Becoming Official

Boom! The fury flames tore through the forest, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. The once serene atmosphere was shattered by the violent inferno, its roars echoed by a bone-chilling shriek that pierced through the chaos.

As the flames died down, revealing the charred remnants of fallen ninjas, a surging black mass writhed and squirmed in the center of the devastation. It reformed before the eyes of the living into a humanoid figure, an alien creature with venomous eyes fixed upon the caster of the ninjutsu.

Its voice cut through the lingering smoke, filled with malice and curiosity, "You. Enemy?"

Kakuzu, his tall and imposing figure shrouded in silence, faced the alien creature without a flicker of interest in his eyes. His grey squirming tentacles pulled back one of the masks he had unleashed, traces of flame still dancing from the masked creature's mouth.

A sinister chuckle echoed through the forest as Kakuzu's voice resounded, "Of course not. It's just that our organization does not need waste. If you can't even survive that much... then you might as well die."

The creature, known as Venom, flicked his serpentine tongue around, morphing parts of his body into a sticky black mass that extended outward. The mass swept up the charred corpses strewn on the ground, absorbing them as his form recovered, growing taller and more muscular.

The forest fell into a brief silence as the two adversaries locked eyes, a solitary leaf drifting gently through the air, catching Kakuzu's attention. His emerald green eyes followed its descent until it finally landed on the ground.

In an instant, the duo vanished from their previous positions, colliding with each other in a violent clash. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the surroundings as their fists collided with incredible force!

Venom's elongated tongue shot out like a deadly sword, aimed at Kakuzu, but the skilled shinobi deflected it with a wave of squirming tentacles that exploded from his body. Simultaneously, his arms moved swiftly to block the lightning-fast punches from Venom.

Seizing the opportunity, Kakuzu kicked off from Venom's body, harnessing the force to propel himself backward through the air. Two masked creatures emerged from his retreating form, their bodies composed of squirming black tentacles.

They rose into the air, shadowing his retreating body, their mouths opening wide - one firing a bolt of searing fire, the other releasing a seemingly compressed ball of air that exploded into a devastating storm of wind.

It was a deadly combination of Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work and Wind Release: Pressure Damage!

BOOM! The ensuing explosion consumed the forest, engulfing Venom in a raging torrent of flames.

Kakuzu's body transformed into water, evaporating into mist and evading the scorching heat unscathed.

In the distance, Kakuzu landed gracefully on a sturdy branch, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes surveyed the destruction he had wrought before locking onto the escaping ninja below. His voice, devoid of warmth, resounded through the decimated forest, "Where do you think you're going?"

Hic! Fear washed over the escaping ninja's scarred face as he turned to face Kakuzu, his eyes widening in terror. His voice trembled as he muttered, "Monsters! You are both monsters!"

Kakuzu's chilling chuckle reverberated in the stillness of the air as he replied, his voice dripping with cold determination, "Monsters? I really don't care what you call me, nor do I care about the secrets you possess. However, you must understand, the Hidden Earth village has placed a generous bounty on your head. In my eyes, you are nothing more than money. And I never let my money escape."

Without warning, a kunai adorned with an explosive tag hurtled through the air towards Kakuzu, launched by the fleeing ninja who screamed, "Die!"

Without even glancing at the result, the ninja turned around and escaped. Meanwhile, the explosive kunai met its target, and an eruption of force tore through the surroundings as the tree was reduced to mere splinters.

Emerging from the resulting smoke, Kakuzu leapt forward, his eyes filled with playful disdain. Not even a scratch marked his unyielding form. "Trivial tricks," he scoffed.

Landing gracefully on the ground, Kakuzu tapped his foot, propelling his body forward with unparalleled speed, swiftly closing in on the target. He aimed to finish off the enemy swiftly, preserving the corpse for a higher bounty.

However, a long, sinewy tongue suddenly shot through the air, impaling the escaping ninja's body and lifting him high above the ground. Blood spewed from the ninja's mouth, his eyes growing dim as he continued to mutter, "Why can't they let me quit and live in peace?"

The tongue retracted, and Kakuzu came to a halt in his tracks, his eyes betraying a mixture of surprise and unease as the black abomination approached. It was Venom, still alive after the horrendous destruction.

Venom dragged the lifeless body by its head before tossing it contemptuously towards Kakuzu. Although Venom's size had diminished, his formidable presence remained, his tongue slobbering over his own face as he fixated on the discarded corpse. Kakuzu's narrowed eyes locked onto Venom, contemplating whether to continue testing this intriguing new partner of his.

Suddenly, Kakuzu paused, his eyes glazed over with a distant look. A moment later, he spoke with a dissatisfied tone, "Fine. I understand. I'll bring him back after we claim the bounty."

His gaze shifted towards Venom, a snarky undertone lacing his voice as he continued, "You're lucky this time. It seems the leader has decided to accept you officially into the organization."

Venom tilted its head, the long tongue dangling as it inquired, "Food?"

Kakuzu's eyes twitched at the question before he replied, his words laced with irritation, "Yes, after we return."

Upon receiving Kakuzu's response, Venom emitted an evil cackle that echoed through the forest.

Its black mass writhed and shrank, revealing the human form of Tobey. The black suit he had worn was now replaced by the iconic Akatsuki robe.

Tobey arrogantly flicked his hair and remarked, "So, when do I get my salary, little goblin junior?"

Kakuzu's narrowed eyes met Tobey's gaze, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. "That depends on the leader and angel-sama. And for the last time, my name is not 'little goblin junior'!"

"Ah, whatever you say. No need to be so fierce, little goblin junior," Tobey retorted casually.

Kakuzu's masked creature emerged from the depths of the forest, their mouths opening as fire and wind began to gather once again. "I wouldn't mind having Venom as my partner... permanently," Kakuzu stated in a cold voice.

Tobey turned around, rotating his hips nonchalantly. He mumbled, "Sheesh, it's just some dirt in your eye, but okay, I'll shut up as long as I get my salary."

Kakuzu's gaze remained fixed on Tobey as the brewing ninjutsu was abruptly extinguished. His masked creatures lumbered over, merging seamlessly back into his own body. "Don't worry. Although I would rather keep the money, since she has agreed, I will give you your due share, but not a single ryo more," Kakuzu stated firmly.

After sealing the corpse in a scroll, Kakuzu began to walk away, his voice resonating with cold authority, "Let's go, brat. The leader wants to see you. It's time for your official initiation into the organization."

"Eh? Initiated? But I thought I was already a part of the organization!" Tobey exclaimed in shock, casually following in Kakuzu's footsteps.

"You were just a temporary worker," Kakuzu revealed coldly, exposing the truth.

"Damn capitalists! No wonder I didn't get any salary. You were just exploiting me the entire time!" Tobey pointed his finger gun at Kakuzu, his eyes filled with glaring fury as he fired a couple of web shots.

With effortless grace, Kakuzu dodged the incoming web shots, not even bothering to look back. He continued to trudge forward with unwavering determination, his voice cold and unyielding, "I don't see the part where that is my problem."

Inside the confines of the base, Shino's lips twitched involuntarily as he heard the line, his mind contemplating whether he inadvertently influenced Kakuzu's personality. "Damn, maybe Bully Maguire's personality was contagious," he mused silently.

Resting her head on Shino's shoulder, Karina pouted and muttered in response, "Shino, you may be overthinking things. After all, it is just an AI-generated personality with little to no charm." After a pause, she rubbed against him as she playfully added, "When compared to my dear, there is no comparison."

Shino rubbed Karina's head affectionately, a chuckle escaping his lips. "There's no need to flatter me," he replied. "I know my own personality."

Karina planted a quick kiss on his cheek, her voice filled with happiness as she declared, "No matter what, I'm attracted to you and only you, Shino. No one else can take your place."

With a warm smile, Shino wrapped his arm around Karina's waist, drawing her closer. He gently kissed her forehead before speaking, his voice filled with sincerity, "And you will always be my queen."

Their moment of sweetness passed, and the couple's eyes sharpened as they observed the duo entering the bounty exchange. Shino's tone turned serious as he spoke, "Soon, it's time to meet one of the big bosses in this world. Hopefully, his Rinnegan won't uncover any problems." He turned to Karina and asked, "Have you prepared the stories according to my specifications?"

Karina nodded, her expression determined. "Multiple stories have been prepared, and the conversation flow has been generated," she replied confidently. "They have already been logged into the Tobey AI and will be applied according to the situation. There is no need to worry my dear."

Shino nodded, his gaze focused and determined as he turned to another topic. "How is the search for our chakra battery?" he inquired, his voice laced with a sense of temptation.

Karina stared at Shino in silence for a moment, her mouth pouting in a display of subtle jealousy.

In order to emphasize this, she shifted her position, using her movements to convey her true feelings. When she gained Shino's attention, her lips hooked, and with diligent determination, she reported, "Shino-sama, we have located the Hidden Waterfall Village and initiated our infiltration. However, it will take some time. Even if we successfully locate the target, we still need methods to control the beast."

Although the Seven Tails was an insect in essence, it was, in reality, an amalgamation of chakra. Shino's ability to dominate it like other insects remained dubious. So, for the sake of safety, having adequate means to seal the Seven Tails was imperative.

Currently, their arsenal of sealing techniques was insufficient. Although they continued to unearth more through pre-existing data and Karina's own talents, it wasn't nearly enough. So, their only option was to find methods to bolster their database.

Shino leaned back, frustration evident on his face as he inquired about the progress of infiltrating Anbu and Root. "How is the progress in infiltrating Anbu and Root?" he asked, his voice tinged with exasperation.

Karina shook her head, her expression filled with a mix of disappointment and determination. "There hasn't been much success," she admitted. "Although we now know the location of Anbu, it is heavily guarded. Our bugs manage to infiltrate occasionally, but they haven't gained access to any of the crucial core rooms. As for Root, they are still extremely cautious. Even though we tracked Tsunade to what we believed was their main base, she had already razed it to the ground without anyone stopping her. So, it is doubtful if that was truly the main base or simply a decoy."

Shino's frustration grew, and he voiced his exasperation. "So cautious. Is Root still conducting research on my bugs instead of accepting them? Hasn't any Aburame members in Root start using our bugs?" he questioned, his tone laced with a hint of disbelief.

Karina responded with a playful smile. "Oh… they definitely are, but they all didn't keep them in their own bodies outside of combat and stored them in external jars. Naturally, they weren't brought back to Root. It seemed they won't consider it unless their research proves there is no problems, which should have been soon..."

As her hand rubbed against the culprit, clearly blaming Shino for his actions, Karina continued, "But one of their main researchers has been captured by us, essentially severing our own chances of infiltrating them, unless they suddenly decide to throw caution to the wind."

"Uh… so self-inflicted?" Shino choked on his words, a wry smile playing on his lips as he asked, "Is there any good news?" His voice held a tinge of anticipation, a flicker of hope amidst the disappointment that surrounded them.

Karina's body rose with excitement, her eyes gleaming with newfound information. "Yes!" she exclaimed, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. "Our bugs have located Genno, the trap master seeking revenge. After observing him for a while, we have finally identified his routes, deducing the locations where he plants his explosive tags based on his methods and habits."

"Now, our zergs had been deployed to secretly harvest the explosive tags, and they have been stored in our external biospheres." Her words spilled out in a rush, a torrent of hope and progress.

Finally some good news, free explosive tags, free money.

Shino's expression brightened, a glimmer of relief breaking through the clouds. As he allowed the weight of the good news to sink in, a small chuckle escaped him, "It seems another filler arc would be canceled just like that."

Karina's head bounced up and down vigorously in agreement, her excitement matching Shino's. However, she interjected with a gentle reminder, her tone tinged with playfullness. "But we might not be able to locate all the explosives, so the fill'er arc might still happen."

Shino's smile turned sly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "More time to bond with Hinata," he mused, his voice laced with playful intent.

Karina gasped, her arms instinctively wrapping around Shino's neck as she locked her gaze onto him. Her voice held a hint of possessiveness as she declared, "My dear, how bad of you to think about other women when you are with me."

Shino's eyes deepened, his voice taking on a hoarse quality. "So what if I do?" he challenged, a subtle invitation in his words.

Leaning in closer, Karina answered with equal fervor, her speed picking up. "Then I will make sure you only focus on me," she vowed, her determination palpable.

Their lips met in a passionate exchange, their desires entwining in a dance of pleasure and longing. But amidst their intimate embrace, Karina suddenly broke the connection.

A momentary pause filled the room as her resonating charming voice paused, drawing Shino's attention. "Hmm?"

Pointing to the video playing before them, Karina urged him. "Shino, you should see this."

Shino shifted his gaze to the screen, where the duo in the video walked past a bounty board. Confusion flickered in his eyes as he asked impatiently, clearly unhappy with Karina leaving him in suspense, "What's wrong?"

Halting the video and freezing it into an image, Karina highlighted a post on the bounty board, and with her movements, the display zoomed in with precision. Within seconds, the enlarged bounty filled Shino's vision, and his heart skipped a beat. He finally saw the problem that had eluded him before, a revelation that sent tremors through his body.

"My dear, it seems you now officially have a bounty."