Chapter 27: Just a Trifle of an Achievement

"Sigh!"

"The Hidden Mist Village is truly going through a turbulent time."

"Not only has the S-rank missing-nin Kisame appeared, but there is also a shinobi of unknown intent, yet impossibly powerful, roaming within our village."

Gonbe felt a wave of helplessness wash over him. Faced with a top-tier powerhouse like Uzumaki Sika, even if they fought to the death, it would likely be in vain.

Beside Gonbe, Chojuro tightened his grip on the twin blades, Hiramekarei. The gaze behind his glasses was filled with an unprecedented sense of gravity. This genius youth of the Hidden Mist had never imagined that their mission would take such a disastrous turn. The two enemies appearing here today were each more terrifying than the last. Chojuro could somewhat comprehend Kisame’s strength, but Sika’s power was simply unreasonable. He couldn't even begin to fathom how one could defeat such a formidable adversary.

"Everyone, stay calm! Do not act rashly!"

"This ninja is extremely dangerous. If we engage him, we risk heavy casualties, or even total annihilation!"

Mei Terumi’s voice rang out, warning Gonbe, Ao, and Chojuro not to take any impulsive action. After temporarily holding them back, she quickly relayed the information she had on Uzumaki Sika. Having been assisting Master Elder in handling village affairs, she had reviewed intelligence from various sources. Among those reports were details on the duo of Sika and Kakuzu, a pair of black-market mission fanatics who had recently risen to prominence. Though it might not change their dire situation, Mei shared what she knew, concise and to the point.

"He is a rogue ninja who recently made a name for himself in the Amegakure black market, known as Uzumaki Sika."

"For some time, he has been sweeping up mercenary contracts in the Rain Village black market."

"He accepts almost every mission that comes his way, and he has never failed once."

"Due to his incredibly high efficiency and perfect success rate, he has attracted the attention of patrons everywhere."

"In the course of his missions, he has clashed with powerful shinobi such as Kakuzu, Orochimaru, and others from various villages, and he has yet to suffer a single defeat."

Uzumaki Sika raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "Oh? My reputation has reached the Land of Water already?"

"Just some trivial achievements, nothing worth bragging about." Sika winked at Mei, giving her a look that suggested she was getting a bargain. "Beauty, just because you have such a sweet tongue, ask me! I'll give you a ten percent discount on the mission!"

Who the hell is complimenting you?!

Chojuro’s heart sank to the very bottom. Facing a ninja of this caliber, even if they dug up the First Mizukage from his grave, they wouldn't stand a chance! They had seen with their own eyes the fight between Sika and Kisame not long ago. Kisame was clearly no match for Sika, and looking at how effortlessly Sika had handled himself, it was obvious he hadn't even been using his full strength!

Realizing the extent of Sika’s power, Ao’s expression turned grim, his voice trembling slightly. "Mei, you should retreat first!"

"Gonbe, Chojuro, and I will hold him off."

"You are the future of the village; you cannot die here."

Although Ao spoke of holding Sika back, he knew deep down that the three of them couldn't stop him at all. This was an enemy they couldn't possibly overcome; he only hoped to buy a little time.

Just as despair began to set in, Mei suddenly thought of something. She stepped forward, speaking urgently.

"Lord Uzumaki Sika!"

"I actually have a mission here with a generous reward!"

"I wonder if you might be interested?"

Sika, who had been busy counting money while holding his mission request form, perked up immediately upon hearing that Mei had a contract for him. He had only been speaking casually earlier. Was there actually a job? His attitude took a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn!

Previously, when he looked at Mei, it was purely the gaze of someone assessing a potential mission asset. Now, his face was filled with sincere smiles. When it came to missions, he was a total professional!

"Ahem, ahem!"

Sika cleared his throat, adopting a highly professional business demeanor, and said with a serious face, "Please, tell me the details of the mission."

Mei was stunned to her core hearing this—this actually worked? The Uzumaki Sika before her was exactly as the reports described! As long as there was a mission, regardless of time or place, he would accept it. Mei even suspected that if a Great Ninja War were to break out, Sika would still prioritize completing his mission before returning to join the war.

Of course, this was no time for idle thoughts. Although her quick wit had stabilized the situation, this man remained a dangerous entity to them.

Mei glanced at Kisame, who was not far away, using Samehada to circulate chakra and heal his wounds. She spoke tentatively: "I intend to hire you for eight million ryo to capture the S-rank missing-nin, Kisame, for the Hidden Mist Village!"

She watched Sika nervously after speaking. This mission seemed absurd to her, but she wanted to try—the Hidden Mist needed the power of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Judging by their attire, the two were clearly partners. However, Sika and Kisame had just had an internal conflict. Plus, the intelligence was clear: there was no mission he wouldn't complete, only ones that weren't paid enough.

Yet, a scene Mei never expected unfolded!

[New bounty mission discovered!]

[Employer: Mei Terumi]

[Objective: Capture the S-rank missing-nin, Kisame, for the Hidden Mist!]

[Reward: 8 million ryo]

[Mission Rank: S]

[Reward: 8,000 bounty points]

Only eight million?

Mei’s offer left Sika deeply dissatisfied! Are you kidding me? This group put together couldn't even handle Kisame, yet they only offer eight million? Is he worth less than Chojuro? The previously enthusiastic and smiling Sika immediately hardened his face!

"Are you blind?"

"We are wearing the same clothes!"

Sika wrapped an arm around Kisame’s neck and patted his chest. "This man! Kisame Hoshigaki! An S-rank missing-nin! He’s known as the 'Tail-less Tailed Beast,' his Water Style is masterful, he can create massive lakes in the middle of a desert—his strength is immense."

"He is my reliable, well-coordinated partner!"

"And you want to hire me to capture him?"

"For only eight million?"

"How dare you!"

"Who are you looking down on!"

Mei pointed at Kisame, then at Sika, with a look of utter disbelief. "Him! With you! Are partners? A reliable, well-coordinated partner?" You certainly didn't hold back when you were beating him up earlier!

Of course, Mei only dared to think this in her heart. Kisame felt goosebumps all over; he shifted uncomfortably, but feeling the iron-like grip of Sika’s arm around his neck, he remained silent.

"Ahem, ahem!"

Seeming to realize his claim was a bit ridiculous, Sika coughed lightly.

"However, I am a very serious person when it comes to missions. It’s not impossible for me to do it if you insist."

"That’s it!"

Sika skillfully rubbed his thumb and index finger together. When Sika had initially rejected the offer, Mei’s heart had skipped a beat. Fortunately, Sika wasn't turning down the mission; he just felt that because of his close relationship with Kisame, capturing him required a higher payout. The logic sounded strange, but it didn't matter—as long as they could avert this crisis.

Increasing the reward was not a problem for Mei at all!

"No problem!"

Mei nodded decisively! If this worked, the Hidden Mist Village could practically... uh, no, they could long-term hire Uzumaki Sika to execute missions! They could easily set aside half of the Hidden Mist Anbu budget to hire Sika indefinitely. After all, an S-rank missing-nin like Kisame, whom the entire Anbu might fail to capture, was handled by Sika in a few short moves.

After Mei agreed to increase the reward, Sika looked at Kisame beside him.

Kisame: "???"

When Sika and Mei were haggling earlier, he thought Sika was just playing around with these foolish Hidden Mist ninjas. Now, he realized by the look in Sika’s eyes that this guy wasn't joking at all. He was playing for real!

Kisame asked in shock, "You aren't actually planning to turn me in for money, are you?"

After Kisame asked, Sika retorted with a straight face, "Is that not allowed?"

His demeanor was as if trading a fellow Akatsuki member for cash was the most natural thing in the world. Kisame was on the verge of a breakdown! Under Samehada’s healing, his injuries had mostly recovered, but even so, if Sika decided to come for him, he wouldn't be able to escape.

Kisame could only continue: "This kind of thing is not permitted by the organization."

"If you turn me in for money, how will you answer to the organization when you return?"

Sika waved his hand dismissively, as if the matter were trivial. "Hey, it’s not that complicated. Kakuzu has killed so many teammates and he’s fine, isn't he?"

Sika’s blunt, cold words made a chill run down Kisame’s spine.

"They died in missions because they lacked the skill, they weren't sold out by Kakuzu directly!"

Sika touched his chin, looking Kisame up and down, weighing the pros and cons in his heart. It seemed that in the original story, Orochimaru was hunted down after ambushing Itachi. So there really was a risk of falling out!

Sika’s gaze felt as if he were appraising a piece of merchandise, making Kisame feel completely uneasy. But he dared not make any extra movements; his life was now entirely in Sika’s hands.

Sika was in a dilemma. The Akatsuki still had the Tailed Beast missions to farm! Even if he only got ten million for each of the nine Tailed Beasts, that was ninety million in total. Would Mei pay ninety million for Kisame? Besides, a Jinchuriki plus a Tailed Beast was definitely worth more than a single beast. How could it only be ninety million?