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The Warring States era had ended. The Shimoku clan, once defeated by the Senju, established Takigakure. Kakuzu, a standout among Takigakure's younger generation, was tasked with a mission to assassinate the First Hokage.
He knew the odds were terrible. His only wish was that the village would take good care of his wife and child.
He failed. Kakuzu was captured. Tobirama Senju wanted to make an example of him, but the benevolent First Hokage, Hashirama, intervened. Kakuzu was instead thrown into the Demon Lantern Prison in Kusagakure.
Years later, the first Five Kage Summit concluded. The tailed beasts were divided among the Great Nations. To settle past grievances with the Shimoku clan, Hashirama, ever merciful, gifted the Seven-Tails to Takigakure—free of charge.
Later, by chance, Kakuzu escaped the Demon Lantern Prison and returned to Takigakure.
Hashirama was dead by then. The hardline Tobirama had become the Second Hokage. Takigakure's elders, fearing that harboring an ex-convict would anger Konoha, offered Kakuzu a generous sum of money on the condition he leave the village for good.
For the village's sake, Kakuzu agreed.
But the elders' decision was only for show. The moment Kakuzu left, they dispatched Takigakure's Anbu to hunt him down.
A brutal fight ensued. Kakuzu escaped with his life. His wife and child did not.
Their deaths shattered him. Betrayal ignited a cold, burning fury. He returned to Takigakure for revenge. He killed the elders who gave the order. He stole the village's most closely guarded secret: the Earth Grudge Fear technique.
It was during this revenge that he learned a cruel truth.
The assassination attempt on the First Hokage? It had all been a setup from the start.
The first leader of the Shimoku clan was a shrewd manipulator. He knew Hashirama's forgiving nature. The more they defied expectation, the more attention they'd garner. The goal was never to kill the Hokage—it was to secure a seat at the table, to get a piece of the pie from the Great Nations.
And Kakuzu? He was just a sacrificial pawn from the very beginning.
After that ultimate betrayal, Kakuzu's faith died. Money became his only god.
He used the payment from Takigakure to give his family a proper burial. Then, he became a mercenary in every sense of the word. A profit-chaser, through and through.
Years later, he answered Nagato's call and joined the Akatsuki. He worked for their interests, not because he feared Nagato's power, but because of the words that resonated with the very core of his being.
"Only those who have experienced the deepest betrayal understand… that relations between people, between nations, are nothing more than killings or embraces driven by profit…"
"The Five Great Nations are all exquisite egoists! To preserve their own peace, they do not hesitate to inflict pain upon the weak!"
"Kakuzu, in my eyes, you shine like gold. We will never betray each other. Because… we share an eternal, unchanging common interest."
Kakuzu had asked, "Do you know… what I truly desire?"
Through the Pain of the Deva Path, Nagato had declared: "A world that can never be sold out by profit! Swear true allegiance to the Akatsuki, and the Akatsuki will never betray your expectations. Fight for the Akatsuki, Kakuzu. And fight… for yourself."
Now. Here. The cold, hard reality had slammed into Kakuzu's face once more.
"Betrayal… This damned betrayal again…!!!"
"But why?! I still have value to the Akatsuki! They have no reason to abandon me now!!!"
Orochimaru's serpentine eyes gleamed. "Your value was only ever tied to Nagato's ambition of conquering the shinobi world. But did you know? The leader of the Akatsuki, Nagato… he is also a puppet. And the one pulling his strings… is another's puppet. And so on, and so forth… Do you know who the true mastermind behind it all is?" A low, knowing chuckle. "You'd never guess. It would overturn a century of your understanding."
Kakuzu's remaining heart felt like ice. "The only thing you can trust in this world… is money after all. Cold, filthy money… but at least money never betrays your expectations."
Orochimaru smiled. "Then… would you like your wealth to answer those expectations, even after you die?"
Kakuzu's cold gaze flicked toward him. "You want my money too? Forget it. Aside from the chest I can't lift, you won't get a single ryĹŤ from me."
"Even as you are about to enter the earth? You wouldn't part with it?"
"Yes. So what?"
"Kakuzu, in my estimation, you are no miser. A man capable of amassing such wealth understands the balance of investment and return. You… simply dislike investments with no payoff."
"And what payoff," Kakuzu rasped, "can you offer a dead man? Spare me talk of resurrection. I'm tired of this world."
Orochimaru's voice softened, laced with a terrible promise. "What about… reuniting with your wife and child?"
Kakuzu's eyes—all of them—snapped wide. "You…"
"I have unraveled the mysteries of life and death. I even possess the means to reunite souls across the cycle of rebirth. There is, however, one major prerequisite." Orochimaru's gaze shifted subtly toward Sasuke. "Sasuke must awaken the Rinnegan."
"Why… should I believe you? Even with no choice… I can at least choose stubbornness to the end."
"You don't have to believe me. High return… means high risk. You've calculated every cost your whole life. For your final act… why not make one grand gamble?"
Kakuzu's defiance died. He couldn't resist that wager.
His greatest regret in life… was failing his family.
CRACK!
Kakuzu thrust his hand into his last remaining heart. He ripped out a scroll hidden within—the culmination of his financial work for the Akatsuki, meant to be delivered to Nagato personally three years later, when the tailed beast hunt began.
"Go… to the location on the scroll. There… lies all my wealth. Not even the leader of the Akatsuki knows its exact location…"
Orochimaru took the scroll, his expression uncharacteristically solemn. "I will not thank you. This… is an equivalent exchange."
"Heh… Hearing you say that… actually puts me at ease."
Kakuzu's eyes slowly closed.
"If possible… I'd have liked to see it. That world… not driven by profit. A shame. In the end… we are all just deceiving each other… on the road of greed."
The Hokuto of the Akatsuki, Kakuzu, took his final bow.
On the ridge above the ravine.
White Zetsu spoke up. "Hey. Kakuzu just handed the 'results' to Orochimaru. Aren't we going to stop it?"
Obito's voice was flat. "This is fine. It will sever Nagato's attachment to 'fundraising' completely. He can focus squarely on gathering the tailed beasts. The sublime Moon's Eye Plan has no need to be tainted by the stink of coin. This world is rotten. One more corpse rotting in the soil changes nothing."
Black Zetsu mused, "A pity, though. Kakuzu and Hidan were two major combat assets. Especially Hidan. That was a trump card. Used properly, killing anyone would have been trivial…"
"As long as the Moon's Eye Plan is completed, it's irrelevant," Obito stated. "I have already prepared replacements for their combat strength."
"Oh? Planning ahead. That is your style…"
"Time to go."
Obito rose slowly, his single eye lingering on Sasuke below.
"Sasuke… continue to grow. One day, your power will serve my purpose."
SWOOSH.
A vortex swirled, swallowing him whole.
Zetsu sank into the earth. White and Black, their thoughts diverging.
White Zetsu: "The money's all gone. Won't Nagato blow a gasket?"
Black Zetsu: Uchiha Sasuke… We'll keep watching. If it's confirmed that Hagoromo has done something to him… I will eliminate him, no matter the cost.
After the distant observers left, Kabuto let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Finally, they're gone. With them watching, it was inconvenient to use the 'right eye's' ability…"
Karin rushed to her crush's side, concern etched on her face. "Sasuke! Are you alright?"
Sasuke picked up Kusanagi and sheathed it. "Yeah… I'm fine." His eyes flicked gently toward her. "And, Karin… thank you."
"Eh?! M-me? I-I didn't really do anything…?"
Sasuke offered a small, genuine smile. He'd seen it. When he fell, she'd tried to rush to him without a second thought.
"HEY! KAKUZU!!! WHERE ARE YOU?! SEW MY HEAD BACK ON! I NEED TO SACRIFICE THEM ALL TO LORD JASHIN!!!"
Hidan's head was still screaming.
Sasuke glanced at it. "So… what do we do with this head?"
Orochimaru's trademark smile returned, full of mysterious promise. "That… well, I can only say… please look forward to it."
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