Nagato looked surprised. He turned around, walked back, and sat down in his original spot. "Why did you change your mind again?!"
The way he said it, you'd think it was all her fault. Tsunade's anger flared up again.
"Cut the chatter. I want to make a deal with you!"
"What do you want to trade?" Nagato blinked, puzzled. "You've already been captured and brought back here. What do you have to trade with me?"
Tsunade pointed sharply at Konan, startling Nagato. He thought she meant to trade Konan.
"Her!" Tsunade shouted. "Didn't you want her to learn my techniques? I'll teach her. She's not an Uzumaki like you, so learning my techniques won't be so easy for her!"
Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and now Tsunade all shared a trait besides their formidable strength: they were exceptionally good at teaching their students.
That was partly because they had all once studied under the Third Hokage, known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu." It also had to do with Konoha's strong culture of learning. Its educational system and teaching capabilities were far ahead of those of other countries and shinobi villages.
Nagato could use the Human Path's abilities to extract all of Tsunade's memories. But first, that would be far too much trouble. Medical Ninjutsu involved more knowledge than any other field of ninjutsu, and there was no close second. Neither he nor Konan had the time to digest such an enormous trove of memories. Second, ordinary people needed a teacher to guide them step by step when learning medical techniques of this caliber. Only a medical master of Tsunade's stature could personally oversee Konan, tailor a method of study to her needs, and help her train smoothly so she could master the techniques as quickly as possible.
Most importantly, Nagato knew all too well that he didn't know a damn thing about teaching. Compared to a professional like Tsunade, he was useless. He was good at causing destruction, and making people question their sanity wasn't particularly hard for him either. But teaching ninjutsu? That was out of the question. He learned ninjutsu by brute force; he didn't know how to do anything else.
"Fine." Nagato hesitated for less than three seconds before agreeing. "What do you want?"
"Information!" Tsunade glared at him. "I want all the information your organization has!"
"Are you out of your mind?" Nagato laughed in disbelief. "You've done this little bit, and now you want all my organization's information? Do you know how much information Jiraiya traded his life for?"
That was a sore subject. The old man had given his life and still hadn't figured out the abilities of all six Paths of Pain before he ended up at the bottom of the sea. And now Tsunade wanted all the Akatsuki's information just for teaching Konan a few techniques? She must have taken one too many blows to the head.
"That's your problem." Tsunade sat back down, arms folded over her chest, looking completely confident. "What matters more to you, information or your comrades? Or are you afraid that if I get the Akatsuki's information, I'll interfere with what you're doing?"
She thought she was good at reading people. Nagato wasn't the kind of person who was selfish and cared about no one but himself.
"Yeah, right. You?" Nagato scoffed. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Fine, you can have it. Our Akatsuki is incredibly powerful, so as for our information..."
"Nagato!" Konan cut in, calling out to him.
Nagato raised his right hand to signal her to be quiet. "Information means nothing in the face of true strength. I agree to give you all the Akatsuki's information. While teaching Konan, you can ask her anything you want. If she doesn't know, you can come ask me."
"Now that's confidence!" Tsunade gave him a thumbs-up, feeling she'd struck an incredible bargain.
The Akatsuki could now be called the greatest threat in the Shinobi World. In just a few days, she had seen Madara Uchiha and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and she'd been quietly shocked the whole time. She knew the organization had grand ambitions. Uncovering all its secrets was now the most important matter in the Shinobi World.
"But as you said, we'll both make a concession. You don't have to formally join the Akatsuki. Just be a reserve member, okay?"
"What?" Tsunade flew into a rage and immediately changed her tune. "I'd never join your lousy organization!"
Seeing Nagato's expression darken, Tsunade quickly amended, "Fine! But I want to remain anonymous, and I have the right to refuse to do anything I don't want to. You're not allowed to tell anyone who I am. And if you hide even a single bit of information from me, I'll leave your lousy organization immediately!"
She figured she was already making a killing. Letting the redhead have this much wasn't a big deal.
The only reason she was so adamant about not joining the Akatsuki was that she held the title of Hokage. If word got out that Konoha's former Hokage had joined the Akatsuki, it would have a terrible effect on the world. Staying anonymous was different; no one would know, after all.
The Shinobi World's legendary gambler was an expert at dodging gambling debts. If you claimed she'd once joined the Akatsuki, she could always deny it!
"Mm." Nagato nodded. Tsunade seemed reasonable enough. He stood up and prepared to leave again.
"Wait!" Tsunade stopped him once more. "Your lousy organization..."
Nagato immediately turned around and glared at her.
Tsunade corrected herself without hesitation. "Your Akatsuki. Do reserve members get paid?"
Hah. She hadn't done a thing, and she was already asking for a salary? Nagato shook his head. Still, it meant she was already thinking about what came after joining the Akatsuki, which was a good sign.
"Money's no problem!" Nagato waved a hand, looking like the Akatsuki was rolling in cash. He glanced at Konan, remembered the matter of the 600 Billion Paper Bombs, and his expression froze.
Tsunade had been in debt for years. She immediately caught a whiff of poverty from Nagato and looked at him with suspicion.
Nagato rubbed his chin. The words "The problem is, we're broke" stuck in his throat, and he couldn't bring himself to say them.
He thought for a moment, then seemed to remember something and brightened. "We're about to rob the reconstruction funds the Land of Fire is sending to Konoha, so don't worry. We won't be short on money!"
Konan's eyes lit up beside him, as if she hadn't expected Nagato to come up with such a good idea.
Tsunade immediately sensed the banditry emanating from the two of them. She was stunned. In all her years wandering the Shinobi World, she'd never met a redhead so shameless.
Did Nagato have no sense of honor, benevolence, or morality at all? How could he say, right in front of her—a Hokage—that he planned to rob Konoha's reconstruction funds? And then use the stolen money to pay her salary as a Hokage, so she'd join the Akatsuki?
This was too much. And he was the one who had destroyed Konoha in the first place! Tsunade stared at Nagato, feeling more and more uneasy as her head began to ache. The redhead had clearly never had a proper education. But his teacher had been Jiraiya, who was from Konoha... And that brought her right back where she started. Nagato was also an Uzumaki, distantly related to the Senju Clan. Seeing his bright red hair made her think of Uzumaki Mito. Tsunade pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling faint. Maybe it would be better to just leave the redhead alone.
She had seen this redhead before, but back then, the young boy had been so timid, with long bangs covering half his face and an air of someone who didn't want to be seen. It had been hard to connect him with the generally tough Uzumaki Clan. Now, looking at him, anyone who said he wasn't an Uzumaki had to be blind.
"Forget it. Let's not talk about money," Tsunade thought, steadying herself. "Money's too heavy a subject, for both this kid and me."
No matter how much money she had, she'd lose it all at the gambling tables anyway. She could just put it on Nagato's tab.
That would teach him how terrifying gambling debts could be.
So once again, Tsunade raised her right hand toward Nagato, fingers spread, signaling him to shut up and stop talking about the robbery.
"You agree?" Nagato immediately looked at her with eager anticipation.
"Mm!" Tsunade nodded with difficulty.
"Great! Then your title from now on is the One-Eyed King!"
Of all the things to be thinking about at a time like this.
"Get lost!" That was Tsunade's reply.
Before you continue