254 Chapter 257 : Recruiting Kakuzu!

In truth, Kakuzu only made two errors: he didn't outright reject orders from the top, and he didn't take the life of the First Hokage.

However, it's evident that neither of these mistakes can be solely attributed to Kakuzu himself. After the real betrayal, a significant number of high-ranking officials in Takigakure were eliminated, and the village hardly made any attempts to capture him.

Consequently, Takigakure, once formidable, has now begun to decline, with many of its ninjas showing no interest in other missions.

Kazuhiko can empathize with this. Under such circumstances, killing the officials of Takigakure who mistreated him and seizing the Forbidden Technique within the village were the only choices Kakuzu could make.

He might have thought he had options, but in reality, he had only one path to tread.

From then on, Kakuzu became a true rogue ninja, placing his faith solely in money. He believed that money alone would never betray him.

Embracing money as his creed, he toiled day in and day out for decades, accumulating wealth, even if he didn't enjoy spending it.

Kakuzu silently absorbed every word uttered by Kazuhiko. His nails had dug into his flesh in secret, yet he remained expressionless.

"Mr. Kakuzu, in truth, your fate was sealed the moment you accepted that mission."

With the next sentence from Kazuhiko, Kakuzu, who had been holding back for so long, exploded in a pale-faced rage.

"After all this talk, what exactly do you want?!"

Kazuhiko wasn't angered by Kakuzu's loss of control; instead, he was quite pleased.

"I was worried you didn't understand!"

Kazuhiko spoke plainly, "Mr. Kakuzu, didn't you grasp my purpose from the start?"

"I've said all this simply to make it clear that I never saw your defection as an issue."

"Takigakure may have nurtured you, but you once devoted yourself to it."

"You're not a traitor because you lack gratitude; it's because, as long as you wish to live, it's the only path available to you."

"So, we don't view Mr. Kakuzu's defection as a mistake!"

"What Mr. Kakuzu did wrong was that he should have refused such a mission in the first place!"

Kakuzu's eyes widened in disbelief as he heard Kazuhiko's last words.

It had been years since someone had expressed such sentiments.

In the current ninja world climate, defecting ninjas were not tolerated and were destined to face discrimination!

In the prevailing ethos of the ninja world, even if the higher-ups demanded your demise, it was expected to be carried out without question. Though it might involve some grievances, it was an order to be followed dutifully!

Yet here he was, hearing completely opposing views from the leader of a country.

As the supreme authority with countless ninjas under his command, shouldn't he be the most disdainful of defectors?

One would expect him to preach loyalty to his subordinates, assuring them that he'd be willing to sacrifice himself to accomplish the mission.

That's what a typical leader of the current ninja world would do.

But from Kazuhiko's lips, he heard an entirely different perspective.

For Kakuzu, hearing this was a first, stirring something within him. No matter how formidable his strength, how fearsome his reputation, or how much the underlings dreaded him, deep down they saw him as a shameful defector who had betrayed his own village elders to escape punishment.

Everyone believed he was in the wrong and deserved criticism. Some nights, even he couldn't shake the thought: "Did I really do something wrong...but...I just wanted to survive..."

Now, to hear such a divergent viewpoint from another person, particularly from a leader of a country, was the least expected.

"Do you truly believe that?" Kakuzu asked Kazuhiko, still in disbelief.

For a moment, he couldn't fathom such thoughts existing in the current ninja world.

Kazuhiko nodded casually. "Mr. Kakuzu, I never thought what you did was right, nor did I believe that orders from higher-ups should never be refused."

"And considering the evidence, doesn't Takigakure's current state imply that the village leadership made mistakes?" Kazuhiko questioned.

"If you make a mistake, admit it! Since they're wrong and you're right, Mr. Kakuzu!"

In a sudden clarity, the jumble of thoughts fell into place. Yes, Takigakure had indeed erred in its actions initially. So, doesn't that mean I'm correct?

As Kakuzu glanced at Kazuhiko, a sense of camaraderie stirred within him.

Yet, his enduring skepticism and disillusionment with humanity had rendered him wary of trusting anything beyond the realm of money.

Avoiding betrayal by distrusting people entirely was one way!

But wasn't this also a form of retreat, a closure of the heart?

Retreat was undignified... yet practical...

Years of observation had bred deep disappointment in the bonds of trust among humans, and money had become his final refuge. Trust... seemed far too lavish.

Observing Kakuzu's hesitation, Kazuhiko pressed on, "Mr. Kakuzu, if you fear our actions don't align with our words, cast your gaze towards the Land of Red."

"See my country through your own eyes, witness the current state of the Land of Red!"

"And if you remain dissatisfied, Mr. Kakuzu, you are free to depart at any time!"

*****

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