Kuzo openly admired the sight before him, letting out a quiet sigh.
Seeing Konan here wasn't exactly a surprise.
He had already guessed why she had come.
Most likely, she had been planning to recruit Sasori into the Akatsuki.
After all, it was rare for the two of them to appear in the same scene, and even rarer in a desolate desert like this.
But now, thanks to his unexpected interference, Sasori was no longer an option.
That left them with the situation as it was now.
Floating above him, Konan had no way of knowing what was running through Kuzo's mind.
Her expression remained calm as she gazed down at him.
"Who are you?"
"Did you take down Sasori of the Red Sand—the S-rank rogue ninja who controlled the Third Kazekage puppet—on your own?"
"When did the Land of Wind produce someone as powerful as you?"
Her tone was flat, emotionless.
On the surface, it sounded like praise.
But Kuzo could tell she was trying to gather information.
He smirked slightly.
"I think you've misunderstood something."
"I'm not from Sunagakure. I only fought Sasori because he tried to kill me first."
As he spoke, he spread his hands in a helpless gesture.
Konan's gaze flickered slightly before she spoke again.
"I see… judging by your clothes, are you a wanderer?"
She had encountered many like him—people displaced by war, forced to roam without a home.
"Something like that."
Kuzo scratched his head.
In a way, it was true.
He had only recently lost the protection of the system's secrecy, and now he was out on his own.
Konan studied him for a moment, then raised a hand.
"In that case, would you like to join Akatsuki?"
"Our organization values strength like yours. In return, we provide security for people like you."
Kuzo blinked.
Wait… was this an invitation?
Already?
She hadn't even figured out who he was yet.
For a moment, he was surprised. But after thinking it over, it started to make sense.
At this point in time, the Akatsuki was still in its early stages.
It wasn't the infamous ten-member powerhouse it would become later.
Right now, the only real members were Nagato, Konan, and two behind-the-scenes players—the masked man and Zetsu.
There weren't many active operatives.
If there were, Konan herself wouldn't have needed to go out and recruit people.
Given that he had just defeated Sasori, it made sense for her to try bringing him in.
Kuzo fell into thought.
Seeing his hesitation, Konan took it as a good sign and continued.
"If you join us, you'll have complete freedom outside of assigned missions. You can do as you please."
"Think about it. A lone wanderer like you could use a place to belong, right?"
Her voice was smooth, almost persuasive.
Kuzo rolled his eyes.
"Why does this sound like a recruitment pitch for a multi-level marketing scheme?"
Konan remained silent.
"But you know what? Fine. I'll join."
A faint glimmer of satisfaction passed through Konan's eyes.
But before she could say anything, Kuzo added,
"Just to be clear—what's the salary? And do you cover meals?"
Konan's expression froze.
And at that moment, a familiar notification rang in Kuzo's mind.
[Ding! Main quest completed!]
["Join any organization" (1/1). Reward: Shinigami's Hollow Power!]
[Shinigami's Hollow Power: The host gains perfect fusion with a Hollow soul, allowing seamless transition into a Hollow-masked state. This transformation grants a full-scale boost in strength.]
Kuzo's eyes widened.
A *main quest*?
He vaguely remembered something about it from when he first arrived in this world ten years ago.
But at the time, he had chosen to live quietly and never paid attention to it.
And now, he had accidentally completed it.
Not bad at all.
If he had joined a hidden village instead, he would have been dragged into endless political schemes.
But in Akatsuki?
He could simply lay low, gather strength, and pick off side missions to keep getting stronger.
Kuzo glanced at Konan and couldn't help but smirk.
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