[Land of Rain]
[Kakuzu's Office]
"Who are you here representing?"
Kakuzu looked at the person opposite, whose whole body was covered, and asked.
Information was what a ninja most needed to hide. There were plenty of people who covered themselves completely.
Because he needed to hide the black threads of Earth Grudge Fear, even Kakuzu normally only showed his eyes.
He didn't care who the other person dressed as, he only cared who they represented.
"I represent Konoha."
Kakuzu felt a flash of joy in his heart, but his face remained expressionless, "Oh? Has the Third Hokage agreed to Akatsuki's demands?"
Sarutobi Ishishu shook his head, "Fifty billion is far too much. No ninja village could possibly bring out that much money."
"Your Akatsuki has no sincerity."
Kakuzu replied, "Konan is Akatsuki's second-in-command. Naturally, however much she says is what it will be."
Sarutobi Ishishu of course knew this information. He probed further, "I don't know if I might be fortunate enough to speak with your leader?"
Kakuzu let out a heavy laugh, "I know what you're thinking. But unfortunately, Konan is our leader Pain's representative."
"You cannot bypass Konan to speak directly to Pain."
Since Sarutobi Ishishu had been sent here, he had naturally anticipated running into this kind of obstacle.
His earlier words were all tests, but Kakuzu never took the bait.
Sarutobi Ishishu grew a little anxious.
"Your Akatsuki seeks profit as well. Mr. Kakuzu, you're an elder of Akatsuki. Might you think of a way?"
Kakuzu's heart stirred, 'Here it comes.'
He pretended to think, his fingers tapping back and forth on the table.
Sarutobi Ishishu saw this, 'There is hope!'
He hurried to say, "If this matter succeeds, naturally Mr. Kakuzu will not be left without benefit."
Kakuzu pretended to think for a while longer before finally speaking, "I do have some means. I can have Monk Senku handle this for you."
"But you also know, I am a member of Akatsuki. To do something like this requires smoothing things out up and down."
Sarutobi Ishishu couldn't tell if this was Kakuzu's excuse or if it was truly the case.
After all, he didn't know Akatsuki's internal structure.
But being able to talk was better than Konan refusing outright.
So he went along with Kakuzu's words, "In that case, of course we won't let Mr. Kakuzu suffer a loss."
"How much money does Mr. Kakuzu think would be required to get this done?"
It was Kakuzu's first time doing business this large. He steadied his emotions and raised two fingers.
"Twenty billion."
Sarutobi Ishishu's mouth twitched. Kakuzu was not an easy one to deal with.
If he knew Senku's whereabouts, then given Senku's personality, he'd probably do it even without payment.
But ideas and reality weren't the same.
Even though Kakuzu had asked for a high price, his manner clearly showed he was opening high to wait for bargaining.
This was totally different from Konan's flat refusal to talk.
"Twenty billion is too much. Konoha still cannot bring out that much money."
"Well then, as for the price…"
Kakuzu and Sarutobi Ishishu went back and forth bargaining.
In the end, they were still debating even the single digits.
But Kakuzu finally clamped down at 10.3 billion and refused to go lower.
Sarutobi Ishishu knew well enough what the Third Hokage's financial limits were, so finally they settled at that price.
"If the price is no problem, then next we should confirm the transaction process."
"But first, let me say this. The sum is too large. We'll need some time to gather the money."
Sarutobi Ishishu was extremely cautious. After all, with such a huge sum, no amount of caution was too much.
Kakuzu was overjoyed inside. Of this 10.3 billion, 1.3 billion was his own cut.
Naturally his heart surged with excitement.
To do business, he had already confirmed the basic process with Senku earlier.
Now he was prepared, "Naturally."
"You get the money ready, and once the transaction is confirmed, you must first choose the person and send them here."
"Monk Senku will first sketch the sealing technique for them."
"After that it will depend on you providing information about the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki."
"Our Monk Senku will extract the Nine-Tails, then seal it into the person you have chosen."
"But that chosen person must remain with us. Afterward, one hand gives money, the other hand gives the person."
The method Kakuzu described was clearly more favorable to the Third Hokage's side.
And once the sealing was complete, one hand trading money and the other trading the jinchuriki made the risk much smaller.
After reaching agreement with Kakuzu, Sarutobi Ishishu first sent the news back with a messenger bird.
Then he set off back himself. After all, he had to consider who the sealing candidate would be, and also raising the money. Staying here was useless.
———
[Uchiha Compound]
[Orochimaru's Laboratory]
Kisame Hoshigaki had originally been tasked by Konan to go find where Obito was hiding.
But because of Hiruko's matter, Kisame and Obito had missed each other.
Now Obito's group's whereabouts were uncertain. Kisame didn't do the mission, but instead came to the Uchiha.
"You-you're not the leader!"
Kisame looked at Yahiko, and his first instinct was wrongness.
Pain was a cold, emotionless person.
Not this smiling man before him. And this person who looked like Pain didn't have the Rinnegan.
Since Yahiko appeared before Kisame, it was naturally a matter of trust.
Kisame's loyalty wasn't in doubt. After all, his belief now was to revive Kurita Kyoko.
His gaze shifted to Nagato, half his face hidden.
This man had the Rinnegan, and his aura was identical to Pain's.
'This is the real leader!'
As a bounty hunter who roamed the ninja world, Kisame knew well there were countless transformation jutsu and camouflage techniques.
To complete missions, one critical ability was telling the real from the fake.
Rengoku laughed on the side, "Looks like you're pretty sharp."
Kisame didn't ask why.
Instead, Nagato used a transformation technique to become Pain.
The biggest differences between Pain and Yahiko, aside from expression, were the black piercings on his body and the nail polish on his hands.
But Nagato impersonating himself was of course identical.
"From now on, the leader of Akatsuki will remain the identity of Pain," Nagato (in Pain's form) said.
"Yes, Leader."
Kisame quickly agreed. After all, he didn't care what Pain originally looked like.
"I didn't find Obito and the others, so after finishing the mission I came back."
"Leader, should my next step be to continue searching for Obito?", Kisame was a straightforward man.
He came back and didn't forget his work, truly straightforward.
The one acting as Pain looked toward Rengoku, since Rengoku was the one carrying out the plan.
In Amegakure, Rengoku had left Senku's clone, and already knew the Third Hokage had taken the bait.
Next was to keep applying pressure on the Third Hokage.
And now Kisame had come.
So he asked Nagato, "Your pupil power has already recovered, right?"
It was nearly two months since Yahiko's resurrection.
"It's recovered."
Rengoku smiled, "According to Orochimaru's judgment, reviving someone of weak strength with Rinne Tensei only requires a small amount of life force."
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