Chapter 110: Negotiation...
It didn't take long before the A–B brothers, along with the rest of Kumogakure's senior officials, arrived at the area where the explosions had occurred.
Smoke and dust choked the place, the ground in ruins from consecutive blasts. Through the lingering cloud of debris, the Fourth Raikage soon caught sight of something that left him utterly stunned.
They saw those two fools, Kinmu and Ginmu, leading their subordinates in an attack on Karin.
Fourth Raikage: (ΩДΩ)!!!
That scene had the Raikage so shocked, he froze on the spot.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure out what was going on in the minds of these two idiots. They were in Kumogakure, yet they were ganging up on Karin. Did these two have any idea what they were getting into?
Could they not realize that the girl was practically clinging to Senshi's back all day long, like a little accessory stuck to him? Did they honestly think Kinmu and Ginmu—or even all of Kumogakure—could afford to provoke someone like that?
The Fourth Raikage felt chills. Senshi had already planned to leave, but with this incident, he might not just refuse to stay—he could end up turning hostile toward them!
As for the events unfolding, Senshi had known the moment they started. His Mantra covered all of Kumogakure.
From the moment Arui tricked Karin away to that remote spot, Senshi had been keeping an eye on the situation. Seeing that Karin was thoroughly thrashing Kinmu, Ginmu, and their men, Senshi chose not to step in. These nobodies clearly weren't on Karin's level. Compared to their ancestors Kinkaku and Ginkaku, Kinmu and Ginmu fell short by a mile. It just so happened Karin could use them for combat practice.
However, she didn't get much practice this time because, as soon as the Raikage saw Kinmu and Ginmu attacking her, he immediately stepped in to stop them.
"Lightning Oppression Horizontal!"
Lightning flickered around the Fourth Raikage's entire body as surging Lightning chakra instantly bathed him in electricity. Moving at a speed beyond belief, his figure streaked through the air straight at Kinmu and Ginmu. Seeing him coming, they quickly channeled Lightning chakra for defense, but that was all they could manage before he violently knocked them both flying.
That sent Kinmu and Ginmu into a fury. In their eyes, these Kumogakure higher-ups led by the Raikage were "masters at internal fights, pushovers in external battles." Against Orochimaru previously, they'd been beaten badly. But faced with their own people, they suddenly hit like a truck, not even giving them time to talk.
Yet before Kinmu and Ginmu could lash out, the Fourth Raikage's furious roar cut in:
"You two idiots! What do you think you're doing?"
"And the rest of you—who authorized you to attack Lady Karin?"
At that point, the Raikage truly wanted to slap them all. Anyone who wasn't blind could see how much Senshi's presence had helped Kumogakure's development. Kirigakure had realized it early on—enough for their Mizukage to personally come a long way to invite Senshi. Kinmu and Ginmu, apparently having fried their brains on Raiton training, were so worried about Kumogakure being "too close" to Senshi that they decided to sabotage the relationship.
Once the Raikage crashed into the battlefield and blew Kinmu and Ginmu away, Karin withdrew her Susano'o, also ordering Killer Queen not to detonate further. After reprimanding Kinmu and Ginmu, the Raikage, wearing a dark and rugged expression, forced a kind smile and turned to Karin:
"My Lady Assistant, I'm afraid these fools must have taken leave of their senses. They acted on their own in attacking you. Their behavior does not represent Kumogakure's official stance. Neither I nor the village's top brass had any idea what they were doing. Furthermore, I offer my sincere apologies in the name of the Raikage, hoping this matter won't affect the friendship between Kumogakure, Lord Senshi, and yourself. As for them recklessly launching an attack on you, Kumogakure will deal with them severely. We won't let them off easily!"
Karin, however, didn't buy it at all. She wasn't as gullible as Hidan. Clearly, at least thirty ninja had been mobilized to ambush her—how could the Raikage not have known? She began to consider how to respond. Senshi hadn't shown up, but she was sure he'd already sensed everything. The fact that he hadn't come meant he intended for her to handle it herself, testing her ability to deal with crises alone.
While Karin pondered, Yugito—the Two-Tails Jinchūriki—arrived. She had recently returned to the village, wearing fresh clothes after a bath. Yet she was still livid about what happened last night. If she caught whoever had attacked her, she'd shred them to pieces. Despite feeling sulky, when she heard explosions in the southwestern outskirts of the village, she raced over at once. On her way, she thought, "Is there another bunch of idiots trying to attack the village? Great, I'll take it out on them! Hmph!"
Yugito was swift, soon arriving at the perimeter of the blast site. Seeing it was Kinmu and Ginmu plus their elite subordinates cornering some little girl, her heart chilled. Kinmu and Ginmu were furious at the Raikage's interference, but there wasn't much they could do about it. Spotting Yugito, they grew excited. Among the entire Kumogakure, only Yugito could stand up to the A–B brothers without fear.
Hence the two hurried over to her, explaining the situation. In an aggrieved tone, Kinmu said, "Lady Yugito, you're just in time! We only did this for the good of Kumogakure. We planned to seize Karin so that Senshi can't leave. But the Raikage, not knowing how to solve the bigger problem himself, actually stops us from doing it!"
Ginmu, backing up his brother, added, "Yes, Lady Yugito—our plan was just about to succeed. But at the most critical moment, the Raikage and his group messed everything up. These are special times, so we need special methods. Our village can't keep acting so weak!"
Yugito listened to them silently, then inwardly rolled her eyes. The Raikage was short-tempered, physically strong but lacking strategy. Bee was incompetent except for rapping. Samui was big in multiple senses but not strong enough. The so-called "Gold & Silver Brothers" here were just incompetent fools. In the entire Kumogakure, apparently only she, Yugito, was truly "all-around capable" with no weaknesses—or so she believed.
Deep in her mind, however, Matatabi (the Two-Tails) freaked out. It had only been dozing after that dreadful encounter with Senshi and Karin. Having shrunk to a fraction of its former size, it had just begun to sleep, when it sensed a wave of ill will. Raising its head, it was horrified to see Yugito waltzing into a dangerous place.
"Bad! This is really bad! I'm doomed!" Matatabi anxiously paced in circles, its two tails trembling. After hearing Kinmu and Ginmu urge Yugito to take on Karin, it itched to rush out and rip them apart. A rash move by Yugito might provoke the pair of red-haired fiends into wiping her out!
But Matatabi soon realized it wouldn't have to intervene. Though Yugito didn't heed advice, she still made a decent decision. She scanned everyone on site, then announced coldly, "What's with you people, always thinking of kidnapping kids? Remember what happened last time you tried that, how badly Konoha clobbered you? Just disperse—stop embarrassing us with such pathetic stunts. Strengthening yourselves is the only real path."
After scolding them icily, she turned to Karin with a gentle smile and asked, "Little girl, are you hurt? Don't be afraid. As long as I'm here, nothing like this will happen again in Kumogakure. If you were scared by their nonsense, I can beat them for you!"
By nature, Yugito had a habit of looking down on the strong or the proud, while showing compassion to the weak. She might be arrogant toward the Raikage or powerful ninja or even Matatabi, but she was kind to villagers and small children like Karin. To Kumogakure's crowd, this came as no surprise—that was simply how Yugito was.
Yet Karin felt awkward. Yugito was unaware of last night's events, while Karin was well aware of them. She never imagined that the big sister Senshi had knocked out so easily would turn out to be so warmhearted. Seeing Karin remain silent, Yugito assumed the child was frightened, so she bent down to hug her:
"It's all right now. No need to fear. I'll protect you and all the other little ones in Kumogakure from harm."
(O_O)!!!
Karin, for her part, felt incredibly embarrassed. She could sense Yugito's warmth and concern were genuine—but thinking about how they'd dealt with her last night, plus the way Senshi ripped her clothes, she just didn't know how to face her now.
By nature, Karin would typically repay grudges. She'd wanted to punish these people in Kumogakure. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. Yugito stood there, hugging her like a caring sister.
As soon as Yugito let go, Karin blurted a quick thanks. "Thank you, Sis. No need to punish them. I'll go back now," she said, then fled like a spinning top.
"All Senshi's fault!" she thought. Yugito was obviously a sweet, gentle big sister, yet Senshi had torn her clothes. Blushing fiercely, Karin hurried away. Yugito, a bit puzzled, murmured, "What a shy little girl."
At her words, the others didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Kinmu and Ginmu had boasted that their plan was seconds from success, but had the Raikage not shown up, it was more likely they'd have been blown up by Karin and Killer Queen.
Though the A–B brothers loudly berated Kinmu and Ginmu, it was obvious from the scene that Karin was entirely unscathed, whereas many of Kinmu and Ginmu's men were injured. From the crater-littered area hammered by bombs, you could guess that Karin was no timid waif.
Back at the hot-spring inn, Senshi had long since finished packing. He was pondering their next move when a red-faced Karin suddenly stomped in. Surprised, Senshi wondered what on earth had happened. After that earlier mess ended, he'd stopped paying attention to it. Curious, he asked, "Karin, what's got you all worked up? Why so red?"
She halted, hands on her hips, glaring: "It's all because of you, Senshi!"
Then, flustered, she dashed straight into her own room.
Senshi: (O_O)???
He was dumbfounded. What had he done? He'd basically done nothing! Still, he found it amusing. He followed her and knocked outside her door: "Hey, Karin, what happened? Come on, tell me so I can enjoy it too."
From inside came an exasperated little cry: "Ugh, I don't want to talk to you anymore!"
Senshi laughed: "So that's how it is. Guess I'll toss out this worthless "Kumogakure Specialty Dishes" cookbook then."
"Wham!" A flash of red. The door flung open, and she darted out, hugging Senshi's long legs, basically attaching herself to his waist. She snuggled her head against him, raised her big shining eyes, and said sweetly, "Senshi, you're the best! Hand over that local-cuisine cookbook, okay? It's not like you're going to cook anyway."
Smirking, Senshi mussed her hair into a bird's nest, then gave her the cookbook. It wasn't something he purchased; it was one of many items he'd drawn from the "System." He liked to dole them out now and then to amuse his silly little sidekick.
Karin treated it like a treasure. Despite Senshi messing up her scarlet hair even more, she decided not to fight him. She was too busy happily flipping through the cookbook.
Senshi sighed inwardly. If she devoted half the passion she had for cooking to studying medical ninjutsu, she'd be top-tier by now. But she just wasn't interested. And with Naruto and Sasuke absent, even if she improved her medical jutsu, there wasn't much opportunity to use it—she, Senshi, and Sasori rarely got hurt anyway.
As Karin pored over the cookbook, Senshi said casually, "Karin, better finish packing. We're heading out for Kirigakure."
She nodded dutifully. "Got it, I'll be done soon!" With that, she dashed back to her room to check she hadn't left anything behind. Sure she hadn't, she returned to Senshi and Sasori, and the three of them left the hot-spring inn.
Senshi's original plan for the Kiri's request had been to let a few Wood-Style clones handle it. His chakra reserves were huge, and he was strong enough that clones could do the job. But between how much Terumi Mei was paying and how sincerely she'd come all that way and waited all those days in Kumogakure, it would be rude not to go in person.
Together with Sasori and Karin, Senshi found Mei. "Sister Mei, I've finished my work in Kumogakure."
Hearing that, Mei's exquisite eyes lit up. She said happily, "So you can come back to Kirigakure with me now?"
During that time, she'd watched how Senshi had brought Kumogakure incredible prosperity. Though Kirigakure was doing fine, she certainly wasn't opposed to further gains. Sadly, Senshi had been stuck in Kumogakure. Now he was free, so the Kiri could harvest similar benefits from Senshi's presence.
Brimming with anticipation, Mei asked, and Senshi nodded. "Yes, I'm done here."
Without further delay, Senshi headed to Kirigakure with Mei. Even before they got into the village, he noticed a ninja quietly watching them and then dashing off. He assumed it was just someone going to inform the others. Sure enough, once they reached the gates, they were met by a crowd of villagers and children rushing out to greet him.
It was a heartwarming spectacle—villagers showing fervent welcome, brimming with vitality. Other than in Amegakure, Senshi had never seen such enthusiastic unity. Moreover, quite a few kids in Kirigakure were wearing red-cloud robes. They apparently adored him, wanting to be just as outstanding. Senshi found himself shocked and bemused. It was so sudden, it felt like he was back in Amegakure.
Early on, he did share notes with his Wood-Style clones, but as the number of clones kept expanding, it became impossible to keep up with each one. So he wasn't fully aware of how Kirigakure had changed. He hadn't realized that around the village, many children ran around in red-cloud outfits. Mei had mentioned to him that people here admired him, but he thought she was just flattering him. Only now did he see that his clones must have contributed a lot, giving him a high level of popularity here too.
Sasori, seeing so many red-cloud-wearing kids, was taken aback, momentarily wondering if Akatsuki had opened a branch in Kirigakure. But upon overhearing the local chatter, he understood that it wasn't a real "branch of Akatsuki." Rather, many kids simply liked Senshi so much they copied his clothes.
Greeted by enthusiastic crowds, Senshi headed with Mei to the Mizukage Building to discuss their cooperation. Meanwhile, Sasori and Karin didn't accompany them. Sasori planned to do puppet maintenance; Karin wanted to explore the local ingredients. Kumogakure was mostly mountainous, while the Kiri was built around lakes and marshes. Different geography meant different produce!
Soon after Senshi left, a swarm of children gathered around Sasori and Karin, clamoring excitedly. One child stared at Sasori curiously: "Are you Lord Senshi's partner? Why do you have the same clothes as Lord Senshi?" And the moment he finished, other kids chimed in:
"Yeah, are you on Lord Senshi's team?"
"Can I join too? I want to be a strong ninja admired by the whole village, just like Lord Senshi!"
"Me too! Me too! Let me join you guys!"
Sasori felt overwhelmed. He had no idea Senshi was so revered in the Kiri. He'd assumed that it only happened in Amegakure or Kusagakure. But apparently, Senshi was something of a "Robin Hood" in the ninja world. Even in the Five Great Nations—like the Kiri—he was considered a genuinely good person.
Sasori murmured, "So it's not just Kakuzu and me who think Senshi is decent. There are many who admire him."
Karin nodded wildly: "Exactly! Senshi is the best! He's number one—super amazing!" She said it partly out of real conviction, partly hoping Senshi would notice and reward her with new cookbooks. Of course, her silly scheme didn't go unnoticed; from the Mizukage's office, Senshi was aware of every word, smiling inwardly. He resumed his talk with Mei.
…
Evening came quickly, and Kirigakure prepared a lavish welcome banquet for Senshi. At the banquet, Senshi, Karin, Mei, and Genji all sat together. Genji had transferred full power to Mei and was now a carefree elder, seeing Senshi and reflecting that it had been the right decision for them to hire him.
Senshi still had to do a bit of socializing; Karin, though, was far less reserved, brandishing her chopsticks like a mini whirlwind and wolfing down the dishes. As a dedicated chef, she figured sampling extensively was essential for forging top-level cuisine.
Over the meal, Mei poured herself a cup of sake, then poured one for Senshi as well, saying, "Senshi, let's drink to our friendship!" He picked up his own cup to toast. Immediately, Karin, not wanting to be left out, lifted her glass of juice. "Senshi, Mei-nee—cheers!"
Some distance away, Genji and other old retirees from Kirigakure watched Karin glued to Senshi's side and felt headaches. Early on, Genji had been seated with them, but he soon excused himself to give Senshi and Mei some time alone. After all, they knew about the big benefits Senshi had brought to Kumogakure—and they'd already seen how his clones had improved the Kiri. Eager to help Mei and Senshi grow closer, they lamented that Karin hadn't left the table, so they had no chance to get more personal.
Genji decided he'd look into Karin's interests and find ways to lure her away next time so Senshi and Mei could have time alone. But he was missing a crucial detail: if they tried to humor Karin, they'd likely get themselves roped in as test eaters of her bizarre cooking. Even the Mizukage had trouble tolerating that stuff, and in the past, only Hidan's immortality had made him fit for the role of official taste-tester.
Wine and dishes circulated freely at the banquet. After a while, Senshi was still fine, but Mei was woozy, basically passing out from drinking. Senshi beckoned two female ninja: "Lady Mizukage's had enough. Please help her back to rest." Mei, half-drunk, mumbled, "I'm not drunk! Take me to Senshi's room. We need to discuss more of our collaboration!"
Senshi: (O_O)???
He couldn't help being amused—did Mei love being Mizukage that much? Why then, in the original timeline, had she retired so early and let an ordinary person succeed her?
After the banquet, Senshi and Karin went back to the hot-spring inn that Kirigakure had arranged. But instead of going to sleep, once the local guards withdrew, Senshi used Kāma space-warping ability to go find Orochimaru.
…
In Konoha, inside Orochimaru's lab…
A dark-red, swirling vortex quietly formed. Senshi and Karin stepped out not far from Orochimaru. Seeing that he was actually in Konoha made Senshi blink.
Senshi: (O_O)???
This was definitely not something Senshi had anticipated—he never imagined Orochimaru would return to Konoha. But he didn't waste time and quickly greeted him. "Sneaky snake—cough, I mean, Snake-bro, counting money, are we?"
Only then did Senshi notice there were two huge piles of cash behind Orochimaru. Evidently, business has been booming for him lately. Orochimaru glanced briefly at Senshi and Karin, then went on counting. He'd been working in Konoha recently without conflict. He had nothing to fear, so with half his mind on the bills, he said casually:
"Senshi, you've come. What do you want this time?"
Senshi replied, "Snake-bro, time to pay up. I already captured the Two-Tails for you."
Orochimaru: ?
He hadn't forgotten that commission, but was capturing a Tailed Beast really so easy for Senshi that he could do it in passing? Still, if Senshi had indeed brought the Two-Tails, that was problematic because Orochimaru was profiting in Konoha and not free to store the beast. After pondering, Orochimaru pulled out a 100-million ryō check and handed it over. "I'm not in a position to leave at the moment—just let the Two-Tails stay with you for now."
[Mission Complete!]
[Client: Orochimaru]
[Goal: Capture Kumogakure's Tailed Beast and deliver it to Orochimaru!]
[Reward: 100 million ryō]
[Mission Rank: S]
[Mission Bonus: 100,000 Employment Points]
Senshi took the 100-million check and stowed it away, then held out his hand again. Orochimaru froze. "What's happening now?"
Before Senshi spoke, Karin poked her head out from behind him and planted her hands on her hips: "Orochimaru, you're leaving the Two-Tails with us, so aren't you paying a storage fee? And a feeding fee? What if it starves to death?"
Matatabi might have muttered: "All that feeding fee you're charging—I haven't gotten a bite!" But Orochimaru was speechless, if used to her style. He knew that if Karin wasn't haggling with him, it meant something far scarier was afoot. Since she was pulling stunts, he explained calmly:
"This is an Akatsuki contract. The official payment is 100 million. There's no separate fee for 'storage' or 'feeding.'"
Senshi wasn't pleased. "Don't give me that 'small or big organization' talk—if you want it stored, you pay a fee!"
Karin likewise seized the moment: "Hurry up and post a 'storage' mission then, or I'll dump your Tailed Beast in your face!"
Between Senshi and Karin, Orochimaru literally trembled. "This is robbery!" he must have thought. Since when did Tailed Beasts require fancy storage or feeding? They were intangible chakra beasts, after all. Yet faced with this unstoppable duo, he could only yield. He'd be risking bodily harm from Senshi and scathing ridicule from Karin. Each of them alone was formidable; together they dealt a double blow. Orochimaru sighed and turned to Senshi:
"All right. How much do you charge for storage and feeding?"
Senshi looked at Karin, thinking maybe a few tens of millions. Considering the original capture was worth 100 million, charging 30 million for safekeeping was already quite steep. But when Karin noticed Senshi's glance, her eyes lit up. She raised a hand, implying a "50-50 split." Senshi guessed she meant "50 million total." That seemed fair enough, so he said:
"Fifty million for storage plus feeding."
"Pfft!" Orochimaru nearly spat blood. Fifty million? That was enough to buy half a Tailed Beast in the first place! He opened his mouth to argue, but Karin barked harshly:
"What, you're not willing? Then I'll just toss the Tailed Beast on your face."
"Wait!" Orochimaru quickly waved at her to stop. He might withstand a polite threat from Senshi, but Karin actually would fling a Tailed Beast in his face. Swiftly, he wrote out a 50-million check and handed it over. "I'll pay you 50 million to handle storage and feeding for the Two-Tails. Until I need it, keep it safe."
[Mission Accepted!]
[Client: Orochimaru]
[Goal: Safely hold the Tailed Beast!]
[Reward: 50 million ryō]
[Rank: S]
[Mission Bonus: 50,000 Employment Points]
Seeing how forthcoming Orochimaru was, Senshi happily put away the check, netting 150 million total plus 150,000 Employment Points on this trip alone. "Truly a top-tier client," he thought. He was about to leave with Karin when Orochimaru paused and spoke again:
"Senshi—wait."
Orochimaru felt torn. He wanted more of Senshi's chakra. It was crucial to producing the "Eternal Chakra Elixir." He'd collected some from Senshi before, but it was used up. If he wanted to keep marketing this new project in Konoha, he needed a new supply.
Since he called Senshi to stop, Senshi paused, grinning. "Snake-bro, got another job for me?"
Seeing Senshi's carefree attitude, Orochimaru grimaced inwardly. No doubt, he'd be losing more money. But at least if Senshi took the cash, he would get the job done, leaving Orochimaru satisfied. Asked about it, Orochimaru answered frankly:
"I'd like to gather some of your chakra for experimental research."
Senshi had half-expected another advanced mission, not something so simple. Then he remembered that his own chakra, having grown through countless buffs, was unique in this world. For him it was effortless to produce more, but for anyone else it was beyond measure. So with a thoughtful expression, Senshi said:
"Snake-bro, remember we have that long-term deal—some hair, a small bit of chakra for your research. Sure, I can spare a small amount. But that might not be enough for your ongoing experiments, correct?"
As he spoke, Senshi formed a grain-of-sand-sized ball of chakra in his palm. Orochimaru's eyes nearly popped. A tiny speck—he'd call that "small"? That was barely a trace. If he weren't extremely careful, it might dissipate into thin air. Orochimaru sighed:
"Such a minuscule amount isn't enough. Let's do a new job. If you supply me with, say, 10 million ryō worth of chakra, that should do."
Back then, Orochimaru spent 100 million on a long-term arrangement with Senshi, so paying 10 million for more chakra now seemed fair. But Senshi's face hardened. He met Orochimaru's gaze:
"Brother, you don't understand today's market. Look how my strength has soared since then. You think my chakra's still priced the same as before?"
Hearing that, Orochimaru hesitated and said, "30 million, that's three times the previous rate." Indeed he had earned a lot recently, but it never seemed enough at Senshi's pace. Plus he'd already made huge concessions on the Two-Tails matter—couldn't Senshi cut him some slack?
Before Senshi could respond, Karin cut in with her hands on her hips: "Thirty million? That's not even enough to buy my chakra alone. Think about it—can you get any of Senshi's chakra for a mere 30 million? And he's not three times stronger than before—he's at least ten times stronger. You want his chakra for research? A hundred million sounds about right!"
Orochimaru: (O_O)???
Senshi: (O_O)???
Karin's statement left Orochimaru dumbfounded. How were they calculating this—just robbing him blind? He'd spent 100 million to get the Yamata no Orochi Fruit. Then another 100 million for the Two-Tails. Now they demanded 100 million more just for some of Senshi's chakra?
Was that not extorting an honest man? Senshi reckoned 50 million would have been enough, given that chakra replenishes quickly. But since Karin had already named 100 million, he wasn't about to contradict his own assistant. He cleared his throat:
"Ahem… Snake-bro, let's do this. You're an old customer. How about I let you see the goods first, and then we can talk about the price?"
Once again Orochimaru stood there, petrified.
What was happening? Were they really preparing to charge him a hundred million? And if they were "open to negotiation," was that an invitation to go higher, or lower?
~~~
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