The two were in the middle of a conversation when a small bird suddenly fluttered down toward them.
Diarmuid glanced at the bird and remarked, "Should I make myself scarce for a moment?"
Kakuzu beckoned to the bird and replied, "No need."
Though they had only been traveling together for a little over half a year, Kakuzu found that he got along quite well with Diarmuid. Kakuzu was obsessed with money, whereas Diarmuid didn't care about it at all. Yet, paradoxically, Diarmuid had a real knack for acquiring it.
Wasn't that just perfect? He was the model friend for the great Kakuzu!
The bird appeared to be a Ninja Bird, or perhaps a Summon. Diarmuid had seen it a few times before; it was how Kakuzu maintained contact with certain individuals. It made sense, after all, the man was an old fox who had survived the shinobi world for decades. How could he not have a few connections?
The bird landed on Kakuzu's arm, spat a small scroll from its beak, and took flight once more. The scroll was barely the thickness of a finger. Kakuzu unrolled it, scanned it for a moment, and the paper promptly crumbled into ash.
"I've taught you everything I intended to. Per our agreement, I haven't held anything back. Our contract ends here," Kakuzu said, glancing at Diarmuid.
Diarmuid nodded. It was true; Kakuzu had fulfilled his end of the bargain. While Diarmuid might not have mastered every nuance yet, the theoretical knowledge was all locked in his mind. He could study and contemplate the rest on his own. As for the payment, Diarmuid had already settled the tab in full. Ending things now was perfectly logical.
"I take it you have business elsewhere?" Diarmuid asked.
Kakuzu gave a calm nod. "A very unique fellow has invited me to the Land of Rice Fields for a mission."
"I assume the commission must be quite high, then," Diarmuid said with a smile.
"Indeed. Extremely high." Kakuzu let out a short, rare chuckle before falling silent for a moment. Then he asked, "And you?"
Diarmuid furrowed his brow, looking slightly troubled, but didn't speak.
Seeing this, Kakuzu didn't hesitate further. "Want to team up?"
"What do you mean?" Diarmuid asked.
"Shinobi usually don't operate alone. I'm the same. Despite how I might seem, I've actually had many teammates in the past," Kakuzu said in a flat tone.
"And? What happened to them?" Diarmuid asked, somewhat amused.
"They were dead weight, so I killed them and cashed them in for bounties," Kakuzu said openly, completely devoid of shame. To him, it clearly wasn't a big deal.
"In that case, being your teammate sounds like a high-risk profession..." Diarmuid deadpanned.
"That only happened because they were incompetent. But you're different, Diarmuid. If it's you, I'm certain we'd make a well-matched pair," Kakuzu said seriously, meeting his gaze.
"I think you just want to find a way to take my money," Diarmuid said after a moment's thought.
Kakuzu paused, then replied, "Correct."
"At least try to hide your shameless intentions!" Diarmuid said, feeling a bit helpless. Kakuzu was a straight shooter; he said what was on his mind and was stubborn to a fault.
Then again, the Land of Bears was becoming tedious. While the Exchange Point provided Diarmuid with a decent income, it wasn't enough to keep him tied down. On his own, he was a stranger in a strange land. He understood the what of many shinobi techniques but not the how or why. Wandering alone during a Great Ninja War was a massive headache, especially with a master manipulator like Madara lurking in the shadows.
Diarmuid wasn't keen on running around blindly like a headless fly. But with an "old driver" of the shinobi world like Kakuzu leading the way, he was interested in seeing more of the world. Participating in these so-called "missions" would allow him to truly understand the nature of shinobi, helping him plan his future moves accordingly.
In truth, Diarmuid was a pragmatist. He had no intention of cooking up some "grand plan" on a whim. He had learned that lesson the hard way. Back when he first joined the Marine Intelligence Division, he'd had plenty of flashy ideas that ended up leaving him with nothing but a mess to clean up.
Kakuzu didn't press him; he simply stood by quietly as Diarmuid thought. After about five minutes, Diarmuid nodded. "Fine. Let's go see what this is about. I'm curious myself."
"Is it a deal?" Kakuzu asked.
"Yeah. It's a deal," Diarmuid confirmed.
"Then let me fill you in on the situation. The one who contacted me is named Sasori. He's a former shinobi of Sunagakure, a descendant of their high-ranking officials, and known as a genius puppet master. The shinobi world calls him 'Sasori of the Red Sand,'" Kakuzu said softly.
Diarmuid's eyes brightened. Sasori of the Red Sand, the very fuse that lit the Third Great Ninja War.
Sasori had assassinated the Third Kazekage and turned him into a Human Puppet. This caused the central command of Sunagakure to collapse, leading to an invasion by Kumogakure. Thus, the Third Great Ninja War erupted.
Judging by Kakuzu's tone, he didn't seem to know these secrets. It made sense; the case of the Third Kazekage's disappearance wouldn't be solved for another twenty years. Until then, the people of Sunagakure believed their leader was merely missing, not dead. They couldn't fathom his death, as they considered the Third Kazekage to be the strongest in their history.
To Diarmuid, however, Sunagakure were simply fools. Among the Five Great Nations and their Hidden Villages, the Land of Wind and Sunagakure were undeniably at the bottom of the barrel. They were an embarrassment to the title of a Great Power.
Sunagakure was incredibly weak, yet they spent their days boasting about the "strongest Kazekage." It was nothing more than self-consolation and delusion. It was no wonder Sasori couldn't stand those ostriches living in a fantasy and decided to defect. If he had stayed, the village would have only served as a shackle, limiting his growth.
Returning to the present, Diarmuid was surprised that Kakuzu was in contact with someone like Sasori. Curiosity piqued, he asked, "I've heard of Sasori of the Red Sand. Word is he's arrogant and cold. How do you know him?"
"Me?" Kakuzu gave Diarmuid a strange look. "The man is obsessed with Human Puppets, and I'm a body collector. Why do you think we know each other?"
"Well then. You're his raw material supplier!" Diarmuid realized instantly. Since Sasori was obsessed with Human Puppets and researching forbidden jutsu, he obviously needed a steady supply of corpses to practice on. Kakuzu had found the perfect business partner.
"Something like that," Kakuzu replied, ignoring the jab. "He invited me to the Land of Rice Fields to cooperate."
"On what?"
"He has no interest in anything else, so naturally, we're going to collect bodies," Kakuzu said calmly. He paused briefly before continuing, "According to his intel, Kumogakure is about to engage Konohagakure in a direct confrontation. Looking at the current strength of the five villages, Konoha is undoubtedly the strongest. But Kumo is no slouch; they've always claimed to be second, constantly clashing with Iwagakure. Now, it seems they want to prove they are the best by defeating Konoha."
"Honestly, sounds like they're dreaming," Diarmuid remarked.
Though he disliked the idea of "pedigree," he had to admit that the Great Clans of the shinobi world were simply stronger than average ninja, by a significant margin. And Konoha was where those Great Clans were concentrated.
In contrast, Kumogakure was in a sorry state. They had almost no Great Clans to speak of. They held their ground because they were fearless and aggressive. Generations of Kumogakure shinobi were known for being iron-willed—if they didn't like you, they fought you, and they wouldn't stop until someone was dead.
They stood tall because they were ruthless. Unfortunately, while ruthlessness is a trait, it often pales in the face of raw power. Ultimately, they were still inferior to Konoha.
"It doesn't matter. Whether it's the Five Great Nations or the smaller ones, being born in this era is an original sin. The world of shinobi is particularly dark. To me, it's meaningless who wins or loses," Kakuzu said coldly.
Before Diarmuid could respond, Kakuzu added, "However, a fierce struggle is inevitable. Both Kumo and Konoha have powerful shinobi. If those shinobi fall on the battlefield, their corpses... will be worth a lot of money."
"So, we're going there to coordinate with Sasori, take down some high-level experts, and collect their bodies?" Diarmuid asked.
"Exactly." Kakuzu nodded. "His intelligence network is solid. Barring any surprises, Kumogakure and Konohagakure will clash in the Land of Rice Fields. We can still make it if we leave now."
Diarmuid considered the possibilities. He might run into the Uchiha clan on the battlefield; perhaps he could get his hands on some Sharingan for research. At this time, the Senju clan hadn't completely faded away either, and many were still active in the war. Capturing a few would be a boon. Konohagakure had many Kekkei Genkai, like the Byakugan, that were worth investigating. Even Kumogakure had some impressive things he wanted to see.
Decision made, Diarmuid asked, "When do we leave?"
"Wait a bit. We can't let the Exchange Point go to waste. We'll go back, withdraw all the funds, and store them for a rainy day. Then we'll set out," Kakuzu said.
The man's reasoning sounded dignified, but he was really just a miser. Diarmuid didn't bother exposing him; it didn't matter. He agreed to the plan.
After settling their affairs at the Exchange Point, the two, led by Kakuzu, embarked on the road from the Land of Bears to the Land of Rice Fields.
The Land of Bears was situated in a favorable location. It was a small peninsula nation that shared a small border with the Land of Fire. To its west was the Land of Waterfall, and to its east was the Land of Hot Water. Squeezed between those two unfortunate small nations and having no borders with other Great Powers besides the Land of Fire, it was relatively peaceful.
Traveling east through the Land of Bears, they entered the Land of Hot Springs, and from there, they crossed into the Land of Rice Fields.
The Land of Rice Fields was a truly tragic country. To its south was Land of Fire, and to its north was the Land of Frost, a puppet of Kumogakure. It was surrounded on all sides by external powers, making it easy for it to be swallowed whole. Later, the country would encounter the research-obsessed Orochimaru, who would establish the Otogakure and ruin the Land of Rice Fields further.
In about ten days, Kakuzu and Diarmuid crossed the Land of Bears and the Land of Hot Water, arriving in the ill-fated Land of Rice Fields.
Upon arrival, Kakuzu began contacting his employer, Sasori of the Red Sand. Diarmuid, meanwhile, reflected on what he had seen along the way. It had been quite interesting.