Sasori stared at the paper-winged woman hovering like divine judgnt over a desert full of bad decisions, trying very hard to make sense of his day.
This morning, he'd planned on testing a new poison.
Now? He was apparently hot property in the criminal job market.
Zeldris, standing nearby, imdiately sensed what was happening.
Oh no. No, no, no.
That cloak. That stoic glare. Those clouds.
Konan wasn't just here for sightseeing—she was recruiting. And her target?
Sasori.
Zeldris blinked.
Wait... wasn't this how it happened in the original tiline?
He watched as Konan descended with slow, deliberate grace, her feet barely making a sound as they touched the sand. Her wings folded neatly behind her, not a single sheet out of place.
She shot Zeldris a brief, quiet look—asured, calculating—then turned to Sasori.
"You're the genius puppet master of the Hidden Sand... the Red Sand Scorpion, right?"
Her voice was soft, calm.
Dead serious.
"I'm here to invite you to join our organization."
...?!
Sasori blinked.
Another offer?!
He glanced at Zeldris, who was watching this whole exchange like it was a mildly amusing street performance.
"Wait... you're with her?" Sasori asked cautiously.
Zeldris snorted. "No. I travel alone. Less paperwork."
Sasori was officially confused.
Two strangers. One desert. Both offering him jobs like he was the last pickle at a dinner party.
His brain short-circuited.
"Okay," he said slowly. "What... exactly is going on here? Did I miss a mo?"
Zeldris raised a brow. "Apparently, today's 'Recruit a Puppet Boy' Day."
Sasori shot him a look.
"You just called a scorpion like five minutes ago."
"True," Zeldris said, grinning. "But now I'm feeling territorial."
Before Sasori could process that weird sentence, Konan's voice cut in again, firm and unshaken.
"If you haven't accepted his offer, then you're still free to choose."
Her eyes flicked to Zeldris again.
He's recruiting now?
He clearly wasn't just so freelance wanderer. Not with that chakra. Not after what she saw.
But the real mystery?
Who the hell is he?
Zeldris caught the flicker of thought behind her eyes and chuckled.
"Hey, hey... let's be fair. I got here first. Pretty sure this works like ninja dibs."
"Scorpion, you're mine."
Sasori blinked again. "Please stop calling that."
Konan ignored both of them, her eyes narrowing at Zeldris.
"You're the one who killed the Third Kazekage, aren't you?"
Her tone had cooled another few degrees.
"Who are you?"
"What's the na of your organization?"
"How is it that soone like you exists and no one's heard of you?"
Zeldris raised a brow.
Did I just get interrogated by HR mid-desert?
Might as well ask for his resu and chakra transcript while she was at it.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"You're asking a lot of questions for soone who just dropped out of the sky uninvited."
"But fine. You want answers?"
He gave her a faint smile.
"I'm not from the Land of Wind."
"And I don't have an organization... yet."
"And no, you don't get to run a background check."
He finished with a mock-bow, smug as hell.
Konan didn't flinch. Instead, she did sothing that caught both n off guard.
"I see," she said. "Then how about this."
Her next words dropped like a kunai between them.
"Join us."
...What?!
Zeldris blinked.
Sasori blinked twice.
Did the recruiter just try to recruit the competition?
Zeldris stared at her, genuinely surprised.
"You're offering a spot?"
Konan nodded once. "With your strength, you'd be a valuable asset."
Zeldris rubbed his forehead.
"Okay, so either Akatsuki's hiring standards are slipping, or you're desperate."
Konan said nothing.
But in Zeldris' head, gears clicked into place.
Right. This was still the early era of Akatsuki. The lineup was probably thin. No Itachi. No Kisa. Just Pain, Konan, and a dream.
Recruiting was the ga.
And power talked.
He paused a mont, then gave a lazy smile.
"Tempting offer, but... no thanks."
"I'm just a humble freelancer living a peaceful life."
"Real low profile. You know, assassinations, decapitations, light espionage. The usual."
He reached into his cloak and pulled out two cards.
One for Konan.
One for Sasori.
Both stared at him like he'd just pulled out a lunch nu.
Zeldris shrugged. "My business card. Rates are fair. I take cash, scroll, or high-grade chakra crystals."
Sasori read the tiny kanji print aloud.
Zeldris — Independent Operator
"Death Delivered Daily"
No refunds. No small talk.
"...Are you serious?"
Zeldris bead. "Deadly."
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