After some thought, Deidara decided that the old man Kakuzu was the more suitable candidate.
With the influx of former Konoha ninjas and residents, the Hidden Rain Village had entered a new phase of expansion. Beyond that, there were also negotiations with Iwagakure and numerous smaller ninja villages to handle.
It was said that Nagato had been working like a mule for days, even summoning the Six Paths of Pain to assist with paperwork at seven times the normal speed. He barely had time to sleep, rotating shifts just to get some rest—it was truly pitiful.
If Deidara went to Nagato now, he'd undoubtedly be roped into doing hard labor.
"Kakuzu, huh? If you go to him for help, you're bound to get swindled out of a hefty sum," Kisame said with his signature shark-like grin.
"And he's still holding a grudge over the first Konoha Crush Plan," Kisame added, laughing.
Deidara scratched his head. It had been so long since then—how could Kakuzu still bear a grudge? What a petty old man.
But Deidara had his own tricks for dealing with the old miser.
"Don't worry. Not only will I avoid spending any money, but I'll make Kakuzu pay me instead," Deidara said, patting his chest confidently.
In the mission hall of the Hidden Rain Village, Deidara found Kakuzu and Hidan. Now that the village had its own income source, Kakuzu was too lazy to go to the bounty exchange to complete missions for rewards.
Taking missions directly from the Hidden Rain was more convenient, faster, and even paid better.
Given Kakuzu's outstanding performance, Nagato had specially approved a policy where the village wouldn't take any commission from missions completed by Kakuzu. After all, the old man would just turn over the money to the organization in the end.
The money would go out and come back full circle into Kakuzu's pocket, making him happy—what was the harm in that?
Kakuzu didn't mind either. As long as he could keep earning money, he was content. As for spending it...
Hmph! Every penny was hard-earned—how could he spend it carelessly?
In Deidara's view, this was a classic case of an empty heart. Kakuzu had been wandering the ninja world for decades.
Old friends, comrades, and even enemies—all gone. If he didn't find something to do or a sense of purpose, what reason was there to linger in the world of the living?
"Yo, Deidara," Hidan greeted lazily, leaning against the reception counter with his scythe on his back.
As for Kakuzu, he was seriously flipping through mission listings, completely ignoring Deidara.
"Here to take on a mission? Or has your little girlfriend taken all your money, and now you're here to earn some secret funds?" Hidan teased with a mischievous grin.
"Don't talk nonsense," Deidara waved him off.
"This time, I'm here to bring Kakuzu a great opportunity."
"Hmm?" The old man turned his head, intrigued.
"It's like this, Kakuzu," Deidara began earnestly. "You've probably noticed that even with your cursed technique, you're still not strong enough."
Kakuzu nodded. "While I don't like hearing that, you're not wrong."
"I have a very powerful Wind Release jutsu," Deidara continued. "Its power rivals that of Sage Techniques, and it can be used instantly—no need for the charging time Sage Techniques require."
"What do you think? Interested?" Deidara asked, his eyes gleaming with confidence.
Kakuzu's green, beady eyes lit up slightly, though he remained skeptical. "Why would you be so generous?"
"Of course, I'm not that generous. If you want to learn this jutsu, it'll cost you 50 million," Deidara replied.
The steep price immediately dispelled Kakuzu's suspicions. He assumed Deidara was simply trying to make money off him and naturally didn't think further.
"50 million is too much! Even an S-rank forbidden jutsu isn't worth that much," Kakuzu retorted, entering haggling mode. Clearly, he cared deeply about improving his strength.
Deidara shook his head in disagreement. "That depends on the S-rank forbidden jutsu. Take the Flying Thunder God Technique you encountered before, or Orochimaru's Edo Tensei—don't you think those are worth 50 million?"
"Is your jutsu as powerful as those?" Kakuzu asked with a hint of sarcasm.
"Not quite as powerful, but definitely not weak either," Deidara argued.
"Let me put it this way: in terms of power, it's not much weaker than your Sage Chakra-enhanced jutsu," he added.
Kakuzu studied Deidara's expression, which seemed genuine, and became tempted.
A jutsu with power comparable to Sage Techniques and instant activation... With this, the old man could finally stand tall again!
"30 million—no more," Kakuzu said firmly.
Deidara pretended to think it over, then reluctantly nodded. "Fine, 30 million it is."
Kakuzu warmly stepped forward and shook Deidara's hand. "That's more like it, Deidara."
"We're comrades, after all!"
"Yes, comrades!" Deidara echoed, barely concealing his satisfaction.
He then explained the principle behind the Rasenshuriken to Kakuzu. The old man formed a virtual grip with his right hand, and chakra began spinning rapidly in his palm.
Smack!
The first attempt failed, but it wasn't far from success.
The Rasengan wasn't particularly difficult to learn, especially for a Kage-level ninja. It was merely a test of chakra control, and Kakuzu had spent decades mastering that. Learning the Rasengan was a breeze for him.
As for the Rasenshuriken, which required both Wind Release chakra nature and advanced shape transformation, it likely wouldn't pose much of a challenge either. Kakuzu had long since mastered dual-nature transformations.
"Yosh! Mission accomplished!"
Watching the old man practicing diligently, Deidara nodded in satisfaction. He had even given Kakuzu a 20 million discount—how kind of him!
But just as Deidara was halfway out the door, he suddenly received a message from Nagato.
If you're wondering how a clone could receive a message through the ring, well, Deidara wouldn't tell you that the one back home was actually the clone.
"Deidara, the people from the Hidden Mist Village have arrived. Go to the village gate to greet them," Nagato instructed.
"What? I'm not a gatekeeper or a diplomat—why me?" Deidara grumbled.
"I heard Mei Terumī has a close relationship with you, so you're the most suitable person for this," Nagato replied.
"Hey! Leader, don't spread rumors! There's nothing between me and that woman. If anything, she's more interested in Itachi," Deidara protested.
"Deidara, Amaterasu," Itachi's deep voice interjected.
"Fine, fine, I'll go," Deidara relented.
"Wait!" Kakuzu suddenly spoke up.
"What is it, Kakuzu?" Nagato asked, puzzled.
"Deidara, you have to knock another 10 million off the price, or I'll tell your little girlfriend about Mei Terumī," Kakuzu said, seizing the opportunity to bargain further.
"Hey! That's unfair, Kakuzu! If you only pay 20 million, I'll be at a huge loss!" Deidara protested, his face flushing.
"Puhahaha!" Kisame burst out laughing.
"Kisame, don't laugh at Deidara. If he gets embarrassed and refuses to lower the price, I'll make you pay the extra 10 million," Kakuzu threatened.
"Alright, Kakuzu, don't worry. I'm a professional at... Puhahaha!" Kisame couldn't hold back his laughter.
What a team, seriously.
When Deidara arrived at the Hidden Rain Village's gate, he saw Mei Terumī and her entourage looking utterly disheveled—not at all like they were here for normal diplomacy.
"What happened?" Deidara asked in surprise.
"The Hidden Mist Village... is gone," Mei replied, her voice hollow with shock.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~ The story isn't over...🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters? 🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world? ✍ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?✨patreon.com/GoldenLong