Karin gritted her teeth. "Then how will you forgive me?"
"Wait a moment..." Naruko used the Transformation Jutsu to turn into Tsunade, then stabbed herself in the chest with a kunai, killing herself.
Karin was speechless with anger.
Since Karin wanted to apologize, she wouldn't be angry anymore. It was time to seize the opportunity. Although the clones were mischievous, they didn't mess around. For decision-making matters, the main body would handle them. They were there to have fun; researching such things was taxing and a waste of time.
After a short while, Naruko emerged from the teleportation portal again. "I'll forgive you if you teach me that chain control technique."
At this, before Karin could react, the Nine-Tails did. The orange fox lowered its head and looked at Naruto. "Brat, what do you mean?" Just two days ago, he saw the chains binding Tailed Beasts, and today he wants to learn chains? Does he not want to live anymore?
"You're overthinking it." Naruto waved his hand. Someone like you needs to be bound? How much chakra would that waste? "Don't you think this move would be very useful against Shukaku?" He still remembered how Shukaku insulted him by calling him less durable than a turtle last time. Now that Shukaku was awake, it was the perfect time to give it a good beating.
However, his human form was too cumbersome for fighting such giant creatures. Without Madara's Limbo: Border Jail's attack power, it would be no different than tickling it. But with Adamantine Sealing Chains, it would be different; he could truly string it up and beat it.
"Oh?" The Nine-Tails recalled being bound by Kushina, then imagined itself as Shukaku. It felt a mix of emotions, bitter and happy. It gulped down a large mouthful of cola. "Yes, bind it. Hic." Then, it made the clone in the Land of Snow switch to a program that made it happy.
Naruto looked up at the sky. Had you fallen to such a state?
Karin was astonished. "How do I teach this?" This was an awakened ability for her, not something she learned. In other words, it was a passive skill. She'd never heard of a passive skill being teachable.
"Just try," Naruko replied. Trying wouldn't get her pregnant. Then, she showed a benevolent gaze. "Come, let me study its operating principle first."
Naruko studied Karin very late into the night.
On Naruto's side, he received a letter from Tsunade, delivered through the teleportation portal. Without the teleportation portal, Tsunade would truly have had difficulty finding these two, who basically relied on walking for transport and dogs for guidance. Pre-preparation was impossible because no one knew where they would go next.
Jiraiya held the thick stack of documents, reading them. Naruto picked up the one next to him. The first page showed Ajisai. "What's this?"
"A ninja from the Land of Rain. Even the Land of Rain participated in the Chunin Exams this time." The Land of Rain rarely contacted the outside world. Their sudden activity puzzled Tsunade, so she sent the village's only technician to investigate.
Naruto's words had ironically come true: Kakashi really did take a mission to the Land of Rain, though not to repair a high tower, but to investigate Hanzō. The Land of Rain was active, but Hanzō, its leader, the Salamander, hadn't appeared. This was abnormal.
Jiraiya put down the documents. "I never expected that even Kakashi couldn't infiltrate. He was discovered the moment he entered..."
Naruto knew why. This 'technician' must have gotten rained on. Pain's Rain Tiger at Will Jutsu could perceive through raindrops; even a single drop would lead to his detection.
Jiraiya's face was melancholic, pacing back and forth, seemingly hesitating. Oh hell, Ero-sennin, you're not thinking of going to the Land of Rain right now, are you? If Jiraiya went now, he'd be dead for sure.
Leaving aside others, his two students alone would be enough to finish him. Even if he unleashed the fox spirit to rage against Pain, Konan's pop quiz requiring him to count 6,000 billion explosive tags would be something he couldn't complete. At that point, what could Jiraiya say besides a melancholic "class dismissed"?
Fortunately, Jiraiya wasn't a hothead. He didn't choose to go to the Land of Rain now. He put down the documents, grabbed the green crystal. "Sleep."
Everything proceeded as usual. Three days later...
Jiraiya received another letter from Tsunade. The content was to investigate Yorozuya, St. Freya, and the Seven Warlords of the Sea when he had time. She also included a few portraits.
Holding the portrait of Yae Sakura, Jiraiya was bewildered. "What... is this?"
This time, Naruto wasn't worried. Just you watch, if you can investigate these places, I lose. He reached out and pulled Jiraiya. "Don't look at that yet. The transaction is about to begin."
In three days, Orochimaru had made all the preparations to send Sasuke off to cultivate immortality. Today was the day of the transaction.
"Oh." Jiraiya put down the documents. Tsunade was the Hokage and his beloved; he couldn't ignore the documents. However, compared to the documents, he was more interested in having a few words with Orochimaru, even if it was just relaying messages through a corpse.
Naruto activated the teleportation. The other side of the gate was near a certain underground exchange. At the same time, at Orochimaru's base, the clone grabbed the corpse and teleported. Naruto and Jiraiya arrived first, followed by the clone and the corpse.
To Naruto's surprise, the Edo Tensei reanimated person he didn't recognize actually spoke the moment they teleported over. Because he knew Edo Tensei consumed souls, Orochimaru rarely used strong individuals, usually relying on failed practice subjects to relay messages.
"You are, Konoha's Sannin, Jiraiya?"
This sentence was clearly not something Kabuto controlled him to say; it was his own consciousness. Although he didn't know how Kabuto managed to link and control the corpse over such a distance, this method was clearly not recognized by the teleportation portal. In that instant, Kabuto lost his link to the corpse. In other words, Kabuto... his internet connection was cut.
Naruto made a mental note: in the future, if he encountered Kabuto using Edo Tensei, he might be able to... pull his internet cable.
However, in just two seconds, the corpse was linked again. "Long time no see, Jiraiya."
Jiraiya's expression was complex as he questioned, "Why do you do such sacrilegious things to the deceased?"
"The jutsu was invented by the Second Hokage," Orochimaru replied with a fatal blow. If you have something to say, go tell the Second.
"Then you..."
"You don't understand, and I don't want to say more. Today, I'm here for a transaction." The corpse turned its head and asked, "Naruto-kun, are you ready?"
Naruto didn't answer, looking at Jiraiya. Jiraiya nodded sadly. He had so many questions for Orochimaru, but Orochimaru always said he didn't understand.
The underground exchange was indeed underground: dim, cold, and smelled of corpses and disinfectant. This deal involved a substantial deposit and a special method, so the person receiving them was a supervisor.
The supervisor held a chilling box, inside which was a specially sealed chakra jar. He asked, "Confirm seal?"
Naruto looked at the corpse. "Your turn."
At Orochimaru's base, Sasuke turned into smoke with a 'poof' and was reverse-summoned away. A few minutes later, he returned and was brought by the clone to Jiraiya's side to confirm his identity. After an inspection, Sasuke nodded to the clone. "Confirmed." He confirmed that he had indeed gone to Ryūchi Cave just now.
After sending him back, Naruto's main body returned to the underground exchange. He had just used the 'staring blankly' positioning method to locate Ryūchi Cave. The transaction process was complicated, but for Orochimaru, Naruto was willing to go through any complexity.
He nodded to the supervisor. "Confirm seal."
After both parties confirmed, the supervisor sealed the box and had a summoning beast carry it away. Until pickup, no one would know where the box was.
The transaction complete, Jiraiya was in low spirits. He took out a photo of Itachi and asked, "Have you seen anyone wearing these clothes?"
The supervisor smiled welcomingly. "I'm sorry, I haven't." Even if he had, he wouldn't say. They had rules.
"Oh." Jiraiya put away the photo; he was just testing.
Seeing Jiraiya in low spirits, Naruto decided to do something to lighten the mood. He looked at the smiling supervisor and asked, "Can you custom-make clothes like this here?"
At this, Jiraiya's expression instantly changed. "You scoundrel disciple!!!" He guessed what Naruto was up to, because there was a precedent: the white robe from the Shizuka incident last time.
"I'm sorry, we don't... we can." The supervisor immediately changed his tune when he saw the gold coin in Naruto's hand. He couldn't disclose information about the clothes, but what did custom-making clothes have to do with information? It would be great to make some extra cash by using his connections.
Jiraiya clutched his chest, pointing at Naruto, and laughed. "You want to wear these clothes??" Naruto's move was so outrageous, he was actually amused. I'm going through so much trouble to find information, and you're going to wear their clothes?
Naruto retorted, "Does Konoha have a rule that forbids it?" Who decreed that you couldn't wear Akatsuki's clothes if you weren't a member?
"No," the corpse controlled by Kabuto said, a hint of laughter in its voice. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki wearing Akatsuki's uniform? Even Orochimaru laughed.
Jiraiya thought for a moment. Konoha really didn't have such a rule. He asked, "Then do you know the consequences of doing so?"
"What consequences?" Naruto asked the corpse.
"If such a thing is discovered, the general practice in the ninja world is to first warn, and if ineffective, to kill," Orochimaru explained. Whether it's a great nation, a small nation, or an organization, reputation is taken very seriously, because reputation ensures they receive commissions and income. Those who impersonate and intentionally smear them are considered enemies.
Naruto spread his hands. "So if I don't wear them, they won't come fight me?" Whether I wear them or not, they'll come fight me, so why shouldn't I wear them and show off a bit?
"Uh..." Jiraiya was stuck; it actually seemed to be true.
Naruto then asked the corpse again, "I see Itachi and Kisame both have rings. Jiraiya said you also joined Akatsuki and later left. Do you have a ring? Do you still have it?" Naruto knew Orochimaru had a ring, but he couldn't say it directly, though he could guide the conversation.
"Yes, I still have it," Orochimaru replied. "What, Naruto-kun, are you interested?"
"I'm interested." If he was going to play, he'd go all out. What was the use of just having the clothes? He needed a ring too.
"Ten jars of chakra," Orochimaru proposed for the trade. He kept the ring for nothing but showing off and as a memento of being beaten by Itachi. He wasn't being hunted by Akatsuki because of the ring, but because he left Akatsuki.
So Orochimaru's reason for keeping the ring was similar to Naruto's: since he'd be hunted either way, why not keep it? Now that it was useful, it was a good opportunity to exchange it for something tangible.
"One jar."
"Nine jars."
"I have the usage method here, and it can contact Akatsuki," Orochimaru added as leverage.
"One jar." Naruto didn't change his offer. Pain had cut off your signal; what could you contact?
This negotiation was swift. About ten minutes later, Naruto traded one and a half jars of chakra for the ring and its usage method, which was the Phantom Body Transformation Technique. The supervisor recorded another chakra deposit.
The atmosphere had eased considerably. Naruto left Jiraiya and Orochimaru to their discussion and secretly pulled the supervisor to a corner. He held a Rasenshuriken to the side to muffle their voices and used a white robe to block them.
"Don't be nervous, I'm not attacking you. I'm asking you, can you get me an original uniform?"
His tone wasn't like he was asking about clothes, but more like, "Bro, wanna roll?"
"I don't know," the supervisor said ambiguously.
"Thirty million ryo per piece," Naruto said. "Your commission is separate."
"I'll try my best," the supervisor replied. Naruto's question also wasn't related to information. He knew his own role as a middleman. Naruto had issued a mission, and he would contact someone to complete it. However, this mission was to be completed secretly, not openly.
"Remember, it's best if it fits my height. I'm 169 cm," Naruto said. At 14, almost 15, 169 cm was a normal height. Clothes weren't something you could just grab any and put on; fit was paramount. As for the Prince being able to wear Jiraiya's and the Fourth's robes, that might have been a material issue, they shrank in the wash.
After speaking, Naruto gave the supervisor some advance payment, then rubbed the blank ring. The blankness represented Kūchin, the "Void" or "Empty."
Once the clothes were in hand, he would be the newly appointed Akatsuki's Kūchin, Uzumaki Naruto!
Getting an original, fitting Akatsuki uniform was neither hard nor simple. At the very least, Naruto needed money. He needed a middleman. Akatsuki needed a money-hungry person. And someone of similar height to Naruto. All four conditions were indispensable.
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