Freelancer in the Ninja World

In Nagato's room atop Amegakure's tower, Nagato gradually recovered under Karin's treatment and soon regained consciousness.

The moment he opened his eyes, Konan approached him, deeply worried. "Nagato, how do you feel? This time it's my fault—I was careless and didn't properly consider your safety. None of this would have happened otherwise."

Sensing how guilty Konan felt, Nagato shook his head. "You're not to blame. It was mainly my own carelessness. Otherwise, there's no way I would've let Madara succeed."

Nagato's words left Konan shocked and furious. Unable to figure out what was going on, she asked, "Uchiha Madara appeared? He's the one who hurt you? Even took your Rinnegan? Why would he do that?"

Konan truly couldn't imagine Madara's motive for all of this. After all, the Akatsuki and Uchiha Madara were ostensibly on the same side, both working toward the same goal. Where was the reason for him to harm Nagato?

Nagato answered Konan's question with great certainty.

"Yes. Not long after you left Amegakure, Madara—who'd been missing for a long time—showed up in my office again. There seems to be some misunderstanding between him and Senshi. I was planning to talk to him, help him resolve that issue with Senshi. I never expected he'd take advantage of my poor condition and low guard to attack."

Hearing Nagato's reply, Konan was still full of confusion and anger. "That damned Uchiha Madara! I can't fathom why he'd come after you. But no matter his reason for stealing your Rinnegan, I'll help you avenge this!"

While Nagato and Konan spoke, Senshi felt somewhat awkward, and Karin's expression turned strange.

They both knew perfectly well that "Uchiha Madara" was actually Tobi (Obito). Senshi also more or less understood why Obito would attack Nagato to take his Rinnegan. Even back when he had only one Kamui eye, Tobi had committed countless misdeeds.

Now that he had both, he was a greater menace than ever. Likely, Tobi believed Nagato had sold him out—Akatsuki too—during the time when Orochimaru nearly killed him. So as soon as Tobi got the chance, he attacked Nagato without hesitation.

These thoughts in Senshi's mind were basically on target. Although Nagato never told Senshi about certain actions Tobi had proposed against him, in planning this move, Tobi hadn't known that detail, and in the end, he still grabbed Nagato's Rinnegan. Having seized it, his exact motive no longer mattered so much.

Beside Senshi, Karin wanted to come clean, since otherwise Nagato and Konan would stay in the dark forever. But the instant Senshi saw that telltale look on Karin's face, eager to reveal the truth, he quickly reached out and pulled Karin behind him. If Karin spoke up, Nagato and Konan would realize Senshi had a hand in leading Tobi here—and then he'd be blamed for it.

Seeing this, Konan asked in confusion, "Senshi, does Karin want to say something?"

"No!" Senshi replied decisively. "She doesn't."

Karin: (O_O)???

Without waiting for more questions, Senshi cleared his throat. "Konan-nee, I think we should reclaim Nagato's Rinnegan from Madara. Go ahead and give me a mission for that."

Konan: (O_O)???

Nagato: (O_O)???

Konan's lips twitched involuntarily. Senshi sure was something else—Nagato was still lying there injured, and he was already talking about taking missions. Nagato himself felt helpless, yet found it somewhat amusing. That was Senshi for you: "When trouble strikes, don't panic—get a mission first."

Before they could discuss releasing that mission, an Anbu ninja arrived outside Nagato's office and addressed Konan respectfully: "Angel-sama, the unrest throughout the village has been completely quelled. All the rioters have been subdued, and the Anbu and police are now assessing the village's losses. Do you have any new orders?"

Konan thought for a moment, her face going cold. "Keep those rioters strictly under control. They're going to face the harshest possible punishment. Also, inform all villagers and ninjas that I'll soon provide a statement about recent events in Amegakure. We'll also tighten security to prevent anything like this from happening again."

"Yes, ma'am!" the Anbu ninja acknowledged and left to carry out her commands.

When the Anbu had gone, Senshi yawned. "Sis Konan, since Nagato's okay and the unrest is settled, I'm heading back to get some rest."

At that time, thanks to a crew of elites and plenty of new recruits in his mercenary group grinding tasks night and day—along with his many Wood Clones stationed around the ninja world accumulating more points—Senshi's days were quite carefree. As long as nothing demanded his personal involvement, he preferred to lounge and slack off.

Konan naturally wouldn't let him off so easily. "You look perfectly fine. Nagato's the one who needs rest. Besides…"

She let her eyes roam over him, and a sparkle lit up her gaze. "Now that Nagato's wounded, you're the only one who can take over his work!"

"Pfft!"

Konan's words nearly made Senshi spit blood. He'd labored and done so much for Amegakure—were they trying to repay him with "taking over Nagato's job," basically working at least seven roles at once, with consecutive all-nighters? He'd become the village's pack animal at that rate! Considering Nagato's job intensity, even a donkey on the farm would be jealous.

Never mind that his Wood Clones were out completing tasks on autopilot; that hardly taxed his mind. But real administration and leadership required constant time and focus. Waving a hand in protest, Senshi said, "Sis Konan, I can't do Nagato's work. You've seen me: whether it's the ninja academy, the refugee center, or my mercenary group, I just let them run themselves. I don't manage anything personally. The reason is, I have no great talent for administration. We really should be talking about getting Nagato's Rinnegan back."

Konan knew full well how important it was to recover the Rinnegan. However, both Madara (Obito) and Senshi possessed elusive space-time ninjutsu.

Even if Senshi went after it himself, retrieving that Rinnegan in the short run seemed unlikely. Besides, nobody knew what Madara had done with the stolen Rinnegan. If he destroyed or disposed of it somewhere, dispatching Senshi on an official "Find the Rinnegan" mission might end in wasted effort or false hope for Nagato.

Having reasoned this out, Konan told Senshi, "The matter of Nagato's Rinnegan is of utmost importance. Later, we'll research our options carefully and see how we can get it back. Right now, we need to clear up the village chaos and reassure everyone. As one of our high-level leaders and the main driving force behind Amegakure's rapid development, you can't be absent from rebuilding and stabilizing the villagers."

After she spoke, Nagato, still lying weak on the bed, added, "Yes, Senshi. Amegakure's growth depends on you, and the villagers need you. Even if you're not good at running a village, you'll learn by doing. While I'm recovering, take over as acting leader of Amegakure for me. If you don't know something, just ask."

Senshi: (O_O)???

Seriously?! Did Nagato think that since he'd suffered, he should make Senshi suffer too? Like being forced to work around the clock for the village? With Konan aware that Senshi's Wood Clones could manage various tasks, who knew how many more responsibilities they'd pile on?

His goal in building up the ninja academy, welcoming refugees, and promoting growth had always been to gain recruits for his mercenary group, not to become the village's workhorse. Of course he wouldn't go along with such an arrangement!

Just then, Karin eagerly raised her hand, "Heh, can I be acting leader? I've been training with Senshi for ages, and I'm super awesome now!"

Konan could only give a helpless sigh. It was absurd: the qualified person didn't want the job, and the unqualified one was volunteering. Gently, she told Karin, "You've come a long way, but you still need more growth before you can be a qualified leader."

Karin frowned and grumbled, "Ugh, why do I need more 'growth'? I've already grown plenty!"

Konan and Senshi still had real business to handle, so they had no time to debate "growth" with Karin.

Leaving Nagato behind to rest, they went to reassure the villagers and begin reconstruction efforts. Karin, however, did not leave. Instead, she skipped happily up to Nagato's bedside and said, "Leader, how about you pay me a commission fee, and I'll help you handle office tasks? You can just lie there and make decisions. I have Kamui, so I can bring you files from the Seven Departments at once, read them to you, and all you have to do is give orders!"

Nagato: (O_O)???

He was dumbfounded. Was Karin a devil? Even in his current condition, she wanted him working again? Plus, her running errands was notoriously expensive! Transporting documents around with Kamui would require some astronomical fee. Now that Konan and Senshi were both around, he could rest without worry, so there was no need for him to lift a finger.

He declined politely: "Karin, I'm not fit to work in my current state. Please go help Senshi and Konan."

Having had enough of being "scammed" when he had the Rinnegan, Nagato, now without it, felt even more vulnerable. Hearing his refusal, Karin said, "Leader, you'd better hurry up and get well! Amegakure needs you. Once you've recovered, don't forget to let me help you with your tasks!"

Nagato forced a faint smile. "Thank you, Karin. Now please go help Senshi."

Karin nodded cheerfully. "Got it! You rest well. And if you think of any new missions for me, just say the word—I'm super capable and can handle tons of stuff!"

Really, it was no surprise Karin was trying to fleece Nagato. In the past, Nagato had hired Senshi for missions, paying large sums without hesitation. Karin had once managed to land a well-paying errand job from him, so of course she wanted more.

Once Karin left, Nagato lay back in bed, utterly drained. First, it had been Senshi always coming to him for tasks; now that Senshi had stopped, Karin was taking up the mantle. Nagato couldn't help picturing the many Uzumaki children in their clan's settlement. Once they grew up, would they line up for missions too? The thought made Nagato sigh heavily.

As Nagato sighed, elsewhere Tobi was also sighing. Leaving the Land of Wind behind, he was now on his way to the Land of Lightning. He'd easily subdued Gaara, the One-Tails Jinchuriki, only to discover that Shukaku's condition was baffling—he couldn't even extract it, making his Suna trip a fiasco. He could only hope that things would go more smoothly in Kumo.

Unlike Suna, Kumo possessed two Tailed Beasts.

Tobi hadn't decided whether to capture one or both. In theory, the Two-Tails would be easier, since that Tailed Beast—though wielded by a perfect Jinchuriki—was relatively weaker.

The Eight-Tails, on the other hand, was tricky thanks to the formidable "A-B brothers," who were often together.

Tobi figured that if he captured the Two-Tails without alerting Kumo, he wouldn't have to rush into targeting the Eight-Tails. He could capture the first seven Tailed Beasts and leave the final two—Eight and Nine—for last.

While he'd easily located Gaara, locating Yugito proved more difficult due to Kumo's terrain. After much time searching in vain, he tasked White Zetsu with a systematic sweep.

Tobi was actually fortunate compared to certain others: the last person who tried to find Yugito in Kumo spent dozens of days looking.

She was extremely strong and often out on missions, meaning she could be anywhere unless one had a direct tail on her. At present, however, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki had run into some trouble and was lying low.

Finally, in the forest outside Kumo, a White Zetsu burst from the ground in front of Tobi, grinning. "Found the Two-Tails Jinchuriki."

"Show me," Tobi said curtly, waving for White Zetsu to lead on. Without delay, Zetsu guided him deep into the forest near Kumo.

In the dense, layered wilderness of Kumo, Yugito Nii was hard at training. Matatabi had recently told her that it had "successfully lost weight" and that from now on, Yugito would have to rely on her own strength.

Incensed by that odd remark, Yugito had given the beast a beating—but like Gaara, she still had no idea why Matatabi was suddenly shriveled. With it so weakened, she couldn't even enter full Tailed Beast Mode.

Just then, a transparent spiral ripple appeared not far away. An instant later, a masked ninja emerged. The moment she spotted him, Yugito tensed and regarded him warily. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" She was certain he wasn't from Kumo, nor was he anyone friendly to the village. Appearing like this out of nowhere, he clearly meant trouble.

Meeting her gaze, Tobi replied in a low voice, "I am Uchiha Madara."

"Impossible!" Yugito exclaimed, immediately shaking her head. She knew perfectly well who Madara was—one of the two legendary titans of the Warring States era. She had even seen intelligence files on him.

Since Yugito had already reacted that way, Tobi didn't rush to strike. Instead he sneered, "Do you think, like every other shinobi of that era, I simply died of old age? Let me tell you, I've transcended life and death—I'm beyond your comprehension!"

That line had bluffed many people in the past, including Nagato to some extent. But Yugito shook her head again. "That's not it. I've seen the files on Madara. Your hairstyle's not the same as his!"

Tobi: (O_O)???

He froze. What the heck?! Checking whether someone is Madara should start with whether he's an Uchiha, right?

Obviously Tobi was an Uchiha. With Uchiha Itachi and Sasuke supposedly the only survivors of the clan, who else could he be but Madara or Obito? And the ninja world believed Obito had died at Kannabi Bridge ages ago.

Pointing to his Sharingan, Tobi said, "Never mind my hair—can't you see this is a Sharingan?"

Yugito shrugged. "I only know that the Sharingan patterns vary among the Uchiha. I don't know exactly how Madara's looked. But I'm absolutely sure his hair was nothing like yours. So, are you going to tell me who you really are, or do I have to force it out of you?"

Tobi had hoped to intimidate her with Madara's name, along with the claim of transcending death, so Yugito—despite her strength—would be too rattled to fight effectively. But this "tiger woman," as Tobi saw her, was fixated on hair, not even acknowledging his Sharingan. That plan was a bust. Left with no choice, he went on the attack.

Swish!

He darted forward in a blur, heading straight for Yugito. Instantly, chakra surged into her arms and legs, forming sharp claws like chakra scalpels.

Although Tobi was fast, Yugito's body flicker was even faster. Like a wildcat, she leapt through the forest canopy, appearing in front of Tobi in a few agile bounds. Those chakra claws whipped down mercilessly.

Tobi snorted, letting his body phase. Swish! Yugito's lightning-fast claw cut through empty air—though he stood right before her eyes, somehow her strike passed harmlessly through him. Confused, Yugito hesitated, and Tobi seized the chance to counter with a knee to her abdomen.

Bang!

A dull crash sounded. Yugito's body took the blow squarely, flying like a cannonball. Before she even landed, Tobi used Kamui to reappear behind her.

Startled, Yugito twisted and dropped toward the ground. She reacted swiftly, preventing Tobi from striking midair, but as soon as she landed, Tobi was on her heels like a shadow. No matter how quick her reflexes, she couldn't outrun Kamui.

Bang!

A second crash; Tobi's kick knocked her flying once more. Yugito flipped backward midair and landed on the broad trunk of a towering tree. Without hesitating, she formed hand seals, then spat out a series of flaming orbs shaped like fire rats, all headed straight at Tobi.

This time, Tobi neither dodged nor phased—he summoned Susanoo.

"Susanoo!"

With a low shout, a gigantic, bluish Susanoo erupted skyward. The flaming rats smashed against its surface, bursting into smaller fireballs for a second explosion, but they still failed to damage it. Tobi controlled the Susanoo sword and slashed downward, forcing Yugito into a frantic dodge.

At this point, Tobi frowned in confusion, thinking, Why isn't this woman going into Tailed Beast Mode even though she's at such a disadvantage? She's a perfect Jinchuriki, so she should be able to utilize her Beast's power in full…

He couldn't tell if she had some other plan or hidden strategy. Still, he had his own trump cards, including partial Rinnegan powers.

If something unexpected happened, he wouldn't be left helpless. But the more they fought, the more uneasy Tobi became.

Yugito kept trying to flee instead of transforming. He suddenly got a bad feeling—this was too much like what had happened with Gaara, who never used Shukaku's power and just kept trying to escape. Could it be the same weird situation again? That would be too ridiculous…

Growing impatient, Tobi stopped going easy on her and beat her badly. Soon Yugito lay on the ground, face bruised and bleeding, no longer able to fight back. Yet her fierce gaze was still locked onto him, as though vowing to kill this self-proclaimed "Uchiha Madara."

Tobi knelt beside her and did a thorough check. His shoulders trembled, and he glared at her with bloodshot eyes. "Where's my Tailed Beast?!"

He was about to lose it. After securing the Rinnegan, he'd imagined the rest of his plan would be smooth sailing. But his first follow-up attempt was a disaster, and so was the second!

Both times, the Jinchuriki's Tailed Beast had been left in some bizarre, reduced state. Within Yugito, the Two-Tails was in such terrible shape that "weak" wasn't a strong enough word.

Half-crazed, Tobi demanded, "Why is the Two-Tails like this? What did you do to it?!"

Yugito, severely wounded, could barely speak. She had no intention of answering. On one hand, she herself wanted to know why Matatabi had shrunk so drastically, preventing her from going full Beast Mode. On the other hand, it was her Tailed Beast—what did it have to do with Tobi?

Meanwhile, the Two-Tails wanted to tell them both, Stop fighting—my real body is imprisoned somewhere else already…

Back in Amegakure, Konan and Senshi were touring the village, comforting residents.

Amegakure had been severely damaged this time—many places were looted, burned, or trashed, and quite a few villagers were hurt or killed. With so few ninja defending it, the riots had gone on for a considerable period.

Seeing Konan and Senshi traveling around, the people grew excited. Not only had the riots been resolved, but they also had their "Angel" and Senshi to rely on again.

One villager, spotting them, couldn't help complaining, "Angel-sama, Lord Senshi, please punish the rioters severely! They burned down my house—I have nowhere to live!"

Konan nodded sympathetically. "Don't worry. Every one of those rioters will face the harshest punishment and pay in full for what they did."

Senshi added, "Our ninja will do their best to help salvage belongings and minimize losses. If you have nowhere to stay for now, you can live temporarily in the refugee shelter. Part of that facility will be used as a shelter, and you'll have food and medical care. After that, Amegakure will begin rebuilding. Once that's done, you can return to your own home."

With both Konan and Senshi saying so, the villagers felt reassured. The ones who burned their houses would be punished, they had a temporary place to stay, and the village would be rebuilt soon. Word spread quickly, and more and more residents heard the good news.

After completing their inspection of each sector in Amegakure, Konan and Senshi came to the central plaza, where most villagers and ninja had gathered. Once everyone was present, Konan addressed them:

"Senshi and I have seen the overall state of the village. I'll now clarify what happened with this riot. There was someone scheming against our leader, deliberately causing repeated trouble in Amegakure. We've obtained relevant intelligence and will be taking action against this dangerous individual."

She deliberately avoided naming "Uchiha Madara," to prevent panic. He'd always been a masked mystery, and no one knew his true identity.

Once Konan finished, people around them began to call out:

"Angel-sama, you have to catch that man and execute him!"

"Exactly! Amegakure was doing great. If he hadn't deliberately sabotaged us, we wouldn't have suffered these losses!"

"By the way, how's the leader? We heard he was attacked. Is he all right?"

~~~

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