"Old man, you are too old." A Uzu-nin was looking with a bitter smile at the white-haired elderly man before him. This man was even older than the eldest elder of their Uzumaki Clan!
Holding a cane and trembling with every step, he actually came to apply for a teaching position?
And it was for a taijutsu instructor position at that...
This had to be some kind of scam!!
"Please don't make things difficult for us." The Uzu-nin said helplessly. "At your age, you really shouldn't be moving around much."
If he could barely walk, how was he supposed to teach taijutsu?
"Hmph." Madara scoffed disdainfully at him. A mere chunin wasn't worthy of an explanation from him.
So...
"Hey, that black-haired little girl over there." The Uzu-nin, seeing the old man's silence, assumed he was embarrassed and called out to Uchiha Mikoto. "Hurry up and take your grandfather home. At his age, he can barely walk steadily. Couldn't you at least buy him a wheelchair?"
"At his age, there are subsidies for wheelchairs in Uzushiogakure. You don't need to worry about the cost being too high."
But...
"..."
Stay calm, stay calm!!
Madara Uchiha took a deep breath, comforting himself inwardly not to act rashly. This was Uzushiogakure, and this chunin wasn't entirely wrong...
He really was old.
Beside him, Uchiha Mikoto froze upon hearing the Uzu-nin's words. She wasn't this old man's granddaughter at all!! Though she agreed with the Uzu-nin's sentiment...
No matter how you looked at it, it was too hurtful to his pride.
Especially for such an elderly man. At his age, he still came looking for work—his family situation must be really tough.
So...
"How pitiful!"
Just as she was about to explain...
"Old man."
A voice suddenly came from inside.
Immediately, everyone turned to look. A black-haired boy with bandaged hands walked out from the back.
"It's you, brat?" Madara frowned at Shijō as he approached. "Why aren't you training today?"
Had he given up because the training was too harsh?
"Oh, I came here today to apply for graduation." Shijō scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Since I'm not a student at the academy, I had to come here to see if I could sign up for the exam."
"After all, joining the military requires at least a genin-level certificate."
Madara nodded faintly upon hearing this but said nothing more. Instead, he turned back to stare at the Uzu-nin before him.
However...
"Shijō, is this old man your grandfather?" The Uzu-nin asked curiously. "I thought you were adopted by Keita?"
Where did this grandfather come from?
"He's my taijutsu teacher." Shijō said cheerfully. "He taught me a lot of taijutsu."
"The taijutsu you used this morning—he taught you all of that?" The Uzu-nin was shocked. Earlier that day, Shijō had indeed shown off his skills at the academy to take the exam and earn his certificate. His taijutsu had already far surpassed that of an average genin.
"Yes." Shijō nodded. "This old man is really strong."
Instantly...
"Sir, how should I address you?" The Uzu-nin no longer dared to doubt the old man and quickly asked respectfully. "Could you show me your valid identification?"
Madara snorted coldly and said to Shijō, "I am not your teacher."
"You're too weak."
Then, he pulled out his Uzushiogakure citizenship certificate and handed it over. "Madara."
"So your name is just Madara." The Uzu-nin nodded. "After verification, you meet our academy's hiring requirements. However, due to your advanced age, I'll need to consult the vice-principal. Please wait a moment..."
Then, he rushed excitedly into the academy. This was exactly the kind of taijutsu specialist the academy desperately needed!
Finally, a taijutsu expert had appeared in Uzushiogakure. This was too rare an opportunity.
So...
They couldn't let him slip away.
...
Land of Rain.
"Please, have a seat." Hanzo of the Salamander greeted the masked man warmly. "You've come at just the right time!"
Now was the most critical moment for the Land of Rain's survival. If they could get help from such a powerful organization...
Perhaps Amegakure really stood a chance of winning!!
As for Kakuzu...
Seeing Hanzo's enthusiastic hospitality, he felt a surge of excitement. It seemed Amegakure's current situation wasn't great.
Was this warmth a sign they wanted to increase their orders to fight against the three great villages?
Thinking this, Kakuzu's expression softened slightly. Maybe this would lead to another big deal.
"Does the Akatsuki organization accept employment?" Hanzo smiled as he spoke. "As you know, the Land of Rain's situation is dire. So I was wondering..."
However, before Hanzo could finish...
"Sorry, but the Akatsuki is an organization with lofty ideals, a grand mission, and a commitment to protecting peace in the ninja world." Kakuzu shook his head in refusal. "So unless absolutely necessary, we do not participate in any wars."
"..."
Yeah, right!!
Though Hanzo kept his smile, inwardly he was filled with contempt.
A weapons-dealing organization talking to him about world peace!!
Did they think his title of "Hanzo the Salamander" was just for show?
So...
"We'll pay!" Hanzo said with a smile. "The compensation will definitely satisfy the Akatsuki."
"This is also for the sake of peace in the ninja world. After all..."
"Money is very important for peace."
Hearing this, Kakuzu felt somewhat tempted. If there was money involved...
But no, he still couldn't agree.
Right now, he was the financial minister of Uzushiogakure. This wasn't something he could decide on his own.
So...
"How much is Amegakure willing to pay?" Kakuzu asked. "For the sake of peace, the Akatsuki isn't completely unwilling to act. But I'll need to consult our leader first."
"Of course." Hanzo chuckled. "That's only reasonable, given the scale of the matter."
But inside, he was full of disdain.
A peace organization...
What a joke!!
They were just a bunch of money-grubbers.
Still...
Hanzo hesitated for a moment before deciding to ask. After all, Amegakure's funds were currently...
Running low.
"Would the Akatsuki be willing to accept payment on credit?"
The result...
"Whoosh!!"
Kakuzu stood up furiously and headed for the door, ready to leave.
No money?
No money and you're still trying to negotiate??
No one gets to take money from Kakuzu's pocket.
...
Konoha.
"Amegakure." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed as he looked at the map on his desk. Konoha had no choice either!
He hoped Orochimaru could redeem himself this time. Otherwise, without any notable achievements, how could he inherit the position of Hokage?
Moreover...
The incident involving the Senju and Uchiha clans had made the other villages in the alliance back down.
So the warning had worked, even if the mountain itself had crumbled in the process...
And the smaller villages outside had started retreating. It seemed Konoha's dire situation had finally been resolved.
They no longer had to worry about the three great villages in front and the anti-Konoha alliance behind them.
All their forces were now freed up.
Sacrificing Amegakure to bring peace to the ninja world...
"It's worth it." Hiruzen smiled faintly and murmured. "This is all for the sake of the world."
But...
"I wonder how Nawaki is doing?"
Had he successfully awakened Wood Release yet?
If they could have another God of Shinobi, that would be perfect!!