The Akatsuki Organization in Its Early Stages

"You finally came."

Orochimaru sounded somewhat impatient.

For the past half month, every day had felt like a year to him as he eagerly awaited Natsume's arrival.

As a scientist, he naturally possessed a powerful thirst for knowledge.

The Mangekyō Sharingan was an entirely new field.

Naturally, he wanted to learn more about it.

"I'm glad you're still alive."

Natsume sat down casually. After taking a sip of tea, he said, "The taste is strange. Buy some good tea next time."

If you can talk, then talk more.

Orochimaru tugged at the corner of his mouth. Since he needed something from Natsume, he could only pretend not to have heard that. He asked, "How can one obtain the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

"A transaction is all about an equal exchange."

Natsume did not answer directly. He smiled and asked, "What about the Hashirama Cells I wanted?"

"I have them."

Orochimaru's snake-like pupils shifted as he said, "I can hand them over to you right now."

Natsume had always used a Wood Clone.

However, when a Wood Clone was dispelled, the items it carried would not return with it. Therefore, the Wood Clone would inevitably have to return to the original body.

As long as Orochimaru handled things properly, he could uncover the identity of this Mysterious Person.

Natsume could naturally guess what he was thinking.

That was precisely why he had been troubled over how to complete the transaction.

But now, he had a solution.

After taking control of Gunma Company, he had obtained nearly a hundred million ryō in cash.

That was the revenue accumulated by the casinos and underground banks over more than a decade.

After excluding expenses and real estate, the liquid funds he could actually use were still enormous.

Natsume planned to hire ninja to rescue Karin and her mother.

In the current Shinobi World, who possessed the greatest strength aside from the Five Great Villages?

That's right. It was them. Our great villains, the Akatsuki Organization.

Some might say that the Akatsuki Organization was dangerous and that things could go wrong.

But this was still the Akatsuki Organization's early stage, when they were accumulating funds.

They had two ways of making money: accepting missions and collecting bounties.

The latter could be set aside for now.

The former meant that the Akatsuki Organization was a mercenary organization.

And the most important thing for mercenaries was credibility.

If you killed your employer and word got out, you would lose your credibility, and no one would give you missions again.

No matter how stupid the Akatsuki Organization was, they would not break the rules at this stage.

In other words, as long as you paid them, they were trustworthy.

Orochimaru wanted to test them? Fine. Natsume would give him two members of the Akatsuki Organization and let him test them as much as he wanted.

"No rush. I'm only a clone. I'll notify you in a few days."

Natsume waved his hand indifferently and said, "You can conduct the transaction with members of our organization."

"No problem."

Orochimaru nodded.

Even if he could not meet Natsume's true body, coming into contact with members of his organization was just as good.

With his abilities, as long as he obtained even the slightest clue, he was confident he could follow the trail and completely uncover the veil surrounding this mysterious organization.

"I'll give you one more piece of advice."

Natsume looked at him meaningfully. "If you want to make a move, prepare enough measures to protect your life. They aren't as easy to reason with as I am."

Those words sound familiar.

Orochimaru's expression froze when he heard that, followed immediately by a surge of inexplicable rage.

This guy is far too arrogant!

I may not be able to defeat the Mangekyō Sharingan, but does that mean I can't defeat your subordinates?

Do you think I earned my title as one of the Sannin by picking it up off the ground?

"Now, let's continue discussing the Mangekyō Sharingan."

Natsume changed the subject. Orochimaru paused, then revealed an expectant look.

"The Mangekyō Sharingan evolves from the Three Tomoe Sharingan."

"Doesn't that mean there should be quite a few Mangekyō Sharingan users among the Uchiha Clan?"

Unable to hold himself back, Orochimaru interrupted.

In his view, although Shisui Uchiha was undoubtedly a genius, there had been many other Uchiha geniuses before him.

After all these years, there should be more than just one pair of eyes.

"Is it really that simple? The person who awakens it must possess extraordinary talent and encounter an extraordinary opportunity. Neither can be lacking."

Natsume raised three fingers and said, "So far, there have only been three people: Madara Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha, and the Mysterious Person who controlled the Nine-Tails."

In truth, there were more, but there was no need to mention them.

Izuna Uchiha had possessed it as well, for example.

Orochimaru's heart shook.

As expected.

He had long suspected that an ordinary Three Tomoe Sharingan could not possibly control the Nine-Tails.

"Who is this Mysterious Person? Is he also a member of the Uchiha Clan?"

Orochimaru knew the members of the Uchiha Clan fairly well.

Yet in the past decade or so, he had never heard of any peerless genius.

Before Shisui Uchiha, the most famous genius had been Fugaku Uchiha.

But Fugaku was indecisive by nature. He could not possibly have done such a thing.

Besides, after the Nine-Tails Attack, the Uchiha Clan's situation had become even more difficult.

Fugaku would not bring trouble upon himself.

"That's a different price."

Natsume smiled.

There was no point in telling Orochimaru that the Mysterious Person was Obito Uchiha.

He would gain no value from it.

Orochimaru's expression suddenly darkened. I've already taken off my pants, and now you're telling me this?

"What price?"

He considered himself to have some spare money.

But he also understood that Natsume was not short of money. Whatever he wanted to exchange for would undoubtedly be something precious.

"A price you can't afford."

Natsume ignored his gloomy expression and continued, "You've already fought Shisui Uchiha. You should understand that obtaining his eyes is impossible."

Although Orochimaru was unhappy, he could not find any grounds to refute him.

He looked at Natsume, then suddenly brightened and asked, "Can your organization help me take Shisui Uchiha's eyes?"

"As I said, you can't afford the price."

Natsume shook his head, then asked in return, "Besides, if we really obtained something so wonderful, why would I give it to you?"

Orochimaru fell silent.

If Natsume did not act, Orochimaru could not handle it alone unless he brought in Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and the others.

But even if they were truly willing to help, after witnessing the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan, they would never let Orochimaru keep it for himself. They would hand it over to Konoha instead.

At this time, the Akatsuki Organization was not especially famous. Moreover, its members were wandering ninja, not ninja from the Five Great Villages.

Orochimaru naturally had no reason to care about them, so he did not even know they existed.

"There is a way, though."

Natsume changed his tone and said, "After investigating, our organization discovered another Uchiha genius. There's a very high chance he'll awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. More importantly, you can obtain him easily. The only question is whether you have enough patience."

Orochimaru immediately could not contain his delight. He asked, "Who?"

Patience was something he had in abundance.

If Living Corpse Reincarnation succeeded, he would possess an infinite lifespan.

"Itachi Uchiha."

Natsume spoke the name of his deskmate.

Orochimaru was stunned for several seconds before remembering who he was.

Fugaku Uchiha's eldest son.

The main reason was that Itachi Uchiha was only six years old. His fame had not spread yet, so Orochimaru did not have a deep impression of him.

"Itachi Uchiha's talent is no less than Shisui Uchiha's."

Natsume chuckled and advised, "However, he is the son of the Uchiha Clan's leader, and he is close to Shisui Uchiha. You need to act quickly. Any delay could lead to unforeseen changes."

Orochimaru nodded.

He was intelligent enough to understand the difficulty involved.

The relationship between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha was extremely tense at present.

If he went to Fugaku Uchiha, he would most likely return empty-handed.

Orochimaru quickly thought of a solution. However, when he looked up, Natsume's clone had already dispersed.

He still had questions, but he could only let the matter go for now.

The next day.

Orochimaru arrived at the Hokage's Office.

"Orochimaru?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked surprised.

What a rare visitor.

Ever since the Third Shinobi World War had ended, Orochimaru had become a complete shut-in.

He did not even take on missions anymore. He stayed at home every day, and no one knew what he was doing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had long known that Orochimaru and Shimura Danzō were the same sort of people: crooked at heart and unsuitable to become Hokage.

However, the two of them were powerful, which benefited Konoha, so he chose to turn a blind eye.

As long as they did not betray the village, that was enough.

Ninja were ruthless by nature. Their thinking becoming warped was perfectly normal.

"I want to take on disciples."

Orochimaru got straight to the point.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was slightly taken aback.

What's going on?

Tsunade had just taken on a disciple, and now you want one too?

"What made you think of taking on disciples?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.

Orochimaru's previous disciple had been Nawaki.

After Nawaki died, only Mitarashi Anko remained—no, Mitarashi Anko.

"Nothing much. My experiments need more people, so I'm looking for two disciples."

Orochimaru's answer was extremely casual, but it suited his personality.

"Who do you have your eye on?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.

"I don't have any particular targets yet."

Orochimaru naturally did not want him to notice anything. He said, "I plan to choose two promising students from the Ninja Academy."

"No problem."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's doubts vanished completely. He said, "I'll have the Ninja Academy hold an examination. You can choose them when the time comes."

He was nominally the principal of the Ninja Academy.

But after he finished speaking, he suddenly thought of someone.

Itachi Uchiha.

The reason he remembered him so clearly was that he was Fugaku Uchiha's son and possessed exceptional talent. He ranked first in the academy.

If Orochimaru took him as a disciple, there might be unexpected benefits.

In the original story, Fugaku Uchiha sent Itachi Uchiha into the Anbu as a spy.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi did not know that.

Given the current situation, Fugaku Uchiha would not want Itachi Uchiha to become a direct member of the Hokage's faction.

The Uchiha Clan had only just moved, and they were already furious.

But Orochimaru taking on a disciple was legal and perfectly justified.

Hiruzen Sarutobi believed that bringing Itachi Uchiha into the Hokage's faction might produce another Shisui Uchiha.

"Orochimaru, if I remember correctly, Fugaku's son, Itachi Uchiha, has excellent talent. You can take him as your disciple."

"I'll consider it."

At first, Orochimaru thought his target had been exposed. But after thinking it over, he understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's plan.

The Uchiha Clan was extremely difficult to deal with at present.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had inherited the softer side of his teacher, Tobirama Senju. He intended to break through from within, recruit Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha under his command, and deal with the clan gradually.

Shimura Danzō, meanwhile, had carried on the harder side. He intended to uproot the Uchiha Clan completely.

At noon.

Ninja Academy.

Class 1-A.

Naoto Yamanaka walked into the classroom and said, "Classmates, I have some major news! Lord Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, will be coming to the academy this afternoon to choose disciples. Every one of you has a chance!"

The classroom immediately erupted in excitement.

The Sannin held an extremely lofty position in their hearts.

After all, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was also Jiraiya's disciple, one of the Sannin.

If they became Orochimaru's disciples, wouldn't that make them fellow disciples of the Fourth Hokage?

Although Orochimaru was usually cold and aloof, he was immensely powerful and had an outstanding record. He also had quite a few die-hard fans.

Moreover, for a civilian ninja, joining the Hokage's lineage was undoubtedly a meteoric rise.

Their excitement was only natural.

Natsume, sitting by the window in the back row, was somewhat surprised.

So this is how he chooses disciples?

But after thinking about it carefully, it was quite clever.

Even the Uchiha Clan would have nothing to say.

They could only blame Itachi Uchiha for having too outstanding a talent.

Natsume had little interest in Orochimaru taking on disciples. He was more concerned about the Wood Clone in Tanzaku Street.

Ninjas normally accepted missions through their ninja villages.

For unofficial channels, there was the underground black market.

It contained all kinds of shady missions and wanted bounties.

For example, Asuma Sarutobi, known as the unit of measurement for the Hokage, had a bounty of thirty-five million ryo.

People shouldn't underestimate that price. It was already extremely high.

An ordinary elite jōnin wasn't worth that much money at all. A few million was already quite good.

After all, under normal circumstances, even the most difficult S-rank ninja missions started at only one million ryo.

Konoha had no underground black market, but Tanzaku Street did.

Through Gunma Company's connections, Natsume found out its exact location.

That morning, he sent the Wood Clone over to take a look.

It was a fairly ordinary two-story Japanese wooden house.

Natsume opened the door.

Various counters came into view.

It looked a bit like the mission hall from a game or anime.

"Guest, are you here to accept a mission or post one?"

The young man behind the window looked to be in his twenties or thirties. He asked politely.

"Post a mission."

"Please fill out this form."

"My mission is rather difficult. I'd like to ask which ninjas you recommend. Ones with a good reputation."

Natsume casually slipped him one thousand ryo.

"You've asked the right person!"

The young man immediately broke into a smile and said, "Let me tell you, a few months ago, several incredibly powerful ninjas suddenly appeared. They specialize in high-difficulty missions and bounties, and they haven't failed even once to date."

"Oh?"

Natsume showed interest and asked, "What are their names?"

"They use code names. I only know that one of them is called Kakuzu," the young man replied.

"All right, then I want to designate them for the mission."

Natsume curled up the corners of his mouth.

Missions could be assigned to specific people, but the price would be higher.

"Please wait, guest."

The young man hurriedly explained, "They have a rule. If you want to designate them, the reward must be at least one million ryo."

"A small matter."

Natsume said without concern, "I'll pay two million ryo."

The young man instantly felt as if he had been blinded by money.

He posted the mission at an extremely fast speed.

S-rank mission: Go to Kusagakure, rescue two people, and bring them to Tanzaku Street.

Reward: Two Million Ryo. Designated Kakuzu and Jade.

Note: After accepting the mission, meet the employer in front of Winter Snow Casino at seven o'clock on the morning of July 7.

Winter Snow Casino was just a casino Natsume had chosen at random.

If he used Gunma Casino, there would inevitably be some risk.

After the Wood Clone dispersed, the original Natsume learned what had happened.

Next, he only needed to see whether the Akatsuki Organization was willing to accept the mission.

But he estimated that they probably would.

The Akatsuki Organization was extremely short of money right now.

In the afternoon.

Orochimaru arrived.

All the students were summoned to assemble on the training field.

Natsume was no exception.

Because the plot flowed continuously, I didn't divide it into chapters. This chapter has four thousand words, which is equivalent to two chapters.