Diarmuid originated from the Intelligence Division of the Navy. Years of wartime experience had taught him to place extreme value on the power of information.
In his view, intelligence was the force that determined the trajectory of events. For any war, success depended first on the economy, and second on intelligence. Military strength was only the third factor; more often than not, battles where the weak defeated the strong turned on a single intelligence failure.
He possessed a foundational understanding of the Naruto world, but decades had passed, and many details had likely blurred. Furthermore, this was a living, breathing reality. Just like the world of One Piece, his presence had already steered the timeline into uncharted waters. Before the year 1520 of the Sea Calendar, the Navy had already achieved global hegemony, and the era of pirates had nearly been extinguished. In the original story, Luffy wouldn't have even set sail by then.
The original plot points he knew were now largely irrelevant.
To maintain a strategic advantage, he had to rely on intelligence. By leveraging Stussy's CP agencies, his undercover networks within the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and the Marine Intelligence Division, Diarmuid had always maintained access to top-tier information, allowing him to keep a firm grip on the reins of power.
It was the same in this world. Though he hadn't caused any major upheavals yet, and thus hadn't fundamentally altered the timeline, he fully intended to make waves here. Once he did, things would change irrevocably. He couldn't rely solely on his "metaknowledge" forever.
Thus, intelligence was paramount.
The problem was that in this world, intelligence was equally prized. He didn't have a decade to raise undercover sleeper agents from childhood, nor did he have an organization like the CP agencies that had been operating for centuries. He needed to find specialized talent. Yakushi Kabuto was a genius, but right now, he was likely still just a fledgling brat.
In contrast, "Sasori of the Red Sand," who was often overlooked in this regard, was actually the perfect candidate for his needs.
"I've tolerated you for several days now. Why do you keep looking at me like that?"
In a dilapidated village in the Land of Rice Fields, Sasori looked with annoyance at Diarmuid. The latter was perched on a nearby rock, a cigarette dangling from his lips, glancing over at Sasori every so often.
It had been several days since the three of them joined forces. The atmosphere in the Land of Rice Fields had grown palpably tense. In the mountains, by the rivers, and near the villages, one could frequently witness fierce skirmishes between Kumogakure and Konohagakure shinobi. Both sides were trading blows, with neither gaining a definitive upper hand.
They were still in the probing phase of the conflict; the true tide of war had yet to turn.
During these days, they had encountered a squad of Konoha shinobi. Diarmuid didn't recognize any of them, and Kakuzu and Sasori had finished them off before he even needed to lift a finger.
The village they were currently in, though ruined, still had a lingering sense of "humanity." This suggested it had been destroyed recently, likely within the last few days.
Shinobi warfare was exceptionally cruel. Even Konoha, which brandished the "Will of Fire" as a beacon of light, followed the same grim procedures. When the Great Nations clashed, they would often "sanitize" the surrounding environment to prevent leaks regarding their movements or numbers.
This "sanitization" was undeniably brutal, usually involving the wholesale slaughter of locals. This was the tragedy of small nations; they existed merely as obstacles to be cleared.
If memory served, the parents of Nagato, the future leader of the Akatsuki, had been killed by Konoha shinobi in exactly this manner. They were "mistaken" for enemies and eliminated... though that might have just been a convenient excuse.
Exhaling a slow cloud of smoke, Diarmuid let a friendly smile play across his lips. "Don't be so guarded, Sasori. We're partners now, aren't we?"
Sasori, still irritated, replied coldly, "I simply paid to hire you."
"That applies to Kakuzu. You haven't given me a single Ryo, I should say. I'm supporting you out of a spirit of selfless devotion. You should be a bit more moved," Diarmuid quipped.
Sasori had no interest in such sophistry and simply turned his head away.
Not far off, Kakuzu sat cross-legged, focused on his training. There was a reason the old schemer had survived the chaotic shinobi world for so long and lived through three Great Wars.
Sasori ignored him, but Diarmuid wasn't about to give up. He stood, walked a few paces, and sat down beside the puppet master.
"Look, it was my fault for damaging Hiruko before. I went a bit too heavy-handed. But you started it by trying to blow me up with those Explosive Tags. I'm not holding a grudge, so don't take it to heart. Let's try to get along. What do you think of me? Don't I look like a decent, friendly guy?"
Sasori was speechless. You think I'm upset about Hiruko? I'm upset because I know you're up to something! Friendly? You look like a shark.
"Hiruko wasn't damaged. I chose to disassemble it. Do not underestimate my Human Puppet Technique," Sasori said sharply.
"Hahaha, I see! Well, that's a weight off my mind. No harm done then. Is Hiruko really that durable? As expected of you. Thinking about it now, your work is pure art. You're an artist at heart; being a shinobi is almost a waste of your talents." Diarmuid was being utterly shameless, laying the flattery on thick. When it came to recruiting talent, he was never too proud to play the sycophant.
Sasori remained indifferent to most of the chatter, but the word "artist" struck a chord. For some reason, it resonated deeply with him.
At this stage, Sasori hadn't yet reached the obsessive level of his future self, the one who would argue endlessly with Deidara about the nature of art. He hadn't fully consciously embraced the identity of an "artist" yet. Diarmuid's comment hit the mark perfectly, and inexplicably, his impression of the man improved slightly.
However...
"Could you tone down the way you look at me? It's making me uncomfortable," Sasori said after a moment's thought.
Diarmuid blinked. He had been trying to project an air of "special appreciation." Could he have been too obvious? As a former Admiral, he was perfectly capable of maintaining a poker face, but he had intentionally let his guard down to show Sasori he was valued.
Apparently, the guy wasn't buying it.
Pulling back his gaze, Diarmuid laughed. "Hahaha, I thought it showed more sincerity."
"What exactly do you want?" Sasori asked after a long silence.
"Well, the shinobi world is a vast place. Don't you feel lonely, wandering it all by yourself?" Diarmuid asked.
In his memory, Sasori's heart was defined by loneliness. His parents had died long ago at the hands of Hatake Sakumo, the father of the "Copy Ninja," during a previous war. Despite the love his grandmother, Chiyo, had shown him, the void could never be filled. This emotional fragility was what eventually drove him down the path of the Human Puppet.
Diarmuid figured that appealing to this loneliness would be a good "way in."
But before he could formulate his next line, Sasori replied flatly: "Not at all."
Diarmuid's cheek twitched. A spark of genuine irritation flickered, and he dropped the act. "Fine, stop acting so standoffish. I'm saying all this because I think you're a capable guy with real skill. I'm inviting you to team up with us."
"Us? Who does that include?" Sasori asked, glancing at him.
"Me and Kakuzu, of course," Diarmuid said.
"I see. I thought perhaps you belonged to some organization," Sasori said, sounding somewhat relieved. He had no interest in complex organizations; he found them troublesome. In the original timeline, his joining Akatsuki had been somewhat coerced.
"Nope. Unless you count the Exchange Point in the Land of Bears? I'm the boss there," Diarmuid laughed.
Sasori looked at him with surprise. "Are the Exchange Points really that powerful? Is it the same in every country?"
"No, I'm the exception." Diarmuid waved a hand dismissively. Then, mirroring Whitebeard's famous gesture, he reached out toward Sasori. He stopped just short of saying, "Become my son." Given Sasori's history, if he had actually met someone like Newgate, he might have actually said yes.
Sasori remained silent, weighing the proposal.
Teaming up with Diarmuid and Kakuzu wasn't an unthinkable prospect. He was arrogant, a common trait among the strong, and had no interest in weaklings who would hold him back. But both Kakuzu and Diarmuid were individuals he could respect, or at least acknowledge as equals. Traveling with them was acceptable.
The question was...
"What is your goal? Why do you want me to join?" asked.
If they were planning something tedious, he would decline. He preferred to focus on his research into Human Puppets and science. Indeed, Sasori was a top-tier scientist in his own right, specializing in ergonomics and biotechnology. In the original story, he had even collaborated with a research maniac like Orochimaru, though the two eventually fell out, likely over their conflicting views on "Art vs. Immortality."
"My goal?" Diarmuid paused. "To be honest, I don't have a concrete one yet. Kakuzu joined me because I have money and don't care about it. His only goal is profit. As for me... I haven't finalized the details, but in the long run, I'll likely be clashing with the Five Great Shinobi Villages."
Clashes were inevitable. Diarmuid was already eyeing Konoha's Sharingan, Wood Release, and various other "treasures." There was no way Konoha would just hand them over. He'd have to take them.
"The Five Great Villages?" Sasori smiled thinly. "Interesting."
"Mainly Konohagakure. The others are secondary," Diarmuid added with a smirk.
"Konoha..." Sasori fell silent. His mood shifted visibly.
Sasori harbored a deep-seated hostility toward Konoha, though it hadn't yet curdled into pure hatred. His primary target had been the White Fang, Hatake Sakumo. But since Sakumo had committed suicide, Sasori's resentment had nowhere to go.
In a strange twist of logic, he had redirected that bitterness toward the Third Kazekage, blaming the leader's incompetence for allowing the war to escalate to the point where Konoha shinobi could enter the Land of Wind and kill his parents. He had subsequently turned the Third Kazekage into a Human Puppet, an act that indirectly triggered the Third Shinobi World War.
Now that the Third Kazekage was dead, Sasori's heart was relatively empty of spite, but the prospect of Diarmuid striking a blow against Konoha was appealing.
After a moment of deliberation, Sasori spoke. "Can I think about it?"
"Of course," Diarmuid grinned. "I'm not a fan of forcing people."