The fall of the North Star

As the Warring States era drew to a close, the Shibuki clan, once defeated by the Senju, founded Takigakure. Kakuzu, one of the village's most promising young shinobi, was ordered to assassinate the First Hokage.

He knew he was unlikely to return alive. His only wish was for Takigakure to take good care of his wife and child.

The mission failed, and Kakuzu was captured. Tobirama Senju wanted to make an example of him, but the kindhearted First Hokage, Hashirama, stopped him. Kakuzu was ultimately imprisoned in Kusagakure's Hozuki Castle.

Several years later, the first Five Kage Summit concluded, and the Five Great Nations divided up the tailed beasts. Repaying hostility with kindness, the First Hokage gave the Seven-Tails to Takigakure free of charge to settle his past grievances with the Shibuki clan.

Later, a chance opportunity allowed Kakuzu to escape Hozuki Castle and return to Takigakure.

By then, the First Hokage had passed away, and the hard-line Tobirama had become the Second Hokage. Worried that sheltering Kakuzu, with his criminal record, would provoke Konoha's displeasure, Takigakure's leaders offered him a generous payment and told him to leave the village.

For the village's sake, Kakuzu accepted their terms.

But the leaders' decision was merely a show for the village's shinobi. No sooner had Kakuzu left than they sent Takigakure's ANBU to hunt him down!

After a brutal battle, Kakuzu narrowly escaped death, but his wife and child were killed!

Their deaths left Kakuzu utterly broken. He took revenge on Takigakure, killing the leaders who had ordered his death and stealing the village's most closely guarded secret, the Earth Grudge Fear Technique!

It was during that act of revenge that he uncovered a cruel secret!

The assassination attempt against the First Hokage had been a setup from the very beginning!

The Shibuki clan's first leader had been a schemer with a profound understanding of human nature. Knowing the First Hokage's tendency to repay hostility with kindness, he understood that the more aggressively he acted against him, the more attention he would attract. In the end, he had successfully secured Takigakure a share of what the Five Great Nations enjoyed!

And Kakuzu had been nothing but a sacrifice from the start!

Having suffered the deepest betrayal, Kakuzu came to believe in money alone.

After using the payment Takigakure had given him to provide a lavish burial for his wife and child, he became a man devoted entirely to profit!

Years later, he answered Nagato's summons and joined the Akatsuki, willingly putting his life on the line for its interests. It was not Nagato's overwhelming power that had won his allegiance, but words that struck a chord deep within him.

"Only those who have suffered the deepest betrayal can understand that people and nations alike are driven by nothing but self-interest, whether they slaughter one another or embrace..."

"The Five Great Nations are all sophisticated egotists! To dress up their own peace, they have no qualms about inflicting pain on the weak!"

"Kakuzu, in my eyes, you shine like gold. We will never betray each other, because we share an eternal, unchanging interest!"

Kakuzu said, "Do you know... what I truly want?"

Through Pain's Deva Path, Nagato gave his answer. "A world where you will never be sold out for someone else's gain! As long as you sincerely pledge yourself to the Akatsuki, it will never betray your expectations. Kakuzu, fight for the Akatsuki, and fight for yourself as well..."

Yet now, cold, merciless reality had struck Kakuzu another crushing blow!

"Betrayal! More damned betrayal...!!!"

"But why?! I'm still valuable to the Akatsuki! They have no reason to abandon me now!!!"

Orochimaru spoke in a low voice, his eyes slit-pupiled. "Your value extends only as far as Nagato's ambition to conquer the shinobi world. But did you know that Nagato, the leader of the Akatsuki, is himself a puppet? And that the person controlling him is another person's puppet, and so on...? Do you know who the true mastermind is? Heh, you would never guess. It would overturn everything you've learned in a century of life!"

Disheartened, Kakuzu said, "So money really is the only thing in this world I can trust. It may be cold, and it may reek, but at least it will never betray my expectations!"

Orochimaru said, "Then would you like your wealth to fulfill your expectations after you die?"

Kakuzu shot him a cold sideways glance. "You're after my money too? Give up on that idea. Aside from that case I can't pick up, you won't get a single cent out of me!"

Orochimaru smiled. "Even with one foot in the grave, you still refuse to part with your wealth?"

Kakuzu said, "Yes. What of it?"

Orochimaru said, "Kakuzu, as far as I understand you, you aren't a miser. Someone capable of amassing wealth always understands the balance between investment and return. You simply dislike investments that offer no return..."

Kakuzu said, "Then what return can you offer a dying man? Don't bother with resurrection. I've long since grown tired of this world..."

Orochimaru said, "How about a reunion with your wife and child in the afterlife?"

Kakuzu's pupils abruptly contracted. "You..."

Orochimaru said, "I have unraveled the mysteries of life and death. I even have the ability to reunite you through reincarnation. But there is one major prerequisite: Sasuke must awaken the Rinnegan."

Kakuzu said, "Why should I believe you? Even if I have no other options, I can still choose to be stubborn!"

Orochimaru said, "You don't have to believe me. High returns also mean high risks. You've spent your entire life weighing every penny. Why not take one great gamble before you die?"

Kakuzu stopped arguing, because he could not resist what was at stake!

Because... the greatest regret of his life was having failed his wife and child!

Crack! Kakuzu plunged his hand into his last "heart" and gouged out the scroll hidden inside. It held the fruits of his wealth-gathering, which he had intended to hand over to Nagato personally three years later, before the Akatsuki began hunting the tailed beasts!

"Go to the location recorded in the scroll. All my wealth is stored there. Even the leader of the Akatsuki doesn't know its exact location..."

Orochimaru solemnly accepted the scroll. "I won't thank you, because this is an exchange of equal value..."

"Heh... Hearing you say that actually puts my mind at ease."

Kakuzu's eyes slowly closed.

"If only I could see it... a world where we aren't driven by self-interest. What a shame. In the end, we're all chasing profit, deceiving... one another."

There, the curtain fell on Kakuzu, the Akatsuki's North Star.

Above the mountain hollow.

White Zetsu said, "Hey, Kakuzu seems to have handed his 'proceeds' over to Orochimaru. Aren't you going to stop him?"

Obito said, "This is fine. Now Nagato can abandon all thoughts of 'amassing wealth' and get on with collecting the tailed beasts! The supremely noble Eye of the Moon Plan has no need to be tainted by the stench of money. This world is already rotten. One more person rotting in the ground makes no difference!"

Black Zetsu said, "It's just a shame to lose two powerful fighters like Kakuzu and Hidan. Hidan in particular was a trump card. Used properly, he could kill anyone with ease..."

Obito said, "As long as the Eye of the Moon Plan succeeds, it doesn't matter. I've already made preparations to replace their fighting strength..."

Black Zetsu said, "Oh? Planning before acting? That certainly is your style..."

"Time to go..."

Obito slowly stood and gave Sasuke a long, searching look.

"Sasuke, keep growing stronger. One day, your power will serve me..."

Whoosh!

A vortex unfurled, sucking him in.

Zetsu slowly sank into the earth, his white and black halves each harboring different thoughts.

White Zetsu said, "With all that money gone, won't Nagato blow a gasket?"

Black Zetsu thought, Sasuke Uchiha... I'll keep watching. If I confirm that Hagoromo really has done something to him, I'll eliminate him at any cost!

Once the distant watchers had left.

Kabuto breathed a sigh of relief. "They're finally gone. With them watching from the sidelines, I couldn't freely use my Right Eye's ability..."

Karin hurried to the man she loved, her face full of concern. "Sasuke, how are you feeling?"

Sasuke picked up the Kusanagi Sword and slid it into its sheath. "Ah... I'm all right."

He glanced back over his shoulder. "And Karin... thank you."

Karin said, "Huh...? I-I-I didn't really do anything, though?"

Sasuke smiled faintly. When he had fallen, Karin had tried to rush to him without a thought for her own safety. He had seen it all.

"Hey... Kakuzu!!! Where are you?! Hurry up and stitch my head back on! I'm going to sacrifice every last one of them to Lord Jashin!!!"

Hidan was still screaming himself hoarse.

Sasuke said, "Speaking of which, what should we do with this head?"

Orochimaru smiled faintly. "As for that, all I can say is... wait and see."