The Land of Taki, deep within the jungle.
Kakuzu tightened his grip on a Takigakure ninja's neck, his expression calm and indifferent.
"Hmph, is that all you've got? It doesn't seem like you'll fetch much money."
With that, he exerted a little more pressure, snapping the ninja's neck effortlessly.
Just as he was about to discard the body, a sudden sense of danger made him pause. Acting on instinct, he quickly tossed the corpse aside and leapt backward, landing on a sturdy tree branch.
However, the mont his feet touched the branch, a yin-yang face surrounded by pitcher plants erged from the bark, startling him.
Kakuzu reacted instantly, leaping again and landing in an open clearing nearby. He turned, his guarded gaze fixed on the two figures who had suddenly appeared.
"What a ss," a gentle voice comnted from the figure embedded in the tree.
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed as he looked at the two individuals in black cloaks adorned with red clouds slowly walking toward him. His expression darkened.
"Who the hell are you?"
Pain and Zetsu didn't answer right away. They continued forward until they stopped just a short distance away.
"Kakuzu?" Pain's calm voice broke the silence. "I'm here to invite you to join Akatsuki."
"Akatsuki?" Kakuzu repeated, frowning.
Noticing his confusion, Zetsu explained in his usual gentle tone, "It's an organization dedicated to creating true peace."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Kakuzu chuckled disdainfully, his scorn evident even in his half-covered face.
"Whatever kind of organization it is, it has nothing to do with . The only thing I care about is money."
"It doesn't matter whether you're interested or not, you're going to join," Pain said, his relaxed tone starkly contrasting the weight of his words.
Kakuzu's irritation was evident. "What an annoying choice of words. It seems like you're just another fool overestimating himself."
As he spoke, his right arm tensed. Suddenly, black tendrils burst from the seams of his stitched-up arm, writhing and twisting as if alive.
"Although you don't seem like you're worth much, you've managed to irritate !" Kakuzu shouted, his voice filled with anger.
As soone who had fought against the First Hokage, Kakuzu considered himself above being underestimated.
"Are you challenging ?" Pain remained calm. "That's fine. If I win, you'll join Akatsuki."
"Bring it on, then…"
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed, his expression turning grim. "In that case, take this!"
Without hesitation, his right fist detached from his body, connected by the black threads as it shot toward Pain with incredible speed.
Pain stood motionless, only raising his right hand as his lavender ripple-patterned Rinnegan glowed faintly.
"Shinra Tensei."
---
While Pain was dealing with Kakuzu, Konan was taking on Sasori of the Red Sand.
The sequence of events seed logical, but on closer inspection, there was sothing profoundly different:
These subordinates all now served Orochimaru.
At first glance, this might seem unbelievable.
But when you thought about it carefully, it made sense.
During the Second Great Ninja War, Orochimaru had taken in Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan when they were just three or four years old. At the ti, Orochimaru had been twenty-one years old.
To them, Orochimaru was not only a savior but also a father figure and a teacher.
Growing up in Otogakure, the three of them ca to see Orochimaru as their idol, their unwavering source of guidance.
As long as Orochimaru's orders didn't involve senseless massacres, they would carry them out without hesitation.
---
anwhile, in the Land of Wind, the scorching sun beat down as fierce winds carried sand across the barren landscape.
Sasori of the Red Sand, a genius puppet master, had once claid he could conquer an entire nation with his secret technique: "Performance of a Hundred Puppets."
In the original tiline, he had assassinated the Third Kazekage before the Third Ninja War and defected from the village.
But in this altered history, Orochimaru had killed the Third Kazekage during the war instead.
As a result, Sasori's reasons for defecting had beco simpler, he desecrated the Third Kazekage's grave and fled Sunagakure.
Now, he road the Land of Wind, constantly searching for materials suitable for crafting puppets.
His body was still flesh and blood, leaving him vulnerable to fire and water.
Konan, with her ability to manipulate paper, had an overwhelming advantage. Her paper techniques infiltrated Sasori's puppets, rendering them useless in battle.
---
In the middle of their fight, the Third Kazekage puppet lay motionless on the ground, its chanisms clogged with paper.
Konan's voice was cold as she spoke, "I'll say it again. We need your skills."
Sasori stared at his defeated puppet, then let out a long breath. "For soone who's already lost, it seems I don't have a choice. Take wherever you like."
Konan allowed herself a small smile. "Surprising. You're more reasonable than I expected."
Sasori looked up at the paper still fluttering through the air, a hint of curiosity in his gaze. "Actually, I'm more interested in eting the other mbers of Akatsuki. Who knows? Maybe your techniques will inspire so new artistic ideas."
Konan frowned slightly at his words. "If that's what motivates you, so be it."
---
A month later, west of the Land of Fire, a quiet orphanage nestled in the mountains.
In front of a small wooden house, a modest clearing held tables and chairs for resting.
Orochimaru sat in one of the chairs, sipping hot tea while listening to a White Zetsu clone report on Akatsuki's progress.
"Kakuzu, Sasori of the Red Sand, and Juzo?"
"Yes. The three of them have now joined forces."
White Zetsu's voice erged softly from the ground as he continued to provide updates.
"Only these three?" Orochimaru frowned slightly.
He knew that while the early Akatsuki frequently cycled through mbers, the core lineup eventually consisted of ten individuals.
These ten did not include Obito.
Counting Nagato, Konan, Zetsu, and now the three new recruits, that made seven mbers total.
Who would the remaining three be?
Uchiha Itachi?
He seed far too young at this point.
Deidara?
Even younger than Itachi.
Hidan from the Land of Hot Water?
He hadn't been located yet.
---
"What about that strange guy, Kisa?"
"Kisa Hoshigaki is currently serving Fuguki Suikazan," White Zetsu explained. "We haven't found the right opportunity to approach him yet."
"Is that so?" Orochimaru nodded. "Leave it for now. Let the current mbers get used to working together. Afterward, shift your focus to investigating the locations of the remaining tailed beasts."
"Understood."
The White Zetsu clone nodded before sinking back into the ground.
***
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