Freelancer in Naruto

Shortly after Senshi and Ōnoki signed their cooperation agreement, the Land of Earth's Minister of Economic Development, Nishimura, arrived with a host of merchants from the Land of Earth.

Nishimura was currently furious. The two bandits who had been roaming around the Land of Earth's borders had already lingered there for a very long time.

Yet Iwagakure still hadn't taken care of them! He marched straight into the meeting room where everyone was convened, turned to Ōnoki, and demanded, "Lord Tsuchikage, every year the Daimyō allocates a huge budget to Iwagakure. Is this how you serve the Land of Earth? The bandit problem near our borders isn't recent—it's been going on for ages. Now it seems Iwagakure can't even handle such a small matter?"

If Senshi's cooperation agreement hadn't been signed, Ōnoki might have been caught somewhat short, facing Nishimura.

But now the situation was different: Iwagakure had already become one of Senshi's friends. According to the two bandits' "Three Don't-Rob" principle, Iwagakure had just received "don't rob" privileges as well.

So, hands clasped behind his back, Ōnoki levitated in midair and responded unhurriedly, "Minister, until the Daimyō's official orders arrived, Iwagakure could only engage in limited action for this sort of thing. But our actions have been effective. Under the pursuit of Iwagakure's Jinchūriki Rōshi, those two bandits don't even dare show themselves in the area where he's operating. Compare that to those hired mercenaries who have been beaten to a pulp, and you'll understand what a deterrent our Iwagakure ninja actually are!"

The Commerce Minister and the many caravan bosses hearing this were visibly stunned. They did know part of what the Tsuchikage was referring to. In a sense, it even sounds about right: wherever Iwagakure's ninja appeared, those two bandits vanished without a trace, never daring to poke their heads out.

Sitting not far from Ōnoki, Rōshi found himself feeling extremely guilty. In reality, it wasn't that the bandits had gone quiet—he was just deliberately going to places where they wouldn't turn up. Put simply, it was like searching for fish up in a tree. Catching them would be a miracle!

Still, Nishimura hadn't become a minister-level official by being an average sort. Immediately, he said to Ōnoki:

"Lord Tsuchikage, it's not enough for bandits to merely vanish where Iwagakure's shinobi have set up patrols. After all, your ninja can't possibly patrol every corner of the Land of Earth. What truly needs doing is to eliminate those two criminals once and for all."

This was precisely what Ōnoki had been hoping to hear. As soon as Nishimura said it, the Tsuchikage's slightly clouded old eyes lit up. "Minister Nishimura, what you suggest certainly isn't wrong. However, Iwagakure has already adopted an even better measure. Those two bandits are extremely strong, but they follow three don't-rob rules, one of which is 'They do not rob the friends of Lord Senshi.' As it so happens, Iwagakure is now a friend of Lord Senshi. That means caravans from the Land of Earth will no longer be targeted. Let other factions suffer the damage instead."

Nishimura and the numerous caravan bosses, upon hearing this, were invigorated. No wonder Ōnoki was fit to be the Tsuchikage; despite a bit of delay, the result he'd secured was excellent! Merchants from the Land of Earth would remain safe, while some of their rivals might become new targets for those two bandits. It was practically a double windfall.

At that point, Ōnoki moved over to Senshi and said, "Lord Senshi, about Iwagakure becoming your friend—if you'd be so kind as to announce it publicly."

Senshi nodded. "Relax, Tsuchikage-bro. I treat all my friends equally; I certainly won't exclude Iwagakure. As for those bandits, from Iwagakure's perspective, they're no longer an issue."

With that assurance from Senshi, Ōnoki could rest easy. Wasting no time, he turned to Nishimura and the many big-shot merchants and said, "Now that our Iwagakure is building a long-term friendship with Lord Senshi, we need to reach an understanding on a few matters—such as raising commodity taxes and increasing budget allocations, for example."

In order to gain Senshi's cooperation, Ōnoki had shelled out a total of four hundred million ryō. And even so, it didn't guarantee that Kurotsuchi or any of Iwagakure's other shinobi would be accepted into Senshi's mercenary corps.

Under these circumstances, Nishimura and all these major merchants—who had come here oblivious to the bigger picture—naturally wouldn't be allowed to leave unscathed.

After all, not only does wool grow on sheep, but it may also be found in the hands of whoever shears them. If he didn't fleece these people at least a little, what would have been the point of his decades as Tsuchikage?

Senshi, for his part, had no intention of stepping in to stop Ōnoki's scheme to collect extra money under the banner of "cooperating with Senshi." He simply found it amusing deep down.

The folks from Iwagakure lacked the guts to go out and exterminate bandits for real, but they had plenty of gall when it came to using the bandit situation to rake in money.

But for Senshi, it was good news as well. The more capital Iwagakure amassed, the deeper his friendship with them would become. One could look at Orochimaru ("Snake Bro") and Black Zetsu ("Zetsu Bro") for reference. Their bond with him was rock-solid and stable indeed.

While Ōnoki set off to squeeze money out of the business heavyweights, Senshi took his own steps. Without delay, he used the Kāma space-time teleport to reach the place where Obito and Madara were located.

In a forest clearing, Madara and Obito were counting money. Of late, their "business" was blazing along, and their funds were growing at an astonishing rate. Both were in very high spirits.

Suddenly, a dark red spiral portal appeared not far away. Madara and Obito hardly reacted. Right now, they were earning so quickly that, with just a bit more time—especially once their kidnapping-ransom venture truly launched—they'd have enough to purchase all the Tailed Beasts.

Senshi, arriving to see them happily tallying their cash, was quite satisfied with their diligence. But he still had to let Madara and "Soy Boy" (Obito) know that it was time to pivot their business model.

It was a bit like when smartphones emerged and Nokia could no longer keep producing old-style Nokia phones—they had to keep up with the times.

Stepping up in front of Madara and Obito, Senshi cleared his throat. "Madara-bro, Obito, there's something I need to tell you."

Still bent over his piles of money, Madara answered casually, "Go ahead. We'll have the funds to buy the Tailed Beasts soon enough, so get them ready."

Senshi smiled. "Madara-bro, Tailed Beasts aren't an issue; that's on me. The real issue is that Iwagakure has just become my friend."

Madara: (O_O)???

Obito: (O_O)???

Their faces abruptly shifted from cheerful to not-so-cheerful. Madara couldn't help leaping to his feet. "That's unacceptable! If all the big ninja villages become allied with Ame—or your friends—where on earth can Obito and I run our business?"

Waving him down, Senshi urged calm. "Madara-bro, banditry isn't a long-term solution. Think about it: the merchants' funds are limited, and the rate they earn is also limited. If you rob them two or three times, you bankrupt them on the spot, whether they're my friends or not. They simply can't afford to be looted anymore."

Faced with this logic, Madara paused, acknowledging inwardly that Senshi's words made sense. After a moment, he replied, "You're right, but we don't need a continual supply of money from them. We only need enough to buy the Tailed Beasts, then move on with other plans."

Senshi gave a helpless sigh. "Even so, you and Obito still can't rob the merchants from the Land of Earth. They're my friends now, and I have to treat my friends equally. If you rob them, it tarnishes my reputation."

Madara frowned deeply. "But if we don't continue our rob-and-ransom operations, we have no other method to obtain funds."

Laughing, Senshi responded, "Madara-bro, as long as our perspective doesn't get stuck, there are always more solutions than problems. Rather than sabotaging production, why not join the creation and take part in generating wealth? If you keep walking against the tide, you'll feel the entire shinobi world is against you. But if you walk alongside it, the entire shinobi world becomes your driving force."

Alas, Senshi's attempt at persuasion couldn't match the talk-no-jutsu that "That Lad" (Naruto) might bring, and the promise of no-cost acquisitions was too tempting. Madara rejected it, saying, "Senshi, I have another idea. How about you temporarily suspend your alliances with all the Five Great Nations and other smaller ninja villages, so Obito and I can loot at will for a while and make a big haul? Once we're done and have enough money, you can restore your ties with them."

Senshi: (O_O)???

What kind of logic was that? Did he think alliances were some switch he could flip on and off? If he pulled a stunt like that, who would ever trust him again?

Moreover, the money Madara and Obito stole wasn't handed directly to Senshi, who only got paid for commissions he completed. Obviously he couldn't accept Madara's terms. Shaking his head, he said, "I refuse. Starting now, Madara-bro, Obito—you can't target Land of Earth caravans anymore. As for the business you'll operate from now on, I already have an idea."

"Given that both of you have rare, remarkable skills, it'd be a waste for you not to be mercenaries!"

Madara: (O_O)???

Obito: (O_O)???

They both froze. Was Senshi really serious?

They had been living it up on "zero-cost purchases," and he wanted them to go get jobs? It seemed utterly absurd. Madara, getting upset, retorted, "You want me—Uchiha Madara, one of the two titans of the Warring States era—to go run around the black market for mercenary commissions? The pace of money we earn there can't compare at all to what we're doing now."

Neither Madara nor Obito wanted to give up their "zero-cost plus ransom" business. But as of this moment, if they wouldn't step back, Senshi could only make them.

In fact, Senshi had never truly supported them running around robbing caravans. Robbery and kidnapping didn't create wealth; they just seized it. The morality was irrelevant—what mattered was that it could hamper overall development of the shinobi world.

Senshi had so many Wood Clones around, and his mercenary corps had plenty of underlings to feed. Any slowdown in development meant fewer hire-points for him.

So if they robbed a bit for a short while, he'd let it slide; long term, he would "macro-control" them. Besides, now that Iwagakure was his friend, they absolutely couldn't keep preying on the Land of Earth.

After thinking about it, Senshi said, "Madara-bro, your view of mercenaries is far too narrow. Ever since I became a mercenary, I can't count how many commissions worth over a hundred million I've taken on. Even just before I came here, I accepted a 400-million-ryō mission. With the skills you and Obito have, if you head to the black market to do missions, you can quite easily rake in tens of Billions!"

When Senshi finished talking, Madara still wore a dark expression, showing no sign of agreement. Obito, however, started clapping with a "patter, patter," looking as if he wanted no part of this "mess." With Obito applauding, Madara scowled, "Earning as a mercenary is troublesome, and it seriously damages our dignity. We want to continue our current business model."

Madara did not plan to yield—he wanted to keep zero-cost looting going. Senshi, hearing that, grew a bit angry: "What have mercenaries ever done to you? You look down on them?"

Sensing tension rising, Obito hurried to mediate: "Yes, yes, what's so bad about mercenaries? Mercenaries are great! Since Iwagakure is now Senshi's friend, obviously we have to shift and upgrade our business."

He worried that if Senshi got too annoyed, he might simply kill Madara on the spot—reviving him with the Rinnegan had already cost Obito part of his own life force.

Also, they didn't necessarily have to become mercenaries; Senshi's only prohibitions were no more wholesale robbery or kidnapping. Obito's words calmed Madara a bit; indeed, fighting Senshi head-on right now wouldn't be wise. So with a cold snort, Madara fell silent.

With Madara's reluctant compromise, Senshi activated the Kāma space-time teleport again and left the forest. Thus concluded his Iwagakure trip in a perfectly satisfactory manner. Not only had he "retaliated" against Iwagakure, he had also secured a guaranteed, long-term spot at their table of benefits. With just a bit of preparation, he could take his mercenary crew and depart.

Back in Amegakure, reconstruction was going very smoothly. Except for that one major attack Obito had pulled off—relying on White Zetsu and Kamui—no other force in the shinobi world had managed to inflict huge damage.

And Obito's so-called success was not something others could easily copy. At present, a number of key Akatsuki members had returned to Amegakure, and Senshi had stationed even more Wood Clones around.

With such security, even if Obito formed a coalition with the Five Great Nations, it would hardly cause any major waves in Amegakure.

Within Amegakure, Konan and Kakuzu were currently handling strategic matters. Even though it was a two-person job splitting what Nagato alone once did, they were still feeling overstretched.

In the village leader's office, Kakuzu, while reading documents, mused inwardly: Only back when I was increasing my strength with Senshi, marathoning tasks non-stop, have I felt such an insane workload.

And that's with Konan taking a big portion, plus me having a capable assistant. Altogether, the three of them were covering part of what Nagato used to do all by himself.

Which made Kakuzu realize anew how formidable Nagato truly was—or, for that matter, both Nagato and Senshi, those two from the Uzumaki lineage.

The vast amount of work Nagato used to shoulder alone was astonishing. He still had time, apparently, to let the Six Paths of Pain act as heads of six different departments, leading each one— terrifying indeed.

While Kakuzu was weighed down by these thoughts, Fū, gazing at the stack of documents on Kakuzu's desk, felt her scalp prickle. Voice trembling, she asked, "Kakuzu-sama, when can we go back to taking on missions? I'd so much rather help you do missions than work as interim leader."

You couldn't blame her. With Amegakure's rapid growth, every morning they awoke to a mountain of papers requiring the leader's review.

And because of the serious destruction not long ago, things were that much heavier. Fortunately, Kakuzu had endured extensive training under Senshi, and his own powers had soared, or else he'd have collapsed by now.

Asked that question, Kakuzu sighed. "We can only hope Nagato's eyes recover soon…or else we wait for Senshi to come back and take over." He, too, wanted nothing more than to stop acting as a substitute leader. While he could more or less manage it, being a mercenary was much more freeing.

Meanwhile, in Nagato's quarters, after a period of rest, the only thing that still looked the same was his (O_O) expression.

In every other regard, he had recovered nicely. Not only had his energy returned, but even his physique had gone from scrawny Nagato to normal Nagato, and then on to muscular Nagato.

In theory, giving him a transplanted Sharingan or Byakugan would let him get back to work. But Nagato himself thought, Being blind is better. If I can't see any documents, I don't have to do them.

Each morning he opened his eyes— well, "eyes"—his only task was to enjoy life. He was determined to stick with the Rinnegan. He had no intention of messing around with other eyes.

So while Nagato took it easy and Konan and Kakuzu ran themselves ragged, Senshi once again returned to the village, bringing along his entire band of "little calves" from the mercenary corps.

Immediately, enthusiastic villagers swarmed around them. Not just ordinary citizens, but many ninja and academy students flocked to the gate to greet him. After the major upheaval not long ago, Senshi's role as the mainstay of Amegakure had become even more apparent.

Senshi had wanted to keep a low profile; he hadn't made a special announcement about his return. Still, word got out, and people gathered zealously to welcome him and his entourage. He hopped down from the carriage, waving at the crowd.

Behind him, Karin popped her head out, her little face earnest. "It's been ages since I've seen such a sight—wherever the mercenary corps goes, we get a grand welcome with everyone all animated and bursting with life!"

Senshi found that funny. He tapped Karin gently on the head—that poetic sort of phrase would best be his job. The villagers around them were so excited, chattering away, many close to tears as they clapped and bounced around in joy.

Senshi couldn't help wondering if everything was really okay. It was just a small handful whose behavior was over-the-top; the rest were normal.

As the carriage continued onward, a small figure came hopping over like a mini-tornado, sprinting right up to Senshi and Karin.

Reaching them, she flung herself into Senshi's arms like a little octopus. This new arrival was Haruko from the Uzumaki clan. Earlier, she'd wanted to sneak out on the Iwagakure mission together with Karin, but Senshi had judged she wasn't ready yet and left her behind.

Now, patting Haruko's head, he gently lifted the little "accessory" off and set her aside. Then he nodded and asked, "Haruko-chan, have you grown during this time?"

Haruko, hearing that, stood up straight. With a serious little face, she said, "Lord Senshi, I've grown! Uncle Tousen told me I got this much taller!"

She raised a hand to show how high. Karin, standing nearby, cheered her on. "Nice, nice, Haruko-chan! If you keep it up, you'll soon be able to go on missions all across the shinobi world with me and Lord Senshi!"

Hearing that, Haruko became even more determined. She nodded vigorously. "Lord Senshi, Karin-nee-san, I'll do my best! Uncle Tousen said if I sleep early and eat properly, I'll soon be as tall as Karin-nee-san's shoulders!"

Her adorable manner made Karin laugh and hug her.

At the same time, the precociously talented Mikiko approached, carrying a sheaf of documents. She reported to Senshi, "Principal Senshi, of the newest graduating class from the ninja academy, over half have become provisional members of Akatsuki. Around ten percent or so have become official members. Among them, I applied our mercenary corps' recruitment standards, handpicking some truly elite academy graduates. Here's all their data. They've submitted applications to the corps. Principal, please look them over to see who meets the requirements to join as trainee members."

Senshi took the files Mikiko had compiled, patted her on the head, and said, "Mikiko, you did well. I'll read them soon."

He was quite satisfied with her work. The chain of infiltration he'd arranged from the ninja world at large, to Amegakure, to the Ninja Academy, to Akatsuki, and finally to the mercenary corps was no idle game but a thorough strategy to supply his organization with fresh recruits.

By filtering at each layer, he steadily acquired top-level new forces to generate a steady stream of hire-points. In the past, Senshi had personally overseen picking new members, but now that Mikiko was maturing, she could manage the selection of outstanding students at the ninja school.

Recognized by Senshi, Mikiko beamed. Very earnestly, she said, "Principal, I'll keep working hard— both to handle the mercenary corps' tasks and to become an excellent Amegakure ninja!"

Senshi nodded, very pleased. "Great. Keep it up, and once the time is right, I'll help you level up."

Although Mikiko's work didn't directly earn employment points, she was part of the corps' logistics staff in charge of scouting new "calves," which certainly counted for something.

And it wasn't as if Mikiko never did any missions at all; once she'd contributed enough, Senshi planned to give her a real "breakthrough." After all, he possessed a surplus of elemental-fusion-type Kekkei Genkai in storage—better to give them to promising members than let them collect dust.

~~~

Patreon(.)com/Bleam

— This Fanfic is Completed in Patreon!

2 New Naruto Fanfic is out!

—Part Time Teacher in Konoha

—Absolute Justice in Naruto