Kakuzu looked at the uniform that had mysteriously appeared in the masked man's hand, suspiciously taking it over.
In his heart, he silently speculated, 'Was that just now… a space-time ninjutsu?'
Although the masked man described their organization as weak and small, he did not look down on it in the slightest. How could an organization with such a mysterious figure be simple?
He honestly changed into the uniform, looking at his now significantly more handsome appearance with quite some satisfaction.
'So this is what it feels like to have a place to belong?'
Every time he completed a mission, he finally wouldn't have to wander outside, with nowhere to go, feeling a momentary sense of confusion.
From now on, he was also a man who had a home to return to.
'This kind of feeling… isn't bad, huh?'
He spoke up, "Then let's go. I'm also curious to see what kind of organization has the courage to accept a rogue ninja like me."
The masked man nodded, pondered for a moment, and suddenly his entire demeanor changed, "Here's the thing, Senior Kakuzu. For some reasons, it's inconvenient for me to reveal myself. Just treat me as a mere intern in the organization for now, okay?"
"I know you're the most understanding person, so you'll agree to my request, right?"
The masked man tugged at the corner of Kakuzu's newly-worn uniform, swaying it back and forth, pleading.
Three question marks immediately popped up above Kakuzu's head.
At this moment, he suddenly realized that he might have boarded a pirate ship.
'Could it be that everyone in this organization… have such an abnormal personality?'
He couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you the leader of this organization?"
The masked man laughed, "Of course not! I'm just a little intern."
Kakuzu's face was full of black lines, "Let's go, take me to your leader."
The masked man nodded, bouncing ahead energetically as he walked in front of Kakuzu, "Our organization is in the Land of Rain. We need to sneak in without being discovered by Hanzo. But I'm very familiar with the terrain, so just follow me..."
And so, the two of them made their way, sneaking all the way to the Akatsuki headquarters.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan quickly received the news and, along with other members, hurried over.
The moment the masked man saw Yahiko, he was overjoyed and immediately grabbed Yahiko's hand.
"Leader, I recruited a very powerful member. Can I be officially recognized now?"
Yahiko was instantly speechless.
Previously, Obito had come to them and taken a few adult-sized uniforms.
At the time, they didn't know what they were for, but it turned out he had gotten one for himself and another for the member he recruited.
Originally, they had specially custom-made child-sized uniforms for Obito.
Since he knew the masked man was Obito, though he had no idea what tricks he was up to, Yahiko just felt a headache coming on.
"We'll talk about your matter later. Let's first welcome our new comrade."
The masked man seemed utterly heartbroken, bursting into tears, "Ah, I still can't be recognized officially! When will I finally be official? Wuu wuu wuu~"
Yahiko ignored the masked man's ridiculous antics and, alongside Nagato and Konan, took a proper look at Kakuzu before stepping forward with a bright and confident smile.
He extended his hand, "Mr. Kakuzu, we've heard a bit about you. Welcome to our ranks. From now on, we're comrades."
Kakuzu was even more shocked this time.
He had thought that the masked man would lead him into a secret cave, where members with grim faces, cold expressions, and overwhelming strength would emerge one by one.
Then, a leader who clearly looked extraordinary would appear with an emotionless face.
Accompanied by an epic soundtrack, he would solemnly declare, ["From this moment on, you are a member of the Akatsuki. Live as one of us, die as one of us."]
But in reality, the scene before him was completely different from what he had imagined.
These people were so warm and normal. They didn't even doubt his identity or subject him to various tests. It made him a little uncomfortable.
He abruptly coughed a few times before finally shaking Yahiko's hand.
"So, you're the leader of this organization? You don't seem very strong," After saying this, Kakuzu turned to look at the masked man.
"He promised me that I would be the treasurer of your organization, managing all the finances. You better keep your word, or else this old man would rather die than…"
However, before Kakuzu could finish his sentence, Yahiko had already handed him a scroll filled with money, laughing heartily.
"Mr. Kakuzu, you came just in time. We've suddenly acquired such a large sum of money, and I was in such a mess trying to manage it. Now I can finally pass this troublesome task on to you."
As someone who was obsessed with money, Kakuzu had an extraordinary sensitivity to it.
In an instant, through the sealing technique on the scroll, he could smell the beautiful scent of money inside.
For a moment, he was at a loss.
'This organization, without saying a word, just handed over control of the finances to me?'
Although this amount of money wasn't actually more than what he had secretly stashed away, every bit counted.
Suddenly, he didn't dislike the idea of joining Akatsuki anymore, "Sigh, this old man will reluctantly manage your money. But you all better learn how to earn your own money. If you run out, this old man will never use his own savings to cover for you."
Konan stepped forward, presenting a paper flower to Kakuzu with a smile, "Don't worry, Mr. Kakuzu. How could we possibly waste your money?"
Kakuzu suddenly sensed a dangerous aura and instinctively clutched the sleeve where he kept his money tightly.
He had a strong feeling that if he didn't hold it tighter, this little girl would trick him out of it with sweet words.
Since Akatsuki had received funding from the Uchiha clan, money wasn't much of an issue at the moment.
Moreover, since Kakuzu was undoubtedly a high-value asset, Yahiko decided to hold a grand welcome ceremony for him.
At the ceremony, Nagato pulled Kakuzu over and began explaining Akatsuki's philosophy of peace and its current situation.
After hearing Nagato's explanation, Kakuzu finally realized. He had been duped.
Akatsuki really was as weak as the masked man had said.
But upon seeing Nagato's Rinnegan, he was utterly shaken again.
Weak? Yes, weak.
But in this organization, there was a Rinnegan and a mysterious masked man.
Something about this just didn't add up.
And so, under the enthusiastic smiles of the crowd, Kakuzu officially became a member of Akatsuki.
For a moment, even he was infected by this atmosphere.
'How many years has it been since I last experienced such liveliness?'
'Even though it is a bit noisy, if things had been this lively back in Takigakure(Village Hidden in Waterfall), wouldn't that have been nice?'
'Peace, huh?'
Actually, he longed for that kind of life, too.
Who would want to hide in the shadows if they could live under the sunlight?
A drop of water unconsciously slid down Kakuzu's face. He immediately wiped it away, thinking to himself—
"Was that a tear?"
"No, it must be because the rain outside is too heavy, and some splashed in..."
After the celebration, Konan took out a bunch of nail polishes and asked Kakuzu to choose one.
He wasn't surprised, every organization had some strange quirks.
This was not something he particularly minded.
So, he casually picked a bottle of brown nail polish and applied it, not only on his fingers but also on his toes.
Seeing this, Konan immediately leaned in, "Mr. Kakuzu, you're really a model worker, huh?"
"I think just applying nail polish isn't enough. How about we make a ring for every member in the future?"
Kakuzu immediately clutched his wallet tightly, "Little girl, don't think you can cheat a single penny from this old man. Rings are too expensive—no way!"
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