Kaku! We've Got a New Mission!

Kisame's injuries had completely healed.

Still, he was rather speechless when it came to Sixia.

The guy had hit far too hard earlier. If Samehada hadn't supplied chakra to help heal him...

With injuries that severe, he might well have died in Kirigakure.

Yet now Sixia acted as though nothing had happened, treating him as a partner for missions again.

As though Uzumaki Shixia hadn't been the one who had suddenly attacked him and nearly beaten him to death on the spot.

Next, Sixia took Karin by the hand and headed to the hot spring inn where they were staying.

At the inn, Kakuzu had enjoyed a relaxing soak and was getting ready for bed.

"Ah! It's been so long since I last got to sleep comfortably after a soak in a hot spring."

Kakuzu lay on the bed, looking utterly content.

He felt both grateful to Kisame and a little sorry for him.

Since Uzumaki Shixia wasn't around to torment him, he must have gone off to torment Kisame instead.

At that thought, a hint of amusement appeared in Kakuzu's pale green eyes.

After settling comfortably into bed, Kakuzu slowly closed his eyes.

For some reason, after closing them, he couldn't help opening them again and glancing toward the door.

He had noticed that every time he lay down comfortably, ready to get some proper rest...

That mission thug Uzumaki Shixia would burst through the door.

Fortunately, this time Uzumaki Shixia really had gone off to torment Kisame.

He hadn't appeared in Kakuzu's room at the worst possible moment.

Kakuzu finally relaxed completely, closed his eyes, and prepared to drift off to sleep.

Bang!

The glow of contentment hadn't even faded from Kakuzu's face.

Sixia had already kicked the door open with practiced ease, then used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Kakuzu's bed.

With equally practiced movements, he reached out to grab Kakuzu.

Kakuzu's pale green eyes went wide!

He could even predict what Uzumaki Shixia was about to say.

It would be something like, Little Kaku, Kaku, we've got a new mission. Why are you still sleeping?

Get up and come do the mission with me!

How can you waste your limited lifespan on something as meaningless as sleep?

"Kaku! We've got a new mission!"

"Why are you still sleeping?"

"..."

Sixia shook Kakuzu as he repeated the lines Kakuzu already knew by heart.

Kakuzu even knew that if he refused to get up, Sixia would carry him off to do the mission.

"Haa..."

Kakuzu let out a long sigh, then asked, "Where's Kisame?"

"Can't you partner up with him for the mission?"

Sixia replied with a cheerful smile, "Of course he's coming along with us too."

"Hmm?" Hearing that, Kakuzu felt considerably better.

Good. He wasn't the only one being tormented by Uzumaki Shixia.

Despite his extreme reluctance, Kakuzu still left his comfortable bed.

Ever since setting out on the ninja path, he had bid farewell to comfortable beds. Was this his ninja way?

Kakuzu sighed inwardly.

With Sixia leading them, the four soon headed for the Kirigakure Black Market.

It was already night, and traveling beneath the moon and stars had left Karin a little sleepy.

That wasn't much of a problem. Before long, Sixia was carrying her on his back while she drooled and dreamed sweet dreams.

When Sixia's group passed a fork in the road...

The Wood Clone brought Mei Terumi and the others, whose chakra had been sealed, to meet up with them.

In the Kirigakure Black Market's main hall, once the manager had verified the identities of Mei Terumi and the others and confirmed that all their chakra had been sealed...

He pulled a card from his coat pocket and handed it to Sixia.

"Take them to the address drawn on the card and wait for the client to collect them. Then you'll receive your payment."

Sixia raised the card, studied it closely, and gave a slight nod.

The location marked on the card was a valley just outside Kirigakure, very close to the village.

He carefully checked the direction, then led the group toward the valley.

"Wait, we're just going to walk in there openly like this?"

"What if it's a trap?"

Ao spoke up. With his chakra sealed, he felt terribly vulnerable.

Sixia said dismissively, "If it's a trap, you can just give me a rescue mission to get you out of danger."

Ao immediately shut his mouth.

If he said much more, he feared he'd lose even the underwear on his back.

Sixia then followed the route indicated on the map toward the valley.

There were plenty of valleys like this outside Kirigakure.

Inside this valley, the Blood Mist ninja had already received word and were preparing to accept the targets and complete the transaction.

The Blood Mist operative in charge here was Kondo Takashi, a Kirigakure jonin.

He carried two Ninja Blades on his back, his gaze fixed on the entrance to the valley.

Whoosh!

A Blood Mist ninja flickered into view behind Kondo Takashi using the Body Flicker Technique, then dropped to one knee to report.

"Sir Kondo, the targets are approaching!"

Kondo Takashi nodded slightly and asked, "How many are coming? Were Mei Terumi and the other three really captured?"

The ninja who had come to report answered truthfully.

"Four of them are coming: three formidable ninja and a young girl."

"One of those three ninja is Kisame, Kirigakure's S-Rank rogue ninja."

"The other two are Kakuzu, a regular at the major black markets, and Uzumaki Shixia, who has recently made a name for himself at the Amegakure Black Market."

"As for Mei Terumi and the other three, they have indeed been captured, and all their chakra has been sealed."

Hearing this, Kondo Takashi was completely reassured.

He couldn't even resist grinning, revealing two rows of sharklike teeth.

"The Sixia and Kakuzu duo? They certainly live up to their reputation for a one hundred percent mission success rate."

"They captured Mei Terumi and the others so easily."

"Bring them to me."

The ninja behind Kondo Takashi replied, "Yes, sir!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the ninja vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.

At the valley entrance, Sixia had already extended his Mantra over the entire valley.

He could sense every little movement here with perfect clarity.

He had even detected a big fish from the Blood Mist lurking here.

But he was in no hurry to act. He intended to follow the trail and catch the Blood Mist's upper ranks in one sweep.

Swish!

A Blood Mist ninja used the Body Flicker Technique to appear before Sixia.

"Lead the way."

As though Sixia had known he was about to appear, his voice reached the Blood Mist ninja's ears the instant the man arrived.

After a moment of surprise, the man led Sixia's group to meet Kondo Takashi.

Kondo Takashi had also witnessed what had happened at the valley entrance.

When he saw Sixia's group, he became even more courteous.

As he walked toward Kakuzu, he was already holding out a case.

"Kaku, the payment for this mission is in there. Count it."

Sixia waved and called out to Kakuzu.

Kakuzu couldn't have been more familiar with this routine.

Once again, the mission had been taken under his name.

Then they would split the payment fifty-fifty.

Kakuzu simply couldn't understand why that menace Sixia insisted on dragging him along when he could handle everything himself.

He quickly counted it twice.

Everything checked out.

Still, seeing such a huge sum of money laid out right in front of him was overwhelming.

My share will be pretty big!

His resentment at being forcibly dragged out of bed by Sixia suddenly vanished.

Meanwhile, Kondo Takashi and his men stepped forward to check Mei Terumi and the others' condition.

After confirming that all their chakra had been sealed, Kondo Takashi decided to take them to their base.

Many islands of various sizes surrounded Kirigakure.

The Blood Mist's base was on an island beside the village.

Once Kondo Takashi was certain that everything was in order with Mei Terumi and the other three, he took them to the Blood Mist's base.

Inside the Blood Mist's base, Karatachi Takiichi and Hozuki Mugetsu were waiting for good news from Kondo Takashi.

In Kirigakure, both the Hozuki Clan and the Karatachi Clan were major clans.

The Hozuki Clan had produced Hozuki Gengetsu, the Second Mizukage.

As for the Karatachi Clan, it had produced Karatachi Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage.

Karatachi Takiichi and Hozuki Mugetsu were not only senior figures in their respective clans, but also elders of Kirigakure.

However, Kirigakure was now largely under Elder Genshi's control.

Publicly, Karatachi Takiichi and Hozuki Mugetsu had little say in its affairs.

Yet both men were devoted followers of the Fourth Mizukage and enthusiastic supporters of the blood mist policy.

During the period when Karatachi Yagura had been controlled by Obito...

They, too, had been brainwashed by Obito.

They believed the blood mist policy was the true Will of Water, that only it could make Kirigakure strong, and that they had to see it through to the end.

The presence of Genji and his lackeys-Mei Terumi, Gonbei, Ao, Chojuro, and the others...

Was a serious obstacle to Kirigakure's rise.

Thus, they wanted to eliminate Genji's lackeys, and even his lackeys' lackeys-ninja like Chojuro.

Karatachi Takiichi and Hozuki Mugetsu had complete faith in Kondo Takashi's abilities.

Kondo Takashi was considered an elite jonin in Kirigakure. Both his strength and his steady handling of affairs inspired confidence.

Of course, Karatachi Takiichi and Hozuki Mugetsu had no idea that Kondo Takashi had brought back a "daddy" to put them in their place.

Before long, Kondo Takashi appeared in Karatachi Takiichi's office.

"How did it go?"

The moment he saw Kondo Takashi, Karatachi Takiichi asked.

Kondo Takashi bowed slightly, then replied respectfully, "Lord Takiichi, everything went very smoothly."

"That ninja from Amegakure really is exceptionally capable."

"I've checked. Mei Terumi and the other three are indeed who they claim to be."

"And their chakra has been completely sealed."

"I've brought them here. Would Elder Takiichi and Elder Mugetsu like to see them?"

Karatachi Takiichi was overjoyed.

"Bring them in!"

"Yes, sir!"

Kondo Takashi nodded, then went out to make the arrangements.