Chapter 169: Kakuzu, a Man of Principle
The distribution of the Communication Snails was proceeding smoothly. Many ninja, after getting their hands on one, had naturally mastered the art of "talking on the phone." Old friends reconnected, and new friends had long, heartfelt conversations. For a time, the mission frequency of the Jonin even decreased, and a backlog of missions began to pile up.
You could often see people walking down the street, smiling foolishly at their snail shells.
And just as quickly, people began to customize their shells. Many of the female ninja had modified their "watch-style" snails into "hair ornaments" or "necklaces." Some just kept them in their ninja pouch and took them out when they needed them, much like the cell phones of his previous life. And the shells themselves were decorated in a variety of ways.
He wondered if, in the future, there would be a service similar to his previous life's "nail art," like "shell art."
And some had become close friends with their little slugs. The slugs were incredibly polite, gentle, and had pleasant voices. And you could carry them with you everywhere. They were a godsend for the socially awkward.
In short, the Communication Snails had injected a new vitality into the already prosperous Hidden Cloud and had become the hottest topic in the village.
But with such a large-scale distribution, the news would inevitably leak and reach the ears of those who were paying attention.
But the entire Shikkotsu Forest system was a monopoly of his. Not only was the main contract scroll in the Cloud, but the other contractor, Tsunade, was also under their complete control. What could the others do even if they knew? If a Communication Snail fell into the hands of a non-Cloud ninja, the little slug would immediately dissolve, leaving only an empty shell.
This was even more difficult to deal with than the Healing Talismans. A Healing Talisman was just an inanimate object. If it was captured, the enemy could use it. But a Communication Snail was a living, intelligent creature. It would disappear in a flash, refusing to serve you.
This was why he had dared to expand the distribution.
But some unexpected changes had also occurred, in places he was not aware of.
A week later, Kakuzu, who had been making money in some godforsaken corner of the ninja world, came rushing to the Land of Lightning. A big client had a job for him. How could he not come and provide excellent service?
To save time, he didn't wait for a message at the underground exchange but came directly to the Cloud.
Unlike last time, when he had arrived unannounced, this time Dana was expecting him. He had informed the guards, but he did not let him into the deeper parts of the village. They met in a tavern on the outskirts.
After his subordinates had set up a sound-proofing barrier, he got straight to the point.
"Any luck with the 'Light-Weight Boulder Technique'?"
"The Light-Weight Boulder Technique is one of the Tsuchikage's signature jutsu," Kakuzu said with a sigh. "Ordinary Stone ninja don't know it. I've captured a number of them, including two Jonin, but none of them knew it."
Dana nodded. It was not unexpected. The Light-Weight Boulder Technique and its advanced version were the key to Onoki's flight. Though not as important as the Dust Release, they were not so easy to obtain. But this mission was a long-term one. It was just a shot in the dark. He was in no hurry.
"I have a new mission for you," he said. "This one has more specific intelligence. It should be completed quickly. The price is the same as before."
In reality, in terms of difficulty and rarity, this mission was much easier than the previous two. But he was not going to haggle.
To him, the difference between one hundred million and fifty million was not that great. But a useful tool like Kakuzu was hard to find. A high price was a way to win his loyalty.
Kakuzu's eyes lit up, as if he could hear the sound of money being deposited into his account.
"The Land of Fire, the Fire Temple," he said. "There is a ninjutsu called 'Earth Release: Tectonic Shift.' Bring it to me. You know the requirements. The information must be as complete as possible, and there must be no connection to the Cloud."
Kakuzu immediately stood up to leave. The waiter hadn't even brought their tea yet.
"Not going to have a meal before you go?"
"Making money..." he said, shaking his head, "I mean, work is important! I'm off, I'm off, to the Land of Fire!"
Watching his hurried figure, Dana smacked his lips, a little taken aback.
That's it? That was so short. A hundred-million-Ryō deal, and you didn't even give me five minutes? Isn't that a bit... hasty?
The waiter finally arrived. "Hello, sir. Would you like some tea? Here's the menu."
For a moment, he didn't know if he should order or not.
He wasn't worried about whether Kakuzu could handle the Fire Temple and get the jutsu. Perhaps it was the temple's fate to face him. And from the matter of the Seven-Tails, he knew that Kakuzu was very clean. The Hidden Waterfall had still not launched a large-scale search for their Jinchuriki, let alone pointed the finger at the Cloud.
Kakuzu was a man of principle.
After Kakuzu had left, he went to the Communication Snail Management Department. After the initial excitement of the first few days, the queues were not so long anymore. After all, the number of Jonin was not that great. But there were still a number of ninja here, asking about the snails.
"Hello," a ninja in a hood said to the staff, "if I paint the shell, will it affect its use? For example, will it affect the little slug's safety? Will it affect the shell's durability?"
"It won't," Rimui explained patiently. "But I suggest you use a paint with no irritating smell. Otherwise, the little slug might be uncomfortable. Or you can keep it in a flower pot at home until the paint dries."
She seemed to be very interested in the slugs, so he had transferred her from the Special Strategy Division to handle matters here.
She seemed to be very good at it.
"Do you think," the ninja said, not satisfied, "that it should eat more vegetables, or more fruit?"
Rimui's eye twitched. "You can communicate with your little slug yourself," she said. "Each one's taste may be different."
"It likes fruit," he said with a nod. "But I think it should eat more vegetables to be healthy."
Dana, who was listening from behind, was getting creeped out. Was he raising it as a child?
"Did you bring it with you?" Rimui asked.
"I talked to it all night yesterday," he said, a little embarrassed. "It's resting at home."
I'll be damned, Dana thought. Giving you this for free was a real loss. This is a life partner level of commitment.
But when the hooded ninja was leaving, he saw, through the hood, that it was his old acquaintance, Kyohei Kawanishi. He quickly hid.
That was a complete break of character.
After Kyohei had left, he came forward.
"Lord Dana! Good day!"
"Rimui," he said, "how are things?"
"Everything is in order, Lord Dana," she said. "From the numbers, about sixty percent of the village's Jonin have been paired with a Communication Snail."
That was a reasonable number. After all, many of them were likely on missions outside the village. The distribution of the snails would become a routine matter, until the entire Jonin corps was covered.
As for when to cover the Chunin, he had no plans for that yet. In his view, it was not necessary.
Compared to the Jonin, the Chunin were much more numerous, and the things they dealt with were not so important. The snails would likely just become a chat tool.
So, a full rollout for the Chunin would have to wait. But for the more special Chunin, or the Special Jonin, the village would give them the right to use a snail as a reward. For example, all the contestants who had made it to the second round of the Joint Chunin Exams would be given one.
And all of those contestants had been promoted to Chunin. The Joint Chunin Exams were not just for the first place winner to be promoted. It was based on their overall performance in the multiple rounds, and in conjunction with the situation in their own village.