Kakuzu stood before Sarutobi Hiruzen and nodded in acknowledgment to the various Konoha committee members applauding for him.
'None of them are ordinary people…'
'No need to even mention some of the old veterans—they're all famous throughout the ninja world…'
'And there are quite a few young people too. This village truly has orderly succession… Especially that blond-haired kid. He gives me a dangerous feeling…'
Kakuzu looked toward Namikaze Minato, whose face carried a bright, sunny smile, and memorized that face.
After witnessing Konoha's strength, Kakuzu had completely settled his mindset. He no longer looked down on others just because of his own vast experience.
And once his mentality changed, the sixth sense sharpened by decades of experience gradually became keen again.
In the ninja world, smiling shinobi were always the ones worth paying extra attention to.
Kakuzu deliberately glanced at the nameplate on the table.
'Konoha Alternate Committee Member — Namikaze Minato.'
Either a paranoid lunatic… or someone so overwhelmingly talented or powerful that they still had the luxury to smile.
Kakuzu was a smart man.
Although he had only just arrived in the village, with the recognition of Hiruzen and Uzumaki Mito, he had already gained a foothold.
But no matter how wonderful Konoha was, it was still an organization made up of people. And where there were people, there were social currents. He needed time to gradually understand the temperament and character of every important member…
Still, Kakuzu was not under much pressure, since he directly answered to Hiruzen.
The only reason he was bothering with this was because he wanted to integrate into the village as quickly as possible.
Hiruzen patted Kakuzu on the shoulder.
"Go take a seat first…"
Kakuzu nodded. After hesitating slightly, he walked over beside Minato near the alternate members' seats.
"May I sit here?"
"Please do…" Minato replied with a smile and a nod.
Ordinarily, Uzumaki Kushina, who was also an alternate committee member, would have been sitting next to him.
But recently, under Mito's supervision, Kushina and Shio had been undergoing special training, so neither of them attended.
"Kakuzu is an old friend of Konohagakure…" Hiruzen said with a warm smile.
"He once crossed paths with the First Hokage and was praised by him as a spirited young man. The First Hokage even lamented that he wasn't a shinobi of Konoha…"
"Mito-sama also told me that the First Hokage believed he was a man who possessed the Will of Fire."
"After going through some unpleasant experiences, Kakuzu became a missing-nin of Takigakure and spent decades as a bounty hunter. But because he remembered the First Hokage's kindness, he always remained friendly toward the Land of Fire and Konoha."
"And now, moved by the Will of Fire, he has joined the village…"
Right from the start, the Hokage had established the narrative surrounding Kakuzu!
The combined endorsement of both Mito and Hashirama carried enough weight to suppress anyone's doubts.
And interestingly enough—
Although Hashirama's status and reputation in Konoha were rock solid, the committee members actually cared more about Mito's opinion.
Because the smarter members understood something.
If Mito approved of Kakuzu, then it meant he had passed the tests of the Mind's Eye of the Kagura and malicious intent sensing. He had already been thoroughly vetted.
That wasn't some vague, abstract trust.
It was reliability proven through actual techniques.
Kakuzu looked at Hiruzen, his expression slightly emotional.
He could somewhat understand Hyūga Hizashi now…
This was a leader who followed rules and principles. Not only did he honor agreements, he always fulfilled them generously beyond expectations.
"Hiruzen, recruiting missing-nin is still a rather sensitive matter…"
Seated to Hiruzen's left in the advisor's position, Shimura Danzō spoke in a deep voice.
"In the ninja world, the Five Great Hidden Villages have always operated under the unspoken rule that missing-nin cannot be taken in. It's been an accepted convention for decades…"
"Kusagakure's Hōzuki Castle prison was created for precisely this reason."
This time, Danzō wasn't making things up. The ninja world really did share this consensus.
You could dispatch spies, but sheltering missing-nin was another matter entirely.
If that kind of trend spread, it would benefit no hidden village in the long run…
Still, even if he wasn't intentionally targeting Kakuzu, Danzō genuinely felt uncomfortable about Kakuzu joining Konoha.
Wait, you actually agreed to join Konoha?!
What happened to all that intelligence saying you worshipped money and despised villages as hypocritical collectives?!
Couldn't you preserve at least a little integrity?!
Danzō secretly shot Hiruzen a glance.
He truly had no answer for that monkey anymore.
He managed to rope even this guy into Konoha?
At that moment, Danzō found himself thinking something very similar to Tobirama…
How could he possibly believe the First Hokage had really praised Kakuzu like that? This was definitely some wild historical tale Hiruzen had invented!
'Looks like I really can't back out of my bet with Hiruzen anymore…'
'Do I really have to grin while walking around the entire village like Duy?'
'Kakuzu's mouth is even fouler than Orochimaru's! How the hell are you supposed to govern Konoha properly while working alongside vermin like this?!' Danzō roared inwardly.
He still remembered exactly how Kakuzu had cursed him outside the Land of Fire capital…
Calling him someone who had tarnished the First Hokage's reputation!
But Danzō had no choice. All he could do was raise a few reasonable doubts.
There was no way he could openly oppose a decision Hiruzen had already made during a formal assembly…
Danzō knew very well that his old comrade had already been extremely tolerant toward him.
The other Konoha shinobi were probably insanely jealous of the treatment he received. If he pushed his luck any further, everyone would turn against him together…
Hearing Danzō's words, Kakuzu's face darkened.
'That mad dog!'
'He really knows exactly which sore spot to poke…'
Kakuzu was just about to say something.
But then he met Hiruzen's gaze, and Hiruzen signaled for him not to speak.
"What Danzō said cannot be considered entirely unreasonable, judging from the conventions the ninja world has followed in the past."
Hiruzen spoke with a light chuckle.
"But those are the rules of other hidden villages, not the rules of Konoha."
"Everyone, why do you think the hidden villages of the past never took in each other's missing-nin?"
"Can anyone answer me?"
Hiruzen shifted his gaze toward Danzō.
Danzō naturally knew the answer, but he still instinctively turned his head away. That answer did not benefit him…
"Sensei, let me answer that…"
Orochimaru stood up with a smile, his tone calm yet carrying an icy clarity.
"As long as the ninja code serves as an efficient ideological and control mechanism, taking in missing-nin is equivalent to providing a safety net for betraying one's village."
"That would essentially destroy the core of the ninja code itself. Even if you only accepted missing-nin from other villages, it would still shake the upper leadership's absolute control over their shinobi."
"Rather than mutually undermining and exhausting one another, it's better for each village to maintain internal stability through unspoken agreement."
"After all, the cruel and rigid demands imposed by the ninja code have always been problems no one could avoid or truly solve."
Hiruzen looked at Orochimaru with slight surprise.
Not bad…
He's improved!
Orochimaru slightly raised a brow. When he and Hiruko borrowed Hiruzen's speeches to study them, they hadn't merely memorized them superficially. They had studied the core ideology behind them.
Just as he himself had said, methods could be transferred, and learning worked the same way.
By applying scientific methodology to studying the Will of Fire, Orochimaru's theoretical understanding had advanced by leaps and bounds…
"Well said, Orochimaru."
Hiruzen smiled warmly.
"At this rate, your level might surpass mine soon. The village truly has worthy successors!"
It was meant as praise.
But when Orochimaru heard it, his heart trembled.
"Sensei, please don't say that. I still want to learn from you for another ten, even twenty years! I'm still young. I need further refinement…"
As soon as he finished speaking, Orochimaru quickly sat back down.
He had seized this opportunity to disgust Danzō a little, since Danzō had always been the one in Konoha who oppressed shinobi the hardest in the past. But he definitely did not want Hiruzen pushing him another step closer to becoming Hokage!
Orochimaru had already made up his mind…
For at least the next ten years, he wanted to continue doing free and unrestricted research before even thinking about the position of Hokage.
During that period, it would be enough for his prestige within Konoha to rise gradually. Orochimaru genuinely feared that Hiruzen might suddenly throw the burden aside and directly place the Hokage hat onto his head…
It wasn't that he couldn't wear it.
But it had to be worn slowly, steadily, with proper rhythm…
Hiruzen froze for a moment.
Why did he sit down so fast?
I barely even praised him yet…
Originally, Hiruzen had been thinking—
Orochimaru had recently achieved unexpected breakthroughs in research. Just a few days ago, he had reported yet another major improvement in the production yield of the Sage Region Pills.
As a reward, Hiruzen at least wanted to help his beloved student build some prestige and receive recognition from the committee members…
'Orochimaru is truly sinister!'
Danzō cursed viciously inwardly.
'He looked at me just now! Those words were aimed at mocking me, while simultaneously retreating to advance—subtly hinting to Hiruzen that he has no interest in the Hokage position…'
'What a slippery venomous snake!'
Hiruzen ignored the dark expression on Danzō's face beside him.
A moderate amount of internal conflict—getting red-faced and sweating a little—was healthy for keeping an organization alive and energetic…
"What Orochimaru described is precisely the key reason hidden villages refuse to accept so-called missing-nin. It's because they're all trapped in a situation of competing over who is less terrible…"
"We must understand that there are many kinds of missing-nin. Some are inherently evil and commit every atrocity imaginable. Others, like Kakuzu, suffered unfair treatment and could no longer endure it, so they left their villages."
Hiruzen tapped the table.
"I noticed some of our old veterans immediately changing expression the moment they heard the words 'missing-nin.' That's not good. Specific situations should be analyzed specifically."
"If one day our village is governed poorly, if the shinobi below can barely even survive, then waves of missing-nin will emerge one after another!"
"And don't think I'm exaggerating! Take Kakuzu for example—Takigakure insisted on forcing him into a meaningless death. If he didn't become a missing-nin, was he supposed to just wait to die? Even insects instinctively seek advantage and avoid harm. That's the most basic instinct of any living creature."
"I am absolutely not supporting missing-nin, nor am I saying shinobi should make endless demands without limits. When it comes time to defend the village, no one is allowed to retreat. That is non-negotiable."
"We have the Konoha committee system. We have channels of feedback at every level. When problems arise, the first thing we should consider is whether they can be solved, whether communication is possible—not frowning the moment we hear about them and reacting with instinctive displeasure."
"Stop clinging to outdated ideas all the time. We must abandon the mentality that shinobi are born as mere tools. All of you are the pillars of Konoha, committee members wearing the ceremonial robes of office. You should learn to keep up with the times!"
Hiruzen deliberately looked toward Isshin and Tenzō, the two old-school conservatives, and spoke earnestly.
"If the ninja code were truly that effective, then why do missing-nin still exist? You must understand—Konoha's core advantage is the Will of Fire. Competing with the other hidden villages over who is less terrible is nothing more than crippling our own greatest strength…"
Cold sweat trickled down Isshin and Tenzō's foreheads as they hurriedly nodded.
The position of clan head really did distort people…
After remaining in high positions for too long, both Isshin and Tenzō instinctively disliked the idea of shinobi beneath them rebelling. It was a habitual way of thinking formed over many years…
Kakuzu slowly let out a long breath.
Now he completely understood Hyūga Hizashi!
Just listen to the Hokage's perspective, this level of analysis—he was speaking entirely from Kakuzu's point of view…
"Has Hokage-sama always been like this?" Kakuzu leaned closer to Minato and asked in a lowered voice.
"Yes. Sensei's sensei has always been this way. He has always treated shinobi well, whether they come from ninja clans or civilian backgrounds. He is a truly remarkable Hokage…"
Minato said seriously: "He's a man like the great sun itself!"
Kakuzu took a deep breath.
First, because he admired Hiruzen's broad-mindedness…
Second, because he had noticed the title Minato used for Hiruzen—
Sensei's sensei!
'For my instincts to warn me about someone this young is already rare in the entire ninja world. As expected, he's an outstanding seedling personally cultivated by Hokage-sama…' Kakuzu thought inwardly.
"Hokage-sama truly has sharp judgment. Every person he chooses is someone who cannot be underestimated," Kakuzu said softly to Minato.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Kakuzu. I hope you can become my second friend in Konoha."
His first friend was naturally Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Of course Sensei's sensei has incredible judgment! Didn't he choose you too?"
Minato laughed brightly like a little sun.
"My intuition tells me you're an incredibly powerful shinobi…"
"My name is Namikaze Minato. I hope we can become close comrades from now on!"
Kakuzu and Minato shook hands amicably.
Hiruzen quietly took in the entire scene and smiled faintly.
How could foreign shinobi who joined Konoha later on become familiar with the village quickly and increase their loyalty?
Then you had to help them establish bonds of their own.
Minato fulfilled that role perfectly. And this hadn't even happened under Hiruzen's instruction—he had naturally formed a positive initial relationship with Kakuzu on his own…
'Minato alone isn't enough. Hiruko would work well too…'
A thought crossed Hiruzen's mind.
'And Asuma as well…'
Within Konoha's research division, the primary person in charge of Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear project was Hiruko, so the two of them already had a natural basis for interaction.
Lately, Sarutobi Asuma often spoke to Hiruzen after returning home.
Hiruko was always worried that he wasn't teaching him well enough.
Even though his teaching was already excellent, he still remained anxious, feeling that his combat ability and experience were lacking, afraid that he might fail Hiruzen's trust.
If Kakuzu were assigned there, then Asuma could naturally become the axis connecting them all tightly around Hiruzen himself…
Hiruko's workload would be reduced, and he would gain Kakuzu as a companion.
Kakuzu would gain contact with a Konoha committee member like Hiruko, while also becoming the second mentor of the Hokage's son…
Asuma would receive a good education.
And Hiruzen would further win over both Kakuzu and Hiruko.
A true four-way win…
'My foolish son is actually pretty useful after all…' Hiruzen chuckled inwardly.
He did not have especially high expectations for Asuma.
But as a lubricant for interpersonal relationships, the boy truly was extremely useful.
The same applied to Sarutobi Shinnosuke. Becoming related by marriage to the Daimyō's family had reassured many nobles throughout the Land of Fire.
Hiruzen looked toward Danzō.
"Advisor, don't you think what I said makes sense?"
Danzō's expression stiffened.
Hiruzen was clearly pointing those words at him…
The essence of the 'Seisui' incident had been Danzō using his authority as advisor to suppress matters beyond proper procedure.
If Danzō had simply added a few more explanations to the written report, then Tobirama would never have been able to rally even the elite ninja academy shinobi who trusted him the most. Naturally, the later public impeachment would never have happened either…
Even if Tobirama had stubbornly insisted on pushing forward, no one would have supported him. They would only have thought he was making trouble unreasonably…
"You're right. The Hokage is right."
Danzō let out a sigh.
"Failing to follow proper procedure not only damages the village's system, but nearly cost me a beloved disciple as well…"
"Everyone should learn from my mistakes!"
Hiruzen blinked.
The way that sounded…
Danzō and Tobirama-sensei seemed to be getting along rather well?
Hiruzen suddenly became curious about how the two interacted in private.
Tobirama-sensei really didn't seem like the type who would call Danzō 'sensei'…
'One day I should ask Danzō about it. It sounds like it would be interesting.'
Hiruzen lightly coughed.
"The purpose of today's meeting is first to let everyone get acquainted with Kakuzu. Both the Anbu and Root divisions must understand that he is one of our own now. The jōnin who frequently operate outside the village should also be informed. The committee members in charge may exercise their own judgment."
"As the advisor said, the ninja world's mindset is still relatively backward. Therefore, Kakuzu's identity will not be made public for the time being. This is also related to the mission the village has assigned him."
"And now, I'd like to discuss with everyone the issues concerning Amegakure and Konoha's economic transformation…"
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