The dim light of Orochimaru's underground laboratory flickered faintly as the eerie silence was broken by a new presence. Pein, the cold and imposing leader of Akatsuki, stood in the center of the room, his gaze piercing through the shadows. The air was thick with tension.
After hearing Orochimaru's words, Pein's interest was piqued. "Oh? You know about us?" he asked, his voice carrying a mixture of curiosity and caution.
"I know a thing or two," Orochimaru replied smoothly, his pale lips curling into a slight smile.
Pein narrowed his eyes. "Then surely you understand why we have come here, don't you?"
He stepped forward, the aura of authority unmistakable. "I am Pein, leader of Akatsuki, and I invite you to join our organization."
Orochimaru met Pein's intense gaze without flinching. His tongue flicked out briefly to wet his lips before he finally spoke, "The eyes of the legendary Sage of Six Paths... The Rinnegan, I presume?"
Pein's brow furrowed slightly. "If you want my eyes, it will depend on whether you are qualified," he warned coldly.
Orochimaru shook his head slowly, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. "I have no interest in the Rinnegan."
This surprised Pein. Orochimaru had once been obsessed with powerful eye techniques, but now, having embarked on his path to immortality, the Rinnegan no longer held any allure for him.
"I am interested in joining Akatsuki," Orochimaru continued, "but I have one condition—I need sufficient funds to continue my experiments."
His eyes gleamed with ambition. Money was the lifeblood of his research, the key to unlocking secrets most would never dare to pursue.
Pein had not expected such a condition. He considered Orochimaru for a moment before nodding slowly. "Very well. I promise you will have the resources you need."
"Welcome to Akatsuki," Pein declared solemnly.
Scorpion, another member of Akatsuki, stepped forward and produced a ring along with the signature black cloak adorned with red clouds. The ring bore the character "空"—"Empty."
Orochimaru took the ring and slipped it onto his finger, the cold metal fitting perfectly.
The Red Sand Scorpion eyed Orochimaru's usual clothing with a hint of distaste. "What kind of clothes are those? They look... strange."
Orochimaru simply shrugged and pulled the Akatsuki cloak over his slender frame. "Robe," he said nonchalantly.
Pein's expression softened briefly as he explained, "Our goal is to create a world without war and suffering. Akatsuki is tirelessly working towards that dream."
Orochimaru gave no indication that he cared about the lofty ideals. For him, joining Akatsuki was purely a means to an end—a way to fund his dark experiments.
The three prepared to leave the laboratory, but Orochimaru suddenly paused. "Wait a minute," he muttered.
He reached for the storage scroll on the table and tied it around his waist. Inside were the medicinal herbs, tools, and firearms necessary for his alchemical work—precious items he could not afford to leave behind.
As for the bulky alchemy furnace, it was too large to fit into the scroll, so Orochimaru grasped it firmly in his hands.
The Red Sand Scorpion eyed the device with curiosity. "What is this?"
"An alchemy furnace," Orochimaru replied.
The scorpion's confusion deepened. "And what is it used for?"
"For alchemy," Orochimaru answered, raising an eyebrow.
"What's alchemy?"
Orochimaru was rendered speechless. Why was this man asking questions like a child? He wondered, for a fleeting moment, if joining Akatsuki had been a mistake.
---
Outside, near the gold exchange in the bustling marketplace, Kakuzu was busy counting his earnings.
"Bang, bang! One million earned, but I still need another 84 million!" Kakuzu exclaimed with excitement.
He believed that if he kept taking high-paying bounty missions, he could soon afford a full set of nanobots. With those combined with his metal heart, he was confident he could finally challenge Senju Hashirama himself.
Ever since Kakuzu had been defeated by Hashirama's Wood Clone technique, he saw trees everywhere as if they were Senju Hashirama's specter haunting him.
Determined, Kakuzu vowed that when the time was right, he would go to Konoha, exhume Hashirama's corpse, and whip it mercilessly.
Suddenly, Kakuzu looked up, startled by the sight above.
A fluttering mass of paper slowly coalesced into the form of a winged woman.
"Kakuzu, I invite you to join the Akatsuki organization," Konan said haughtily, her paper wings rustling softly.
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes, unimpressed. "I'm busy making money. I don't have time to join any group."
For Kakuzu, wealth was the ultimate goal—no organization could stand in his way.
Konan, expecting refusal, responded coldly, "If you won't join willingly, then I will make you."
She dropped to the ground gracefully, her wings dissolving into a swirling cloud of paper fragments that began circling Kakuzu.
Kakuzu arched an eyebrow. "Interesting. Let me show you my new power."
In an instant, his body was enveloped in a shimmering silver metal shell. The black tentacles emerging from his back glistened with the same metallic sheen.
Konan's eyes widened in surprise. This was not what the intelligence reports had described.
Suddenly, Kakuzu's tentacles struck swiftly, slicing through Konan's body.
Konan's form shattered into a flurry of paper pieces, which scattered around Kakuzu before reforming behind him.
"Impressive strength," Kakuzu muttered, impressed despite himself.
Konan was equally shocked. She had underestimated Kakuzu's power; his attack was so fast she barely had time to react.
She studied the metallic plating covering Kakuzu's body. It was clearly the source of his newfound strength, though its origin was unknown to her.
She resolved to send Zetsu to investigate this anomaly.
"I'm feeling generous today, so I'll let you go—for now," Kakuzu said, turning to leave.
"Wait!" Konan called out.
Kakuzu paused and looked back in surprise.
"I'll pay you one hundred million if you join Akatsuki," Konan offered.
Kakuzu's eyes lit up instantly. The prospect of money was too tempting to ignore.
Smiling slyly, he said, "It's not just the money. I'm actually moved by the organization's purpose. By the way, what exactly is your goal?"
"To create a peaceful world," Konan replied.
Kakuzu nodded enthusiastically, though insincerely. "Yes, that's exactly why I joined Akatsuki," he declared with fake conviction.
He had learned from Peter that expressing loyalty to Akatsuki's ideals could help mask his true, money-driven motives.
Konan was somewhat surprised. Intelligence hadn't mentioned Kakuzu's greed or willingness to be bought.
She tossed him the Akatsuki cloak and a ring bearing the character "北" — "North."
Kakuzu wasted no time putting on the cloak and said impatiently, "What are you waiting for? I can't wait to meet Qian and the others."
Konan nodded before turning to leave, her paper wings fluttering behind her. Kakuzu quickly followed.
Before he disappeared, Kakuzu glanced toward a nearby shop. "Don't worry, nanobots. I'll come find you soon!"
Suddenly, a pitcher plant sprouted from the ground nearby. It glanced curiously in the direction Kakuzu had been looking, muttering to itself, "Something's fishy here. I better investigate."
With that, it slithered off stealthily.
---
Rain Country.
Akatsuki's secret base.
Inside the gloomy compound, a man with a large beheading sword strapped to his back stared curiously at the strange alchemy furnace Orochimaru had brought with him.
This was Biwa Juzo.
"Orochimaru-kun, what exactly is this for?" Biwa Juzo asked, intrigued.
Orochimaru gave nothing away, simply smiling as he handed Biwa Juzo a small golden pill.
Biwa Juzo took it automatically, eyes widening. "What is this?"
"It's a gift for our first meeting," Orochimaru said. "Take it when you face a critical moment. It will enhance your strength."
Biwa Juzo nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Orochimaru-kun."
Nearby, Kakuzu examined the silver liquid coursing through his metallic body.
He muttered under his breath, "It's obvious this isn't from this world."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed as he licked his lips again. "Have you been to that store?"
Kakuzu froze at the question, looking sharply at Orochimaru. He hadn't realized he was not the only one in Akatsuki who had visited that mysterious place.
Orochimaru caught the startled expression and nodded knowingly.
---
(End of Chapter 11)