276-280

*Chapter 276: Goodbye, Hinata*

“What’s that?”

In the pursuit of Uchiha Itachi and the search for Uchiha Sasuke, Konoha ninja Chika, Hinata, Kakashi, Kiba, Shino, Karin, Naruto, and Yamato scattered across different locations paused simultaneously, gazing toward a massive lightning mushroom cloud.

The blinding flash made them squint, their vision briefly obscured.

Just moments ago, they had seen a streak of light flash across the sky, followed by a colossal explosion that reverberated across a ten-kilometer radius.

“Kakashi, what is that?” asked Pakkun, Kakashi’s ninja hound, tilting his head.

“This feeling… is it the Akatsuki?” Kakashi replied, staring at the massive explosion that lingered in the air. Only the powerful members of the Akatsuki could achieve such devastation.

“Should we check it out?” Pakkun asked.

“The attack came from somewhere else, but the exact origin is unclear. The others will likely head there too, so it’s safest to investigate,” Kakashi said, and in a flash, sped toward the explosion site.

Aside from Chika, the rest of the Konoha ninja also rushed to the explosion site.

Karin, in particular, was incredibly excited—she had sensed Aizen’s chakra within the explosion and wished she could grow an extra pair of legs to move faster than both Yamato and Naruto.

Chika, however, had already been stopped before the explosion by Yakura.

The two stood facing each other for a long time.

After the explosion, one of the ninja hounds beside Chika spoke up. “This outfit… is she with the Akatsuki?”

Looking at Yakura, wearing the iconic black cloak with red clouds and a conical hat, the hound grew wary.

The other hound, looking serious, nodded. “It seems so. According to Kakashi’s intel, Aizen’s only known partner is female, meaning Aizen himself could be nearby. It’s likely he caused that massive explosion.”

“What should we do, Chika? They don’t seem friendly,” the two hounds asked, looking at Chika.

From Yakura’s thoughts, Chika gathered that Aizen had sent her to keep him from approaching the area before the battle concluded.

But with Kakashi’s two ninja hounds nearby, Aizen didn’t want to reveal too much, so Chika needed to divert them.

“You two aren’t suited for a fight of this level. Keep going toward the explosion; Kakashi should be there. I’ll hold her off here,” Chika said, shaking his head.

“Be careful,” the ninja hounds replied, understanding both Chika’s strength and the threat the Akatsuki posed. They knew their presence wouldn’t make a difference here, so they headed off to get reinforcements.

With the hounds gone, Yakura threw two kunai after them, only to have them blocked by Chika. “It won’t be that easy for you,” Chika said coldly.

Once the hounds were out of sight, his cold expression softened, and he gave Yakura a warm smile.

Under Yakura’s startled gaze, Chika ran up and took her hand with a playful grin. “So, should I call you big sis or stepmom?”

Meanwhile, Hinata was also stopped by Aizen on her way to the explosion.

She was slightly surprised to see that the two ninja hounds with her continued running, oblivious to Aizen’s presence.

Left alone with him, she hesitantly asked, “Aizen… is that you?”

Aizen nodded slightly, removing his hat to reveal a handsome young face.

Recognizing him as the one she had thought of day and night, Hinata threw aside her shyness and rushed into Aizen’s arms, hugging his waist as she cried, “I’m so glad, so glad you’re safe.”

Since the defeats of the Akatsuki members like Sasori, Kakuzu, and Hidan, Hinata had often dreamed of the older brother figure who had twice saved her as a child. Since the Chunin Exams, he had regularly “checked up” on her under various pretenses.

But each time, her heart would tremble with worry, fearing he would meet the same fate as the others in the Akatsuki.

“There, there. Why the tears? Is it because I haven’t checked up on you for months?” Aizen teased, feeling her soft embrace and the faint fragrance of her hair.

Hinata blushed, wiping her tears but not letting go. “Aizen, I have a favor to ask. Will you please leave the Akatsuki?” she asked earnestly, her voice trembling.

“What’s the matter?” Aizen looked surprised; this was her first time asking something of him.

“Please don’t stay with them anymore. I worry…”

Before she could finish, he took over. “Worried I’ll end up like Kakuzu and Hidan?”

Hinata closed her eyes, nodding as he continued, “It’s not time yet.”

He wanted to see the grand finale, to stand atop the Ten-Tails and look down on the world. If he left now, it would spoil the thrill.

“But…” Hinata hesitated, gathering her courage to continue. “Aizen, do you remember what you told me?”

“What was that?” Aizen asked, a bit taken aback; he had said many things, always under the pretense of checking her progress.

Her face turned an even deeper red as she looked around to ensure no one was nearby. Then, she took his hand and placed it on her chest, saying, “If I… do this, will you leave the Akatsuki?”

To convince him, she was willing to go to any lengths.

“You silly girl,” he whispered, his heart warmed by her gesture, both sincere and a bit naive.

“So, you’ll leave?” she asked, her face hopeful, even as she kept holding his hand.

Aizen nodded, unable to bring himself to disappoint the girl he’d watched grow. “I’ll find a way to leave within six months,” he promised.

By then, the Fourth Great Ninja War would be over, and staying or leaving wouldn’t matter anymore.

*Chapter 277: Persuading Deidara to Study*

Hinata’s face lit up with joy when she got the answer she was hoping for, and a happy smile appeared on her delicate face.

However, she felt a slight discomfort in her chest and realized her sister was still being held by Aizen, who hadn’t let go of his grip. In fact, he was occasionally squeezing his fingers.

Hinata looked down, unable to see her own feet, and said shyly, “Um, Aizen, could you let go now? Hinata’s feeling uncomfortable.”

“Oh, sorry, sorry! Haha, I couldn’t help myself.” Aizen let out an awkward laugh.

“Really, Aizen, you always do this,” Hinata pouted, then quickly covered her mouth and began to laugh. It was only then that she felt assured—he was still the same as ever.

The battle between Naruto and Sasuke's brother, Itachi, was imminent. Before long, Naruto would entrust Itachi’s right eye to Sasuke.

Thanks to his arrangement with Kabuto, Aizen considered retrieving the eye himself. This meeting with Hinata was just a small detour along the way.

Remembering he had more to do later, Aizen said a fond goodbye to Hinata after a few more affectionate moments and then left for his meeting with Yekura.

“Did you see Aizen yet?” was the first thing he asked Yekura when they met.

“Yeah,” Yekura nodded, her mind still lingering on the words “little mother” that Aizen’s sister had called her.

“So, what did you think?” Aizen asked with a smile.

“She’s a smart girl,” Yekura replied. When she’d locked eyes with Aizen, she’d felt as if her every intention was visible, leaving no secrets between them.

After a slight hesitation, she added, “She called me ‘little mother.’”

“Sounds just like her.” Aizen smiled softly.

Just then, Aizen’s ring started to pulse—a signal that the Akatsuki was calling a meeting.

In the dim cave, the Gedo Statue appeared, its hands raised in prayer. Nine of the Akatsuki members appeared on the ten fingers of the statue.

“Zetsu, what’s going on?” asked Pain, frowning as he noticed that Zetsu wasn’t wearing the Akatsuki cloak.

“You should ask them.” Zetsu looked at Aizen, Yekura, Deidara, and Tobi before finally fixing his gaze on Aizen’s projection. “I was almost blown to bits by that insane ninjutsu!”

“Zetsu, you can’t blame me for that—it was Aizen’s ninjutsu that did it. Deidara and I were both hit and got thrown far off,” said Tobi, scratching the back of his head in mock frustration, as if he wanted everyone to know that it was Aizen’s jutsu.

“Oops. My bad—I didn’t know you were there, Zetsu. I was testing a new chakra combination for a Kekkei Genkai, and I lost control of the proportions. I had to throw it away to avoid hitting Deidara and Tobi.” Aizen chuckled, with no hint of apology in his voice.

“A Kekkei Genkai? No surprise there,” Deidara thought with a warm admiration, realizing Aizen’s purpose had been to avoid harming them.

Kisame picked up on the conversation, curious, “Aizen, did you develop this new jutsu against the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki or Uchiha Sasuke?”

“Oh, I know, I know!” Tobi raised his hand eagerly, “It was Uchiha Sasuke.”

Excited, Tobi went on to explain in detail, “The first time I saw Aizen fight, I was really impressed—Aizen was overwhelmingly powerful. He took on Uchiha Sasuke and his two allies without giving them any chance to fight back.”

At this, Tobi glanced meaningfully at Itachi, adding, “Sasuke even used the Mangekyo Sharingan, just like Itachi, but Aizen defeated him easily.”

Itachi’s eyes flickered with emotion at these words. Kisame, always empathetic, voiced the question on Itachi’s mind: “So, did Sasuke survive?”

“Yes, I just tested his strength,” Aizen replied, looking at Itachi with amusement. “Thank me—you wouldn’t have seen your foolish otouto again otherwise.”

“I even figured out his abilities for you,” Aizen continued. “While he’s awakened the Mangekyo, his genjutsu is still weak. He’s only added the ability to manipulate the shape of the Amaterasu flames.”

“Good thing, too,” Deidara interjected, recalling Sasuke’s use of Amaterasu with a shiver. “Aizen, what exactly is that strange black flame? It burns everything in its path!”

“Amaterasu,” Aizen explained, “a Mangekyo technique that can create black flames in the line of sight, which burn until the target is consumed. Once it’s on you, there’s no getting rid of it unless you sacrifice the part of your body it’s touched.”

Deidara felt a chill but nodded. Aizen shrugged, “It’s frightening, sure, but not invincible. If you anticipate it and block it with something, you’ll be safe.”

“It’s the kind of thing only someone with your perception could manage,” Kisame sighed. “Not many could avoid Amaterasu.”

“Exactly!” Deidara said, clearly impressed by Aizen’s display of power.

Aizen then turned serious. “Well, if that’s the case, it’s time to train harder. Deidara, especially—you’re young and still have so much potential to grow. This fight showed you some areas you can work on. Fix those weaknesses, and your power will increase tremendously.”

Deidara’s main weakness was his vulnerability to Lightning Release; his clay bombs would become duds if hit by lightning. It seemed like fate that he was often matched against those who could exploit this.

*Chapter 278: Jiraiya Learns That Aizen is Tsunade’s Husband*

When Naruto finally arrived at the epicenter of the explosion, all the other Konoha shinobi had already gathered—except for Chika and Hinata.

“What on earth…” Naruto muttered, cold sweat trickling down his brow as he took in the enormous crater. It spanned over ten kilometers in radius and was nearly a hundred meters deep, an intimidating sight.

Compared to this, Naruto’s newly developed Rasenshuriken felt utterly insignificant.

The shinobi glanced back at Naruto, then exchanged silent looks before their gazes rested on Karin, who looked disheartened from not seeing Aizen. She nodded slightly.

“This could be a real problem,” Kakashi muttered, “Looks like it really was that guy.”

Naruto’s eyes widened at this, realizing Kakashi meant Aizen. Nervously, he asked, “So, Kakashi-sensei, what’s the situation?”

“This wasn’t the battle site,” Kakashi replied. “Only remnants of Aizen’s chakra linger here, but it seems clear that this colossal jutsu originated from somewhere else.” He turned and looked behind him. “Kiba scouted and detected Sasuke’s scent in that direction, along with some unfamiliar ones. Sasuke must have gathered some new allies.”

“And Aizen—where’s Aizen?” Naruto asked anxiously.

Kakashi understood Aizen’s significance to Naruto and responded calmly, “Aside from the chakra residue here, we found almost no trace of him.”

“You mean…” Naruto’s eyes widened with a flash of grief, instinctively assuming Aizen had been defeated by Sasuke and his comrades.

Whether it was Sasuke or Aizen, Naruto didn’t want anything to happen to either. To him, they represented a brother and a father figure.

Kakashi noticed Naruto’s expression and shrugged slightly, “Don’t jump to conclusions. We all know Aizen’s strength. Even if Sasuke has gained Itachi’s level of power, there’s no way he could defeat that monster.”

Thanks to Aizen’s revelation, the truth behind the Uchiha massacre was no longer a secret in Konoha. Practically everyone knew, except perhaps Naruto and Sasuke, who had been exiled long ago.

Kakashi looked at Naruto and added, “Besides, Aizen specializes in concealing his presence. Unless he wants to be found, you won’t detect even the slightest trace of his chakra, scent, or appearance.”

Recalling how Aizen left behind a single chair in the Sand Retrieval Mission, a strange thought crossed Kakashi’s mind—was he doing this on purpose?

“Ha! I knew it! No way Aizen would go down that easily,” Naruto said, exhaling in relief and grinning. This prompted annoyed glances from everyone, except for Karin and Kakashi.

They shot Naruto looks of disbelief, as if wondering if he’d forgotten that Aizen was their enemy.

“Ah, seems like everyone’s here,” a familiar voice called from a distance.

Turning to look, Naruto saw two ninken approach.

“Oh! It’s Biscuit and Aquino. Where’s Hinata?” Naruto asked.

“She’s right…” The two ninken turned, looking confused. “Wait, where is she? She was with us just now, we were even talking.”

“What are you blabbering about? We haven’t seen Hinata at all!” Kiba snapped, crouching in front of the ninken with an annoyed expression. “Did you lose her and make up some excuse?”

“Hey, Kiba, calm down,” Shino placed a reassuring hand on Kiba’s shoulder.

Kiba shrugged him off and ran his hands through his hair in frustration, yelling, “How can I calm down? If Hinata runs into any of the Akatsuki members or even Sasuke, that’s…”

Kakashi and Yamato exchanged looks, about to intervene, when Hinata’s voice broke through. “Sorry, everyone. I’m late!”

Turning, they saw Hinata jogging toward them, slightly out of breath. Kiba moved forward to greet her, but Kakashi stopped him, glancing at Pakkun, who sniffed the air and nodded in confirmation before releasing Kiba.

Kiba hurried to Hinata. “What happened?”

Hinata, panting, replied, “I… I just ran into Aizen.”

“Aizen?” Everyone, Kakashi included, frowned.

They knew Hinata, like Naruto, had known Aizen since childhood, but she seemed overly unguarded.

Naruto was one thing, but Hinata was a prodigy of the Hyuga clan.

With a sigh, Kakashi said, “Alright, tell us what happened after you saw him.”

Hinata’s face turned red as she recalled taking Aizen’s hand and pressing it against her chest. Her blush spread visibly from her neck to her forehead.

Seeing her reaction, Kakashi sighed again, realizing he wouldn’t get any information.

More likely, it was just a chance encounter. And probably…reminiscing.

Dating a powerful rogue ninja—ah, youth.

At that moment, two other ninken approached, informing the group that Chika had been stopped by one of Aizen’s partners.

Kakashi felt a headache brewing—problem after problem.

Luckily, Karin’s sharp sensory abilities detected Chika approaching, allowing them to regroup and resume their search for Sasuke.

---

*Konoha Village – Hokage’s Office*

After a long absence while investigating Akatsuki, Jiraiya entered the Hokage’s office, finding Tsunade.

“I’ve located the Akatsuki leader,” he announced.

“What? Really?” Tsunade stood up, her voice betraying excitement. She’d long suspected, based on Aizen’s warnings, that Akatsuki harbored a dangerous individual—the leader, perhaps.

Shizune, holding Ton-Ton, lit up with excitement. “We can launch an attack with this information!”

With Aizen as an insider, she assumed taking down Akatsuki’s headquarters would be nearly certain.

“Whoa, whoa, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Jiraiya raised his hands. He had accepted that he might not return from this mission and had decided to investigate the Akatsuki base himself. He didn’t want Konoha’s shinobi to be sacrificed without clear intel.

“This isn’t your novel, Jiraiya! We can’t afford to be so relaxed,” Tsunade shot back, her gaze dimming. She found herself reminiscing about the times when Aizen was around.

Jiraiya chuckled, “Easy now, especially before placing such a big bet. How about a drink before I leave?”

Aware he might not return, he wanted to spend time with Tsunade before embarking on the mission.

Tsunade’s brow furrowed, but she begrudgingly followed him to the bar, downing a bottle almost immediately.

Jiraiya, speechless, listened as she recounted their past, then shared his plan to infiltrate Akatsuki. Predictably, Tsunade refused.

But he insisted, so eventually, she handed him a specially marked kunai from Aizen.

“This is a Flying Thunder God kunai,” she explained. “Chika’s father left it with me. If you channel chakra into it, he’ll sense it and come to your aid.”

Jiraiya was taken aback, recognizing the symbol etched on the kunai. “So he knows the Flying Thunder God technique, huh? But as Hokage, it’s risky to give a Konoha-exclusive jutsu to a rogue shinobi.”

He forced a laugh, pocketing the kunai before heading for the door.

Yet before he left, Tsunade called after him. “He didn’t learn it from me,” she admitted. “He got it from Orochimaru.”

Jiraiya paused, curious about the connection, and Tsunade took a deep breath before continuing. “There’s something I haven’t told you. You guessed it—Chika’s father is Aizen.”

Boom. Jiraiya felt like he’d been struck by lightning.

Chika was already seven. Tsunade must’ve been with Aizen eight years ago…just after he defected.

With a sigh, Tsunade recounted how she and Aizen met, had Chika, and the moments Aizen had risked his life to protect Konoha.

Jiraiya felt both heartache and relief. The woman he’d admired his whole life had been won over so easily by a young shinobi.

But a part of him felt grateful—thankfully, Aizen had met Tsunade. Otherwise, that man who could outwit Orochimaru and nearly decimate the Sarutobi and Shimura clans might have sought revenge on all of Konoha.

“It makes sense now why Chika is already stronger than Kakashi,” Jiraiya thought. “And it explains Aizen’s restraint with Naruto and the Konoha shinobi.”

Jiraiya crossed his arms, deep in thought. “But Akatsuki’s leader is a force to reckon with—enough to make Aizen wary. You don’t need to take such a risk.”

“No,” Jiraiya replied, “Precisely because of this, I have to uncover the truth behind Akatsuki’s leader. And I’ll be careful—if things go south, I’ll use your kunai.”

Facing the sunset, Jiraiya turned to leave.

He didn’t look back.

But he also left something unsaid: Aizen’s plan to unite the nations against Akatsuki was risky. Jiraiya believed in peace through mutual understanding, making

 Aizen’s goal an act of revenge, not justice.

At the same time, he still has something to say to Tsunade.

That is, the idea of peace by making the five great powers hostile to the organization is too dangerous.

He was unable to communicate as an advocate of mutual understanding and peace.

As a result, he couldn't fully trust Aizen.

In addition, he won't use this kunai, not that he is worried about whether Aizen will save him, but once Aizen shows up to save himself, then he will definitely turn against the mysterious leader of the Akatsuki organization.

He didn't want Tsunade to lose her husband. I don't want Chika to lose her father.

*Chapter 279: Sudden Surge in Chakra, Reuniting with Juzo (4K)*

At the same time as Jiraiya heads toward Amegakure, the story takes a turn.

Uchiha Itachi, feeling his end drawing near due to his illness, locates Naruto, who is using multiple shadow clones to search for Sasuke. Itachi begins preparing for his final showdown—a battle where he plans to hold back.

With his real body meeting one of Naruto's clones, Itachi sends another clone carrying the crow with Shisui’s Sharingan, intending to implant it within Naruto.

“Itachi Uchiha… are you here to capture me?” Naruto’s first question upon seeing Itachi in person.

“No, that’s not it,” Itachi replies casually, taking out a couple of kunai to destroy Naruto's clones meant for sneak attacks. “I know you’re alone. Why don’t you surrender?”

Naruto smirks coldly, replying, “I can easily go from being alone to having a thousand allies.” While answering, he strategizes on how to face Itachi. “Besides, if I capture you, I might finally get to see Sasuke.”

“Why are you so fixated on my foolish little brother? He’s a rogue ninja, after all.” Itachi tests Naruto one last time.

“At least I consider him my brother, unlike you,” Naruto answers sharply.

“Brother, huh?” Itachi murmurs with a faint smile, speaking with a mocking tone, “And what about Aizen? You never really knew him, right? There’s no bond between you. When he left the village with me, you were just seven or eight years old.”

“Who says there’s no bond?” Naruto waves his hand as a flicker of sadness passes through his blue eyes, remembering his early encounters with Aizen. “Don’t compare yourself to Aizen or speak about him in that tone.”

As he speaks, Naruto’s anger rises, and he charges at Itachi with a shadow clone, creating a Rasengan. But before he can get close, he suddenly feels weightless, as though floating, and the environment shifts to a blood-red world.

Ravens cry out in the red skies. Among them, one crow’s right eye is a three-tomoe Sharingan—Shisui’s eye.

“Damn it… What’s happening?” Cold sweat appears on Naruto’s brow as he realizes he’s caught in a genjutsu.

“You’re already under my genjutsu,” says Itachi, his form emerging from dozens of ravens. “Once more—I just want to talk. You want to bring Sasuke back, right? But what will you do if you fail?”

“I’ve already answered this question before,” Naruto replies, his voice firm. “I don’t back down. My ninja way is to keep moving forward and fulfill my promises.”

“Is that so…” Getting the answer he wanted, Itachi no longer hesitates and implants the crow with Shisui’s eye into Naruto, then disappears.

However, unbeknownst to Itachi, Aizen had already swapped that crow at the moment it was summoned.

“Lord Aizen, is that…?” Pakura exclaims upon seeing the Sharingan in the crow’s left eye.

“That’s Shisui Uchiha’s Mangekyou Sharingan,” Aizen explains. “His Kotoamatsukami is considered the ultimate genjutsu, capable of infiltrating a person’s mind and altering their will without their knowledge.”

Aizen stores the crow in his system’s storage, planning to extract it later, as he’s not one to pluck eyes.

“But… wasn’t Shisui Uchiha supposed to be dead?” Pakura asks in disbelief. “How did Itachi get his eye? Could it really be true, as the rumors say, that Itachi killed him?”

Aizen goes on to explain the truth behind Shisui’s death and the Uchiha massacre, where Itachi, believing he was protecting his brother and avoiding war, slaughtered his entire clan under orders from Danzo.

Hearing of Itachi’s actions—killing his parents and slaughtering his clan—Pakura’s face turns furious, a reflection of her growing understanding of justice.

“That Itachi really is heartless,” she exclaims. It’s not that she sympathizes with the Uchiha but feels contempt for Itachi, who turned against those closest to him.

“Now that he’s stricken with illness, his life prolonged only by medicine, he’s already facing his punishment. He won’t last long,” Aizen says calmly.

“Seems too lenient,” Pakura huffs. “And now I understand why you despise him so much, Lord Aizen.”

With a slight grin, Aizen activates his system panel, revealing his stats and abilities. Then, using his system, he merges Shisui’s eye and the First Hokage’s cells with his own, greatly enhancing his chakra reserves and unlocking the power of the Wood Release jutsu.

Meanwhile, he begins to scheme, thinking of the moves he’ll make against those who cross his path, aiming to reshape the world into one where his family would be safe in his absence.

As Aizen contemplates his next steps, Pakura notices a change in his eyes. “Lord Aizen… your eyes.”

“Oh, these?” he responds, explaining away his Sharingan transformation as part of his preparations.

“Well, no need to dwell on it,” Aizen says with a smile, taking Pakura’s hand. “It’s time to head back to Amegakure. The show’s about to begin.”

“A show?” Pakura asks, puzzled.

“Yes, a good show.” Aizen grins mysteriously. He senses Jiraiya’s chakra nearing Amegakure and knows it’s almost time for his dramatic confrontation with Pain.

They arrive back in the village and run into a group of Amegakure Anbu, led by Juzo Biwa. He eyes them warily but relaxes when he realizes it’s Aizen and Pakura, whom he assumed were enemy intruders due to the sudden surge in chakra.

“Aizen, Pakura. Did you use reverse summoning again?” Juzo sighs.

Aizen smirks, “Long time no see, Juzo. Something wrong?”

“Yeah. An intruder with massive chakra has infiltrated the village, and Pain ordered us to locate them,” Juzo explains, glancing toward the sky.

 Chapter 280: Jiraiya's Sacrifice

"Good luck with that." Aizen lifted his head and looked at the clear sky, knowing that, barring any surprises, Pain and Konan had already started their search in person.

Though Tenzō was an elite ninja, he still fell short of matching Jiraiya’s prowess.

From the start, Pain hadn’t intended for Tenzō’s squad to capture Jiraiya.

It was likely all just a smokescreen.

The real players would be Konan and Pain.

After a brief encounter with Tenzō, Aizen and Pakura headed home together.

This was also the first time Aizen was bringing Pakura to his home—the one he shared with Mrs. Mikoto and Izumi.

"Lord Aizen, are you sure this is okay?"

Pakura looked nervous, her cheeks blushing as if she’d had too much to drink. She couldn’t quite meet Aizen’s eyes and kept fidgeting with her hair, looking like a shy bride.

"Of course. Sooner or later, it was bound to happen, right? Besides, Mrs. Mikoto and Izumi are good people. At worst, they might just vent a little to me, so there’s really nothing to worry about."

Holding her hand, Aizen reassured her along the way.

Only then did Pakura feel somewhat at ease.

As they ascended the steps of the clock tower in Amegakure, they encountered Konan.

"Am I interrupting something?" Konan’s voice was colder than usual. Her gaze, her expression, even her tone had changed. She looked at Aizen with an almost icy look, as if seeing through him completely.

This guy had clearly won Pakura’s heart—and had the audacity to bring her home.

Aizen was momentarily taken aback. This familiar scene, these familiar lines...

He pulled Pakura into an embrace, extending his other hand toward Konan with a smile. "No, you’re just in time."

"I’m talking about Pakura. I told you, didn’t I? This clock tower doesn’t allow outsiders."

Konan seemed surprised by Aizen’s reaction. Her brow raised ever so slightly, and for a brief moment, something flickered in her eyes.

But she quickly masked it.

However, she couldn’t hide it from Pakura, who, as a fellow woman, could recognize that look—a glimmer of hope to be included.

Before Aizen could respond, Pakura took over the conversation, stepping forward and holding Konan’s hand with a smile, "I’m not an outsider, Konan."

It was as if she was saying they were both Aizen’s women.

Though Pakura was from Minato’s era and a few years older than Konan, she carried herself humbly, trying not to make Aizen feel any pressure.

Konan was thrown off, thinking Aizen must have told Pakura about his past flirtations. Her face flushed as she shot him an angry look, muttering, "Do you know what kind of guy he is? He’s not satisfied with just one woman; even Uchiha Itachi’s mother isn’t off-limits."

"I know," Pakura replied naturally.

Konan seemed exasperated. "Then why..."

Over the years, Konan hadn’t been able to avoid Aizen’s flirtations—both in words and otherwise.

With his good looks, strength, and flirtatious charm, he’d gotten into her head.

If he’d been single, she might have fallen long ago.

But this guy was just a hopeless flirt.

Every time she thought about how he wasn’t satisfied with just her, she felt furious enough to grit her teeth.

"Yes, Aizen can be a bit of a flirt, but he genuinely cares for each of us," Pakura replied calmly, surprising even Aizen with her understanding.

Realizing further discussion might only lead her deeper into confusion, Konan skipped the topic and asked, "Since you’re here, can you help with something? There’s an intruder in Amegakure. Can you sense anything?"

Aizen hid knowledge of Jiraiya’s mission. "I already checked on my way here. The intruder must have realized he was discovered and hid in a barrier."

"No need to worry. If he came alone, he’s likely here to gather intel, not to fight. And if he’s here for intel, he’ll come to the clock tower. Once he’s here, Pain can easily deal with him."

"Good point." Konan nodded, finding no fault in his logic.

"And since we finally met up again, don’t you think we should..." Aizen hinted playfully.

Konan’s eyes flashed with panic. "What are you trying to do?"

Aizen waved at Pakura, who chuckled, covering her mouth as she climbed the stairs.

Once Pakura was out of sight, Aizen cornered Konan against the wall.

Half an hour later, he led Pakura up the stairs, leaving Konan blushing and muttering in frustration, "That damn jerk..."

When they reached the door to his home, Aizen deactivated his shadow clones stationed as guards, pulled out his key, and opened the door to a warm scene: Mrs. Mikoto cooking, Izumi teaching little Chika to read.

Compared to her sister Chixia, who excelled at everything, Chika seemed more ordinary in her talents. Though she had decent ninja abilities, they were within the normal range.

When Chika saw Aizen, she rushed into his arms, and he spun her around before Izumi helped him out of his robe.

Seeing Pakura, Mrs. Mikoto and the others grew curious.

Aizen braced himself for the inevitable chaos.

Three days later, he’d managed to calm everyone down.

Meanwhile, the battle between Jiraiya and Pain erupted.

Boom! During a family lunch, a rumble shook the entire clock tower.

If it hadn’t been reinforced with a barrier, the ceiling might have collapsed.

"What’s happening?" Everyone set their bowls down, looking toward the source of the disturbance.

"It seems the fight has started. Stay here—I’ll go check it out." Aizen got up, summoned flames to reinforce the area around his family’s quarters, then vanished.

Jiraiya, fighting the Animal Path of Pain, noticed Aizen’s barrier and exclaimed, "What is that?"

"A barrier. Looks like we disturbed Aizen’s home. He values his family a lot, so we’d better wrap this up before he gets involved," the Animal Path mocked, summoning a giant bird toward Jiraiya.

"That’s the Uchiha Flame Formation. So, it is Aizen, huh? Guess I’ll have to try this." Jiraiya grew serious, gathering energy for Sage Mode.

As Jiraiya fought, Konan watched from above, her paper wings extended, observing the chaos with a calm expression.

"Quite a show, isn’t it?" a voice murmured beside her.

Startled, she fired paper shurikens laced with explosive tags, only for them to hit nothing.

"Oh, trying to kill me already?" Aizen chuckled as he appeared on her other side, hovering on purple wings.

"Who asked you to sneak up on me like that? You’d deserve it if you got blown up." Konan glared at him.

Aizen just laughed, moving beside her to watch the fight.

Jiraiya’s struggle against Pain escalated, and eventually, he found himself critically wounded. But just as he was slipping into unconsciousness, he saw something glimmer beside him—Aizen’s kunai, a gift meant for Tsunade.

Moments before Pain could confirm the kill, Aizen used the kunai to teleport to Jiraiya’s side, pulling him into a pocket dimension before teleporting away again.

In the aftermath, with Jiraiya gone, Pain assumed he was dead and left satisfied.

Aizen reappeared at his house.

"Why are you all wet, Dad?" little Chika asked.

"It’s nothing—just helped out an old friend." Aizen dried off with a flicker of flame.

Under the family’s puzzled looks, he pulled a nearly-dead Jiraiya out of his storage space, removing the black rods from his body and healing him.

"Ouch… wait, I’m... okay?" Jiraiya gasped, surprised to find his wounds healed.

Seeing Aizen standing over him, Jiraiya finally understood he’d been saved.

"Of course. Otherwise, how would I face Tsunade?" Aizen said casually, leaning against the wall.

Jiraiya chuckled, though his thoughts soon grew somber. "Thanks for the rescue, Aizen, but I still need to return to Konoha to report what I learned."

But as he attempted to summon his chakra, he found it blocked. "What did you do?"

"Nothing much, just a sealing technique to keep you hidden. You’re considered dead. And besides," Aizen added with a grin, "wouldn’t you rather see how your students turn out?"

With a knowing smile, Aizen knocked Jiraiya out again and stored him away, ready to watch the events unfold.