Sasori went to the Land of Crafts to investigate. Muzan had not hidden his tracks back then; after all, it had been negotiations between two countries over cooperation. If he acted too furtively, the other side would worry about being deceived.
Muzan simply had not expected to encounter Sasori of the Red Sand there, setting off a series of subsequent problems.
A little inquiry was enough to reveal Muzan's location. Coupled with his large-scale dumping of tools such as kunai and shuriken, he had already become famous throughout the Shinobi World.
Even Konan, who controlled Akatsuki's finances, knew of them. She simply had not expected that the other party was the one controlling the Land of Waves.
That was why she had led a group of Rain shinobi onto the island so openly. To achieve Akatsuki's goal of peace in the Shinobi World required vast sums of money, and they had no choice but to take on missions.
"There's also the Demon Corps. Could someone from the Hidden Mist Village be involved as well? If the Land of Bloody Mist comes to the Land of Waves, it'll be troublesome for Akatsuki as it is now."
Unlike Muzan's high-profile methods, Akatsuki was still developing slowly in the shadows. They were more like a mercenary organization, accepting missions from every country.
The plan to capture the Tailed Beasts was still in its preparatory stage, but before long, Akatsuki would be able to announce its existence to the entire Shinobi World. And when that time came, reconciliation with the Five Great Shinobi Villages would be impossible, meaning their funding would be cut off.
Therefore, before the plan began, they needed to find a financial backer. At the very least, the two sides needed a cooperative relationship.
As Konan pondered this, a group of