Hirofumi Ito hadn't seen that one coming, Kakuzu actually wanted to hold a concert.

Still, it wasn't a bad idea...

And he was genuinely curious to see what a Hidden Leaf Village concert would look like at full scale.

After all, getting powerhouses like hashirama senju and madara uchiha up on a stage to sing was something he never would have dared dream about in his previous life!

And when the time came, would Tobirama Senju get up on stage and start weeping over the glory days?!

Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh...

Kakuzu threw the whole operation into overdrive, especially once Kakuzu found out there'd be profit sharing involved. At that point, things tipped straight into mania.

East Konoha Company moved immediately.

The first order of business: Kakuzu tracked down hashirama senju and had the First Hokage use Wood Release ninjutsu to build a concert venue from scratch.

The scale was staggering. The footprint alone was pushing close to half the size of the Hidden Leaf Village.

An entire stretch of forest beside the village disappeared on the spot, leveled into flat ground. A massive stage rose in the center. Kakuzu also had hashirama senju build row after row of public restrooms along the outer perimeter, along with stall after stall of street food vendors set up all around the grounds.

hashirama senju had absolutely no idea what Kakuzu was planning, but clapped both hands together and built all of it anyway.

"Kakuzu... what exactly is your company trying to do here?!"

hashirama senju looked over at Kakuzu with open curiosity once the construction was done. madara uchiha, standing nearby, looked equally curious.

"First Hokage, sir — our company is putting on a concert! Would the First Hokage be interested in performing on stage?!"

"A concert? What in the world is that?!" hashirama senju couldn't quite work out what a concert was supposed to be.

"First Hokage, sir — you see that enormous stage over there? Our company will be inviting guests to come up and perform. Which is to say, get up on stage and sing, putting on a show for everyone to watch!

After all, the Hidden Leaf Village has been around for so many years now — it's well past time for a proper celebration!

And since this is an internal event for our village, there will be no ticket sales. Any resident of the Hidden Leaf Village who wants to come watch can do so completely free of charge!

Even people from other villages are welcome..."

That was all hashirama senju needed to hear. Interest: sparked, immediately.

"Yes! I want to sing! I want to perform at the concert! This time I'm going to sing Qiu Fo in front of every single villager in the Hidden Leaf Village!"

Then he turned to madara uchiha.

"Madara~ won't you come up and sing with me? Please! Let's sing Qiu Fo together!"

madara uchiha looked at those eyes, so wide and full of hopeful expectation, and found it completely impossible to refuse.

"Fine, you big idiot! A concert, is it?! There'll probably be quite a lot of people there... hmm... a bit of excitement doesn't sound too bad..."

Kakuzu hadn't expected that at all. Two legendary figures, hashirama senju and madara uchiha, had agreed just like that.

"Both seniors, the guest lineup is handled by our boss. You two can go speak to the boss directly about being on it!"

"Understood! We're going to find little Hirofumi right now!"

The moment the words left Kakuzu's mouth, hashirama grabbed madara uchiha by the hand and charged straight for the Hokage Residence.

At that very moment, Hirofumi Ito was sitting inside turning things over in his mind. If they were going to do this, they might as well go all out, anyone in the Hidden Leaf Village with any standing who wanted to sing could get up on that stage.

Right at that moment...

BANG!

hashirama senju burst through the door, dragging madara uchiha in right behind him.

"Little Hirofumi!"

"What is it, my two teachers?"

"We heard your company is putting on a concert?!"

"That's right!"

"Madara and I want to perform! We want to sing Qiu Fo!"

The corner of Hirofumi Ito's mouth curved into a slow grin.

"My dear teachers... the two of you are the absolute apex of strength in our Hidden Leaf Village. To the Shinobi World, you are legends, one the God of Shinobi, one the Demon of the Shinobi World. How could powerhouses of your caliber just get up on stage and sing casually?!"

hashirama senju's face fell instantly.

madara uchiha glanced over at Hirofumi with a frown.

"What are you getting at, kid?! Hashirama just wants to sing one song, is that not allowed?!"

Hirofumi Ito shook his head.

"No, no, no! My teachers have misunderstood me entirely! How could someone of your stature possibly sing just one song?!

For figures of your caliber, the more songs the better!

Countless people will want to witness hashirama senju and madara uchiha in the flesh, if it's only one song, everyone will be devastated."

hashirama senju's crestfallen look evaporated on the spot.

"Don't worry, little Hirofumi! I'm going to sing so many songs!"

"Absolutely, my dear teacher! Then it's settled!"

...

And so over the following days, Hirofumi Ito made the rounds. The former Konoha 11, along with the powerful figures Hirofumi had resurrected through summoning, had all learned quite a few songs from him by now, so every last one of them made it onto the guest performance list.

Kakuzu was moving just as fast, spreading the word about the concert and giving the people of the Hidden Leaf Village time to get mentally prepared.

At the same time, Kakuzu worked with Orochimaru's Research and Development Department, which took care of everything for the stage, lighting, sound systems, backing music, all of it supplied by the R&D Department.

Then Hirofumi Ito released the full guest list.

The entire Hidden Leaf Village erupted.

The lineup was simply too extraordinary.

Just look at who was set to perform...

The First Hokage, hashirama senju!

madara uchiha!

The First Hokage's wife, Mito Uzumaki!

Second Hokage Tobirama Senju!

Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi!

Fourth Hokage minato namikaze and his beloved wife Kushina Uzumaki...

And beyond those top-tier names, plenty more: kakashi hatake, Might Guy, Might Duy, and others.

The Hidden Leaf Village's new generation as well, the Konoha 11...

Even the Fifth Hokage Hirofumi Ito would personally take the stage to perform accompaniment and sing.

A lineup this stacked was enough to send the people of the Hidden Leaf Village into near delirium.

Riding that wave of excitement, Kakuzu immediately put out the word: venue food stall spaces and advertising spots were available for rent.

In an instant, merchants came swarming from every direction.

...

(Hey everyone, your author has to step out today!

Things will be a bit slow over the next couple of days, but updates will keep coming!

Just a few fewer than usual.

I'll do my best to squeeze in time to write!

It's just really hard to get any writing done while I'm away from home!

I'll be back as soon as I can!

Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh...)

➤ Next: Kosuke Maruboshi, Hidden Leaf Genin

Chapter 224 - Kosuke Maruboshi, Hidden Leaf Genin

Kakuzu was lounging in the manager's office, perfectly at ease. Out in the main hall of the East Konoha Company, a long line had already formed.

Every single person in it was a merchant looking to rent a snack stall or an advertising space.

Hidan stood at the company entrance, large scythe propped over one shoulder, pacing back and forth.

"Hey! You! Yeah, you! You know what a line is?! Cut again and I'm throwing you out! Don't think being old means I won't smack you!"

"You! Did you seriously just spit on the floor inside our company?! Wipe. It. Up. Now."

"Huh? Old-timer — you're really getting up there in years — here to rent an advertising spot or a snack stall?"

Hidan's eyes landed on a short, slight old man waiting in line. Strapped to the old man's back was a large pot, a pair of chopsticks and a ladle rattling around inside it.

A moment ago, a very round and prosperous-looking merchant had been standing directly behind that old man. Probably figured the old man was an easy mark. Tried to step around and take the spot in front.

Hidan, head of the East Konoha Company's security team, caught the whole thing.

The East Konoha Company didn't take just anyone. Every person who walked through that door was expected to know the rules, and respecting elders was the most basic one of all.

Besides, as far as Hidan was concerned, these rules weren't just company policy.

These were Jashin's commands.

Hidan would follow them. Every single one.

That fat merchant was obviously no decent sort, trying to push around some frail little old man right in front of Hidan. Fine. Hidan was standing right here. Let's see who dared act up today.

Hearing Hidan's words, the short old man smiled and tilted up a head.

"You're a fine kid. Worthy of the Hokage's company, no wonder they managed to find a security guard like you."

Something strange stirred inside Hidan after those words.

Someone actually praised me?

All these years in the Shinobi World, everyone had called Hidan a lunatic. A deviant. A murderous monster. That was the whole of it.

But today, all Hidan had done was the job. The thing a head of security was supposed to do. And an old person had actually praised Hidan for it.

This had never happened. Not once in Hidan's entire life.

"Heh heh... you flatter me, old-timer. I'm this company's security guard, it's my duty, plain and simple.

I, Hidan, have never been able to stand people who bully the weak. And I've been entrusted with this role by Jashin — I mean, by the Hokage, so I can't go embarrassing the Hokage now, can I?!"

The pot-carrying old man smiled and nodded along.

"What a good kid..."

"Anyway, old-timer, what's your name? And that pot on your back, don't tell me you're here to rent a snack stall?"

While Hidan and the old man were cheerfully chatting, the merchant standing behind them, a tycoon from the Land of Fire, famously wealthy, was grinding his teeth hard enough to crack them.

Me. One of the most celebrated tycoons in the entire Land of Fire. When had anyone ever made me stand in a line?

Coming all the way to this run-down Hidden Leaf Village, forced to queue up like some commoner, and now a lowly little security guard was dressing me down?! Over some old man I tried to step past?!

And now this infuriating guard was standing right in front of me, happily chatting away with that old man. Completely ignoring me. Me, a tycoon known across the entire Land of Fire!

The tycoon decided enough was enough.

One turn. Two words to the warriors at his side.

"Teach that wretched old man a lesson. And that guard who doesn't know his place. A security guard, talking to me like that?! Even your Hokage wouldn't dare speak to me that way!"

The two warriors drew their blades and charged.

Hidan's mouth split into a wide grin.

Ever since joining the Hidden Leaf Village, Hidan hadn't killed a single person. Made sense, no missions to run, no targets to hunt. Just security work. Not much cause for killing on a regular day.

Hidan had never expected anyone to actually draw a blade here.

And right in front of a security guard, no less. While trying to bully an old person.

Outrageous.

"I am a security guard! I protect the peace of this place!"

Hidan reached back for the large scythe.

BOOM!

The smiling old man who'd been chatting with Hidan a moment ago simply vanished. Blinked into existence beside the two warriors before Hidan could even track the movement.

The large pot swung off the old man's back and shot forward, smashing clean into one warrior and sending that warrior flying.

Then the old man calmly reached back and took out the ladle.

BOOM!

Both warriors, down. Done. Easy.

Hidan stared at the scene, genuinely unable to process it.

...Are all the old people in this village this terrifying?!

Worthy of Jashin's village, honestly!

Those two warriors were no joke, either. Built like walls, both of them. Hidan had sized them up, chunin level, at minimum. And they'd just been casually dismantled by a little old man with a pot and a ladle.

The old man slung the pot back onto that back like it weighed nothing. Straightened up. Adjusted the clothes.

"You dare bully one of our Hidden Leaf Village's youngsters right in front of me?! Truly don't know your place!

You can come after me all you like. But touch one of our Hidden Leaf's youngsters, that, I won't allow.

I am a genin of the Hidden Leaf! Kosuke Maruboshi!"

Then Kosuke Maruboshi smiled, turned back to Hidan, perfectly calm.

"Little kid! Don't worry! With me here, they won't try anything. And even if this gets taken to the Hokage, we've got nothing to be afraid of. We're in the right. What's there to worry about?!"

Hidan stood there, a little dry in the throat.

Because who could have seen that coming? That frail, short, smiling little old man with a pot on the back, that kind of power?

Those two moves just now. By raw strength alone, that had to be jonin level. At least.

"Old-timer... you're actually one of our village's ninja?!"

"That's right. I'm a genin of our village."

"Old-timer, you're incredible!"

Hidan shot a thumbs-up straight at Kosuke Maruboshi.

"Keep it low-key, keep it low-key..." Kosuke Maruboshi smiled and gave Hidan a small nod.

And the tycoon from the Land of Fire, once the shock wore off, hit a clean boil of rage.

"How dare you! You wretched old man! You actually laid hands on my people?!

You're a ninja?! A ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village?! I want your Hokage! I demand to see your Hokage!

The ninja of your Hidden Leaf Village are absolutely insufferable!"

➤ Next: Throw Them Out!