When Diarmuid met with Orochimaru and Sasori...
The first thing out of Sasori's mouth was…
"Where is Hanzo of the Salamander?" Sasori asked, his tone carrying a hint of excitement.
Diarmuid blinked, replying instinctively, "Beat him to death."
"I obviously know you killed him. I mean, where is his corpse?" Sasori pressed immediately.
"The corpse..." Diarmuid finally realized what was happening. This guy wants to turn Hanzo into a Human Puppet!
"Exactly, the corpse. You know my Human Puppet Technique... Hanzo of the Salamander was a 'Demigod.' Even if he couldn't beat you, he was a formidable powerhouse. With him, my strength would increase significantly," Sasori said with visible fervor.
However, as he spoke, he noticed a look of slight awkwardness on Diarmuid's face.
Sasori's brow furrowed, a bad premonition rising in his chest. "What... exactly happened to his body?"
"Cough, cough..." Diarmuid cleared his throat. "Well, you see, Hanzo had a very powerful enemy before..."
"And?" Sasori urged.
"And after Hanzo died... the body was... quite broken," Diarmuid said, scratching his head.
"Broken to what extent?" Sasori asked hesitantly.
"More or less in pieces," Diarmuid said after a moment's thought.
Sasori let out a sigh of relief. "That's fine then. It's still usable."
Diarmuid also exhaled. Good, it's usable. He had almost forgotten that this guy had such "hobbies."
After a moment, Diarmuid called out, "Hey, you..."
"Naimu Nora," the Rain Ninja standing behind Diarmuid identified himself.
"Right, Nora. Take Sasori to see if Hanzo's remains are still usable," Diarmuid said with a wave of his hand.
"Yes, Diarmuid-sama," Naimu Nora responded swiftly.
Sasori's heart was now entirely set on Hanzo. He even felt a twinge of regret. Why hadn't he thought of this sooner? He should have come along instead of letting Diarmuid handle it alone.
Once Sasori and Naimu Nora left, only three people remained in the room: Diarmuid, Orochimaru, and Rin, who was observing her surroundings with the curiosity of a child.
"Is everything arranged?" Diarmuid asked directly.
Orochimaru nodded with a smirk. "Though it was a bit of a hassle, everything that needed to be brought has been brought. Furthermore, I've summoned some of my scattered subordinates; they will arrive in the Land of Rain shortly."
"Very good. The Yorozuya will maintain its current elite status, we won't consider expanding the core membership for now. However, the Akatsuki, the Hidden Rain Village, and your and Sasori's subordinates can serve as peripheral management. They will be responsible for the daily operation of the Land of Rain according to our orders," Diarmuid said with satisfaction.
Orochimaru had no objection, stating simply, "Next, my priority is to establish a large-scale research and experimental base here. Since Danzo certainly doesn't plan on investing in me anymore, I'm looking to you..."
"Hahahaha, don't worry. The Land of Rain can certainly provide that much," Diarmuid said nonchalantly.
The Land of Rain was a small nation, yes, but it was a top-tier one that had nearly joined the ranks of the Great Nations. The wealth Hanzo had accumulated over the years was massive, enough to fund Orochimaru's projects for quite a while.
"What about the Rinnegan? And that woman? You didn't kill her too, did you? On the way here, I recalled some old memories. I thought those three looked familiar. If I recall correctly, they were the disciples Jiraiya took in here during the Great War... But I was under the impression they died in the conflict. I wonder if I was mistaken?" Orochimaru asked.
Diarmuid remained silent for a short while before answering, "Barring any surprises, those three were indeed Jiraiya's disciples..."
"Is that so?" Orochimaru expressed a mix of surprise and realization.
But even if they were Jiraiya's disciples, it didn't change anything. Orochimaru had no particular sentiment toward them; he was just curious.
"As for the woman, her name is Konan. I didn't kill her. She left the Land of Rain and has likely retired from being a shinobi. We probably won't cross paths again," Diarmuid added.
Orochimaru didn't press further, nodding. "That's for the best. And the Rinnegan?"
"Here." Diarmuid let a scroll slide from his sleeve into his hand and handed it to Orochimaru. "The Rinnegan is sealed inside. Just as I told you before, you are only to study this through observation. Do not attempt any practical application, and absolutely no slicing it into samples!"
"Rest assured, I know the weight of this matter," Orochimaru said seriously.
After handing the eyes over to Orochimaru, Diarmuid looked at Rin. "Rin... from now on, you must hide your identity."
Rin blinked, nodding obediently before asking, "Why is that?"
"The organization that lured and manipulated Obito has their sights set on these eyes. Now that the Rinnegan is in my hands, and the Gedo Mazo they value is sealed in my darkness, it won't be long before they come looking for me," Diarmuid explained.
In all likelihood, Black and White Zetsu had already scouted the situation. They would inevitably make a move.
Furthermore, Diarmuid intended to master the Rain Tiger at Will Technique specifically to see if it could detect White Zetsu. Based on the nature and description of the jutsu, it should theoretically work. Once he had the Hidden Rain shrouded in his perception, he wouldn't have to worry about those two elusive shadows anymore.
Up close, they wouldn't dare approach him. At a distance, he'd have the rain. Perfect.
At the mention of Obito, Rin's expression turned solemn. "Yes. What should I do?"
"Can your Vanishing Facial Copy Technique be used to disguise others?" Diarmuid asked, looking at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru replied calmly, "Isn't that obvious?"
"Then take Rin down later and give her a new face. From now on, your name will be Shiramu Rin..." Diarmuid said, rubbing his chin.
"Shiramu Rin?" Rin repeated, a bit dazed.
"Yes. Henceforth, your identity is a bastard daughter of the Shiramu family, an exiled noble house of the Land of Rain. You've been wandering abroad with your older sister, Shiramu Ameri, and have now joined our Yorozuya..." Diarmuid fabricated an identity for her on the spot.
It wasn't necessarily to fool Black Zetsu, as they likely already knew she was alive. The fake identity didn't need to be flawless; it was a "polite fiction" for everyone involved. It gave Zetsu a way out and Diarmuid a way to maintain the situation. It would prevent things from going sideways if she abruptly ran into Obito later.
"Who is Shiramu Ameri?" Rin asked in surprise.
"My musician? Personal Oiran?" Diarmuid thought about it and laughed. "I'll introduce you to her later."
Despite her confusion, Rin nodded obediently. "I understand."
Diarmuid was satisfied but added one final warning: "If you do happen to run into Obito in the future, make sure you don't get too emotional..."
"Understood..." Rin replied quickly.
Diarmuid had a feeling the girl might not be entirely reliable on that front. But it didn't really matter. While it seemed complicated, it wasn't a major hurdle. Obito wouldn't dare reveal his true identity to them anyway; he would call himself Uchiha Madara. With his mask and the changes to his voice and physique caused by the White Zetsu body, even Kakashi had failed to recognize him after numerous encounters. As long as Diarmuid didn't out him, Rin wouldn't necessarily see through the "Madara" persona.
After briefing Rin, Diarmuid turned back to Orochimaru. "What did Danzo say? The bodies of Nagato and Yahiko turned up in the Hidden Rain again."
"Oh?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "It seems he doesn't want to dump all the blame on Hanzo anymore."
Regardless, the matter of the bodies didn't lead to any unexpected fallout, so Diarmuid didn't pursue it.
Orochimaru continued, "Danzo has agreed to all the terms you proposed. He will secretly provide us with a batch of supplies..."
As Orochimaru recounted the details of the agreement, Diarmuid nodded with satisfaction. "Next, it's time to get everything on the right track."
"Heh, what track is that? Do you intend to develop the Land of Rain?" Orochimaru asked with a wicked grin.
"Not interested," Diarmuid dismissed the idea with a wave.
He had no interest in building the Land of Rain into a Great Power. He took over this country so that the Land of Rain could serve the Yorozuya, not the other way around.
After a pause, Diarmuid clarified, "My point is that moving forward, we can use the advantages of the Land of Rain to facilitate whatever the Yorozuya needs to do. That goes for your research as well. Having a fixed, stable base makes it easier to recruit elites in the future."
"That is true," Orochimaru agreed.
"I currently lack an administrative talent. Do you have any good candidates to recommend?" Diarmuid asked.
He had no intention of personally managing the country. At most, he would provide protection. With him here, the Land of Rain would remain peaceful and stable for a long time. Everything else required someone to manage the nation according to his will and serve the interests of the Yorozuya.
Orochimaru might have the talent, as he did eventually build the Hidden Sound Village, but right now, he had zero interest in politics. He only cared about research. Diarmuid felt the same; he planned to lay low for a while, waiting for the "Eye of the Moon Plan" group to make their move while he studied Sage Mode and developed the power of Wood Release.
Kakuzu could manage money, but not a country. Jūzō was a pure brawler. Sasori might have the talent, but he certainly lacked the interest.
Diarmuid realized he was short on "management-type" subordinates.
Orochimaru thought for a moment. "Nothing comes to mind immediately. I'll give it some thought and get back to you."
"Fine," Diarmuid nodded.