With the addition of Sasori, the current Akatsuki team finally looked somewhat complete. The team now consisted of the boss behind the scenes Naruto, the boss Nagato, also known as Pain, Konan, Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, Orochimaru, Kakuzu, etc.
Now, only one person was left to recruit, and that was Uchiha Itachi. It was his turn.
After Naruto and Kakuzu received Sasori, they headed directly to the other side of the Land of Wind. If the Land of Wind was close to the Land of Fire.
Thus, they arrived at the seaside of the Land of Wind. Although the Land of Thunder was not a large-scale island country like the Land of Water, it was surrounded by sea water and did not directly border the Land of Wind. To travel from the Land of Wind to the Land of Thunder, they needed to take a boat.
In fact, Naruto could fly and could reach the Land of Thunder in one day, but Kakuzu became a burden.
"I don't know why I brought you along," Naruto began to complain.
They had already found a boat, a fishing boat they had separately chartered as a means of transportation.
Kakuzu, on the other hand, was impervious to Naruto's complaints. He walked to the side, sat down without saying a word, and started to rest with his eyes closed. In fact, Kakuzu didn't want to come along; he wanted more time to make money.
If Kakuzu didn't foot the bill, then who covered Naruto's boat ride and travel expenses? It turns out Naruto funded the journey himself, utilizing his own wallet.
Despite being a formidable ninja, Naruto still needed to spend money on necessities like food and transportation.
"Whoever I partner with in the future better be generous," Naruto reminisced, recalling the hearty meals he had enjoyed during their journey.
Kakuzu's brow twitched as he realized he hadn't earned a single penny on this outing; instead, he had incurred significant expenses. He couldn't help but question the wisdom of joining this organization.
Observing Kakuzu's reluctance to engage in conversation, Naruto remained unfazed. Instead, he stood at the bow of the ship, gazing out at the vast expanse of the sea, lost in thought.
He contemplated how to approach Uchiha Itachi.
Should he continue to deceive him under the guise of Madara? No, that approach felt wrong. Since Obito had already claimed the identity of Madara, Naruto reasoned that it could only be him.
"But what if Itachi still harbors loyalty to Konoha Village?" Naruto mused aloud. "He might even act as a spy for them, gathering intel from across the world."
"Perhaps he's even contemplating assassinating me," Naruto remarked, turning to Kurama for support. "You need to stay alert, Kurama. If Itachi turns hostile..."
Kurama sighed, "Has your personality split? Sometimes it's terrifying, and sometimes it's unbearable."
Naruto paused, then laughed, and conveyed to Kurama in his thoughts: "Life is long. Wouldn't it be too dull if I don't find a way to entertain myself."
"Don't worry, I know what to do and when to face what kind of person. Although I won't spare those who follow me, and those who oppose me will die, if it's some damn guy who dares to refuse, they will also meet their end."
Naruto's body exuded a quiet but overpowering spirit.
In truth, Naruto was quite blunt with the members of the Akatsuki organization, especially those he personally recruited.
He didn't go about recruiting them with finesse.
Join or die—this was the ultimatum Naruto presented to them. There were only two options, either join him or meet their demise.
Naruto genuinely believed that most members of the Akatsuki organization, except for a few, deserved to die.
So, if they weren't useful to him, if he couldn't utilize them, what purpose did they serve?
It was his domineering approach that led these fervent individuals, not known for their gentle nature, to join Akatsuki so seamlessly.
You see, Naruto didn't disclose much. Some members didn't even know the Akatsuki organization's goals or what they were expected to do in the future.
Kurama was at a loss for words but couldn't shake the feeling that Naruto's condition could not be cured.
.....
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