This ninja in Naruto is unscientific

Chapter 494 Salary Cut? There's no way I'll ever get a pay cut!

Kakuzu's eerie green eyes narrowed instantly, and all the muscles in his body tensed to their limit in a split second.

His hands, hidden beneath the cloak, clenched tightly, and several black tentacles of the Earth Wraith even began to pierce his skin.

His first reaction was not "Konoha is going to capture me," nor "My life will be in danger if I am exposed."

As an old monster who values ​​money more than life itself, the first thought that flashed through Kakuzu's mind at this moment was:

"Damn it, my identity has been exposed."

"I'm definitely going to lose my high-paying job with the Konoha engineering team. I'm doing the work of a dozen people every day, that's a huge sum of money! Who's going to compensate me for this loss?!"

The immense economic loss caused Kakuzu immense distress and frustration.

He suppressed his shock and murderous intent, staring intently at Nishikawa Tetsu.

"I never expected this..." Kakuzu's hoarse voice trembled slightly, "So many years have passed, and yet someone still managed to find out my past identity."

He believed that the fake identity he used when applying for the Konoha Engineering Team was flawless, and he even deliberately disguised the fluctuations of his chakra.

For many years, he has been operating in the underground black market as a bounty hunter, and very few people know his true identity.

Where did this young deputy minister get this top-secret intelligence from?

"Konoha's intelligence network is far larger than you imagine."

Nishikawa Tetsu leaned back in his chair and casually made a boast.

"We conduct rigorous background checks on anyone who enters Konoha's core engineering system. Your false identity is cleverly disguised, but Konoha's intelligence department can always find some clues if they are willing to spend the time."

Nishikawa Tetsu appeared to speak flawlessly, but inwardly he was complaining.

"You applied for a job with the Konoha Engineering Corps using the name Kakuzu directly, without even changing a single character. And those eyes, bro, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about your stealth abilities? Or do you think I'm blind?"

The background check did take place, but Kakuzu was indeed unable to uncover that it was a disguised identity.

Nishikawa Tetsu certainly wouldn't reveal that he only knew these things because he had read the original work, nor would he expose the secret that Kakuzu's body contained five hearts and mastered five types of chakra.

For such an ancient monster that has lived for many years, maintaining a certain degree of mystery and distance is the right approach.

"However, you don't need to be nervous."

Nishikawa Tetsu looked at Kakuzu, who was tense and ready to fight to the death to keep his salary, and waved his hand with a smile.

"No matter what your identity was before, whether you were an elite of Takigakure or a rogue ninja who assassinated the First Hokage, those are all old grievances from decades ago."

Nishikawa Tetsu's tone was gentle, yet his words conveyed a strong sense of confidence and inclusiveness.

"In Konoha now, as long as you earn your living through your own skills in the construction team, as long as you work honestly and don't break Konoha's laws, then you are a legal worker protected by Konoha's laws. Konoha can forgive and forget about things from the past."

Upon hearing this, Kakuzu's tense body finally relaxed slightly, and the black tentacles hidden under his skin quietly retracted.

"Phew...it seems I've managed to keep this high-paying job." Kakuzu breathed a long sigh of relief. As long as it didn't affect his ability to make money, anything was fine.

But then, a doubt arose in his mind.

He looked at Nishikawa Tetsu, his eyes, weathered by time, filled with scrutiny.

"Since the vice-minister doesn't care about my past, then the fact that he specifically arranged for me to return to Konoha with the group, and even personally revealed my identity, couldn't have been just to reassure me, right?"

"It's easier to talk to smart people."

Nishikawa Tetsu snapped his fingers, his smile widening.

"Mr. Kakuzu, the reason I invited you here is to formally recruit you into the Konoha Finance Department!"

"Go to the Ministry of Finance?"

Kakuzu was stunned. Although he wasn't interested in Konoha's political structure, he knew that the Ministry of Finance was the true core department of Konoha, the place that controlled the economic lifeline of the entire village.

This is a genuine "Konoha official position," a coveted job that countless civilians and ordinary ninjas would fight tooth and nail to get into!

Being a squad leader in the Konoha engineering team is at best like being a temporary outsourced worker, but getting into the Ministry of Finance means having a secure job in Konoha and being a Konoha resident!

This would be an incredible stroke of luck for any wandering ninja.

however.

Kakuzu's old face, hidden beneath the mask, showed no sign of excitement.

He stared at Nishikawa Tetsuya and asked the question that concerned him most in a somewhat mercenary manner.

"So, if I join the Ministry of Finance, will I get a raise?"

Nishikawa Tetsu's smile froze for a moment.

Good heavens, no wonder Kakuzu is so greedy for money. What are official positions, power, and status? They're all meaningless in the face of real money.

However, adding more is definitely necessary; the question is how much to add.

Nishikawa Tetsuo coughed twice, attempting to explain Konoha's salary system in a tactful way.

"Ahem, Mr. Kakuzu. It's like this, the salary level of the Konoha Finance Department is definitely among the top in all the administrative departments of Konoha. Not only is there a generous base salary, but also performance bonuses, year-end dividends, and even a variety of comprehensive medical and pension benefits."

Nishikawa Tetsu suddenly changed the subject.

"But you're on the construction team now, doing the work of a dozen ninjas, and you're paid the maximum piece-rate wage. If you convert that to a fixed salary from the Ministry of Finance..."

Nishikawa Tetsu held up two fingers and gestured somewhat guiltily.

"It will probably be a significant amount less than your current total income."

"How much less?" Kakuzu's voice turned cold instantly.

"Maybe... half less. After all, the salary structure for administrative positions and manual labor positions is different." Nishikawa Tetsu tried his best to make his tone sound reasonable.

"A pay cut? And a 50% cut?!"

Kakuzu's eyes widened suddenly, and the murderous aura that had just subsided seemed to be on the verge of erupting again.

"Impossible! Absolutely unacceptable!"

Kakuzu refused without hesitation, his tone so firm that there was no room for negotiation.

"Vice Minister, while I may not have grand ambitions, I have absolutely zero tolerance for anyone who exploits my hard-earned money! Since joining the Ministry of Finance means a pay cut, I'll just go back to digging in the tunnels of Iwagakure. Goodbye!"

With that, Kakuzu turned to leave.

Want him to take a pay cut and work for less? No way!