Saro stood at the door with a meal tray and took several deep breaths before knocking twice. Only after she heard a response did she push the door open.
Nagato watched without much reaction as Saro brought the food in. He ate with a blank expression and asked, "Did those people report in today?"
Once the Akatsuki officially began taking missions, Nagato had put Saro in charge of that side of things.
At first, Saro had worried. Everyone in the Akatsuki was so powerful that she feared they would not want to listen to a nobody like her. She doubted she could handle the job and agonized over it for a long time.
But she did not want to disappoint Nagato, so she gritted her teeth and did it. To her surprise, everyone cooperated. There were no troublemakers at all.
That made Saro happy, and by now she knew the work well.
As it happened, she had received a report just before bringing Nagato his meal.
She answered carefully, "They reported in. Every mission has been completed, and everything went smoothly. I'll handle the handovers later and collect the payments!"
Nagato nodded in satisfaction, set his bowl on the tray, and said flatly, "Mm. You can go."
Saro opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something, but in the end, she could not get the words out. With a soft sigh, she left and closed the door behind her.
Since the Akatsuki had started taking missions, its funds had been growing at an astonishing rate. By now, the organization was quite wealthy.
At first, Saro had thought having money felt wonderful. But once she learned where it came from, she could no longer smile about it.
She had considered leaving, but one look at Nagato's gaunt frame made