251-255

*Chapter 251: Jiraiya's Suspicion*

After Naruto and the others left, a puff of smoke filled the room as Jiraiya suddenly appeared in the Hokage's office.

"That kid's really something," Jiraiya commented, impressed. "She’s even managed to improve the Rasengan to this level."

"Of course! And look whose daughter she is," Tsunade replied proudly.

"Speaking of that, Tsunade, I remember you mentioning that Chika's ninjutsu was taught by that guy, Fujiwara Aizen," Jiraiya said.

"Yes, I told you that before, didn’t I? It seems like Aizen took an interest in Chika quite early on," Tsunade responded, a hint of unease flashing in her eyes.

"Is that really all it is?" Jiraiya squinted slightly. "A perfect sage technique surpassing the Three Great Sage Lands… it’s more than just talent. And Tsunade, don’t you think Chika resembles Aizen quite a bit?"

"Spit it out already if you have something to say. Stop beating around the bush!" Tsunade stood up and slammed her hand on the desk.

Seeing her anger, Jiraiya’s serious demeanor quickly turned playful as he raised his hands in surrender. "Nothing much! Just saying, Chika and Aizen look pretty similar. That’s all."

"You’d better be careful with your words," Tsunade grumbled, sitting back down. "Now, what exactly did you come here for? Is the Akatsuki on the move again?"

Jiraiya's smile faded as he nodded solemnly. "While Naruto was in the Sand Village and the Grass Country, I’ve been secretly investigating the Akatsuki’s activities."

"Since their targets are the Jinchuriki, I’ve been gathering intel on all the Jinchuriki scattered across the Shinobi world."

"I passed along all known information about the Akatsuki to Kages in village that possess tailed beasts."

"And it seems the Akatsuki’s progress is faster than we anticipated. Before taking the One-Tail from Gaara, they had already captured two other tailed beasts."

"Not long ago, I received news that the Two-Tails Jinchuriki from the Hidden Cloud went missing after a mission and hasn’t returned."

"In other words, the Akatsuki already have at least four tailed beasts, including the One-Tail and the Two-Tails."

"That's truly troubling." Tsunade sighed, rubbing her forehead in frustration, her thoughts clouded with uncertainty as she wondered what her mysterious partner was up to.

"But that’s not the main concern," Jiraiya continued. "What’s truly alarming is the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki from Takigakure."

"What?" Tsunade looked puzzled.

"Because Takigakure rarely interacts with the outside world, I went there myself. Among the four tailed beasts the Akatsuki captured, the Seven-Tails was one of them."

"We all know that when a tailed beast is extracted, the Jinchuriki dies—unless revived by something like Lady Chiyo’s life-transfer technique."

"But to my surprise, the Seven-Tails’ Jinchuriki—no, the former Seven-Tails’ Jinchuriki—is still alive despite losing her tailed beast."

Tsunade's suspicions flared. She guessed Aizen might have given her a senzu bean but still asked, "Do you have any information on this Jinchuriki?"

"This is from the Kage of Takigakure." Jiraiya pulled an envelope from his robe. "She took part in the joint Chunin Exams with the Sand Village and Leaf Village but was attacked on her way back. Her two Jounin guards were killed, and she disappeared for about a week."

"When she finally reappeared, she was found back where the attack happened, with no memory of what had occurred. I checked her thoroughly—there were no seals blocking her memory, so it’s likely someone used a powerful genjutsu to erase her memories."

"As for who could wield such powerful genjutsu, besides the two remaining Uchiha at that time, only Fujiwara Aizen could possibly manage it."

"Still, it’s surprising—Aizen’s not exactly the type to go around saving people. He has a rather twisted sense of humor and even toyed with Orochimaru. Resurrection techniques usually come with a heavy price, yet he revived someone he didn’t even know. Strange, isn’t it?"

Tsunade's eye twitched as she glanced at the Jinchuriki's profile. Unlike Jiraiya, she knew all too well that Aizen had likely helped just because the girl was pretty. If it had been some rough-looking guy, he probably wouldn’t have bothered.

Jiraiya continued, "One more thing that bothers me. Like Captain Yamato reported before, Aizen has had numerous chances to capture Naruto but hasn’t made a move. Even during the battle to retrieve the Kazekage, it seemed intentional—the chair and umbrella Naruto found were left by Aizen."

"It’s all very suspicious."

"Unless…" Jiraiya trailed off, eyeing Tsunade carefully. He had always been curious about the identity of Tsunade's mysterious husband.

In his investigations, he’d discovered something startling: Tsunade had visited Tanzaku Town shortly before becoming pregnant. Around the same time, members of the Akatsuki were also spotted in the area.

The timing was too coincidental.

Adding to that, Chika bore a strong resemblance to Aizen, who had even taught her sage techniques. If not for their considerable age difference, Jiraiya might have suspected that Aizen was Tsunade’s secret husband.

"Unless what?" Tsunade frowned, her fists clenched, and her knuckles cracking in warning.

"Unless…" Jiraiya gulped at the sound of her fists, hastily changing his response. "Unless Aizen has lingering affection for the Leaf Village or some other motive."

"Well, that was obvious," Tsunade sighed, releasing her fists.

Jiraiya turned his back to Tsunade, breathing a sigh of relief, grateful he hadn’t mentioned any connection between Aizen and Tsunade. Otherwise, he might not have made it out in one piece.

---

In the Akatsuki's Hidden Cave Base, Amegakure

In the dim light, Aizen, Pakura, Konan, and Pain stood together.

"Leader, we’ve successfully captured the Two-Tails Jinchuriki."

From the ground emerged a giant Venus flytrap, opening to reveal a severely injured, unconscious blonde woman.

"Well done. And where are Kakuzu and Hidan?" Pain asked impassively.

Zetsu chuckled. "Kakuzu said they met their quota and, after a long delay, went to hunt down some top bounty targets in the black market for funds."

"Hidan thinks sacrificing just two Jinchuriki isn’t enough. He wants to capture one more."

"Kakuzu has his eye on the head of Chiriku from the Twelve Guardian Ninja of the Fire Temple. Hidan, annoyed with Deidara, has decided to go after the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

"They’ve set off for the Land of Fire. Do you want me to call them back, Leader?"

---

**end

*Chapter 252: Kurenai Yuhi is Pregnant*

“Leader, should we call Kakuzu and the others back?” Black Zetsu asked Pain in a hoarse voice.

“No, there’s no need,” Pain shook his head. “We’ve already captured four of the Tailed Beasts, meaning that half of the final phase of the plan is complete. If Kakuzu and his team manage to capture the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuriki, all the better.”

“Understood. Then I’ll take my leave,” Black Zetsu said, sinking into the ground along with the pitcher plant.

“It looks like there’s no sealing ritual needed today, so we’ll be off as well, leader.”

After overhearing the conversation between Pain and Zetsu, Aizen knew that the Immortal Duo’s fate was sealed, and with them, Asuma Sarutobi’s. During the Chunin Exams, he’d let Asuma live, knowing he would eventually die at Hidan’s hands.

So he let things play out naturally.

“Wait.” Just as Aizen and Pakura were about to leave, Pain’s voice stopped them.

“Is there something else, leader? I still have soup cooking at home,” Aizen turned back.

“Aizen, Pakura, you two have become too complacent lately,” Pain’s face twitched slightly.

“Really?” Aizen and Pakura exchanged confused glances.

Pakura gave an embarrassed smile. “It’s true, Lord Aizen. Ever since we captured the Five-Tails, it seems we haven’t taken on many missions.”

Konan, standing nearby, shot Aizen a glare. “Even last time, during the pursuit of Orochimaru at the Tenchi Bridge, your laziness caused a delay, allowing him to escape.”

That, of course, was a lie Aizen had concocted. After all, there was no need to kill Orochimaru.

But appearances had to be kept up.

Aizen stroked his chin, looking earnestly at Konan. “Isn’t it because you didn’t notify me sooner, making me late?” he said innocently.

“You—” Konan’s jaw clenched in anger, but Pain interrupted, “Enough, Konan.”

Pain then turned to Aizen, “Aizen, the final stage of our plan is half complete. You cannot afford to be idle. I have a mission for you.”

Before Aizen could complain, Pain continued, “It involves the Eight-Tails’ Jinchuriki. We already have intel on the other eight beasts, including the Nine-Tails. The Eight-Tails, however, remains a mystery. For now, you don’t need to capture it—just find its location.”

“Okay, leave it to me,” Aizen agreed without hesitation, surprising both Pain and Konan with his enthusiasm.

Was this really the same Aizen, who was always so reluctant?

What they didn’t know was that Aizen, well-versed in the original story, already knew where the Eight-Tails was hiding.

The Valley of Clouds and Lightning—the place where Killer Bee would later fight Sasuke.

Pain paused. “Very well, set out immediately. I’ll notify you when it’s time to seal the Two-Tails.”

“There’s no rush. We can head out after sealing the Two-Tails. The Hidden Cloud Village isn’t that large, and the Jinchuriki’s chakra is unique. With my sensory abilities, I can locate them in a matter of days. Going now would only alert them. After all, their Two-Tails Jinchuriki was just captured.”

Aizen shook his head.

He wouldn’t miss the chance to harvest the Two-Tails’ Jinchuriki’s body.

Although no system prompt had appeared yet, it might pop up when the time came, just like with the Seven-Tails’ Jinchuriki.

You have to make the most of what you get, right? And this way, he could also watch Asuma’s final moments.

Asuma’s death in the original was tragic, so witnessing it firsthand was appealing.

Pain considered his reasoning and found it sound. He agreed to wait until the Two-Tails was sealed before sending Aizen out.

After leaving the cave, Aizen parted from Pakura and headed to Kurenai Yuhi’s quarters.

Kurenai had been away on missions lately, so when they reunited, it was like a rainstorm after a drought—passionate and intense.

Only when they were completely spent did Kurenai collapse into Aizen’s arms, gasping for breath.

“What’s gotten into you today? This isn’t like you,” Kurenai said, blushing as she lay in his embrace. He took her delicate hand and kissed it lightly.

“Because for the next nine months, we won’t be able to indulge like this,” Kurenai’s cheeks flushed a deeper red, her eyes a mix of happiness, embarrassment, and a hint of worry.

“Nine months?” Aizen was stunned, then recalled the night a month ago when Gaara was captured by Deidara. His dark eyes lit up with excitement as he checked Kurenai’s pulse, exclaiming, “Kurenai, you’re pregnant?”

“Mm-hmm,” she replied in a whisper-like tone.

“That’s wonderful news!” Aizen’s joy was palpable, and he thought back to Asuma’s posthumous child in the original, Sarutobi Mirai. How curious fate was.

Even though he had intercepted Kurenai, the timing was still close. By all accounts, he had come out ahead.

“But...is this really okay?” Kurenai asked, worry evident in her voice.

Understanding her concerns, Aizen stroked her shoulder and said gently, “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

“Besides, it’s time I told you something.” Aizen took a deep breath, his expression serious. “There’s something you might not know.”

“What is it?” Kurenai looked puzzled.

“Besides you and Izumi, I have other women outside, some quite powerful or influential. One of them is right here in Konoha, and she’s given me a daughter,” Aizen said openly.

Influential? A daughter? In Konoha?

Kurenai was smart and quickly pieced it together. Thinking of the village’s leaders...

Not Koharu Utatane—she had a son, and it was with the elders like Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, and others. And Aizen wasn’t that eccentric; he liked women, yes, but only beautiful ones—not elderly ladies.

Which left only one person.

The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, who had a seven-year-old daughter.

Thinking back, Tsunade’s daughter hadn’t shown much resemblance to Aizen when she was little, but as she grew older, some similarities began to show.

“It seems you figured it out,” Aizen smiled.

“How did this happen? One of the legendary Sannin, Lady Tsunade, with you? And she had a daughter when you were so young?” Kurenai exclaimed.

---

Chapter 253: Asuma's Unfinished Business

Kurenai Yuhi felt like she was going crazy. If Chika truly was the child of her husband and Tsunade, it would actually make sense. It could explain why Konoha had been spared from Aizen's attacks after the Fifth Hokage took office.

"This story is quite long, so please, let me explain," Aizen said with a mysterious smile.

Three days passed quickly.

Just as in the original story.

Kakuzu and Hidan defeated Chiriku, one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja of the Fire Temple, and destroyed the entire temple. They then took his corpse to the underground exchange station to collect the bounty.

However, while Kakuzu was counting the money, Hidan was ambushed by a team led by Asuma. Asuma's squad first distracted Hidan with a flurry of shuriken. Then, Shikamaru immobilized him with the Shadow Imitation Technique, and the Konoha gate guards, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki, plunged their steel blades into him.

"That hurts, you bastards! Who the hell are you?" Hidan shouted in pain.

"We hit the vital spots, but he's still alive?" Asuma, Kotetsu, Izumo, and Shikamaru were shocked and horrified.

"That really hurt, you jerks! Stop twisting the blades around. Isn’t it obvious?" Hidan glared at Kotetsu and Izumo, and then turned his gaze to Asuma.

When he saw the Fire Country emblem on Asuma's belt, his eyes lit up with excitement. "You must be that Guardian Ninja... Aki-something."

"It's Asuma," Asuma corrected, sweat forming on his brow. "We're Konoha ninja, here to capture or eliminate the Akatsuki. Akatsuki always work in pairs. Tell me where your partner is, or you're dead meat."

"And since you’re a member of the Akatsuki, you should know about Fujiwara Aizen. Tell me where he is," Asuma demanded.

Hidan paused, confused. "Fujiwara Aizen?" He smirked as he realized. "Oh, that shrill voice... So you're the last surviving member of the Sarutobi Clan, huh? The one Aizen wiped out and even castrated?"

Asuma frowned, but his years of battle experience kept him from falling for Hidan's taunts. He gripped his Flying Swallow blades infused with wind chakra and demanded, "Where is your partner, and where is Fujiwara Aizen?"

"Ha, thinking you can get revenge on Aizen? What a joke," Hidan scoffed. "That guy's ridiculously strong. Even Kakuzu was nearly killed instantly by him."

While they were speaking, Shikamaru analyzed Hidan’s words. So his partner is someone called Kakuzu? At least not all the Akatsuki are as strong as Fujiwara Aizen. That’s some small comfort.

"Answer me," Asuma threatened, approaching Hidan with killing intent.

"You're one out of your mind," Hidan said smugly. Suddenly, Kakuzu emerged from the underground exchange, smashing a building with a punch reinforced by Earth Style: Iron Skin. Shikamaru was forced to dodge, releasing his shadow hold on Hidan.

As in the original story, Asuma was eventually trapped in Hidan’s Curse Ritual and fought valiantly but ultimately perished.

Shikamaru, Kotetsu, and Izumo survived due to Konoha reinforcements and a sudden summons from Pain, forcing Hidan and Kakuzu to retreat.

Hidden nearby, Aizen watched everything unfold.

On the roof of the exchange building, Team 10—Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Choji Akimichi—cried bitterly over Asuma’s body. Despite Ino’s attempts to heal him, Asuma, fatally wounded, refused treatment.

He gave his final words to his students, entrusting his daughter, Mirai Sarutobi, to Shikamaru. He lamented, "I never got to kill that man... never avenged my clan... dying here is so unfair."

Just before he passed away, Aizen appeared, wielding his zanpakuto. Using Kyoka Suigetsu, he manipulated the senses of all the Konoha ninja except Asuma, who was on the brink of death.

Only Asuma, barely clinging to life, could see and hear him. Asuma tried to speak, but his strength was gone. His vision blurred, and he began losing consciousness, shocked to see his family's nemesis in his final moments.

"Since you’re so unwilling to die, I'll tell you the truth," Aizen whispered. As Asuma lay dying, Aizen revealed how Kurenai was pregnant with his child and explained why he had castrated Asuma's clan.

"Asuma... Sarutobi," Asuma uttered with a final surge of defiance. He roared Aizen’s name with his dying breath, then died in anguish.

Without delay, Aizen cut Asuma’s soul with his zanpakuto to prevent him from being reanimated with the Impure World Reincarnation technique. Then he used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to the Akatsuki's hideout in the Hidden Rain Village and joined in the Tailed Beast sealing ritual.

The dark cave buzzed as the members of the Akatsuki projected onto the Gedo Statue's fingers.

"Looking rough there, Hidan," Deidara mocked. "Your clothes are all torn up. Must’ve had a rough time."

"Shut up. We would've wiped out those Konoha ninja if it weren’t for our boss dragging us back here," Hidan snapped, glaring at Pain. "We were so close to finishing the job, and you called us back just to seal the Two-Tails? Seriously?"

"Shut up, Hidan," Kakuzu scolded.

"It’s fine," Pain said, ignoring Hidan’s outburst and launching into a long speech about his vision of peace.

Hidan grew impatient listening to Pain’s monologue. Unable to fight him, Hidan turned to Aizen, eager to change the topic. "Hey, Aizen, you owe me one."

"What for?" Aizen asked, feigning ignorance.

"I took down that Sarutobi Asuma guy for you," Hidan said proudly.

"Thanks for dealing with an ant," Aizen replied, unimpressed.

Hidan, the most bloodthirsty and simple-minded of the Akatsuki, didn’t realize he was close to his own death.

Meanwhile, Aizen turned his thoughts to Kakuzu, whom he considered saving for his usefulness.

Hidan clicked his tongue, sensing Aizen’s disinterest. He fell silent, already plotting to finish off the Konoha ninja who had escaped him.

Little did he know, his end was near.

---

*Chapter 254: The Battle Between Tsunade and Kurenai Yuhi*

In the Hokage's office, Shikamaru Nara, Kotetsu Hagane, and Izumo Kamizuki stood with their heads lowered, looking dejected.

Tsunade, who had just finished handling a mountain of paperwork and had been feeling restless without the company of Aizen for some time, lay lazily on her desk. After hearing the report from the three, her pupils shrank suddenly. Regretful over Asuma's loss as a Konoha ninja, she quickly asked, "What about Aizen? Was that guy Fujiwara Aizen involved?"

Although there was an irreconcilable blood feud between the Sarutobi clan and Aizen, Asuma Sarutobi was still a respected ninja in the village. If possible, Tsunade hoped Asuma's death wouldn’t lead her own partner into a permanent grudge with Konoha's shinobi.

Kotetsu hesitated, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Actually, no... given the situation, if Fujiwara Aizen—the one who once defeated Kakashi and others—had been there, we probably wouldn’t have survived."

Hearing this, Tsunade sighed in relief, but Izumo spoke up again, "Then, as for Mirai and Kurenai... Asuma, he... for Kurenai..."

Mention of Kurenai made the atmosphere grow tense, and everyone involuntarily winced.

Everyone knew Kurenai had no interest in Asuma. Furthermore, years before his death, Asuma had already been... neutered by Aizen, so there was no chance of anything between them.

Before Tsunade could respond, Shikamaru spoke up, "I’ll handle things with Mirai. As for Kurenai-sensei, I’ll leave that to you, Hokage-sama."

"I understand." Tsunade sighed helplessly; Kurenai was giving her a headache.

Two days earlier.

Kurenai Yuhi had uncharacteristically sought Tsunade out for a private conversation.

"Fifth Hokage... no, Sister Tsunade, I have something I'd like to discuss with you," Kurenai said as she met with Tsunade.

"Oh? ‘Sister,’ huh? You sure know how to charm." Tsunade rested her chin on her hand, eyeing the youthful-looking Kurenai, who was in her thirties but appeared as vibrant as a twenty-year-old. She touched the pure gold ring on her left ring finger and thought, Well-kept, indeed, though I’m not exactly aging either.

"Shizune, please step out," Tsunade instructed.

"Yes," Shizune nodded, carrying Tonton the pig as she exited.

"Go ahead," Tsunade said with a smile as she studied Kurenai, but her smile soon faded.

"Tsunade, I’m here to submit my resignation as a ninja," Kurenai said, taking a seat across from Tsunade. She no longer displayed the usual deference, instead meeting Tsunade’s gaze as an equal.

Sensing the shift in Kurenai's attitude, Tsunade’s smile disappeared. She frowned and asked, "Why? Am I failing as the Fifth Hokage to the point you’d resign from your jonin position? If there's anything you're dissatisfied with, please let me know. I’m open to change."

"No, you’ve done well. The changes in the village these past years are visible to everyone. Darkness has disappeared, and we’re growing," Kurenai shook her head.

After a moment of hesitation, she took a deep breath and, blushing, said something shocking: "I’m resigning because I’m pregnant."

"Pregnant..." Tsunade’s eyes widened with excitement, and she jumped up, bombarding Kurenai with questions, "Whose child? When did this happen? How far along are you? Who’s the father?"

"Well..." Kurenai’s face was scarlet, even her neck blushing. She hesitated, then took a deep breath and said, "Tsunade, please brace yourself and try not to be angry."

As she spoke, Kurenai removed a plain gold ring from her neck and, under Tsunade's stunned gaze, slipped it onto her left ring finger.

In that instant, Tsunade understood everything—the special gold material, unique to Aizen.

This also explained why Kurenai, despite being over thirty, still looked like a beautiful woman in her twenties.

Tsunade forced herself to suppress her anger, using a calm tone to ask, "When?"

Kurenai thought back to her history with Aizen—from their first wild meeting to becoming pregnant now. "About ten years."

"Ten years?" Tsunade's expression grew complicated, tinged with sorrow, reluctance, and anger. She sighed. So, all along, I was the later one.

The memory ended.

Tsunade placed her palm on the desk. With a cracking sound, the wood-sculpted desk shattered into pieces.

"Tsunade-sama, please calm down!" Kotetsu, Izumo, and Shikamaru, thinking her rage was due to Asuma’s death, hurriedly tried to soothe her.

Shaking her head, Tsunade walked to the window, facing away from them as she waved a hand. "I’m fine. You all can go."

The three nodded and left the Hokage's office.

"Tsunade-sama, what’s wrong?" Shizune asked hesitantly.

"Kurenai is pregnant." Tsunade bit her lip, silent tears streaming down her face. She’d always known Aizen was a certain kind of man who likely had other women behind her back.

But knowing was one thing, and experiencing it was another.

Tsunade was a strong-willed woman, which came with a possessive streak, which is why she’d fly into a rage whenever Aizen mentioned other women.

But deep down, she was also vulnerable. Betrayal made her sad, made her cry.

This time, Aizen had truly gone too far.

"Pregnant?" Shizune’s eyes widened, her curiosity ablaze. She echoed Tsunade’s initial reaction, "Whose child? When? How long? Who’s the father?"

"It’s Aizen," Tsunade choked out.

"What? Wait—your husband... how could he...?" Shizune stammered.

"How do you think he managed to trick me back then?" Tsunade countered with a bitter smile.

Shizune thought back, realizing the truth. Aizen’s pursuit of Tsunade had certainly involved that one drunken night.

That was when Tsunade became pregnant and started softening toward him.

Otherwise, with her experience... she’d never have gone for a smooth-talking guy like him.

But now, things were about to go south.

Aizen had impregnated another woman, and that woman was a fellow village ninja who had come forward.

It didn’t look good.

Whenever Aizen returned, he might be in for serious trouble.

*Chapter 255: Tsunade's Surprise for Aizen, the Last Akatsuki Ten-Man Meeting*

"Shizune," Tsunade's laughter rang in Shizune’s ears as she was lost in thought.

"Yes!" Shizune snapped to attention, standing up straight.

Tsunade smiled and said, "Next, make sure to move Kurenai's luggage to our house."

"To our house? But doesn't Kurenai already have a place to live?" Shizune looked flustered. She knew Tsunade was definitely up to something, just waiting for Aizen to walk into her trap.

Tsunade explained, "Since that guy got her pregnant, he needs to take responsibility. As the head of the household, I'm bringing her here on his behalf. Got a problem with that?"

"But will Kurenai agree to it?" Shizune asked cautiously.

"Of course. We won't force her if she doesn't agree, right?" Tsunade's smile grew more dangerous. "Besides, Kurenai is pregnant and needs care. It's convenient since we all know medical ninjutsu."

"When that idiot Aizen comes back and sees how well we're taking care of Kurenai, I'm sure he'll be pleasantly surprised."

Tsunade placed a hand on Shizune's shoulder and softly asked, "Don’t you think so, Shizune?"

"Yes," Shizune replied, knowing that if she said otherwise, her shoulder might not survive. Internally, she complained: This is more likely to be a shock than a pleasant surprise! Aizen-sama, I hope you can handle it.

---

*Three Days Later*

In the Akatsuki's cave base, a sudden sneeze echoed.

"Achoo! Achoo!"

"What’s up, Aizen-bro?" Hidan turned to Aizen.

"Nothing. Probably some beautiful woman thinking about me again," Aizen said, rubbing his slightly sore nose. His mind drifted to Tsunade and Kurenai. He had barely managed to handle the situation with Kurenai responsibly when she was most vulnerable during her pregnancy.

But Tsunade was a different story. With her fiery temper, she would probably explode in anger. That was why he hadn't dared go back to her after leaving Kurenai; running into Tsunade while she was furious would be asking for trouble.

"What a narcissist. Do you think every woman is that gullible?" Konan sneered from the side.

"You never know," Aizen replied with a playful, knowing grin.

Remembering a certain unexpected kiss, Konan’s cheeks flushed. She turned her head away, avoiding Aizen's gaze.

The rest of the Akatsuki members were stunned by this exchange. Even Hidan, the least observant of the group, noticed something was up and laughed, "Heh, there’s something fishy here... something fishy indeed. Konan-chan, don't tell me you and Aizen are... heh heh."

"Spabara! That's our Aizen-bro for you," Deidara, Aizen's loyal fan, chimed in.

Kakuzu, always one for drama, added, "Looks like Aizen really did manage to win over the leader's partner."

"Of course! You all should start calling her 'sister-in-law,'" Aizen joked, amused.

Their teasing made Konan's face turn even redder. "Aizen, you idiot! Say another word, and I’ll—!"

As they bantered, the sealing process for the Two-Tails was completed. Yugito, the Two-Tails' jinchūriki, fell to the ground, lifeless, her clothes stained with blood and hair disheveled, kicking up dust as she landed.

"Enough," Pain finally spoke, lowering his hands and letting his Rinnegan eyes sweep the room. His gaze fell on Aizen, with a clear undertone of protecting Konan. "Members of the organization should not interfere with each other's personal affairs. You understand that, right?"

"Of course," Aizen shrugged, nonchalant.

Pain clicked his tongue in annoyance. It seemed Aizen was becoming less respectful of his authority as the leader.

"The sealing is done. That leaves five tailed beasts. Deidara, Tobi," Pain turned to Deidara and Obito.

"Yeah," Deidara responded softly.

Tobi, in his usual obnoxious manner, raised his hand and replied loudly, "Yes, yes! Here I am!"

Everyone shot him annoyed looks, black lines forming on their foreheads.

Pain’s expression remained stoic. "The Three-Tails is about to revive. You two need to go capture it. To ensure there are no mistakes, head out early."

A smirk appeared on Deidara's lips. "Finally, some action. Capturing tailed beasts is the kind of excitement I've been waiting for."

"Yeah, it’s gonna be my first tailed beast capture as an official member. So thrilling," Tobi said, still in his goofy tone.

Pain addressed Itachi and Kisame next: "Kisame, Itachi, you two will go after the Four-Tails. Try to complete the capture alongside the Three-Tails' sealing."

"Understood," Itachi replied curtly, his expression as cold as ever.

Kisame, sounding more eager, said, "About time. I've been looking forward to a fight with a jinchūriki."

Pain continued, "The Six-Tails jinchūriki who fled from the Mist Village is nearly tracked down. I’ll start that capture soon. Aizen, remember your mission. I expect you to locate the Eight-Tails before the Six-Tails is sealed."

Aizen nodded slowly.

"Meeting adjourned," Pain said flatly.

"Finally over," Hidan muttered, rubbing his sore neck.

"Kakuzu and Hidan, time to head to Konoha," Kakuzu reminded Hidan.

"Konoha?" Deidara, who respected his seniors, turned to Kakuzu. "A word of advice: If you’re going to Konoha, be cautious of a jinchūriki named Naruto Uzumaki."

"Got it," Kakuzu nodded, taking note.

But Hidan felt offended. "Hey, hey, don’t compare us to you, Deidara! You’re the one who needed Kakuzu to sew your arms back on!"

Kakuzu, ever the sharp-tongued one, replied, "Better than having your head cut off."

As they bickered, the final ten-member meeting of the Akatsuki concluded. The group’s efforts to capture the tailed beasts marked the beginning of their gradual decline.

With a puff of smoke, the Gedo Statue disappeared. Aizen, Konan, and Pain jumped to the ground.

Pain walked to the cave entrance and made a series of hand signs. The boulder blocking the entrance slowly rose, letting bright sunlight pour in. Standing in the light, Pain spoke without turning back, "Aizen, the body is yours. I assume you have a special interest in jinchūriki corpses."

With that, Pain stepped out of the cave.

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