231-235

*Chapter 231: Chika vs. Uchiha Itachi*

"Are you certain of the direction, Pakkun?" Kakashi asked in a low voice, leaping through the forest.

Leading the way, Pakkun replied, "Yes, the scent is in this direction, shouldn’t be wrong."

“But I’m sure you know who that rocking chair belongs to. Are you really sure about going after him?”

“That guy didn’t kill you last time only because of his teacher. This time might be different. It’s not just you; even Naruto might get captured.”

Kakashi glanced at Naruto beside him, his eyes blood-red from the capture of Gaara. After a moment of silence, he sighed, “We have no choice. At this point, only by regrouping with Guy's team do we stand a chance. Otherwise…”

His voice trailed off, barely audible.

"The White Fang’s son, I sense that your body is trembling. Who are you so afraid of?" asked Chiyo, who was keeping pace with him.

“To be honest, it’s a terrifying person. Thinking back to our last encounter, it was pure luck we survived. Even now, I have no chance of winning,” Kakashi said with resignation.

Chiyo scoffed, “How disgraceful. The fight hasn’t even started, and you’ve already lost your will to fight. If your father were alive, he’d be furious.”

Kakashi gave a sheepish smile, not arguing because he knew that, like his father, he would choose his comrades over the mission if forced to choose. Besides, the Hokage had given orders to retreat if they encountered an unbeatable enemy.

At that moment, they suddenly spotted a figure up ahead, standing among the trees. The man wore a black cloak with red clouds, a scratched forehead protector, and a tear trough between his eyes. It was Uchiha Itachi.

“Stop,” Kakashi signaled with his hand.

The group halted, landing on the ground about thirty meters away.

“You… You’re Uchiha Itachi,” Kakashi said, breaking into a cold sweat. Last time, thanks to interference, he hadn’t fully experienced Itachi’s Sharingan.

To face an unknown enemy who had slaughtered the Uchiha clan and defected alongside Aizen… it couldn’t be worse.

And without Aizen here, if he showed up too, they’d stand no chance.

Should they abandon the mission?

“Kakashi-sensei, Uchiha Itachi… Is that really him?” Sakura asked, her voice nervous.

“Yes, looks like we’re in for a tough fight.” Kakashi didn’t turn back but gazed at Itachi with increasing seriousness.

“Don’t worry, Kakashi. I’m the only one here to intercept you this time,” Itachi spoke, seeming to see through Kakashi’s thoughts.

“Just you?” Kakashi murmured, his face tense as he asked, “So, should I assume Guy’s team has already been intercepted by your companions? Is it Aizen?”

“No, it’s not.” Itachi shook his head, forming seals.

Knowing that Zetsu was likely watching, he said no more.

The Clone Great Explosion technique granted him 30% of his chakra. Loyal to Konoha, he decided to use a chakra-draining jutsu first.

“Be careful, the enemy is about to attack!” Kakashi shouted as he saw Itachi forming seals.

In the next instant, a massive Fireball shot from Itachi’s mouth, hurtling toward Kakashi and his team.

But before they could dodge, a huge Water Dragon suddenly shot out from behind Kakashi, meeting the Fireball head-on.

The Water Dragon collided with the Fireball, canceling it out. Steam filled the air.

“Chika…” Kakashi, Chiyo, Naruto, Sakura, and Karin turned, surprised. The youngest member, Chika, had instantly launched the Water Dragon Jutsu, which required forty-four seals.

Even Itachi was taken aback. He was the only one who saw how Chika cast the jutsu, which reminded him of someone—Aizen.

A genius on par with, perhaps even surpassing, Aizen?

Chika read Itachi’s thoughts clearly, realizing this guy was actually a spy for Konoha.

“Kakashi, to cast genjutsu with the Sharingan, the user needs to make eye contact with the enemy. But if you close your eyes, the genjutsu is useless. Besides, his chakra isn’t high, so this must be a clone. Leave it to me.”

With that, Chika closed his eyes and dashed forward.

“Hey, wait!” Kakashi called, but it was too late—Chika was already gone, moving faster than him, an elite Jonin.

“A sensory-type ninja?” Itachi smirked, forming more seals. “Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!”

Flame seeds burst from Itachi’s mouth, scattering like exploding fireworks toward Chika!

Originally, Itachi planned to hold back, controlling the flames to avoid Chika by a small margin. But he was surprised to see Chika dodge all the fireballs effortlessly, as if she could sense them.

In Itachi’s eyes, a hint of admiration appeared, as he thought, “Such keen sensory ability… even Aizen isn’t much better than this.”

Chiyo’s eyes narrowed in approval. “Looks like Tsunade didn’t send her daughter here to die.”

“Of course,” Kakashi said, readying his stance. “Chika’s a genius no less than Aizen. Stay alert and be prepared to support her at any time.”

Sakura’s eyes widened in amazement. “Incredible! She dodged everything with her eyes closed.”

Karin stepped up beside Sakura, smiling. “Of course, Chika is very strong.”

Naruto, meanwhile, had made eye contact with Itachi and fell into his genjutsu. In his vision, his right side became Sasuke, and Sakura crawled out from his stomach. A new “love” symbol and an eye—Gaara’s eye—appeared on his left hand.

The three began blaming him.

As the others spoke, Chika dodged all the fireballs and closed in on Itachi. The two launched into a fierce taijutsu battle.

---

*Chapter 232: Naruto Still Doesn’t Know What Happened*

Although Chika possesses Observation Haki, her young age still holds her back.

At the same time, Uchiha Itachi is one of the top fighters in the current ninja world. Knowing that Chika is Tsunade’s daughter, he suspects she might know the powerful Super Strength Technique.

Even if he’s only a clone and not at full strength, Itachi’s Sharingan allows him to dodge Chika’s punches.

Seeing that she couldn’t land a hit, Chika’s right hand started crackling with electricity.

“That’s… Chidori!” Even the clone of Uchiha Itachi, along with Kakashi, Sakura, and Chiyo, were startled as they recognized the technique.

With the screech of a thousand birds, the ground shattered, sending dust and smoke everywhere.

Using his keen insight, Itachi’s clone evaded Chidori’s attack and leapt out of the smoke.

“There’s an opening!” Kakashi reacted quickly, having been prepared, and immediately lunged at Itachi’s clone with Lightning Blade.

Itachi’s clone used his Sharingan to see through Kakashi’s attack and, in the instant Kakashi struck, dodged and slipped out of range.

Just as he was about to counter, another Chidori screech echoed nearby. Before he could react, a spear-like bolt of lightning shot through the smoke, piercing his chest.

“Is this the same Chidori form that Aizen uses?” Itachi’s clone coughed up blood but smiled in admiration. It seemed that the Hokage’s daughter was indeed a genius.

Kakashi and the others were equally shocked by this scene, especially Kakashi. Although he knew Aizen had taught Chika some ninjutsu, he hadn’t expected her to reach this level at such a young age.

“Kakashi, it’s over now.”

As the dust cleared, Chika’s cute figure emerged, her right hand still extended in a piercing motion, with electricity forming a sharp spear, impaling Itachi’s clone through the chest.

“Yeah.” Kakashi sheathed his Lightning Blade, landing on the ground with a look of mild surprise, once again amazed by Chika’s talent.

With Chidori dissipating, Itachi’s clone fell from midair into the pit created by Chika’s earlier Chidori attack.

Sakura stood frozen in place, staring blankly at the scene in disbelief. “Did we…win?”

A terrifying opponent that Sasuke had gone all out against, even leaving Konoha, was defeated by Chika?

It was almost unimaginable.

“Of course, Chika is really strong.” Karin, unaware of what Sakura was thinking, patted her shoulder and led her forward.

“Oh my, Konoha really is full of talented young people,” Chiyo muttered, following at a steady pace.

But when she saw Itachi’s clone transform into Yura, her composure broke. “This guy is a Jonin from our village, Yura.”

Kakashi nodded gravely from the side. “Chika sensed from the beginning that this wasn’t the real body. It seems the enemy is using a jutsu similar to Edo Tensei, using living sacrifices to create a precise clone to delay us.”

Everyone finally understood, and Sakura, both relieved and still a little dazed, began to look around for Naruto’s figure. “Wait… where’s Naruto?”

“Uh, he seems to be over there…” Karin pointed behind them.

They turned to see Naruto by himself in the distant forest, waving his arms and striking odd poses.

Everyone was visibly exasperated.

Pakkun, the ninja dog, sighed. “Looks like Naruto’s trapped in a genjutsu.”

“This idiot.” Sakura’s shoulders shook as she squeezed her eyes shut in frustration.

*Land of Rivers*

By now, night was falling.

In the Akatsuki’s mountain base…

The sealing process continued without pause. One-Tail’s chakra kept streaming from Gaara’s eyes and mouth, forming red chakra bubbles that the Gedo Statue absorbed.

“Now we’re entering the final stage,” Pain announced. “No mistakes are allowed from here on out. Stay focused.”

Uchiha Itachi opened his eyes, revealing his crimson Sharingan. “i failed.”

“Someone was able to beat you? Was it that Kakashi guy?” Deidara asked in surprise, looking at Itachi.

“No, it was the Fifth Hokage’s daughter, Chika.” Itachi cast a meaningful glance at Aizen. “She has a perception ability similar to Aizen; she can close her eyes and still fight, making my Sharingan illusions ineffective.”

“She’s also learned powerful Water Release to counter my Fire Release, and her Lightning Release talent isn’t lacking either. She’s already learned Kakashi’s Chidori and can even perform form transformations similar to Aizen.”

“A kid with Lightning Release on par with Aizen, huh? Not an ordinary brat,” Deidara muttered, frowning. His explosive clay was especially vulnerable to Lightning Release.

At that moment, Kisame opened his eyes as well. “Same here. Those Konoha ninjas are more capable than we thought.”

“No matter,” Pain said finally. “We achieved our goal of stalling them.”

“You say that so easily,” Sasori grumbled, dissatisfied. “Those two sacrifices used in your technique were my subordinates.”

“Heh, they should be grateful. Thanks to the Transformed Image Technique, they got to be part of Akatsuki for a short time,” Pain chuckled, glancing at Zetsu. “Zetsu, take care of those two used in the jutsu.”

“Understood,” Zetsu replied.

“Enough chatter,” Pain ordered. “Focus. No mistakes allowed from here on out.”

*An Uneventful Night*

*Early Morning*

Just as dawn began to break…

With the final trace of the tailed beast’s chakra absorbed by the Gedo Statue, Gaara’s body fell to the ground—the tailed beast sealing was complete.

Sasori sighed, “Ah, finally…”

Deidara lowered his hands from forming seals. “It’s done.”

Hidan stretched his sore neck. “My neck feels stiff…”

“Every time, this tailed beast sealing is such a chore.” Kisame flexed his arms and legs. “Compared to us, Aizen sure has it easy, using Shadow Clones to take his place.”

“When the clone disappears, the fatigue only hits him briefly, unlike us, who endure it for three full days.”

“You’ve all done well.” Pain sighed, turning to Zetsu. “Where are those two Konoha teams now?”

---

*Chapter 233: A Showdown Between Father and Daughter – Aizen vs. Chika*

"Quite the coincidence," Zetsu chuckled, glancing toward the cave entrance. "Two groups arrived at the same time. But..."

He looked down at Gaara, who lay lifeless on the ground. "They were still too late. We've already completed our mission here."

"Well then, Sasori, Deidara—the Jinchūriki outside is yours. And Aizen, even though you're only a shadow clone, that girl who defeated Itachi’s transference clone could be quite a handful. She's all yours," Pain commanded before releasing his visual clone and summoning technique.

In the next moment, with a bang, the smoke cleared, and the Gedo Statue vanished from the cave.

Aizen, Sasori, and Deidara all leaped down before the statue disappeared, landing smoothly on the ground.

"What's the situation outside?" Sasori asked, glancing at Aizen.

Feigning concentration, Aizen replied icily, "Might Guy’s team, the ones who defeated Kisame, are off to remove the sealing tags scattered across the other four spots. Kakashi is blocking the boulder at the entrance, preparing to remove the tags simultaneously with Guy’s team. In total, six people are outside—Kakashi, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki Naruto Uzumaki, the Hokage’s daughter Chika, your grandmother Chiyo, and the Hokage’s two apprentices, Karin Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno."

Upon hearing this, Deidara reached into his clay pouch and pulled out a giant clay bird. "The Five-Seal Barrier has a double trap laid by our leader. When someone tears off the ‘forbidden’ tag, it'll create a clone of the remover, identical in appearance and abilities, to attack them. Hmm."

"So, we don’t need to worry about that Guy team anymore, hmm?" Deidara said, turning to Sasori. "Then, big brother Sasori, I'll take care of the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, hmm."

"You already caught one, didn’t you?" Sasori’s expression darkened as he cast a sidelong glance at Deidara.

"Catching Jinchūriki is the sort of artistic endeavor one can never have enough of, hmm." Deidara shrugged.

Aizen added, "Do as you like; there are six of them, so no one should be without an opponent. Just leave that Chika girl to me; the others are yours."

"Big brother Aizen, do you know that girl named Chika?" Deidara asked, surprised.

"Yes. She's a young girl with talents similar to my own," Aizen nodded, spinning a story. "Long ago, before Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage, I encountered her on Tanzaku Street. I didn’t know she was Tsunade’s daughter then; she just reminded me of myself, so I gave her a few pointers."

"I never imagined that fate would turn us into enemies so quickly. It’s a pity my true self isn’t here; he’d enjoy this."

Hearing this, Deidara and Sasori exchanged glances, realizing why that girl possessed such considerable strength at a young age—it was thanks to Aizen’s training.

Before long, Guy’s team arrived at the four designated locations with sealing tags.

Kakashi leaped onto the boulder with the final tag.

With synchronized communication over the radio, the five counted down, three, two, one, and tore off the tags simultaneously.

At that moment, Karin and Sakura moved in, each throwing a punch at the boulder blocking the entrance.

Boom! 

The entire mountain shook violently as the boulder crumbled instantly.

Watching the falling debris, Aizen remained expressionless. He was all too familiar with the super strength punch, a technique Sakura had persistently begged Karin to teach her. Karin eventually relented after consulting Tsunade, who had been sparring with Chika in the room. Eager to be rid of Karin’s nagging, Tsunade had agreed to teach her casually, allowing Sakura a narrow window to learn the technique.

But that was all Sakura had learned. Tsunade hadn’t taught her the Strength of a Hundred Seal—that technique she reserved solely for Karin.

Outside the cave, after the stones had all fallen into the river, Kakashi, Naruto, Karin, Chika, Sakura, and Granny Chiyo exchanged determined glances. With a nod, they slipped into the cave.

Seeing Aizen truly present, Kakashi and Sakura, who had witnessed Aizen’s fearsome power firsthand, felt a chill of dread.

Naruto stared in shock, his eyes wide and his voice wavering. "Why…why are you here, big brother Aizen?"

"You can’t tell, Naruto? I’m also a member of the Akatsuki. Capturing Jinchūriki is a mission assigned to us by the organization. Though I’m just here to watch the show this time," Aizen replied, sitting on the ground with his cheek resting on his hand, smiling softly.

"I’m asking why you captured Gaara!" Naruto almost shouted, his anger sparking a reaction with the Nine-Tails inside him, his eyes turning blood red.

Seeing Naruto about to lose control, Kakashi immediately restrained him, his gaze fixed intently on Aizen as he positioned himself between Naruto and Aizen. "Naruto, stay calm. If we charge in recklessly, we’ll be wiped out."

"Relax; this isn’t my true form. I’m only a shadow clone, and after three days and nights of sealing, I’m low on chakra. No need to be so tense," Aizen’s voice echoed.

But before Kakashi could sigh in relief, Aizen added, "I only have about three 'units' left. Let me explain—one unit is equivalent to your entire chakra capacity."

"Your chakra is as overwhelming as ever. Should I consider it an honor?" Kakashi said with a frown, lifting his headband to reveal his Sharingan and fixing it on Aizen.

As his gaze subtly shifted to observe Sasori and Deidara, Kakashi’s mind raced, devising a strategy.

"Of course," Aizen’s voice echoed again. "However, I saved those three units of chakra for someone else."

Aizen’s eyes turned toward Chika, and Kakashi’s heart sank as he realized, with a sigh, that they were of no concern to Aizen. This was all for Chika.

"Well, well, little girl, we meet again," Aizen said dramatically.

"Yes, Aizen, here we are again. Since our last encounter, I’ve been dying to kill you," Chika replied with equal theatrical flair.

Karin, who knew the truth of their relationship, and Kakashi, who was completely in the dark, were both stunned, each momentarily bewildered. An outsider would have thought they were mortal enemies.

"Seems I was right about you. You have the same talent as me, able to defeat the clone created by Itachi’s transference technique. That’s quite an accomplishment for someone so young."

Aizen nodded, forming a hand sign. "Now, let’s see how much you’ve grown."

Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!

A massive amount of chakra gathered in his throat, and three enormous fire dragons shot toward Kakashi and his team.

end

*Chapter 234: Karin is Ultimately Still Karin*

"Watch out, everyone! Get out!" Kakashi suddenly shouted, alarmed.

But before he could act, Chika stepped forward, forming a quick symbolic seal with her right hand, then unleashed three massive fire dragons from her mouth, almost identical to Aizen's.

The six fire dragons collided with each other, causing the cave ceiling—now unprotected by any seals—to collapse instantly. Blinding sunlight poured down, flooding everyone in its path.

"Whoa, this girl can actually use a Fire Release just as powerful as Big Bro Aizen's Shadow Clone. Impressive," Deidara remarked, glancing up at the collapsed ceiling in admiration.

Meanwhile, Sasori's eyes never left Chiyo, and hers remained fixed on him as well. The two shared a long, complicated stare.

"Nicely done," Aizen thought, casting an approving glance at Chika.

Then, slipping into character, he quietly summoned his Zanpakuto and, just as Chiyo caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye, whispered to himself, "Shatter... Kyoka Suigetsu."

The blade was quietly unleashed.

In a voice only Karin and Chika could hear, he instructed, "Karin, use your Adamantine Sealing Chains to block my next move. Then, you and Chika follow me out of here."

Hearing this, Karin and Chika exchanged nods of agreement.

As they talked, Aizen controlled his strength and casually swung his sword, sending a green blade of wind slicing through the air toward Chika and her group. "Young lady, you can't block this attack."

Seeing the attack streaking toward them at high speed, another skill Kakashi had never seen before, he quickly made a series of seals with his hands and slapped the ground, "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

A huge dog-headed wall rose from the ground.

However, the wall barely held against the attack and was instantly split in half.

"Damn it!" Kakashi thought it was over when Karin suddenly stepped forward, a burst of white light radiating from her lower back. Five adamantine chains extended out, interweaving to block Aizen’s strike.

With a piercing scream, she put all her strength into it, sending the blade flying high into the air. The already battered cave roof shattered completely, exposing them to the blue sky.

"Wow, that was... incredible." Sakura gasped, sweat pouring down her forehead as her eyes widened in shock.

"Adamantine Sealing Chains of the Uzumaki Clan, huh? No wonder Lady Tsunade keeps you close to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. I didn’t expect you to master this technique; this won’t be boring. But this cave is too cramped; let’s change locations," Aizen said as he vanished and reappeared on the cliff above.

"Kakashi-senpai, Sakura, Naruto, Granny Chiyo—the other two enemies are up to you. Chika and I will take on this extremely dangerous guy," Karin said, giving a quick nod to Kakashi before racing after Aizen with Chika.

"Those two…" Kakashi muttered, watching them go. "Karin, Chika! Don’t go too far!"

"Got it!" Karin shouted back, and then she and Chika were gone from sight.

Deidara turned back, glancing at the scene. "Hmm, they actually blocked Big Bro Aizen's attack. Seems Konoha's shinobi aren’t as weak as I thought. Hmm."

"But it’s all futile. Those two girls, even if they were Shadow Clones, stand no chance against Big Bro Aizen. Hmm."

"He’s the strongest member of the Akatsuki, aside from the leader. Hmm."

With that, Deidara threw out a small clay bird he’d prepared earlier, made a quick seal with his right hand, and—poof!—the bird expanded into a giant one. "Let’s go, Sasori. Just don’t get mad later. Hmm."

"Of course not. But let me ask you something. You’re not planning on taking the body of this Kazekage kid, are you?" Sasori replied, extending the scorpion tail of Hiruko.

Deidara just smirked without answering, waiting until the explosive clay bird had swallowed Gaara's body. Jumping onto the bird's back, he answered, "Of course I am. That’s why I said not to get mad."

With that, Deidara controlled the bird, flying out of the cave and out of Sasori’s reach.

“Bastard! Give me back Gaara!” Naruto yelled, his eyes blazing red as he gave chase.

"Honestly, everyone here seems to act on their own," Kakashi muttered, watching Naruto run out. Then, glancing at Sasori—the lone Akatsuki member left in the cave—he clicked his tongue. "Sakura, you and Granny Chiyo stay here and keep an eye on him. Don’t do anything rash; I’ll contact Gai's team to back you up."

"I got it." Sakura swallowed hard, her eyes steeling.

With that, the battlefield split into three groups:

- Chiyo and Sakura vs. Sasori

- Kakashi and Naruto vs. Deidara

- Meanwhile, Aizen, Chika, and Karin were now positioned above the cave where Sasori, Aizen, and Chiyo were.

As soon as they were out of sight, Chika rushed into Aizen’s arms. "Aizen!"

"I think it’d be better if you called me 'Dad,’ don’t you think?" Aizen chuckled, twirling her around.

A surprised Karin asked, "Isn’t this Aizen-sama’s Shadow Clone?"

"No way! I’d never hug another guy besides Aizen, even if it were his clone," Chika said, clinging to Aizen's neck, nuzzling against him.

"Then why did Aizen-sama say earlier that he was a Shadow Clone?" Karin asked, a bit confused.

Chika answered on his behalf, "Obviously, to fool that moody kid who likes to play with clay and that love-starved guy who made himself a puppet."

"And also because, if he didn’t, the Akatsuki leader would’ve forced Aizen to capture that idiot Naruto."

"Right, Aizen?" Chika said, holding her cute face up to him, clearly expecting a fatherly kiss.

Aizen crouched down, hugged her close, and kissed her on the cheek, making her giggle with joy.

"Alright, enough. Let’s just watch this upcoming battle between Chiyo and her grandson. It’s a rare puppet duel we might never see again," Aizen said, smiling.

But the moment he let go of Chika, Karin, realizing Aizen wasn’t a Shadow Clone, lit up with excitement.

Fiery and headstrong, she didn’t hide her feelings. Almost instantly, she darted into Aizen’s arms, saying, "Aizen-sama!"

Knowing her character from the original story, Aizen’s mouth twitched a bit. Well, Karin is, after all, just Karin.

---

*Chapter 235: Chika’s Cry and Worries*

“Uh…” Aizen's forehead creased as he looked down at Karin, who clung tightly to him with flushed cheeks, practically drooling with a smitten look on her face. “Karin, what are you doing?”

Finally, Aizen understood why Sasuke didn’t end up with Karin in the original story.

Though he knew that this was how Karin acted around people she liked, experiencing it firsthand still gave him chills.

Nearby, Chika’s expression darkened as soon as she saw Karin throw herself into Aizen’s arms. Her head lowered slightly, her eyes shadowed, showing signs of… something ominous.

She had always known this girl, saved by her father, had some special feelings for him. But until now, she hadn’t realized that Karin would actually act on them.

In other words, after learning that this was her father’s true body, Karin’s body reacted faster than her mind, instinctively throwing herself at him.

How dare this “old woman” of sixteen!

Karin wiped away a trickle of drool, saying, “Oh, nothing… it’s just that I haven’t seen Lord Aizen in so long… I just wanted to get… a little closer.”

Karin, unaware of the impending danger, let her true thoughts slip out unconsciously.

The moment she spoke, Chika, now visibly darkened, finally acted, throwing a punch that sent Karin flying several dozen meters away.

“Damn you, Karin! Who said you could cling to Aizen like that?”

As she spoke, Chika’s chakra erupted in a wave of overwhelming force, approaching Karin slowly, step by step.

With each step, her feet left deep impressions in the rock, cracks radiating out like spiderwebs. The entire mountain seemed to tremble.

“After all these years, Chika’s really started to resemble Tsunade,” Aizen mused, watching her storm off. He gave Karin a look that said, good luck, then turned his attention to Sasori and Chiyo below.

---

Inside the cave, the mountain shook violently from Chika’s outburst, dislodging rocks from the ceiling.

At that moment, Chiyo was instructing Sakura on what to do next. The sudden rumble above made Sakura scream in surprise, nearly losing her balance. “Aah!”

“Don’t be afraid, Sakura,” Chiyo reassured her, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Trust your companions. Besides, that sound doesn’t seem like it was made by that Fujiwara Aizen character.” Her gaze turned serious as she looked across at Sasori.

“You’re quite confident, old lady. But you have no idea what those two kids are up against,” Sasori sneered. “Even as a shadow clone, that man is incredibly lethal.”

With a chilling laugh, he added, “Let’s begin, shall we?”

Thus, the battle commenced between Sasori and Chiyo, along with her human puppet, Sakura.

Aizen had been particularly interested because of Sasori’s Fourth Kazekage puppet, but he quickly grew disappointed.

Perhaps it’s true, after all. Sasori holds back more than anyone in the Akatsuki, second only to Itachi.

When Chiyo’s chakra threads ensnared Hiruko, and Sakura shattered it, Sasori brought out his two strongest puppets, the Third and Fourth Kazekages.

But Sasori continued to let opportunities slip, calling them “accidents,” allowing Chiyo-controlled Sakura to destroy the Fourth Kazekage puppet.

This forced him to “reluctantly” bring out the Third Kazekage’s Iron Sand.

And, as in the original story, it was soon destroyed as well.

Afterward, Sasori removed his Akatsuki robe, exposing the obvious weak spot on his chest, as if inviting his own defeat. Eventually, he deliberately exposed a vulnerability and allowed himself to be impaled by the "Father" and "Mother" puppets.

“Is this Sasori guy really going to die just like that?” Karin, having stopped squabbling with Chika, stared in disbelief.

By now, any ninja with a keen eye could see that Sasori was holding back and practically inviting defeat.

Young Chika, however, began to cry as she rushed to Aizen, burying herself in his embrace. “Why… why do they have to fight like this? Aren’t they family? Why do they have to kill each other? I don’t want this…”

With her ability to listen to the hearts of all beings, Chika had clearly heard the feelings of both Chiyo and Sasori, understanding the lonely path Sasori had walked.

Through their emotions, she learned of Sasori’s troubled childhood and the reasons behind his defection.

Having lost his parents to Konoha’s White Fang in the Second Shinobi World War, he grew up in loneliness in the cold-hearted Sand Village, where his only close relative, his grandmother, was distant. Lacking guidance, he eventually took a dark path.

In this, Chika felt a kinship with him.

She, too, had endured similar feelings growing up.

Since birth, she’d never known her father. Her mother was a hopeless gambler, often absent, only giving her just enough care to get by. Every time she saw other children with both parents, her heart would ache, just as Sasori’s had.

Now, even though her family was reunited, she could never read her father’s heart.

She feared that one day, like Sasori, her father might turn against her mother because of conflicting loyalties.

“If you don’t like this ending, then I’ll go and change it.” Aizen gently patted her head.

“Really? Can it be changed?” Chika looked up, wiping away tears, her eyes red.

“Of course.” Aizen pulled out two Senzu Beans from his system inventory and handed them to Karin. “You’re a disciple of Tsunade, right? You should recognize these.”

Karin stared. “Are these… Senzu Beans?”

Her teacher, Tsunade, had five of them. To ensure Rock Lee’s operation succeeded, she used one, leaving four. Before sending her and Chika off, Tsunade had given her two for emergencies.

She hadn’t expected Aizen to have such a rare item as well.

Aizen nodded and gestured for Chika and Karin to come closer.

Feeling jealous, Chika glared at Karin as she moved forward with excitement. She quickly took the better spot beside Aizen, refusing to let Karin get too close.

Leaning in, Aizen whispered instructions into their ears, then said, “Alright, I have to go now. If I don’t hurry, I’ll be too late.”

“Aizen, will we see each other again soon?” Chika looked up with a hopeful, tear-streaked face.

“Once you’re back in Konoha, I’ll be waiting at home,” Aizen said as he headed toward the cave below.

As soon as he left, Chika didn’t waste any time. Eager to return to Konoha as soon as possible, she grabbed Karin and followed Kakashi and the others.

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