"It's really Master Sasori. Is that his true body? What the hell are you Uchiha up to? Hm."
Kawasaki replied with a smile, "Yes, this is Sasori's true body. I just have him sealed at the moment."
Kawasaki waved his hand dismissively. "His grandmother misses him. He's been away from home for too long, so I'm taking him back for a family visit."
Deidara gave Kawasaki a look that screamed, "Do you think I'm an idiot?"
"Master Sasori has been a wanted man in Sunagakure for years. You think I'd believe that? Hm."
Kawasaki scratched his head, having forgotten that detail. "Has he? But Sunagakure wanting him arrested and his grandmother missing him aren't mutually exclusive."
"They aren't? Hm." Deidara was a little confused.
Kawasaki nodded firmly. "They're not if I say they're not. Besides, you're my prisoners now. I call the shots."
On the coast of Jinze Island.
A clone of Kawasaki was waiting there.
Based on the time, they should be arriving soon.
The sound of crashing waves was suddenly joined by a much larger surge.
Kawasaki looked up to see Kisame riding toward him on the backs of two small sharks, cutting through the waves.
Shark-like face, sharp teeth, blue skin, and spiky hair that shot toward the sky. The massive Samehada was wrapped in bandages on his back.
His six-foot-five frame and muscular build must have been a heavy burden for the two sharks beneath him.
Kisame was wearing the Kirigakure attire he'd left in, just as Kawasaki had requested.
Usually, Kisame wore the uniform of the Otogakure Anbu, as he was now a formidable member of their ranks.
He rarely had a chance to use Samehada, however, so no one had exposed his identity.
Although it was a bit of a hassle, his past notoriety was so great that keeping his presence in Otogakure a secret was the best strategy for now.
Besides the salary Kawasaki paid him, he occasionally took on difficult side jobs for some extra cash.
Spotting Kawasaki on the shore, Kisame leaped from the sharks' backs, soaring through the air to land before him.
The sharks vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Boss, you finally remembered me."
Kisame bared his sharp teeth, clearly excited by Kawasaki's summons.
Kawasaki stepped forward and clapped Kisame on the shoulder. "Are you two getting used to things over there? How's Kyoko?"
Kisame nodded. "Kyoko is enjoying life there. It feels good not having to assassinate our own comrades anymore."
That was no joke. Otogakure might not have been overflowing with talent, but their loyalty was second to none. No matter your age or origin, spending time with Orochimaru was enough to get completely brainwashed. Orochimaru was very busy these days and didn't need to select elites the way he did in the original timeline. As a result, there were no missions in Otogakure that required assassinating a fellow shinobi.
"I wonder how your mastery of Samehada has progressed over the years. Our opponent this time is no pushover."
"Don't you worry, Boss. You pay me well. I'll get the job done right."
Kisame wore a battle-hungry expression.
Kawasaki nodded in satisfaction. "I'm just a Shadow Clone, so you'll have to take the lead on this one. Our target is... the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee."
Upon hearing his target was Killer Bee, Kisame wasn't afraid in the slightest. In fact, he grew even more excited.
"Boss, when do we leave?" Kisame asked, eager to get started.
Poof.
Kawasaki used the Transformation Jutsu, taking on the appearance of Hibaku.
"This is my appearance on this side. The name is Hibaku. Just pretend you're my disciple. This identity is a member of the Akatsuki."
"Your old employers, that is. Kirigakure hired us to help them deal with Kumogakure."
Kisame finally understood why he had been summoned.
"Three more people will be here shortly. You'll probably recognize them."
Kisame wasn't curious. "Alright, whatever you say, Boss. Oh, right... Master."
Kawasaki put on his ring, placed a hand on his head, and began to cast a jutsu.
A moment later.
"Let's go. We'll pick up the others on the other side of the island."
On a beach on the other side of Jinren Island.
Wearing the black cloak with red clouds, green nail polish, and no eyebrows, Juzo Biwa, a scar running across his face, led two newcomers forward.
"How does it feel to be back?" Juzo asked with a hint of emotion.
"I heard the Land of Water has changed a lot. I never thought my first time back would be on a job for Kirigakure."
Zabuza carried a blade resembling the Kubikiribocho on his shoulder, since the real one was still in Juzo's possession.
Following him was a boy with white hair, purple eyes, and a mouth full of sharp teeth—Suigetsu Hozuki, not yet twelve years old.
Hailed as a prodigy from a young age, he deeply admired his older brother, Mangetsu Hozuki. But during the era of the Bloody Mist, his brother died suddenly on a mission. This tragedy sparked a desire in Suigetsu to collect all Seven Ninja Swords.
During the Bloody Mist, many elite shinobi fled Kirigakure. Zabuza found Suigetsu during his own escape and took the boy with him.
Both hailed from the Mist, but Zabuza's dream was to change the village. Seeing such a promising young shinobi from his homeland, he decided to take him under his wing.
Suigetsu, for his part, had no one to rely on and didn't want to die before fulfilling his dream, so he left with Zabuza.
Later, the two learned the whereabouts of the Kubikiribocho and eventually joined the Akatsuki in their search. After a duel, Juzo took a liking to Zabuza and brought both of them into the Akatsuki as prospective members. He and Zabuza even devised several combat strategies together, one of which involved Zabuza inheriting the Kubikiribocho should Juzo be captured.
"I'll contact our pickup. You two wait here."
With that, Juzo placed a hand on his head.
Suigetsu was thin and carried no weapons, but he held a cup of water in his hand—a habit of his.
He hadn't expected to be brought along on such an important mission, but Juzo had insisted, and Zabuza hadn't objected.
"It's been a while since I've been back," Suigetsu murmured. "I wonder what this mission is about."
He thought again of his gifted older brother. It was a shame, he mused, that geniuses often die young.
"Hey, kid," Zabuza grunted. "I brought you along because this is your homeland. Don't get overconfident and get yourself killed."
Suigetsu kept a straight face, chewing on the straw in his cup. "Hmph. You'll die long before I do, Zabuza... senpai."
Hmph.
Zabuza snorted. What an unlikable brat.
He glanced at the Kubikiribocho in Juzo's hands.
At that moment, he felt no desire to kill Juzo and take the sword, even though that had been his original goal. After spending some time with Juzo, he had realized they both shared a deep affection for the Land of Water and Kirigakure.
Zabuza had spent his entire life fighting to change the village.
In the old days of the Bloody Mist, the academy's graduation exam forced students to kill each other. Friends who had studied, dreamed, and helped one another were suddenly forced to draw their blades and fight to the death.
This inhumane system had been in place for as long as anyone could remember, and it seemed it would continue forever.
But then Zabuza stood up. Without a hint of hesitation, he single-handedly slaughtered over a hundred of his fellow candidates, forcing Kirigakure to change its graduation rules. Friends would no longer have to kill friends.
Although that system was abolished, the village's problems ran deep. Madara Uchiha's shadow had loomed over the Third Mizukage's reign. When the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, took power with the hope of revitalizing the village, he fell under Obito's control. Amidst Obito's vengeful purges, threatened clans began to rebel, plunging Kirigakure into a long and brutal civil war.
Day after day, this life tormented Zabuza. It wasn't until Kawasaki Uchiha appeared that the truth was revealed: Kirigakure's decline was because the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, was being manipulated.
But Zabuza still harbored hatred. He hated Yagura for his weakness and hated Mei Terumi for not executing him after she took power. In Zabuza's eyes, Yagura, who had nearly destroyed the village, deserved to die for his crimes. But Mei didn't kill him; she merely imprisoned him.
And so, Zabuza risked his life to assassinate Yagura.
He failed. He was no match for the former Mizukage.
If Yagura hadn't been unwilling to leave his cell, Zabuza might not have escaped with his life. Before he left, Yagura told him, "It's not that I fear death. It's that the village still needs me."
Disheartened, Zabuza left. Looking out at the war-torn village, he chose to walk away, having no faith in the newly appointed Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi.
Later, he met Suigetsu, tracked down the Kubikiribocho, and in doing so, met Juzo Biwa.
Now, stepping onto this land once more and learning of Kirigakure's current state, Zabuza realized that leaving had been a mistake. Mei had done a remarkable job, stabilizing the village. If not for Kumogakure's invasion, things would have been even better.
Zabuza also recognized how foolish his assassination attempt on Yagura Karatachi had been.
As a member of the Akatsuki, and aware of the recent changes in the Mist, Zabuza had a sinking feeling that something had happened to Yagura. The Six-Tails Jinchuriki, Utakata, was also missing from the village.
Otherwise, how would Kumogakure dare to invade so brazenly?
He had insisted on bringing Suigetsu back to the Land of Water not only to complete the mission and help the village, but also to see with his own eyes what Kirigakure had become.
If the village truly had changed for the better...
As he was lost in thought, the sound of footsteps approached.
On Jinren Island.
Kakuzu, who had landed two days prior, lowered the hand he'd had on his head.
Hibaku had contacted him, revealing Yugito Nii's location and emphasizing that she was not to be killed.
Kakuzu was well aware of the Tailed Beast extraction plan, so he hadn't intended to kill the Jinchuriki anyway.
"Let's go, Hidan. Time to work."
Kakuzu called out to Hidan and started walking.
Hidan followed closely behind, carrying his newly forged triple-bladed scythe.
He was still only a prospective member and didn't wear the Akatsuki's signature black cloak with red clouds, sticking to his own fashionable attire. He always stayed on the cutting edge of style.
"Time to offer another sacrifice to Lord Jashin! Hahaha!"
Hidan's face was filled with glee.
Ever since being scouted by Kakuzu, he had been operating as a new Akatsuki member alongside him. Kakuzu's versatile techniques always created opportunities for Hidan to draw blood, and Hidan's immortality meant Kakuzu could unleash his jutsu without restraint. After just a few missions, the two had developed a remarkable synergy. Hidan was in charge of killing and making sacrifices to Jashin, while Kakuzu focused on collecting hearts and turning in bodies for bounties. It was a mutually beneficial and very pleasant partnership. For this reason, even Kakuzu, who usually treated his partners as disposable, would accommodate Hidan from time to time. After all, a partner this compatible was one of a kind.
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. This target can't be killed, only seriously injured."
Hearing this, Hidan was immediately displeased. "What kind of mission is this?"
"This completely violates our teachings. The Way of Jashin is about total slaughter. The scripture forbids incomplete kills."
Kakuzu placated him, "This is an important mission. Yugito Nii is a key part of Kumogakure's forces. Taking her out will make this whole war much easier."
Hidan clasped his hands behind his head, his earlier enthusiasm gone. "A mission that violates the scripture..."
Yugito Nii led a squad of about twenty shinobi from their base. They were agile and moved quickly. Their mission for the day was to gather intelligence before returning to organize Kumogakure's forces for a full-scale assault on the Kirigakure outpost.
The group approached the outpost cautiously, but their caution was unnecessary. They hadn't encountered a single person along the way. Ever since landing on the island, the Kumo shinobi had been constantly harassed by Mist ambushes and traps, but today, it was as if Kirigakure had vanished.
Suddenly, warning bells went off in Yugito's mind.
"Watch out!"
But it was too late. Kakuzu, who had been lying in wait, struck with incredible speed.
Wind Release: Pressure Damage!
A gale of chakra-infused wind tore through the area, rushing toward Yugito and her squad. In a split second, Yugito partially transformed, grabbing two of her comrades and leaping out of the way. The blast of wind ripped trees from the ground, sending them flying along with sand and rock straight at the Kumo ninja. The dozen or so remaining shinobi were instantly scattered. Only four managed to escape the vortex; the rest were swept away.
"Who's there!?" Yugito roared.
"The one who's come to take your life! Hahaha..."
Hidan descended from the sky, swinging his scythe.
He brought it down on a Kumo ninja, who drew his own blade but found it too short, barely managing to parry the massive weapon.
The four elemental masks on Kakuzu's back—lightning, fire, wind, and water—leapt from his body.
Using Hidan as a screen, Kakuzu's lightning mask gathered electricity in its mouth.
Lightning Release: False Darkness!
CRACK!
The lightning mask fired a piercing spear of electricity directly at the ninja fighting Hidan. The Kumo shinobi never expected Kakuzu to attack his own partner and was struck instantly by the lightning. He and Hidan collapsed to the ground together.
Meanwhile, the water mask spat out a jet of water that collided with a fireball from Yugito.
Sssss...
A cloud of steam filled the air.
"The Akatsuki!"
Yugito cried out, spotting Kakuzu's cloak.
She immediately understood. They had been ambushed by the Akatsuki. But how did the Akatsuki know their location?
Seeing Hidan lying on the ground next to her fallen comrade, Yugito glared at Kakuzu with disgust and rage. "Just as expected of rogue ninja. You even kill your own partners."
Kakuzu chuckled lightly. "So what if I do?"
The Kumo side was down to five people plus Yugito, while their opponents still had Kakuzu and his four Earth Grudge Fear masks. The power of the jutsu they had just witnessed was immense; these were not enemies to be taken lightly.
Chakra surged within Yugito's body as a blue aura flared around her. The chakra of the cat demon swelled, its color deepening as she began her full transformation into a Tailed Beast.
Just then, the wind mask beside Kakuzu opened its massive mouth, unleashing another powerful gale. It swept up the corpses on the ground and hurled them at the remaining Kumo shinobi. As Yugito dodged, she charged at Kakuzu.
But behind her, several screams rang out.
Agh!
"Dammit! What is this!?"
Hidan, who had been playing dead, suddenly opened his eyes. He swung his scythe, lopping off the head of one Kumo ninja. The other two were caught by threads extending from the ground—Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear tendrils. With two more swings of his scythe, Hidan finished them off.
The partially transformed Yugito lunged with sharpened claws.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear."
Kakuzu hardened his body, taking the blow head-on. As he was pushed back, he pulled the Earth Grudge Fear threads he'd hidden underground back into his body. In an instant, the Kumo squad was reduced to Yugito and two Chunin. On the Akatsuki's side, Hidan, Kakuzu, and all four masks were still standing.
Having fallen into one trap after another, Yugito let out a furious roar, seemingly losing all reason.
Relying on his immortal body, Hidan personally finished off the last two Kumo ninja.
Not a single member of Yugito's squad had survived.
Enraged, Yugito spat out a massive fireball.
BOOM!
The flames slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust... The entire area began to tremble violently.
Back at the Kumogakure outpost.
A crow circled in the sky, cawing mournfully.
Caw... caw...
Shisui, who had been resting, shot to his feet.
Samui's heart tightened. "What's wrong?"
"My crow detected a powerful chakra fluctuation in that direction."
"Did you guys prepare a new type of explosive tag?"
"Of course we did."