'So Hidan and Kakuzu are making their appearance this early?'
As soon as the Akatsuki meeting ended, Orochimaru reported the contents of the discussion to Naruto, who was once again pleasantly surprised.
He hadn't expected such a delightful surprise. Originally, he had come out just to recruit Orochimaru and address the technological shortcomings of the Land of Waves. But now, it seemed the economic gaps could also be filled.
As for Hidan, his immortality was definitely worth researching. Moreover, for experiments requiring human subjects, Hidan's presence would ensure a steady supply of test materials.
'This trip had turned out to be incredibly fruitful.' Naruto's face broke into a genuine smile.
"Should I participate in this mission?"
Orochimaru sought Naruto's opinion.
Naruto nodded and said, "These two are rare talents. And with Hidan around, you'll never run out of experimental materials."
"Immortality, huh? That does sound intriguing." Orochimaru couldn't help but lick his lips. For someone pursuing eternal life, the concept of immortality was incredibly enticing.
"Orochimaru-sama, we've finished organizing everything."
While the two were talking, Kimimaro, Jugo, Guren, and Kabuto approached, each carrying stacks of scrolls of various sizes, standing neatly in front of them.
Orochimaru turned to Naruto again, his expression questioning. If they were to carry out the Akatsuki mission, they couldn't bring these four along, as they would only be a burden.
Naruto also looked at the four, who were visibly nervous, and said, "Orochimaru and I have a few more things to take care of, so I'll send you ahead first."
Without giving them a chance to respond, Naruto began setting up the Flying Thunder God Array on the spot.
"This..." Kimimaro and the others hesitated, their faces filled with worry. They didn't dare to show it openly, but their pleading eyes turned to Orochimaru.
Being separated from Orochimaru-sama, they wondered if they would be turned into lab rats? Although, come to think of it, they were already lab rats, weren't they?
Kabuto, on the other hand, seemed resigned to his fate.
Orochimaru ignored their pleading looks and instead focused on the Flying Thunder Formation Technique Naruto was setting up.
He had seen Minato use it before. It was a technique that could teleport objects or people within the formation to another location. After Minato's death, only the Fourth Hokage's guard squad, the Hokage Guard Platoon, could use it.
'From the looks of it, Naruto had indeed mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, and his proficiency was impressive.'
Naruto quickly finished setting up the Flying Thunder Formation Technique and turned to the four with a smile. "Step onto this."
The four hesitated but eventually walked over. Even Kabuto looked uneasy. While he had accepted his fate, being teleported to an unknown location still made him nervous.
"You don't need to be afraid. As long as you behave after arriving, no one will trouble you."
"And, Kabuto, there, you'll find your true self."
Before Kabuto could ask any questions, Naruto activated the Flying Thunder Formation Technique.
"Goodbye."
A flash of light, a moment of darkness, and when the four opened their eyes again, they were met with several pairs of crimson eyes staring at them.
Seeing the four disappear, Naruto turned to Orochimaru with a smile: "It's time for us to set off too."
---
Kakuzu, a former elite Ninja from Takigakure, had once been tasked by his village's higher-ups to assassinate the First Hokage of Konoha.
Within the Land of Fire, he engaged in a fierce battle with Hashirama, the First Hokage, but was ultimately defeated by Hashirama's Wood Release secret techniques.
After narrowly escaping with his life, Kakuzu returned to Takigakure, only to be betrayed by the village's leaders. Punished severely for his failure, he was imprisoned.
Unwilling to die in captivity, Kakuzu, fueled by intense hatred, broke out of prison. He stole the village's treasured secret technique, the Earth Grudge Fear, and used it to extract the hearts of all the village's higher-ups, becoming a Missing-nin. However, this also granted him an extended lifespan.
From then on, life became nothing more than a series of numbers to him. Having been betrayed by his village and having outlived everyone he knew, Kakuzu lost his purpose. Eventually, he chose something that could accompany him eternally… money.
Money would never betray him. Like him, it had an eternal existence, and the accumulation of wealth had no limits. Thus, his life's purpose became the pursuit of money, which was why he served as the Akatsuki's financial manager. Although, it seemed the money he earned never really belonged to him.
Outside a small village near Yugakure in the Land of Rivers. (T/N: Yugakure is actually in the Land of Hot Waters, but the Author made it located in the Land of Rivers.)
Crack!
Crack!
The sound of dry branches snapping echoed, accompanied by a gentle breeze, as two figures emerged from the forest.
"Up ahead is the meeting point I arranged with Kakuzu."
Orochimaru looked at the outline of a large cluster of thatched huts in the distance and asked, "Do you want to go into the village to take a look?"
Naruto sensed the situation inside the village and found that there was indeed a strange Chakra signature there. He shook his head and said, "Use your snakes to lure him out."
"Understood." Orochimaru bit his finger and pressed his hands to the ground.
"Summoning Technique!"
A cloud of smoke erupted, and countless small snakes slithered out, swarming toward the village.
"I'll handle this. A mere Kakuzu isn't worth troubling you, Master." Orochimaru volunteered. As a subordinate, it was his duty to share his master's burdens.
Naruto thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
He had originally planned to take care of Kakuzu with a single Rasengan, just like in the original work. But since Orochimaru had offered to handle it, he decided to let him have his moment.
It didn't take long for Orochimaru to sense that the small snakes he had summoned were dying in large numbers. A figure clad in a black cloak with red clouds emerged from the village, charging toward them like an arrow.
Kakuzu's appearance was unmistakable. His entire body was covered in cloth, revealing only his small, glowing green eyes.
As he rushed out of the village, Kakuzu immediately spotted Orochimaru and Naruto. Noticing an outsider, Kakuzu frowned but chose to attack directly, intending to teach the snake-summoning intruder a lesson.
If he died, it would be his own fault for provoking him. The leader couldn't blame him for that.
"Tentacle Fist!"
In mid-air, Kakuzu's hands detached from his wrists, his arms splitting apart as they were enveloped by a mass of black threads. They shot toward Orochimaru and Naruto like projectiles.
Seeing this, Orochimaru smirked and stepped forward, raising his hands.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Several large snakes slithered out of his sleeves, coiling around Kakuzu's Tentacle Fists.
When the two attacks met in mid-air, they didn't collide but instead tangled together.
Kakuzu's Tentacle Fists were tightly wrapped by the snakes, unable to advance or break free. The two sides were locked in a stalemate.
At this time, Orochimaru suddenly opened his mouth, revealing a small snake inside. The snake's mouth opened, and a sharp longsword shot out.
Kakuzu's expression changed. He severed the black threads connecting his arms and dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the flying sword.
"Orochimaru, your head is worth quite a bit of money!"
Kakuzu's voice was hoarse and cold. Using the black threads on his arms, he removed his Akatsuki cloak, revealing his patchwork skin beneath.
At that moment, countless black threads, like tentacles, awakened and writhed within his body. They emerged through the stitched gaps in his skin, bursting out from his back.
As the threads twisted and intertwined in the air, two masks, one with blue stripes and the other with red stripes, appeared on his shoulders.
Earth Grudge Fear Mode!
"Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work!"
The red-striped mask on Kakuzu's right shoulder, representing the Fire Nature, spewed out a massive wave of flames. The fire rapidly expanded, engulfing everything in its path like a tidal wave, surging toward Orochimaru.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Orochimaru also retracted the snakes into his sleeves and formed hand seals. Wind Nature Chakra gathered in his mouth, and after a violent contraction and explosion, it transformed into a storm that swept across the dense forest in front of him!