Chapter 51: I Am the Client Daddy

The entire tavern emptied in an instant. Even the bartender had vanished without a trace.

“He… he’s Kakuzu? Such a sinister chakra,” Yahiko couldn’t help but take two steps back.

They had actually considered, if they couldn’t persuade him, perhaps they could just rob him… But just by standing there, the evil chakra constantly emanating from him was enough to inspire dread.

If it really came to a fight, Nagato, still unskilled in controlling the Rinnegan, probably wouldn’t be a match.

“You’re interested in the treasure too?” Shiroki hadn’t expected, while baiting for fish, to hook such a big one.

“Tell me, where is the Uchiha treasure?” Greed filled the strange, dark eyes of Kakuzu.

“I don’t mind telling you—it’s in Konoha, somewhere you couldn’t reach alone.” Shiroki stood before Kakuzu’s towering figure without the slightest hint of fear.

“…It’s indeed troublesome.” Thinking back to being pummeled by the First Hokage, Kakuzu’s gaze gradually cleared.

“Follow us. The Uchiha clan’s wealth, accumulated over a thousand years, will take you a lifetime to count.” Shiroki made a sincere pitch—no, invitation.

“Wait.” Kakuzu turned to look at the three Akatsuki members, pulling a thick stack of bounty notices from his coat.

“We don't have bounties on our heads, right?” Yahiko suddenly grew nervous.

“Probably not…” Konan was also uncertain.

Nagato kept silent, standing guard behind them.

Kakuzu flipped through the booklet for several minutes. Only when he was sure their names weren’t there did he close it and pull out the mission scroll issued by the exchange office. “You’re my employer?”

“That’s right, it’s me.” Shiroki nodded.

“The treasure can wait. Let’s finish the job first.” Kakuzu was a straightforward man. Compared to treasure far off in Konoha, meat already in his mouth truly belonged to him.

When he heard someone had offered three million ryo for a specific assassination, he had rushed here from the Land of Lightning, traveling day and night.

Such a big job—it was rare these days.

“Alright, let’s go. It’s next door,” said Shiroki with a nod.

…

The owner of the Boar’s Head Bar sat idly at the counter, chopping meat while scratching his toes. Ever since a glib-tongued kid had started working next door at the Fat Dog Bar, he hadn’t had much business for a week.

“There’s no need for you to tag along. When it comes to assassinations, I’m a professional. Even when I faced the First Hokage back in the day, I never backed down.” Kakuzu hated being followed, especially by anyone who might interfere.

But since the client demanded it, he had no choice but to comply one hundred percent. That was the professional code of a hired ninja. To make it in this business and earn real money, reputation was everything.

“Of course. I want the most professional, otherwise I wouldn’t have paid such a high price. Tell me your assassination plan,” Shiroki suddenly felt that three million shouldn’t be spent for nothing—at least he wanted to hear something substantial.

“Assassination plan?” No one had ever asked Kakuzu that before. He thought for two seconds. “I intend to cut his throat with a single shuriken.”

“Mmm… simple, direct, unadorned. Go ahead.” Shiroki nodded.

“Become my bounty.” Kakuzu gripped a shuriken, aiming at the greasy neck of the Boar’s Head owner.

Die…

“Wait, wait…” Shiroki suddenly called a halt.

“What is it?” Kakuzu paused mid-throw.

“I just thought about it. Your plan is perfect, but there are a few details that could use tweaking.” Shiroki wanted to experience what it felt like to be a demanding client—three million ryo shouldn’t be spent in vain.

“Go on.” As an S-rank mercenary ninja, Kakuzu’s service attitude was still decent.

“Don’t use that shuriken. It’s not professional. I’ve seen other ninjas use ninjutsu for assassinations—use ninjutsu,” Shiroki said.

“Shuriken is ninjutsu.” Kakuzu looked calmly at Shiroki.

“This is my first time hiring a ninja, but you can’t fool me. I want something flashy and spectacular.”

“Alright, I understand. I’ll use Lightning Style.” Kakuzu nodded.

“Yes, yes, use something low-key but also dazzlingly colorful.”

Kakuzu stared into Shiroki’s eyes for a long while before nodding. As a master of all five elemental ninjutsu with a century of experience, this was hardly a challenge. His hands formed forty-four seals, forty of which were just to adjust the color of the lightning.

“I’ll let you live one more minute, then become my bounty! Lightning Style: Faux Dark Fireworks!”

“Wait!” Shiroki stopped Kakuzu again.

“What now?” Kakuzu was starting to lose patience.

“Can you give me a sample first? I’m afraid that when he dies, I won’t feel satisfied, and we can’t do it again.” Shiroki gazed at him.

Boom—a bolt of lightning struck a stray dog by the roadside. The dim lightning ball burrowed into its body, and the next second, it exploded into a sky full of dazzling, multicolored lightning.

“How’s that?”

“No, no, the colors are rich, but the contrast isn’t strong enough. I’d like something more minimalist, but don’t lose that wild beauty…” Shiroki looked at Kakuzu.

“Alright, I’ll use Earth Style.” After thinking for a while, Kakuzu began forming earth-style hand seals.

Fifty-five seals.

“Die… my bounty, Earth Style: Multicolored Minimalist Wild Earth Spikes!”

“Wait, wait…”

“…” Kakuzu was losing patience, his eyes growing redder.

“The more I think about it, the angrier I get. I can’t let him die so simply. Is there any ninjutsu that makes someone a walking corpse, alive yet dead, vibrant yet perished?” Shiroki tilted his head at Kakuzu.

“Vibrant yet dead? Alive yet a walking corpse? Are you messing with me?” Kakuzu’s patience was gone.

“Forget it… just use your original plan, throw the shuriken.” Shiroki felt that if he kept pushing, Kakuzu might kill him instead.

“…” Kakuzu stared at Shiroki for a full three minutes, then threw a shuriken behind his back, neatly slicing open the Boar’s Head owner’s throat.

Mission accomplished.

“Tsk… this three million still feels like a waste…” Shiroki shook his head.

Boom—he was sent flying by a punch from Kakuzu, and nearly died.

…

“Yahiko, I’ve stirred up the whole atmosphere in Godless Town for you. Now it’s up to you. Just follow my script, and these hundreds of people will belong to your Akatsuki organization.” Back at the tavern, Shiroki brushed the dirt from his clothes.

“…Thank you for your efforts, Shiroki. Listening to your speech, I learned a lot. Mine really was too hollow and tasteless—hard to resonate with people. But…”

“The Akatsuki I want is pure and clean, ideals clashing from heart to heart, without a trace of lies.”

Yahiko bowed deeply.

“Brother, that’s a dangerous and naïve idea. No organization rises without a bit of trickery. This lot may be unruly, but with some picking, there are some strong ones among them. Used well, they’re a dirty blade that can stab deep.” Shiroki tried his best to persuade him.

“I appreciate your goodwill.” Yahiko forced a smile. “But I insist that Akatsuki is a pure organization of persuasion, not one that coerces with force.”

“Without strength, you have no voice. You don’t even deserve a glance from those in power.” Shiroki grew serious.

“Strength is just a tool for self-protection. In the end, I believe peace comes from conviction, so…”

“Thank you.”

Yahiko bowed deeply again.

“…” Shiroki scratched his head awkwardly. He’d riled up a crowd just to have Yahiko take over, thereby finishing his task indirectly.

Who would’ve thought Yahiko wouldn’t even take followers handed to him for free?

So now… was he supposed to take this bunch himself?