Chapter 64: Don't Try to Fob Me Off With Exploding Tags!
Uehara Naraka watched as Konan distributed red cloud cloaks, rings, and nail polish to Kisame Hoshigaki, Mangetsu Hōzuki, and Zabuza Momochi, feeling a pang of envy in his heart.
He wanted them too!
Side Quest: Wear Akatsuki's red cloud cloak uniform, bearing Akatsuki's name (0/1). Reward Unknown.
How popular was Akatsuki?
Hailed as the Ninja World's Number One Supergroup!
Such a high-reward quest was right before him. As long as Konan gave him a cloak and agreed to let him become an Akatsuki member, Uehara could get the reward.
Uehara Naraka couldn't hold back, sidling up to Konan, "Konan-sensei, I've already helped Akatsuki recruit three newcomers. Can you give me a cloak now?"
"Don't think about such messy things."
Konan tapped Uehara Naraka's forehead, "Pain told me you used exploding tags to force back Uchiha Obito. The exploding tags I gave you before must have all been used up, right?"
Before Uehara Naraka could react to her meaning, Konan took out several scrolls, stuffed them into his arms, and ruffled his head, "Inside here are one billion exploding tags. Consider it your reward for completing the mission..."
Uehara Naraka: "..."
Side Quest: Collect one billion exploding tags (1,000,000,000 / 1,000,000,000). Mission Complete. Reward: 400 Gold Coins.
How could his teacher do this...
Is she trying to fob him off with exploding tags!
Kisame Hoshigaki, Mangetsu Hōzuki, and the others saw Konan casually toss scrolls containing one billion exploding tags to Uehara Naraka, and their jaws nearly dropped in shock!
What kind of godly teacher was this!
Casually giving out exploding tags counted in the billions!
Konan didn't seem to mind her extravagance either. In normal battles, the number of exploding tags she used wasn't actually that high. Generally, only when setting up an ambush in advance using the Technique of the Paper Person of God to hide exploding tag formations would she use a larger quantity.
Uehara Naraka accepted the scrolls feeling rather wronged, unsealed them, pulled out a tall stack of exploding tags from inside, and handed them to Kisame Hoshigaki, "The money I owed you is repaid."
"..."
Kisame Hoshigaki bewilderedly took the exploding tags from Uehara Naraka's hand, then distributed some to Mangetsu Hōzuki and Zabuza Momochi.
They really didn't care about Uehara repaying the money.
If it were just money, fine, but these were exploding tags!
Even selling them in the cheapest country, exploding tags could fetch two thousand Ryō each, and they weren't easy to buy either.
Relying on a teacher means being rich and imposing!
Hearing Uehara's words, Konan couldn't help frowning, watching Uehara, "How could you owe them money?"
"...This..."
Uehara Naraka started thinking of a suitable excuse.
Kisame Hoshigaki, being considerate, immediately helped him out, "We previously encountered Konoha's Lady Tsunade. Lord Uehara gambled a couple of rounds with her and lost several million Ryō..."
"..."
Uehara Naraka's head slowly turned. He stared intently at Kisame Hoshigaki, casting a despairing look at him. What was wrong with Kisame Hoshigaki?
I clearly told him before not to reveal I lost money in Yugakure! And didn't I already repay him the money?
The next moment, Uehara felt an icy gaze fall upon him.
Konan extended her palm, slowly turning Uehara's head to face her. Her face was completely dark, making Uehara feel a bit panicked.
The woman's palm slowly moved downwards, caressing the young ninja's cheek, her fingers stopping by Uehara's earlobe.
Konan's voice became incomparably cold, laced with the exasperated anger of unmet potential, "Naraka, did you learn to gamble?"
"I'm not, I didn't, don't misunderstand..."
Uehara Naraka shook his head repeatedly, explaining, "I just saw Tsunade-senpai was living under strained circumstances. After all, she's Jiraiya-senpai's teammate. And my main goal was to ask Tsunade-senpai to examine Kimimaro..."
Actually, he was just trying to complete a mission!
Could he possibly have any other intentions?
Konan's death glare lasted for a long time before finally softening, "You are not allowed to gamble in the future, understand? Besides, Jiraiya... said... Tsunade-senpai is beyond saving. No matter how much money you give her, she will become dirt poor because of gambling."
"...Yes, I understand."
Uehara Naraka nodded seriously.
Truly unexpected. Jiraiya actually secretly badmouthed his old teammate over ten years ago. What he said was also the truth.
Is it useful for that woman Tsunade to win so much money from him?
In the end, won't she lose it all anyway!
Kisame Hoshigaki had already put on the red cloud cloak. He glanced at Uehara's predicament and chuckled lightly, "Lord Uehara, then I'll head out first to meet my teammate."
"...Go!"
Uehara Naraka hatefully squeezed the word out from between his teeth.
Clearly, this guy Kisame Hoshigaki was the spy he prepared to plant, yet the first thing Kisame did upon joining Akatsuki was 'inadvertently' reveal his affairs to Konan.
This guy wasn't nearly as honest as he imagined!
Doesn't he understand being tight-lipped!
If Uehara himself hadn't been clever and quick-witted, finding a barely tenable excuse, Konan wouldn't have given him a pleasant look for days!
"Don't blame me, Lord Uehara."
Kisame Hoshigaki spread his hands, the smile on his lips deepening, "I just believe Lord Uehara shouldn't do things inappropriate for his age. Konan-senpai should still properly discipline her own disciple!"
"I understand, thank you for the reminder."
After nodding, Konan looked up at Kisame Hoshigaki, her gaze instantly gaining a trace more friendliness and trust.
After leaving the base.
Zabuza Momochi couldn't help looking at Kisame Hoshigaki and chuckling lightly, "Hmph, you guy really offended that kid Uehara badly this time!"
"Is that so?"
The smile on Kisame Hoshigaki's face didn't lessen. He glanced at Zabuza Momochi as if looking at an idiot, "Then I really didn't notice!"
Mangetsu Hōzuki looked thoughtfully at Kisame Hoshigaki and said softly, "Actually, Milord seems to respect his teacher very much, right? When we were returning, he seemed to often inadvertently mention his teacher."
"Looks like there aren't too many idiots among us after all!"
Kisame Hoshigaki chuckled lightly, his words again subtly despising Zabuza Momochi, then parted ways with them to meet his new partner.
Lakeside.
Uchiha Itachi was here contemplating life again.
Now Uchiha Itachi's mood was somewhat regretful and strange. The ninja world actually had another person of the same kind as Mangetsu Hōzuki?
If he had the chance, should he find a way to understand how Mangetsu Hōzuki manipulated his younger brother?
The sound of Samehada stabbing into the ground disrupted Uchiha Itachi's thoughts. Kisame Hoshigaki stood behind him, saying softly, "What are you thinking about? The famous Clan-Killer Itachi..."
"..."
Uchiha Itachi closed his eyes, not wanting to answer.
Kisame Hoshigaki walked step by step towards Uchiha Itachi, approached him, and said, "Need me to help guess? For example, how not to let others notice... that you, actually like that kid Mangetsu Hōzuki, want to protect your younger brother?"
Uchiha Itachi's expression remained unchanged. He just reached out and slowly brushed aside his wind-tousled hair, saying softly, "If you're just here to say these meaningless words..."
"They have meaning."
The smile on Kisame Hoshigaki's face was exceptionally amiable, "I'm just confirming. If you really don't care about your younger brother, I can plan to kill him now, let myself possess a pair of Sharingan. My chakra is extremely abundant; the Sharingan's consumption should be minimal for me."
"..."
Uchiha Itachi's fingers couldn't help but tremble slightly.
Perhaps this new shark-faced teammate was the most difficult test he had faced since coming to Akatsuki.
Akatsuki's members were all extreme psychopaths. Listening to Kisame Hoshigaki's words, Uchiha Itachi couldn't judge if he was telling the truth or not.
Kisame Hoshigaki subtly noticed Uchiha Itachi's fingers. The smile on his face grew deeper and deeper. Looked like his superior Uehara Naraka's judgment was proven right once again!
Just as Uchiha Itachi finally couldn't hold back anymore and wanted to say something, Kisame Hoshigaki preemptively stopped him.
The smile on the shark-face became somewhat menacing, "Alright, I was joking... Compared to a mere pair of Sharingan, I'd rather watch the drama of a duel between brothers."
(End of Chapter)
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