Two days later, Hibari actually brought Kakuzu back to Konohagakure quite openly.
To be honest, before entering the bustling Konohagakure, Kakuzu was still a bit suspicious. Although his scroll had already taken in the fifty million ryo worth of gold bars, he still doubted if this was a trap designed to lower his guard and lure him into the 'dead end' of Konohagakure.
However, once he entered Konohagakure, Hibari still maintained his posture of intending to recruit him, which gradually put Kakuzu's mind at ease.
Hibari didn't wander around with Kakuzu. Instead, he went directly to the Anbu headquarters. Pushing open the Anbu door, Hibari saw a few individuals handling some matters. Then, Hibari spotted the rigid Number Two and called out to him, "Go get the bounty archives, and also, prepare a Konoha forehead protector for me. And bring the registered shinobi roster as well..."
The rigid Number Two glanced at Kakuzu, who was obediently following behind Hibari, then nodded and said, "Yes, Deputy Commander!"
After the rigid Number Two left to handle the task, Hibari plopped down on a sofa, then waved to Kakuzu and said, "Don't be so nervous. Come, sit. Make yourself at home."
Kakuzu looked at Hibari, then sat down and said, "As soon as we entered Konoha, you brought me to such a confidential place. Aren't you afraid I'll gather information I shouldn't know?"
"Hahahaha, don't let its seemingly high-level appearance fool you; there isn't much confidential information here, so don't overthink it. Also, this is a show of my trust in you," Hibari said casually.
Kakuzu didn't speak upon hearing this; he just sat there in silence. Hibari didn't continue with pleasantries either. He took two sips from his teacup, leisurely waiting for the rigid Number Two to deliver what he needed.
Not long after, the rigid Number Two returned with some archives and placed them on the table in front of Hibari, saying, "Deputy Commander, everything you asked for is here..."
Hibari nodded, then picked up the folder containing the bounty archives.
Hibari casually flipped through it. Inside were records of various countries' wanted criminals or missing-nin like Kakuzu, with clearly marked bounties.
Of course, Konohagakure also had them. After all, how could such a large village be full of loving people? There were still scumbags, and perhaps some unfortunate souls who had suffered immense grievances.
But Hibari didn't pay too much attention to these. After a few casual flips, he found the bounty issued by Takigakure. The first page displayed Kakuzu's mugshot, along with some relevant information.
Hibari looked at the scene, chuckled, then said, "This picture is quite handsome. You hadn't learned that Jiongu Jutsu back then, had you?"
Kakuzu glanced at his bounty and said, "Those archives are from about ten years ago... It's wishful thinking to try and catch me based on that."
"Hahahaha, then your people in the Land of Water are really unreliable..." Hibari said with a smile.
Then, without saying much more, he pulled out the bounty information and handed it to the rigid Number Two, saying, "Later, cancel all bounties on this guy within the Land of Fire, and delete his archives as well..."
As the Deputy Commander of the Anbu, Hibari certainly held such authority. After all, the Anbu was a powerful department that handled covert operations. Once Hibari decided on this, even if others wanted to investigate what happened later, they wouldn't have the authority to do so, unless the Hokage personally inquired.
The rigid Number Two quickly nodded and said, "Understood, Deputy Commander!"
After seeing what Hibari had done, Kakuzu finally let go of his last vestiges of caution. It seemed Senju Hibari genuinely wanted to recruit him, and it wasn't some sinister plot.
Thinking about the promising future prospects, he felt quite pleased!
After arranging the bounty matter, Hibari pulled out another Konohagakure shinobi archive. After flipping through a few pages, since the Anbu was a special unit directly under the Hokage, it held immense power. They could access and review files from other departments at any time, with the only exceptions being special documents and data that required the Hokage's personal approval.
The archive in Hibari's hand right now was the registered file for most of the shinobi in the village. There were several more copies on the table.
"Go prepare the necessary paper and pens. Register this guy under Konoha's name as a Special Jonin, with a special notation. I'm just giving him a suitable identity; I don't intend for him to truly become a Konoha shinobi, understood?" Hibari said without looking up.
The Anbu had done this kind of thing often over the past few years, such as recruiting traitors from other villages to provide confidential intelligence to Konoha. Konoha would then bring them over to live here and give them a decent identity.
Therefore, the rigid Number Two was very familiar with this procedure and quickly nodded, saying, "Understood, Deputy Commander!"
Hibari nodded, then casually flipped a page, landing on an archive. Then, his entire body froze. He scratched his head and said incredulously, "Is this my file?"
The rigid Number Two looked down at the file and said, "Based on the marked date and other information, this is indeed your file, Deputy Commander..."
"You must have made a mistake, right? My file says I'm only a Genin?" Hibari said, his face a little strained.
Then he flipped back a few pages and found the files for Hyūga Hitenn and others. He glanced at them casually and saw they were all Jonin level, for crying out loud!
While classifications like 'Kage,' 'Jonin,' 'Chunin,' and 'Genin' might not entirely represent a shinobi's true power (after all, decades later, all the strong fighters in Konohagakure would be Genin!), they still carried some weight in terms of power hierarchy now.
Even if they didn't, it still represented a certain level of prestige. For example, when Hibari introduced himself to someone in the future, was he supposed to say, "I'm the Anbu Deputy Commander of Konohagakure, and I'm a Genin"?
If he said that, not only would Hibari himself be embarrassed, but the entire Konohagakure would be shamed by him. People would immediately wonder if Konohagakure was out of people, if it had declined, and if even a Genin could become the second-in-command of the Anbu.
If it were someone who knew Hibari's identity, they might even think more deeply.
For instance, they might think Konohagakure was truly corrupt, and a mere Genin with connections to the Hokage could become a high-ranking official.
The rigid Number Two nodded, then said, "Vice Commander, according to my memory and relevant data, after you successfully became a shinobi four years ago, you haven't undergone any promotion examinations or related activities whatsoever. Therefore, the information on this file shows that you are still at the Genin rank."
"I'll smack you! Nobody even told me to take an exam! I had no idea about any of this! Look at my record, what Genin can complete six S-rank missions within four years, and successfully? And this position, Anbu Deputy Commander? Don't you guys find all this awkward?" Hibari said, clearly displeased.
The rigid Number Two replied, "It is indeed a bit awkward, but there are no regulations stating that a Genin cannot undertake S-rank missions, nor are there any regulations stating that a Genin cannot hold a high-ranking position. Therefore, while it may seem awkward, it is all legal and legitimate... We even thought you, Deputy Commander, preferred this 'wolf in sheep's clothing' approach, so no one reminded you about it..."
"You Hyūga clan members always resort to rules and regulations! What 'wolf in sheep's clothing'? Do I look like someone that tasteless? Go, change it for me! With my level, my strength, and my qualifications, I meet every requirement for a Jonin. No need for exams; just directly change my file to Jonin!" Hibari said, somewhat annoyed.
However, the rigid Number Two looked a bit troubled and said, "Deputy Commander, although our Anbu has special authority to register people like Mr. Kakuzu into the shinobi archives, this is merely a 'façade.' According to regulations, we ordinary members do not have the authority to change our own files. While you, Deputy Commander, can change others' files, you alone do not have the authority to change your own file or Commander Hiruzen's file. Therefore, to adjust this file, it needs to be adjusted by Commander Hiruzen or the Hokage, or... you could participate in next year's exam..."
Hibari was so angry he almost spat blood. At this moment, both the Hokage and 'Commander Hiruzen' were on the front lines in the Land of Hot Water. Was he supposed to call one of them back just to change his rank? That would be too idiotic; he'd be lucky if he didn't get beaten up!
"Rules are dead, people are alive, you understand?" Hibari said, looking at the guy helplessly.
However, the rigid Hyūga clan member shook his head and said, "Rules are rules, Deputy Commander!"
"I'm truly fed up with you guys. Fine, fine, we'll talk about it later. Go, put these away. And, remember to remind me about this when the Hokage or that guy Hiruzen returns. Otherwise, if I forget, I'll pin the blame on you!" Hibari said fiercely.
"Understood, Deputy Commander!" the rigid Number Two quickly replied.
Afterward, Hibari had nothing else to do there. After all, Kakuzu's identity arrangements had been set, and he didn't need to worry about the subsequent procedures himself.
Casually tossing the newly issued Konoha forehead protector to Kakuzu, Hibari said, "Let's go. No time to waste. Let's go research your Jiongu Jutsu..."
Kakuzu also stood up and followed behind Hibari, hesitating slightly, then asked, "Um... you haven't given me the money yet?"
Hearing this, Hibari almost stumbled and fell, saying somewhat annoyed, "Do you think I, such a big shot, would shortchange you?!"
"You're a Konoha Genin..." Kakuzu muttered softly.
This sentence infuriated Hibari even more. He said displeasedly, "You're a missing-nin from Takigakure!"
"As of two minutes ago, I'm already a Konohagakure Special Jonin... Not counting by official rank, just by shinobi tiers, I should be your superior," Kakuzu suddenly said with a smile.
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