When Kakuzu learned that Leader Pain had died, Konan was missing, and the Akatsuki organization was on the verge of collapse,
he truly felt shaken.
After all, as one of Akatsuki's senior members,
he knew full well how strong the group's overall combat power was.
Even without counting the mysterious Leader Pain,
the combined strength of the remaining members should have been enough to match any of the Five Great Hidden Villages.
Who would've thought that after just attacking Konoha once,
everything simply fell apart?
Is Konoha really that powerful now?
That can't be right?
Could it really be… has the First Hokage returned to life?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
Yet, beneath his shock,
Kakuzu also felt a tinge of joy and relief deep down.
Why relief?
You even have to ask?
Miss Nanjie is gone — finally, he wouldn't have to be bullied and shaken down anymore!
Back when Miss Nanjie was still around,
whenever organization members completed missions and received rewards,
they kept three-tenths for themselves and handed seven-tenths over to him for public use.
But she kept coming every few days to extort and blackmail him!
Each time, she'd snatch at least nine-tenths from him!
Leaving less than one-tenth for actual organizational expenses…
That was just too much to bear!
Because of this, even after so many years,
the massive Akatsuki organization still operated out of an unfinished cave!
Pathetic—barely livable!
Look at Orochimaru's private bases—
they were countless times more luxurious than Akatsuki's hideout!
Even the Rain Hidden Village was filled with tall buildings and metal flooring.
It looked way more sophisticated and high-end than the Akatsuki base...
And so, over the years,
organization members always assumed Kakuzu was embezzling funds,
thinking he personally pocketed all the money.
The injustice he suffered, the weight on his heart—
it was more than words could ever express!
Thankfully, Pain is dead, Konan is gone.
The Akatsuki leadership has finally fallen—wasn't it finally his moment to breathe easy and take control?
"Maybe first take some money from my secret stash and bribe this new recruit Tobi?"
"Then I can take over and turn the Akatsuki into a powerful underground syndicate to make even more money?"
Kakuzu quietly weighed his options.
While eyeing Tobi on his left and planning his next move.
As for the unnamed rough man sitting to his right,
Kakuzu thought nothing of him.
Such a useless teammate—
incompetent, lazy, smelly breath...
He'd been waiting for the chance to eliminate him for a long time now. Absolutely no value worth recruiting...
Soon, Obito led the other two men
into this secret base and brought them before Lord Madara, who sat calmly on a wooden chair.
Seeing this, the already annoyed unnamed rough man
finally started digging his own grave.
"Tobi, is this the new leader you mentioned?"
"Pfft!"
"Leader Pain barely dies, and suddenly some random newbie shows up claiming to be our new leader?"
"What's going on here?"
"Are they looking down on us veterans?"
The unnamed rough man shouted loudly.
He himself was already a rogue ninja. It was precisely because he had heard of the Akatsuki's strength that he chose to join.
Although in recent years working alongside Kakuzu didn't lead to any major accomplishments,
he still managed to build up some seniority within the Akatsuki ranks.
Moreover, he held deep respect for Pain, the enigmatic and formidable leader.
Now, as for this sudden usurper daring to steal the leader's rightful place,
he naturally felt intense resistance and angrily cursed out loud.
"Shua—"
Before the unnamed rough man could finish speaking, a sharp whistling sound suddenly tore through the air.
The next moment,
a jagged black rod had already struck him dead-on, impaling directly into his chest.
It sent him flying dozens of meters before pinning him solidly to the ground.
Soon, within just several seconds,
the unnamed rough man stopped struggling on the ground—dead on the spot.
...
"Annoying loudmouth. Total piece of trash."
Lord Madara casually opened his left eye, spat out a curse in disgust, then completely ignored the worthless corpse.
His gaze now turned toward Kakuzu.
"I've heard you once fought against Hashirama?"
"Kakuzu, do you still remember me?"
At the very moment he recognized Lord Madara's face, Kakuzu instinctively gasped in shock.
The overwhelming pressure and killing intent radiating from Madara felt almost physical—as if they could freeze all five of his hearts.
Having survived the brutal Warring States era, how could he possibly not have heard of this legendary 'War God of the Ninja World'?
Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine
that this monster would actually return from death!
And now stand alive right before him!
Am I dreaming?
After all, this one is nothing like Hashirama Senju.
This one is notorious for his cruelty and ruthlessness.
If back then I had gone to assassinate him instead, I probably would've long perished…
Look at the guy who just dropped dead beside us—that's living proof right there!
To think I was actually plotting to recruit other members to take real control of the Akatsuki…
With someone like this around, even ten lives might not be enough to survive his wrath!
"Greetings, Lord Madara!"
"It seems you do remember me indeed."
Lord Madara let out a light snort before plainly ordering:
"Well then, no need for unnecessary talk. I've heard you're quite skilled at making money."
"So show me."
"My subordinates don't include slackers!"
Kakuzu wiped his forehead—even though he lacked the physiology to sweat—
but inside, he truly felt relieved.
Other claims he might hold back on,
but when it came to acquiring wealth, he remained absolutely confident.
Without hesitation, he replied: "Reporting to Lord Madara, previously Iwagakure Village approached the Akatsuki with a commission worth two hundred million ryō (a traditional currency unit), hiring us to assassinate Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"Now the mission has been completed; Iwagakure and Onoki should deliver the payment accordingly."
"But they're deliberately delaying, attempting to breach the contract…"
"Therefore, I believe there's a necessity for proper 'reminders'."
Hearing this, Lord Madara raised his eyebrows slightly.
The image of a certain bratty kid trailing behind the Second Tsuchikage flickered through his mind.
"Iwagakure? Two hundred million ryō?"
"Indeed a rather substantial reward."
"Haven't seen that punk Onoki in decades. Still kickin'?"
"Fascinating, fascinating—"
"Perfect, I can tag along and shake down a few debtors!"
Lord Madara rose slowly, a fierce gleam lighting up his eyes.
Looks like he couldn't resist the call to chaos again.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>