"You people in Konoha are really something."
In an underground bounty exchange, Sasori, clad in the Akatsuki's signature uniform and looking excessively bulky, mocked softly.
"I've seen this kid before. He was a good one. I never thought he'd end up here."
Orochimaru, similarly dressed in the organization's uniform, ignored Sasori's mocking tone. With a sinister smile, he spoke with a hint of lament.
"The Uchiha clan—such a troublesome family. Who would've thought a twelve-year-old kid would annihilate them? A twelve-year-old S-rank rogue ninja. That's quite impressive."
Seeing his annoying partner ignore him, Sasori immediately lost interest.
"Sasori, you're not too bad yourself. Assassinating the Kazekage at such a young age? If that got out, the entire ninja world would be shaken."
Orochimaru extended his long tongue to lick his lips, his sinister smile exuding a delicate and eerie charm.
Sasori, unimpressed by Orochimaru's detestable behavior, chose not to respond.
Ugh, such an effeminate guy—utterly detestable.
---
"The organization has gained another member. Work hard and earn money for us..."
A man with green eyes and a mask spoke in a cheerful tone, holding a small notebook. He dipped his finger in his mouth, smeared it on his tongue, and then turned a page in the notebook.
Even flipping through notes, he managed to exude the air of someone counting cash.
"We should get going!"
Just as Kakuzu was immersed in his task, a voice called out.
Kakuzu paused for a moment, slightly stunned.
"Such an annoying guy!"
He muttered softly, his patience with his partner dropping even further.
Someday, he'd make sure to get rid of that trashy partner as well!
---
"Itachi, what's your opinion on this mission?"
Juzo Biwa and Itachi walked out of Pain's office together.
"I look at it standing up."
Itachi walked ahead without turning back, responding flatly.
Noticing how Itachi seemed like a different person the moment they received the mission, Juzo Biwa couldn't help but feel a little helpless.
"Uh…"
Looking at Itachi ahead of him, Juzo Biwa initially didn't want to say anything but eventually opened his mouth softly.
"What is it now?"
Itachi turned his head to look at Juzo Biwa, his tone tinged with impatience.
"You're going the wrong way…"
Juzo Biwa felt a little frustrated after hearing Itachi's impatient response, but he spoke softly nonetheless.
---
Juzo Biwa's words made Itachi pause for a moment before coming to a stop.
"Oh, since you know the way, you lead," he replied calmly, without the slightest hint of embarrassment.
It was as if he didn't even know what shame was.
Juzo Biwa had a sinking feeling. Partnering with this aloof, shameless brat was going to be a challenge...
Of course, what he didn't know was that Itachi was doing it all on purpose.
Itachi didn't want anyone to see through his true personality or uncover his inner thoughts.
And besides, always being a cold, stoic guy wasn't fun...
Now that he was in this world, he intended to enjoy life. Acting perpetually reserved, serious, and aloof wouldn't attract any girls either...
Most importantly, Itachi believed that with his current strength, as long as he didn't face excessively troublesome opponents, he wasn't in much danger. He could afford to relax a bit.
After all, at this point in the ninja world, the Akatsuki organization was arguably the most dangerous force around...
---
"The mission's target is a ninja with a bounty on their head. Our job is to locate them and bring their head to the bounty exchange."
After leaving the Hidden Rain Village, Juzo Biwa didn't hurry along but instead explained the mission details to Itachi.
"Oh."
Itachi didn't interrupt, responding simply to show he was listening.
---
Suddenly, Juzo Biwa lost the will to continue speaking.
Seeing Juzo Biwa walking ahead without saying another word, Itachi calmly took out his hat, placed it on his head, and adjusted it.
At this point, he, too, likely had a bounty on his head. As for the amount, it was probably not small.
He decided to avoid exposing his identity if possible.
After all, in the ninja world, the Akatsuki weren't the only ones acting as bounty hunters, hunting down ninjas with prices on their heads.
As a rogue ninja, once his whereabouts were exposed, the Leaf Village would surely take action as well. That would be troublesome.
The two of them traveled leisurely, as though they were sightseeing.
---
After a few hours of traveling, Juzo Biwa stopped.
"What's wrong?"
Not sensing anyone nearby, Itachi looked at Juzo Biwa with some confusion.
"Why are you wearing such an ugly hat…?"
Turning back to answer, Juzo Biwa was stunned to see that Itachi had, at some point, put on the hat.
---
"This straw hat isn't bad; it not only blocks the sun but also hides my face well. As a rogue ninja, it's better to be cautious."
Itachi responded to Juzō's words with a calm tone.
"You're pretty careful, huh, kid?"
Hearing Itachi's words, Juzō gave him a light compliment.
"There's no need to cause unnecessary trouble, that's all."
...
"Let's take a break. At our current pace, it'll take about two days to reach the destination."
Hearing this, Hanzō didn't respond.
He didn't like the unattractive straw hat, so he wouldn't wear it in the wild.
Only when passing through more populated areas would he take the hat out of the sealing scroll and put it on.
Of course, even when he wore the hat, the oversized executioner's blade on his back would mercilessly give away his identity.
At most, it was just a psychological comfort.
"This is such a dull journey... If only we had a summoning beast for transportation," Juzō remarked.
Hearing Juzō's comment, Itachi sighed slightly.
Itachi's sigh received no reply from Juzō.
Juzō's entire combat strength revolved around his executioner's blade. Summoning beasts were just external tools to him, so he wasn't very interested.
...
"Can you cook? We've been traveling for so long. Isn't it time to eat something?"
Itachi formed a hand seal to conjure some water, took a satisfying sip, and then felt a bit hungry.
"Cook? That's too much trouble. Besides, making a fire in the wild could attract unwanted attention. Just eat some soldier pills—they're nutritious."
Recalling the taste of soldier pills, Itachi's face turned pale.
"You go ahead. I'll find some cute little animals and bond with them a bit..."
Watching Juzō eat the soldier pills, Itachi couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
Those things were not only expensive but also tasted terrible. They were tolerable in emergencies, but eating them regularly was just too much...
"By the way, here's some extra supplies I bought for you."
Seeing that Itachi was about to leave his line of sight, Juzō took out a small scroll and tossed it to him.
...
Hearing Juzō's words, Itachi was slightly stunned. He caught the scroll, opened it, and found some kunai, explosive tags, and other tools inside.
"You've just defected, so you probably didn't bring much money. I got these for you. Don't forget to pay me back."
Itachi was about to say something, but after hearing Juzō's words, he felt a warmth in his heart.
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
The corners of Itachi's mouth lifted slightly, forming a faint smile.
"Just make sure to pay me back. I only did this so your combat ability doesn't drop and end up affecting my performance."
Hearing Juzō's casual response, Itachi didn't say anything more.
He simply turned his back to Juzō, picked up one of the kunai, gave it a few swings, and walked off in a random direction. Soon, his figure disappeared into the forest.
"This kid... He's still just a kid after all..."
Watching Itachi's departing figure, Juzō murmured to himself softly.
Then, recalling Itachi's comment about small animals, the soldier pills that Juzō initially thought weren't too bad suddenly became hard to swallow.
"Wait for me! I'll go bond with those little animals too..."
Juzō quickly got up and chased after the direction where Itachi had left.
---