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Yoshida Shin was once a shinobi of Takigakure, the Village Hidden in the Waterfall. But now, he was a rogue ninja, hunted by his own village. His fall from grace began during a mission when, driven by greed, he slaughtered a wealthy family for their fortune. The crime earned him a bounty, forcing him into the life of a fugitive.
Having fully embraced his status as a rogue ninja, Yoshida Shin indulged in his darkest impulses, becoming a ruthless bounty hunter. None of his targets ever escaped him, and his notoriety grew until his bounty reached a staggering 8 million ryo.
Eventually, Yoshida realized that his actions were making him too conspicuous. Fearing he would become a target for stronger hunters, he chose to disappear, lying low for two years.
However, despite the wealth he had amassed, his extravagant lifestyle quickly drained his resources. Within two years, he found himself struggling financially.
He endured the hardship, biding his time until another year passed, ensuring that the rumors about him had completely faded. Only then did he resurface.
This time, however, he adopted a different approach. Instead of storming into the mansions of the wealthy, he targeted merchant caravans. This way, even if the crimes were discovered, no one would suspect him.
Guided by this plan, he ambushed a caravan. But when he opened the cargo they were transporting, his excitement turned to disbelief—food supplies.
While food was valuable, converting it into cash was far more complicated. He wasn't a merchant and had no connections to sell the goods discreetly. Selling them cheaply would hardly turn a profit.
Worse yet, he couldn't possibly transport multiple cartloads of food by himself.
Frustrated, Yoshida scanned the area and noticed a woman still breathing among the fallen. He grabbed her by the hair and snarled, "Money! Where's the money!?"
"There… isn't any!" the woman gasped.
"Just give me the money, and I'll spare your life!" Yoshida growled, unaware of how monstrous his expression had become.
The woman spat in his face.
Without hesitation, Yoshida slit her throat.
Now, he was left with a dilemma—what to do with the food?
Seeing no other option, he decided to destroy the evidence. He set the entire shipment ablaze.
As flames roared into the sky, Yoshida knew he couldn't stay. He turned to flee—but then, a shadow flickered in the distance.
Before he could react, the figure appeared right in front of him.
A black mask materialized, startling him. The shadowy figure moved like a ghost, closing in relentlessly.
"Who are you!?" Yoshida lashed out with several attacks, but each was effortlessly blocked. The figure refused to give him space, preventing him from forming hand seals.
Enraged, Yoshida prepared for a desperate final strike. As the shadowy figure neared, he hurled all his kunai and swiftly performed hand signs, unleashing Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet.
The ground erupted as an earthen dragon surged upward—but Yoshida immediately sensed something wrong.
The shadowy figure had been pierced by his kunai.
A clone!
But it was too late. A blade pierced his heart from behind.
"You… who…?" Yoshida strained to turn his head, catching a glimpse of the black-masked figure.
"Does my name matter?" the figure whispered. "Isn't it infuriating not to know who killed you? Don't worry—you'll never feel anger again."
Blood trickled from Yoshida's lips as he was dragged into the darkness.
---
Midorima had gone through considerable effort to track down Yoshida Shin—not for the 8 million ryo bounty, but for something far more valuable: a suitable identity.
Yoshida was the perfect candidate—a rogue ninja with a dark past, unaffiliated with any of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, who had vanished for years and operated alone.
Crucially, their heights were similar. Everything else could be "adjusted."
After parting ways with Zabuza, Midorima had realized that the world around him had drastically changed.
Zabuza and Kisame's defections, and the sudden illness of Hōzuki Mangetsu—all pointed to Kirigakure descending further into its "Village of the Bloody Mist" era.
Meanwhile, the Akatsuki had grown increasingly active compared to two years ago. Midorima had even encountered Sasori multiple times.
All signs indicated that, whether he liked it or not, he would soon be swept into the coming storm.
The identity of "Asachi Midorima" could no longer be used. Not only did he want to avoid becoming a target for the Akatsuki, but he also needed to conceal his possession of the Sharingan.
Thus, securing a new identity was essential—along with mastering a jutsu he had long despised: the Face Copying Technique.
Midorima had never learned this technique before, but among the scrolls he had taken from Orochimaru, it was recorded. He had avoided it until now, but circumstances forced his hand.
Ordinary disguises wouldn't fool the Akatsuki or other high-level shinobi. Only the Face Copying Technique would suffice.
After mastering the jutsu, Midorima obtained Yoshida's bounty poster from a reward station.
Through meticulous work, he finally acquired Yoshida's "face"—a shinobi in his early twenties with an unremarkable appearance, the kind that blended seamlessly into a crowd. It was a far cry from his original features.
But since their heights matched, the disguise was convincing. As for weight fluctuations—well, for a shinobi who hadn't been seen in years, changes in physique were only natural.
With his new identity secured, Midorima donned his mask once more.
Now, it was time to find Orochimaru.
If there was one lead on Orochimaru's whereabouts, it was Otogakure, the Village Hidden in the Sound. Few knew of Orochimaru's direct involvement with the village, and Midorima doubted Orochimaru would openly operate there. But it was better than nothing.
Alternatively, he could try tracking Orochimaru through the Akatsuki—but if he joined them, his goal would likely be the Rinnegan.
After weighing his options, Midorima decided to investigate Otogakure first. If that failed, he would deal with the Akatsuki later.
Just as Midorima set out for Otogakure, Sasori was spiraling into frustration.
"That bastard was tailing me like a lost dog before, but now he's vanished without a trace? Where the hell did he go?" Sasori seethed.
Ever since Orochimaru abandoned him, he had been left without a partner.
While it wasn't uncommon for Akatsuki members to operate alone—Kakuzu had done so before—Sasori's situation was different. Orochimaru hadn't even officially left, yet he was already sidelined.
It was nothing short of an insult.
Before confronting Orochimaru, he needed a new partner—one strong enough to avoid further humiliation.
But who?
Friends? All turned into puppets.
Acquaintances with power? Also puppets.
After much deliberation, Sasori arrived at a grim realization: he had almost no allies outside the Akatsuki.
The only person he had interacted with recently was the "Black Mask" who had played "cat and mouse" with him.
Black Mask had two advantages:
1. He was still human (not a puppet).
2. He was intelligent and capable.
But when Sasori actually tried to find him, Black Mask was nowhere to be seen.
"Need help?" Zetsu's voice suddenly emerged from behind.
"Find this man." Sasori didn't bother with pleasantries, sketching a rough drawing on a piece of paper.
Zetsu took the paper, his face twitching. "You're seriously looking for… this?"
"Yes." Sasori nodded firmly.
Zetsu blinked. The paper bore nothing but a black oval shape.
"…You've got to be kidding me."