Chapter 186: Brother Li Takes You to Make Big Money

Rain Hidden Village.

Scorpion looked at the young man in front of the table, head lowered as he flipped through the basic puppet technique materials, and in a hoarse voice said, "Tomorrow you and I are going somewhere. Someone wants to see you."

Hearing this, Li Ang raised his head and asked with great interest, "What, your leader wants to see me?"

Although he asked this aloud, he knew that since the Akatsuki organization hadn't continued to act afterward, sooner or later Changmen would want to meet him.

As for what for.

It was nothing more than wanting to absorb him into the Akatsuki organization.

Li Ang had no objections to this. In his view, the entire Ninja World was pretty much dark; truly good people could be counted on one hand.

To be precise, beasts roamed everywhere, and the place was also full of madmen, obsessives, and idealists.

So it didn't matter where he hung out.

This wasn't Li Ang being a conspiracy theorist, because ninja was just that kind of profession to begin with. Talking about benevolence and morality with a bunch of executioners was a bit laughable.

"You'll know when you get there." Scorpion's tone didn't waver in the slightest. "Now it's time to talk about those materials you handed me."

"You're lying to me."

The reason this Red Sand Scorpion said so was that he couldn't understand the materials the person before him had handed over.

But this was also quite normal—after all, it was alchemy from another world. The fact that Li Ang had been able to learn it was thanks to Old Tang, this Bronze and Fire Dragon King, teaching him step by step.

But Scorpion didn't know any of this. He only knew that the materials the other party had given him were absurd.

Facing Scorpion's questioning, Li Ang didn't feel the slightest panic. "I don't know how much you, as a member of the Akatsuki organization, understand about this world, but you have to know that chakra isn't the only power in the world."

"The summoning beasts of the three great Sage Lands, the shrine maiden of the Land of Demons—do you think they're ninja?"

Li Ang certainly couldn't just come out and say alchemy was a power from another world. This was the explanation he'd long prepared.

Besides, this was the truth of the world. For this planet, chakra was the foreign power system.

Now there was simply one more alchemy added to the mix.

Hearing these words, Scorpion fell silent for a moment.

Seeing his reaction, Li Ang curved his lips slightly. "How about this—I teach you alchemy, you teach me puppet techniques. Deal?"

"As for whether we can learn it, that depends on each person's own ability."

As he spoke, an alchemy matrix lit up in his hand, to back up his claim.

The "teaching" here didn't mean just handing over a set of materials and calling it done, but rather being each other's teacher.

As for whether Scorpion ultimately could learn alchemy.

That was none of Li Ang's business.

Of course, the reason he was so confident was that Reverse Birth: Three Layers and Gungnir somewhat countered this puppet master. Even if things turned hostile in the end, he wasn't afraid.

"…Deal."

Scorpion ultimately chose to agree, but he had also prepared himself—if he couldn't learn it, he'd turn the person before him into a human puppet.

"But if I find out you're wasting my time, I'll kill you."

Facing Scorpion's threat, Li Ang paid it no heed.

If it really came to a fight, who would win was still unknown. A puppeteer's poisoning methods were useless against Reverse Birth: Three Layers.

As for direct combat—

Gungnir could shoot straight through Scorpion's core.

Right now he was only curious about the human puppets Scorpion made exclusively, because these human puppets could possess the deceased's生前 ninjutsu and Kekkei Genkai.

'Add alchemy on top of that, and there might be unexpected gains.'

'And puppets, or rather dolls, have a very promising development future to begin with.'

Things don't repeat beyond three times. Li Ang had transmigrated into fantasy worlds three times in a row, which let him basically confirm that the future would most likely be the same.

Since that's the case—

'Rozen Maiden, Pain of Red, Mechanical Dolls… there might be a chance to see them too.'

Li Ang thought as he went, and began teaching Scorpion the contents of alchemy.

The next day.

Li Ang, led by Scorpion, arrived at a cave.

By then, two people were already waiting inside the cave.

The moment he saw these two, Li Ang recognized their identities.

The Pain controlled by Changmen, and Konan.

Li Ang wasn't surprised that not all members of the Akatsuki organization had shown up—after all, he wasn't a jinchūriki.

He was only a bit disappointed that he couldn't use the membership to judge how far the plot had progressed.

Upon seeing Li Ang, Changmen spoke first. "Scorpion recommended letting you join the organization. Before that, I must first explain to you what the organization's purpose is."

He didn't ask about the origins of the person before him—after all, the Akatsuki organization's two-person cell structure could effectively prevent spies.

And Scorpion was a veteran of the organization; in this regard, Changmen still trusted him.

Although for Li Ang, who knew the plot, the Akatsuki organization was about the same as the Black Organization in Detective Conan.

It couldn't be said they were all spies, but basically each had their own hidden agenda.

As for the Akatsuki organization's purpose—

Li Ang certainly knew, but he still wanted to hear how this idealist before him would put it.

Then Changmen dropped a bombshell directly: "The organization's ultimate goal is to collect all the tailed beasts and conquer the world."

Unfortunately, he didn't see a look of shock on Li Ang's face.

After a moment of silence, Changmen continued, "Before that, we need to accumulate large amounts of funds by taking commissions."

"Currently the organization has already accumulated a large amount of funds."

Upon hearing this, Li Ang secretly glanced at the silent girl beside him, Xiao Nan.

Those funds were probably all spent buying explosive tags.

After a brief moment of thought, Li Ang spoke: "Have you never considered another way to make money?"

"?"

Changmen slightly furrowed his brow.

Seeing he didn't understand, Li Ang patiently explained: "Accepting missions earns you so little. Since the organization has already sparked war, why not sell weapons directly to both sides?"

Same as sparking war—these ninja should really learn how the Lantern Nation did it before my arrival.

As for whether this would cause the Akatsuki to be besieged—

Don't like it? Go argue with my Six Paths of Pain.

Do you really think every country is one of the Five Great Nations?

Besides, in the original story, this idealist here blew Konoha clean into the sky.

At least at this stage, Changmen's martial power is more than sufficient.

Thinking of this, Li Ang summoned a small piece of metal, then used Heaven and Earth as his furnace to forge it into the shape of a kunai, and flung it away.

Hss—

The kunai instantly vanished into the cave wall.

'Kekkei Genkai?'

This was the thought that flashed through the minds of the three Akatsuki members present.

Changmen was about to speak when Li Ang continued: "Look— I'm confident this kunai is better than any on the market."

If we're selling weapons, the Akatsuki must have arms distinct from those commonly available.

Hearing this, Changmen's expression didn't change; he simply extended his right hand.

Without any visible motion, the kunai buried deep in the wall began to tremble, then shot out with a whoosh into his palm.

Ding—

As the sound of metal clashing rang out, the kunai Changmen pulled from his person chipped at the edge, while Li Ang's kunai bore only a faint scratch.

As Li Ang said, his forged kunai were superior to those on the market.

"Don't worry about production—these kunai can be mixed in with the ordinary ones for sale."

"And we can sell explosive tags too."

As he spoke, Li Ang glanced again at Xiao Nan.

Though many joked she used all Akatsuki funds to buy explosive tags, he didn't believe it.

This "angel's" Paper Release surely gives her a natural advantage in crafting explosive tags.

Otherwise, six hundred billion explosive tags at two thousand ryō each—

A single S-rank mission pays about one hundred thousand ryō, enough to buy five hundred explosive tags.

Li Ang had more to say: selling the puppets made by Sasori—ordinary metal ones would suffice.

But after considering Sasori's temperament, he ultimately suppressed the idea.

"Also, when Akatsuki members go on missions, they can use our own weapons. After all, nothing beats real power as advertising."

Upon hearing Li Ang's proposal, the three Akatsuki members fell silent.

None of them had expected this newcomer—still not even a member—to have such a bold idea, and the key issue was, it might actually work.

After a long pause, Changmen changed the subject: "The ring left by Sasori's previous partner is with you—use that one."

"Sasori, take him to collect the organization's robes, and teach him the Illusionary Light Body Technique."

The Illusionary Light Body Technique is the Akatsuki's penguin meeting—members use this jutsu to gather for assemblies.

Seeing his suggestion seemed unadopted, Li Ang didn't care; he cheerfully pulled out the ring marked with the character 【Qing】 and slipped it onto his left index finger.

Come to think of it, he now had more rings than ever: on his right hand alone, he wore the one forged by Lao Tang, plus two space rings he'd taken from Lu Ke.

Following Sasori, Li Ang received a black robe with red clouds, sized to his frame.

He'd bought the same style as a child—never imagined he'd one day wear the real thing.

Before changing, Li Ang asked casually: "What benefits does the organization offer? You can't expect us to work for free."