Chapter 90: (O_o)???

After finishing his conversation with the Kumogakure shinobi, Senshi gave Orochimaru another glance.

Then he realized that he and "Snake Bro" were lacking in tacit understanding—he had signaled him with his eyes, yet Snake Bro did not respond at all.

Even though he'd just sold out Snake Bro, the man with seventeen or eighteen billion ryo to his name was still a beloved comrade, a sworn brother, and a respected employer!

Senshi thought for a moment and began talking tough to Orochimaru with bluster that was more bark than bite.

"Snake-skin Freak! About how you've ruined the organization's reputation—I'm going to settle that score with you later!"

"I hope you'll reflect on your mistakes and conduct yourself properly from now on!"

To the ears of the Kumo shinobi, there was nothing odd about Senshi's words. They lacked a "royal interpreter" and thus couldn't catch the hidden meaning behind them.

The Fourth Raikage waved his hand. "Let the caravan pass!"

With that, the many large, dark-clad shinobi who had been surrounding Senshi and the caravan cleared a path. The trade caravan, escorted by Senshi, then entered the Kumogakure without incident.

The Fourth Raikage and his group also prepared to leave with Orochimaru. Just before departing, quite a few Kumo shinobi couldn't help praising Senshi's efficiency:

"His reputation precedes him—Uzumaki Senshi truly lives up to his name!"

"No wonder he's a legend of the black market, the man called the 'mission sweeper.' His efficiency is unbelievable!"

"I've heard that from the moment Lord Uzumaki Senshi takes on a mission, it's basically already completed!"

"Exactly. From now on, ordinary missions can go to run-of-the-mill ninjas, but major missions must go to Lord Uzumaki Senshi so we can be at ease!"

The Kumo shinobi were delighted. Without Senshi, who knew how long it would have taken them to capture Orochimaru? But Karin felt they might be celebrating too soon.

"Listen to the music and understand its elegance!"

How could Senshi possibly be defending the Akatsuki's reputation free of charge? Something had to be up!

Orochimaru, too, sensed something amiss. He hadn't been sure when Senshi first spoke, but Senshi's suggestive look afterward and those final words clinched Orochimaru's suspicions.

While Orochimaru didn't know Senshi as intimately as Karin (who'd followed Senshi around for a long time), he was still one of Senshi's biggest patrons—he had collaborated with Senshi time and again, both short- and long-term. He'd also flip-flopped repeatedly between being "Snake Bro" and "Snake-skin Freak."

So even though Orochimaru didn't have as much information on Senshi as Karin did, he was very familiar with just how shameless Senshi could be.

Since Senshi had emphasized the mission was "perfectly completed," that naturally meant that from now on, anything else that happened had nothing to do with that mission. Once the mission ended, Senshi would no longer interfere with Orochimaru's actions.

If Orochimaru fought back now, Senshi wouldn't attack him. The mission was finished, and the Kumo had accepted it. After running all of these twists and turns through his mind, Orochimaru immediately stopped playing along and broke into open revolt!

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!"

From within his sleeves, several vicious snakes appeared and lunged at the surrounding Kumo shinobi. Some managed to dodge instantly, but many more were sent flying, coughing up blood as they were struck by the serpents' whip-like bodies.

Seeing this, the Fourth Raikage exploded with rage:

"Orochimaru, you're courting death!"

Right then, the Fourth Raikage was utterly furious. Orochimaru had swindled one billion ryo from the Kumo, forced them to pay another hundred million in vain, and now he was still daring to lash out after being captured!

Zzt! Zzt! Zzt! Zzt!

Lightning-style chakra wrapped around the Fourth Raikage's entire body. His figure flashed like lightning as he charged Orochimaru at high speed.

Damn it—this bastard Orochimaru still dares to resist!

Last time, the A-B duo hadn't fought Orochimaru to the death; Bee hadn't gone into full Tailed Beast mode, and the Raikage had held back. Now that the entire Kumo elite was present, they refused to believe they couldn't take down a single Orochimaru. If one of the Legendary Sannin were truly that invincible, wouldn't they have unified the ninja world long ago? Why would the Third Hokage still be meddling so meekly?

As the Fourth Raikage attacked, he gave an order to the Kumo shinobi:

"Everyone strike together—take down this madman!"

With that, Killer Bee, Darui, Samui, Omoi, and the others all joined the fight, applying heavy pressure on Orochimaru. Yet Orochimaru felt no strain whatsoever. Compared to Senshi, these Kumo ninjas' Lightning Release was like child's play. As for the Kumo shinobi themselves, they showed no fear. Sure, they'd been no match for Senshi, but "Snake-skin Freak" Orochimaru was a different story, right? They believed they could handle him.

Shouting angrily as they attacked:

"Orochimaru, surrender now! Don't resist pointlessly!"

"Don't waste words on him—beat him half to death first so he knows what it means to anger the Kumo!"

"Everyone, attack! Our entire elite against Orochimaru alone—the advantage is ours!"

But Orochimaru didn't pay their offense any mind. Once he activated his Eight-Headed Serpent Form, no one else mattered.

"Yamata no Orochi!"

"Sharingan! Byakugan!"

Having entered his Eight-headed Serpent state, Orochimaru simultaneously activated Byakugan and Sharingan, giving himself a 360-degree view of the battlefield with no blind spots. His arms turned into more than ten massive brown pythons, and each of his eight snake heads unleashed a different ability.

Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!

One head slithered like a giant python, dodging attacks while savagely biting the surrounding Kumo shinobi.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!"

Another head spat out the Kusanagi Sword, which slashed through the crowd like a raging storm. Yet another kept spitting out venomous snakes. In a flash, the village gates turned into a sea of serpents, a world of snakes. Everywhere you looked, there were countless snakes of varying sizes, patterns, and colors—some matching, some not, and some dazzlingly multicolored.

As soon as the fight began, Orochimaru alone managed to pin down the Kumo forces. Unlike the last time he'd come to the Kumo—when he had only recently obtained the Yamata no Orochi Fruit and had yet to acquire the Byakugan or Sharingan—he'd since developed his powers extensively.

Back then, Orochimaru hadn't explored the fruit's abilities deeply. This time, it was entirely different. The Kumo shinobi might be feeling the pressure, but he still hadn't shown his true hand. Although Killer Bee hadn't gone full Tailed Beast mode and the Fourth Raikage wasn't fighting desperately, the fact that they had so many people facing Orochimaru alone and were still on the losing side spoke volumes. And judging by Orochimaru's current state, he hadn't gone all out yet, either.

He'd never treated these Kumo ninjas as a real threat. In the past, he had two shortcomings: not having a perfect host body and not possessing an ideal kekkei genkai. But his greatest gift was his research talent. With Senshi's help, he not only made up for those weaknesses but also fully realized his potential.

Now Orochimaru was stronger than ever, to the point that even when surrounded by the Kumo's elite, he left them feeling immense pressure. Intent on impressing Senshi, Orochimaru reveled in showing off the results of his research into the Yamata no Orochi Fruit.

"Senshi! Selling me the Yamata no Orochi Fruit for just one hundred million ryo was the biggest mistake of your career!"

He had many reasons to think this way. Other shinobi who acquired the Yamata no Orochi Fruit might have eight heads, but they wouldn't be able to fully utilize them—after all, even with eight heads, they wouldn't have eight pairs of hands to form seals. Orochimaru, though, was different! He had pushed the fruit's development to a whole new level.

At the Kumo's gates, while battling in Eight-Headed Serpent form, Orochimaru underwent yet another transformation under the watchful eyes of the Kumo shinobi, as well as Senshi and the caravan members. He upgraded one of his classic techniques:

Hiss—

Roar—

All eight heads of Orochimaru's serpent form spat out Orochimaru's upper torso—eight in total. The battlefield scene became bizarre and convoluted: Orochimaru had transformed into an eight-headed serpent, and that serpent had now spat out eight Orochimarus! All eight immediately started weaving hand signs, using ninjutsu in unison.

Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!

Right after the simultaneous seals, a wave of venomous snakes surged forward like a tide, rushing the Kumo forces with unstoppable speed. Shrouded in a faint mist, these snakes swarmed swiftly. The moment they closed in on the Kumo shinobi, they launched an onslaught impossible to defend against:

"Aaaargh!"

"Ugh! I got bitten!"

"Me too!"

"Where's the medical unit? Someone help!"

Chaos erupted among the Kumo ninjas, screams echoing across the field. Moreover, Orochimaru began summoning even more giant venomous snakes, each more dangerous than the last. Once they appeared, they rampaged through the battlefield as though no one else was there. The eight Orochimarus kept weaving seals, summoning even more snakes. The Kumo shinobi watched in horror, their scalps tingling and their hair standing on end.

Both Karin and Senshi also witnessed Orochimaru's nightmarish jutsu. The sight left Karin feeling downright sick. She'd been peeking out from behind Senshi to keep an eye on the fight, but once Orochimaru started spitting out eight Orochimarus, she found it hard to watch:

"Ugh—Orochimaru is so gross! Why would he develop such a bizarre jutsu?"

If Kabuto had been around, he might have cried that this was "pure art: snake heads spitting out snakes spitting out Orochimaru." Senshi also looked disgusted, nodding emphatically at Karin's words.

"Any power that lands in his hands becomes this kind of nauseating mess."

Not far away, Orochimaru clearly heard their conversation. In his view, Senshi might respect technique, but he simply did not appreciate Orochimaru's sense of art. His aesthetics in developing the Yamata no Orochi Fruit were, in his mind, perfectly consistent with his own style. Senshi and Karin needed to refine their taste.

The A-B duo and the Kumo shinobi were already struggling; now, with Orochimaru using such a hellish move, they simply couldn't keep up. Moments before, they had Orochimaru surrounded; now he was the one encircling all of them. By this point, the Fourth Raikage was truly flustered and turned to Senshi—who was still standing idly by:

"Uzumaki Senshi, are you just going to stand there and watch?!"

Senshi paused, bewildered. "??? If not watch, what else? I could sit down if you prefer."

That answer nearly made the Raikage explode with rage. "You took our money—this is how you do the job?!"

Senshi wasn't pleased to have his professionalism questioned. Wearing a serious expression, he answered, "A-bro, the job I accepted before was simply to capture Orochimaru and hand him over to Kumo. Search your conscience—isn't that exactly what I did the moment I accepted the mission? If you can't keep hold of him, how is that my fault? I'm not the Scapegoat Kage. I'm not taking responsibility for that."

This logic infuriated the Fourth Raikage to no end, but he couldn't find fault with it. Glaring, he snapped, "You!!" yet had no other move. The contract with Senshi really was only to bring in Orochimaru and turn him over. Senshi completed that, so the mission was technically finished. Anything thereafter had nothing to do with him.

Hearing this exchange, Orochimaru let out a triumphant laugh. The Fourth Raikage had already been scammed out of one billion ryo by Orochimaru, then forced to cough up another hundred million for Senshi because of Orochimaru—truly a run of terrible luck.

Senshi obviously had every reason not to help the Kumo now, leaving the Fourth Raikage feeling helpless. And since the Fourth Raikage was no longer Senshi's employer, if he tried to hire Senshi again, he might have to outbid Orochimaru. The Kumo had already poured 1.1 billion ryo into this fiasco; who knew how much more they might end up losing?

Senshi, for his part, had no intention of taking further action against Orochimaru. He wasn't stupid! First off, "Snake-skin Freak" had 1.6 or 1.7 billion ryo and was still his "Snake Bro." Second, all he really wanted was for Snake Bro to avoid wearing Akatsuki robes next time he ran a scam, so as not to sully the organization's name. Whether that money-making tactic was moral or not was another matter—so long as Snake Bro used the profits the "right way" (that is, hiring him again), Senshi didn't care.

All the Kumo shinobi heard the exchange between Senshi and the Fourth Raikage, but there was nothing they could do. Orochimaru was far stronger than they had imagined, and without Senshi's help, they simply weren't his match. Some among them even considered issuing another mission request to Senshi. After all, it was just money, and they'd already sunk 1.1 billion… But that line of thinking was naive, because Senshi would never genuinely help them pursue Orochimaru for compensation. The reason he captured Orochimaru this time was purely because he was annoyed by Orochimaru wearing an Akatsuki cloak all over the place and messing up his own business of efficiently completing missions. He saw Kumo's bounty, accepted it, and arrested Orochimaru mainly to teach him a lesson.

Did the Kumo really think Senshi would now help them get money back from Orochimaru? In the end, Orochimaru's money was basically Senshi's money—future hiring fees, no less. There was no way he'd chase Orochimaru for them.

Senshi didn't plan to stay there any longer. It might be tough for "Snake Bro" to flatten the Kumo all by himself, but there was no doubt he could escape safely if he wanted. Hence, there was no point in continuing to watch the show. Besides, if Senshi kept hanging around to watch, President Lorenz and his caravan would do the same. That wouldn't do—he still had other tasks ahead!

So Senshi turned to the caravan leader, President Lorenz. "President Lorenz, that's enough sightseeing. Let's hurry on into the village."

President Lorenz, a well-traveled merchant, had seen many big occasions, but nothing like this. And thanks to Senshi's nearly godlike protection, he could stand there and enjoy the show without worry. The spectacular jutsu unleashed by Orochimaru and the Kumo ninjas had stunned Lorenz and his group.

Prompted again by Senshi, Lorenz still seemed reluctant. "Senshi-san, are we leaving now without seeing who wins?"

Senshi had no words. "What else would we do? President Lorenz, time is money, time is life. You've brought so much merchandise here. Don't you want to start selling?"

Realizing his lapse, Lorenz immediately came to his senses. Indeed, he was a businessman here to make a profit. And there was clearly a lot of money floating around the Kumo—Orochimaru had already swiped one billion, and Senshi had earned another hundred million. Lorenz reasoned that he should mark up his goods a bit, too.

Under Senshi's persistent urging, the caravan members reluctantly continued on, entering the village. Once the wagons had set off, Karin sidled up next to Senshi and asked in a low voice, "Senshi, don't we have a mission to capture the Kumo's Tailed Beast? That 'rapper' just now—he's a jinchūriki, right?"

She was referring to Killer Bee, using a word she'd picked up from Senshi earlier. Senshi patted her on the head. "Karin, that's the Eight-Tails we're talking about—the second-strongest Tailed Beast. The organization is only paying a hundred million ryo this time. No way am I snagging the Eight-Tails for that price."

He paused, then added, "You get what you pay for. The best I'll do is catch the Two-Tails for that payout. The Eight-Tails is a whole separate fee!"

Although for Senshi it made no difference whether he caught the Eight-Tails or the Two-Tails, as a leading figure in the black market, he couldn't break the established price scales. Pay for one bowl of noodles, get one bowl—nothing more.

Inside the carriage, Karin stared at him in confusion. She furrowed her brow. "Senshi, if the Eight-Tails is the second strongest, who's the strongest?"

Senshi chuckled and gave her a cryptic smile. "Karin, you've seen the strongest one already. You've even shared a meal with him."

Karin instantly realized. She nodded seriously. "I get it! So you must be the strongest jinchūriki, right, Senshi?!"

Senshi: (O_o)???

Her guess left Senshi at a loss for words, torn between laughter and tears. He promptly reached out and ruffled her neatly groomed red hair into a bird's nest, saying,

"Karin, the strongest Tailed Beast is the Nine-Tails, called Kurama, and its jinchūriki is Uzumaki Naruto. Being the most 'valuable' jinchūriki, I couldn't just leave him running around out there—I took him down a while ago."

Karin was floored by this stunning revelation. So the most powerful Tailed Beast's jinchūriki was that blond-haired kid of her own Uzumaki clan?

But Senshi was so annoying—he messed up her hair for no reason! That was too much!

"Aaah—!"

She cried out and began "brawling" with Senshi, pummeling his side with her little fists. But Senshi ignored her and started thinking about what to do next.

He wasn't worried about Snake Bro. Once he finished escorting the caravan, he could collect his billion ryo. However, he also had to check in on the two "saplings" he'd left in Konoha: Naruto and Sasuke. Originally, he'd left a Wood Clone with them to serve as a guide. Yet after the Third Hokage noticed something was off with Naruto and Sasuke, he took measures, assigning Kakashi to them. This prevented Senshi's Wood Clone from keeping as close contact as before. While it wouldn't necessarily be a big deal, Konoha was a potential major client, so he preferred not to alienate them.

Given that Naruto and Sasuke were already walking the right path under his guidance, Senshi knew their general status even without direct observation—he could simply check the mercenary group interface. If he paid constant attention, the task list would occasionally update, indicating that a member had completed a mission.

He skimmed through the missions recently completed by his group members:

[Your mercenary group member Uzumaki Naruto completed a mission. Employment Points +30!]

[Your mercenary group member Uchiha Sasuke completed a mission. Employment Points +40!]

[Your mercenary group member Kakuzu completed a mission. Employment Points +500!]

~~~

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