After Sasori agreed to join Akatsuki, the killing intent that had filled the air gradually dissipated. Recruiting Sasori rather than killing him was the ideal outcome.
If possible, Ye Zi preferred not to kill Sasori, as powerful members were hard to come by. So far, he had only recruited Kakuzu, and the others he encountered were too weak to be of any real use. They could handle minor tasks, but when it came to the plan to capture the tailed beasts, these weaklings had no place.
Fortunately, Sasori agreed to join. Although his condition was difficult, it wasn't impossible to fulfill.
"Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang of Konoha, won't be easy to take down," Sasori said as he tore a piece of black cloth to cover his charred mouth.
"I'm well aware," Ye Zi replied, sheathing his sword, Chijin. "The White Fang may become one of the obstacles in our way. Akatsuki will inevitably face him, and the fate of any obstacle is… death."
Sasori chuckled darkly, "I can wait. My technique for making puppets from living bodies still needs refinement. The White Fang… he'll be the perfect material. I'll use my most perfected puppet technique on him, without a doubt."
"Let's go. Akatsuki's base is in the Land of Rain. On the way, that paper-using woman will fill you in on the details," Ye Zi said, casting a glance at Sasori before starting to walk away.
"Paper-using woman…" Sasori muttered, raising an eyebrow, while Konan shot a cold glare at Ye Zi.
Ye Zi ignored her.
"I have some business to attend to in the Land of Earth. I can't leave with you immediately," Sasori said, not moving from his spot.
Ye Zi stopped and looked back at Sasori, asking, "What business?"
"I need certain minerals from here for my puppet's weapons."
Sasori had come to the Land of Earth specifically to find a rare type of ore called black iron. This mineral, rich in magnetic properties, was scarce even in the mineral-rich Land of Earth. Besides being used to craft weapons, it was particularly useful for enhancing his Third Kazekage puppet.
Weapons made from this magnetic ore could be scattered during battle. Even if they didn't kill the enemy immediately, Sasori could later manipulate them using the Kazekage puppet's Magnet Release, making them deadly once again.
"Is it really that important? Akatsuki could help you gather the materials for your weapons," Ye Zi suggested.
"It's not the same," Sasori said calmly. "I'm not looking for ordinary weapons."
Most people saw weapons as tools for dealing damage, but to Ye Zi, focusing on the sharpness of the weapon was foolish. It was often more effective to coat them in deadly poison.
However, this was Sasori, so Ye Zi didn't dismiss him. "How much stronger will these weapons make you?"
Sasori sneered. "Right now, I don't think I could beat you. But with these weapons, defeating you would be easy."
Ye Zi's face remained expressionless. During their brief exchange earlier, both had held back, so he hadn't gauged Sasori's full strength. Still, if Sasori could kill the Third Kazekage, he wasn't weak. However, Ye Zi doubted Sasori could pose much of a threat if he used his full power.
"Don't worry about the minerals. I'll arrange for Akatsuki to send a team to help you gather them. You can have as much as you need," Ye Zi decided, realizing that these materials could indeed boost Sasori's strength significantly.
"Oh?" Sasori sounded surprised.
Konan, standing nearby, remarked, "Akatsuki's resources are limited right now. We don't have the manpower to send a team here for mining. The minerals aren't easy to extract."
"In my opinion, a hundred of those 'manpower' aren't worth as much as one Sasori," Ye Zi replied calmly.
Sasori's puppet body showed no expression, but his eyes gleamed with a sinister light. "Do you think I'm that weak, worth only a hundred people?"
"More or less," Ye Zi said, glancing at him.
Sasori snorted. "When I'm ready, will you dare to fight me? You'd make an excellent puppet."
"I don't have time for that," Ye Zi replied dismissively.
"Tch," Sasori scoffed.
Konan looked at Ye Zi and said, "Don't jump to conclusions. You don't have the authority to make decisions about personnel."
"I'll bring it up with Nagato directly. Don't forget our ultimate goal!" Ye Zi suddenly turned to Konan, his eyes shining ominously through the small slits in his mask.
Konan was momentarily taken aback before she fell silent.
"It's settled, then. Let's return to the Land of Rain," Ye Zi said, glancing around the barren, desolate mining area before walking ahead.
"Joining Akatsuki doesn't seem too bad, though I still don't know what your goal is," Sasori said as he followed.
"Do you want to know?" Ye Zi asked.
"I'm a little curious. Tell me," Sasori said, intrigued.
"To be enemies of the world," Ye Zi answered calmly.
"Haha!" Sasori laughed openly, his laughter echoing through the quiet terrain.
Konan glanced at Ye Zi's masked face, her expression conflicted. "Enemies of the world" and "conquering the world" might sound similar, but when Ye Zi said it, it felt different from Nagato's vision of conquest. She could never quite figure out what Ye Zi truly wanted.
Maybe his words were nothing more than childish nonsense.
Ye Zi continued walking silently, picking up speed as the wind kicked up around them, sweeping sand and small stones into the air. Behind the three of them, the windstorm whirled sand high into the sky before dissipating, letting the dust fall like rain.
Together, they left the Land of Earth and returned to the Land of Rain, heading straight to Amegakure to introduce Sasori to Nagato.
When Sasori saw Nagato's iconic eyes, he couldn't help but be taken aback. In that brief moment, he realized that Akatsuki might be a far more powerful organization than he had initially thought.
Nagato's cold, emotionless eyes swept over Sasori, quickly assessing him. With his unique vision, he saw through Sasori's puppet body immediately. "That makes three left," Nagato said.
"Three?" Sasori was puzzled but kept his questions to himself.
"Three more... and it's almost time," Ye Zi thought silently. With three more recruits, the plan to collect the tailed beasts could finally begin.
Nagato tossed a ring to Sasori.
Catching it, Sasori looked at the ring in his palm. It was engraved with the kanji for "gyoku".
"This ring is important. Don't lose it. The character represents your code name," Nagato said.
"Gyoku?" Sasori's brow furrowed beneath his puppet body. The code name seemed far too feminine. He glanced at Konan, thinking the name would suit her better. But it was just a code name, so he let it go and turned his attention back to Nagato.
"Until Gai finds the next member, your mission remains the same: gather funds," Nagato said flatly.
Ye Zi wasn't surprised by Nagato's instructions. He looked at Nagato and mentioned Sasori's request regarding the minerals, explaining how it would enhance Sasori's strength.
After a brief moment of consideration, Nagato agreed to the request. The task of collecting tailed beasts required the strongest possible members.
"Your identity is already exposed, so there's no need to hide behind that mask anymore," Nagato suddenly added. He wasn't angry about Ye Zi's exposed identity. What concerned him was how much attention the villages would pay to Akatsuki. But in the current post-war period, the villages didn't have the resources to deal with Akatsuki seriously.
"Oh?"
Ye Zi wasn't surprised. He casually removed the mask and crushed it in his hand.
"It's for the best. The mask was obstructing my vision anyway. It's always been a bit of a hassle," Ye Zi said, not particularly bothered. He had once intended to keep his identity hidden to avoid complications, but after his shadow clone saved Kushina, it was inevitable that he would be exposed.
"I guess I'll officially be treated as a missing-nin now," he thought to himself. Even so, he doubted Konoha would have the resources to send a team after him so soon after the war. The only potential issue would be Danzo.
After all, Ye Zi had spent so many years with Root, gathering intel that Danzo would never want to see leaked.
Despite the danger, Ye Zi wasn't overly concerned. His power continued to grow, and he no longer feared Root's pursuit.
Sasori, now without his mask, stared at Ye Zi's face, astonished.
"It's you," he said.
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Currently on Chapter 263 - The Next Tailed Beast Targets