Muu spent the next hour dismantling the remains of Kumo, while Kakuzu played no role and patiently waited while he tried the prowess of Darui's mask.
Every piece of Kumo's rear supplies and intercepted loot was destroyed or rendered useless. Before burning the wreckage, Darui's body was stripped clean of gear, including his signature cleaver broadsword.
Knowing the terrifying tactical implications of the Impure World Reincarnation, Muu initiated a rigorous prevention protocol. He channelled a searing burst of Fire Release, incinerating Darui's remains until nothing was left but fine gray ash. To guarantee no usable cellular material remained, he flooded the scorch mark with Water Release technique, sweeping the residual dust into the ground.
"Don't worry, Kakuzu-san," Muu said, turning to the bounty hunter before he could voice his inevitable grievance. "I will personally guarantee the confirmation of Darui's death. You'll receive your payout, even without a corpse to present."
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes, but held his tongue. Muu had read his exact thoughts before he could even frame the complaint.
A rustle from the nearby bush heralded the return of Muu's mask, which landed lightly carrying Deidara, who looked disheveled and enraged. Now that the immediate threat was neutralized, Muu controlled his mask gently set the younger boy down before dispersing back into his skin.
"Muu, you brat!" Deidara roared the second his feet touched the ground. "Do you have any idea what it felt like getting dragged away like baggage? How dare you push me out of the fight at a time like that!"
Before Muu could offer an explanation, Deidara tackled him to the ground, launching a flurry of frantic unrefined punches. Muu made no real attempt to dodge, absorbing the blows until Deidara's own exhaustion forced him to pull back, breathing heavily.
Muu sat up slowly, wiping a line of blood from his cracked lip.
"If you two are finished throwing your little tantrum, we need to move," Kakuzu interrupted not bothering to interrupt. "If you waste another second of my time, I'll beat you both within an inch of your lives and carry you there myself."
Deidara bristled instantly, glaring at the mercenary. "Who does this old bas.. uhmm... thumk hu iz?"
Before the words could fully leave Deidara's lips, Muu placed a hand firmly over his mouth, smothering the rest of the sentence. He felt Kakuzu's killing intent spike, if only for a fraction of a second.
"Watch your tongue, Deidara," Muu warned under his breath, keeping his palm pressed tight against his partner's face. "This is Kakuzu-san. He has agreed to act as my instructor and offer his services to Iwagakure... for a very generous money, of course." He emphasized the word *money* clearly, ensuring Kakuzu heard the priority placed on his financial interest.
Muu released his grip on Deidara and gestured. "Prepare your clay bird. We need to report to Lord Onoki."
Muttering a stream of colorful curses, Deidara molded a chunk of explosive clay into a giant white bird, expanding it to full size with a quick hand seal. Muu turned to Kakuzu and offered a polite gesture toward the bird's back.
"After you, Kakuzu-san."
~~
The flight back to the Hidden Stone Village was quiet, dominated by the rush of wind and Kakuzu's wraithful posture. Upon reaching Iwagakure, they bypassed standard border protocols and flew straight to the Tsuchikage Tower... a rare privilege to these top prodigies.
Even before they stepped off the clay avian onto the broad office balcony, the booming voice of the Third Tsuchikage echoed down the hallway.
"Send Gari and Han to the Land of Rice Fields immediately!" Onoki barked from behind his heavy wooden desk. "The Chinoike clan members are pushing our front line back. Their Genjutsu and Blood manipulation are proving far too troublesome for standard squads. And put a 70-million-ryō bounty on En Oyashiro's head while you're at it!"
His aide, Muchi, stood beside the desk with dark circles under his sleep-deprived eyes. He looked ready to collapse, but he had long past the point of arguing.
"Yes, Lord Onoki," Muchi muttered mechanically, scribbling the orders down onto a scroll before ducking out of the room.
Just then, three shadows stepped into the dim light of the office. Onoki didn't even raise his head from the sprawling tactical maps and war reports scattered across his desk; the heavy thud of the giant bird landing on the roof had given away their arrival.
"Report, Deidara, Muu," Onoki said gruffly, his eyes darting across lines of casualty reports. "How did the mission go?"
"Lord Onoki, the operation was a complete success," Muu replied, bowing his head slightly. "Kumo's rear supply lines have been completely wiped out. Their advancing forces will be forced to halt within forty-eight hours."
Onoki finally looked up, his sharp gaze landed on the tall masked figure standing quietly in the rear. His bushy eyebrows twitched upward in genuine surprise.
"Kakuzu?" Onoki said, his tone shifting instantly from grandfatherly tone to cautious head of state.
"Lord Onoki, are you already acquainted with Kakuzu?" Muu asked smoothly as he glanced back at the mercenary, subtly shifting his posture. Standing inside Iwagakure's stronghold, the power dynamic had shifted, dropping the honorific he had been using earlier.
"Of course I am," Onoki said, hovering slightly off his chair as he rose, his body levitating inches off the floor to compensate for his short height... uhmm frame. "There aren't many men alive reckless enough to attempt an assassination on Hashirama Senju and somehow live to tell the tale. The question isn't who he is, Muu. The question is why he is standing in my office."
Onoki's tone was no longer that of an elder speaking to promising youth; it was the unyielding authority of a Kage addressing a potential threat.
Muu stepped forward, quickly framing the situation to highlight the tactical advantages. He detailed Kakuzu's interest in taking him on as an apprentice, explaining how he had leveraged Iwagakure's resources, land rights, and monetary compensation to secure the rogue ninja's alliance for his life.
~~
A/N: Focus on reanimation will be only be in this arc and naturally other villages will start preparing for contingencies just like Iwa and Kiri this will become normal in the future. When someone a reanimation used, everyone will exploit their durability, physical restraint and sealing.
Upto 20 Advance chapters available @ patreon.com/aizenDuchiha0