Chapter 113: Akatsuki Branch in Kiri?

For a ninja who has walked through countless bloody storms, slowly aging bit by bit until withering away to death is undoubtedly extremely painful.

After Mitokado Homura took office at an older age, his body became increasingly less useful with each passing day. Aside from offering some brainpower for the village, he found it increasingly difficult to do much else for it.

The gradual weakening and decay of his body also affected his daily life.

Although the old man Onoki from Iwagakure, who is nearly eighty, is still fighting on the front lines…

Mitokado Homura, however, has had no choice but to accept his age. His body can no longer support him for sustained, high-intensity combat.

Unless it is absolutely necessary, he won't participate in fights anymore.

But Orochimaru's appearance, and the stimulating effects of the Eternal Chakra Elixir he provided, gave Homura new hope.

Last time, after taking Orochimaru's Eternal Chakra Elixir, Homura's body very noticeably recovered some vitality.

He felt more energetic, and both his muscle strength and his speed of chakra refinement had improved to some degree.

Because of that, he was filled with anticipation for the Eternal Chakra Elixir that Orochimaru was developing.

This time, upon hearing that Orochimaru had developed a "Type II" Eternal Chakra Elixir, he didn't waste any time and came right over.

With keen anticipation in his heart, Mitokado Homura arrived in front of Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru, have you really developed a more effective Eternal Chakra Elixir so quickly?"

Orochimaru nodded and at the same time took out a bottle of elixir, handing it to Homura.

"Homurs-ojisan, this is the latest Type II Elixir I've developed. Give it a try and see how it works."

"Because of the ample research funding provided by you and the others, the development of the Eternal Chakra Elixir has been moving along very fast."

Orochimaru said that as a lead-in for what he intended to say next.

Of course, Mitokado Homura had no idea that if Orochimaru were sliced open, he would be black through and through—completely devious!

Right now, Homura's attention was entirely focused on the Type II Elixir that Orochimaru had handed to him.

He accepted the Type II Elixir like it was a priceless treasure, carefully opened the cap, and downed it in one gulp.

The Type II Eternal Chakra Elixir had a smooth taste; it went down in one go, and it tasted great!

Right after Homura took the elixir, he felt a very vigorous sort of chakra start to nourish his body, repairing hidden injuries within it.

As the elixir's effects continued, he felt his entire body grow much lighter.

Originally, with age, his body was becoming stiff day by day, but now it felt more flexible again.

At this moment, Homura became a bit emotional. This was only a preliminary result of Orochimaru's research. If Orochimaru completely perfects the Eternal Chakra Elixir, wouldn't they be able to return to their peak condition, at least until their natural lifespan ran out?

But his happy surprise wasn't over yet.

At that moment, Orochimaru handed him a mirror and said, "Homurs-ojisan, look—while the elixir continues to take effect, your white hair is gradually turning black again."

Hearing this, Homura was stunned.

He took the mirror Orochimaru had handed over, and seeing his reflection completely overwhelmed him!

A portion of his white hair really was starting to turn black at the roots.

If the damaged cells could be thoroughly repaired, could his lifespan be extended?

While Homura was still in shock and speechless, Orochimaru smiled and asked, "Homurs-ojisan, are you satisfied with the Type II Eternal Chakra Elixir?"

Homura nodded vigorously. "Satisfied, satisfied—I'm very satisfied! Orochimaru, if this elixir is completely perfected, won't it allow us to greatly regain our peak strength, and possibly even extend our lifespan?"

Hearing Homura say that, Yakushi Kabuto, who was standing beside Orochimaru, couldn't help but adjust his glasses. In his heart, he admired Orochimaru even more.

Because Lord Orochimaru had already told him that they would sell these elixirs to the old guys in Konoha. Not only would the old timers offer them huge sums of money, but they would also be thankful for it.

Just look at Advisor Homura: Lord Orochimaru hadn't even started pitching the product, and Homura had already begun to answer his own questions!

Sure enough, after Homura jumped to conclusions, Orochimaru followed right along.

Orochimaru nodded and said, "Indeed, Homurs-ojisan. The pity is that developing the Eternal Chakra Elixir is extremely costly."

"In the entire process of my research, funding constraints were always holding me back. If I had enough funding, the elixir would have been completed earlier and produced more, and increasingly better, interim results."

Well, that's it…

Earlier completion?

Continual production of even better interim results?

Time to bring out the checkbook—lots of money must be added!

Feeling very excited, Homura immediately said to Orochimaru, "Orochimaru, I've always known since you were young that you had great potential!"

"You don't need to worry about the research funding. I'll help you figure something out. How about this: I'll sponsor you another 100 million ryō for your research, and I'll also help spread the word about the Eternal Chakra Elixir so that you get even more funding."

Hearing this, Orochimaru was overjoyed. He handed Homura a box labeled "Type II Eternal Chakra Elixir."

"Homurs-ojisan, thank you so much for your help. Take these elixirs and use them. When you run out, come and get more from me."

Homura wrote out a 100 million ryō check and handed it to Orochimaru. Though he simply nodded without speaking, his meaning was clear enough:

"Orochimaru, take the money. But stay away from my Eternal Chakra Elixir!"

Watching Homura's figure disappearing into the distance, Orochimaru was inwardly delighted.

It's far too easy for him now to produce "interim results," because the so-called "Type II Elixir" was just a watered-down version. The future "Type III" and "Type IV" Elixirs would just have a little less water each time… That scheme could be repeated many more times.

Though Homura had been taken advantage of, he still had a bit of luck on his side. For the time being, he was unaware he'd been scammed.

Compared to him, the Two-Tails Matatabi was in a much more miserable situation in Karin's Kamui dimension.

Matatabi not only knew it was being exploited but was continually suffering the exploitation.

Inside the Kamui dimension, Matatabi was there along with the Six-Tails Saiken, and Karin was also present.

At this moment, Karin was in the "forbidden" kitchen space, painstakingly practicing her cooking skills.

She wanted to improve secretly and then wow everyone!

In the near future, Samui-nee, Mizukage Mei Terumi, Konan-nee, Leader Nagato, and all the others would surely come to appreciate her cooking!

From a small corner, Matatabi saw Karin come out of the forbidden kitchen, carrying a plate of a charred-black dish. The sight made the Tailed Beast freeze in its tracks.

Karin's cooking wasn't about whether it tasted good or bad—it was that it was fundamentally not edible!

Seeing Matatabi trembling in fear, Saiken scoffed, "Matatabi, look at you acting like a coward. How can a mere human's food scare you so much? There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Just watch—your bro Saiken is going to eat it in one gulp. Then I'll ask her for ten more servings!"

Matatabi: (O_O)???

Matatabi hadn't expected Saiken to be so bold!

It privately considered Saiken as the strongest of the Tailed Beasts for this.

Karin: (O_O)???

Karin herself was momentarily perplexed.

Usually, whether a ninja or a Tailed Beast tried her cooking, one serving was enough to make them full. She didn't expect Saiken to love her cooking so much that it actually wanted ten servings!

Karin: (〃▽〃)

Seeing Saiken's eagerness, Karin's cute little face was all smiles.

She placed one dish in front of the mini-version of Saiken and another dish in front of the mini-version of Matatabi. Then, very happily, she said to the two little Tailed Beasts, "Hurry up and eat. This is my latest recipe. Even Senshi hasn't tried it yet!"

Matatabi was very aware of the destructive potential in Karin's cooking. If Senshi's overwhelming power frightened Matatabi with the prospect of "death," Karin's cooking terrified it with the prospect of "being alive and suffering."

Matatabi's voice quivered as it said, "Karin, I'm not hungry right now. See, my belly's all swollen—I'll eat this afternoon, okay?"

Karin shook her head. "Nope, if it gets cold, it won't taste good!"

Saiken gave Matatabi a scornful glance, silently thinking, "Matatabi is such a weakling. Just watch me gulp it down!"

The moment that thought crossed its mind, Saiken picked up the plate and poured the black, mysterious dish into its mouth.

It gobbled up the entire plateful in a flash.

When Karin saw how quickly Saiken devoured her dark cuisine, she happily dashed back into the forbidden kitchen, ready to make Saiken a second helping.

But right after Saiken finished the dish and ran two steps, it abruptly collapsed to the ground with foam at the mouth—barely breathing, looking as if it were about to die.

Witnessing this, Matatabi was terrified.

And what it dreaded even more was that Karin had already headed back to the kitchen to grab her beloved "little spatula."

Matatabi hurried to Saiken's side, shaking it repeatedly.

"Sai-chan! Sai-chan! What's wrong? Wake up!"

"This is a disaster—she's at it again! You've got to hold on, you can't die here, wooo…!"

While Karin was torturing the two mini Tailed Beasts, Senshi was inspecting the development of Kirigakure together with Mei Terumi.

Over in Kirigakure's Mission Center, he had left several Wood Clone bodies behind. With his recently skyrocketing strength, his Wood Clones could now handle most assignments. Unless it was a high-level mission like capturing Tailed Beasts, there was no need for his real body to show up.

He'd basically finished all the tasks in Kirigakure, and staying there any longer didn't serve much purpose. Meanwhile, back in Amegakure, even more strong-willed youngsters had shown up hoping to join his mercenary group.

Between setting up a refugee shelter and a ninja academy, the results had finally come to fruition.

Thinking of this, Senshi said to Mei Terumi, "Sister Mei, the missions in Kirigakure are mostly sorted out. I'm planning to head back to Amegakure."

Upon hearing his words, Mei Terumi felt a jolt of alarm.

When Senshi stayed in Kumogakure, he brought them a massive development windfall. Now that he was in Kirigakure, they were getting a similar boost. But he had stayed much longer in Kumogakure, allowing them to reap an even bigger reward, whereas in Kirigakure, he handled a few tasks and now wanted to leave. Mei Terumi certainly didn't like that.

But she could see that Senshi had already made up his mind. Insisting he remain would only annoy him—and likely wouldn't work, anyway.

Nevertheless, she had a fallback plan. Instead of forcing him to stay, she said, "Senshi, Kirigakure hopes that the Akatsuki will establish a branch here in Kirigakure."

Senshi: (O_O)???

What Mei Terumi said completely took Senshi by surprise. A proposal for the Akatsuki, a mercenary organization, to set up a branch in Kirigakure?

He scratched his head. "Are you kidding?"

Mei Terumi shook her head, speaking seriously, "Not at all. We truly want the Akatsuki to establish a branch in Kirigakure."

She knew Senshi wouldn't understand at first. On the surface, it might sound complicated, and in truth, it actually was. But once Kirigakure had done its homework on Akatsuki—an organization that began in Amegakure, whose core principle was a world without war and with lasting peace—it became very appealing to a village eager for peace and growth. Besides, with Senshi (a pillar of Akatsuki) having such close ties to Kirigakure, it only made sense.

From the latest intelligence, Kirigakure knew Akatsuki wasn't just talking about peace for show: Amegakure was openly receiving refugees from all over, and its ninja academy was flourishing, producing many promising talents. Those talents would eventually join Akatsuki.

If Akatsuki set up a branch in Kirigakure, then Kirigakure could gain a group of elite ninjas cooperating with them. Furthermore, Kirigakure's own ninjas and youths could study and train with Akatsuki members, improving rapidly. They could even join Akatsuki's Kirigakure branch. And if Senshi became the head of that branch, it would bring him to Kirigakure more often. Whenever the branch had issues, Senshi would have to come deal with them—perfect!

After carefully thinking through all that, Mei Terumi said to Senshi, "You've brought Kirigakure to where it is today. Many kids in the village look up to you. If Akatsuki established a branch here, they'd be inspired to train even harder and join Akatsuki."

Her words made Senshi's mind light up. Many kids in Kirigakure admired him and wanted to join Akatsuki? Perfect!

He quickly checked his mercenary group interface and indeed saw the names of some young hopefuls from Kirigakure. That was enough to make him grin from ear to ear internally.

So he straightened up and replied, "In that case, yes, Akatsuki should set up a branch in Kirigakure. The children are the future, and we should support them wholeheartedly!"

Meanwhile, he silently added to himself: "Sigh, it's not that I want to recruit more ninjas; I just don't want to disappoint these kids!"

Seeing that Senshi agreed, Mei Terumi was also delighted. If she could have Senshi visiting Kirigakure more regularly, they could keep enjoying the benefits that came from his presence and continue to prosper.

She smiled and said, "If that's the case, let's not delay. I'd like to go to Amegakure with you right away to negotiate with the higher-ups of Akatsuki and Amegakure."

Senshi nodded: "Sure, Sister Mei. You wait here. Let me pick up an escort mission and bring Sasori and Karin with us."

Mei Terumi: (O_O)???

She wanted to ask him why they couldn't just teleport via his space-time jutsu and why he insisted on taking a standard escort mission. But Senshi didn't give her a chance to ask, and anyway, there was a simple explanation: He loved carrying out missions the old-fashioned way.

It didn't take long before a merchant caravan appeared not far away. The merchant leader was overjoyed to learn that the one accepting his commission was Lord Senshi himself—personally!

Being escorted by Lord Senshi on his trade journey to Amegakure was a stroke of luck he could brag about for a lifetime. If he phrased it cleverly, he could even claim, "I once assisted Lord Senshi in completing a mission!" Because without him posting that commission, Lord Senshi wouldn't have had a mission to do, right?

Of course, the merchant's happiness meant nothing to Mei Terumi, who found herself sitting in the last carriage of the caravan. She'd pictured traveling swiftly via Senshi's space-time technique, but now found herself bouncing along in a horse-drawn cart—a bit speechless.

She wasn't the only one. Even so, she wasn't left speechless the entire trip: She snacked on seeds while watching Karin challenge Senshi to a fight.

Senshi teased Karin, "Karin, how'd you manage to make yourself so grimy while cooking? You look like a native of Kumogakure now."

Karin: (╥╯﹏╰╥) Sob!

She whined, and then began swinging her little fists like windmills, picking a fight with Senshi.

"It's all your fault! I was in a critical moment of my cooking when you suddenly pulled me out of the Kamui dimension! By the time I got back, the pot had exploded! That's how I ended up like this. So it's all your fault!"

"Pfft!" Hearing that, both Senshi and Mei Terumi, as well as Sasori, couldn't help bursting into laughter.

Karin puffed out her cheeks, glaring, "Senshi, Sasori, Mei-nee—were you making fun of me just now? Looks like I have to cook something you'll all approve of, so you'll finally respect my cooking!"

Sasori quickly raised a hand. "Karin, you're mistaken. I'm just a puppet with no expression. I wasn't laughing."

He made a mental note to modify his "Hiruko" puppet so that it could control whether or not it laughed out loud.

Mei Terumi opened her hand. "Karin, look, I'm in the middle of eating seeds. I can't laugh while I'm chewing."

As for Senshi, he promptly added, "Karin, you know me—I'm a top-tier, well-trained mercenary. No matter how funny something is, I don't laugh while I'm on a mission."

(He silently added, "Unless I can't help it!")

Before Karin could press the point any further, Mei Terumi changed the subject, taking out a handkerchief and waving at Karin. "Karin, come here. Let me wipe your face a little."

Karin's tiny face was so sooty that it really was funny to look at. Mei Terumi felt she needed to wipe it clean quickly or risk laughing again.

The caravan's journey went smoothly, arriving at Amegakure without incident.

Once Senshi turned in the mission, he was ready to bring Mei Terumi to meet Konan.

Sasori said, "You're going to discuss cooperation matters with Konan and the others, and I don't need to be there. I'm heading to the black market to do some jobs."

Senshi: (O_O)???

He wondered why everyone suddenly was so keen on undertaking missions. It wasn't as if you could just spam missions and instantly become a Six Paths-level ninja, right? Then he recalled that Sasori's Hextech Core could still be upgraded three more times, so it made sense.

After Sasori left, Senshi led Mei Terumi toward Konan. Mei's beauty drew many stares from the shinobi and villagers in Amegakure, who whispered among themselves:

"Wow, that kunoichi next to Lord Senshi is gorgeous. Is she his client?"

"She's as beautiful as Angel-sama. I'm in love!"

"Hey, watch your manners! Don't you see the Mizukage hat? That's the Mizukage from the Kirigakure!"

"Whoa! The Mizukage from one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages actually came to our Amegakure! Our village is going places!"

"Where have you been? Our village has already made it big!"

More and more people noticed Senshi's return. Everywhere they went, villagers welcomed him warmly. Many children wanted to run up to him, but upon noticing a "distinguished guest" with him, they held back, only bouncing around to greet him from the roadside.

Gradually, word spread that Lord Senshi was back in the village, and soon the entire place was filled with excitement. Konan, noticing the commotion, walked over calmly to welcome him.

At the sight of the elegant Konan, Mei Terumi narrowed her eyes slightly, thinking, So this is Amegakure's Angel. Definitely a formidable rival…

Konan, seeing the dazzling Mei Terumi, was just as vigilant: The Fifth Mizukage of the Kiri, said to be both bewitching and formidable. Why is she here with Senshi? Trying to poach from Akatsuki?

But before she could dwell on that, Senshi spoke up cheerfully. "Sister Konan, let me introduce you two. This is Mei Terumi, the Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure."

Then he said to Mei, "Sister Mei, this is Konan, a senior leader in Akatsuki and a key figure in Amegakure—our Angel here in Ame."

For brevity, he skipped over the detail that Konan was basically Amegakure's acting vice-Kage.

He continued, "Kirigakure hopes that Akatsuki can establish a branch there. Sister Mei came here specifically to discuss this with you."

Konan: (O_O)???

She was stunned. Set up an Akatsuki branch in one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—Kirigakure? That sounded too crazy to be true.

She told them that she couldn't decide on such a big matter alone and suggested they go talk to Nagato (the leader).

Soon enough, they all headed toward Pain's office.

In his personal room in Amegakure's tower, Nagato was busy working through a huge pile of documents—"Amekage" paperwork. Even with his restored and strengthened body, it was overwhelming. If not for his much-improved health, this job might very well have killed him from overexertion.

While signing documents, he frowned in pain; Konan was approaching his office—but so was Senshi and the Mizukage. He decided to channel some attention through Tendo (Deva Path) Pain to see what was happening.

Once they reached Tendo's office, Konan explained the situation: "Pain, the Mizukage from Kirigakure would like to form a close partnership with us. She wants to invite us to set up an Akatsuki branch in Kirigakure."

Nagato, listening through Tendo, was stunned by her words. One of the Five Great Nations—Kirigakure in the Land of Water—wanted an Akatsuki branch? Could that be real?

He had Tendo look at Senshi, hoping for more clarity. Since the Mizukage came with Senshi, presumably he knew the facts.

Tendo Pain turned to Senshi. "Senshi, what's going on?"

Senshi explained, "Basically, Amegakure's rapid progress and Akatsuki's ideals sparked Kirigakure's interest. Both sides share common ground. The Mizukage hopes to deepen cooperation, achieving a win-win situation."

He refrained from adding, "I get four or five wins out of it myself," although that was definitely on his mind…

After Senshi spoke, Nagato (via Tendo) decided they needed a formal discussion before making any decisions. Cooperating with one of the Five Great Nations was a huge step, so they'd have to convene a meeting.

He said to Mei Terumi, "Mizukage, this is unprecedented. We must hold a meeting to discuss it. We'll give you our answer tomorrow."

Mei Terumi nodded. "Very well, I'll take my leave for now."

Tendo politely offered, "We can arrange someone to guide you around Amegakure."

She declined. "That won't be necessary. I'll look around on my own."

After that, Tendo didn't insist. Once the situation moved into "meeting and discussion," Senshi was ready to slip away. He wanted to find Kakuzu—who, along with Hidan, had been racking up missions like crazy. Especially Kakuzu: after decades of job-hunting experience, he was a mission-completing machine.

But as Senshi was about to exit Tendo's office, Konan stopped him. "Senshi, wait. You need to attend this meeting with us."

"Huh?" He paused, then smirked. "I get to join a high-level meeting?"

Konan nodded seriously. "You've contributed so much to Amegakure and Akatsuki that you're now an essential figure for both. From now on, you'll participate in major decision-making meetings about the organization's and the village's development."

Internally, Konan sighed. So many members of Akatsuki were away on missions, and Uchiha Madara had disappeared. That left only her and Nagato to handle many critical decisions. But fortunately, Senshi was reliable in both strategy and information, so letting him attend important meetings was the logical step.

At this, Karin piped up with her hand raised. "Konan-nee, can I listen in as well?"

Konan smiled, reaching out to pat Karin's small head. "Of course. Stay by Senshi's side and learn. When you're older, you can help run Akatsuki and Amegakure."

Karin: (〃▽〃)

She was overjoyed. Would she really be that awesome when she grew up? Awesome!

And so Tendo Pain, Konan, and Senshi began their meeting. Karin, though she wanted to cling to Senshi's back, realized it was a serious occasion and chose to sit quietly next to him.

Through Tendo, Nagato opened the discussion. "We can't work with Kirigakure. Even less so can we open a branch there! Akatsuki's ultimate goal is to make the world feel pain, understand pain, accept pain, and taste pain. Only by enduring the extremes of suffering can people comprehend the value of peace, so they will live in eternal peace in the new world we create!"

As Tendo spoke, he raised both arms zealously, as if ready to ascend into the sky and start quizzing people about how many flights of stairs a single bag of rice could climb.

Konan and Nagato had debated the organization's ultimate purpose before. Konan believed in returning to their original ideals, while Nagato felt they should stick to their current plan.

Now Nagato, via Tendo, said, "Teaming up with Kirigakure doesn't fit Akatsuki's existing objective."

Konan was silent for a moment, then responded quietly, "That's true. A Kirigakure-based branch doesn't align with our current stance. Still, cooperating with Kirigakure and by extension the Land of Water—one of the Five Great Nations—would supply us with vast resources and population benefits. Rejecting them would be a pity."

No sooner had she said that than Nagato retorted through Tendo:

"Konan, you're mistaken. Setting up an Akatsuki branch in Kirigakure is absolutely impossible! If Kirigakure's ninjas join Akatsuki now, then once we implement our final plan, we'll end up fighting them—ninja against ninja, a civil war within Akatsuki!"

"This proposal is fundamentally flawed. I reject it!"

~~~

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