The conversation with Kakuzu lasted nearly an hour.
Yanbai's Hokage Guards merely kept watch near the teahouse. Though they looked vigilant, they were actually quite relaxed.
If anyone in this world could truly assassinate Yanbai, rushing in to rescue him would do no good.
Yanbai's Hokage Guards were really just for show.
And Yanbai had explicitly said that the point was to make his privileged status clear, not to play weak while secretly being strong and lure uninformed people into making trouble.
That sort of behavior could be seen as baiting others into committing crimes and deliberately provoking incidents.
Yanbai considered himself attractive enough that it was only natural for people with unsavory intentions to set their sights on him. But when they saw guards surrounding him in the standard uniforms of Konoha's Hokage Guards, even the most ignorant would have to think twice before making trouble.
Besides, merely hitting on someone or mildly harassing them did not constitute a crime deserving a lifetime in prison.
Since that was the case, such things were best avoided whenever possible.
Not only that, Yanbai urged other people with important "identities" to bring guards when they went out if they looked particularly punchable or unusual. Those with approachable looks could forgo them, but for the others, it was not merely about avoiding trouble themselves-it was also about protecting civilians.
Less conflict, more compassion.
Few people dared harass Yanbai, and no one dared interfere with his private meeting with Kakuzu, either.
And just like that, an hour passed.
Yanbai finally understood just how frustrated old Kakuzu was.
That so-called Akatsuki organization had invited Kakuzu to join.
Kakuzu had no objections on the financial front. The leader, whom he had never met, paid generously, and joining would certainly let Kakuzu earn far more than he