Chapter 11 – Becoming the Financier

"The organization will evaluate your abilities to determine whether you meet the standards to become an official member," Pain said seriously, his tone unwavering.

Although Akatsuki was a notorious and terrifying organization, this interview process felt surprisingly formal. Perhaps others didn't need to go through this, but since Getsushoku was brought in by "Madara," Pain instinctively didn't trust him.

Pain continued, "I heard you were the one who blew up the Hokage Rock. Do you have some deep grudge against Konoha?"

Getsushoku nodded. "Konoha conducts illegal human experimentation in secret. I was trafficked there and used as a test subject."

At those words, Konan's expression shifted slightly, her eyes quietly assessing Getsushoku with a trace of suspicion.

Pain's pale Rinnegan eyes didn't blink. He asked his next question: "Have you seen Uchiha Madara's true face?"

"I have," Getsushoku replied without a hint of hesitation.

On the surface, Pain and Konan stayed composed, but a storm was raging beneath their calm exteriors. Before they could press further, Getsushoku continued of his own accord,

"That guy in your organization wearing the orange mask is a fake."

Konan's expression finally betrayed a hint of surprise.

"With your age, it's impossible for you to have seen Uchiha Madara. How can you be sure he's an impostor?"

Getsushoku gave a faint smile.

"Konoha is a formal shinobi village, and they keep detailed records on every ninja. There's a classified file in the Hokage's archives with a full record of Uchiha Madara—his appearance, his jutsu, everything. I happened upon it by accident, so I know what he looks like and what he was capable of."

"That masked guy? Besides his space-time ninjutsu, which is admittedly hard to defend against, everything else about him is sloppy. He doesn't seem too bright either. He's got nothing in common with the real Uchiha Madara."

Getsushoku wove half-truths with outright lies, successfully misleading both Pain and Konan, who were now even more curious about the masked man's true identity.

He didn't hold back, generously offering a solid lead: "In the Uchiha clan's records, only one person was known to possess space-time dojutsu. His name is..."

Getsushoku leaned in close, whispering the name "Obito" just loud enough for Pain to hear.

Pain rose to his feet. "Welcome to the Akatsuki."

Getsushoku smiled at him. "May I ask—what's the salary like in Akatsuki?"

Konan nearly choked.

Getsushoku feigned shock.

"Wait... don't tell me there's no salary? You guys charge employees to work here?!"

Konan, lacking the emotional training to stay composed, coughed a few times before retorting,

"You're a rogue ninja. The Akatsuki is already taking a huge risk by accepting you! Otherwise, you'd have no choice but to live in hiding, always at risk of being hunted down by Konoha."

"In the entire shinobi world, only Akatsuki is willing to shelter you. You should be grateful."

Getsushoku gave her a sidelong glance, getting the distinct impression he was talking to a corporate HR rep trying to manipulate a new hire before they'd even signed the contract.

Tilting his head slightly, he said, "Alright, enough of that boring nonsense. The Akatsuki isn't worthy of my unconditional loyalty just yet. But... I do have another proposal. Care to hear it?"

"Oh?" Pain's voice was icy. Someone had just rejected the Akatsuki? Was this guy looking to die?

Getsushoku stood up and turned his back on them. He pulled out a scroll.

"Each month, I'll provide Akatsuki with funding..."

He tossed the scroll over. Konan caught it and unrolled it—only to freeze. She looked up at Getsushoku as if he were an idiot.

Getsushoku felt personally attacked. He made a mental note to get back at her later.

But Konan wasn't the type to be swayed just because someone handed over a massive pile of cash. Instead, her wariness deepened.

"What's your angle?"

Getsushoku met her eyes. "Call it cooperation, investment, or employment—however you want to spin it. The Akatsuki is a mercenary group. You take on outside contracts. Why can't one of those be from me?"

In the original timeline, Iwagakure often hired Akatsuki to stir up trouble. Getsushoku wasn't short on money. To the system, the currency of the shinobi world was practically worthless—one point could be exchanged for heaps of it. He didn't even know where the system got all this money from.

From his limited understanding of economics, if the system were generating money out of thin air, then flooding the market with all these "counterfeit" bills could trigger a financial crisis.

Which, frankly, sounded amazing.

Getsushoku loved chaos.

"Don't be too surprised," he said. "The lives of the wealthy are dull and meaningless. I actually think Akatsuki's ideals are pretty interesting. So, I'm supporting you financially. Naturally, I'll expect you to do a few things for me in return."

"By the way, since you guys claim to be peace-loving idealists of the shinobi world, have you ever thought of getting some rich sponsors? Sure, you're not great with words, but you've got fists, don't you?"

Robbery beats missions in terms of income, hands down.

The money Kakuzu earned by selling out his teammates was pocket change compared to what real tycoons could offer.

Pain and Konan stared, speechless.

"To achieve great things, one must overlook the small stuff. For eternal peace, some sacrifices must be made. What do you think of my idea?" Getsushoku asked with a smile.

Konan and Pain exchanged a glance. "We accept your offer."

As annoying as Getsushoku was, the amount of money he offered was simply too good to pass up.

Getsushoku nodded.

"Excellent. You'll come to understand in time that this is a win-win. Now, I'll be staying in Amegakure for a while, and I'd like to meet the rest of the Akatsuki's staff."

...

As Akatsuki's financier, Getsushoku's status was on par with that of a high-paying client. He didn't need the organization's trademark ring. He didn't even need to attend meetings—because he was the one giving the missions.

They say money can move mountains, or even demons.

Akatsuki had taken his money. Naturally, they had to get to work.

Getsushoku's first order: spread rumors.

His target this time—Orochimaru.

It was time to settle the score with that slippery snake...

During his stay in Amegakure, Getsushoku made a surprising friend: Kakuzu.

Kakuzu loved money. Getsushoku had an endless supply of "money-making" ideas. They were two peas in a rotten pod.

Getsushoku enthusiastically gifted him a few books: The Scheme Manual, Multi-Level Marketing Tactics, and How to Become a Capitalist.

Kakuzu was stunned after reading them—but ultimately still felt that plain ol' robbery was faster.

Getsushoku didn't disagree. As long as you had power, money was never an issue.

So, he handed Kakuzu a list of wealthy merchants and nobles from all across the Land of Fire.

Kakuzu stared at him like he was an idiot.

"You want me to rob them? Do I look that dumb to you?"

Getsushoku rolled his eyes.

"Is robbery all you ever think about? You could set up a scam, blackmail, manipulate—get them to hand it over willingly..."

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