Accepted!]

[Client: Konan]

[Goal: Solve Nagato's health problem]

[Reward: 150 million ryō]

[Rank: S-Rank]

[Mission Bonus: 150,000 Employment Points]

Senshi was thrilled. He'd just earned a massive sum from Orochimaru, and now an equally huge job from Konan. And fixing Nagato's body was easy—he'd simply use the system's draws. Senshi gave Konan a genuine smile. "No problem—Nagato's health is as good as fixed."

Konan, believing in Senshi plus Orochimaru's demonstration, felt assured. Yes, Senshi asked for steep fees, but in return, he really did deliver results. With Nagato's body steadily weakening, Konan had been extremely worried. Now, with Senshi's help, her burden lifted. She left the office feeling lighter, other tasks done, the village thriving. At this rate, everything was improving for the Amegakure and the Akatsuki.

After Konan left, Senshi abruptly sensed something via his Wood Clone: Sasuke was longing to break past his current plateau. Knowing that, Senshi mused: Maybe it's time to teach Sasuke and Naruto about the "Rain" concept of perpetual mission-grinding. Life never stops—neither do missions!

He also realized it had been quite some time since he'd last visited those "seedlings" in person. If he ignored them too long, they might grow crooked. So he decided to head to Konoha again soon.

But first, let's try Karin's medical jutsu, he planned to take her along to meet some newly arrived Uzumaki refugees.

…

At the Land of Rain border…

Under Uzumaki Takumori's leadership, Uzumaki Haruko and the others had finally arrived. But after such a grueling trek, they were near collapse. Along the way they'd encountered bandits; all bore injuries. Takumori's right arm was numb and useless. Haruko and the rest were exhausted, half-starved, lucky to be alive only because Uzumaki blood gave them robust bodies.

"Thud!" A four-year-old child tumbled to the ground again, too weak to continue. Takumori anxiously said, "Any food left? Give him some—once we cross this forest, we'll be in Ame's territory." But everyone shook their heads. Haruko said softly, "Takumori-uncle, we've had no food since noon yesterday."

Her words plunged them into despair. They'd already lost some clan members. Now, so close to the Land of Rain, they couldn't bear more deaths. Haruko hesitated, then offered: "I'll check the forest for berries or something for Jirō." She hobbled toward the trees, only to spot eerie green eyes flickering in the darkness. The others gasped—a pack of wolves encircled them! Takumori was too injured to fight, and the rest were half-dead from exhaustion. Would they all be eaten?

Just then, a swirling portal of red-black space appeared, and Senshi and Karin popped out behind Haruko. A giant wolf lunged for Haruko at that very moment. "Ah!" She paled in terror, sure she was done for. But an unfamiliar red-haired "big sister" popped up at her side, calmly raising a hand:

"Susanoo!"

Boom—!

A pinkish skeletal giant materialized, instantly shredding the wolves. Even the alpha wolf was finished in a couple of moves. The displaced Uzumaki group looked on in shock. But they soon noticed this young man and young lady, like them, had striking red hair—clearly they were also Uzumaki.

Scanning the starving, skeletal clan members, Senshi pulled out a pile of toasts and packaged breads from his system storage, handing them out. At that, Karin's eyes lit up: "Senshi, they're nearly fainting from hunger, right? Why not let me cook them a good meal?" She recalled she'd tried "Susanoo cooking" before.

Senshi quickly stopped her. "Please don't. They're in no shape for your…style of cooking right now. Just use your medical ninjutsu, that'll be enough."

…

Meanwhile, Konan strolled through the busy streets of Amegakure. Thanks to Senshi's efforts, it was bustling with new residents and returning refugees. Many villagers wore cheerful expressions. People greeted Konan with reverence:

"Look, it's Angel-sama!"

"Wow, you're right—she's so pretty!"

"She's smiling more ever since Senshi-sama came back!"

Konan, previously known for her cold beauty, indeed wore a faint hint of warmth these days. Onlookers whispered that Senshi must have done something else beneficial for the village, making "Angel-sama" happy. Her fleeting smile appeared and then vanished, but that single moment of spring-like radiance enchanted everyone.

…

Konoha, Uchiha District Training Ground.

Naruto and Sasuke had just finished an intense spar and sat at the side to rest. Naruto, panting slightly, joked, "Sasuke, you keep this up and I'll surpass you real soon!"

Sasuke sneered, "Hah, dead-last. You think you can beat me? Come back in a hundred years." His mouth said so, but in truth, Naruto's rapid improvement had forced Sasuke to push himself harder than ever. No way would he allow this "loudmouth dead-last" to leave him behind.

Nearby, Naruto's mind skipped to something else. "We deserve a reward after such awesome training. Would be perfect if we could grab a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen right now!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "What's so special about that?" He wasn't a fan of Ichiraku Ramen, but Naruto always tried to drag him there. Indeed, Naruto's favorite pastime was hoping Iruka-sensei or Sasuke would treat him at Ichiraku.

Naruto just shrugged. In the end, ramen was ramen. Sitting under the twilight sky, he felt that after training with Senshi, his life had changed dramatically. He and Sasuke were now the two strongest in the academy, with Iruka and the other students recognizing his strength. Ever since he was a kid, Naruto had craved people's acknowledgement, and at last he'd gotten it. His only annoyance was that Sasuke hogged all the girls' attention, especially Sakura's.

Catching Naruto's weird stare, Sasuke snapped, "What are you looking at me like that for, Narudo?" Naruto didn't answer, silently wondering what made Sakura like Sasuke so much and whether he should try copying Sasuke. Maybe he should just transform into Sasuke and ask her face to face…

Seeing him lost in thought, Sasuke barked, "Idiot, if you have time to drift off, use it to train harder. Stop thinking about random childish stuff."

With that, Sasuke started pondering his own growth. Under Senshi's tutelage, his power had reached about a normal jōnin's level, but he felt himself slowing down. The gap between him and "that man" was still huge. Frowning, he went to Senshi's Wood Clone, raising his face seriously. "Senshi-sensei, I feel like my improvement has stalled recently. How can I get stronger faster?"

…

Land of Rain, near the refugee shelter.

Senshi and Karin had just finished settling the new arrivals from the Uzumaki Clan. The stories of their hardships were dreadful. Without their sturdy constitutions, many would've died of starvation long before. Karin stood with her arms crossed, wearing a sulky expression—she was angry that Senshi had refused to let her cook.

"Hmph, jerk. Won't even give me a chance to show my cooking," she thought. She'd almost killed Sarada (in another timeline) with her "Susanoo cooking," after all…

But then Haruko, that young red-haired girl, walked up shyly: "Sister Karin, could you heal Yūtai's injuries, please?" It seemed he'd been hurt but didn't want to trouble her. She nodded, "Of course. Take me to him."

Haruko explained that Takumori had worried Karin might not have enough chakra to heal everyone, so the lightly wounded clan members tried to manage on their own. Hearing that, Senshi smirked. "Heh, I told you before, you should've practiced more medical ninjutsu instead of your bizarre cooking. Now people doubt your abilities."

Karin pouted angrily. How could he scold her at a time like this? He's so annoying!

Still, the nearby children watched the pair with envy—this banter felt so natural, like a real family. Karin went off to heal the boy named Yūtai. Meanwhile, the Wood Clone's intel on Sasuke's plateau reached Senshi. So… time to pass on more of the "mission-grinding spirit!"

He told Karin, "We'll head to Konoha soon to deal with something. Let's go see those seedlings, so they don't grow crooked in our absence…"

And so it was that Senshi prepared once again to set foot in Konoha.

~~~

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