For the Rain Village, a monumental day was approaching.
First, the Rain Village was about to be renamed Amagakure, the Village Hidden in the Heavens. Following that, there would be the inauguration ceremony for Nagato as the First Tenjingakure Shadow, or Tenkage.
After all, the Rain Village had now truly unified the entire ninja world. The former Five Great Shinobi Villages had all been absorbed, leaving only a handful of small villages and wandering ninjas on the fringes of the ninja world. However, with the Akatsuki's power, pacifying these remnants would be a trivial task.
Now that they were effectively the leaders of the ninja world, it was only natural for the Akatsuki members, who had contributed greatly, to receive rewards and recognition.
"I want to be the village's Minister of Finance," Kakuzu declared bluntly, making no attempt to hide his ambition. He had been eyeing this position for a long time.
Nagato nodded. He had anticipated Kakuzu's request, and everyone else was well aware of the situation. Who would dare to compete with the old man for the role of Finance Minister?
Would you like him to steal your heart—literally?
"I want to be the principal of the Ninja Academy!" Hidan was the next to speak, leaving everyone stunned.
"Hey, Hidan, you've got to be joking, right? You? A school principal?" Deidara immediately expressed his disbelief.
Faced with the skepticism and confusion of the group, Hidan scowled. "Deidara, what do you mean by that?"
"Why can't I be the principal of the Ninja Academy?"
"You're planning to use the school to spread the teachings of Jashinism, aren't you?" Kisame Hoshigaki bluntly pointed out Hidan's ulterior motives.
"So what? Are you looking down on our Jashinism?" Hidan shot back loudly at Kisame.
"You're absolutely right—we do look down on your Jashinism," Sasori chimed in, clearly enjoying the chaos.
"Hey! Sasori! What's that supposed to mean? I'll duel you right now!" Hidan slammed his scythe onto the table, leaning forward aggressively and glaring at Sasori.
"Alright, alright," Nagato interjected, rubbing his temples in exasperation. "Hidan, you should know that what you're suggesting is impossible."
"Then at least let me build a church for Jashinism! That way, I can be promoted to bishop!" Hidan compromised, taking a step back.
The group collectively rolled their eyes. Did Hidan even understand the situation? Who in their right mind would allow such a dangerous cult to be promoted?
Watching Hidan continue to clamor, Nagato felt an even bigger headache coming on. How was he supposed to deal with this?
In the end, it was Deidara who came up with a solution. "Hidan, I think you should consult Kakuzu about building the church. After all, he's now the Finance Minister."
"If you want to build a new church, it's going to cost a lot of money, right? So you'll need Kakuzu's approval."
Deidara deliberately emphasized the words a lot of money, and sure enough, Kakuzu's expression immediately turned wary.
"Shut up, Hidan!"
"The village's funds are extremely valuable. How could we possibly waste them on your nonsense?" Kakuzu snapped.
"How is it nonsense? I'm being completely serious!" Hidan retorted indignantly.
But as the saying goes, every dog has its master. Though Hidan ended up arguing with Kakuzu again, at least he dropped the idea of building a church.
Phew!
Nagato let out a sigh of relief. In his eyes, Hidan was the most troublesome to deal with. Now that Hidan's issue was resolved, the rest should be much easier.
"Deidara, how about you?" Nagato turned his attention to Deidara. Among all the Akatsuki members, Deidara's contributions to the organization's development were widely acknowledged as the greatest.
Deidara stroked his chin thoughtfully before responding, "My request is simple—I want to be the Minister of Economy."
Minister of Economy? What was that supposed to be?
Clearly, given the current societal structure of the ninja world, the concept of a Minister of Economy was beyond their comprehension.
"The Minister of Economy is responsible for promoting commercial projects and fostering economic development within the village and across the ninja world," Deidara explained.
The group still looked confused, but they seemed to think it wasn't particularly important.
"Since you're asking for it, Deidara, we'll establish an Economic Department," Nagato agreed without hesitation.
"Sasori, what about you?"
Sasori sat with his arms crossed. These days, aside from battles, he no longer stayed inside Hiruko, a sign that he was gradually opening up and overcoming his reclusiveness.
"I want to be in charge of the morgue."
The group collectively facepalmed. If Sasori were put in charge of the morgue, wouldn't that be like letting a monkey guard a peach orchard?
"Ahem, ahem," Nagato cleared his throat. "Sasori, don't you have any other ideas?"
Fortunately, Sasori wasn't the type to stubbornly insist on his way. He understood the group's concerns.
"Fine, then I'll be the head of the Science Department. We need to continue the many research projects we've acquired from both Konoha and Orochimaru."
This seemed reasonable. While Sasori's scientific expertise couldn't compare to Orochimaru's, it was far superior to that of most ordinary people.
Being the head of the Science Department was well within his capabilities.
"Alright," Nagato nodded, finalizing the decision.
"Kisame, Itachi, what about you two?"
"Oh, finally my turn? What should I ask for?" Kisame grinned, revealing his sharp shark-like teeth, his expression one of genuine curiosity.
He thought for a moment but found himself at a loss.
"I don't know what to ask for. What about you, Itachi?" Kisame turned to Itachi Uchiha.
Itachi met Kisame's gaze. Though his face remained as stoic as ever, his eyes betrayed a similar uncertainty.
"Heh, why not reward Itachi with a few wives?" Deidara suggested with a mischievous smile. "The Uchiha Clan is counting on the two brothers to revive it, after all."
"That's true. The Sharingan is such an incredible kekkei genkai—it would be a shame if it disappeared," Kisame agreed, nodding in admiration.
Kakuzu added, "How about having Itachi marry someone from the Hyuga Clan? Maybe we'll get a new type of eye out of it."
Hidan chimed in, "A new eye? One that combines the abilities of the Byakugan and the Sharingan? That would be insane!"
Sasori, however, offered a more creative perspective. "Wouldn't it make more sense for him to marry someone from the Senju Clan? After all, the Sharingan's full potential clearly requires the Senju Clan's physique."
"If their child inherits both Uchiha and Senju bloodlines, they'd surely surpass Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha!"
"Good point, but isn't the Senju Clan down to just one person now? And she's an old lady!" Hidan said dismissively.
Kisame, however, wore a knowing expression. "What does that matter? No matter how old she is, she still looks young."
"Tch, you all talk as if she'd even consider Itachi. What if Tsunade refuses?"
"Doesn't Itachi have Kotoamatsukami? Just use it on her," someone suggested.
"Enough!" Itachi finally snapped, unable to tolerate the increasingly absurd conversation. Using Kotoamatsukami, his ultimate trump card, for something like this?
"Shh!" Deidara pressed a finger to his lips, as if trying to mediate.
"You've all said so much, but have you considered another possibility?"
"Another possibility?"
Everyone turned their attention to Deidara.
"Itachi has never said he likes women, has he?"
Hiss! The group collectively gasped.
Could this truly be the terrifying truth?
"Deidara! Go to hell!"
"Yameroooo!"
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