Pain

Kakuzu was hiding in an abandoned village. At his feet lay several corpses with their hearts torn out. He was replenishing his own heart with the Earth Grudge Fear secret technique, while using its black threads to stitch up his shattered internal organs.

"What a huge loss! I thought I'd get a decent heart and a Byakugan, but I got nothing—and lost four hearts in the process."

Sitting on the ground, Kakuzu looked at the corpses beside him and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"I have to make up for this loss."

As he spoke, Kakuzu took out his booklet again and flipped straight to the last page, where the two false identities Hyuuga Nen had used were listed.

"I was a little too rash this time. I attacked without getting a clear picture of him, and he's nothing like an ordinary member of the Hyuga Clan. This was a failure—a complete failure!"

"But after fighting him, I know what he's capable of. Next time, I'll get his heart." Kakuzu spoke as he looked at the portrait in the file.

"Just you wait!"

Just as Kakuzu was thinking about how to defeat Hyuuga Nen, he suddenly noticed the ring on his hand glowing and growing slightly warm.

"The leader's contacting me." Kakuzu hurriedly began forming Hand Seals, and then his consciousness seemed to be pulled into a dark space.

The space was vast, and there seemed to be an enormous shadow in the middle. But in the darkness, Kakuzu couldn't make out what it was.

After his consciousness entered the space, Kakuzu found that his body had become a colorful phantom. Another colorful phantom stood before him, seemingly on top of the enormous shadow, watching him with eyes full of rippling patterns.

The phantom before Kakuzu belonged to the leader of the organization he had joined not long ago—a man who called himself Pain.

"Leader, did you need me?"

Kakuzu lowered his head. Remembering the terrifying power Pain had displayed when recruiting him, he felt genuine awe.

"Kakuzu, what happened? A moment ago, you looked as if you were about to die."

Pain asked in a cold tone.

Pain's words astonished Kakuzu. He asked cautiously, "Leader, how did you know about that?"

"Through the ring on your hand, of course."

Kakuzu lowered his head and glanced at the ring Pain had given him. So this ring doesn't just let him contact me—it can be used to monitor me, too. Kakuzu thought to himself.

Kakuzu didn't want to tell Pain that he'd taken a beating. He simply said he'd encountered a powerful enemy and had been defeated, hoping that would satisfy him.

"When I recruited you into the organization, I told you that we were still operating in secret and that you needed to be careful. Did you not take my orders seriously?"

As Pain spoke, his usually indifferent tone grew stern.

Noticing the change in Pain's tone, Kakuzu grew tense and hurriedly explained, "Leader, this won't draw the attention of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. I've been following your orders and looking for ways to fund the organization's activities."

"So who did you encounter? Given your strength, for someone to make you suffer such a heavy loss, was he from one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations?" Pain pressed.

Under Pain's questioning, Kakuzu had no choice but to tell him about meeting Hyuuga Nen and fighting him.

"A member of the Hyuga Clan who doesn't belong to Konoha?"

"That's right. He's been active around the Bounty Exchange, and the countries he's appeared in are the Land of Sea and the Land of Tea. I can confirm he's not from Konoha."

Pain lowered his head and fell silent for a while, seemingly deep in thought. After a moment, he looked up at Kakuzu.

"Given his strength, do you think he's capable of joining our organization?"

Kakuzu fell silent at Pain's question, lost in thought. At last, he said, "Someone with his abilities is strong enough to join our organization."

Pain nodded at Kakuzu's confirmation, then continued, "Kakuzu, I'm giving you a new order. Find out more about this member of the Hyuga Clan and, if possible, recruit him into the organization."

Kakuzu's first reaction to Pain's words was that he didn't want to do it. He still wanted to settle the score with Hyuuga Nen.

So he said, "Leader, I'm only a missing-nin, after all. My abilities are limited. I'll need the organization's help."

Kakuzu was also testing the organization with those words. He had only just joined and didn't know much about it yet.

"Besides Konan and me, the organization currently has only Sasori, Zetsu, and you. Sasori and Zetsu are both on missions, and we're short on people, so you'll have to do it."

"But..."

Kakuzu hadn't expected Pain to be so blunt about the organization's situation. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.

Pain cut him off. "You're often active in the Black Market, aren't you? Submit this member of the Hyuga Clan's information to the Black Market. I'm sure the Five Great Shinobi Nations will be interested. Once they take action, finding out more about him will be easy."

After a pause, Pain spoke again. "Although I'm considering recruiting him, I don't know what kind of person he is. He'll only be worthy of recruitment once the Five Great Shinobi Nations are hunting him and he survives their pursuit."

"Do you understand my orders?"

"Yes, I understand."

Hearing the order, Kakuzu knew there was no changing the leader's mind. He could only accept it, so he nodded.

"Good. Carry it out at once." Pain said one last thing, then ended the connection. Kakuzu's consciousness returned to his body.

Coming to, Kakuzu rubbed his ring and said, "This deal isn't finished yet. Just you wait." Then he continued treating his injuries.

After some time, Kakuzu had replenished all five of his hearts and stitched together the shattered organs inside him. He stood up and headed toward the Bounty Exchange.

A little while later, Kakuzu walked out of the Bounty Exchange. As he stepped through the entrance, a faint smile appeared beneath his mask. Then he pulled out a thick wad of money and began counting it again.

When Kakuzu submitted Hyuuga Nen's information to the Black Market, he had collected a hefty bounty as well. Getting paid lifted his spirits a little.

"If he survives the hunt and joins the organization, I'll still get another chance. I hope he doesn't get killed."

Looking back at the Bounty Exchange, Kakuzu said, "Now all that's left is to sit back and watch the show."