Kakuzu sighed, "Though that's true, I didn't expect you to be so talkative after drinking, but even when you're sober, you talk this much. It's a bit exasperating..."
"Hey, what are you saying? Who was it that cursed Hidden Waterfall Village for two hours last time we drank?"
Kakuzu and Hatake Sakumo were bantering, and the atmosphere between them was absurdly good.
It was only when Aomi approached that Kakuzu and Hatake Sakumo became serious and greeted Aomi.
Aomi smiled at the duo who had already become a golden combo: "Kakuzu, are you satisfied with the work in Root?"
"I haven't had a chance to congratulate you on becoming a member of Konoha Ninja. If you have any issues with me as your boss, like being shortchanged on bonuses or being exploited, make sure to let me know..."
Kakuzu looked at Aomi with a complex expression.
Though he maintained communication with Aomi through letters, this was only their second meeting.
The last time had been when Kakuzu ambushed Tsunade's Squad on their first bloody mission, and was nearly killed by Aomi.
This time, Kakuzu had already signed a ten-year death contract with Aomi as a working man, and was an outstanding employee of Root, the Finance Minister, holding the cash flow of a large organization and the power to manage Root teams.
"I am very satisfied."
Kakuzu's tone was emotionless, but his eyes were extremely serious: "It's a good job, and you're a good boss."
"However, if possible, I'd like to make a request..."
Aomi nodded: "Go ahead and say it, Kakuzu."
"This guy talks too much. As an old-timer, I request to be the captain of our two-man team, so I have a reason to make him talk less..."
Kakuzu pointed at Hatake Sakumo, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.
Hatake Sakumo was taken aback, spreading his hands: "You can't blame me, Aomi told me you're an old-timer with experiences similar to mine, so what's wrong with me chatting with you more?"
Aomi laughed heartily: "That's what you call a happy problem, Kakuzu, enjoy it?"
Kakuzu furrowed his brows, but his words were honest: "For the sake of Root, I'll endure for now."
"Sakumo, is everything all right?"
Aomi looked at Hatake Sakumo, somewhat surprised at his personality change.
The man who was once calm, gentle, and strong, after going through an upheaval of public opinion and revival, unexpectedly became lively, getting along with Kakuzu in an oddly harmonious way.
"Everything's great, Aomi, I really like my life now!"
Hatake Sakumo replied with a smile, even giving Aomi the illusion that he wanted to show off his big white teeth and give a thumbs up in Might Duy's signature pose.
"That's good, did you guys just get back?"
Aomi observed the bloodstains on Kakuzu's hands and the bloody short sword Hatake Sakumo carried, and asked softly: "Was the mission smooth?"
"Very smooth, those Explosion Release Squads from Hidden Rock were just some Jonin, easy to kill."
Kakuzu took the lead, reporting: "Sakumo and I brought back eleven bodies in good condition, two barely pieced together, and one alive."
Hatake Sakumo nodded: "Don't worry, Aomi, these bloodstains were the research lab staff asking us to help clean up so they wouldn't have a hard time dissecting the bodies."
Hatake Sakumo mimicked a slicing action with a grin: "Kakuzu's ability, very handy for extracting organs."
At the side, Hiruko took a deep breath, increasingly feeling that Root was just a place for lunatics!
Listen to what these two are saying?
What does it mean that killing some Kekkeigenkai Jonin is easy?
Also, why does Hatake Sakumo sound like he's a butcher removing hair from pork when talking about handling bodies?
It's too natural!
Hiruko glanced at the black threads wriggling on Kakuzu's wrist, feeling numb; these definitely aren't normal humans...
He had already realized, the ninja in Root truly each have hidden unique skills.
Here, you can see all kinds of forbidden jutsu in the Ninja World, there's a new trick every day...
At this moment, Hiruko understood that Aomi not only looked favorably at him because he used Chimera Jutsu, but also because everyone around him was a bunch of murderers who had become numb to the point of complete disregard for life!
In a sense, Chimera Jutsu only needed the lives of five Kekkeigenkai ninja, which in these forbidden jutsu in Root, truly is a low-cost, high-output, morally high-ground jutsu.
"Sakumo, take Kakuzu around the village, he has a formal Konoha Ninja ID number."
Aomi instructed, turning to leave for the lab with Hiruko.
Hatake Sakumo shook his head in amazement: "Kakuzu, your Konoha Ninja registration and promotion speed is something I haven't attained even after struggling for over thirty years..."
Working under Aomi and earning such trust, that's being the crème de la crème within the Hokage's faction.
He himself, once not being in this circle, was restricted and reduced to a laughable tool while working in Konoha.
Kakuzu stared at Aomi's back, chuckling lightly:
"Konoha registration? I don't care about that, I just want to do my job well..."
"Looking at it now, after the ten-year term ends, I'll have to discuss renewing the contract with Aomi."
Hatake Sakumo listened blankly to Kakuzu's words, puzzled, he asked:
"Kakuzu, are you getting senile? I don't understand what you're saying..."