The Land of Demons. A small country, freshly extinguished.
A tall man walked through the ruins of a city, a suitcase in hand. Burned-out husks of buildings. The stench of decay thick in the air. The earth was a permanent, rusted brown, soaked through.
He felt nothing. His face was a mask of calm.
Why would he? He was the one who had extinguished it.
It wasn't cruelty. Not a desire to revel in destruction. He sought strength, sure, but he wasn't a mindless killer by nature. In theory, erasing a small country was just a job. A well-paying one. High efficiency, maximum return.
Work hard, work smart, climb the ladder. Simple.
Task complete, he turned to leave. Then stopped.
Footsteps.
Not hurried. Not slow. Just… present. In this graveyard silence, the sound of another living being was a physical shock.
"Surely you are not a man who would grow intoxicated with power of this… mundane level?"
The dust settled. A figure stood there. Brown hair. Black metal rods piercing his face like morbid ornaments.
"No," the tall ninja replied, voice flat. His body was coiled tight, every sense screaming. His eyes were locked on the other man's. "I simply completed a task with an excellent cost-benefit ratio."
"The rogue-nin from Takigakure. The immortal. Kakuzu. That is you, correct?"
A redundant question. The Deva Path wouldn't be here otherwise. But protocol was protocol, even for a… direct executive recruitment.
"It is. What business do you have with me?" Kakuzu's gaze didn't waver from those eyes.
The Deva Path—or rather, the Nagato puppeting him—thought this was a one-way recruitment. He was the mysterious benefactor. But this was a mutual affair. Kakuzu had a "spy" mission. He recognized these eyes.
"I have come for the Shinobi World's true peace. I wish for you to join my organization… Wait. You recognize these eyes?"
Kakuzu hadn't been subtle. The Deva Path noticed.
"Living a long life has its perks. I've heard the legends. The Sage's Eyes. I never imagined they were… real."
If the other wanted to play the aloof master, Kakuzu could play the jaded elder. A master? Please. A child in his eyes.
Age had its privileges. At his vintage, he was practically qualified to lie down in traffic for compensation.
"Then this is simpler. I am the chosen one who will bring true peace to this world. These eyes are proof. To achieve this grand vision, I must gather comrades of considerable strength."
"Peace?" Kakuzu scoffed, the sound dry as old bones. "I have no interest. From the Warring States era to now… how long do you think I've lived? How many wars and conflicts have I seen?"
He meant it. Peace held no appeal. It wasn't just being contrarian. After so many decades, war felt like a natural phenomenon. A typhoon. Did humans need to eliminate typhoons?
"If that is your stance," the Deva Path's voice chilled, "then I must make you submit by force."
When recruiting for the divine cause, 'no' was not an option. Gods did not tolerate mortal refusal.
"Unnecessary." Kakuzu's tone was still arrogant, but the words… surrendered. "I'm no sensory specialist, but I can gauge chakra density well enough. A fight is pointless. I am not your match."
For a second, the Deva Path's deadpan expression flickered with pure confusion.
What?
An elder from the Warring States era… was this flexible?
Not cooperative, but conceding defeat. What was the protocol for this?
As the puppet-master mentally scrambled, Kakuzu smoothly seized the initiative.
"Under the gaze of these Sage's Eyes, a clean escape seems unlikely today. However… agreeing to your terms is not out of the question. But I have one condition to confirm first."
"You would choose life or death based on my answer? Very well. That is… acceptable pragmatism."
The Deva Path was getting played. Kakuzu had the vibe of a profound elder down pat.
"Will the organization's goals interfere with an individual's personal pursuits?" Kakuzu asked.
"Outside of organizational duties, you may do as you please. I have no reason to interfere… so long as it does not hinder the organization or its missions."
"Then I choose to join." Kakuzu shrugged, the motion utterly casual. "I've lived a long time. Occasionally, I've sought a place to belong."
His surrender was perfectly logical. A side gig. Why not? Especially when the alternative was a messy, permanent retirement.
"A wise choice, as expected of a veteran." The Deva Path paused. "Out of curiosity… what is your personal pursuit?"
Not cooperating meant death. Surely this elder's personal goal was grand. Profound. A life's philosophy distilled.
"Money."
"..."
Silence, heavy and profound.
Money? It was… vulgar. Petty. The philosophical depth of a puddle. Had all those decades taught him nothing? Currency wasn't even proper gold—just paper. Flimsy, worthless paper.
…Ah. He was old. Maybe he was just stockpiling joss paper to burn for himself in the afterlife.
The two figures departed the dead nation, one leading, one following. The Deva Path gave a brief overview: long-term goals, current operational policy. The long-term stuff was vague. For now: recruit talent, amass funds. A period of hibernation and preparation.
"Recruit talent?"
Kakuzu seemed to ponder. A beat of silence. Then he spoke, voice thoughtful.
"Finding like-minded powerful individuals… While I have no personal interest in world peace, I know of one. A true powerhouse who has pursued that very ideal for… a considerable time."
"A powerhouse? From your era? Still alive?" The Deva Path's interest was piqued. In an era dominated by the Five Great Villages, what was the most precious resource? Talent.
"Yes. Have you heard of an organization called… 'The Fireflies'?"
"I have." The Deva Path's tone was dismissive. "A mutual aid society from the Warring States era. Lofty ideals. You can see the embryonic forms of modern village systems in their early structure. But after they were absorbed by Konoha… they became mundane. Lost their purity and higher purpose."
If Nagato fancied himself an idealist, he'd naturally studied the trajectory of other idealists. Yūshin's story had left him profoundly disappointed.
Kakuzu hid a smirk. You walked right into that one.
"True enough. Within that organization, there was one who followed its leader, Yūshin, most closely. After Konoha's founding, he contributed greatly… only to quickly see the rot inherent in the village system. Feeling his ideals had been defiled, he faked his death and left."
"Such a person exists? Who?"
"The blade of The Fireflies. The pioneer and architect of Konoha's medical system. A man of great renown, yet one who worked in selfless obscurity. His name… is Kanbun Tsui."
Kanbun Tsui?
How many Kanbun Tsuis were there in this world?
"Kanbun Tsui… I have heard that name. He still lives?"
The Deva Path's mind raced. Could it be? If it was truly him, the life story Kakuzu described fit perfectly. That was exactly the profile of an idealist chasing peace.
Never mind that Nagato's own peace plan had a distinctly… fermented aroma to it. It was still peace, technically.
A strange, fragile sense of kinship bloomed within Nagato.
"He does. In seclusion somewhere. Only contemporaries like myself might have heard whispers… The man pioneered limb regeneration techniques. Unlike my… methods, he can live a very, very long life through orthodox means."
Kakuzu leaned on his elder status, lending credibility to the legend he was weaving.
"He retreated from the world in disillusionment. His departure from Konoha coincided with the outbreak of the First Great Shinobi War. That was when he understood—the village system was a profound failure. He came to deeply regret the surrenderist actions of The Fireflies' leader. So he chose to sever all ties to the world."
To build up one legend, you could use another as a stepping stone. Kakuzu was casually using Yūshin as a footstool for "Kanbun Tsui."
The story was laid out. Now, to watch the reaction.
The Deva Path was silent for a long moment. Then he issued the order.
"Find this Kanbun Tsui. Kakuzu… this is your first mission for the organization. Do not disappoint me."
"Understood, Leader."
Disappoint him? Kakuzu almost snorted. If not for this "Kanbun Tsui," he'd have had zero reason to join this little club in the first place. You think I'm recruiting for you? Fool. I'm a double agent from day one.
...
"Oh? The ultra-realistic game of house is starting?"
Yūshin received Kakuzu's report quickly. He decided to attend Akatsuki's fantastic little party. Two reasons. First, waiting for the God Tree to fruit was boring. Might as well have some fun. Second, he needed to make contact with all nine Tailed Beasts again. Being in Akatsuki made that objective laughably easy.
Though this was all pre-arranged with Kakuzu, the old financier was cautious. He knew some things about the Rinnegan.
Commit to the bit.
He genuinely went out to "find" Kanbun Tsui. And thanks to certain… preparations, there were traces of "Kanbun Tsui" scattered across the Shinobi World. Kakuzu followed the trail meticulously.
Ultra-realistic games of house demanded ultra-realism.
Two months later, he "found" him. After a suitably dramatic discussion and gaining "consent," he brought the man to Amegakure.
Yūshin adjusted his appearance and strode forth to meet the Deva Path with "utter frankness." Crafting Kanbun Tsui's personality was easy. His base template, Sakumo Hatake, was already a man of few words and a cold demeanor. Add decades of disillusioned, solitary existence? You got a hermit of epic proportions.
Being a reclusive, grumpy old man? That, he could play.
Kakuzu's role-play paid off. A new recruit immediately recommending someone would seem suspicious. So, his search was monitored. By Nagato. By Konan.
And you know what? He was clean. Just a diligent salaryman doing his job.
After the mission, Kakuzu earned a significant measure of trust. He was even promoted from grunt to organizational accountant. Full control of the purse strings.
The Deva Path met with Yūshin—or rather, with "Kanbun Tsui"—alone. He outlined his plan: gather all Tailed Beasts. Use their collective power as a deterrent. Enforce permanent peace.
The Shinobi World edition of the Deterrence Era.
Nagato was cautious. He didn't mention the Ten-Tails. Not yet. There was a vast difference between collecting nine beasts and reviving the primordial monster. Revealing this much was already a gesture of respect—one idealist to another.
He never imagined his sincere outreach would be met with the ultimate deception. Kanbun Tsui was no idealist.
He was an actor.
A damn good one.
"A peace built on fear…" The man calling himself Kanbun Tsui finally spoke, his voice a gravelly whisper. "I hold no high hopes for such a path. But… it is a path. One that can be walked."
"I will join you. Let us try walking it, at least. You… are certainly preferable to the Great Villages and their petty, venal machinations."
A mask was just a mask. Everyone wore it differently.
There was no need to test the old man's strength. Nagato knew the history. A figure stepping out of the history books—his power was the last thing to be doubted.
After joining Akatsuki, Yūshin, following "protocol," began his own recruitment drive.
"If you seek merely powerful individuals, and are confident in your ability to control them… I may have a suitable candidate."
"Confident?" The Deva Path's voice was ice. "In the face of these eyes, submission is the only path for any man."
The message was clear: Recommend anyone. I will break them.
So Yūshin decided to introduce a… variable.
"Ahem. Well. In the Land of Hot Springs, there is… or was… a monk named Jigen."
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