For a moment, Kakashi felt awkward; the awkwardness made him want to dig the ground with his toes and carve out a three-room, one-hall apartment.
Mei Terumi held back a retort and almost couldn't keep it in. She glanced at Kakashi, as if about to argue, no, to make a flimsy excuse.
"B-But… the Uchiha are Konoha's top clan, isn't that also 'boasting'? After all, even the current top war criminal of the ninja world is from the Uchiha clan… Madara."
Tobi laughed even louder, "Although the Uchiha are widely recognized as Konoha's number-one clan, and after the Senju dispersed among Konoha's commoners the Uchiha might be the world's top clan, you only need to ask Kakashi beside you to realize this: the clan Konoha itself brags about the most isn't the Uchiha, it's the Hyuga."
Mei Terumi looked at Kakashi with curious blinking eyes, making Kakashi bow his head.
Having done his research into Konoha's background, Kakashi couldn't deny that claim. Privately everyone agreed the Uchiha were the top clan, but the official propaganda always highlighted the Hyuga.
In the end Kakashi could only snort, "I'm not eager to join Akatsuki. Likewise, you won't be able to recruit my teacher and my master, Tobi, am I right?"
Now it was Tobi's turn to be embarrassed.
He had asked Tobirama and Kushina before, but both had refused resolutely.
Tobi could only cough and change the subject, looking toward Mangetsu.
"In short, don't worry about those details. Mangetsu, what about you, are you willing to join?"
Hozuki Mangetsu had no interest in that. Rather than join some Akatsuki, he preferred to look forward to a new life in Kirigakure and, more importantly, the birth of a little brother or sister.
He preferred a little sister, but if it were a brother, there was nothing he could do.
So he was about to refuse.
At that moment, however, Yagura looked at Mangetsu, "Mangetsu, I am now the Fourth Mizukage. Will you obey my orders?"
Mangetsu froze, then after a moment said, "If the Mizukage commands, of course I will obey. After all, I am one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
Yagura nodded, "Then agree to Mister Tobi's request and join Akatsuki. This organization is getting more mysterious; I need to have an insider in it."
Mangetsu was stunned, could he really say that in front of Akatsuki? Saying so would probably make joining impossible.
Tobi didn't mind at all, "Mangetsu, see? Your Mizukage has already spoken. You have no reason to refuse, right?"
Mangetsu's eyes narrowed, "Aren't you afraid I'll spy on you and report back to Kirigakure?"
Tobi looked up. The night had just passed over Kirigakure; dawn light was piercing the mist. He pointed at the sunlight cutting through the fog and said, "The Dawn of a New Era fears no scrutiny. Your Mizukage knows that."
After exchanging looks with Yagura, Mangetsu nodded without hesitation, "Alright, I'll join."
Tobi smiled, "Come back with me to Akatsuki and collect your special child uniform. Then you'll serve as Akatsuki's envoy to Kirigakure."
After seeing matters settled, Tobi thought for a moment and made one last request of Yagura.
"Our dear Fourth Mizukage, please collect all the valuable shinobi bodies from today who can still be found. Their corpses, including the Third Mizukage's, belong to us."
Yagura paused. Tobi's request didn't seem overly unreasonable, but, he asked, "What's your standard for 'valuable'?"
Before Tobi could answer, Kakashi had already spoken, "Very simple, whoever's had a price posted on the black market."
Yagura and Mangetsu both twitched their brows. What was Akatsuki planning, illegal corpse trading? This truly was Dawn of a New Era business, not some benevolent organization.
Mangetsu worried about his future.
Tobi then said, "All Akatsuki members, and Kakashi too, come stand by me. I'll take you away."
Kakashi naturally stepped forward. Mangetsu hesitated but then joined the others in front of Tobi.
Only Mei Terumi asked, "You're taking Akatsuki back and bringing Kakashi along. Aren't you two on different paths?"
Tobi thought a moment and made a small joke, "Of course, so we can demand a hefty ransom from the future Fourth Hokage couple. After all, as the village that destroyed the Uzumaki Country, you control a lot of sealing technique intel from the Uzumaki group. You should be able to quickly figure out who put the seals on the chakra converters."
"Since you can't keep it hidden, I won't hide it either."
"Kana!"
With Tobi's words, the space around him distorted and everyone vanished from that spot.
———
Half a day later, in the daimyo manor of the Land of Water, in an elegantly decorated residence.
Hayashi Ken sat quietly drinking tea, listening to his samurai subordinate's report.
He said lightly, "Kirigakure's in turmoil. The Third Mizukage even got replaced?"
The samurai nodded, "Master Ken, what should we do now? The slave-transport business, shall we proceed?"
Hayashi Ken showed no concern, "It's just a change of dog. This time the dog is large and needs some appeasing, but a dog is always a dog."
"Tell the new Fourth Mizukage I've thought of a new revenue stream. Once he's in office, he can collect two years' tax from everyone, including me and those wealthy merchants."
The samurai was stunned. He looked up in disbelief at Hayashi Ken, "But Master Ken, why should you pay taxes?"
Hayashi Ken smiled faintly, "Who said I have to pay? We'll just put on an act. We pay first so the commoners follow."
"Then we'll return the collected money, splitting it three-to-seven between the commoners and us."
The samurai wasn't pleased, "Only thirty percent for them?"
Hayashi Ken, "What 'thirty percent'? We take seventy percent. The remaining thirty goes to the Mizukage, that's plenty for him to fatten his own pockets."
The samurai grew excited, "Brilliant! Truly brilliant, Master Ken. That way the Mizukage will have to be our dog!"
A look of complete control crossed Hayashi Ken's face, but the next moment he saw his most loyal samurai draw his blade.
A cold flash passed.
Hayashi Ken's head was cut clean off.
Then a hidden room in the parlor opened and a youth slowly stepped out.
He walked calmly to where Hayashi Ken's corpse lay.
That samurai kneeled respectfully to him, "Young master, your orders have been carried out."
The youth nodded faintly, "You did well. Tell others the Third Mizukage did it. The Fourth will cooperate; after all, there's no living witness."
The samurai bowed and left in silence.
The youth looked at Hayashi Ken's severed body and said lightly, "Father, the Fourth promised me what you never could. Sorry."
"I don't want the kind of life where you see the end from the start. Rather than live forever under your wing, I'll become the daimyo of the Land of Water myself."