One month later.
An alliance formed by several small nations, including the Land of Grass, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Sky, along with the Land of Wind, officially declared war on Konoha.
With the sound of an explosion, the war was officially set in motion.
News of the large-scale battle quickly spread, traveling from one person to ten, ten to a hundred, and a hundred to a thousand. Even the Land of Bears, located near the coastline and far from the main battlefield, received word of it.
Inside a restaurant, travelers returning from various countries shared the latest information with the locals.
In a secluded corner, Tōshirō, who was in the middle of eating, nearly choked when he overheard the conversation. His eyes rolled back, and he almost passed out.
Clenching his fist, Tōshirō pounded on his chest, then gulped down some tea to force the food down. Only then did he manage to recover.
What the hell was going on? Why had war broken out so suddenly?
According to the original timeline, this period should have only seen minor skirmishes at most. How had a full-scale war erupted out of nowhere?
Sitting across from him, Kakuzu remained indifferent upon hearing the news. He merely lifted an eyelid and watched as Tōshirō left his seat, went to another table to gather information, and then returned. Finally, Kakuzu moved his lips slightly.
"Finished asking around?"
Tōshirō sat back down, still looking shaken. "This is war we're talking about! Aren't you surprised at all?"
"In my time, this was just an everyday occurrence."
Kakuzu was born in the Warring States period. To him, war was nothing out of the ordinary.
Hearing the news had slightly surprised him, but since he no longer served any village, he simply adopted an attitude of detachment.
"Your time?"
Tōshirō's eyes lit up as if he had caught onto something. He exaggeratedly widened his eyes and feigned shock.
Kakuzu: …
Tōshirō gazed at him with curiosity. "Now that I think about it, I don't even know how old you are. Just how old are you?"
Of course, he already knew Kakuzu's age. He was just testing how much Kakuzu trusted him.
The moment Kakuzu revealed his past, it would mean their relationship had taken a significant step forward.
Kakuzu realized he had let something slip. Perhaps because they had spent a long time together, he didn't reject the question outright like before. Instead, he gave a vague answer:
"I once fought your village's First Hokage."
This answer left his age open-ended.
A flicker of excitement flashed through Tōshirō's eyes, but he pretended to be skeptical. "Seriously? You fought him?"
"Believe it or not." Kakuzu's voice was cold.
"Don't tell me you just threw a shuriken from 800 meters away and called it a fight?"
At this remark, Kakuzu's expression darkened, and his tone grew menacing. "If you want to die, I can grant your wish."
Tōshirō quickly backed down and laughed. "Just joking! No need to get worked up."
He swiftly changed the subject. "Uh… why did you fight him in the first place?"
"I was ordered by my village..." Kakuzu paused mid-sentence and let out a cold laugh. "To assassinate him."
As he spoke, he gave Tōshirō a meaningful look, as if trying to gauge his reaction.
Tōshirō lowered his head, falling silent in thought. That reaction was to be expected—after all, any normal Konoha shinobi would react upon hearing such a thing.
After a long pause, Tōshirō hesitantly asked, "Uh… can I ask you a question?"
"You don't believe me?"
Tōshirō shook his head. "I was just wondering… were your village's higher-ups complete idiots?"
Kakuzu's half-closed eyes flickered with confusion, as if to say, What do you mean?
"Isn't it obvious? A shinobi as strong as the First Hokage—how could he possibly be assassinated? If it were possible, your higher-ups wouldn't have needed to give out that order in the first place."
Tōshirō looked at Kakuzu's masked face, where only his eyes were visible, and smirked. "Don't you think so, Kakuzu bro?"
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he changed his tone and teased, "Or should I say… Kakuzu grandpa?"
Kakuzu's face immediately darkened. Technically speaking, Tōshirō wasn't wrong. Given his age, he really did qualify as an old man. But hearing it from this brat, who always acted like a grown-up, was irritating.
Before Kakuzu could get mad, Tōshirō spoke again. "Of course, when you look at it from another angle, this whole thing actually makes sense."
"Go on. If your answer doesn't satisfy me..." Kakuzu narrowed his eyes threateningly. "I might just turn you in for a bounty."
Tōshirō remained unfazed and presented his theory. "Either they were stupid or they were up to something."
Kakuzu found the phrase oddly refreshing.
"In my opinion, if your former superiors weren't complete fools, then they probably wanted to use this mission as a way to get rid of you."
Kakuzu's mind went blank for a moment. He didn't understand—he had always been a loyal, hardworking shinobi. Why would his village's leaders want him dead?
"I don't recall ever offending them." Kakuzu's voice was low.
Tōshirō stared at him. "Are you sure? Think carefully."
Kakuzu responded firmly. "I'm sure."
Tōshirō didn't beat around the bush. "That's not right. Your biggest problem was that you were too strong."
Kakuzu's pupils slightly contracted.
Tōshirō rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'm guessing you weren't from one of the Five Great Nations, were you?"
Kakuzu remained silent.
Tōshirō grinned. "You're not denying it, so I'll take that as a yes."
"Hmph."
"In this world, shinobi at Kage-level strength are extremely rare, especially in small nations. The odds of one appearing are slim to none."
Tōshirō subtly flattered him, making his words sound natural and persuasive. Kakuzu didn't show it, but he clearly enjoyed the compliment.
"Normally, with your strength, you would have made countless contributions to your village, become a hero, and eventually been chosen as its leader."
Kakuzu nodded slightly, not denying it.
Back then, he had indeed been well-respected in his village, and becoming its leader wasn't an impossibility.
Kakuzu asked, "But what does that have to do with the higher-ups wanting me dead?"
"It has everything to do with it. If you had become the village leader, whose interests would have been threatened?"
Realization dawned on Kakuzu. His expression darkened as he muttered, "Fools. They did all this just for such a petty reason? I never even wanted to be the village leader."
Tōshirō shook his head. "It doesn't matter whether you wanted it or not. What mattered was that you could."
Kakuzu let out a cold snort, looking disdainful.
Without him, Takigakure's power had greatly declined, turning it into a third-rate ninja village.
"Originally, if you weren't so strong, the village's leaders could have easily manipulated things to pass leadership to their own heirs. But your strength was too overwhelming—it disrupted everything."
"So they came up with this desperate plan: send you to assassinate the First Hokage. If you succeeded, great. If you failed, they'd still have cleared the way for their chosen successors."
This wasn't just nonsense. In the original story, Takigakure's leader was just a kid—clearly the result of hereditary rule rather than merit.
Kakuzu listened to Tōshirō's analysis. He thought back to the village's new leadership, all of whom were the offspring of the previous higher-ups.
Suddenly, everything clicked.
Kakuzu was momentarily stunned. He gazed into the distance, his eyes reflecting a strange mix of emotions, and murmured, "Going back to the village, huh…?"
Ever since becoming a rogue ninja, he had never thought about returning to the village one day.
Now that the opportunity was right in front of him, saying he wasn't tempted would be a lie.
After all, when he was young, he had been an idealistic ninja. If not for that betrayal, he wouldn't have ended up like this.
During his days as a bandit with this brat in front of him, he wasn't sure if it was because the money came too quickly or too easily…
To be honest, his attitude toward money wasn't as obsessive as it used to be.
Without the drive to earn money, he suddenly felt a sense of emptiness inside. And now, returning to the village, clearing his name, and becoming the leader of Takigakure seemed like a good way to fill that void.
Tōshirō noticed Kakuzu's wavering attitude and pressed on: "If you want, I can help you come up with a plan."
Kakuzu didn't believe for a second that Tōshirō would be kind enough to help him for nothing. "What are you trying to gain from me this time, brat?"
"How cruel! Is that really how you see me?"
Kakuzu sneered, "Am I wrong?"
Tōshirō smirked, no longer pretending. "Fine, I admit it. I do have something I want from you."
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes.
Tōshirō continued, "Right now, my village is at war with other nations. As a member of my village, I need to recruit powerful allies."
Kakuzu was surprised but skeptical. "You? Someone like you actually cares about your village?"
"Don't judge me by my attitude. At the end of the day, I'm still a part of my village," Tōshirō said narcissistically. "Even though I'm a genius and see things more clearly than most, this is still the place that raised me. Of course, I have some attachment to it."
"As long as the village doesn't betray me or go beyond what I can tolerate, I am still Konoha's Tōshirō."
Kakuzu thought about it seriously before speaking. "Your perspective always surprises me."
Tōshirō grinned shamelessly. "That's because I'm a genius."
"Hmph." Kakuzu remained indifferent.
Tōshirō asked, "So, what do you think?"
"Fine, I'll agree. If you can really do what you say—help me return to my village and make me its leader—I'll help you. But I expect payment for my assistance."
"Talking about money between us is so unnecessary."
"Helping you is a personal favor. But village matters are between villages."
"Oh? You're already thinking like a leader before even becoming one. Not bad."
Kakuzu: ...
Tōshirō stopped teasing him, crossing his fingers and resting his chin on them. "Now, can you tell me your village?"
Kakuzu hesitated for a moment before speaking in a deep voice, "Takigakure."
Tōshirō blinked. "Takigakure?"
"That's my former village."
Tōshirō thought for a moment before teasing, "Oh~ no wonder you were so fixated on the Land of Waterfalls back then. You had this plan all along. You're quite the schemer."
"So what if I am?" Kakuzu didn't deny it.
Tōshirō thought for a moment and said, "Now that I think about it, Takigakure has a tailed beast, right?"
Kakuzu was surprised. "You even know about that?"
Tōshirō smirked. "Never underestimate my clan's information network."
Then, he mumbled to himself, "It's strange… It's not a major nation, yet they were assigned a tailed beast and haven't lost it."
Hearing this, Kakuzu became irritated. The village only possessed the tailed beast thanks to his efforts.
Tōshirō asked, "Does your village have a Jinchūriki now?"
"How would I know?" Kakuzu hadn't been back in ages and had no clue.
Tōshirō chuckled. "I have a bold idea. Want to hear it?"
Kakuzu frowned slightly at the mischievous look in Tōshirō's eyes. "What are you planning?"
Tōshirō grinned wickedly. "I heard that if someone becomes a Jinchūriki, they gain immense power. Kakuzu, have you ever considered becoming the Seven-Tails' host?"
Upon hearing this, even Kakuzu was taken aback, glaring fiercely at Tōshirō.
Tōshirō continued teasing, "Your body is already weird because of your secret technique. Adding a tailed beast shouldn't make much of a difference. With your strength, controlling the beast's power shouldn't be too hard."
Jokes aside, the Seven-Tails actually suited Kakuzu quite well.
In the original story, the Seven-Tails was quite underwhelming, not living up to its supposed power.
But unlike the other eight tailed beasts, the Seven-Tails could fly. Combined with Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear technique, which allowed him to create flying creatures, it would be a terrifying combination.
Imagine a Jinchūriki with five lives. The thought alone was terrifying.
"If you're so interested, why don't you become a Jinchūriki yourself?" Kakuzu snapped. "If anyone should do it, it's you with those eyes."
Tōshirō laughed awkwardly. "I think I'll pass…"
Then, he seriously analyzed the benefits of being a Jinchūriki for Kakuzu.
At first, Kakuzu scoffed, but as he listened, he actually started considering it. Takigakure was too weak. If not for the major nations avoiding breaking the balance, they wouldn't be able to keep their tailed beast.
After this war, the world's balance might shift. Whether Takigakure could continue holding onto the beast was uncertain.
So instead of risking it, why not make himself the Jinchūriki and become a powerhouse?
If he could return to his village and successfully become its leader, it was an option he would consider.
Seeing Kakuzu seriously contemplating the idea, Tōshirō was stunned. He had just been joking! Was this guy actually considering it?
Becoming a Jinchūriki was a double-edged sword—it depended on the person.
For Kakuzu, the benefits outweighed the risks. But for Tōshirō, the risks were greater. Besides, even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be chosen. That "honor" was reserved for the Uzumaki clan.
The village's leadership would have to be insane to place a tailed beast inside an Uchiha.
If he ever ended up with a tailed beast inside him, combined with his Sharingan, the village leadership would probably want him dead immediately.
An "evil" Sharingan combined with an "evil" tailed beast? The village would never tolerate that.
After finishing their meal, they received sudden news that a major battle was about to break out. Tōshirō had no choice but to abandon his plans with Kakuzu in the Land of Bears and return to the village.
If he delayed any longer, the village would likely send people to retrieve him.
There was no escaping a war of this scale.
Sigh, war…At his age, he really didn't want to fight in a war. A single misstep could mean death.
Before, he could have just slacked off and avoided responsibility. But now, because of his bond with Tsunade, he couldn't do that anymore.
If their relationship ever got out, and people knew that Tsunade's boyfriend had a tainted past, she would inevitably face criticism.
Tsunade might not care, but as her boyfriend, Tōshirō did.
Now he understood the saying: Once a person has bonds, they also have weaknesses.
"Brat, don't die in this war."
Before parting, Kakuzu made a special point to say this.
"Of course. I have protagonist plot armor—how could I die?"
…Protagonist plot armor?
Seeing Kakuzu's confused expression, Tōshirō chuckled, waved goodbye, and headed toward Konoha.
(End of Chapter)
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