Chapter 8: Nagato: Leading this team is becoming increasingly challenging.

Orochimaru found the situation quite amusing, but Kakuzu’s mood was as somber as if he were attending a funeral. He simply could not comprehend how the Akatsuki organization managed its security to allow such a situation to unfold.

High within the tower of Amegakure, Nagato and Konan had spotted the group of four—Kakuzu and his companions—from quite a distance. Had Kakuzu simply brought Uzumaki Sixia along, Nagato would not have been surprised. But the fact that it was Sixia leading Kakuzu to the tower left Nagato deeply puzzled.

Nagato sat on the edge of the tower, staring down for a long moment before asking offhandedly, "That man, he is the Uzumaki Sixia who has gained quite a reputation in the black market, isn't he?"

Sixia’s fame in the black market was significant enough that even Nagato had taken note of him. However, Nagato had always felt that Sixia was not "their kind," and thus had never considered recruiting him.

Konan nodded. She, too, was curious about why Sixia had come to the tower. "He seems very familiar with this area. It looks like he came here specifically for us."

Nagato did not seem overly concerned. At this moment, in his eyes, Sixia was not an enemy that required serious attention.

Once the conversation between Konan and Nagato ended, footsteps soon echoed from nearby. Nagato turned his gaze toward the sound and saw Sixia accompanied by a red-haired girl.

That familiar hair color! Someone had once told him that this crimson shade was a distinct trait of the Uzumaki clan. Due to the ravages of war, the Uzumaki had been scattered to the winds. To see three descendants of the clan, all from different backgrounds, gathered in one place was a rare occurrence indeed.

Nagato’s gaze lingered on Sixia for only a second before shifting to Kakuzu. "What is the meaning of this?"

Kakuzu replied in a calm tone, "I believe Uzumaki Sixia is suitable to join the Akatsuki."

Kakuzu omitted the details of how Sixia had initially refused to join, only to demand to join shortly thereafter. In Kakuzu’s view, Sixia must have been suffering from some sort of mental lapse at the time. Whether his brain was functioning correctly or not was irrelevant, as long as he could work for the organization.

Nagato asked, "What about his abilities?"

Kakuzu took a breath and said, "He is incredibly strong. His success rate for contract missions in the black market is one hundred percent. That is a record unique in the history of the Amegakure black market. Not long ago, we crossed paths during a mission, and he destroyed two of my hearts."

Nagato and Konan knew that Sixia was a capable ninja, but they had not expected him to be this powerful. To be able to destroy two of Kakuzu’s hearts in combat and escape unscathed was enough to meet the standards for joining the Akatsuki.

Nagato turned his gaze back to Sixia. "Do you wish to join the Akatsuki? And why?"

Sixia answered without a moment's hesitation. "Leader Nagato, I would be more than happy to join! As for the reason, it is because Mr. Kakuzu invited me, and I felt I should give him the courtesy."

Kakuzu’s face twitched uncontrollably at these words. Nagato and Konan remained expressionless, though they were rendered speechless internally. Could Sixia’s excuse be any more transparent?

However, there were no issues regarding Sixia’s background. He had been in Amegakure since childhood, and aside from performing contract missions, he spent almost all his time in the village, making it impossible for him to be linked to other hidden villages.

After a brief silence, Nagato nodded. "You may join the Akatsuki, but there will be an observation period. During this time, you will form a two-man cell with Kakuzu; he will be your observer. Once the period ends, we will share the core secrets of the Akatsuki with you..."

Nagato was ruthlessly interrupted by Sixia. "No problem, but I have a few demands."

Upon hearing this, Nagato’s expression shifted slightly. It wasn’t just a demand; it was a list of demands. The Akatsuki had recruited many powerful ninjas, but Nagato had never encountered one quite like Sixia.

"Let’s hear them."

Konan, Kakuzu, Orochimaru, and Karin all turned their eyes toward Sixia.

Sixia cleared his throat and began. "First, I must join the Akatsuki strictly on a contractual basis. Second, the organization will pay me a monthly salary. It doesn't need to be much, 100,000 ryo—the pay for an A-rank mission—which is quite reasonable. After all, I took out two of Kakuzu’s lives in three seconds; my record is verifiable, and my strength is guaranteed."

Kakuzu felt a sting of embarrassment at having his secrets laid bare in front of everyone. Sixia ignored the side-commentary and continued.

"Third, if the organization assigns me black market missions, I will only accept contract-based ones. Fourth, she must come with me." Sixia patted Karin on the shoulder, signaling that she was part of the deal.

He only asked for 100,000 ryo because he knew he was already pushing his luck; asking for too much could be counterproductive. Besides, he was a master at identifying and creating opportunities for his employers. A little salary was a trivial matter.

The reason he insisted on contract missions was because of his system. The "Strongest Mercenary System" only responded to contract missions; he would receive no rewards for completing other types of tasks.

His demands seemed harsh, and Nagato did not respond immediately, lost in thought. Finally, he spoke two words: "Absolutely not."

Sixia’s ability was sufficient, but his demands were truly bizarre. The missions the Akatsuki undertook were often extremely dangerous. Bringing Karin along was definitely not a sound decision. Of course, this could be resolved by leaving her at an Akatsuki hideout during high-risk missions. What really bothered Nagato was the insistence on a strictly contractual status. The Akatsuki’s goals were noble, and secrecy and stability were paramount. Joining as a mere mercenary seemed far too unreliable.

After Nagato spoke, Kakuzu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Let him join. For a wandering ninja like him, the Akatsuki is a perfect place to settle. I believe that after some time, he will change his mind."

Since Sixia would be working in a cell with Kakuzu, Nagato decided to respect his teammate's input. After a moment, he nodded. "For the time being, Sixia will work with you. Since you see no issue, let him intern under you for a while."

Nagato trusted Kakuzu implicitly, knowing that if a teammate proved to be a liability, Kakuzu would simply turn them into a corpse.

Orochimaru chuckled, "I wonder how long this newcomer will last."

Once Nagato officially confirmed his entry into the organization, the system notification finally arrived.

[Host has joined the Akatsuki; long-term contract mission accepted!]
[System Reward 1: Super Lottery Draw x1]

Sixia’s eyes lit up, and he immediately pulled up his system interface. "Draw!"

He didn't care that he had just been assigned to the "Death Cell." He was far too excited about the Super Reward.

[Super Reward drawing in progress...]
[Congratulations, Host! You have drawn an SSS-rank reward: Rumble-Rumble Fruit (Ninja World Adapted)!]

*Holy crap! The Rumble-Rumble Fruit!*

He checked the fruit's description and couldn't stop grinning.

[Name: Rumble-Rumble Fruit (Ninja World Adapted)]
[Description: SSS-rank, a treasure from the Pirate world, now adapted to the ninja world with side effects removed!]
[Development Level: D]
[Unlocked Abilities:]
[Mantra (Heart Web): Can sense everything within a certain range.]
[Thunder Finger: Fires lightning bolts through the fingers to attack targets.]
[Teleportation: Transform into electricity to move through electric fields or conductive materials.]
[Lightning Pillar: Arm turns into lightning to strike targets within the Mantra range or blast nearby foes.]
[Lightning Glow: Turn into lightning to become immune to all physical attacks.]
[Discharge: Release lightning in a 360-degree radius for indiscriminate attacks.]

The other members of the Akatsuki had no idea what Sixia was doing. They watched him with strange expressions. While few members of the Akatsuki were truly "normal," Sixia was proving to be on another level of bizarre. He insisted on bringing a girl along on missions, only accepted contract tasks, and now, for no apparent reason, he was standing there with a lecherous, increasingly twisted grin on his face.

Nagato’s expression turned grim. This team was becoming harder and harder to manage.