Outside the Exchange Point in the Land of Bears, Kakuzu and Jūzō were just stepping out.
Surprisingly, the two of them were dressed in identical attire: the very same black cloaks with red cloud patterns that defined the Akatsuki in the original timeline. Here, however, it had seemingly become the standard uniform for the Yorozuya.
Aside from Diarmuid and Orochimaru, who rarely wore them, Sasori, Kakuzu, and Jūzō donned them daily. The design itself had come from Kakuzu...
Diarmuid truly hadn't known Kakuzu possessed such a talent, let alone that the Akatsuki's iconic look had actually been his handiwork. When he first saw the outfit, Diarmuid had even wondered if Kakuzu was plagiarizing the design. But on second thought, the Akatsuki currently based in the Land of Rain had yet to transition into a terrorist organization; they hadn't adopted the black-and-red aesthetic yet.
Diarmuid had tried wearing it a few times himself. It was undeniably cool, but it felt a bit "chunibyo" and lacked the comfort of a haori and hakama. Moreover, the outfit carried a heavy air of "singular purpose," whereas his usual attire felt elegant, free, and relaxed. More importantly, roaming around in such a distinctive cloak would drastically compromise his stealth.
In a haori, people took him for a noble scion; in the cloak, anyone could tell he was up to no good. Thus, Diarmuid rarely wore it. Orochimaru felt similarly; as a ninja of Konohagakure who hadn't truly defected yet, he couldn't exactly parade around in such suspicious gear.
To date, only Kakuzu, Jūzō, and Sasori wore it regularly. Kakuzu's reasoning was pragmatic: a unified uniform commanded more respect, allowed for higher commissions, and strengthened organizational cohesion.
With the intimidating Kubikiribōchō strapped to his back, Jūzō remarked as they walked, "So, the Exchange Point in the Land of Bears is actually our subordinate organization?"
Kakuzu nodded. "We don't manage it directly. We just drop by to collect the funds whenever we remember."
Indeed, the fact that the Land of Bears' Exchange Point remained under their control was somewhat absurd. It was likely because Diarmuid's reputation was so terrifying that no one in the facility dared to embezzle his share. As long as Diarmuid didn't explicitly cut ties, they wouldn't dream of betraying him. Consequently, whenever Kakuzu passed through the Land of Bears, he made sure to stop by and withdraw the cash.
Nearly a year had passed since Jūzō joined the Yorozuya in the Land of Waves. The duo of Kakuzu and Jūzō had since made a massive name for themselves across the shinobi world. While Jūzō was technically at the bottom of the Yorozuya hierarchy, he was still a top-tier powerhouse by external standards.
The pair cooperated to take on a staggering volume of missions. Their completion rate was peerless, and they operated strictly on a "pay-to-play" basis, regardless of how deranged or ruthless the task was.
Over the past year, they had assassinated the General of the Land of Demons, taken out multiple Jonin from Konohagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure, and hung the head of a famous billionaire from the Land of Lightning on a city wall. Kakuzu had even masterminded an assassination attempt on the General of the Land of Iron; though it failed, the incident caused a massive stir.
By now, the shinobi world understood the philosophy of this duo. They acted without regard for consequences or political nuances. They had no fixed stance, only money. One moment they might accept a Konoha contract to kill a Kiri Jonin, and the next, they'd turn around and strike Konoha after turning in the mission.
They constantly played both sides, repeatedly "courting death." Yet, they remained unkillable. Kumogakure once dispatched a fifteen-man Jonin pursuit squad to eliminate them, only to fail and lose three Jonin in the process. Of course, Kakuzu and Jūzō hadn't exactly "won", they fled, and Kakuzu lost three hearts in the retreat.
"By the way, any news from the Kirigakure side you've been monitoring?" Kakuzu asked suddenly.
Jūzō shook his head with a hint of regret. "Only that guy Fuguki showed any interest, but you guys didn't seem to think much of him, so that's that. After the Fourth Mizukage returned, he seems to have taken steps to stabilize the village's unrest..."
Jūzō had been trying to poach talent from the Mist to join the Yorozuya so he wouldn't be the "junior member" anymore. Unfortunately, a year had passed, and while Yagura hadn't managed to deal with Jūzō, he had used Jūzō's defection as a pretext to reform the village's atmosphere. The volatile sentiment in Kirigakure had gradually calmed down.
From this perspective, Yagura was quite capable; it was a shame he was later manipulated to death by Obito.
Among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, there had been one person itching to move: Suikazan Fuguki, the wielder of Samehada. He had considered betraying the village to join the Yorozuya. Jūzō had been keen to have his old colleague as a subordinate, but Diarmuid, Sasori, and Kakuzu all looked down on the man.
Partly because Fuguki's appearance was... lacking, which would bring down the "aesthetic standard" of the organization, and partly because Jūzō had been honest about his character. He described Fuguki as selfish and treacherous.
This matched Diarmuid's memory. If he recalled correctly, Fuguki Suikazan was the type who demanded his subordinates never leak village secrets, even ordering Kisame to kill his own comrades, only to sell out the village himself. Eventually, Kisame discovered the hypocrisy, killed him in a rage, and succeeded him as the wielder of Samehada.
Kisame wouldn't stay in the Mist for long, either. By the time he dealt with Fuguki, Yagura would be under Obito's control, plunging the village into the even more horrific era of the Bloody Mist. Kisame, deceived by Obito's lies and believing him to be Madara, joined the "Eye of the Moon" plan.
Diarmuid much preferred Kisame over Fuguki. Compared to the former, Fuguki was a useless "black sheep." Diarmuid had considered inviting Kisame, but at this stage, Kisame was still fiercely loyal to the village. Diarmuid suspected it was precisely Fuguki's betrayal that would eventually shatter Kisame's faith, leading him to believe he was a "fake existence" and triggering his fall into darkness. Currently, recruiting Kisame was impossible.
…
Meanwhile, outside the base in the Land of Birds, Diarmuid sat cross-legged on a large boulder. Sasori of the Red Sand emerged from the base holding a scroll and glanced toward him.
Diarmuid's eyes were rimmed with heavy black pigment, the markings of Sage Mode. However, the diamond-shaped mark in the center of his forehead, similar to a Reserve Seal, had not yet fully condensed.
His progress in self-teaching Sage Mode wasn't slow, but it wasn't fast either. After nearly a year, Diarmuid still couldn't enter a truly "Perfect Sage Mode." This was ultimately because his natural physical attributes were too powerful; without shortcuts like Toad Oil, he had to grind through the process bit by bit.
Despite not reaching perfection, he had gained significant benefits. For instance, without opening his eyes or intentionally sensing, he spoke softly as Sasori approached.
"What is it?"
"The intelligence you asked me to track. There's movement between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire again," Sasori said calmly. "Kirigakure sent a ninja force to invade the coastal regions of the Land of Fire. Konoha has already dispatched units to intercept them. The lead commander is..."
"Is it Namikaze Minato? The Yellow Flash?" Diarmuid asked.
"Yes, it is him," Sasori nodded.
Diarmuid opened his eyes. The black markings rapidly faded. He smiled slightly. "Looks like a show is about to start. Tell me... if someone's heart is crushed, is there any way to save them?"
While the tragedy of Kakashi and Obito was beginning, it theoretically shouldn't happen right on the coast; it would be somewhere nearby. After all, Obito was able to sprint to the "crime scene" within a day or two of hearing the news. No matter how powerful he was, he couldn't cross the entire Land of Fire on foot that quickly.
Furthermore, Minato was clearly diverted to another battlefield. The coastal incursion was likely a diversion; the true tragedy would happen nearby, all according to Madara's plot, as the old man lived right around here, after all.
"Ask Kakuzu about that. I can't bring the dead back to life," Sasori replied casually. He then asked curiously, "Why do you ask?"
"There's a girl I met once... someone I quite admire. She might be facing a disaster," Diarmuid mused.
He had only met Nohara Rin once, back in Konoha on the day he ate ramen. Well, twice, if you count her bringing Minato to find him later. Diarmuid genuinely liked Rin, not in a romantic sense, as he wasn't that twisted, but he admired her bright, kind-hearted nature. It was hard for anyone to dislike a girl like her.
"You can tell fortunes now?" Sasori asked, surprised.
Diarmuid rolled his eyes, ignoring him. "There's no point talking to you about this. All you care about is making Human Puppets... Where are Kakuzu and Jūzō? When are they back?"
"I don't know." Sasori, equally uninterested in the conversation, waved a hand and walked away.
"Hey, I wasn't finished! Could you show your boss some respect?" Diarmuid shouted in annoyance.
Sasori stopped, looking slightly exasperated. "What else?"
"I'm heading out to find Orochimaru. I'm taking him to capture the Three-Tails to fulfill a commission. Contact Kakuzu for me and ask him about what I just mentioned. If it can be done, great. If not, forget it."
"Understood," Sasori nodded and left.
Regarding Rin, Diarmuid simply intended to lend a hand if possible. If he could save her, fine. If not... then that was just how things were.