291-295

*Chapter 291: Confirming a Fact*

“It looks like it's time to get serious.” Red chakra gradually enveloped Killer Bee, with eight chakra-formed tails swaying in the air. Killer Bee formed an “I love you” gesture with his fingers. “Guess I’ll use the eighth blade.”

“Be careful, Sasuke! This monster’s coming!” Suigetsu warned.

As the words left his mouth, Killer Bee, now half-transformed into the Eight-Tails, zoomed past Suigetsu and Jūgo, charging straight at Sasuke.

Sasuke’s Sharingan glinted as he anticipated Killer Bee’s moves with precision, dodging just in time.

Unexpectedly, Killer Bee had only faked him out. The moment Sasuke dodged, Bee rushed toward Aizen instead, thinking confidently, No matter how much chakra you have, you’re still just a medic-nin without much offensive power.

Plus, targeting the medic-nin first—standard strategy.

“Uh-oh.” Suigetsu was shocked to see Killer Bee targeting Aizen, but as Sasuke dodged and Bee shifted focus, Suigetsu’s face twisted into a mocking grin—half for Aizen, half for Killer Bee.

Aizen had intended to observe the battle, but Killer Bee had clearly mistaken him for an easy target.

The partially transformed Killer Bee didn’t know what Suigetsu was thinking as he condensed a massive bull-skull bone on his beastly right arm, aiming a powerful blow right at Aizen’s chest. “Lariat!”

Boom. The ground shattered instantly, smoke and dust filling the plaza, with flashes of golden lightning visible in the haze.

The violent shockwave blew the rest of Taka Squad off the edge of the Cloud Thunder Gorge's circular plaza.

“Cough, cough.” Sasuke, nicknamed “Second Pillar,” choked on the dust, immediately calling out to his teammates, “Jūgo, Suigetsu, you okay?”

“Still hanging in there…” Jūgo replied, though he'd used his tough body to shield Sasuke from the worst of the blow.

Suigetsu, meanwhile, had been hit by rubble and fallen into the water.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Suigetsu said as he surfaced, eyeing the two monsters up top. “Though, I’m not so sure how those two monsters are doing.”

At Suigetsu’s words, Sasuke’s three-tomoe Sharingan fixated on the dust-covered plaza above. He replayed the moment in his mind, thinking, Did he take that monster’s attack head-on? This guy...

Within the smoke.

Killer Bee, still in his half-beast state, kept his arm pressed to Aizen’s chest, his bull-bone shattered and scattered across the ground.

Aizen, however, was unfazed, standing still and serene, unaffected by Killer Bee’s exerted force.

“How… how is this possible?” Killer Bee’s eyes widened in disbelief, the Eight-Tails within him equally stunned.

“A Lariat, huh?” Aizen smirked. “Half-beast mode, fully channeling Lightning Style chakra, and generating bone on the elbow to slam into the target… quite a move. But it’s not effective.”

“Ninja combat is all about chakra, and with your level, I can easily suppress you with my own chakra.”

“No way it didn’t work!” Killer Bee roared as he swung his cloaked fist at Aizen, the fierce gale dispersing the dust around them.

But it was futile. Killer Bee’s half-beast fist, even at best, was only on par with Tsunade’s monstrous strength—not quite enough.

Aizen caught his fist with one hand.

“One more thing,” Aizen continued, grinning at Killer Bee. “You seem to have chosen the wrong opponent. If you hadn’t picked me, maybe you’d have walked away unscathed.”

With a slight squeeze, Aizen’s grip crushed through the bones in Killer Bee’s fist, making a sickening crack.

“Ahh!” Killer Bee cried out, dropping to one knee, steam escaping from his mouth. He cursed in his usual rhyming fashion, “That hurt like hell, you jerk, you punk!”

As the dust settled, the rest of Taka Squad finally got a clear view of the scene.

With looks of horror, they watched Aizen hurl Killer Bee into the air, following up with a fierce kick that bent Bee’s body like a shrimp. He hurtled like a cannonball, leveling mountains and causing lakes to overflow.

Suigetsu’s jaw dropped as he stared at Aizen with newfound dread.

“What kind of monster is this guy?”

Strong beyond reason.

One kick, and the Eight-Tails had been left defenseless and utterly defeated.

Jūgo furrowed his brows, wondering if all of Akatsuki’s members were like this.

Meanwhile, Sasuke felt something deeper than shock—he felt bitterness. No matter how much he trained, how hard he tried, it felt like he could never surpass this guy who had once driven Orochimaru to target him in the first place.

“Hey, hey… is the Eight-Tails even alive?” Suigetsu resurfaced, asking Sasuke.

“Who knows. The Sharingan doesn’t have X-ray vision.” Sasuke scoffed, clenching his fists, wondering just how strong Aizen truly was.

“It was a pretty intense attack,” Jūgo commented. “Even for the Eight-Tails, it would be tough to survive that… though I imagine he’s alive, just unconscious since they need a living Jinchuriki.”

“You’re wrong about that,” a voice sounded from behind them, startling Taka. They turned to see Aizen standing there. “The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki isn’t as fragile as you think. In fact, he’s the only perfect Jinchuriki still alive today.”

As they spoke, a rumble emerged from the rubble of the collapsed mountains. A massive creature with a bull’s head and octopus body crawled out, roaring with a distinct rapping tone.

“You jerk! You punk! You’ll regret facing me! Get ready to taste my true power, you puny brats, as Eight-Tails will take you down!”

“Bee, stop messing around. That kid is dangerous,” the Eight-Tails urged him. “Use all your power, or you might lose.”

“OK, lil’ Eight,” Bee sang in response from the mental space, as a dark sphere of chakra began to form in his mouth.

“Wh-what is that? Can chakra even do that?!” Suigetsu stammered in disbelief.

“Sasuke, what do we do? That’s a long-range attack, we’re...” Jūgo trailed off, his gaze shifting to Aizen, realizing they would likely have to rely on him to survive.

Sasuke activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, considering summoning Susano’o to defend, but Aizen’s voice interrupted, “Give it up, Sasuke. That Susano’o of yours can’t withstand this. You’d be obliterated.”

“Then what do we do? Just stand here and die?” Sasuke shouted in anger.

“Still impulsive, aren’t you? Watch closely,” Aizen responded. He bit his finger and pressed his hand to the ground. The moment the Tailed Beast Bomb launched, five ominous gates rose up before them.

Sasuke and Suigetsu gasped as they recognized the Summoning Jutsu of the First Hokage, though Orochimaru had only ever summoned three gates at most.

As the Tailed Beast Bomb collided with the gates, it obliterated the first three almost instantly. Yet it lost momentum upon striking the fourth and dissipated entirely against the fifth.

Boom! Smoke cleared, revealing a massive crater, with lake water flooding into it.

“It… it was blocked,” Killer Bee stammered in disbelief, the Eight-Tails equally astonished.

“This is the First Hokage’s Summoning Jutsu, the Fivefold Rashomon,” the Eight-Tails urged. “We need to keep up the attack or they’ll overwhelm us.”

“Hold on—I have another idea,” Killer Bee smirked.

In his mental space, the Eight-Tails frowned, “If your brother finds out, you’ll regret it.”

“No worries, he won’t know if we keep it on the down-low,” Bee rapped.

In a flash, he lunged forward with his eight tails, striking relentlessly. Aizen, however, simply patted Sasuke on the shoulder, vanishing from the battlefield.

As in the original story, Sasuke countered with his Amaterasu, eventually trapping the Eight-Tails in the lake. Thinking he had won, Sasuke departed with a piece of the beast in tow.

In the Eight-Tails' mental space, Killer Bee asked, “Are they gone?”

After confirming, Bee severed his octopus appendage and swam out of the lake, only to find a blade aimed at him.

Following the blade’s edge, he saw a calm smile on Aizen’s face.

“Damn it! What do you want?” Bee shouted.

Aizen raised the blade to Bee’s bells. “Sing another line, and I’ll cut these off.”

Bee gulped, returning to a normal tone, “What do you want?”

“I just need to confirm something,” Aizen replied, casting his genjutsu.

With Killer Bee now hypnotized, Aizen entered Bee’s mental space. He confirmed his suspicion: if he hypnotized a Jinchuriki, the Tailed Beast within would also fall under his control through their chakra link.

“All in all, a worthwhile confirmation,” Aizen mused. “

*Chapter 292: Encounter with Uncle Sasuke and Pineapple Head*

Killer Bee left, and Aizen ultimately decided not to trouble him.

Just as Aizen confirmed the feasibility of the "Mirror Flower Water Moon" technique from Killer Bee and was preparing to return to Tsunade’s home in Konoha, a black hole suddenly appeared in the sky. Two familiar figures, one large and one small, dropped from it.

It was Uncle Sasuke and Boruto, whom he had met briefly three years ago.

At the moment, Sasuke was clearly in bad shape, bleeding from his eyes, nose, and mouth, and breathing heavily.

Boruto, too, was battered, looking disheveled and injured.

"Second Pillar? Pineapple Head?" Aizen looked at the two in surprise. "Did you just get back from a brutal beatdown?"

"Well... something like that... hahaha..." Boruto chuckled awkwardly, either feeling guilty about actually being beaten or for some other reason.

Uncle Sasuke let out a long breath. "Actually, we're here because we need your help."

"Ran into another Otsutsuki?" Aizen's interest was piqued.

"More or less. It's a guy named Jigen; his powers are extremely bizarre. He can enlarge and shrink any non-living object except himself. He's on a completely different level from Urashiki," Sasuke sighed.

"And then what?" Aizen turned his gaze to Boruto. "When you and Naruto were about to win, did Pineapple Head here jump in and mess things up, forcing you to take heavy damage to save him?"

"How did you know?" Boruto was shocked, his face filled with disbelief.

"How did I know? Naruto and Second Pillar have already regained their strength. No matter how strange his abilities are, defeating an Otsutsuki like that should be no problem—unless you came along and ruined everything. I can't imagine any other reason that would leave my nephew in such a state."

Aizen, feeling both disappointed and frustrated, casually tossed a senzu bean to Uncle Sasuke.

Inwardly, Aizen made a quiet resolution: if he ever had a child with Hinata, he would act discreetly before she even knew she was pregnant. If it was a boy, he’d take care of it quietly; if a girl, he’d keep her.

Thanks to his god-level medical ninjutsu that surpassed all past shinobi, it wouldn't be hard to make that happen.

Aizen continued, sounding like a grandfather lecturing his grandson, "You're not exactly young anymore. By your age, I was already a jōnin. Even your father, despite having no parents and being hated by the villagers because of the Nine-Tails inside him, was already self-sufficient at your age."

"And look at you. All you do is mess things up, time after time, for a bit of glory and that pitiful self-esteem. You end up dragging your father and Sasuke down with you. If you could just keep your head down, none of this would’ve happened."

"...uh," Boruto’s head drooped, clearly discouraged.

Aizen ignored him and turned to Sasuke. "So, where’s Jigen?"

Uncle Sasuke swallowed the senzu bean, recovering his strength. "Although he got the better of us, that guy did take some damage. After seizing a ninja tool turtle from Boruto, he intended to escape with it via space-time travel."

"Boruto and I followed him, and during the journey, I used my right eye’s dojutsu to swap places with him. The guy should arrive here in about an hour."

"Why here?" Aizen asked casually.

Sasuke scanned their surroundings and explained, "After our last fight with Urashiki, I was worried about the ninja tool turtle being misused, so I set it to cross into a place where you might appear."

"This way, even if someone uses that turtle to travel here, they won’t be able to accomplish much with you around."

"This is the time and place where I first fought the Eight-Tails. Considering that I’m your nephew in this world, I figured you wouldn’t let me face such a formidable enemy alone, so I chose this exact day."

"It seems the battle ended much sooner this time around, thanks to you," he added with a smile.

Aizen smirked, clearly amused. "Looks like while the older you became physically weaker, your brain got sharper than in this world."

Uncle Sasuke's face darkened. "Let’s focus on setting up our strategy. That guy Jigen is no easy opponent."

"Unlike Urashiki, he has the strength to kick through a complete Susano’o. Plus, with those strange abilities, even you might find it difficult to deal with him."

"No rush. We still have an hour. In the meantime, we need to deal with those other guys first."

Aizen glanced in the direction of the Cloud Village, where the Raikage and his two right-hand men, C and Darui, were heading their way.

"Raikage, huh?" Uncle Sasuke recalled his battle with the Fourth Raikage.

Aizen nodded. "To prevent Pineapple Head from making a mess again, you two should go rest in my alternate space. After all, this is no time for you to show yourselves."

Sasuke nodded slowly.

Aizen stored them away in the system’s warehouse.

"Any updates from the Unraikyo Gorge?" the Raikage asked his sensory ninja, C, who was skilled in genjutsu, medical ninjutsu, and perception.

"We’re too far to get a clear read, but I sense an extremely powerful chakra," C responded.

"And what about Bee?" Raikage asked urgently.

"Apologies, Raikage-sama. I can’t sense Killer Bee’s chakra," C replied helplessly.

Darui, another of Raikage’s guards, sighed, "What a pain. From reports near the Unraikyo Gorge, four people came for Killer Bee, including a Uchiha and an Akatsuki member."

"Apparently, the one who defeated Killer Bee was the Uchiha, and the one left behind is the Akatsuki member."

"Damn it! How dare they take Bee! I won’t forgive them!" Raikage roared, lightning chakra surging around him. He picked up the pace, tears streaming down his face. "Hold on, Bee, I’m coming to save you!"

People say men don’t cry easily, but that’s only because they haven’t reached their breaking point. Since the Third Great Ninja War, Raikage lost his father, the Third Raikage, who sacrificed himself for the village.

Losing his father devastated Ay, who swore to protect his only brother, Killer Bee. Though they weren’t blood brothers, their bond was as deep as any family. Hearing that Bee had been captured, Ay’s anger and grief knew no bounds.

---

*(End of Chapter)*

*Chapter 293: Tsunade’s Great Sacrifice*

Konoha Village.

In the Hokage’s office.

Present were Naruto, Chika, Karin, Kakashi, and the elder toad Fukasaku.

“So this child is Jiraiya’s apprentice?” Fukasaku, sitting on his toad steed, asked, gazing at Naruto.

“Yes, he’s Jiraiya’s apprentice. Naruto Uzumaki, the ‘child of prophecy’ that you and Jiraiya talked about,” Tsunade replied.

“Grandpa Frog? What’s that?” Naruto’s usual clueless expression showed as he blurted out.

“Hey, Naruto, this is Fukasaku-sama, one of the two great sages of Mount Myoboku,” Tsunade quickly reminded him, showing respect for the sages who once taught Jiraiya sage techniques.

Shizune, holding Ton-Ton, stood behind Tsunade and added, “This is the sage who taught Jiraiya-sama.”

“The Pervy Sage’s teacher?” Naruto tilted his head in confusion. “This frog?”

“I told you to watch your words, Naruto,” Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples.

“No, it’s fine. He does remind me a bit of young Jiraiya, but, ah, ‘Pervy Sage’ does suit him. Too bad he’ll never hear it again.”

At the mention of Jiraiya, Fukasaku’s face turned somber, a deep sadness in his eyes.

Naruto picked up on the tone and felt a chill. “What do you mean by that? ‘Never hear it again’—explain yourself!”

“Jiraiya sacrificed himself.” Fukasaku didn’t hold back.

The room fell silent. The large Hokage office was blanketed in a heavy stillness.

“Huh?” Naruto’s mind went blank for a moment, then his face filled with disbelief.

Aside from Tsunade and Chika, who knew the truth, everyone else was similarly shocked.

The legendary Sannin, the only one alive who could use sage techniques… dead? This had to be a joke.

That was the thought crossing everyone’s mind.

“It all happened too quickly, so I can’t blame you for not believing it,” Fukasaku said with a sigh. “Recently, there were rumors that the leader of the Akatsuki might be hiding in Amegakure.”

“Young Jiraiya went to investigate himself.”

As he spoke, Fukasaku recounted the fight with Pain.

When he mentioned the Rinnegan, even Tsunade, who knew some information about Pain, was shocked.

With a heavy expression, Tsunade added, “During the Konoha Crush, when Orochimaru fought against Aizen, he mentioned someone in the Akatsuki even stronger than himself. That must have been Pain.”

“Stronger than that Aizen guy?” Everyone was stunned again, especially Kakashi, who had personally experienced Aizen’s strength.

Someone stronger than Aizen? How powerful could that person be?

Only Naruto, his head down, covered his tear-filled eyes with shadows. The sorrow engulfed him.

“Here, you’ll see for yourself.” Tsunade handed over a stack of documents.

“What… what is this?” Kakashi took it, his pupils contracting as cold sweat formed on his brow.

“That’s the information on Pain,” Tsunade confirmed.

“Fighting six of those would explain why Jiraiya-sama was cornered.” Kakashi took a deep breath. “This report isn’t even information at this point. Without fighting Pain personally, you couldn’t know this much detail. How did you get it?”

“After Jiraiya sacrificed himself, I asked Chika’s father to help gather it. It cost a huge price,” Tsunade said, giving her pre-planned answer.

Standing behind Tsunade’s chair, Chika popped out her head and said, “See, my dad’s amazing, right?”

“Chika’s father? A huge price?” Question marks appeared above everyone’s heads.

“Yeah, a very big price.” Tsunade nodded firmly, crossing her arms. She had, after all, agreed to let Aizen have a harem and even endured sharing a night with him and Kurenai, who was three months pregnant.

All for the sake of Konoha. The Fifth Hokage was indeed making sacrifices.

“Alright, stop staring blankly. Distribute this intel immediately. The Akatsuki have gathered seven tailed beasts, and Naruto is likely their next target. Pain could invade Konoha anytime, so we must stay prepared.”

“I’ve ordered Konoha to enter a wartime state.”

“Jiraiya also left some intel that hasn’t been decoded. Since all of you have worked with him, I need your help deciphering it.”

To avoid further questioning, Tsunade quickly changed the subject.

Although everyone was curious about Chika’s father, they held back from asking further.

Kakashi started handing out the intel.

When it was Naruto’s turn, he slapped the folder away.

The room fell silent again.

Everyone turned to Naruto.

“Naruto, I…” Kakashi stammered, knowing the pain Naruto must be feeling more than anyone else.

Ignoring Kakashi, Naruto looked up, tear-stained, and shouted at Tsunade:

“Why… why can you act like nothing’s happened? You sent Pervy Sage on this mission, didn’t you? Why are you fine with him gone?”

Tsunade didn’t answer, just looked at Naruto, feeling like her head was splitting.

She couldn’t exactly tell him Jiraiya was alive.

She hadn’t even told Chika about it.

According to Aizen’s “logic,” people only grow from loss.

“Jiraiya’s death” was the best catalyst for Naruto’s growth.

Though she disagreed with Aizen, she had no choice.

The fact that Aizen saved Jiraiya was a miracle on its own.

Revealing that Aizen had gathered intel for Konoha could put him in danger.

The Rinnegan wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

Besides, Jiraiya was “sealed” by Aizen in another dimension, so she had no way to prove he was alive.

Seeing Tsunade silent, Naruto clenched his fists and yelled, “Granny Tsunade, you know Pervy Sage’s personality! Why did you let him go somewhere so dangerous? Answer me!”

“Calm down, Naruto,” Kakashi urged, restraining him. “I’m sure the Fifth Hokage understands how you feel, that feeling of losing a close friend.”

“If Pervy Sage were Hokage, he’d never send Granny Tsunade somewhere so dangerous.”

Naruto loosened his fists, saying just that before leaving.

He wandered the streets, lost, memories of Jiraiya flashing in his mind. Tears streamed down his face.

*Chapter 294: The Frustrated Raikage*

In the end, nothing changed.

He hadn't managed to bring back his brother Aizen, nor had he retrieved Sasuke.

And now, even his only mentor was dead.

Naruto pondered over what he'd been doing all these years as he wandered in the sunset, his lonely figure outlined by the fading light, filled with solitude and helplessness.

Meanwhile, the Raikage finally located Aizen.

Boom!

A massive explosion echoed as rubble erupted thirty meters in front of Aizen. The Fourth Raikage, C, and Darui landed like missiles, striking the ground.

"You brat, I'll show you the terror of my wrath."

The Raikage tore off his white cloak, his body crackling with lightning, revealing his dark skin and muscular physique.

"Oh, is that so? Then let me see," Aizen said, flicking his right hand, the Zanpakuto silently resting in his grip.

In that instant, as all three focused on the chakra emanating from the Zanpakuto, he whispered in his mind: Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu!

"This is bad, boss. This guy seems to be the one who wiped out both the Sarutobi and Shimura clans—Fujiwara Aizen," Darui muttered, recognizing Aizen instantly, his usual lazy demeanor replaced by seriousness.

Elite Cloud Jonin, C, nodded as he observed Aizen's calm stance. “It’s said the Fourth Kazekage died by Orochimaru’s hand, but in reality, it was this guy who killed him. Even the Third Hokage’s death is linked to him. He’s terrorized Konoha’s remaining leaders.”

“According to intel, this guy’s an all-around ninja, mastering genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu, with affinities for wind, fire, lightning, earth, and water chakra.”

“No wonder Lord Killer B was taken by that Uchiha. With this guy around, it makes more sense.”

Aizen smirked, “Oh, I see you’ve done your homework. Cloud has really collected a lot of information about me, huh?”

“If it were any other day, I might have toyed with you for fun, but today’s different—I’ve got business to attend to. Too bad you’re in my way.” Aizen’s smile faded as he held up three fingers. “Three minutes. You have three minutes to get out of my sight, or I’ll end you.”

Sensing Aizen's chakra, C trembled, cold sweat running down his brow. This guy wasn’t joking.

"C, what's wrong? Are you backing down before the fight?" Darui teased.

"What's the issue, C?" the Raikage asked without turning around, knowing his subordinate wasn’t one to shrink from a fight.

C looked at Aizen, swallowing hard. “It’s hard to describe in words. But he has an unbelievably strong chakra—a strength I’ve never seen before.”

“Should we attack, Lord Raikage?” C asked hesitantly.

“Of course,” the Raikage replied firmly. “We’ll beat him to a pulp first and get information about B out of him. And there’s Yūgao to settle with—this can’t go unpunished.”

Even as he spoke, the Raikage charged his entire body with lightning chakra, his muscles alive with power as his hair stood on end.

“This state… going all-out from the start?” Darui’s tone turned serious. “C.”

“I understand.” Knowing the Raikage's anger after Killer B’s capture, C took a step forward, forming seals rapidly.

Lightning Style Illusion: Lightning Phantom Pillars.

In an instant, C transformed into a flash of lightning, engulfing the Raikage and Darui in a blinding light.

Using this cover, the Raikage and Darui teleported in front of Aizen, the Raikage swinging his armored arm toward him while Darui slashed with his cleaver-like sword.

In Aizen’s view, the Raikage appeared suddenly, his fist hammering down from above.

“An illusion? How boring.”

Ignoring C's illusion, Aizen raised his left hand, blocking the Raikage’s armored punch. His right hand, holding his sword, met Darui’s attack.

Boom!

A flash of his blade, followed by C's shout, “Darui!”

Darui’s cleaver-like sword flew from his grip, split in two as he was sent flying back, skidding across the ground for hundreds of meters, kicking up clouds of dust.

“He blocked my full-force Heavy Explosive Stream with one hand… How did he do that?” the Raikage thought in shock, unable to pull his arm free as Aizen gripped his armored elbow tightly.

“I warned you. Three minutes. You have a minute and a half left. If you don’t leave, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Aizen tightened his grip, chakra surging into his hand. With a crack, the Raikage's armored gauntlet, made of special chakra-infused metal, shattered under the pressure.

“You bastard! Don’t underestimate the Raikage! Lightning Strike: Waterfall Dance!”

The Raikage broke free, his other arm forming a hand blade aimed to cut Aizen in half.

But as fast as he was, Aizen was faster. With his heightened perception, the Raikage's famed speed was no more than a slow-motion scene.

Aizen’s right foot shot out, a powerful kick sending the Raikage flying for hundreds of meters, following in Darui’s path.

“Lord Raikage!” C shouted, watching the Raikage crash into the rubble.

Boom!

The Raikage, tough as nails, crawled out of the debris, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and the lightning around him dimming slightly, betraying his injuries.

“I’m… I’m here, Lord Raikage,” Darui responded, struggling out of the rubble, his chest marked by a gruesome gash, his clothes soaked with blood.

Seeing they had survived, C exhaled in relief but looked at Aizen with an even graver expression.

“One exchange, and he gravely injured Darui and wounded Lord Raikage. I couldn’t even see his moves… This guy is stronger than we thought.”

“One minute. You have one minute left,” Aizen said, holding up a finger, meeting C’s gaze.

The Raikage’s face flushed with rage, his chest heaving as anger threatened to explode from him. For the first time, he, the Raikage, was being openly taunted by the man who had taken his brother.

**PS: end

*Chapter 295: Standing Up for Little Wife Hinata*

"C, don't just stand there! Go stop the bleeding for Darui, then take down Aizen!" Raikage shouted to C.

Only then did C snap out of it, quickly running over to treat Darui.

However...

Before he could make a move, a large tree shot up from the ground beneath him, instantly binding him so he couldn’t move.

"C, what are you waiting for? Go stop Darui's bleeding!" Raikage roared, his tone sharp as he urged C, who was struggling to break free.

"My… Raikage, I-I'm under a genjutsu," C finally managed to reply, stiff and unable to move.

"Damn it!" Raikage's face contorted in a mix of anger and shock.

"Retreat, Raikage-sama, this guy is too powerful. He's beyond the level of an ordinary ninja," C urged, trying to convince Raikage.

Darui nodded in agreement, "Boss, better to live and fight another day. You’re the pillar of the Hidden Cloud; we can't afford to lose you here."

"Curse it, I won’t give in so easily!" Raikage glared at Aizen, his aura flaring, his hair standing on end as he forced his body to its peak.

With a fierce stomp, he launched himself forward, leaving a web of cracks where he’d stood. In an instant, he closed the gap, hurling a punch at Aizen.

Yet his fist met only air.

Before his stunned gaze, Aizen vanished just like the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had done in past battles.

Realizing too late, Raikage felt a sharp pain in his back, sending him crashing to the ground. He skidded, face-first, for several meters before stopping.

A horrifying gash, just like Darui's chest wound, had appeared on Raikage’s back, and blood quickly soaked the ground.

Meanwhile, Aizen stood where Raikage had attacked, wiping the blood from his blade before sheathing it.

"Boss!"

"Raikage-sama!"

Darui and C cried out in shock, desperate to help, but they were powerless. C was still under genjutsu, and Darui’s severe injuries left him barely able to move.

Aizen spoke calmly, "You have forty-five seconds."

"Th-This can't be… my strongest state, with my Lightning Release Armor, and yet I was overwhelmed so easily. And his speed… even faster," Raikage muttered, his expression one of disbelief.

Though the lightning surrounding him had dissipated, Raikage, relying on sheer will and strength, forced himself to stand despite the burning pain in his back.

"Thirty seconds left," Aizen announced again.

"Raikage-sama, we have to go!" Darui slung an arm around the nearest C, lifting him.

Without waiting for Raikage’s consent, Darui activated Body Flicker, supporting Raikage as they prepared to escape.

This time, Raikage didn’t resist. He knew that if they didn’t leave now, all three of them might fall here.

Just as they tried to flee, Aizen appeared before them, blocking their way.

"What’s the meaning of this? You said we had thirty seconds!" Darui gasped.

"Yes, there were thirty seconds left… but I changed my mind."

Aizen looked them over, recalling the scene of his young wife’s tears at Hizashi’s funeral. Pointing at Raikage, he commanded, "Raikage, get on your knees."

"You… what did you say?" Raikage was in disbelief—demanding that he, one of the Five Kage, kneel?

"Did I not make myself clear? Get on your knees and shout three times, 'I was wrong,' and I'll let you and your men live."

Arms crossed, Aizen waited.

"Fujiwara Aizen, for someone so famous in the ninja world, don't you think it’s beneath you to threaten Raikage-sama like this?" Darui, setting C down, whispered, "C, how are you feeling? Can you move yet? If you get a chance, take Raikage-sama and go. I'll hold him off."

C struggled to his feet, testing his limbs. "I still can’t move very well, but I can manage. What about you…?"

"No arguments! Raikage-sama’s life comes first," Darui insisted fiercely.

Aizen didn’t seem to care about their whispered plans. "You find this interesting? Years ago, you people took advantage of Hiruzen Sarutobi's blind eye to kidnap the Hyuga heiress, and after your plan failed, you forced Hizashi to his death."

"If we’re talking about disgraceful behavior, you're the pioneers—I’m merely following the masters."

Aizen then added, "Actually, you’ve given me an idea. I’ve changed my mind again."

He quickly formed a seal with his right hand. With a series of loud "poof" sounds, the mountain filled with thousands of shadow clones.

"Wha-what is this…" Raikage, Darui, and C were all stunned. C’s brow dripped with cold sweat as he sensed the intense chakra in each shadow clone.

Aizen smiled. "I've decided to raise the stakes. I’ll let your whole Hidden Cloud village live if the three of you kneel here."

"In the past, I used twenty-five clones and took about fifteen minutes to wipe out two thousand members of the Sarutobi clan."

"But the Hidden Cloud is a major ninja village, much stronger than a single clan. So I’ll use a hundred times that—two thousand five hundred clones."

"Fifteen minutes might not destroy the village completely, but killing thirty to fifty thousand should be doable."

Raikage gritted his teeth in rage, glaring daggers at Aizen.

Killing thirty to fifty thousand… his words sent shivers down their spines. While the Cloud had a strong military force, it lacked the Leaf’s large population.

If Aizen actually slaughtered that many, the Hidden Cloud might not recover.

Aizen shrugged. "Hey, don’t look at me like that. I originally came to watch the fight between the Uchiha and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. You attacked me first and tried to kill me."

"I’m only asking you to kneel. I didn’t come here to wipe out your whole village—that’s more than generous."

"Guess I’m just too softhearted. Too merciful."

The three of them winced at his words. Even if they had once acted without honor in dealing with the Hyuga, they felt utterly outdone by Aizen’s ruthlessness.

"If you won’t kneel, that’s fine."

At Aizen’s signal, all of the shadow clones headed toward the Hidden Cloud village. Raikage, Darui, and C tried to stop them, but seven or eight clones surrounded them, trapping them in place.

(Chapter ends)