And Torifu's decision to invest in him was a very good one. The monthly profits were a very considerable amount, but Torifu didn't really need the money.
After having lunch with Naori, they both went home, having agreed to meet again tomorrow evening.
When Torifu got home, the servants had already finished cleaning the house. The two rooms were of similar size and layout. They were also connected, so they could walk between the rooms without having to go outside. This was because he had considered that the two children might be scared when they first arrived. And if they wanted to plot something in the evening, they wouldn't have to go outside. So he left a door for them inside the house. Torifu was quite thoughtful.
And to ease the pressure on the two children, the rooms were completely redecorated. The more antique furniture was all covered with fluffy furniture covers custom-made by the embroidery shop. He also placed a few small dolls there. Yahiko might not like them, but Konan probably would. Torifu also put some origami paper in Konan's room to cultivate her hobby.
A young girl who loved origami eventually became the Angel of the Akatsuki. The heartbreak behind this was something only she knew. Her friends died one by one in front of her. That kind of pain was simply unforgettable. The same thing wouldn't happen this time.
It was a shame that their three-person team was missing one person, but Nagato might be happily acting spoiled with his parents in some ordinary family in the Land of Whirlpools. Living a simple life without being affected by the Rinnegan might also be a good ending for him. Now, everything was ready; they were just waiting for the people to arrive.
At this moment, Kakuzu was carrying Yahiko and Konan as he traveled through the Land of Fire. The two children were tucked under his armpit, facing each other so they could talk.
"Yahiko, where do you think this weird uncle is taking us?"
"Didn't he say we were going to Konoha? There's someone there who's willing to give us a home."
Konan pouted when she heard that. She had a home before, and now it seemed she had forgotten what it felt like. What would the new home be like? Would they be abused? Would they get enough to eat? These questions echoed in Konan's mind. Although she and Yahiko lived a difficult life and had to steal to survive, they were at least happy together. What if they weren't happy in Konoha? Then they would just have to try to escape. But with the strength of two small children, they probably wouldn't be able to escape a village. After all, they couldn't even escape from the hands of the market vendors. They would always get their butts spanked and then get some food.
"You two little rascals, can you not whisper so loudly?"
Konan and Yahiko smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, Uncle."
"Don't worry, you two. You're going to the Hokage-sama's house. He's the strongest ninja in the world, and he has a kind heart. He doesn't have a hobby of abusing children."
The two children didn't know what a Hokage was. They didn't have a complete concept of this world yet. Besides knowing that ninja were strong, they knew nothing else. They also didn't know how to become ninja. Kakuzu looked at the two kids' silly expressions and didn't find it funny. He just felt pity for them. Their fate was already very good since they could be adopted by the Hokage-sama. There were countless other homeless children like them in the ninja world. Their fates weren't so good. In the end, they were either kidnapped or died on the streets.
It was getting dark. Kakuzu found a cave and stayed there with the two children for the night. The next morning, they set off again, and they could already see Konoha in the distance. He used his mark to talk to Torifu and told him to come out and pick up the children.
"Uncle, is that Konoha? It's so big."
"Are we going to live there from now on?"
Kakuzu smiled. "Yes, that's your home from now on. If you want to become ninja, you have to follow the Hokage and learn well. Maybe you'll become stronger than me one day."
Yahiko shook his head. Kakuzu thought he was being humble or something. But he didn't expect him to say something so shocking. "Uncle, you're already very old, right? When we grow up, you'll probably be dead. We can't compare ourselves to someone who is dead."
Kakuzu really wanted to strangle this foul-mouthed kid! What did he mean "when you grow up, I'll be dead"? What kind of thing was that to say?! But he still tried to calm himself down. "Don't worry, Uncle can't die. As long as I don't get myself killed, I'll never die."
Konan pouted. "You're just tricking kids. How can there be a person who doesn't die?"
Kakuzu couldn't be bothered to explain to them. After all, what did two little kids know? The important thing was to get them there quickly and go back to building the base. He also needed to report the materials needed for the base to the leader. Then the leader would send them over. He was finally looking forward to this day of his hard work paying off. The wandering ninja like them finally had their own base. He thought back to the days when Torifu fought with him. It had been a long time ago. He had been in this organization for more than twenty years. It really wasn't easy. It was almost as long as he had been in Takigakure. Speaking of which, he rarely saw any ninja from Takigakure in the ninja world anymore. It seemed like the village had completely fallen. But that had nothing to do with him. He had eliminated the biggest cancer in Takigakure. If even that couldn't save Takigakure, it only meant that the village had no future. The so-called strongest of the small nations was a thing of the past.
Kakuzu took the two children to the vicinity of Konoha. After a while, he saw a man in a white robe walking over.
"Hokage-sama, I've brought the children."
Torifu looked at the two children. They looked exactly as he remembered.
"Yahiko and Konan, right? From now on, you two will be my apprentices. Study hard with me, understood?"
The two children nodded, still a little dazed. They didn't understand the situation yet, but they would when they got to the village. Torifu would explain it all to them in detail.
"How's the base coming along? What materials do you need?"
"Rebar, bricks, gravel, that's about it."
They were all basic materials, and Konoha had plenty of them.
"I'll send all of it to you. Build the base well. When it's finished, I'll give you some electrical appliances, and your lives will be even more comfortable."
Originally, Kakuzu was going to bring this up himself, but he didn't expect Torifu to offer it as a reward. That was good, too. It would also inspire his brothers. They had never used electrical appliances before, and now it was their turn to enjoy them.