211-215

Chapter 211: Teaching Tsunade Armament Haki

After Aizen left, the tense nerves of everyone else finally relaxed.

Aside from Kakashi and Chika, the others slumped to the ground like deflated balloons, propping themselves up with their hands as they gulped in air, exhausted.

Choji, feeling grateful to have survived, muttered, "Saved…we’re saved."

Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, and Lee nodded in agreement.

At that moment, Shizune approached, looking at everyone’s worn-out expressions, as though they'd just returned from the brink of death, and couldn't help but ask, "What happened to everyone?"

“That guy, Fujiwara Aizen, came back,” Kakashi sighed, full of exasperation. He then released his shadow clone, who had been holding Sasuke down, and explained how Aizen had disguised himself as Kakashi to provoke a fight between Sasuke and Chika.

After hearing this, Shizune’s expression mirrored his, her thoughts dripping with frustration. Lord Aizen sure knows how to stir things up.

Soon, Shizune led the group to the Hokage’s office.

“This guy just keeps causing trouble, one thing after another.”

After listening to Kakashi’s report, Tsunade rubbed her forehead in irritation.

Once everyone else had left, she picked up Chika and placed her on the table, asking sternly, “So, tell me, what happened? Why on earth would you get into a fight with that Uchiha Sasuke?”

“Well…” Chika’s face turned pink, and she avoided eye contact. She couldn’t tell her mom she’d heard Sasuke’s thoughts insulting her dad, and that’s why she’d gone after him.

Her ability to hear the "voice of all things" was her only secret with her dad, and she’d never reveal it.

At that crucial moment, Aizen stepped out from the shadows to help her out. “She just didn’t like how Sasuke disrespected you as Hokage and wanted to stand up for you, that’s all.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be gone? Why are you back again?” Tsunade gave him a sidelong glance, evidently no longer surprised by his sudden appearances.

Seeing his precious daughter stand up for her mother despite having no real combat experience, Aizen couldn’t help but grin as he sat down beside her, pulling Chika onto his lap.

"Is that true?" Tsunade’s face lit up, and a warm glow filled her heart as she looked at her daughter with pride. Seems my little girl is growing up.

She’d always assumed Chika’s heart was solely set on her irresponsible father, but to think that she, the mother, also held a place in her daughter’s heart!

“Yes… yes.” Chika avoided her mom’s gaze shyly, though in truth, it was Sasuke’s insults toward her dad that had spurred her on. She’d never admit that out loud.

“My precious girl!” Tsunade pulled Chika into a tight hug, showering her with kisses, leaving Chika’s cheeks covered in her mom’s saliva.

“Take it easy. She’s not a baby anymore; her face is all covered in your kisses,” Aizen teased, pulling some tissues from his storage to wipe his daughter’s cheeks.

Annoyed, Tsunade grumbled, “Oh? You’re disgusted now? Fine, next time don’t even think about getting near me!”

Aizen’s mouth twitched as he saw Chika’s curious expression, clearly realizing her mom had just opened up a whole new world to her. Flustered, he changed the subject, “Keep it down; this is the Hokage’s office.”

“What’s the big deal? Those guys outside are under a genjutsu, so they can’t hear a thing we’re saying. Besides, you can’t forget—last time on this very desk, you…”

Tsunade’s fiery temper flared until she realized her daughter was right there, watching her curiously, making her face flush red as she abruptly stopped talking.

“What were you going to say? Go on,” Aizen muttered, resigning himself to Tsunade’s outbursts. At this rate, Chika will understand everything soon enough.

“Nothing,” Tsunade said hurriedly, shaking her head and changing the subject. “So, what’s the story with you this time?”

“I can understand Chika acting up; she’s still young. But you keep getting into it with Kakashi and the others every few days. Are you trying to make my job as Hokage more complicated?”

Aizen glanced down at Chika, who stuck out her tongue and made a silly face at him. She’s young, sure, but with her mind-reading ability, she’s probably already more aware than anyone else.

Clearing his throat, Aizen said casually, “I just wanted to give Chika a legitimate reason to use my techniques. She’s incredibly gifted, and it’d be a waste not to let her develop that potential.”

Tsunade seemed convinced, albeit reluctantly. Then Aizen added, “And while I’m at it, I’ll teach you a new jutsu as well. As Hokage, you’re unmatched in medical ninjutsu, but your offensive capabilities are quite limited. Besides your superhuman strength, there aren’t many attacks you can rely on. It’s time you learned something new.”

Tsunade blinked. “What technique?”

Aizen gestured for her to come closer.

With a slight blush, she warned, “Don’t try anything funny—Chika is right here.” But even as she spoke, she leaned in.

Holding her face gently, Aizen closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers.

Opening his right eye, he revealed the red Sharingan and gazed at her intensely, using genjutsu to transfer the method for Armament Haki directly into her mind.

As for Observation Haki, he couldn’t teach that, as it was different from Armament Haki. Armament could be developed with chakra, making it somewhat like a specialized taijutsu that required a robust physical body. Its power depended on one’s chakra reserves, making Tsunade—a Senju with an exceptional chakra supply and strength from years of superhuman training—a perfect candidate.

For most others, learning it would be almost impossible unless they had chakra reserves on par with someone like Might Guy or the Fourth Raikage, whose chakra was comparable to a tailed beast’s. Naturally, Aizen wasn’t planning on teaching it to anyone else.

Observation Haki, however, seemed closer to a Kekkei Genkai in this world. Aizen had tried teaching it to Izumi before, but it hadn’t worked. It could only be passed down genetically, like how Chika had inherited it. The only other person who might be able to learn it was his younger daughter, Chikana.

"This is…" Tsunade snapped back to reality and looked at Aizen, awestruck.

Aizen’s Sharingan spun with three tomoe before fading to a normal black pupil.

end

*Chapter 212: Tsunade Hears About Lady Mikoto and Suspects Aizen's Intentions*

If a non-Uchiha person transplants Sharingan, they cannot deactivate it. Kakashi is an example—he gains enhanced perception and can copy ninjutsu, but that's about it.

Aizen, however, can freely control it, using genjutsu and turning it off at will. Does this mean he, too, is an Uchiha?

Aizen feigned seriousness as he explained nonsense: “This is a new technique I've developed based on Observation Haki. I call it Armament Haki. It enhances personal defense, like an invisible armor, and can even boost attack power.”

“It has a fluid nature, allowing for various techniques like 'Hardening,' 'Wrapping,' 'Release,' and 'Internal Destruction.' It requires a strong physique to use. You can't learn Observation Haki, but Armament Haki should be possible for you.”

“With the enhanced physique of the Senju clan from years of superhuman strength training, it shouldn't be hard for you to learn. But how far you can take it is up to you.”

“Of course I know that. I’m asking about your eye just now—what was that about?”

Aizen transmitted the details on Armament Haki’s principles and training methods to Tsunade using genjutsu.

Tsunade took a deep breath and said, “That was a Sharingan, wasn’t it?”

Aizen nodded slowly. He had no reason to hide such things from Tsunade; because of Chika, it might come up one day.

Tsunade pressed on, “Are you an Uchiha?”

“No, I’m not,” Aizen replied, finally revealing the excuse he had prepared. “This was a gift from Fugaku Uchiha.”

“On the night the Uchiha clan was massacred, I went to the Uchiha district to save a dear friend. I encountered Fugaku Uchiha, who was waiting for death because he couldn’t bring himself to fight his son, Itachi.”

“Fugaku had also awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan. To save his wife and protect his youngest son, he made a deal with me.”

“What kind of deal?” Tsunade asked, startled.

Aizen shamelessly lied without missing a beat, “The Sharingan is known as the mirror of the soul, and when the Mangekyou Sharingan is awakened, there is a chance to unlock the ability most desired deep within one’s heart.”

“As head of the Uchiha, Fugaku couldn’t resolve the conflict between the village and the clan, and he secretly wished to be just an ordinary person, not an Uchiha.”

“When he unlocked the Mangekyou, his eyes developed the power to transfer his bloodline limit to others.”

Tsunade realized, “You’re saying he used his Mangekyou ability to transfer his bloodline limit to you?”

“Exactly. I never expected to return to Konoha, let alone meet you again. I just accepted it as an extra life-saving measure. But my strength eventually outpaced the Sharingan, so I rarely used it,” Aizen replied.

Tsunade sighed in frustration, then frowned and asked, “You didn’t inherit Fugaku’s ability to take others' bloodline limits, did you?”

She didn’t want her man becoming someone like Orochimaru.

“No, every Sharingan ability is different, and mine activated naturally. I haven’t even unlocked the Mangekyou yet. If you ever awaken it, who knows what ability you’ll gain? Perhaps it’ll be…”

At this, Aizen leaned over and whispered a few words in Tsunade’s ear.

Tsunade immediately blushed, pushing him away. “You rogue!”

She quickly changed the subject, “And what about Fugaku’s wife, Mikoto Uchiha?”

“I placed her somewhere safe with my dear friend. This ninja world is dangerous, full of threats worse than Orochimaru. I hope you can keep this secret, even from Sasuke. I’ll tell him when the time is right,” Aizen warned her.

“Please, I’m not interested in meddling in that. But speaking of Mikoto Uchiha, I know her, and she’s quite a beauty. You didn’t do anything improper, did you?” Tsunade’s eyes turned suspicious as she stared at Aizen.

She knew how bold her man could be and remembered he had half-coerced her into a relationship the first time they met.

“How could I? I would never pursue a married woman. Don’t accuse me without proof,” Aizen lied calmly.

Technically, he wasn’t lying—Mikoto had been divorced by Fugaku, so she was a single, free woman. Their relationship was perfectly above-board.

“Really?” Tsunade’s suspicion grew.

Aizen didn’t answer but looked at Chika nearby.

Chika, unable to read Aizen’s thoughts but picking up on Sasuke’s, where Aizen had even made Sasuke call him “father,” gave a slight shake of her head to indicate denial—otherwise, today’s conversation might lead to a very broken Hokage building.

Aizen breathed a small sigh of relief and denied again, “Really, no.”

“Are you absolutely sure?” Tsunade still didn’t seem convinced. She knew Aizen’s nature too well.

“Alright, stop overthinking,” Aizen patted Tsunade’s shoulder, changing the topic, “I’m leaving. Focus on training Armament Haki. Remember, don’t teach it to anyone without my permission. This goes for Chika, too—she’s still too young. At least wait until she’s physically strong enough.”

“Got it, got it. And you, don’t flirt around outside, or you’ll be in trouble,” Tsunade replied, feeling both frustrated and uneasy. Her instincts told her her husband might be straying.

“Anything else?”

Aizen thought briefly before mentioning Sasuke, “Actually, Sasuke really was planning to defect yesterday, but I stopped him.”

“If he went to Orochimaru now, he’d almost certainly become a vessel for his Living Corpse Reincarnation.”

“In a month, Sasuke will likely leave to seek power from Orochimaru.”

“His heart isn’t with Konoha anymore. He’s focused solely on revenge.”

“If he doesn’t go to Orochimaru, the curse mark will eventually consume him, leading him astray.”

“You should turn a blind eye to it and send a squad like today’s, then arrange some backup later. Treat it as a training exercise. You could even consider reaching out to the Sand Village for help to strengthen the alliance.”

After hearing Aizen’s words, Tsunade looked at him again with suspicion, “No wonder he got so emotional when he saw you; you two must have already met.”

*(End of Chapter)*

*Chapter 213: The Beginning of the Gale Chronicles*

"You know, with all the attention you're giving him, you'd think you actually see him as a son," Tsunade scowled at Aizen.

"Impossible. If I thought of that kid as my son, I'd teach him powerful techniques like I do for Chika. This is purely because of my agreement with Fugaku," Aizen responded firmly.

In his heart, however, he added a silent caveat—at most, he considered the boy a stepson. For a stepson, he’d ensure his survival but wouldn’t go as far as adopting him fully.

"That makes sense," Tsunade nodded, acknowledging that Aizen typically only extended such loyalty to his actual family.

Not wanting Tsunade to probe further, Aizen decided to drop the subject. After all, he'd already shared what he needed to. With the Akatsuki unlikely to make a move for the next three years, there was no need to concern himself further.

"Alright, time for me to go." Saying this, Aizen ruffled his daughter’s hair, made a habitual hand seal, and left the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Tsunade called after him, wanting to ask whether Chika might also inherit the Sharingan's bloodline limit. But Aizen was already gone.

Looking down, Tsunade caught her daughter’s gaze—and was stunned to see the scarlet Three Tomoe Sharingan staring back at her.

Perhaps even Aizen was unaware.

Ever since Chika first learned from Tsunade that Aizen was her father, her Sharingan had awakened with one tomoe.

Later, after learning more about Aizen’s and Tsunade's complex relationship, her Sharingan evolved to two tomoe.

Just now, suspecting that Aizen had found a new woman, she unlocked the third tomoe.

*Three Years Later*

*Amegakure*

On the open-air balcony of the tallest tower, Pain sat atop the tongue of the Asura statue, staring blankly into the rain with his usual somber expression.

"Pain," Konan appeared from the stairway behind him, "The genin we sent to the joint Chunin Exams held by the Sand and Leaf have returned."

Pain didn’t turn. "How did it go?"

"Surprisingly smoothly," Konan reported. "Besides Gaara, the One-Tails jinchuriki who is now the Kazekage, the Seven-Tails jinchuriki from the Hidden Valley also showed up. She's on her way back now."

"Additionally, Zetsu discovered an immense chakra source gathering at a lake in the Land of Water. It’s likely that the Three-Tails will soon be revived."

"With the recent intel on rogue jinchuriki—like Utakata, the Six-Tails jinchuriki from the Hidden Mist, and Yugito, the Two-Tails jinchuriki from the Hidden Cloud—alongside Han, the Steam Ninja and Five-Tails jinchuriki from the Hidden Stone, we now have information on nearly all the tailed beasts."

"The Three-Tails is finally set to revive? It’s time." Pain rose, stepping onto the balcony with a vacant expression, making his way to the stairs.

No one knew that Pain had waited three years not because of orders from the masked man, but because the Three-Tails needed time to revive.

"We’re starting this now?" Konan looked concerned. "You’re aware we still don’t know the locations of the Hidden Cloud’s Eight-Tails and the Leaf’s Nine-Tails."

"I know," Pain replied. "But the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails are the strongest of the nine beasts. We’ll need to capture the first seven beasts before sealing them. By then, we’ll have no reason to hold back. We can attack both major villages to capture them."

"Alright," Konan hesitated, as if remembering something. "By the way, the Five-Tails jinchuriki Han recently left the Hidden Stone on a mission and is currently traveling outside the village, much like Fuu, the Seven-Tails jinchuriki from the Hidden Valley."

"If they return to their respective villages, capturing them won’t be as easy. Now is the perfect opportunity."

"Still, that Steam Ninja is no ordinary foe. He can use the Five-Tails’ Boil Release."

"Aizen and Pakura can handle the Five-Tails, and Kakuzu used to be a Hidden Valley shinobi, so he and Hidan can take on the Seven-Tails." Pain’s gaze darkened as he turned to Konan. "The tailed beast capture plan officially begins."

*Meanwhile, in a Desolate Valley*

A massive Uchiha fire array towered over the valley.

The earth shook with thunderous echoes, and every so often, terrifying explosions erupted from within.

Finally, the array shattered, and a gust of green energy sliced through the air, cleaving the ground as it shot toward the sky. Moments later, it exploded with a deafening roar.

For a moment, it seemed as if the sky itself had been torn open.

"Is this the power of a god?"

Outside the valley, Pakura—a kunoichi in the black cloak with red clouds, her figure lithe and face striking—gazed in astonishment at the apocalyptic scene before her.

As the remnants of the Uchiha fire array dispersed, a figure with short black hair, dressed in black and carrying a dark green Zanpakuto at his waist, slowly emerged.

Pakura immediately approached him, offering him an Akatsuki cloak. "Well, Lord Aizen, did it work?"

"Not quite that easy," the figure replied with a wry smile.

The man was none other than Aizen.

Three years had passed.

Aizen’s appearance hadn’t changed over the years; thanks to the effects of pure gold, he remained at the peak of his youthful looks.

His strength, too, had deepened immensely.

Over a year ago, he’d achieved the ninth level of his cultivation technique, with just one level left to reach the highest state of the Heavenly Art.

In terms of physical skills, he’d fully mastered the swordsmanship of a grand swordsman from the Pirate World, integrating it completely into his own techniques. His armament haki had also significantly improved, allowing him to wield "Hardening," "Infusion," "Projection," and "Internal Destruction" techniques.

He hadn’t neglected his ninjutsu either.

Not only had he advanced his Flying Thunder God technique to the level of precision control, but he’d also acquired several high-level sealing and barrier techniques from the Foundation.

Using his perfect control over all chakra nature transformations, he’d begun trying to merge the seven chakra natures—wind, fire, lightning, water, earth, yin, and yang—based on the Heavenly Art to develop a unique kekkei tōta.

However, it was far from simple, and he had once again failed.

The recent sky-splitting slash had been a vent for his frustration after this failure.

But his efforts hadn’t been entirely in vain.

Prior to this, he’d managed to combine various chakra natures into the Heavenly Art, mastering nearly every kekkei genkai from the original story that results from merging two chakra natures, aside from Wood Release.

He’d yet to learn Dust Release, the only kekkei tōta seen in the original series, as he hadn’t witnessed the technique firsthand.

Without any guidance or foundational resources, balancing all his training within three years left him little time to explore more.

*(End of Chapter)*

*Chapter 214: Tailed Beast Mission Allocation*

In the future, perhaps he could consider witnessing the Five Kage Summit or wait until Kabuto resurrected the Second Tsuchikage with Edo Tensei, from whom he might learn the secrets of Dust Release.

But for now, all that could wait until later.

The three years spent within the Akatsuki were the most peaceful years of Aizen's life.

The Akatsuki had gone into a dormant phase, with tasks becoming much less frequent and involving far fewer battles.

Most of the time, they focused on intelligence gathering.

For these missions, Aizen mostly sent shadow clones to complete them.

As for himself, he had dedicated his time entirely to his own life.

When not training, he moved between Tsunade's room, Lady Mikoto's room, Izumi's room, Pakura's room, and Kurenai's room.

Occasionally, he would sneak out in the middle of the night to visit Lady Mizukage and young Hinata.

Each of them reacted differently.

The former still wanted nothing more than to catch Aizen, bind him hand and foot, and punish him.

Although each time, it was Aizen's fifth limb that ended up doing the punishing.

The latter, on the other hand, was someone Aizen had watched grow up.

At only sixteen, she had already reached the level of Lady Mikoto, Lady Mizukage, and Pakura, surpassing Aizen's first love Izumi and his teacher Kurenai.

And she was still growing.

In time, reaching Tsunade's level wouldn’t be impossible.

"I believe in you, Aizen-sama," Pakura said with confidence in him.

"It's not that simple. I feel like something’s missing. Perhaps when I master the Heavenly Sky Technique at its highest level, I can give it another try."

Aizen pulled Pakura into his arms, gently slipped his hand under her Akatsuki robe to caress her back, and smiled. "But if you’d drop the honorifics, maybe I'd feel even more confident."

Pakura’s face flushed. "I can’t do that, Aizen-sama."

She rarely defied him; ever since they had become a couple, she had cherished the special care he showed her and was willing to go along with whatever he wished.

Even with his occasional fondness for her back, though it embarrassed her, Pakura enjoyed the feeling.

However, she was exceptionally insistent when it came to how she addressed him.

To her, "Aizen-sama" distinguished her from the other women in his life, as only she would call him that.

"Suit yourself," Aizen didn’t press her further.

Just then, their rings emitted a pull.

Aizen held Pakura, teleporting back to their lodging, where they sat cross-legged on the bed, channeling chakra into their rings, and let their minds sink within.

It was still that dark, cave-like space with a meditation lamp in the center.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

Including Aizen and Pakura, the Akatsuki members gathered around the lamp, appearing out of nowhere. It was only their projections, not their real bodies.

"Everyone’s here. It’s been a while since our last meeting, hmm."

"By the way, Leader, it’s been three years now. When are we starting the Tailed Beast capture plan, hmm?"

"All this intelligence work doesn’t suit my art. It’s driving me crazy, hmm." As soon as he appeared, Deidara began complaining to Pain.

"Yeah, seriously." Even Hidan, for once, didn’t tease Deidara and grumbled, "Lately, it’s either intel gathering or making money with Kakuzu. I barely have anything left to sacrifice to Jashin-sama."

"When am I going to finally offer those damned jinchuriki to my god?"

"Shut up, Deidara."

"Shut up, Hidan."

Before Pain could speak, Sasori and Kakuzu, the workhorses of Akatsuki, silenced their respective teammates.

"No need," Pain said, glancing around. "This meeting is to discuss just that."

"Akatsuki is officially entering the final stage—capturing the Tailed Beasts."

The members’ expressions turned serious, and the atmosphere became intense.

Of the eleven members present, no one looked afraid; instead, most of them were excited.

"Now, I’ll assign tasks." Pain glanced at Deidara, saying without expression, "First, the One-Tail and Three-Tails will be captured by Deidara and Sasori."

"It’s finally starting?" Deidara grinned, glancing at Sasori. "I remember that the One-Tail is that kid from Sunagakure who became Kazekage. He’s from Sasori-bro’s village. This should be interesting, hmm."

"Last time, Aizen-bro returned to his village and threw Konoha into chaos, even costing the Third Hokage his life and disabling Orochimaru. Hmm."

"Sasori-bro, what are you planning to do this time, hmm?"

Sasori ignored him and looked at Pain. "When do we start?"

"Start with the One-Tail. If all goes smoothly, you can act in about a month. As for the Three-Tails, it needs more time to regenerate fully since its last jinchuriki’s death," Pain replied.

"A month, huh?" Sasori pondered.

Pain continued, "The Two-Tails and Seven-Tails will go to Kakuzu and Hidan. Originally, I planned to have you act after Sasori and Deidara captured the One-Tail, as the ideal sealing order is by tail number."

"But the Seven-Tails just participated in the second Chunin Exams, co-hosted by Sunagakure and Konoha, and is on her way back. Missing this chance would complicate things if she returns to her village."

"No problem," Kakuzu, ever level-headed, nodded in agreement.

Hidan, brash as always, complained, "So what if she gets back? We can always storm the village and take the jinchuriki ourselves."

"Shut up, Hidan, or I’ll kill you," Kakuzu growled, his green eyes filled with killing intent.

Hidan shrugged. "You can’t do it. Try me."

Seeing they were about to start bickering, Pain felt a headache coming on and intervened. "Quiet, Hidan."

"Tch," Hidan clicked his tongue but fell silent.

If there was one person Hidan feared, it was Pain. After learning that Pain’s Rinnegan could rip out souls, he dared not cross him.

Though Hidan was immortal, that didn’t mean he couldn’t die.

If Pain got annoyed enough to rip out his soul, he’d have no place to go.

Pain turned to Aizen and Pakura. "The Five-Tails is similarly vulnerable. It’s currently on a classified mission from Iwagakure, making this the best time for capture. Aizen and Pakura, you two will handle it. After the meeting, Zetsu will provide the intel."

"Just the Five-Tails?" Aizen shrugged.

end

**Chapter 215: Capturing the Five-Tails**

 **"Among the Nine Tailed Beasts, the One-Tail, Two-Tails, Three-Tails, and Seven-Tails are on the weaker side. The Jinchūriki of the Four-Tails, Five-Tails, and Six-Tails possess unique Kekkei Genkai abilities and are quite powerful. They are among the stronger group. The Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails are the strongest. If you'd like, I can assign you an even stronger target,"** said Pain in a deep voice.

 **"No need. The Five-Tails will do,"** replied Aizen, shaking his head. He wasn't like Kakuzu, driven solely by ambition. Catching the Five-Tails would be sufficient for him.

 **"What about us?"** Kisame asked from the side.

 **"You and Itachi will go after the Four-Tails. I'll personally handle capturing the Six-Tails. As for the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails, it's still unclear where the Cloud and Leaf have hidden them,"** Pain said.

 **"If anyone gathers intel during their missions or encounters them, proceed as the situation demands and capture them if possible."**

 **"Understood."** Kisame flashed a toothy, dangerous grin, saying, **"I’m actually looking forward to this. The Four-Tails Jinchūriki, with his Lava Release, is someone my Samehada blade is eager to test."**

 Throughout the exchange, Itachi, with his red Sharingan eyes, remained silent, as if the entire conversation was unrelated to him.

 Only Aizen knew that this "dutiful son" was already terminally ill. The repeated use of his Mangekyō Sharingan had severely weakened his vision and body, leaving him dependent on medication and close to death.

 **"Alright then, Aizen, Pakura, Hidan, and Kakuzu—set out immediately. The rest of you, prepare as well. From now on, all non-essential missions are suspended, focusing solely on gathering intel on the Tailed Beasts,"** Pain announced without expression.

**"Once I’ve captured the Jinchūriki, can I pursue bounties again?"** Kakuzu asked.

**"As long as you capture the Jinchūriki on schedule, the organization won’t interfere with your personal freedom,"** Pain replied, concluding the meeting.

---

**Three days later,**

At the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass, in a dense forest…

Four Iwagakure shinobi, clad in standard Iwa attire, followed the Five-Tails Jinchūriki, Han, a tall figure armored in a specialized red steam suit. They were rushing towards Iwagakure.

 Suddenly, they spotted two figures in the distance.

 Two people stood amid the trees, dressed in black robes adorned with red clouds and wearing straw hats with wind chimes, as if awaiting their arrival. Judging by their physiques, they appeared to be a man and a woman.

 **"Stop,"** Han ordered, raising his hand.

 The group halted, stopping thirty meters from the strangers.

 **"Lord Han, they don't look friendly. What should we do?"** one of the Iwa shinobi asked.

 **"Their attire..."** Han squinted. **"They look like members of the Akatsuki."**

 **"Akatsuki?"** The four Iwa shinobi tensed, reaching for their weapons as they warily observed the two figures. 

The people of Iwagakure were well aware of the Akatsuki’s existence, as the current Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, had secretly hired the organization multiple times to achieve military objectives at a minimal cost. This was practically an open secret among the nations.

 Only the Leaf, under the Third Hokage’s rule, had remained complacent, resting in a false peace, oblivious. It wasn’t until the Fifth Hokage took office that they became somewhat more cautious.

 **"You must be members of the Akatsuki. Blocking our path—what’s your purpose?"** Han demanded, eyeing them warily.

 The man in the hat responded, **"Nothing special. Our leader simply invites you to the Akatsuki base as a guest."**

 **"Not interested. Step aside."** Han clenched his fists, and with a low hum, his steam armor released intense steam from vents on his back, reaching temperatures of hundreds of degrees.

 **"That’s not up to you,"** the man said, forming a hand seal. Suddenly, the four Iwa shinobi behind Han collapsed with agonized screams.

 Han glanced back at his fallen comrades, his pupils narrowing in shock. **"They fell for genjutsu so easily? Who are you people?"**

 In response, the pair in black robes with red clouds removed their hats.

 The man had a young, handsome face, with a Leaf forehead protector bearing a scratch across it. 

The woman was strikingly beautiful, with a Sand forehead protector, also marked with a scratch. 

Han instantly recognized them. **"The Uchiha clan’s survivor, Aizen, and Pakura of the Scorch Release."** 

**"Quite an honor to be recognized by Iwagakure’s famous steam warrior. Now, come with us, or we’ll be taking the Five-Tails within you,"** Aizen said, pointing at Han.

 **"So, you’re after the beast inside me,"** Han murmured, thoughtfully touching his abdomen. His eyes turned cold. **"Dream on."**

 **"Steam Armor—Jet Kick!"** 

With that shout, superheated steam erupted from Han’s armor, and he launched a powerful kick, moving towards Aizen and Pakura with terrifying speed and strength.

 Though swift, Han wasn’t fast enough to surprise them. Pakura immediately dodged, while Aizen stayed in place.

 As Han’s kick approached, Aizen casually raised his left hand.

 **Boom—** 

The ground cracked in a spiderweb pattern around them, dust filling the air.

 When the dust settled, Aizen stood unharmed, gripping Han’s ankle.

 **"He caught my steam-enhanced Jet Kick barehanded? But even if he caught it, how did he withstand the intense heat of the steam?"** Han’s eyes widened in disbelief, his gaze trembling as he stared at Aizen.

 **"Surprised? That steam-powered strength of yours is far weaker than that of the Fifth Hokage,"** Aizen said, applying slight pressure. With a crack, the steam armor around Han’s ankle shattered.

 Along with it, so did Han’s right leg, crushed by Aizen’s monstrous strength, surpassing even Tsunade’s.

 **"Argh!"** Han cried out, but Aizen gave him no chance to recover.

 Aizen’s combat style was always relentless—attack while the enemy was weak.

 No matter how strong or weak his opponent, he never showed mercy.

 He clenched his right fist, coating it with a dark aura, and struck Han square in the chest. 

**Bang!**
**Crack!**

 The sound of breaking metal and bones echoed as Han’s steam armor shattered, sending him flying back like a cannonball. He crashed through several trees before finally colliding with a giant one, then slumped to the ground.

 **"Ugh!"** Han groaned, clutching his chest, blood mixed with fragments of internal organs spilling from his mouth. His chest was almost completely caved in, with at least seven or eight ribs broken.

 Han tried to stand, but his injuries were too severe, and with his right leg crushed, he collapsed, groaning in agony.

 **(End of Chapter)**