Inside a Japanese-style room, Kizaru sat at the head of the table, with Tsunade and Orochimaru seated on either side of him.
Once the New Year passed, a new term would begin at the Ninja Academy, and with it, the reformed classes would officially start.
Because of that, the three of them had gathered for a small meeting at the Shimura clan estate.
Two sets of documents lay in front of Kizaru. One was the curriculum and teaching materials Orochimaru had prepared for the scientific research class. The other was Tsunade's lesson plan and materials for the medical class.
Kizaru did not pretend to understand every professional detail in those documents.
But he trusted the two specialists sitting beside him.
After briefly flipping through both files, Kizaru raised his eyes toward them and spoke in his usual slow, relaxed tone.
"Well… I don't know much about the finer details of these study plans and materials. But I trust your abilities. If the two of you say they're ready, then there shouldn't be any problem."
Hearing that, Tsunade and Orochimaru both smiled.
Being trusted so directly by Kizaru made them feel genuinely at ease.
"Have you chosen the teachers?" Kizaru asked.
"I've already prepared my side," Tsunade replied. "I arranged for five medical-nin from the hospital. They're all experienced, and they're also good at teaching others."
"I have made the necessary arrangements as well," Orochimaru said calmly.
Kizaru nodded with satisfaction.
"Then that's good."
As the three of them continued speaking, a figure suddenly appeared outside the wooden sliding door.
"Kizaru-sama. A bounty shinobi is requesting an audience with you."
After hearing the Root shinobi's report, Kizaru had a rough idea of who had come, and why.
A faint, amused smile appeared on his face.
"I see. Take care of him for now."
"Yes."
The Root shinobi responded and disappeared in an instant.
After confirming that the presence outside the door had left, Tsunade and Orochimaru looked at Kizaru again, curiosity showing in their eyes.
"Maybe we'll have one more companion in the future," Kizaru said with a smile.
"Is it the bounty shinobi from Takigakure?" Orochimaru asked first.
Kizaru nodded.
"That man has Kage-level strength. And recently… he seems to have run into a little trouble."
Orochimaru's interest was immediately stirred. A faint excitement appeared in his narrow eyes.
"If anything interesting happens, call me at any time."
"Kizaru, be careful," Tsunade said, unable to hide her concern after hearing that a Kage-level shinobi was involved.
Kizaru gave her a reassuring look, then rose from his seat.
"You two drink some tea first. I'll be back soon."
After saying that, Kizaru left the room under their gazes.
In the room arranged by Konoha's shinobi, Kakuzu sat quietly.
On the surface, he looked calm.
But the disturbance in his heart had yet to settle.
Holding the money case in his right hand, Kakuzu waited for Kizaru's arrival while silently considering his next move.
What should he do if that old monster, Uchiha Madara, refused to let him go?
Join Konoha?
No.
Seek shelter under Kizaru?
That was worth considering.
Of course, there was an even better choice.
Ask Kizaru to kill Uchiha Madara.
Or hire him to do it.
But the cost of that…
Just thinking about it made Kakuzu feel as though his heart had been cut open.
Kakuzu liked earning money.
He hated spending it.
Especially when the money had to be spent because of trouble he had never asked for in the first place. That made the pain even worse.
He had worked as a bounty shinobi for most of his life, all for the sake of making money.
And yet now, he might have to spend money to hire someone else to solve his problem.
Damn Uchiha Madara.
Why hasn't that old bastard died of age already?
While Kakuzu was thinking, the door opened.
Under the lead of a Root shinobi, Kizaru entered the room.
"You can leave us," Kizaru said, looking at Kakuzu.
Without asking anything, the Root shinobi withdrew from the room and quietly closed the door behind him.
"Ohh… it's been a long time, Kakuzu-san."
Kizaru smiled as he walked over and sat down across from Kakuzu.
"Uchiha Madara found me," Kakuzu said directly, staring at Kizaru. "He's targeting me."
Kizaru crossed his legs in a relaxed manner and smiled.
"Don't worry. He wouldn't dare step into the village."
Kakuzu gave a small nod.
"Does Konoha want to kill that old man?"
If possible, Kakuzu even wanted to push Kizaru and Konoha into taking action against Uchiha Madara.
If Konoha and Kizaru were willing, then perhaps he could even turn this into a commission and make a profit from it.
"Kill Uchiha Madara?" Kizaru drawled, his tone lazy and exaggerated. "Oooh… how frightening."
"If you have a plan to kill Uchiha Madara, I can participate," Kakuzu said. "I'll give you a fifty percent discount."
"Oh? You really never miss a chance to make money, do you, Kakuzu-san?"
Seeing that Kakuzu was still thinking about profit even in this situation, Kizaru could not help laughing.
After hesitating for a moment, Kakuzu showed a visibly pained expression.
"This time, I'll do it for free."
Kizaru smiled and shook his head. Then he lowered his raised leg and stood up.
"The village has no plan to kill Uchiha Madara. If you really need him dead, you can go to the mission office and post a request. An S-rank mission should be suitable."
"Uchiha Madara is a missing-nin from Konoha. He is recruiting rogue shinobi and bounty hunters everywhere. He must be planning something against you," Kakuzu continued, still trying to persuade him.
"To be honest, the one who wants Uchiha Madara dead the most right now should be you, Kakuzu-san."
Kizaru had no intention of dragging the conversation out any further, so he went straight to the point.
Kakuzu's expression shifted slightly.
After a moment of silence, he said, "That man's subordinates chased me for an entire day and night. They only stopped when I reached Konoha."
"If Madara has his eye on you, it'll be hard for you to keep doing bounty work and making money," Kizaru said plainly.
Kakuzu nodded and admitted it.
"Even old as he is, I'm not his match."
"Then how about joining us?" Kizaru asked. "Become a member of Konoha, and the village will naturally protect you."
Taking advantage of this rare opportunity, Kizaru extended the invitation once more.
"I won't join another shinobi village," Kakuzu replied without hesitation. "I don't trust villages."
"Then would you consider joining me instead?" Kizaru asked with a smile. "Become one of my personal companions."
This time, Kakuzu did not immediately refuse.
After a short moment of thought, he said, "I need time to consider it."
"Of course. A decision like that takes time. I won't force you."
As a very considerate person, Kizaru naturally had no intention of pressuring someone too hard.
Kakuzu quietly let out a breath of relief, then looked at Kizaru again.
"If I join you, what do you intend to have me do?"
To be honest, Kizaru had not yet fully decided how to arrange this excellent tool of a man who had suddenly delivered himself to his door.
"For now, your work would only be checking accounts and managing finances. The amount of work I promised you before will be counted as your monthly salary."
"I understand. I'll think about it."
"You'll stay at the Shimura clan estate for the time being. I'll have someone arrange a room for you. Don't worry too much. Just think of it as staying at a friend's house."
Kakuzu nodded.
He liked Kizaru's attitude.
"Are you truly not going to make a plan against Uchiha Madara?"
Kakuzu believed that with Kizaru's mind, there was no way he could fail to understand the situation.
Uchiha Madara had survived until now.
And now, he had suddenly begun recruiting shinobi.
There had to be a much larger conspiracy behind it.
Was Kizaru not worried?
Was he not curious?
That was Uchiha Madara.
The man once known as the Ghost of the Uchiha.
Unfortunately, Kakuzu did not know that the man sitting in front of him understood Uchiha Madara and his plan better than anyone else.
Even better than Madara himself.
"We've always had a plan," Kizaru replied with a smile.
"Can you tell me?"
Kakuzu was genuinely curious.
"Strengthening ourselves is the best answer. In front of true power, a rat hiding in the sewer will always be nothing more than a rat."
At that moment, Kizaru's voice carried complete confidence.
"As expected of you, Kizaru."
Kakuzu felt as though he now understood Kizaru a little more deeply.
The man before him was far more confident than he had imagined.
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it domineering.
Was this the heart of the new God of Shinobi?
Just like Senju Hashirama back then.
The man who had once let him live.
"In any case, stay here peacefully for now. I believe you'll come to like this place."
After saying that, Kizaru stood up, smiled at Kakuzu, and prepared to leave.
"The person assigned to receive you will make the arrangements. I still have something to handle, so I'll be going first."
Watching Kizaru leave, Kakuzu showed a faint smile.
Back then, he had followed the wrong people and been shamelessly betrayed.
This time, standing before the new God of Shinobi, should he place another bet?
While Kakuzu hesitated in thought, outside Konoha, in a forest roughly five miles away from the village, Uchiha Madara stood in silence.
Looking toward Konoha in the distance, Madara's mood was faintly complicated.
Hashirama.
When I look at the shinobi world now, your plan has already failed.
The shinobi village system you created could not bring peace to this world.
I will correct your mistake.
I will bring true peace to this world.
I will create a new world.
A world of dreams.
A black figure emerged halfway from the ground.
Black Zetsu, who had followed Kakuzu all the way to Konoha, returned to Uchiha Madara's side.
"Madara-sama. Kakuzu is under Konoha's protection."
"Did he enter the village?" Madara asked coldly, looking down at Black Zetsu.
"Kakuzu has entered the Shimura clan's territory. Kizaru is there, so I didn't dare get too close," Black Zetsu replied.
"Shimura Kizaru."
As Madara spoke that name, his expression grew even colder.
In Uchiha Madara's view, among all the shinobi in the world today, only that man could truly be called his enemy.
That bastard had rejected his goodwill and chosen to interfere from the side.
More importantly, he possessed the strength to actually stop him.
"You made the right choice. Do not provoke that man. At least, not for now."
"Are we abandoning Kakuzu?" Black Zetsu asked.
"No. Leave a few White Zetsu outside and keep watch. He will come out eventually."
"Yes, Madara-sama."
Black Zetsu smiled, his expression carrying a faint, sinister malice.
As the true mastermind hiding behind the scenes, Black Zetsu stood in complete opposition to Kizaru. He hated Konoha deeply.
In his eyes, Kizaru was a variable in the plan he had been cooking for a thousand years.
A variable that had to be removed.
"Madara-sama, for the sake of your plan, should we eliminate Kizaru?" Black Zetsu asked deliberately.
"Yes. Before I die, I will deal with that man."
Looking in Konoha's direction, Uchiha Madara spoke in a grave voice.
"He is very strong. We will need preparations, and we will need time."
Hearing Madara's answer, Black Zetsu smiled again.
That was exactly what he had wanted to hear.
"Black Zetsu, continue recruiting other shinobi. We need more power."
For the sake of caution, Uchiha Madara did not intend to remain near Konoha for too long.
Although he did not want to admit it, Madara understood very well that his current old and weakened body was no match for Kizaru.
"Yes, Madara-sama."
Black Zetsu answered with a smile, then sank back into the earth.
After Black Zetsu disappeared, Uchiha Madara looked toward Konoha one last time.
His gaze lingered for a moment.
Then he turned and left.
After Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu had gone, a figure appeared out of thin air not far from where they had been standing.
It was Kizaru.
He had followed Black Zetsu after leaving Kakuzu's room.
With the awakening of his Devil Fruit ability, combined with the improvement of his genjutsu, Kizaru's concealment had become even more refined.
Neither the aged Madara nor Black Zetsu had noticed his presence.
Thank you for the gift.
Looking in the direction Uchiha Madara had left, Kizaru smiled.
Through Kakuzu's incident, Kizaru had discovered a use for Madara.
A very useful one.
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