Days earlier, Yanbai had already learned that Kakuzu was prowling outside, thanks to a message from the giant hogweed in the forest.
Yanbai remembered that in the original story, Hashirama Senju had used a Wood Clone to fight Kakuzu, and the clone had not even used Wood Release.
Kakuzu had fought that fake Hashirama Senju for ages. After he destroyed the Wood Clone, Tobirama Senju severely wounded him with a single move. Tobirama had intended to kill Kakuzu, but Hashirama appeared again and saved him. In the end, all Kakuzu had killed after that long fight was a Wood Clone. Utterly devastated, he threw out a threat and fled.
But now, because of Yanbai, the Konoha Shinobi Village had been founded many years earlier than originally destined.
Without those years to develop, Kakuzu was not yet as strong as he had been in the original story. Yet the momentum of the plot had still landed him the mission to assassinate Hashirama Senju.
Because of Yanbai, Hashirama Senju had not convened the Five Kage Summit. He was run off his feet every day and barely had a chance to leave the Konoha Shinobi Village.
As a result, Kakuzu never even saw Hashirama Senju. He had merely planted an Explosive Tag in New Konoha before the Nine-Tails and Shukaku scared him away.
Kakuzu was actually quite lucky that Kurama's glob of "spit" had not killed him.
At this point, Kakuzu did not have Earth Grudge Fear, either.
However, after failing to assassinate the First Hokage, Kakuzu would return to Takigakure, where the village would try to silence him permanently. Then he would steal the forbidden technique and betray Takigakure, becoming the Kakuzu of later years who valued money above all else.
Could Kakuzu still brag about this for the rest of his