236-240

*Chapter 236: A Different Ending, The Revival of Sasori*

*Akatsuki’s Mountain Cave Hideout*

The scene was one of chaos. Debris and puppet fragments were scattered everywhere.

In the center, Sasori, who had ejected his Regeneration Core from his body to evade Granny Chiyo's sealing technique, lay struck by his Mother and Father puppets, both piercing his core heart.

“What a bore… But I don’t have much time left. Before I go, I might as well do something useless as a reward for you defeating me. Young girl, you want information on Orochimaru, don’t you? Ten days from now, at the Heaven and Earth Bridge in the Grass Village… go there.”

Watching as Chiyo transferred some of her life energy to heal Sakura’s fatal injuries, Sakura learned from Chiyo that this jutsu was originally developed to revive Sasori’s parents.

With his consciousness fading, Sasori, as in the original story, shared information about Orochimaru before his death.

“What’s going on?” Sakura was stunned and quickly asked.

“I have a spy among Orochimaru’s ranks, and he’s set to meet him there,” Sasori’s voice gradually weakened.

As Sasori’s life ebbed away, the puppets holding his core—Mother and Father—seemed to lose their power and collapsed.

Sakura, now knowing about Orochimaru, turned to Chiyo and said, “Granny Chiyo, it’s over. You really are amazing.”

Chiyo lay on the ground, shaking her head with a somber expression, about to reveal Sasori's mercy in the battle. Suddenly, a dark figure appeared soundlessly between Sakura and Sasori's puppet, steadying Sasori’s core puppet.

The shadow wore a black robe with red clouds, his short black hair neat and his forehead protector from the Leaf Village scratched—a sign of the very person, Aizen.

“Behind you, Sakura!” Chiyo shouted urgently, raising her hands to control her Chakra threads, sending blades from Sasori’s Hundred Puppets toward Aizen’s back.

Sakura turned quickly, her pupils shrinking as she recognized him. Normally, she’d freeze in fear, but her confidence, boosted by her recent battle with Sasori, gave her courage she didn’t know she had, perhaps out of worry for Karin and Chika.

With determination, she threw a powerful punch at Aizen.

Boom—

The ground shook as smoke and dust rose, small stones cascading from the cave’s ceiling.

“My, my. Little girl, do you think you’ve grown stronger just because you ‘defeated’ Sasori?” Aizen’s voice sounded from within the smoke.

“No way…” Sakura’s pupils widened, her face paling in disbelief.

As the smoke cleared, Aizen, Sakura, and Sasori were revealed.

Aizen had caught Sakura’s powerful punch with one hand, his other hand resting on Sasori’s puppet. A special blue light emitted from his palm, using a god-level medical ninjutsu he acquired after saving the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, Fuu. As long as the person hadn’t completely died, only about ten Chakra points were required for revival.

For each additional day that had passed since death, the required Chakra increased geometrically—fifty for one day, a hundred for two.

The puppets Chiyo had manipulated were frozen mid-air, as if held by an invisible force, before scattering across the cave.

“You could never hope to hurt me with such insignificant power. If it hadn’t been for Chiyo’s control and Sasori’s mercy, you wouldn’t still be alive,” Aizen remarked coolly.

“Damn you! What did you do to Karin and Chika-senpai?” Sakura growled, throwing another punch at Aizen.

“It’s not polite to attack without waiting for an answer.” Aizen exerted a bit more force, and with a sharp crack, Sakura’s hand broke. She fell to her knees with a scream.

“Damn it, what have you done to Karin and Chika-senpai?” she demanded, voice trembling, her face pale with sweat beading from the pain.

Just then, Chiyo’s voice rang out beside her. “Enough, Sakura. This isn’t a Shadow Clone, it’s his true body. Which means his clone has likely already been defeated. Those two girls should be safe now.”

A glimmer of hope returned to Sakura’s eyes as she gazed at Sasori’s core with disbelief.

“Figured it out?” Aizen released Sakura, kicked her unconscious, and sent her flying into Chiyo’s arms.

“Yes, but I’m curious about your motive. You expended so much Chakra… You, who slaughtered the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, joining such a terrifying organization—doesn’t seem like you’d help an ally,” Chiyo observed, nodding knowingly. Recognizing Aizen’s jutsu as a revival technique, she realized he was saving Sasori.

“Only ten Chakra points. It’s nothing to me. Besides,” Aizen pulled the blade from Sasori’s core and extracted the poison, “a puppet master of his caliber is rare. It’d be a waste if he died. I still need him to make toys for my daughter.”

“Daughter?” Chiyo blinked, surprised.

“Yes. Daughter.” Aizen nodded.

Just then, Sasori’s puppet moved again as he awoke, his gaze landing on the familiar figure of Aizen. “Am I…?”

“Awake, are we?” Aizen smiled.

Sasori glanced at Chiyo holding Sakura, then looked down at his core, feeling his Chakra returning. “Aizen… why…?”

“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t save you for your sake. If you died, who would make toys for my daughter?” Aizen replied.

“For your daughter?” Sasori’s face softened with a rare smile. “That’s just like you—to value family above all else.”

*Chapter 237: Aizen's Threat and Sasori's Exit from the Akatsuki Organization*

"Let's just say we're both in the same boat," Aizen cast a meaningful look at Chiyo before turning to Sasori. "Aren't you also holding back because she's your grandmother? Throwing away your puppets as if they were nothing?"

"Even Fourth Kazekage puppet I gave you—did you intentionally leave an opening for that girl to smash it? And Third Kazekage puppet, too?"

"For someone usually cautious in battle, it seems unusual that you'd just let that puppet with magnetic sand fall into enemy hands. It's almost as if you’re handing yourself over."

"And the poison you left in Kankuro—you know better than anyone the importance of information in puppet techniques, yet you left him alive. You didn’t have to go through all this trouble just to see your grandmother again."

"Tch." Sasori clicked his tongue as his intentions were exposed. He glanced deeply at Chiyo before changing the topic, "So, tell me—what exactly do you want me to do?"

"You went to all this trouble to revive me. Someone like you wouldn't go out of your way without expecting something in return."

"Naturally." Aizen withdrew his hand, casually removing the blade from Sasori's puppet body. He slashed at the puppet’s main mechanism, breaking the seal instantly.

Facing away from Sasori, Aizen tossed him a scroll he'd prepared in advance. "From today on, you're no longer a member of the Akatsuki. To the rest of the world, you're dead. You know better than anyone how to fake a scene. The investigation team will be here soon, so get it done. The scroll has the details of what I need you to do."

"I understand." Sasori caught the scroll, stretching his stiff puppet body as he walked back to his main form.

As he brushed past Chiyo, the two exchanged a glance but said nothing.

"Now, it's your turn," Aizen said, smiling as he addressed Chiyo. "You must have overheard our conversation. If I’m not mistaken, you intend to use your ‘Self-Sacrifice Reincarnation’ technique to revive that brat, Gaara. So, how should I deal with you?"

Hearing this, Sasori, who was just reattaching his main body, noticeably paused.

"What, are you going to kill this old lady?" Chiyo cast a sideways glance at Sasori, narrowing her eyes.

Aizen waved a hand. "Don’t misunderstand. If I killed you, Sasori probably wouldn’t help me. Ideally, I’d like you to act as though you saw and heard nothing, then ‘escape’ from me with that reckless girl in your arms."

"I understand." Chiyo hoisted the unconscious Sakura onto her shoulder, leaping to the top of the cave’s wall. Pausing briefly, she asked, "You’re really that confident in me?"

"Of course, but it’s not about trusting you—I trust myself. Don’t be fooled by appearances; I’m actually quite powerful," Aizen said calmly, hands behind his back. "Very powerful. Stronger than anyone else. Even our organization’s mysterious leader doesn’t worry me."

"Let me put it this way: when I wiped out over two thousand members of the Sarutobi clan along with nearly a thousand civilians, it took about fifteen minutes. I was thirteen years old."

"Now, to completely obliterate the Sand Village wouldn’t take me much longer."

"If you reveal anything about my appearance today, the Sand Village could be wiped out in about fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes, huh? You're an arrogant, dangerous one... Just like Madara Uchiha in his prime. It seems like Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo really did create a fearsome enemy for Konoha—and for the Five Great Nations."

Turning away, Chiyo muttered softly to herself, "Don't compare me to such a failure," Aizen replied coldly. "Is he reading my lips? No, he can’t see my mouth… Just purely good hearing, surpassing what’s normal for a ninja." With this realization, Chiyo's eyes widened briefly, but she said nothing further. She disappeared with Sakura from Aizen's sight.

At that moment, Sasori approached. "I’ve finished the setup. The puppet arm with the ring is left behind as well. So, what’s next?"

Sasori, now in his original puppet form and donning a black cloak, had returned to his usual handsome, boyish appearance. It was hard to tell he was a puppet at all.

Aizen looked Sasori up and down and couldn’t help but click his tongue. "You’ve got a great face, no doubt—a real looker. And you went and made yourself into a puppet. What a waste."

"Enough chatter." Sasori turned away impatiently. "You wouldn’t understand true art. Say what you need to say; otherwise, I’m leaving. Not everyone has the time to chase every pretty face like you."

"Fair point," Aizen nodded, unfazed. "But still, don’t you want to see how the Kazekage boy and your grandmother end up?"

"The Kazekage and Granny Chiyo?" Sasori gazed in the direction Chiyo had gone, his expression complicated, his thoughts unreadable.

Meanwhile, things weren’t going well for Deidara.

Kakashi had warped his only remaining arm with Kamui, and now he’d run into Guy’s team.

Poor Deidara was defenseless, unable to use jutsu and forced to hold a kunai in his mouth. Guy’s team of Taijutsu experts beat him down.

Finally cornered, he used his explosive clone to attempt a self-destruct.

The result? Smoke, but no damage—the blast was absorbed by Kakashi’s Kamui.

So, the man who had managed to capture the Kazekage of one of the Five Great Nations, a feat that should’ve made him a legend, ended up having to fake his death to escape.

And Kakashi, after using Kamui, was drained of chakra and utterly exhausted.

"Kakashi-sensei, are you okay?" Naruto asked, helping him up.

"I’ll... manage," Kakashi replied, panting. "But it seems like it’s finally over. Now, all that’s left is to find out how things went with Chika, Karin, Sakura, and Chiyo. Especially Chika and Karin... Their opponent was Fujimura Aizen."

As he mentioned Aizen, Kakashi recalled the peculiar blade technique he’d seen. It wasn’t chakra-based ninjutsu. It seemed like pure power and speed in the strike, creating a blade pressure similar to techniques like Morning Peacock or Daytime Tiger. If Aizen could sustain that kind of attack, things might look bleak for Chikaya and her team.

---

*Chapter 238: Sasori's Mission, A Happy Ending*

“We... we made it out alive.” The members of Team Guy looked back at the massive crater left by Deidara’s self-detonation, still billowing with smoke. Overwhelmed, they gulped hard, realizing how close they had come to death.

If not for Kakashi’s Kamui technique, which absorbed the explosion, everyone present would likely have been consumed by the flames.

“As expected of my eternal rival, Kakashi.” Guy flashed his trademark bright grin and gave Kakashi a big thumbs-up.

“Just doing my part,” Kakashi replied weakly, his voice faint as he leaned exhaustedly against Naruto. “But now, the priority is to check on Chika and Sakura. The enemy they’re facing is even more dangerous than the one we just dealt with. Guy, I’m counting on your team now.”

“Leave it to me! Neji, Lee, Tenten, let’s go!” Guy commanded. Just as they were about to leave, two disheveled figures stumbled out of the trees — Chika and Karin, who had clearly been in some kind of scuffle.

Following orders from Aizen, they’d rushed over here.

“Kakashi-senpai, I sensed a massive chakra reaction here just now. Are you all okay?” Karin asked.

Kakashi, visibly drained, nodded, relieved to see them unharmed. “What’s the situation with Sakura?”

“Well, we had to put in some effort, but we defeated that shadow clone. And Sakura’s side managed to take down the Akatsuki member,” Karin responded smoothly, not missing a beat.

“That’s good to hear.” Kakashi sighed in relief, the difficult mission finally nearing its end.

At that moment, Naruto’s two shadow clones carried Gaara’s lifeless body over to them. “Karin, please...”

Naruto was hoping Karin could revive Gaara, who had died from having his tailed beast forcibly removed.

Karin nodded slightly, though she could no longer sense any of Gaara’s chakra. She knew he was likely gone, but she knelt beside him and attempted to heal him with her palm techniques. When it had no effect, she sighed and shook her head sadly.

A gentle breeze swept through, and a heavy silence fell. Everyone’s faces were clouded with sorrow.

“How is Gaara?” Naruto’s eyes filled with tears, his voice trembling. Seeing no response from Karin, he shouted desperately, “I’m asking you — what happened to Gaara?”

Karin shook her head, remaining silent.

“That’s enough, Naruto,” Kakashi said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You know as well as I do what happens when a Jinchuriki’s tailed beast is extracted.”

“But... but Kakashi, Gaara just became Kazekage. He can’t... he can’t die here.”

Hearing this, Naruto’s tears finally broke free.

No one could understand Gaara’s pain more than Naruto, as a fellow Jinchuriki. Naruto’s goal was to become Hokage, so while he’d once envied Gaara for becoming Kazekage, he had also genuinely been happy for him.

Now, seeing Gaara dead, how could he not feel devastated?

After a moment, Karin sighed. “If there were even a sliver of life left in him, I might be able to revive him with Lady Tsunade’s secret medicine. But now...”

“Don’t give up so quickly.” Granny Chiyo’s voice suddenly interrupted them. Supporting the unconscious Sakura, she emerged from the dense forest.

Naruto’s face lit up, momentarily forgetting about Sakura’s condition. “Granny Chiyo, do you have a way to save Gaara?”

“Something like that.” Chiyo glanced at Naruto’s tear-streaked face and smiled gently. Handing Sakura over to Karin, she said, “Karin, please take care of Sakura. Her right hand is nearly shattered.”

“I’ll handle it,” Karin replied, nodding resolutely as she moved Sakura aside to treat her.

Meanwhile, Chiyo began performing the forbidden technique of Reincarnation, sacrificing her own life force to revive Gaara.

As her chakra waned, Naruto stepped forward and willingly offered his chakra to support her.

Just then, the Sand Village ninjas finally arrived — too late to help, but just in time to witness Gaara’s miraculous resurrection.

In a scene like the original story, Gaara awoke under everyone’s watchful eyes. But this time, there was a twist: Granny Chiyo survived. Because of Chika’s earlier pleas, Aizen had given her two senzu beans — one for Gaara, who regained a spark of life after Chiyo’s technique, and the other for Chiyo herself, who had lost most of her life force healing Sakura and reviving Gaara.

On a nearby hillside, Aizen watched all this unfold and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Well, well... quite the heartwarming, happy ending, isn’t it?”

“Who would’ve thought that little Jinchuriki brat would actually be accepted one day?” Sasori, standing beside Aizen, surveyed Gaara, now a celebrated hero of the Sand Village. A flicker of emotion crossed his reddish-brown eyes.

“Jealous?” Aizen teased, a playful smirk appearing on his face. “If you hadn’t left the Sand Village, you’d probably be Kazekage instead of that kid.”

“Ridiculous.” Sasori scoffed and shifted his gaze from Gaara, instead noticing Karin using her medical ninjutsu to detoxify Granny Chiyo. “That red-haired girl belongs to you, right?”

Aizen raised an eyebrow. “Oh? How’d you guess?”

“My poison isn’t something you can neutralize with regular medical ninjutsu. Without a specific antidote, anyone exposed would be dead in three days. The only healing techniques powerful enough to counteract it are those close to resurrection techniques — like yours.”

“You’re observant.” Aizen didn’t deny it; he’d indeed taught Karin special methods to counteract poisons.

Sasori continued, “And that old lady... even after using her Reincarnation technique on two people, she’s still alive. Apart from you and Pain with his Rinnegan, I can’t imagine anyone else pulling that off.”

“But why did you go through all this trouble? Compassion doesn’t seem like your style.”

“It’s probably for my daughter’s sake,” Aizen replied with a vague smile. “She didn’t want Granny Chiyo to die.”

---

Chapter 239: Obito Almost Gets Blown Up in the Kamui Dimension

Sasori thought Aizen was talking about Chika, so he didn’t question it further. Taking out the mission scroll Aizen had given him earlier, he looked over it and, with some hesitation, asked, "Why are you interested in something like that?"

“Have you heard of the Dragon Vein?” Aizen’s eyes flashed with surprise.

“You must have forgotten my role in the Akatsuki. I was mainly responsible for intelligence work,” Sasori said flatly, giving Aizen a glance.

“That makes things much easier. What do you think—can you do it?” Aizen needed Sasori to control the Dragon Vein sealed by the Fourth Hokage in the ancient city of Roran. Since even a puppet master like ‘Mukade’ managed it in the original story, Sasori, being the number one puppet master, should find it well within his abilities.

Sasori pondered briefly before answering in a low tone, “I’m not sure what you’re planning with that thing, but it shouldn’t be too difficult. However, it will take a significant amount of time.”

“How long, roughly?” Aizen asked.

“It’s hard to say. My expertise lies in human puppets; I haven’t dabbled in anything quite like this. If I want to control it perfectly, it could take between six months and a year.”

Sasori frowned slightly. He disliked waiting, and he disliked making others wait even more—but he loathed imperfection the most. If something he created had flaws, he would rather not use it at all.

The Dragon Vein would require thorough research to be controlled perfectly. Otherwise, there was no telling what might happen.

“Let’s set it for six months, then,” Aizen said. “Keep an eye out for someone named ‘Mukade.’ He’s a rogue ninja from your village, and he might be after it soon. Who knows, you might get some inspiration from him.”

Currently, Naruto is sixteen years old, with the Fourth Shinobi World War ending on his seventeenth birthday. Aizen doesn’t have a whole year to wait. After all, saving Sasori was all part of his plan to traverse through time and space; it wasn’t for nothing that Naruto once called him “Father.”

*The Graveyard of Mountains*

Located in the northern part of the Land of Iron, this place is considered a forbidden zone, akin to the Forest of Death during the Chunin Exams in Konoha. For the best warriors of the Land of Iron, it’s essential to undertake a solo journey across the Graveyard of Mountains in their lifetime. Only then can they earn the title “Warrior Who Sees Through Life and Death.”

Completing the trial in the Graveyard of Mountains would mark them as legendary warriors in the Land of Iron's history. Every young samurai sees this place as sacred, though it is also where many young talents meet their end.

Besides that, it’s also the place where the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path is hidden—the final resting place of Madara.

At the center of the massive graveyard is a colossal skeleton.

Obito, wearing a swirling mask and a tight, black combat suit that covered him completely, sat cross-legged on the skeleton, speaking in a cold tone, “What’s the situation?”

“The One-Tail’s sealing is complete. However, we’ve lost contact with Sasori and Deidara, which suggests they may have met an unfortunate end,” Black Zetsu answered in his raspy voice, emerging from the ground like a massive pitcher plant.

White Zetsu added, “Looks like they didn’t manage to capture the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuriki either.”

Hearing about Sasori and Deidara, Obito’s expression didn’t change. But when White Zetsu mentioned that, he immediately frowned, asking, “Did that guy Aizen not make a move?”

“After watching Deidara’s fight with the One-Tail’s Jinchuriki, his main body returned to the Hidden Rain Village to be with his family, leaving only a shadow clone behind,” Zetsu answered respectfully in his hoarse voice.

“This guy has great timing.” Obito sighed, “Let’s go check it out. It’s about time I formally joined the Akatsuki as an official member.”

As soon as he finished, the space around Obito’s right eye began to twist, and he used Kamui to transport himself into the Kamui dimension.

However, the moment he entered, he encountered a clay clone that Kakashi had just sent in—a clone ready to explode.

The fire clone detonated, creating a massive flaming mushroom cloud that filled the Kamui dimension, instantly engulfing Obito.

With no time to use Kamui to escape, Obito was forced to activate the Izanagi technique with his newly transplanted left eye to survive, then transported himself out of the Kamui dimension.

“Aren’t we supposed to head to the Land of Rivers’ base? Why are you back already?” Black Zetsu asked, surprised, before he could merge back into the ground.

“Kakashi can use Kamui now?” Obito didn’t answer, only running his fingers gently over his right eye.

As he spoke, the space around Obito’s right eye distorted once again, and his body disappeared into it.

“Seems like Kakashi can now use the power of Obito’s left eye,” Black Zetsu muttered before sinking back into the ground.

With their space-time ninjutsu, both could instantly reach places that would take an ordinary ninja days, even weeks.

The moment they arrived, Aizen sensed them and glanced in their direction, activating his Mirror Flower Water Moon technique. Turning his back to Sasori, he said, “Looks like Black Zetsu has arrived. You can go now. Don’t forget our agreement.”

“How should I contact you?” Sasori asked with some hesitation.

“The scroll I gave you has my Flying Thunder God seal,” Aizen replied, forming a hand seal to summon a few crows. “These crows are my summoning animals. Whenever you have news, you can use them to contact me, and I’ll teleport to you with space-time ninjutsu.”

Actually, for extra caution, Aizen had not only placed a seal on the scroll but also embedded one inside Sasori’s reanimation core, in the part he repaired using medical ninjutsu.

“Flying Thunder God?” Sasori was taken aback. Unrolling the scroll, he saw a small, inconspicuous character for “Chi” on it and whistled softly, “You really are something. You even learned such an advanced space-time technique. But isn’t this the Fourth Hokage’s jutsu? Where did you get it?”

“From Orochimaru, of course. Why else would that snake have slipped away from me so many times? Every time, he paid a price for his life,” Aizen replied matter-of-factly.

*Chapter 240: Obito Joins the Akatsuki*

"Such bore." Sasori clicked his tongue in annoyance as he turned and started walking toward the Land of Demons.

"Oh, and by the way," Aizen's voice echoed again, "keep an eye on the Land of Demons for me. There's a demon there called Moryo. Rumor has it that it dates back to the Sage of the Six Paths. If anyone breaks the seal, let me know. I need a stronger summon."

"I got it, I got it. You're even more annoying than Pain," Sasori replied impatiently, waving him off.

---

In the cavern where the One-Tail was sealed, the place was in disarray. Rubble and broken puppets were scattered everywhere.

Obito glanced at Zetsu and asked him for details.

"Sasori's chakra is no longer detectable, and Deidara's chakra is 700 meters underground to the northwest. Looks like he escaped by the skin of his teeth. As for Aizen... that guy seems to have some way of hiding his chakra. I’ve never actually sensed him," Black Zetsu explained.

"Tch... that guy." Obito clicked his tongue in frustration. Every time Aizen came up, a trace of fear appeared in his eyes.

He quickly adjusted his demeanor, took on Tobi's goofy persona, and put on a sleazy expression. "Well then, Zetsu-senpai, since Sasori-senpai is dead, the Akatsuki has an open spot. Does this mean I can officially join?"

"Ugh..." White Zetsu and Black Zetsu looked at each other, speechless at Obito's sudden change in attitude.

Black Zetsu quickly recomposed himself and replied seriously, "Let's find Sasori's ring first."

"Roger!" Obito, as Tobi, perked up and began searching enthusiastically.

It didn’t take long before he found a puppet hand bearing the 'Jade' ring.

Meanwhile, Zetsu approached the two puppets labeled "Mother" and "Father," examining the puppet lying between them. After confirming it was indeed Sasori, he muttered, "So, this is Sasori's true form?"

"Zetsu-senpai, I found it! I found Sasori-senpai's ring!" Tobi, in the distance, waved the ring in the air excitedly.

"There's no way joining is that simple." White Zetsu put on an exaggerated performance.

"Oh, it’s fine. Tobi’s a good kid," Black Zetsu countered, playing a different role in their little three-way act, cautious with each other in the absence of a fourth.

"Yes, very good kid... just happens to be over a hundred years old." A clear voice suddenly echoed from above, making Zetsu and Obito look up instinctively. They saw Aizen descending with pale purple wings, stirring up a cloud of dust as he landed.

"Oh, Aizen-kun, those wings are pretty cool. Is that a new jutsu you developed?" White Zetsu exclaimed.

"Something like that." Aizen replied casually, then glanced at Sasori's remains and feigned surprise. "Looks like Sasori's dead. What a shame. If I'd known, I wouldn’t have slacked off."

"Why are you here?" Obito asked, switching back to his Madara voice.

"My shadow clone was defeated by that Uzumaki kid and the Fifth Hokage's daughter, so I came to reclaim the ring, just like you. Or are you saying I need your permission to go anywhere, Lord Madara?" Aizen replied, wearing a playful smirk.

Obito furrowed his brows, thinking, "This guy probably never believed I was Madara." Out loud, he warned, "Watch your tone with me. Right now, I’m still an Akatsuki intern, Tobi."

"Sure, Tobi. Does that mean you’ll call me Aizen-senpai?" Aizen teased.

"Fine, Aizen-senpai. But from today on, I’m an official member of the Akatsuki. Please take care of me." Suppressing his anger, Obito put on his goofy Tobi persona again, donned the ring, and saluted Aizen.

Seeing Obito flustered, White Zetsu couldn’t help but laugh, snorting, "Haha, Aizen is really Tobi’s weakness."

"Silent.., White Zetsu." Black Zetsu changed the subject, directing his gaze at Aizen. "Aizen, what exactly happened here?"

Keeping a straight face, Aizen spouted nonsense, "From my clone’s memory, the battlefield split into three areas. My shadow clone fought the Fifth Hokage’s pupil, Karin Uzumaki, and her daughter, Chika."

"Sasori was facing off against his grandmother, Lady Chiyo, and that manly woman, Sakura Haruno. As for Deidara, he flew off on a giant clay bird with Gaara’s body to distract the Nine-Tails jinchuuriki. Kakashi followed him, but it seems he failed."

"At least Deidara’s alive, and I can still sense his chakra."

"And as for where he is, you probably know better than I do," Aizen quipped, eyeing Black Zetsu.

"Now that I’ve found the ring, I’ll leave Deidara to you guys. I doubt Deidara would want too many people seeing him in such a sorry state. So, I’ll be heading home."

With that, Aizen’s wings unfurled, and he shot into the sky with a whoosh, leaving a trail of azure-purple light as he disappeared over the horizon.

"... That guy." Watching Aizen disappear, Obito and Zetsu exchanged uneasy glances, then headed in Deidara’s direction.

---

Meanwhile, after disappearing from their sight, Aizen used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu to reappear in the Hokage’s office.

Inside, only Tsunade and Shizune were present.

"Lord Aizen! You nearly scared me to death!" Shizune protested, though it wasn’t the first time he’d appeared suddenly.

"Sorry, but I figured you’d be worried, so I came to update you now that things are settled." Aizen smiled warmly.

"What’s the situation?" Tsunade asked anxiously.

"Not too bad. None of Konoha’s people were killed, but the Akatsuki lost a member, and I gained a new subordinate I can somewhat trust. Gaara was stripped of the One-Tail, but he’s alive. Aside from some random Sand ninja casualties, no major figures were lost. I’d say it was a happy ending."

"The sun must be rising in the west. You actually went out of your way to save someone," Tsunade teased, getting up and signaling Shizune to keep watch outside.

Aizen sat naturally in her chair and pulled Tsunade into his arms. "That Kazekage kid wasn’t saved by me. Lady Chiyo of Sand, moved by Naruto’s determination to save Gaara, used a life-reviving jutsu that cost her her life."

"I only gave that old lady a senzu bean for Chika’s sake."