"Think about it. If Hanzo doesn't accept Akatsuki and declares us rogue ninja, forcing everyone here to carve a slash through their Ame forehead protector, would we be good people or bad people?"
This question left everyone stunned. Yahiko thought for a moment and said, "If this Kakuzu is truly not a bad person, maybe we can give it a try."
Obito thought about it and suddenly felt awkward.
Out of habit, he naturally included all the Akatsuki members from his past life, wanting to recruit them all.
But Kakuzu—if you say he has grievances, that's true.
The village assigned him the mission to assassinate Hashirama, basically a suicide task. He went, survived, and came back alive. A miracle in itself.
Yet in the end, the village blamed him instead. Who could tolerate that?
But if you say he's a good person? Not even close.
For the sake of bounties, Kakuzu would kill anyone without hesitation, even his own teammates.
In his past life, Nagato had quite a headache dealing with Kakuzu's behavior. It was only with Zetsu's help that he found Hidan, an immortal partner, to pair with Kakuzu, bringing some stability.
Thinking of this, Obito sighed, "This Kakuzu isn't really a good person. Looks like we need to be more cautious when recruiting people."
Yahiko, on the other hand, grew curious, "Obito, you seem to take Kakuzu very seriously. He must have extraordinary abilities. Can you tell us about his strength?"
Obito said flatly, "His strength… He's indeed very strong. Even if he isn't as powerful as Jiraiya-sama, you can still consider him a weaker version of the Third Hokage. In some ways, he possesses the strength of a Kage from a major village."
"What!", The members of Akatsuki had expected Kakuzu to be strong, but not this strong.
A powerhouse with the strength of a Kage from a major nation. Could they even recruit someone like that?
Yahiko said, "Obito, Jiraiya-sensei is already a top-tier powerhouse. We are all his students, and we deeply understand his strength, it can only be described as unfathomable."
"If Kakuzu is only slightly weaker than Jiraiya-sama, there's no way we can recruit him."
But Obito responded, "If it's just about recruitment, I have a very high chance of success. Kakuzu's desires are actually very simple and align well with Akatsuki. He likes making money but doesn't like spending it. If we have him, Akatsuki's financial situation will no longer be a concern."
Yahiko was immediately tempted. Although the Uchiha had given them a hundred million ryo, an organization could not develop by relying on others for money. They needed their own source of income to sustain themselves.
So, he cautiously asked, "Then… if Kakuzu really joins Akatsuki, can he become good?"
Obito thought for a moment, then glanced at Nagato, making Nagato feel confused.
In his past life, Nagato and Kakuzu had a great relationship, which was why he tolerated Kakuzu's habit of killing his teammates and even kept finding partners for him.
And Kakuzu was incredibly loyal to the organization. Thanks to him, their financial issues were solved.
Obito even suspected that among the billion explosive tags Konan used in the past, part of the money used to buy them might have come from Kakuzu's earnings.
That would truly be Kakuzu's tears.
So, convincing Kakuzu to be good seemed feasible.
With Nagato around, they could build an emotional connection. Additionally, Kakuzu simply liked making money. If they found a legitimate business more profitable than hunting rogue ninja, he might switch professions.
Obito happened to have a way to make money. Using the chakra energy device he had developed while experimenting with Hashirama cells. He hadn't figured out how to sell it yet, but maybe he could let Kakuzu try.
So, Obito nodded, "It's possible. I can give it a try."
"Also, I have another candidate. He's a puppet master. At this point in time, his identity is rather sensitive, but he's not purely evil. If I meet him, I can try recruiting him too."
Yahiko was surprised, "The vision of a noble from the Five Great Nations is truly different. You can instantly identify so many talented people."
Obito scoffed inwardly, 'The so-called vision of the Five Great Nations isn't all that impressive. Finding these people is only possible due to my past life knowledge and Zetsu's intelligence-gathering skills.'
He laughed and said, "Additionally, there's a strong individual in the Land of Wind whom we can recruit. This time, it's more reassuring. She's a good person."
Konan suddenly felt something was off. She gave Obito a suspicious look and asked, "Obito, why does all of this seem too convenient… like you've been planning Akatsuki's future all along and handpicking these specific people?"
Obito coughed a few times and said, "Konan nee-san, you're overthinking it. Anyway, as a member of Akatsuki, I can't always stay here. Doing something for the organization is only natural."
Yahiko nodded, "Recruiting these strong individuals… there won't be any danger, right?"
Obito showed a confident expression, "Don't worry, there won't be any danger."
Only then did Yahiko feel reassured. He then smiled and said, "To celebrate Akatsuki gaining another companion and securing a significant financial boost, let's hold a feast!"
This proposal made all the Akatsuki members cheer, filling the atmosphere with joy.
Obito looked at the smiling faces of these early Akatsuki members and suddenly felt that, compared to the gloomy organization it later became, this was how Akatsuki should be before the dawn.
Thus, they held a grand welcoming ceremony for Obito, gathering together for a luxurious lunch.
At the dining table, Obito recalled the promise he had made to the original three Akatsuki members in his past life. Suddenly, he felt that peace could be achieved even without the use of illusions.
After the meal, Obito stood up and bid farewell to Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, and the others, "This time, I came under the guise of a mission outside the village. I still have other important matters to attend to, so I need to leave."
Konan was surprised, "You're leaving so soon? But your Akatsuki uniform hasn't even been made yet."
Obito smiled, "I can pick it up next time. Since my identity is sensitive, please keep it a secret for me."
Yahiko nodded, "Don't worry. Akatsuki will never reveal any secrets about a comrade. Even if we die, we will take them to our graves."
Obito nodded, "No need to be that extreme. If there ever comes a day when revealing my information can save your lives, don't hesitate—just say it."
"Afterward… I will personally handle it!"
Yahiko laughed, "Then Obito, we won't hold you back. Come visit often."
Obito nodded, preparing to leave, but was suddenly stopped by Konan.
Konan took out an origami flower from her sleeve and winked at Obito, "This is for you. Don't forget your sister, okay?"
Obito stared blankly at the flower. In his past life, Konan had never given him something like this. It seemed like he had seen a similar one in Naruto's memories.
Suddenly, he beamed with a radiant smile and carefully accepted the flower, "Thank you, Konan nee-san."
However, that wasn't the end.
Konan's face revealed a mischievous smile as she pulled out a bottle of dark purple nail polish from her sleeve.
"Obito, you can skip the Akatsuki uniform for now, but you can at least wear the nail polish. Here, let me paint it for you."
Before Obito could protest, she swiftly applied the polish to all his fingernails.
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