The launch event ran until nightfall before winding down. Thanks to the food vendors from Konoha who'd set up their stalls around the grounds, the attending fans at least didn't go hungry. After confirming that a similar event would be held every two months going forward, the crowd finally dispersed in good spirits.
Beyond the hundred first-generation collector's-edition figures, the event had also stocked roughly ten thousand copies of assorted art books and merchandise. Fans who hadn't secured a figure still left with something in hand. All told, for Hinata's crew, today counted as a wildly successful sales event—virtually nothing left in inventory. The only exceptions were two Zuorin figures that Sakura and Ino had clung to with the desperation of drowning sailors.
"Unbelievable. I already told you these figures are our second product line going forward, and you two still wouldn't let go."
Setting her teacup on a side table, Hinata was clearly not the sentimental type. To her, these so-called first-generation collector's editions were nothing but bait—the craftsmanship and detail would inevitably be surpassed in later runs. Sakura and Ino, naturally, saw things very differently.
"Fine~ I'll admit we made an absurd amount of money today. But seriously—where did you even get these figures? Nobody in the village makes this kind of thing."
Staring at the money crates piled high in the storeroom, Shikamaru couldn't help but feel slightly overwhelmed. By his calculations, the day's revenue exceeded fifty million ryō. The whales had barely glanced at the price tags before driving bids up tenfold—sometimes more. That sum was nearly equivalent to Konoha's entire peacetime revenue for two months.
"Heh heh heh~ I found two exceptionally talented figure artisans, of course. They've agreed to partner with our crew—they produce the figures, ship them to us, and we handle sales. Profits are split fifty-fifty. I thought it was a fair deal, so I accepted."
Hiding the curve of her lips behind a sleeve, Hinata lifted her chin. "Now then—everyone pack up. We're heading back to Konoha. It's getting late."
"Ugh~ Today was absolutely exhausting~"
"If this happens a few more times, I'm definitely getting a nervous breakdown~ Definitely~"
The grumbling crew gathered their things. Hinata hadn't revealed who the two artisans were, but everyone could read the room—their secretive boss had no intention of sharing that detail. They wisely left it alone, especially after today's auction had vaulted Hinata's standing in their eyes to new heights.
Nothing built authority like success. That was true anywhere.
"Hey boss~ Another order of oden with fried eggs!"
Deidara sat at a roadside stall, face flushed with good cheer. His appetite was a dead giveaway for his mood.
"Honestly, a roadside stall? Hey~! You got pork cutlets? Gimme a large serving!"
"I'll have a plate of raw beef liver. Leave some of the fresh blood on it."
Hidan and Kakuzu each ordered their favorites. S-rank missing-nin or not, everyone still had to eat. As for Sasori—his current body had no use for something as mundane as food.
"I mean come on~ Those people must be out of their minds? Blowing millions on little wood men and little mud men that don't even do anything. I seriously think they've all lost their minds."
Hidan's grumbling had clearly been building for a while. Deidara shot him a smug sideways glance. "Hmph~~ What would you know? Like our adorable partner said—art is priceless. Hmm~!"
"Priceless or not, I don't know about that. What I do know is that based on what happened today, your art is most certainly worth a great deal of money."
Kakuzu folded his arms and spoke evenly. "Which is why I have to ask—have you two forgotten something?"
"Hah? Forgotten what?"
Deidara blinked, chewing between bites. "The launch went great. Our art is absolutely in demand. What else is there?"
"..."
Kakuzu's pupils contracted. Ninety years of life experience, and Deidara's brainless response still managed to stun him. "You two... are you telling me you only cared about whether your launch was a success?"
"Obviously. Our art was validated—it will continue to attract followers on the true path of art."
Sasori sat nearby with his eyes closed, his reply unhurried. His mind was already on the next batch—he needed to source better materials.
"You absolute—I mean the MONEY!!"
Even Kakuzu's considerable patience cracked. The Akatsuki treasurer spread both hands wide. "Have you calculated how much those figures of yours actually sold for today?! And are you seriously going to let someone outside the organization walk away with it all?!"
Kakuzu's outburst finally got the attention of the two happily dining artists. Deidara and Sasori exchanged a look, then simultaneously tilted their heads—clearly not seeing why the question even mattered.
"So~ how much?"
More to humor Kakuzu than anything, Deidara asked. Kakuzu answered through gritted teeth: "Rounding down—at least forty million ryō! Do you have any idea how much money that is?"
"So what exactly are you trying to say?"
Sasori cut in, visibly losing patience. As an artist, he had zero interest in aligning with someone who reeked of money the way Kakuzu did.
"You need to go to that girl and collect what you're owed. You two are members of Akatsuki. Nobody gets to use your labor without adequate compensation."
Kakuzu folded his arms, his eyes narrowing. "Of course, if you two won't do it, I'll be happy to handle it myself."
Forty million ryō was a staggering sum even by Akatsuki's standards, and it didn't involve any sensitive targets or political complications. Kakuzu was absolutely not going to let someone else swallow it. Especially not when Sasori and Deidara—these two idiot artists—clearly lacked the basic instinct to demand their fair share.
"No need to trouble yourself, Kakuzu-niisan. I would never pocket that money—it represents Deidara and Sasori's hard work. I'm not shameless enough to keep it."
Hinata's bright voice came from just behind Kakuzu. Deidara perked up at once. "Oh~~ It's you! Want to grab a bite? My treat~!"
"Shut UP, Deidara!"
Seeing Deidara not only fail to demand payment but offer to buy the girl dinner, Kakuzu cut him off without hesitation. He planted himself squarely between Hinata and Deidara—until the money question was settled, he wasn't letting this clueless blond get anywhere near the shrewd little operator.
"Heh heh~ No need to be so guarded. I came here precisely to deliver your cut. Sai."
A nod to Sai, and the maid-attired attendant silently set two large money crates in front of Kakuzu. "Sixteen million ryō in total. Please verify."
"Ooh~! That's a lot! How generous~"
Deidara peeked out from behind Kakuzu, beaming. The infuriated Kakuzu shoved the blond's head back behind him, then fixed Hinata with a hard stare. "Gutsy little girl. By my count, these figures were worth at least forty million ryō conservatively. Even a fifty-fifty split comes out to more than this."
"Mm~ You do have a head for numbers. You're right—strictly by sale price, Sasori-sensei and Deidara's figures together brought in forty-five million ryō. But this is Konoha's turf. After taxes and staffing costs, what you see is what's left."
Hinata met Kakuzu's gaze without flinching. She wasn't worried about what he might do. She was the only link between the Akatsuki artisans and the Konoha crew running the entire operation. Unless Kakuzu planned to abandon the figure business entirely, threatening her would be counterproductive.
"Hmph~~ Taxes?? Do you know what we are? Paying taxes to Konoha?"
Kakuzu's green eyes narrowed to slits. A thread of killing intent leaked from him. "Besides, Konoha brings back some rather unpleasant memories for me."
Sai's hand tightened on his sword hilt as he stepped in front of Hinata, but she gently moved him aside. Kakuzu wasn't someone who wasted time with talk when he was truly angry—if he meant business, he'd have opened with Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work or Lightning Release: False Darkness. The fact that he was blustering meant this was a pressure tactic, pure and simple—a play for a bigger share of the profits. And Hinata found the approach laughably crude.
"I understand how you feel. But without Konoha, there is no Konoha Publishing House. Without the publisher, there's no steady stream of Fox Tales content. And without Fox Tales, the figure industry built on its back doesn't exist. So~ without Konoha, all of this is smoke and empty talk."
Hinata spread her hands, her voice perfectly composed. "That said~ I'm just as unhappy about the unfair cut as you are. That's exactly why I went to the trouble of securing a Merchandise Licensing Agreement from the author. If you'd rather not pay taxes to Konoha, we can set up somewhere else."
Her white eyes locked onto Kakuzu. "But first, we need a proper figure production factory. You—no. Your organization—do you have the nerve to go in on this with me?"
The challenge stunned all four Akatsuki members. No one had ever looked members of their organization in the face and asked whether they had the nerve for something. But given the circumstances, she'd earned the right to ask.
Kakuzu closed his eyes. The ring on his left middle finger—engraved with the character for "North"—pulsed faintly with light. He was communicating directly with Pain through it.
Some ten seconds later, the towering missing-nin opened his eyes and addressed Hinata.
"You. Come with us."
"Our Leader, Pain, wants to meet with you."