Uchiha Mai narrowed his eyes and silently withdrew his outstretched hand. Kakuzu was getting a little too full of himself. Did he really think he was some master who could trade thirty rounds with Senju Hashirama?
Kakuzu paused, then added, "Besides, since you know my name, you must also know that I have a rule I've strictly followed for decades.
"Ninja World wars and the like are too much trouble. Not inviting trouble upon myself is my rule."
A rule?
Uchiha Mai smiled faintly and asked, "What if I insist that you make a decision that goes against your rule?"
Mei Terumi, lying in Uchiha Mai's arms, was a little surprised. Kakuzu had already refused outright, seemingly leaving no room for negotiation.
An old schemer who had survived this long in the Ninja World was bound to have very firm principles.
After a moment's silence, Kakuzu rolled his neck and licked his lips, as though he had caught the sweet scent of money. In a firm voice, he said, "You'll have to pay extra."
Mei Terumi: ???
That was it?
What happened to the rule he'd strictly followed for decades?
"Hahaha... ahahahaha... haha...
"I knew it. I knew it.
"Kakuzu, I was right about you. You really are an interesting man."
Uchiha Mai's unrestrained laughter rang through the Mizukage's Office, deafeningly loud.
Only after a long while did Uchiha Mai stop smiling. Like a middle-aged woman asking prices at a market, he asked, "How much extra? I'll do my best to meet your demands."
Kakuzu took a little notebook and a pencil from inside his clothes, quickly scribbled calculations on the back, and answered after a lengthy tally. "Two million for a Genin, ten million for a Chunin.
"Thirty million for a Special Jonin or a Regular Jonin. Elite Jonin