"Very well then, from today onward, you are a member of the company."
Black Zetsu reached into his drawer and pulled out a work ID card, handing it to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Hiruzen accepted it absentmindedly and glanced at the text:
"Ninja World Master Service Co., Ltd. — Gold Medal Fighter Department Trainee."
His mouth twitched. Working without pay was already bad enough, but now he realized he wasn't even an official employee—just an intern!
Black Zetsu turned to Kakuzu, who was standing nearby.
"Kakuzu, take him around. Help him get familiar with the environment and workflow."
Kakuzu nodded. "Understood, boss."
He cast a glance at Hiruzen, licking his lips slightly as his eyes gleamed with a strange light.
That look…
Hiruzen stiffened. He felt like a product being evaluated for market value. The gaze sent a chill down his spine.
This guy... definitely dangerous. I need to stay alert around him.
Kakuzu retracted his gaze and said flatly, "You're new. Follow me. I'll show you around."
Without waiting for a reply, Kakuzu turned and walked out.
Hiruzen followed in silence.
They walked through a maze of hallways and staircases until they finally reached a wooden door. A plaque above it read:
"Ninja World Master Service Co., Ltd. — Gold Medal Fighter Department."
Kakuzu pushed the door open, revealing a vast room divided into multiple zones—break areas, desks, lounges. It was clearly the resting area for the company's elite enforcers.
Several employees were lounging at their desks, chatting or reading.
As Kakuzu walked in with Hiruzen behind him, several heads turned.
"Oh? A new guy? Looks like Black Zetsu is expanding the department," said Biwa Juzo, leaning back in his chair.
"Old man, how much are they paying you?" asked Sasori (Red Sand Scorpion), eyeing Hiruzen with curiosity.
Hiruzen remained silent.
Pay? What pay?
He hadn't even signed a proper contract, let alone received a salary.
Kakuzu cut in dryly, "He's an intern. Hired by Black Zetsu. No salary."
Biwa Juzo slammed his hand on the desk. "No salary?! Black Zetsu really has no shame—he's squeezing labor out of even the elderly!"
A voice cut through the room.
"Enough talk," Konan said, eyes still closed as she rested.
The room quieted immediately.
Biwa Juzo shrugged and gave Hiruzen a sympathetic look.
Poor old man… tricked into being a corporate slave at his age.
"This is your desk," Kakuzu said, pointing to an empty workstation nearby.
Hiruzen nodded quietly.
Kakuzu continued, "You don't get paid, but you do get a 5% commission for every mission completed."
After a short introduction, Kakuzu left the room.
Hiruzen looked around. There were five or six empty desks nearby.
Curious, he turned to Biwa Juzo. "Are those desks for others who are out on missions?"
Biwa Juzo chuckled. "Nope. They ran away."
"Ran away?" Hiruzen blinked. "As in... escaped?"
"Yeah. The company next door offered them better pay and benefits. Poached them clean."
He sighed dramatically. "If only Boss A Fei had taken a liking to me, I'd be living the high life. You know he pays his top fighters 300 million a month!"
Hiruzen's jaw dropped.
300 million?! That's more than the Hokage's budget! Who is this A Fei?!
As they chatted, a White Zetsu entered the room carrying a thick stack of documents.
"My Lords, these are new missions. Please complete them as soon as possible," he said respectfully.
Konan opened her eyes slightly. "Understood. Leave them on the table."
White Zetsu placed the documents down and left quietly.
Konan stood and grabbed a stack. "Alright, let's get to work."
Biwa Juzo and Sasori each picked up a stack and headed out quickly.
Hiruzen walked over and picked up the last remaining bundle—about ten missions in total.
He flipped to the first one.
"We have solid evidence that Sand Shinobi consultant Chiyo is keeping a gigolo. Proceed to her residence and secure at least 100 million in hush money."
Attached was a small black stone—a photo recording device.
Hiruzen immediately understood what it was.
He activated the stone. A blue light projected an image in front of him.
In the video, Chiyo entered a room where two young men were already lounging on a bed. Upon seeing her, they ran up and shouted affectionately, "Zizi! We missed you!"
Hiruzen quickly shut it off, grimacing.
"Tch… That old lady Chiyo's really got some taste."
He chuckled. "If she knew I had this dirt on her, she'd freak."
Without hesitation, he darted toward Sand Shinobi Village, eager to complete the blackmail.
But in his rush, he didn't notice the fine print at the bottom of the mission sheet:
"Friendly Reminder: This mission involves infiltrating deep into Sand Shinobi territory. Danger level: extremely high. Recommended: at least three thugs to complete. Disclaimer: Our company is not responsible for any injuries or deaths during the mission."
---
Meanwhile, in Sand Shinobi Village—
Inside the main office, Fourth Kazekage Rasa sat with a frown on his face.
"This year's funding from the Wind Daimyo has dropped drastically. What are we going to do?" he asked worriedly.
Chiyo stood beside him, arms crossed.
"Rasa, you should resume gold mining this year. With your unique abilities, I'm sure you'll find enough to sustain the village."
Rasa sighed deeply.
"I've already searched all across the Wind Country… There's no more gold left underground."
The problem had been brewing for years. The Daimyo had gradually reduced funding for Sand Shinobi Village. On top of that, fewer and fewer mission requests were coming in.
Rasa had once been the village's savior, using his unique ability to manipulate gold dust in sand to produce wealth. That skill had single-handedly improved the village's economy.
But gold didn't appear out of thin air. His technique could only manipulate existing gold particles in the environment.
Eventually, those gold particles were depleted.
To find more, Rasa had journeyed across the Wind Country, scouring underground veins and converting natural gold into usable dust for the village.
However, the recent Third Ninja World War had drained their resources at an alarming rate.
Now, the gold was gone. The Wind Country's earth had been picked clean, and Sand Shinobi Village was on the verge of collapse.
"Still," Chiyo urged, "there might be a small deposit you missed. You must keep trying. The village's survival depends on you."
Rasa let out another sigh and stood up.
"If worse comes to worst… I'll sell my own gold dust."
He took off his Kazekage hat and placed it gently on the desk.
"Advisor Chiyo, I'll leave the management of the village to you while I'm gone."
Chiyo nodded solemnly..
"Don't worry, Kazekage. I will guard the village with my life."
Without another word, Rasa turned and walked out of the office.
Who would have thought…
That I, the Fourth Kazekage, would one day become nothing more than a gold miner.
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