Diarmuid made a rough guess. Perhaps Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, was hiring rogue shinobi to "support" the defense of his borders as a key part of his master plan. By using mercenaries alongside Iwagakure forces, he could systematically lure the Cloud army into a trap.
Hiring help while fighting on his own territory actually made Iwagakure look desperate and undermanned, as if their main forces were completely tied up on other fronts. The better he acted, the more it would provoke Kumogakure's desire to press the offensive. And since Kumogakure was a village of hard-headed martialists with the fiercest tempers, they were prone to acting without thinking things through.
Once they overextended themselves, Onoki could turn around and drop a force of ten thousand Iwagakure shinobi on them, leaving them completely stunned. If he could annihilate a significant portion of the Cloud's offensive force and take out the Third Raikage on his own turf, Onoki could potentially crush Kumogakure before their other front-line forces could even react. It would decide the outcome of the war in one stroke.
Kumogakure and Iwagakure had always vied for the spot of the number two superpower behind Konoha. Thus, the chance to crush the other was an irresistible lure for both sides. Against this backdrop, the death of the Third Raikage was a logical conclusion.
However, Onoki had underestimated just how powerful the Third Raikage truly was. The man held off a ten-thousand-man army single-handedly for three days and three nights, suffering no injuries from the enemy. He died only when his own strength was completely exhausted, allowing the Cloud forces to escape. While the Raikage was dead, Onoki failed to achieve his strategic goal of crushing Kumogakure entirely.
"So, you want us to take this mission and help the Land of Earth defend its territory?" Diarmuid asked.
Kakuzu nodded. "The pay is excellent, and it doesn't look too dangerous. We just need to harass the Cloud along the way, slow them down, and buy time for Iwagakure to pull back their front-line troops."
It seems Onoki's operational security is top-notch. Even a veteran like Kakuzu didn't spot the trap, Diarmuid thought. After a brief pause, he nodded. "Fine, I'll go with you."
It wasn't about the money; Diarmuid wasn't particularly interested in the reward. He was interested in the Third Raikage. Specifically, he wanted the man's corpse.
Kumogakure was a superpower for a reason, and their greatest strength was their Lightning Release Ninjutsu. The Third Raikage was the ultimate representative of this style. To fight ten thousand men for three days without a single wound from an enemy spoke volumes.
The secret-level Lightning Release Chakra Mode passed down through the Raikages was a top-tier technique. Its defensive power was arguably on par with the Susanoo. The Third Raikage had regularly subdued the Eight-Tails, Gyūki, with nothing but his bare hands, and the only scar he ever received was one he accidentally gave himself. He had proven capable of tanking a Tailed Beast Bomb from the second-strongest Tailed Beast without a scratch using his Lightning Style Armor.
Diarmuid was deeply interested in such extraordinary ninjutsu and secret techniques. If he could get his hands on the Third Raikage's body, he would have a chance to acquire that secret style. He could either contact Kumogakure and trade the body for the technique, or he could try to pry the secrets directly from the Raikage's brain.
That was the power of this world—even in death, your secrets could be unearthed. However, the Kage of the Five Great Nations undoubtedly had layered seals and mental blocks in their minds. If one tried to force a breach without sufficient skill, the blocks would likely destroy the brain or even the entire corpse.
Trading for the secret was simpler, but there was a catch: if you didn't understand the fundamentals of the technique, it was easy to get swindled with a fake.
I wish I had a master of interrogation or someone skilled enough to extract secrets from a brain without damaging it, Diarmuid thought. Immediately, the image of a certain research fanatic came to mind: Orochimaru.
With his talent, cracking this shouldn't be a problem, Diarmuid mused. Orochimaru was, after all, an expert in playing with corpses. If he claimed to be the second best in that field, only a revived Tobirama would dare claim the top spot.
"Damn, it's at times like these I really miss that bastard Orochimaru..." Diarmuid muttered.
"Orochimaru?" Kakuzu blinked. "You know him?"
"I know him; he doesn't know me," Diarmuid replied.
Kakuzu: "???" Then what are you talking about?
"Do you know him? Are you close?" Diarmuid asked.
"I don't," Kakuzu shook his head.
"A shame. I wonder where he is now. I'd really like to get in touch with him," Diarmuid said with regret. Normally he'd be in Konoha, but who knew what had changed? Even if he was there, Diarmuid couldn't find him; the man was currently a member of Root.
"You want to find him?" Kakuzu asked.
"Yeah."
"Isn't that easy? Aren't you the boss of a Land of Bears Exchange Point? Don't you know how these things work?" Kakuzu asked, puzzled.
"Know what? I haven't been the boss for that long, and I didn't really handle the day-to-day..."
"I thought you knew. How strange." Kakuzu clicked his tongue. "Exchange Points, mercenary shinobi, smugglers, arms dealers, black marketeers, all the outlaws and shadow-dwellers of this world form a massive network. We call it the 'Shadow Side' or the 'Underworld.' I don't need to explain further, right?"
Diarmuid wasn't surprised. Every world was a tapestry woven from light and shadow. One Piece was like that, and so was the world of Naruto.
"Shinobi aren't exactly a 'noble' profession, so these dark places are filled with ninja from the Five Great Nations who otherwise claim to be righteous. As it happens, Orochimaru is quite famous in the Underworld. You can try to contact him through that network. Of course, whether he chooses to respond is another matter entirely," Kakuzu explained.
Orochimaru was indeed a big name in the Underworld because he was always buying bizarre things and paid very generously. Occasionally, he would also sell some of the technologies he had developed. While those technologies might be beneath his notice, they were invaluable to others. Shinobi from smaller nations didn't have the luxury of the Five Great Nations; they weren't in a position to be picky. Any scrap of knowledge Orochimaru threw out was like perfume to them.
Diarmuid's eyes lit up. "If that's the case, use your connections. You're familiar with the Underworld, help me reach out to Orochimaru. Tell him I'd like to invite him to study 'science' together."
"Science?" Kakuzu was baffled. "Don't you mean ninjutsu?"
"Going to him empty-handed... isn't quite right," Kakuzu added after a moment's thought.
Diarmuid pondered for a bit. "Come with me to the lab."
"For what?"
"Take a vial of my blood. Find a way to get it to Orochimaru. If he's really capable of spotting what's inside, he'll definitely be interested in me. He won't be able to stay away," Diarmuid laughed.
Diarmuid couldn't feel it himself, but he knew he possessed the power of immortality. He didn't know the underlying principles and had no interest in learning them, but that power granted him immense vitality. His blood was bound to be different from that of a normal human. If he sent a sample to Orochimaru, the man's obsession with eternal life would ensure he bit the hook. Diarmuid wouldn't even have to ask; Orochimaru would come running.
Diarmuid wasn't worried about Orochimaru's strength, so he didn't fear being usurped. He believed the man was smart enough not to do anything irrational. He's a good comrade; I have to win him over. With him around, many problems can be solved easily.
Thinking about it now, his goals and Orochimaru's were quite aligned. Orochimaru wanted to study Wood Release; so did Diarmuid. Orochimaru wanted to study and obtain the Sharingan; so did Diarmuid. Orochimaru wanted to learn every jutsu and seek the ultimate truth of the world; while Diarmuid wasn't as obsessed, he also wanted to master more techniques.
Orochimaru wanted immortality... well, Diarmuid already had that. Orochimaru had issues with Konoha; Diarmuid was in a similar boat. Orochimaru loved research; Diarmuid was happy to fund it and even participate. Both loved studying Kekkei Genkai.
Aside from the fact that Orochimaru wasn't exactly a "good person," he was the perfect worker for Diarmuid! And when he thought about it... was Diarmuid a "good person" either?
We're the same! We'll definitely get along!
He had to secure this partner.
Soon, Diarmuid gave Kakuzu a vial of his blood. Though Kakuzu thought it was a hassle, he agreed to help. He told Diarmuid to get ready; once he returned, they would head out for the Land of Earth.
While Kakuzu went to find a contact for Orochimaru, Diarmuid asked Sasori if he wanted to come along to clear his head. But Sasori was clearly in a state of self-imposed isolation. He didn't want to go anywhere; he intended to clash with Kagami's corpse until it was completely useless.
Seeing this, Diarmuid didn't say more. He only warned Sasori not to destroy the Sharingan in a fit of rage. He still wanted those for his collection.
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