The Eye of the Moon planning committee was currently on the verge of collapse, desperate for "Diarmuid-sama" to give them a hand. Meanwhile, Diarmuid was in the Land of Rain, coordinating with the Akatsuki.
A peace talk that should have been a turning point had resulted in only one of the three leaders returning, and it wasn't their spiritual pillar, Yahiko. This left the Akatsuki members in a state of disarray and confusion.
Fortunately, while Konan's prestige didn't match Yahiko's, she was well-liked within the organization. For the moment, she was able to stabilize the ranks. Simultaneously, Yahiko's death served as a massive catalyst for those who viewed him as their moral compass. They might not have the sheer willpower to inherit Yahiko's grander philosophy, but with Konan hoisting the banner of vengeance for Yahiko and Nagato, the Akatsuki members were more than willing to lend their strength.
Indeed, they had gathered under Yahiko's charismatic leadership. If they didn't even dare to seek revenge now that he was dead, it would be a pathetic insult to his memory. Thus, the fractured Akatsuki found a temporary center under Konan. However, it was clear that if revenge seemed impossible, the organization's dissolution would be unstoppable. Even if they succeeded, if Konan couldn't truly lead, they would likely still disband.
But that was no issue. Diarmuid, the man who had successfully led the Marines to topple Mariejois, found the task of integrating a small group like Akatsuki, and by extension, a small nation like the Land of Rain, to be child's play.
Within two days, the upper echelons of Akatsuki received word: Konan wasn't planning a mindless suicide charge against Hanzo. Instead, at a great cost, she had hired the leader of the Yorozuya, the "Outlaw" Rodriguez Diarmuid. While Hanzo's reputation as a "Demigod" still felt more daunting, having the boss of those Yorozuya madmen backing them made the prospect of war seem feasible.
Either way, they were going to fight. At worst, they would die, a small price to pay to honor the man who gave them a purpose.
…
At the Akatsuki headquarters, Diarmuid stood at the edge of a cliff. He held a pipe in his hand, his haori and hakama snapping in the wind and rain. The relentless downpour couldn't penetrate within five centimeters of his body; he stood in the heart of the storm without looking the slightest bit disheveled.
"Phew..." Diarmuid exhaled a cloud of smoke. Without turning his head, he asked, "Well? Did you clear up the details?"
"Yes..." Konan's somber voice drifted from behind him.
"What's the word?"
"That despicable coward, Hanzo... he's publicly claiming that the Hidden Leaf refused to see the Hidden Rain and Akatsuki unite. He says the Leaf sent Anbu to ambush the meeting, killing Yahiko, Nagato, and our subordinates. Now, the bastard is calling for Akatsuki members to merge with the Hidden Rain to 'fight the Leaf together' and avenge our leaders!" Konan said, her eyes flashing with rage.
Had she not survived, Hanzo's ploy might actually have allowed him to swallow Yahiko's life's work. It would have ensured Yahiko could never rest in peace.
Diarmuid didn't speak, continuing to gaze into the distance, but he chuckled inwardly. As expected, Hanzo went with that narrative. It was perfectly logical. Having fled back to the Hidden Rain, Hanzo likely didn't spare a second thought for Diarmuid or Orochimaru, assuming they were just passing through, or perhaps he had already pinned them on Danzo.
He probably thought they were Danzo's assassins who took the chance to try and kill him in the chaos. Now that he was back in his fortress, he likely felt the immediate danger had passed. Ironically, Hanzo's propaganda helped clear Diarmuid of suspicion regarding Nagato's death.
Hanzo himself said Konoha did it. Diarmuid isn't a Konoha ninja. Konan believes Hanzo teamed up with Konoha; therefore, if Konoha killed them, it means Danzo killed them. And Danzo was the mastermind!
None of it touched Diarmuid.
Hanzo likely suspected Konan might still be alive, but he chose this strategy regardless to shake the foundations of Akatsuki. If Konan didn't respond effectively, his next move would be spreading rumors that Konan coveted power, conspired with Konoha to kill her friends, and usurped control. Whether anyone believed it or not, it would destabilize an already fragile organization. Once that seed was sown, if Akatsuki didn't surrender to him, Hanzo could march under the banner of "Justice" to "set things right" for Yahiko and Nagato, eliminate the "usurper" Konan, and absorb Akatsuki legitimately.
"Truly worthy of his name..." Diarmuid smiled slightly before explaining these deductions to Konan.
Konan grew more horrified as she listened. She had always worked under Yahiko, who was straightforward and lacked guile; the Akatsuki had been a bright, idealistic group. Hearing Diarmuid's breakdown of the dark political maneuvering, she was certain that the "bastard" Hanzo would do exactly that.
"Then what should we do?" Konan asked directly.
Lately, she had begun to treat Diarmuid as her primary pillar of support. It was natural; Konan had never carried the full burden of leadership alone, instinctively leaning on those around her—first Yahiko, then Nagato in the original timeline, and now Diarmuid.
"Your organization is currently falling apart. You can't afford to wait. To turn the tide, you must eliminate Hanzo of the Salamander with lightning speed to restore Akatsuki's confidence and prestige. The next step is simple: we march on the Hidden Rain Village," Diarmuid said with a smirk.
"Fine! I'll go make the arrangements!" Konan said without a hint of hesitation. Part of it was her trust in Diarmuid; the rest was her desperate thirst for revenge.
However, she didn't leave immediately. She hesitated, then asked, "Do you... do you need to call for more help? Perhaps the other elites of the Yorozuya?"
"No need," Diarmuid replied calmly.
"But he is a Demigod..." Although Konan hated acknowledging Hanzo's strength, she didn't want her last hope to be reckless.
"He is only a Demigod," Diarmuid chuckled.
Konan sighed and left without another word.
…
Meanwhile, in a small forest in the Land of Fire, near the Hidden Leaf Village, Orochimaru and Danzo were meeting.
"Akatsuki is now in our hands. Soon, Diarmuid will kill Hanzo in the Hidden Rain. If you want to use those two corpses to trade with Hanzo for some benefits, I suggest you act fast," Orochimaru said coldly, his arms crossed.
Danzo looked at the two bodies at his feet and frowned. "What happened to the eyes?"
"Hanzo probably destroyed them. I'm not entirely sure," Orochimaru bluffed dismissively.
Whether it was true or not, Danzo didn't press the issue. He asked, "Can that man really kill Hanzo of the Salamander?"
"That question is meaningless," Orochimaru smiled.
Danzo remained silent for a while before speaking. "These two corpses are useless to me now. Take them if you want. I won't bother with Hanzo anymore. Since you say Diarmuid will succeed, I'll place my bet on you this time. Tell me, how shall we cooperate?"
"Once the Yorozuya takes full control of the Land of Rain, you will be responsible for providing material support to stabilize the population. Secondly, we will suppress news of the civil war and won't announce Hanzo's death immediately. The Land of Rain will enter a semi-closed state; we need you to help clean up the information flow. Finally, at the very least, keep Konoha from pestering us," Orochimaru listed rapidly.
"And? What do I get?" Danzo asked. He didn't think the requests were unreasonable and moved straight to his own benefit.
"First, you gain the friendship of the Land of Rain. Diarmuid will support your bid to become Hokage. Second, the Hidden Rain shinobi will become a mercenary force; any contracts you issue will receive a 30% discount. Finally, if you have a truly difficult problem, you can request Diarmuid to intervene once, for a fee, of course," Orochimaru said with a sly smile.
Danzo frowned. "I have to pay him even for the one-time intervention? What kind of 'benefit' is that?"
"You don't think just anyone can hire Diarmuid, do you? His willingness to act is a benefit in itself, isn't it?" Orochimaru laughed wickedly.
A top-tier powerhouse isn't easily swayed. Danzo considered it. Gold and scrolls were secondary; if he offered ten Kinjutsu right now, could he convince Onoki to go catch a Tailed Beast for him? Obviously not.
From that perspective, having a "coupon" for Diarmuid's intervention was indeed a major asset, especially considering how strong the man was.
"Fine. It's a deal," Danzo said.
The other minor benefits didn't matter much to him; what he really wanted was the assurance Diarmuid had already given: support for his goal to become Hokage. That was enough.
"In that case, I'll take my leave," Orochimaru replied. He didn't waste another word and vanished.
Danzo looked at the two corpses again. After a moment's thought, he smirked. "Go. Secretly deliver these two bodies into the Hidden Rain Village."
Though no one seemed to be around, the moment he spoke, two ninjas wearing Root masks appeared, kneeling before him. "Yes, Danzo-sama!"
———————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over here ——— pa-tre-on.c-om/AlexandrusTL [remove the hyphen for normal access]