Orochimaru: (⊙_⊙)???
He nearly blacked out the moment he heard Senshi.
That guy is just ruthless!
Not only is he refusing to give free intel, he's asking for thirty million ryō, like some sky-high ransom!
At that price, Orochimaru might as well add a bit more and buy a "Sarutobi Asuma" on the black market!
Frowning, Orochimaru thought for a second, then said coolly, "Senshi, your Wood Release clone has a job to help me research the Blacklight Virus. Providing some related intel is obviously part of that job, right? Why would you charge extra?"
Senshi just gave an innocent nod. "Snake Bro, you're absolutely right. But, hey, while you were talking, I kinda forgot what that intel was. If I ever remember, I'll tell you first thing, okay?"
Orochimaru: …
He was speechless.
As if Senshi would "forget" on accident.
With no better choice, Orochimaru tried giving ground: "How about five million ryō, and you give me the intel."
Paying thirty million?
Absolutely not happening!
Right now, the Blacklight Virus research hasn't produced any profit, only upfront costs. He had to keep expenses down!
Senshi acted shocked, eyes wide. "Snake Bro, this intel's super important, crucial, practically top secret!"
Orochimaru: (O_O)???
So important?
So crucial?
Practically top secret?
Is it really that big of a deal?
He hesitated. But he remembered all the times Senshi had scammed him before, so he knew it was probably exaggerated.
Gritting his teeth, he came back: "Ten million. That's my limit!"
Senshi shook his head. "Snake Bro, without this intel, who knows how much time and money you'll waste."
Orochimaru was at a loss.
In research, even the tiniest detour can cost a fortune. Judging by Senshi's attitude, Orochimaru must really be off track. If he didn't pay up, he'd likely waste a ton of time and money later.
Steeling himself, Orochimaru caved.
Anyway, if he produced some preliminary results, he could fleece all five great villages for big money. He'd recover his losses eventually.
"All right, Senshi, I'll pay you twenty million ryō. I want critical intel on the Blacklight Virus based on the progress I've made so far."
He still couldn't stomach the full thirty million, so he split the difference at twenty.
He considered that pretty darn high – he originally wanted it for free!
"Ayeee, Snake Bro, you're getting so cheap. But fine, fine, I'll cut you some slack since you're an old customer."
[Mission Accepted!]
[Client: Orochimaru]
[Goal: Provide key intel on the Blacklight Virus based on Orochimaru's current research progress!]
[Reward: 20 million ryō]
[Mission Rank: S]
[Mission Bonus: 20,000 Employment Points!]
The system's voice echoed in Senshi's head, and he lit up with glee.
He didn't actually have any "practically undisclosable" top-secret intel.
"Snake Bro, truth is, you're going at this from the wrong angle," Senshi said cheerily right after the system prompt played in his mind.
"You jumped straight to studying how strong the Blacklight Virus could get, so no matter how powerful it is, it'll eventually get out of control. Without controllability, even a strong virus is just a double-edged sword – sooner or later, it'll bite you."
Orochimaru's brow twitched, his golden snake-like eyes glinting with thought.
Folding his arms, he rasped, "Oh? Then what's your idea for researching the Blacklight Virus?"
Senshi shrugged, speaking casually but also sounding confident: "The main focus should be on controllability. Make sure the virus is stable at its current stage, then gradually boost its power. Otherwise, no matter how OP it becomes, you'll just have a bunch of uncontrollable freaks, which is useless in practice."
Orochimaru went quiet for a moment, looking conflicted.
He stared at Senshi, mouth twitching faintly. "That's it?"
Senshi still beamed. "Yup. That's everything."
Orochimaru's face darkened, anger coloring his voice. "Senshi, that's nowhere near worth twenty million ryō!"
Senshi instantly dropped his smile and looked righteously offended. "What do you mean it's not? Snake Bro, is it crucial intel or not? If you didn't have it, wouldn't you keep going in circles, wasting time and research funds?"
Orochimaru couldn't get a word out. He knew Senshi had a point, but he was still upset.
He bit down, thinking, If I could beat this jerk, I wouldn't pay a dime!
But as strong as Orochimaru had become, he was still nowhere near Senshi's level.
Reluctantly, he stifled his anger, pulled out a check, jotted down "20,000,000 ryō," and handed it over. His tone was full of bitterness. "Take it."
Senshi accepted the check, nodding happily, smiling brighter than ever. "Snake Bro, you really get it."
Internally, Orochimaru was annoyed but had to admit Senshi's tip made sense.
He finally understood why all those Blacklight Virus subjects grew stronger but stayed uncontrollable.
Having been "robbed" of twenty million, Orochimaru turned his frustration into determination.
He vowed to get some solid findings on the Blacklight Virus, then rake in a fortune from the Five Great Villages to recoup all these losses.
…
Meanwhile, beyond Amegakure, Obito stood in a tree's shadow, coldly watching the settlement.
His plan was unfolding, and this time his target was Nagato.
To stay safe, Obito wasn't risking a direct infiltration, nor even getting close to the village.
All his intel came from the White Zetsu created by Uchiha Madara.
These White Zetsu had quietly gathered intel for him underground, unseen and unheard.
One White Zetsu emerged halfway out of the trunk in a gravelly voice: "I've basically got all the intel now."
Obito's eyes lit up hopefully; he pressed on, "What's going on in Amegakure nowadays? Is Senshi there? Are his Wood clones less numerous now? Anything new on Nagato?"
He fired off a bunch of questions; White Zetsu answered them one by one: "Amegakure is prospering more and more, with tons of people coming and going each day, lots of strangers around. Slipping in would be pretty safe now – so many unfamiliar faces that they couldn't tell who might be a threat."
Obito's lips curled, eyes shining malevolently. "Nice. Looks like my luck's finally turning around."
Ever since Senshi had meddled with the Akatsuki's plans, Obito's luck had been all bad.
Everything was going wrong.
Now he sensed a chance, sparking some excitement.
Obito stood in the darkness outside Amegakure, tapping his fingers on the tree absentmindedly, his gaze cold and deep.
He turned to White Zetsu, voice husky and low: "Is Senshi in Amegakure?"
White Zetsu slowly stuck out a bit more, shaking its head uncertainly. "Probably not. He hasn't shown up there in days – even that assistant, Uzumaki Karin, is missing. No solid info, but it seems neither is in the village."
Obito frowned, eyes flickering with thought.
He asked again, "What about the black market? Has Senshi been there at all recently?"
White Zetsu talked slowly, like digging up memory: "From what I've seen, only Senshi's Wood-Release clones have been in the black market. His real self and Uzumaki Karin haven't appeared at all."
"Plus, Amegakure itself has way fewer clones than before."
Hearing that, Obito's eyes sharpened, an involuntary cold smile crossing his mouth.
He felt a stirring excitement, like seeing hope for his plan.
He silently thought, It looks like my luck is truly changing.
What a golden opportunity.
The odds of taking on Nagato had gone way up.
Still, Obito stayed careful. "Any idea why Senshi's clones are fewer now?"
White Zetsu had top-tier scouting skills, both stealth and data-collection.
After a moment's pause, it said uncertainly, "Not sure. I'm guessing it's because Senshi handed all the black market tasks in Amegakure over to his mercenary group members. That's why he pulled back most of his clones."
It went on, "These days, Uzumaki Musen and the rest keep going in and out of Amegakure black market more than ever, taking lots of missions. Meanwhile, Senshi's clones hardly go there."
Obito nodded, a knowing glint in his eyes.
This intel matched what he had suspected.
Senshi always put huge emphasis on training his mercenary members, even letting them take over black market missions in Amegakure to help them grow quickly.
Now, being in Senshi's merc group was considered a huge honor for Ame ninja.
By giving them free rein on the black market, Senshi was building them up.
Inwardly, Obito sneered, That guy sure knows how to use people, letting underlings do the dirty work.
But that spelled a rare opening for Obito.
Seeing Obito pondering, White Zetsu added, "Actually, the clones Senshi left in Amegakure have changed their jobs. Some are at the ninja academy guiding new recruits, others are at Senshi Bank handling finances, and more are at the refugee shelter helping the displaced. The clones he had on the black market have been pulled out one by one, obviously leaving those small tasks to the mercenary group members."
Obito nodded, digging deeper into Senshi's strategies.
Not only had Senshi let them handle tasks, but he'd also given them the freedom to grow.
Those "rookies" could gain random scratch-off cards and strengthen themselves by completing missions.
It was a genuinely efficient management model for Senshi's mercenary group.
But for Obito, it was the perfect opening.
His mood brightened.
He turned to White Zetsu again, voice urgent: "What's the deal with Nagato? Has he done anything in Amegakure lately?"
White Zetsu's expression turned strange. Its voice sounded complicated. "Nagato's not just 'done something' in Amegakure – he's doing a lot. A whole lot."
Obito frowned, suspicious.
"What's he doing? Spell it out."
White Zetsu emerged fully from the trunk, still talking in that slow, "replaying memory" way: "Amegakure is basically modeling itself after major villages like Konoha now."
Obito: (O_O)???
Hearing that, Obito's brow furrowed tight, confusion etched all over his face.
He'd asked about Nagato personally, but White Zetsu was talking about how Amegakure was developing. This made no sense to him.
He was about to demand clarity, but White Zetsu continued: "So Amegakure has a 'Kage-like' position now. It also set up a bunch of departments: an Anbu, a Police Division, Reconnaissance, Interrogation, Defense, Foreign Affairs, and a Shinobi Tools Research Division. Everything's structured and clear.
"Nominally, Nagato remains the ultimate leader, but in practice he's taking on all the duties of an Amekage.' Meanwhile, the Six Paths of Pain each runs one department, handling day-to-day tasks."
Obito: (O_O)!!!
Once White Zetsu finished, Obito froze, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
His lips twitched, and he couldn't help grumbling inside: Are you freaking kidding me?
Given Nagato's wrecked body, how on earth could he handle such a load?
He's working seven roles at once—does he have a death wish?
Shaken, Obito pressed White Zetsu: "You're sure Nagato is basically operating at a Kage's capacity?"
White Zetsu nodded firmly. "One hundred percent sure. It's been this way for a while."
Obito involuntarily smirked coldly, a bit of schadenfreude in his gaze.
With Nagato doing this, he's basically digging his own grave.
Sure, he's got Uzumaki physiology and massive chakra, enough to run the Rinnegan. But using the Rinnegan that hard on top of so much work is just going to wear him down.
Recalling the last time he saw Nagato—pale as a sheet, moving slowly—Obito guessed Nagato was basically at his limit now. Rinnegan alone guzzled chakra. He'd burn out sooner or later.
Steeling himself, Obito's eyes flashed darkly.
He'd speed up Nagato's collapse, adding more complications until his body gave out.
By now, Obito had mastered double Kamui, was progressing fast with Susanoo, and was close to perfect form.
With that toolkit, dealing with a physically drained, slow-moving Nagato wasn't too tough.
But to ensure absolute success, he'd pile even more onto Nagato.
He sneered to himself, "Since Nagato's the 'Rain Kage' now, and the Six Paths handle six departments, I'll hit all seven areas, bury him in so much work he's forced to break."
Seeing Obito ponder, White Zetsu asked curiously, "What's the plan?"
Obito snapped out of it, eyes flashing with malice.
"I'll start by causing trouble outside Amegakure to see how Nagato responds. Keep tabs on every merchant caravan going in or out—if they don't have strong ninja, leak that intel to nearby bandits and mercenaries. I want Nagato's Defense Division running themselves ragged so they can't focus on anything else."
White Zetsu nodded, wearing a wicked smile. "Got it, I'll handle it."
Obito let out a cold laugh, a frosty gleam in his eyes. "Nagato wants to be 'Amekage'? Then let him feel the cost of being a Kage."
…
On the road from Amegakure to Kusagakure, a merchant caravan traveled calmly.
Its members all looked relaxed, apparently trusting that the route was safe.
For quite a while, thanks to Lord Senshi and his Wood clones actively watching the region, bandits and robbers had almost vanished.
The caravan had grown used to the peace, thinking the road was basically risk-free.
But they didn't realize a White Zetsu had been tailing them, quietly evaluating their cargo's worth and the guard detail.
Hiding in shadows, White Zetsu quickly judged the goods to be worth around twenty million ryō, while the caravan's guards were notably weak with no high-level ninja.
Confirming that, White Zetsu slipped away.
Soon, it arrived at a bandit stronghold nearby.
A group of bandits sat around a campfire, looking gloomy.
Under normal logic, with more caravans around, bandits should be having a field day. They could live off stolen wealth without lifting a finger to produce anything.
But reality turned out differently.
Recently, Senshi and his Wood clones had frequently mingled among caravans.
Any bandit unlucky enough to run into one of Senshi's clones while raiding ended up with a gruesome end, never even getting a chance to rethink their line of work.
Though Senshi and his clones now rarely showed up, Senshi's mercenary group members had stepped in.
Those ninjas were strong and threatened the bandits big-time.
Plenty of gangs had tried hitting caravans, only to run into formidable guards, ending in total defeat or serious losses.
Just as these bandits were despairing about their futures, White Zetsu suddenly emerged halfway from behind a thick tree.
It appeared silently, like a ghost from the ground.
Its voice was low and eerie, with a trace of temptation: "There's a caravan headed from Amegakure to Kusa. They're about halfway, carrying cargo worth around twenty million ryō, and they have no strong ninja."
It dropped that intel and vanished into the tree before the bandits could respond, as if it had never been there.
Around the campfire, everyone froze in shock.
Their leader jumped up, clutching a heavy spiked club, glaring around viciously. "Who's behind that tree?! Show yourself!"
The bandits were immediately on guard, cold sweat dripping down their backs.
They'd been sitting around the fire, warm and cozy, oblivious to anyone coming close.
That silent approach terrified them like never before.
At a sharp glance from the boss—Iwato—the bandits stood, gripped their weapons, and inched around the tree carefully, hearts pounding like drums.
But circling behind it, they found nothing; the speaker was gone without a trace.
They exchanged looks of shock and confusion.
They had no idea who that was or how they'd arrived and left so stealthily.
But the intel was now seared into their minds.
One bandit finally broke the silence, sounding uncertain. "Boss, how do we handle that intel?"
Iwato, leader of this band, had once been a Chūnin from Iwagakure.
He wasn't top-tier among major villages, but for a smaller village or a standard bandit crew, he was pretty tough.
Yet at the moment, his expression shifted with indecision, brow furrowed tight.
He realized that the mysterious ninja's power was far beyond his own.
As a Chūnin, he hadn't even sensed them arriving or leaving, so that meant at least Jōnin-level or higher. If that person wanted to wipe them out, they wouldn't need mind games – they could do it easily.
Thinking this through, Iwato calmed down.
He took a deep breath, speaking decisively: "Let's go check it out. Might be real!"
For these bandits, a single haul worth twenty million ryō was massive.
At their leader's words, greed lit up every bandit's eyes.
Meanwhile, other bandit crews and merc groups were also mobilizing, having received tips from the same "mysterious ninja." Though they were half-skeptical, greed drove them onward.
Very soon, they hit pay dirt – the intel was accurate, their robberies faced almost no pushback.
Even more surprising, the mystery ninja didn't stop feeding them info. Every time they succeeded, new intel would arrive on schedule, as though the feast never ended.
These bandits and mercenaries were elated.
They'd never had such an easy time "working."
With precise info, they took almost no risk. They just followed the directions and got big hauls every time.
In sharp contrast, Nagato's mood in Amegakure tower was growing heavier by the day.
At the top floor of the tower, in Nagato's office, the atmosphere felt suffocating.
Konan pushed open the door, carrying a thick stack of documents, her footsteps heavy.
Her face remained as gorgeous as ever but frosty now, deep fatigue and anger between her brows.
"Same as before. Another two caravans were hit. Not only was the cargo taken, there were also casualties."
Nagato, seated behind his desk, frowned, drumming his fingers unconsciously. "Looks like someone's targeting Amegakure in secret. But we don't have enough intel to figure out who's behind it yet."
From the moment the first caravan was attacked, Nagato had sensed something was off. Initially, he assumed it was a one-off incident.
Bandits lurked everywhere, and any caravan could be a target.
But as the number of hit caravans kept rising, Nagato realized it was far from simple.
~~~
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