Naruto: Reborn as Kakuzu, the Immortal Assassin

"Hey, hey, hey, listen to me, everyone! The Kazekage has traveled all the way from Sunagakure to Konohagakure. It would be unreasonable for him to leave empty-handed. Let's give him a tailed beast. Right? That sounds about right."

Hashirama Senju rehearsed his speech in his mind, confident in its effectiveness. With both hands on the table, he was about to rise and deliver his proposal when a firm grip pinned him in place.

"Tobirama! What are you doing?"

His younger brother, Tobirama Senju, loomed over him with a cold, piercing gaze that felt as ominous as a grim reaper from another world.

"Ah... this!" Hashirama's confidence crumbled instantly. He realized he was about to embarrass himself again and quickly lowered his head, his expression turning dejected.

Tobirama didn't need to hear his brother's speech to know what foolishness he had in mind. Shifting his attention from Hashirama, Tobirama scanned the room, his sharp eyes flitting across the four other figures at the table.

In his mind, the situation became clear. The Tsuchikage and Raikage had undoubtedly formed a private alliance, seeking to maximize their gains during these negotiations. The Tsuchikage's complaints about Sunagakure's geography were just a pretext.

The Land of Earth occupied the northwestern region of the shinobi world, a land blessed with flat terrain and abundant resources, rivaled only by the Land of Fire. Neighboring both Konohagakure and Sunagakure, the Tsuchikage dared not provoke the former but saw an opportunity to pressure the latter.

'The weak are easy prey,' Tobirama thought, his eyes gleaming with cold calculation.

Finally, Tobirama broke the silence, his voice sharp and direct.

"A nation without a tailed beast hardly deserves to be called one of the Five Great Nations, don't you think?"

The room fell quiet. The Raikage and Tsuchikage exchanged a glance, their expressions hardening. Tobirama's pointed remark struck at the heart of the issue. If every village except Sunagakure had a tailed beast, the balance of power among the Five Great Nations would be shattered, defeating the purpose of this summit.

"Tch." The Tsuchikage sneered. "Perhaps we should return to the original topic."

"Agreed," the Raikage said, slamming a hand on the table. "What if the Kazekage uses the tailed beast to attack other nations?"

Ignoring their posturing, Tobirama turned to the Kazekage.

"Kazekage-dono, Shukaku was captured in your desert. Its mastery of Wind Release and Magnet Release makes it perfectly suited to your country's environment. As a strategic weapon for Sunagakure, there's no better option."

Hashirama nodded enthusiastically, finding no fault in his brother's logic.

"But…" The Kazekage hesitated, his frustration evident. Was one tailed beast enough? His gaze pleaded with Tobirama for more, but the younger Senju remained silent, his frosty demeanor unyielding.

The Kazekage understood Tobirama's stance—he had already pushed as far as he would go. It was now up to the Kazekage to fight for more if he dared.

Suddenly, the Tsuchikage produced a document and slid it across the table to the Kazekage.

"Kazekage-dono, I suggest you take a look at this. It might be... beneficial for your village."

The Kazekage glanced at the document, his expression carefully neutral. However, a fleeting look of surprise betrayed his inner turmoil.

Pride and sovereignty were non-negotiable for any village leader. But for those suffering in Sunagakure, struggling to survive amid endless sandstorms and famine, lofty ideals meant little.

Each Kage had the same dream when founding their villages: to end the chaos and protect their people. Yet, some dreams remained unrealized.

The Kazekage's fist clenched, veins bulging as his anger simmered. His bloodshot eyes betrayed the depth of his frustration. In that moment, he understood what it meant to be part of a weak nation with no leverage.

For the sake of his village, for his people, he swallowed his pride. The Kazekage didn't speak further, though his silence spoke volumes.

Watching from the sidelines, Kakuzu appraised the situation. The Kazekage, though outmatched, had proven himself a leader willing to sacrifice for his people. Surprisingly, it was the Tsuchikage's actions that stood out.

After cornering the Kazekage, the Tsuchikage offered compensation instead of pressing his advantage. It was a calculated move—a slap followed by a sweetener, ensuring the Kazekage didn't harbor excessive resentment.

'A master of balance,' Kakuzu mused. 'No wonder Onoki learned from him.'

With the Kazekage subdued, the negotiations continued. The Tsuchikage was the first to speak.

"We'll take the Four-Tails and Five-Tails for Iwagakure. Any objections?"

The Tsuchikage's tone was undeniably brash, but the others at the table didn't seem to have many objections. Even Kakuzu, observing from a distance, couldn't help but give the Tsuchikage, Ishikawa, a thumbs-up. Truly, the saying "wisdom comes with age" must have been made for someone like him.

Ishikawa knew he had no chance of securing the strongest tailed beasts. Rather than getting dragged into a bloody battle for supremacy, it was smarter to take the safest bet while he still held some leverage. The Four-Tails and Five-Tails were middle-tier beasts—not too powerful, not too weak. They were more than sufficient to fortify the Land of Earth's defenses. And since they weren't the most coveted, the other nations had little objection.

While Ishikawa might not emerge as the biggest winner, he would certainly walk away without any losses. Now, only Konohagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure remained in contention.

The Mizukage, Byakuren, had a fierce and intimidating demeanor, while the Raikage, A, was notoriously explosive and short-tempered. Neither were individuals to be trifled with. Both also adhered to the basic principle that the more tails a beast had, the greater its power. Naturally, they were aiming for the stronger tailed beasts.

Despite his fearsome appearance, Byakuren was a man of a certain age, more measured and less impulsive than the brash Raikage. Kirigakure had unique circumstances compared to the other great nations. With less than 30% of its territory being land and the rest ocean, its geography made travel difficult but also made invasions from other nations equally challenging.

If Kirigakure could secure two tailed beasts well-suited to Water Release techniques, their borders would become virtually impenetrable. From the outset, Byakuren made it clear he was aiming for the Six-Tails and the Eight-Tails.

The Raikage, however, was even more domineering. He declared his intention to claim both the Eight-Tails and the Nine-Tails.

The moment those words left his mouth, the room fell silent.

Suddenly, a cold, clear voice cut through the stillness.

"What did you just say?"

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