At that moment, Fū was completely stunned. Her eyes went wide as if she were seeing something impossible.
She couldn't help thinking, "No way… It hasn't even been that long since I saw her, and Karin's already hoarded that many scratch-off cards?! She's faster at this than I am at eating ramen!"
"No! I refuse to lose!" Fū clenched her fists, blazing with determination. "Next time we meet, I'll definitely hoard more than she has! Waaa… Scratch-off cards, wait for me!"
Just as Fū was feeling overwhelmed, Karin feigned surprise and spoke up. "Huh? How'd this little box fall again? It's such a pain to keep safe."
She spoke slowly as she deliberately bent down to pick up the box full of scratch-off cards, moving so slowly it was as though she were worried Fū might miss the show.
Senshi, standing nearby, was torn between laughter and tears. He mused, "So Karin's butting heads with Fū, huh? But come on, 'it's hard to keep scratch-off cards safe'? Couldn't she just stash them in Kamui Space? She keeps them in her pocket, dropping them every now and then… Who is she trying to impress?"
Right then, Naruto joined in the fun. "Karin-chan, let me look after them for you. You keep dropping that little box."
Karin just shot him a glare. "Dream on! Mind your own business!"
While Senshi was watching this little scene with amusement, Kakashi came over, his face knotted with worry like he had a lot on his mind.
"What is it, Kakashi?" Senshi asked casually.
With a faint sigh, Kakashi replied, "Lord Senshi… don't you think this is a bit unfair? Lord Hokage spent ten million ryō per person so that Konoha ninja could join your mercenary group, and even then, it wasn't guaranteed they'd get in. But then, out of nowhere, this kunoichi from Takigakure just shows up, and you let her in with no questions asked…"
Senshi waved him off, completely at ease. "Kakashi, how can that be the same? Kakuzu is practically my close family—my sworn brother and a key pillar in my mercenary group! Of course, someone he recommends gets special treatment!"
Kakashi: (O_O)???
That answer left him at a total loss, grumbling inwardly, "What kind of excuse is that?" Yet he had nothing solid to counter it, so he just thought, "If our Konoha ninja ever become an important pillar in the group, could they recommend people who'd join for free, too?"
While Kakashi was pondering all that, Kakuzu—behind his mask—was wearing a triumphant grin.
Konoha?
Hmph. How could they compare to me?
Senshi said it himself—I'm his most trusted partner!
Who in the whole shinobi world can match me?
With that thought, Kakuzu got so smug he decided not to delay any further. He said to Senshi, "Since Fū's in now, I'll take her on some missions."
Senshi nodded, pleased inside. "Sure, go ahead. The commissions and scratch-off cards are yours— the points, though, are mine!"
Off Kakuzu went with Fū, hurriedly. Senshi watched them disappear with a contented grin. "This approach can only profit me—no downside at all!"
Just as Kakuzu was about to leave, Fū suddenly turned around and spoke to Karin with a fighting spirit in her eyes. "I've joined Lord Senshi's mercenary group too! I'm going to help Lord Kakuzu on missions, stockpile scratch-off cards, grow stronger, and become the best little assistant!"
Karin said nothing. She just let that little box with dozens of scratch-off cards in her pocket "slip out" yet again.
With a loud clatter, a bunch of scratch-off cards spilled all over the ground, silently showing off: Look how many I've got!
Fū: o(╥﹏╥)o
That blow shattered Fū's mindset completely. She'd just joined the group, yet Karin already had a stash of dozens of scratch-off cards!
How was she supposed to compete?
Feeling pitiful, Fū followed Kakuzu away, radiating an aura of "weak, helpless, but can still do missions."
Seeing this, Senshi could only rub Karin-chan's head in exasperation.
Pointing at the little box on the ground, he asked, "Karin, did you do that on purpose, or was it an accident?"
Karin puffed up her chest with pride. "I did it accidentally on purpose!"
Senshi: "… …"
He reached out and ruffled Karin's hair into a bird's-nest mess, thinking, "This girl's just too mischievous. She needs some discipline."
Karin: ┗|｀O′|┛ "Raaawr~!"
She swung her tiny fists in protest, cheeks puffed. "Darn you, Senshi, I'm gonna duel you!"
Senshi just patted her head again, grinning. "Karin, want to come farm missions with me?"
Karin kept up her little pinwheel fists, muttering, "Then would you go on deliveries with me, Senshi? I've still got loads of escort assignments left."
Senshi nearly burst out laughing. "Wow, Karin, you've even picked up my trademark strategies, huh? Monopolizing missions, spamming tasks like a glitch in the system…"
With her twin Kamui and Mind's Eye of the Kagura, Karin was practically cheating on those escort missions, completing them in no time at all, leaving Toko Kid in the dust.
But Senshi shook his head. "I'm still not done with my deal with Lord Hokage, so I can't go deliver goods with you right now."
Karin blinked, then gave a sly smile. "Well, once I finish them, I'll come find you so I can… snag your missions—err, I mean help you with your missions!"
Senshi: (O_O)???
He sighed dramatically. "Takes forever to learn good habits, and mere seconds to learn the bad ones. Karin, you're picking up all my 'essence.'"
At that point, Naruto piped up, "Sensei, it's almost mealtime—take us back to Konoha for Ichiraku Ramen!"
Sasuke immediately opposed the idea. "I don't care what we eat, as long as it's not Ichiraku Ramen again!"
Hearing "Ichiraku Ramen" gave him a headache. No matter how good it was, eating it day in and day out was too much.
But Naruto remained firm: "Ramen's the only food with any soul!"
Senshi pressed a hand to his forehead. "Those two are giving me a headache…"
After Naruto's suggestion, he paused to think, then had a flash of insight: "How about we find a place to have a picnic instead?"
The moment he said the word "picnic," Karin-chan's eyes lit up like bright little stars. Her main role was Senshi's assistant, her side job was cooking, and her second side job was collecting scratch-off cards.
A picnic?
Wasn't that a perfect chance to show off her culinary skills? She was already picturing herself wielding a spatula, surrounded by a cheering crowd chanting "Karin-chan forever!"
But Senshi then dashed her fantasies with one sentence: "I've got Ichiraku Ramen, pork cutlet bowls, okonomiyaki, grilled-beef bowls…whatever everyone wants, just say it, and I'll provide it."
Karin: Σ(°△°|||)︴
Naruto heard "ramen" and raised his hand right away: "Sensei, I want Ichiraku Ramen!"
Senshi pulled a steaming hot bowl of ramen from his system storage and handed it over. Naruto took it, beaming like a 200-pound kid, "Thanks, Sensei!"
Sasuke, on the other hand, grimaced. "As long as it's not Ichiraku Ramen, that's fine."
So Senshi gave him a grilled-meat bowl and a tomato—Sasuke's favorite—and he let a small smile slip.
Despite her disappointment, Karin raised her hand. "Senshi, I'll have a pork cutlet bowl!"
He handed it over. Karin took it, consoling herself in silence: "Oh well, at least I've still got my scratch-off cards…"
Then Senshi distributed food to the Raimon siblings Yukika and Hayate, Lanyu, Lanwu, Kakashi, and the four of Team Guy. Only Musen was left without food.
Senshi glanced at him warily. "Musen, what do you want?"
Dusting himself off, Musen said solemnly, "Lord Senshi, I'll have two soldier pills, please. I want to devote all my time to mission-farming."
Senshi: (O_O)??? "Are you picking a fight?" He gave Musen's head a light smack. "We're having a picnic—why soldier pills?"
Then he tossed Musen a boxed lunch, thinking, "This kid is really something…"
As everyone ate, Naruto paid no mind to Senshi's "space-time ninjutsu," having seen it many times. But Team Guy watched in amazement.
Neji ate his grilled-meat bowl while discreetly observing Senshi. He noticed that Senshi clearly had no ulterior motives against Konoha and was trusted absolutely by those around him. Even Guy-sensei and Lee had integrated seamlessly into the group.
Tenten felt the same. She thought Senshi, despite his great power, had no arrogance at all and got along harmoniously with everyone. Running missions together with him was fun.
Senshi, of course, had no idea what they were thinking. While he ate, he checked his mercenary interface and saw that the bond values for Neji and Tenten were closing in on 40%.
After finishing their meal, they went back to mission-farming. Indeed, as they spent more time together, Neji's and Tenten's bond values climbed steadily higher. Inside, Senshi was quite pleased. "Guess my appeal hasn't faded one bit!"
When their tasks for the day were done, Senshi followed his usual pattern: he found an open space, clapped his hands together, and shouted, "Wood Release: Luxury Villa Technique!"
In an instant, a lavish villa sprang up. Even though Team Guy had seen it several times, they couldn't stop marveling. "Wow, that ninjutsu is just too useful! Too bad we can't learn it…"
With the villa built, Senshi didn't dismiss everyone. Instead, he turned to Neji. "Neji, how about I remove the Caged Bird Seal for you?"
Neji: (O_O)???
All four members of Team Guy: (O_O)???
Like a bombshell, Senshi's words threw all four of them for a loop.
Neji stammered, "Lord Senshi, the Caged Bird Seal… can it really be lifted?"
Senshi smiled. "Of course! Remember, the Uzumaki clan invented sealing arts in the first place. Caged Bird, Reaper Death Seal—none of that is an issue."
Neji's eyes lit up at once, as though he could already see freedom. The other three looked at Senshi in awe. "Lord Senshi truly is godlike…"
He wasn't kidding. Senshi's mastery of sealing techniques had long since maxed out through lottery draws. The Caged Bird Seal might seem to last a lifetime only because the Hyūga clan had never met someone with his level of skill. If it were a ninja on par with Uzumaki Ashina, they could handle it in minutes.
Naturally, Neji was still half in disbelief. Senshi knew talking alone might not convince him, so he simply said, "Take off your headband. I'll remove it now."
Neji hesitated, reflexively looking at Might Guy. Guy shot him a thumbs-up and that signature shiny grin. "Neji, trust Lord Senshi! Once that seal is gone, your youth will burn even brighter!"
Lee followed suit, thrusting a thumbs-up with fervor. "Neji, let me see you surpass your own genius! Let's burn our youth together!"
Tenten looked torn, thrilled for Neji yet slightly anxious—lifting the Caged Bird Seal sounded unreal. Even so, she gave him a supportive nod.
Encouraged by the three, Neji finally made up his mind, removed his headband, and revealed the greenish seal on his forehead.
Senshi focused on it briefly, then put his hand on Neji's forehead, uttering a single word: "Release!"
In the next moment, Neji felt as though a thousand-pound weight had vanished from his body. His visual prowess soared, and his Byakugan's range expanded dramatically— the blind spot he once had was gone. This renewed feeling overwhelmed him, tears welling up at the realization it was real.
Seeing Neji's reaction, the others immediately knew the seal was truly gone. Staring at Senshi like he was divine, they couldn't believe a lifelong curse of the Hyūga branch could be undone by a casual touch. His sealing arts might surpass even those of Uzumaki Ashina!
Wiping his tears, Neji said solemnly, "Lord Senshi, thank you for this great favor! From now on, as long as it doesn't harm Konoha's interests, I'll carry out any task you need!"
Senshi patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Just get used to your new state."
Neji nodded firmly. "Yes, Lord Senshi!"
Even without checking the mercenary interface, Senshi knew Neji's bond value with him had surely broken 45% by now. As for whether the Hyūga clan would stir up trouble—well, that hardly concerned him. They'd have to get through Old Man Sarutobi first, not to mention Orochimaru cutting off that Eternal Elixer and angering a bunch of elders.
Having sorted out Neji's problem, Senshi decided to keep going and give Tenten some "targeted help." Glancing at the mercenary panel, he saw that Neji's bond value had soared beyond 50%, while Tenten's was stuck at 44.9%—just barely below the threshold.
"Tenten," Senshi said, speaking seriously, "Your fighting style is quite unique and depends heavily on ninja tools. I'd like to help you with that."
Then he casually pointed at a patch of empty ground. "Those ninja tools over there— all yours."
Tenten: (O_O)???
She looked blankly at the empty space, then back at him, thinking, "Is Lord Senshi seeing things? There's nothing here…"
Lee scratched his head. "Lord Senshi, where are these ninja tools? Are they invisible?"
Guy and Neji didn't say anything but wore equally puzzled expressions. Still, they trusted that if Senshi said there were tools, there must be tools.
All of a sudden—boom!—a puff of white smoke erupted on the ground, and as it cleared, Lee gawked. "Huh? Where'd that little mountain come from?"
Neji stared harder, voice trembling. "That's not a mountain… That's a mountain of ninja tools!"
Might Guy: (O_O)???
He stared at the massive pile, jaw dropping in shock. He'd known Senshi was generous, but not to this extent.
Tenten was dumbstruck by the sight of that "ninja-tool mountain." Slowly turning her head, she stammered, "L-Lord Senshi… are these ninja tools really for me?"
Senshi nodded calmly. "Yes. All yours. Once your strength increases, you'll be much better at mission-farming. (And earn me more employment points.)"
He only said the last part silently to himself.
At that, Tenten's eyes rolled back and she fainted with happiness. Lee lunged forward just in time to catch her, shaking her vigorously. "Tenten! Wake up! You still need to collect your ninja tools!"
The words "ninja tools" snapped Tenten awake. Heart racing, she said to Senshi, "Thank you so much, Lord Senshi! I'll work even harder, and I promise I won't let you down!"
Senshi just smiled and waved a hand. "Go ahead, seal them up and put them to good use."
"Yes, Lord Senshi!" Tenten nodded emphatically. She pulled out a roll of scrolls and busily started sealing the mountain of tools, all the while thinking gleefully, "Now I really am the 'Ninja-Tool Queen'! Let's see who beats me at mission-farming now!"
While Tenten was occupied sealing that "mountain," Senshi seized the moment to officially invite Neji and Tenten to join his mercenary group. After the Caged Bird Seal was lifted, Neji's bond value was already high enough. Meanwhile, Tenten had been stuck at 44.9%, but after getting that huge stash of ninja tools, she shot up to 48%. Truly a case of "hand over the gear, build the bond."
Once Tenten finished sealing the final batch, Senshi cleared his throat, putting on a "this is important" face. "Over these past few days, you two have mastered the mission-farming process and improved your abilities significantly. Based on my assessment, both of you now meet the standards for joining my mercenary group. Therefore, I formally invite you to join!"
No sooner had he spoken than Guy, thrilled as a child, shouted and punched the air. "Excellent! Now Neji and Tenten can join Lord Senshi's group, too!"
He'd worried that his two students might be turned away, but it seemed he'd worried for nothing. Lee literally jumped with excitement, calling out to Neji and Tenten, "Congrats, you two! From now on, we'll be in the same mercenary group!"
Neji and Tenten's faces glowed with happiness. At first, they had been on guard around Senshi, unsure if he had any ill will toward Konoha or them personally. But as they spent time together, they saw he not only harbored no bad intentions—he'd actually helped them a lot. Especially for Neji, freeing him from the Caged Bird Seal made him trust Senshi fully.
So the moment he extended the invitation, they both agreed without hesitation. Neji, looking serious, said, "Lord Senshi, I'm willing to join your mercenary group and do my best!"
Tenten nodded earnestly. "Lord Senshi, I'm in, too— I'll do my very best!"
[Hyūga Neji's bond value has reached the threshold and he has joined your mercenary group!]
[Tenten's bond value has reached the threshold and she has joined your mercenary group!]
As those prompts rang out in Senshi's head, he couldn't help but smile. "So my deal with Hiruzen Sarutobi is basically complete now. And in the future, I can keep 'training' more and more ninjas, raking in employment points without lifting a finger—it's just too sweet!"
With Neji and Tenten now in the group, Guy was all smiles, saying to them, "Starting tomorrow, you'll be able to earn those scratch-off cards too! Given your talent and dedication, you'll hoard a bunch in no time, and your strength will skyrocket!"
"Work hard on missions and train even harder. Make your youthful flames burn brighter!" Guy's pep talk instantly flipped Lee's "passionate youth" switch.
Lee jumped around excitedly. "Neji, Tenten, this is great! Now we can all blaze with fiery youth together!"
Guy nodded in agreement, holding up his thumb and flashing that trademark glimmering grin. "Lee, Neji, Tenten—our youth will leave no regrets!"
Lee felt so fired up, he wanted to dash off and do more missions immediately.
Neji: ╮(╯▽╰)╭
Tenten: ╮(╯▽╰)╭
They were used to Guy and Lee's "youth proclamations" by now.
Senshi, however, paid no mind to the two "youth maniacs." He simply headed back into the Wood-Style luxury villa to think about his next steps. His mercenary group already boasted quite a few heavy hitters—Kakuzu, Hidan, Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and more—contributing employment points nearly every second. Alongside his Wood Release clones spread all over the ninja world, his commission points were snowballing.
He had a clear plan:
1. Find ways to generate more missions in the ninja world. It sounded abstract, but it was feasible. As the world kept developing, tasks would emerge in a steady stream. His job was just to give it a push—promote faster, better growth in the ninja world, and produce more tasks in the process.
2. Send Wood clones out to more locations and rake in additional commission points.
3. Work hard to build the mercenary group so its members could use their own initiative, strengthening themselves and contributing to the ninja world's growth—while funneling more commission points his way.
As long as he pursued these three aims, his commission points would pile up like a rolling snowball, giving him endless lottery draws and letting his power soar sky-high.
That night, the Wood-Style villa was calm and peaceful, and Senshi slept exceptionally well. Early next morning, everyone got up bright and early to start another day of missions with Senshi in the lead.
He planned to do a few more tasks with Team Guy and then head back to Land of Rain. After all, he'd been in the Land of Fire quite a while—time to return and see if Amegakure had any "surprises" in store.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— You can Read the Fanfic until Completion! This Fanfic is Completed in Patreon!