Kakuzu stared at Orochimaru with his strange eyes. "Orochimaru, spare me the chatter. Tell me how Akatsuki is doing."
Orochimaru gave a sinister chuckle. "Kakuzu, you really are loyal to Akatsuki! You know, after you died, Pain never thought of avenging you."
Kakuzu replied coldly, "Do I look like someone who needs avenging?"
"I'm just bitter that I, who once fought the First Hokage, fell to a junior from Konoha."
Kabuto spoke up instead. "Kakuzu, Akatsuki still needs two Tailed Beasts: the Eight-Tails and the Nine-Tails."
Kakuzu paused. "That's... basically no change at all!"
Before Kakuzu and Hidan died, they had helped Akatsuki capture the Seven-Tails and the Two-Tails.
Around the same time, Deidara and Tobi found the wild Three-Tails and captured him.
Akatsuki had seven Tailed Beasts by then.
Kabuto continued, "After you died, Deidara was captured and Itachi died. Akatsuki has taken quite a beating!"
Kakuzu and Sasori showed little reaction to the news about Akatsuki.
Kakuzu had joined Akatsuki after Pain defeated him, while Sasori had joined after Konan defeated him.
Neither Kakuzu nor Sasori cared about Akatsuki's intimidation tactics or its Peace Ideology.
One only wanted to make money; the other only wanted to make puppets.
What did it matter what became of the world?
As long as it stayed out of their way!
Orochimaru smiled darkly. "Sasori, Kakuzu, I have something important to tell you."
Sasori and Kakuzu looked at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru said, "Sasori, after you died, Akatsuki filled your place and paired Deidara with someone called Tobi."
Tobi had appeared in Akatsuki only after Sasori's death. Before that, Sasori had never heard of him.
Kakuzu, however, knew him.
Kakuzu turned to Orochimaru. "Tobi? What secret is he hiding?"
Tobi was a clown who wore a mask to hide his face.
Why would a newcomer