Chapter 108: Mission Done

Amegakure, Black Market

With Amegakure developing so rapidly, there were more tasks posted in the local black market than ever before. But still, there was never a shortage of black-market missions in Amegakure. If the village leader hadn't conducted certain reforms on the black market's missions, many ninja wouldn't get any commissions at all.

Previously, the market only had Kakuzu, which wasn't so bad. Whenever Kakuzu left town on a job, others had a window to pick up extra assignments. But now, the many mercenaries of the black market were in agony because not only was Kakuzu here, there was also a terrifying newcomer called Hidan.

If other mercenaries wanted extra jobs, they'd have to wait until both Kakuzu and Hidan were gone from the black market – and hope that in the meantime some employer came by to post a commission. And that wasn't even the worst part; if the legendary top mercenary, Lord Uzumaki Senshi, were around, they could kiss any chance of getting missions goodbye and just lie down in defeat.

Hence, plenty of black-market mercenaries weren't trying too hard to pick up tasks. Both Kakuzu and Hidan were there, so being anxious wouldn't help.

In the black-market hall, the atmosphere was tense. Kakuzu couldn't understand why Hidan had changed so dramatically after working under Senshi for a while. Before, when they took missions together, Hidan complained nonstop, hating the black market with a passion. Yet now, Hidan actually competed with Kakuzu over mission requests, which annoyed him to no end.

He sneered at Hidan. "Hidan, what's the point of snatching so many missions? Nothing you do will ever make you worthy to be Senshi's partner again! In the entire ninja world, only I—whose mission prowess is second only to Senshi's—am qualified to be his partner!"

Faced with Kakuzu's ridicule at close range, Hidan refused to back down. He loathed that guy for stealing missions, preventing him from earning his way back into the good graces of Lord Jashin.

Hidan shot Kakuzu a contemptuous look and spoke coldly: "Kakuzu, you've been utterly forsaken by Lord Jashin, so stop dreaming you can crawl back into his favor! I, on the other hand, will be reunited with Lord Jashin as soon as I complete the trial he's assigned me. You don't even have an immortal body—no way can you match my ability to work non-stop, fully implementing Jashin's doctrine. You're not qualified to compete with me!"

Kakuzu actually found Hidan's claims amusing. Strange wording or not, he got the gist: Hidan was boasting that he could outdo Kakuzu in mission work. With a cold laugh, Kakuzu replied:

"Hidan, where do you get the idea you understand missions better than me? I was famous across the black markets before your father was even born! How could you possibly know more about how to do jobs? As for capability, your so-called immortality is nothing compared to my Earth Grudge Fear technique!"

He wasn't lying. Despite looking fairly young, Kakuzu was nearing age ninety, while Hidan, in the original story, was only about twenty-two when Shikamaru buried him. So not just Hidan's dad—maybe even Hidan's grandpa—wasn't born yet when Kakuzu was already a black-market legend.

Enraged, Hidan roared, "Kakuzu, are you trying to provoke me? Want me to kill you right here?"

Kakuzu sneered again. "You idiot, what makes you think you can kill me? Besides, I'd advise you to quit competing with me for assignments. You can't possibly finish that many anyway!"

Hidan shot back with disdain: "As I said, my immortal body gives me mission stamina second only to Lord Jashin's. In terms of raw mission capacity, aside from him, I'm the best!"

Kakuzu laughed. "All your 'immortal body' does is grant extra stamina so you can do more missions. It doesn't enhance your combat strength. Meanwhile, my Earth Grudge Fear gives me not just extra energy for missions, but powerful combat ability. Whatever trouble a mission presents, I can solve it. That's why Earth Grudge Fear is better than immortality for mission work—and why I'm the true candidate to partner with Senshi!"

Hidan snorted: "Immortality is number one. I'm taking as many commissions as possible so I can finish Lord Jashin's trial and return to him soon!"

Kakuzu's eyes grew cold: "Earth Grudge Fear is number one! I'll take the bigger share of black-market tasks right here, so Senshi can see how capable I am!"

Hidan: "Immortal body!"

Kakuzu: "Earth Grudge Fear!"

Hidan: "Kakuzu!"

Kakuzu: "Sea Urchin!" (A jab at Hidan's hair)

Just as they were about to come to blows, Fu—Kakuzu's new assistant—rushed between them and pleaded, "Lord Kakuzu, Sir Hidan, there's a stack of commissions here. Why not split them? The one who finishes first can come back for more."

Kakuzu brightened at that. Right—why was he wasting time arguing? He could just hurry through his missions and then come back for more! Hidan, though, eyed Fu coldly:

"Who's this brat? Why is she butting into our business?"

Kakuzu frowned, clearly annoyed: "Hidan, if you don't want me to kill you, you'd better show respect to my assistant!"

Hidan immediately picked up on the key phrase—"assistant?" He paused, then realized what was going on:

"Curse it, Kakuzu is copying Lord Jashin—getting an assistant of his own to boost his mission output and replace me as the core figure in Jashin's faith! I'd better find myself an assistant too, or I'll be outdone!"

That thought in mind, Hidan clutched his thick sheaf of requests and stomped out of the black-market hall. As he headed off to do missions, he also wondered how he could recruit an assistant for himself.

After Hidan left, Kakuzu likewise departed with Fu and Deidara in tow. Deidara had noticed that Senshi had an assistant and that Kakuzu had picked up an assistant. Now Hidan had probably decided to get one, too. What was going on with this organization? Akatsuki used to be a feared rogue-nin group, yet now everyone was grabbing sidekicks. If it became standard for the other core members to have their own underlings, Deidara might just return to Iwagakure and kidnap Kurotsuchi to join him. After all, it would be embarrassing to be the only one without a personal gofer.

…

Elsewhere in Amegakure, at the Leader's Office

Tendo Pain was meeting with Takigakure's leader, Hisen, about Taki joining Amegakure's alliance. Hisen spoke nervously:

"Lord Pain, Takigakure will abide by all requirements to join. I was just wondering whether there's anything else we need to do besides these conditions?"

Pain shook his head. "No. Just follow all the alliance regulations."

He wanted to send them away quickly; he still had a bunch of Akatsuki business to handle, and having these Taki people around kept him from other tasks. But Hisen wasn't budging, and smilingly continued:

"Then, about our elite Taki ninja joining the Akatsuki…?"

Pain massaged his temples in frustration. Negotiating village-to-village cooperation was headache enough, and now there was this matter on top of it. He gave it some thought before replying:

"Your Taki elites can join the Akatsuki in batches once they pass our review."

He couldn't just put the entire Taki elite force into Akatsuki at once—it would mean Taki and Ame ninjas each forming half the group. Also, setting such a precedent would invite other villages to do the same. But Hisen seemed happy rather than disappointed. So smooth!

Thanks to Kakuzu's introduction, Taki had not only joined the alliance but also gotten the okay for their elites to enter Akatsuki in stages. Elated, Hisen brought out another file. Seeing that, Pain got a bad feeling:

"What is this?"

Hisen politely explained: "Lord Pain, these are lists of Taki's elite ninjas, plus an inventory of our resources. You can review what Taki offers and see how it might help Amegakure. We can deliver whatever you need right away."

Pain looked at Hisen, half wanting to ask him a sarcastic line about how many flights of stairs a sack of rice might be carried up. He could only sigh inwardly. Still, he kept calm and began going through the file. (He Who Must Not Be Named, Chyna version of meme)

"I might as well deal with it all now," he thought. Once Taki was sorted out, hopefully the next wave of allied villages wouldn't appear so soon. He'd take care of everything in one shot so Konan wouldn't keep pestering him.

While studying the documents, he casually said, "If you have anything else, just bring it up now so I can process it all at once."

Hisen: (O_O)???

The leader and his two aides—Yoro and Kegon—exchanged glances. Delighted, they each set down the two boxes they'd been holding. Pain glanced at them:

"Joining the alliance doesn't require payment."

The trio just gave a shy grin, then opened the two chests to reveal not money, but stacks of papers instead.

Pain: (ΩДΩ)!!!

Hisen's group had come armed with a mountain of pending paperwork, all meticulously labeled and referencing Amegakure. Pain felt the urge to unleash Shinra Tensei at once. He ended up locked in his office for the entire day, forced to work into the night. Throughout the evening, the light in the tower's office stayed on, a testament to how fast Amegakure was developing and how hard their leader had to work.

He finally left at midday the next day, with Hisen thanking him profusely. Hisen couldn't stop praising: "Lord Pain, now I see how Amegakure reached its current greatness—your efficiency is unmatched!"

Yoro and Kegon nodded fervently, and Shibuki looked starstruck at Pain. If he ever became Taki's leader, he planned to emulate Pain's work ethic.

Pain gave a curt nod and didn't comment. He was exhausted—an all-nighter dealing with Taki's documents. At least that was done, so Taki presumably wouldn't have fresh demands anytime soon. Yet he was relieved too soon. Because back in Nagato's chamber, Konan pushed open the door, and Nagato felt an immediate headache.

Yes, once again Konan must have found some beneficial arrangement for Amegakure that wasn't strictly about Akatsuki's final objective. The moment Nagato saw her calm expression, he knew trouble was coming.

He was not disappointed. Konan spoke in her clear, pleasant voice: "Nagato, to manage the village more efficiently, I need more personnel. Specifically, I need Tendo Pain and Naraka Pain to cooperate with me."

That stunned Nagato. Tendo was his main body—well, the main puppet he used—and Naraka was essential too. If both ended up assisting Konan, what would be left for him? Summoning all six was crucial for high-level tasks. He took a breath and advised gently:

"Konan, you should focus on tasks directly related to Akatsuki's objectives."

Looking confused, Konan replied, "I've been handling Akatsuki matters all this time—arranging thorough regulations for the children, letting those who qualify join, recruiting stronger ninja for our outer circle… plus so many other tasks."

She began counting them off, leaving Nagato pained. Everything she said was tangentially related to Akatsuki but had little to do with implementing their final plan. Their organization was changing drastically. Kakuzu and Hidan were already influenced by Senshi, and now Konan—one of the founders—was similarly "led astray."

While Nagato inwardly despaired, Konan pressed on. "Nagato, I really need Tendo and Naraka Pain to help me deal with the infiltration issues in the village."

Nagato massaged his forehead. "What do you need Tendo Pain for specifically?"

Konan responded immediately, "Because of the village's rapid growth and open borders, all kinds of spies and shady characters are slipping in. Tendo has an impressive presence, so he can represent the village and negotiate with delegates or wealthy benefactors. Meanwhile, Naraka Pain's ability would greatly help our newly formed Anbu interrogate suspects."

Nagato was speechless: "When did you create an Anbu?"

Konan calmly said, "Yesterday. While you were negotiating with Taki's leader, I established an Anbu for Amegakure."

He realized he had to tread carefully. Handing over Tendo was one thing, but Naraka Pain too? However, after serious thought, he decided to refuse. His real body was immobile; controlling all Six Paths was crucial. If he gave two up, he'd only have four for serious missions.

But Konan retorted, "If we do face a real crisis, we can entrust the job to Senshi. Even you couldn't finish top-tier missions faster than he can. So if even Kakuzu's group can't handle something, Senshi surely can. That means your Paths are basically idle. Let them help me manage the village."

Nagato: (O_O)!!!

He couldn't argue—Senshi was unstoppable in missions. So Tendo and Naraka might indeed be free. With a sigh, he gave in.

"Very well. Tendo can be our figurehead, working with you on external negotiations. And Naraka can help the Anbu with interrogations."

He gazed out the window afterward, feeling conflicted. He realized that with every passing day, Amegakure was turning into a second "Konoha," lacking only the formal titles of "Raikage," "Hokage," etc. Akatsuki's original purpose was overshadowed by daily governance tasks.

…

Meanwhile, Senshi was still waiting in Kumogakure, hoping Yugito Nii would return. He had eavesdropped via Mantra countless times. No one in the village knew where she was. Thankfully, the job had no time limit—otherwise he'd be forced to press Nagato for more cash, then capture Killer B as a substitute. But the day finally came: Yugito was back, and he got the message instantly.

"Time to capture the tailed beast!"

He had already sent Hidan away, so all Kumogakure missions right now were for him alone. At a little stream outside the village, Senshi, Karin, and Sasori sat counting money.

Swish, swish…

Senshi was sorting his bills with practiced efficiency and a contented grin. Sasori had emerged from his Hiruko puppet, meticulously counting his portion. In the past, he hadn't cared about cash at all, but now he needed massive funding to upgrade his Hextech Core. Karin too had never thought much about money, but she'd been burning a lot on groceries while studying cooking. So she was taking an interest.

Karin was cross-legged on the grass beside a small mountain of banknotes, splitting them up:

"One hundred for me, one hundred for Senshi…

"One hundred for me, one hundred for me…

"One hundred for me, one hundred for Senshi…"

Senshi flicked her on the forehead. "Silly goose, you think I wouldn't notice your little trick? Even Hidan wouldn't fall for that, let alone me."

Karin stuck out her tongue and reluctantly gave Senshi an extra note.

They spent the late morning counting money. Once that was done, Senshi took Karin and Sasori to finish a few more jobs. The biggest challenge at the moment was dealing with a roving gang of rogue ninja who'd been lurking around—likely from a rival black-market organization—threatening potential clients en route to Kumogakure's black market. This effectively hurt Senshi's revenue source, so even if no one posted a bounty, he would have exterminated them. Fortunately, some client had posted a request to handle them, so perfect.

Guided by Karin's sensor abilities, they arrived at a spot near where the rogues often hung around. Karin raised her hand:

"Senshi, I sense them, about three thousand meters in that direction!"

Senshi nodded, and used his space-time technique "Kāma" to teleport himself, Karin, and Sasori. In a flash, they landed—and found a scene that enraged Senshi. One of his valued clients, a certain Lawsan-san, was being cornered by those rogues. Lawson and his wife plus children were all trembling, his hired guards had been cut down.

When Lawson spotted Senshi, he jumped up—his knees miraculously steady again—and straightened his tie, pushing up his glasses.

"Lord Senshi! I'll pay you 30 million ryō to bring these villains to justice!"

[Commission Accepted!]

[Client: Lawson]

[Objective: Protect Lawson's family from these rogue ninjas!]

[Reward: 30 million ryō]

[Mission Rank: S]

[Hire Points: 30,000!]

Senshi was a bit surprised. "Well, I guess luck's on my side today—showed up and immediately got a new job."

He put on a professional face and asked, "Lawsan-san, who are these people, and what just happened?"

Lawson pointed at the six or seven rogue ninjas. "They attacked me earlier when I tried to come to Kumogakure to post a commission. They threatened that if they saw me return, they'd kill me. This time, I came with my family for a picnic, and they bumped into me again, decided I disobeyed their warnings, and wanted to kill me. They've already killed one of my bodyguards."

Likely, a certain force had hired these rogues specifically to sabotage business heading for Kumogakure's black market. That clarified everything. Hearing the story, Senshi's group was furious—someone was trying to wreck their livelihood.

Sasori murmured, "Shall I just kill them all and make them into puppets?"

Before Senshi could reply, Karin stepped forward, hands on her hips. "You villains dare scare off our clients and cost Senshi good business? How do you want to die?"

A tall rogue with three crisscrossing scars laughed cruelly. He was the leader, Yokokawa Kento—someone with a massive kill count, not about to be daunted by Karin's threats.

He sneered, "Kid, that red hair means you're one of those pesky Uzumaki survivors lurking around the ninja world after Uzushio fell, right? I remember how Amegakure announced it would take you in. Ha! I personally chopped a brash Uzumaki brat just your size clean in half! Since you're curious about what it's like, I'll do the same to you!"

He drew his blade and charged Karin with startling speed, aiming to slice her in two. But all he saw was:

"Susanoo!"

"Leave him alive!"

Before Yokokawa could even swing, a giant pink Susanoo appeared and grabbed him in its fist. The sight made him freeze in horror, every cell trembling in disbelief.

Had Senshi not said "leave him alive," Karin would have crushed him like an insect. The rest of the rogues had no such luck—Senshi turned them into ash in a single move:

"200 Million Volts: Raijin!"

Boom, boom, boom…!

A vast lightning giant formed, brandishing a golden trident, skewering the six rogue ninjas. They all vaporized in a flash of thunder.

Lawsan-san, the client, wiped the sweat off his brow. "Worth every penny! Thanks to Senshi, we're saved."

When Sasori saw this, he felt rather left out. He never even got to act. Taking money with zero effort left him uneasy. Meanwhile, Lawson approached Senshi, holding a 30 million ryō check, and thanked him profusely:

"Lord Senshi, thank you for saving me and my family! Without you, we were finished!"

Senshi pocketed the check with a smile. "We've worked together four times already, Lawsan-san. You're like my treasured friend—of course I won't let anyone harm you!"

Those words touched Lawson deeply. He had no idea that Orochimaru had once heard similar "friend-and-brother" lines from Senshi and developed a bit of trauma—because while you were Senshi's client, you were safe, but after the job, you could easily become his next target…

They made some small talk before Senshi left with Karin and Sasori. The tied-up Yokokawa Kento would be handed over to Kumogakure for interrogation. Sometime later, they popped into Kumogakure's Task Center, where the A–B brothers (the Fourth Raikage and Killer B) happened to be. They recognized the rogue's battered form and realized Senshi had already solved the sabotage. B started rapping:

"Yo! Senshi, that was fast, you complete tasks on blast!"

Senshi grinned. "B-Bro, nice double rhyme—skrrt, skrrt!" Secretly, he was thinking that if Yugito never returned, he might force Nagato to pay him more and just capture Killer B. But he was spared that route now that Yugito had come back.

After a bit more chatter, the Fourth Raikage came over. "That's the guy who's been causing trouble around the village?"

Senshi nodded and dropped Yokokawa at their feet like a sack. "They were ten in total. I killed six, left the others for you to question."

At that point, the captive panicked and spilled the beans. He admitted they'd been hired via Iwagakure's black market with a high bounty of 100 million ryō to threaten potential clients from approaching Kumogakure. Hearing that, Senshi's heart ached. If only he'd known earlier, he could have set up a double-cross and cashed in from both sides. But the A–B brothers definitely weren't going to let him glean more details. They ordered Darui to take the rogue away so Senshi wouldn't milk that lead. Meanwhile, Senshi had to remain here for his main assignment: capturing the Two-Tails, so he couldn't chase such a plan anyway.

When they left, Karin beamed at Senshi: "How about I cook dinner tonight for you and Sasori?"

He turned her down immediately: "Karin, we're already invited to dinner by Terumi Mei. Another time."

Karin, disappointed, pouted. She had many "creative" dishes in mind, but no chance to show them off. Meanwhile, Senshi was relieved. Had they stayed in, Karin might have forced him to sample more "dark cuisine." Sasori decided to leave and do some puppet maintenance since he didn't eat anyway. Letting him tag along to the restaurant would be awkward—no one wanted to order a couple liters of machine oil for the puppet guy.

So Karin and Senshi headed off to meet Mei. Sasori went to a quiet clearing to maintain his puppets. He had never expected the difference real mission work made. He barely lifted a finger, yet half the money was always his. And Senshi tackled everything so fast there was no waiting around.

As for Senshi, he was privately marveling at how well Sasori's "full-mechanical ascension" was working out. Sasori could run missions all day and all night without tiring—a perfect partner for Senshi, who loved relentless mission grinding. Kakuzu and Hidan were good, but they still got fatigued at times. Sasori, though, never did.

Reaching the appointed place for dinner, Senshi realized there was no restaurant in sight—but Terumi Mei was already standing nearby. The wind stirred her high ponytail, her tall, curvy figure on display under a dark blue robe. Seeing her was always a delight.

He greeted her: "Sister Mei, where's this dinner you mentioned?"

With a smile, Mei held up two storage scrolls. "I brought ingredients, fruit, drinks. Let's do a barbeque by the lake. How's that?"

Before Senshi could respond, Karin excitedly asked, "Mei-nee, let me handle all the other dishes while you grill the meat!"

But Mei politely declined, explaining she'd already prepped plenty of food and marinated meat that only needed a final sear. Karin was crestfallen. Still, she was determined to prove her cooking prowess, so when Mei said she only had four dipping sauces, Karin leapt into action. In a blink, she retrieved her cooking gear from Kamui space and changed into a mini-chef outfit, proclaiming she'd make the "perfect sweet sauce."

Senshi was horrified, recalling how lethal Karin's concoctions usually were. But before he could fully protest, the aroma of cooked meat filled the air and everything happened too fast. Soon, Karin proudly offered them a black, tar-like sauce that made Senshi exclaim in alarm:

"Karin, where did you get this… crude oil?"

She insisted it was her secret formula. Mei innocently decided to try it, dunked a slice of meat, took two bites, and promptly collapsed. Senshi caught her, worried:

"Mei-nee, are you okay?!"

Karin misread the situation as "so tasty she fainted." Meanwhile, Mei felt the worst culinary betrayal of her life. Senshi exhaled in relief that at least it wasn't a lethal dose. Karin quietly stowed the sauce away in Kamui space, deciding it would become Hidan's next treat. The trio finished the barbecue without further disaster, though Mei was woozy and decided to postpone the conversation she'd wanted to have with Senshi.

As they packed up, Sasori arrived. Seeing Mei's pale face, he asked Senshi: "Did you fight with the Mizukage? She looks ready to cry."

Senshi gave a vague excuse: "A gust of wind must have blown dust in her eyes." Karin piped up, "But there's no wind right now?" Senshi messed up her hair in retaliation. She pouted and threatened him with mock punches.

While they fooled around, Senshi suddenly brightened: he sensed the arrival of Yugito, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, thanks to his tracking. Finally, the target had returned, meaning it was time to do the mission. Senshi said to Sasori and Karin:

"Get ready. The Two-Tails Jinchūriki has appeared—we can go catch the tailed beast now!"

…

In a forest outside Kumogakure

A tall, blonde-haired woman raced through the trees with the Body Flicker Technique. This was Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki. She'd been away and was now rushing back, thinking:

"I've heard the village's had a bunch of developments lately. I wonder if the rumors are true? With Lord Raikage and Brother B there, I doubt anything major went wrong…"

She was aloof yet caring deep down. But the one thing she really ought to worry about was herself. She realized this a moment too late. Mid-step, she felt a wave of dread as someone appeared behind her—Senshi—and knocked her out with a single chop. The next thing she knew (not that she was conscious), Sasori's Hiruko puppet had her tail stinger wrapped around her, tying her like a package. Karin looked on, stunned.

Sasori asked, "Senshi, you sure about this? I thought we were supposed to capture the beast, not the host."

Senshi corrected him: "This is about the Two-Tails. The Jinchūriki is extra. My client—Orochimaru—just wants the tailed beast. Capturing the Jinchūriki is messing with the market."

Sasori: (O_O)???

He was confused. Weren't they the same thing? Tailed beast inside the ninja? If they wanted the beast, they had to take Yugito. Senshi just laughed:

"Hey, there are rules, you know? A beast goes for one rate, a Jinchūriki for another, and bringing them both is yet another. Orochimaru's mission is specifically for the beast. If we gave him the Jinchūriki as well, we'd be throwing off the entire market!"

It sounded ridiculous, but maybe it was simply Senshi's way. Sasori wondered if Senshi planned to extract the beast right here. Was that even possible? Sure enough, Senshi had the weirdest arsenal, so who knew?

Sasori asked, "Do you have a way to separate the tailed beast from the Jinchūriki?"

Senshi grinned confidently. "A small matter." He tore Yugito's sleeve, revealing an Iron Armor Seal on her arm. Karin and Sasori gawked, uncertain what was happening. Senshi explained:

"I need to break this seal. Once I crack it, the tailed beast will come out. The difference is I'm leaving enough of the beast to keep her alive. Only want the main chunk. That way, the village might not even realize she's lost the beast."

Sasori found it all surreal. Senshi pressed a hand against the character 'Tetsu' (鉄) on Yugito's arm. Black sealing runes spread out, and the Two-Tails roared, releasing a terrifying aura like blue flames. It started emerging—though Senshi forcibly yanked it out faster, ignoring its wrath. In a short time, most of the Two-Tails had been pulled free. The rest, smaller portion, remained in Yugito's body, presumably leaving her alive but very weak.

When he sensed her life nearing danger, Senshi used "Hell Stab One-Finger Nukite," a technique so formidable it sliced the beast in two. The chunk left behind remained in Yugito, presumably sustaining her life. The enormous portion in Senshi's grasp was the actual Two-Tails. Furious, the beast roared. Senshi responded with lightning. The monster collapsed, paralyzed. This one-handed extraction left Sasori and Karin shell-shocked. Sasori mumbled:

"Is… is that even possible? That doesn't seem scientific…"

Even the standard "tailed beast extraction" in the ninja world involved complicated rituals or the Gedo Statue. Yet Senshi had done it in seconds. Karin was likewise speechless. Senshi made sure to keep Yugito at least somewhat alive so that the mission wouldn't have repercussions with Kumogakure.

Then he turned his attention to the writhing Two-Tails, woke it back up with another jolt of lightning, and flashed it a lethal grin while activating a Six Paths–like power.

In a swirl of energy, Senshi rose into the air, skin turning pale, red hair to white, horns sprouting from his forehead, and a hovering black Truth-Seeking Orb behind him. The Two-Tails trembled in abject terror. This aura was reminiscent of the Sage of Six Paths, but even stronger. Nibi crouched down, mewling like a frightened cat. From its perspective, Senshi could erase it entirely.

Floating overhead in this divine form, Senshi gently threatened, "Blue Kitty, I don't want Yugito waking up and learning anything she shouldn't. You get me?"

Nibi frantically nodded. Of course it understood. It would never speak a word of what happened here today!

Watching from the side, Sasori and Karin could only gawk. The power rolling off Senshi was beyond measure. Karin murmured:

"He never trains, either. He says it's all from repeated mission experience…"

Sasori recalled Senshi's repeated claims that missions were everything. He'd half doubted, but now he was forced to believe. By pushing himself relentlessly with tasks, Senshi had ascended to near-godly might. And he was still who knows how old…?

In this way, Senshi captured the main portion of the Two-Tails while leaving a small fragment inside Yugito, ensuring she lived. Mission accomplished. He'd soon deliver the beast to fulfill Orochimaru's request and collect his well-earned bounty—while hopefully leaving no clues for Kumogakure to figure out who had done it.

~~~

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