201-205

*Chapter 201: The Female Lead Finally Gets Her Moment *

Aizen gently caressed Mrs. Mikoto's smooth back and softly asked, "Do you want me to help you frame this?"

"No need," Mrs. Mikoto replied thoughtfully. "I've already taken up so much of your time today. You should go to Izumi. As someone who's been through it, I know that after a girl loses her first time, she often feels the most insecure. Compared to me, Izumi needs you more right now."

"You're so understanding," Aizen smiled.

"Alright, no more delays. I'll clean up the table later. Go bring the food to Izumi's room, or it’ll get cold," Mrs. Mikoto said, blushing from the compliment, as she got up from his embrace and urged him on.

"Alright, I'm going." Aizen took the beautifully prepared dishes and headed toward Izumi's room. But before he left the dining area, he couldn't resist giving Mrs. Mikoto a playful squeeze, earning a playful but scolding glare from her.

He grabbed the handle of Izumi's door and turned it counterclockwise.

It didn’t open. The door was locked from the inside.

That caught him off guard. Holding the food tray with one hand, he tapped his forehead in slight frustration.

Retrieving a small wire from his system inventory, he inserted it into the lock and twisted. With a "click," the door opened.

Heh, a simple door? Back in the days of the Anbu, lock-picking was one of the most basic skills. No door could stop a lock-picking master like me.

"Izumi, it's dinner time," Aizen announced while holding the tray of food, gently pushing the door open.

Aizen knew that while he was speaking with Mrs. Mikoto, Izumi had been standing behind the door eavesdropping. If he opened the door at a normal speed, he’d likely hit her and make her even more embarrassed.

Izumi was already resentful about his ménage à trois situation. This wasn’t the right time to push her buttons.

Once he saw Izumi lying in bed under her covers, pretending to be asleep, Aizen fully opened the door.

Seeing her feigned slumber, he smiled. "Izumi, dinner is ready," he said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Wake up," he added gently.

Izumi slowly opened her eyes to see his bright, cheerful face. Still pretending not to have been eavesdropping, Aizen greeted her with warmth, smoothing her hair softly.

"Mhm," Izumi nodded, trying to stay calm, though her flushed cheeks betrayed her inner feelings.

At that moment, she felt like crying.

Her most precious first experience had been given to the man she loved most. Even though it had hurt, it should have been a joyful occasion.

Yet, this was the same man who had defied Konoha for her, wiped out the entire clan of the Third Hokage, and eliminated every member of the Root organization.

But he was so unfaithful.

Despite having her, he still fell for other women.

And not just anyone—Mrs. Mikoto, the former Uchiha clan leader's wife.

How did things end up like this? Izumi wondered for what felt like the thousandth time.

She often tried to convince herself not to mind. Mrs. Mikoto was indeed kind and gentle, and she did love Chiha, the child they shared.

But people are inherently selfish.

No woman wants to share her man, let alone share him so completely.

Today was her 18th birthday. She had learned from Konan that Aizen would be coming home.

She knew he was a hopeless flirt, evident from the way he’d often tease her. Chiha’s very existence confirmed his playboy nature.

Yet, because she had been so young, he had always held back, not wanting to hurt her.

Today, she had taken a bath and put on a beautiful new dress, planning to present the most perfect, grown-up version of herself to him on her special day.

Who knew that, breaking all norms, he’d whisk her away at lightning speed to Mrs. Mikoto’s room before she could even react.

She had been speechless and heartbroken.

"Hungry?" Aizen asked, smiling. His survival instincts told him it wasn’t the right time to bring up anything about ménage à trois again.

"Mhm." Izumi nodded. She wasn't really hungry; she just wanted to enjoy this moment of closeness. She knew that as time went on, he would likely have more women in his life. These moments of being alone with him felt precious.

Aizen placed the tray on the bedside table, lifted the covers that weren’t really warm, and whispered, "Here, let me help you. Take it slow; it always hurts a bit the first time. If it’s too painful, let me know so I can use emergency measures."

Izumi allowed him to carefully help her sit up, resting against some pillows he had arranged behind her. Though shy, she softly asked, "What kind of emergency measures?"

Aizen whispered something in her ear, and despite wanting to find a hole to hide in, Izumi didn’t get angry. Instead, she giggled. Being alone together really did feel nice, just like that night during the Nine-Tails attack. She still felt she could rely on him. "Do you want to see?"

"Of course," Aizen replied, then added earnestly, "What man wouldn’t want to look at the woman he loves?"

That’s a confession, in a way. I’m such a genius, Aizen thought to himself.

"Mhm. Then I'll let you see," Izumi said, her spirits lifting. Ever since the Uchiha massacre, she hadn’t felt this lighthearted. "But remember, women are different from some flirtatious men. A woman only wants to show her beauty to the man she loves most."

That was her way of confessing, too.

They shared a knowing smile. Aizen tested the temperature of the porridge and brought a spoonful to her lips. Izumi gave him a playful look, her expression full of youthful charm. She opened her mouth to taste it, surprised. "What kind of porridge is this? It's delicious!"

"I bought the recipe at a high price from a renowned chef in the ninja world, just for your birthday," Aizen made up a story.

Izumi rolled her eyes but wasn’t upset, happy that he remembered her birthday. "You’re not planning to settle this with just porridge, are you?"

"Of course not." Aizen formed a hand seal, and with a puff of smoke, countless gift boxes appeared, filling half the room.

Looking at the gifts—each something she had once mentioned liking—Izumi’s face lit up with a smile. He had really remembered her birthday.

Aizen pulled out a small gift box. "This one is the most special today."

"What is it?" Izumi asked, instinctively opening it. Inside was a sparkling diamond ring, crafted from pure gold with 108 diamonds, expertly made under the illusionary guidance of a master jeweler Aizen had manipulated.

---

end

Chapter 202: Orochimaru’s Agonizing Torment

Aizen put the porridge back on the tray and smiled as he asked, “When a man gives a ring to the woman he loves, what do you think it means?”

“Is this… a proposal?” Izumi laughed, tears spilling down her face in joy.

“No, this isn’t a proposal—it’s a wedding.” Taking the ring from Izumi’s hand, he gently placed it on her left ring finger.

“Isn’t a wedding supposed to involve exchanging rings? Where’s yours?” Izumi wiped away her tears.

Hearing this, Aizen smiled, pulling out his own pure gold ring and letting Izumi put it on for him. He was only a few months younger than her and was soon to be eighteen; wearing a gold ring early to maintain that youthful look seemed fine.

That night, Aizen didn’t leave Izumi’s room.

---

“Ah… that damned Third Hokage! Damn you, Fujiwara Aizen!”

In a dim underground lab lit only by flickering candlelight, Orochimaru, his hands wrapped in bandages, slowly sat down on a stone chair with Kabuto’s support, constantly groaning in pain and muttering curses filled with venom.

If it weren’t for the Third Hokage, he wouldn’t have lost his hands or every ninjutsu that required hand seals, nor would he be enduring this relentless, burning agony every moment.

But the worst was Fujiwara Aizen, who seemed to have anticipated that Sarutobi Hiruzen would use the Reaper Death Seal as a last resort. Yet he’d said nothing, pretending to fall into the trap and watched as the Third sealed his hands.

Kabuto stood before Orochimaru, adjusting his glasses with a flattering smile. “It was never going to be easy,” he said in a comforting tone. “After all, your opponent was hailed as the strongest Hokage among the Five Great Nations. You did an impressive job, though. Even though it was Fujiwara Aizen and Pakura who killed the Kazekage, it was accomplished under your guidance. You effectively eliminated two of the Five Kage yourself.”

“Don’t talk..,” Orochimaru said coldly, catching the note of comfort in Kabuto’s words. His pale face grew colder as he glared at him with murderous intent. “Don’t say things to comfort me, or I’ll kill you.”

Kabuto paused, lowered his head slightly, his eyes obscured by his glasses’ reflection, then said respectfully, “I didn’t mean it that way. Although we didn’t manage to conquer the village, we did accomplish another goal: Uchiha Sasuke has accepted your collar.”

“Sasuke has inherited the Uchiha clan’s powerful bloodline and has the potential to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan. Once you gain his body and unlock the Mangekyo, you’ll be able to see through Fujiwara Aizen’s genjutsu. In time, it’ll be Aizen who’s suppressed by you.”

“Heh.” Hearing Kabuto’s words, Orochimaru found a slight comfort in his heart. The dark underground lab echoed with his sinister, eerie laughter. “Of course. After all, it was in exchange for my hands and all my ninjutsu.”

“Originally, if I could have taken Uchiha Itachi’s body, there wouldn’t have been a problem. But that’s no longer possible. That guy is just as powerful as Aizen, even stronger than me. That’s why I left the Akatsuki.”

As he finished speaking, the searing pain in Orochimaru’s soulless hands surged again, causing his body to spasm, drenched in cold sweat.

Watching Orochimaru writhe in agony, Kabuto’s mind conjured images of Aizen and Itachi in their red-cloud Akatsuki cloaks.

Thinking of their terrifying power, Kabuto felt a mix of awe and envy. With a sigh, he murmured, “Fujiwara Aizen, Uchiha Itachi—those two are terrifyingly strong.”

“One has unmatched abilities in ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu, almost without weakness. The other possesses the powerful bloodline limit, the Sharingan.”

“In the Akatsuki, aside from that mysterious leader with the Rinnegan, these two are probably the strongest. Konoha really is a place that produces geniuses.”

Orochimaru frowned slightly but didn’t argue. “None of that matters anymore.”

“So, what are your plans?” Kabuto asked cautiously, seemingly fearful of angering Orochimaru and meeting his end.

The intense burning sensation in his arms flared up again, even stronger than before. Orochimaru couldn’t hold back, collapsing to his knees with a cry of pain. “Curse that old fool Sarutobi!”

“Orochimaru-sama!” Kabuto rushed to support him, only to be pushed away. “Go find Sasuke for me immediately!” Orochimaru barked.

“Isn’t it a bit too soon? The curse mark in him isn’t fully matured, and he’s not yet desperate for power. He might not be willing to come,” Kabuto hesitated.

“We don’t have time for that! Just go and make arrangements,” Orochimaru commanded harshly.

To date, Orochimaru had undergone three reincarnations.

The first time wasn’t explained in the original story, but the second was during the original Konoha Crush plan, where he used a female ninja’s body that perfectly matched his soul to fight the Third Hokage.

The third reincarnation was due to a Rasenshuriken attack from Aizen, forcing Orochimaru to abandon his original body and transfer to an interim host.

Now, due to Sarutobi Hiruzen’s Reaper Death Seal, his hands were sealed. The body he’d inhabited was already showing signs of rejection, and he feared that, without Sasuke’s allegiance, his body might collapse before long.

As for seeking Tsunade to heal his arms, Orochimaru hadn’t even considered it. Tsunade was now the Fifth Hokage, and her hemophobia was cured. If he showed up in his weakened state, he’d likely be killed.

---

Under the dark sky, on a moonlit path in Konoha, a cold-looking young man with a hint of sinister charm, a backpack slung over his shoulder, was walking towards the village gate.

A gentle breeze swept away the clouds, and pure moonlight poured down on him, casting a long, solitary shadow.

This young man was none other than Sasuke. Though his talent didn’t match Itachi’s, and he couldn’t compete with the prodigious Aizen, he was still a genius.

He quickly learned the Summoning Jutsu.

Perhaps by fate, the curse mark allowed Sasuke to summon the same blue snake as in the original series, successfully forging a summoning contract.

However, he soon fell into frustration again.

Even though the blue snake helped close the gap in summoning abilities with Naruto, Sasuke still couldn’t compete with Naruto’s thousand Shadow Clones and Rasengan.

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 203: Sasuke’s Desire to Defect, and Sakura’s Helplessness*

Sasuke was thinking about defecting to Orochimaru, especially since he knew he stood no chance against Itachi. Just as he was pondering this, Orochimaru conveniently sent the Sound Four to Konoha.

The Sound Four’s original plan was to beat Sasuke up as they did in the original story, showcasing the power of the Cursed Seal to tempt him into seeking Orochimaru for similar strength.

However, to their surprise, Sasuke agreed to come along without even needing the demonstration.

This left the Sound Four feeling like they had just thrown a punch into a pillow.

Now, the night had grown deep, and most of Konoha Village was asleep. The vast, quiet streets of the village echoed only with Sasuke’s footsteps.

Though the meeting time with the Sound Four outside Konoha had long passed, Sasuke didn’t feel like speeding up.

After all, people aren’t made of stone; it’s hard to be heartless. Sasuke was about to leave Konoha for good, perhaps never to return, and his steps unconsciously slowed.

But every path has an end.

Before Sasuke could leave the village, something unexpected blocked his way. Stepping into his path from around the corner was a wide-foreheaded girl with pink hair: Sakura Haruno.

“It looks like your hair has grown back, and your teeth are fixed,” Sasuke remarked, hands in his pockets, staring emotionlessly at Sakura. “What are you doing out here so late?”

Sakura glanced at Sasuke’s backpack, her expression downcast as she looked at the ground. “This is the only road out of the village.”

She understood—Sasuke was leaving Konoha, likely to join Orochimaru.

“Go home and get some sleep.” Sasuke turned away from her, ready to leave.

“Why…” Tears streamed down Sakura’s face as she turned to look at him. “Why won’t you say anything to me? Why do you always shut me out?”

“Why should I have to tell you anything?” Sasuke stopped, a flash of humiliation crossing his mind as he remembered someone’s words about him being weaker than Naruto. His heart boiled with rage.

It felt like, to this girl, he was less capable than Naruto. All he received from her was pity he didn’t want, clinging, and unwanted, irritating affections.

His face turned colder. “Stop fooling yourself and stop meddling in my affairs. This is a harsh world of ninjas. Instead of wasting your time thinking about nonsense, you should learn some jutsu so you’re not a burden.”

“Not just to Team 7, but you’re the weakest among all of us who graduated and took the Chunin Exams.”

“Or you could just give up on being a ninja and live as a normal person.”

“But Sasuke, I love you—” Sakura tried to speak, tears streaming as she attempted to confess, hoping to change his mind. But Sasuke cut her off impatiently. “Shut up.”

Sasuke’s expression grew annoyed. “How you feel is your problem. I have no reason to like you, and no reason to be liked by you. I’m tired of you clinging to me for no reason and running to Naruto whenever there’s danger. You’re disgusting.”

With that, Sasuke continued forward.

But Sakura, undeterred, prepared to do anything to stop him. If begging couldn’t keep him, maybe threats would. “If you leave, I’ll scream,” she threatened.

Before she could even raise her voice, Sasuke vanished and reappeared behind her. “You’re so annoying,” he muttered, chopping the back of her neck. Tears still in her eyes, Sakura fell unconscious.

When Sasuke finally reached the meeting place with the Sound Four, he found them hanging upside down from a tree, like swings.

“What happened here?” Sasuke demanded, voice cold, as he eyed the four swaying figures.

“Mmm...mmph!” The Sound Four couldn’t speak; their mouths were gagged.

Sasuke scanned his surroundings, seeing no one. Frowning, he threw a kunai, cutting the ropes and freeing them.

“Explain what happened. Who did this to you?” Sasuke asked impatiently.

The Sound Four didn’t answer, only staring behind Sasuke in terror, sweat dripping from their faces.

A pale, slender hand silently landed on Sasuke’s shoulder like a ghost. Sasuke jumped, spinning around, but saw no one.

Another hand touched his back. He whirled around again, but there was still no one.

The pattern repeated until Sasuke, even with his Sharingan activated, couldn’t detect a single hint of his tormentor.

“Come out, Aizen Fujiwara! I know you’re there!” Sasuke yelled, gasping for breath, recalling the first time he had met Aizen after the Chunin Exams ended.

“Well, well, how did you guess?” A playful voice called out.

Sasuke spun around. Aizen was suddenly standing under a tree, leaning casually against the trunk, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.

“Who else would do something this pointless and scare Orochimaru’s minions like that?” Sasuke sighed in relief but quickly grew wary. Aizen seemed more unfathomable than ever. Was it just his imagination?

“Plans changed. I decided to come back. Didn’t you want me to train you? I’ll do it,” Aizen said, glancing dismissively at the Sound Four.

The Sound Four, whose mission was to bring Sasuke to Orochimaru, were horrified. But a single glare from Aizen silenced their protests.

“Really?” Sasuke’s eyes lit up. If Aizen trained him, and with his Sharingan, defeating Itachi would no longer be a dream.

As for Orochimaru? He was just someone Aizen could toy with. Who cared about him?

“Don’t get too excited,” Aizen added. “I’ll only train you for a month. After that, you’re on your own. Or you can still go with these losers. Your choice.”

In reality, Aizen never intended to truly train Sasuke. Though he had a relationship with Mikoto, Sasuke’s mother, he hadn’t fallen to the level of manipulating the situation for selfish reasons.

He simply wanted to make sure Sasuke didn’t throw his life away.

---

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 204: Sasuke Calls Aizen "Dad" Again*

Having just mastered the Flying Thunder God technique, Aizen flew back to Konoha overnight using his Purple Cloud Wings, intending to leave a marker for easier visits to see his wife and kids in the future.

Unexpectedly, he sensed some of Orochimaru’s henchmen sneaking around his wife’s territory. He immediately guessed that Orochimaru, desperate due to the Reaper Death Seal, couldn’t wait to take over Sasuke’s body.

Without Naruto’s interference and defecting a month earlier than in the original storyline, Orochimaru would likely manage to hold out until Sasuke arrived.

Given Sasuke's current mental strength, he’d be no match for Orochimaru’s Living Corpse Reincarnation.

To save his stepson’s life and keep the future from getting too boring, Aizen decided to send out a shadow clone to delay Sasuke’s defection by a month, denying Orochimaru a chance for a body swap.

At the moment, it was just a shadow clone, with his true self under Tsunade's pressure back home.

“Alright.” Without any hesitation, Sasuke agreed, then told the Sound Four, “Come find me here in a month.”

“But Lord Sasuke, Lord Orochimaru—” Hearing this, Sakon, who claimed to be the strongest among the Sound Four, wanted to say more, but before he could finish, a flash of cold light swept past his body.

With a sickening “thud,” the head of Ukon, who had been hidden behind Sakon, rolled to the ground.

“Brother!” Sakon’s eyes widened in shock, and he cried out, but the other three members of the Sound Four quickly covered his mouth and restrained his limbs.

“I thought I made it clear: the choice is Sasuke’s. If any of you dare interfere with Sasuke’s decision, I won’t forgive you,” Aizen said with a faint smile, negotiating with the Sound Four. A cold gleam flickered across his hand, clearly showing he’d just used a hand strike.

Tayuya and the others swallowed hard, with one of them picking up Ukon’s head, while the other two carried a nearly senseless Sakon as they scurried off.

Sasuke ignored them and eagerly approached Aizen, asking, “Fujiwara Aizen, when do we start?”

“What did you call me?” Aizen squinted his eyes, wearing a playful smile that Sasuke found infuriating.

“You—” Sasuke, seeing Aizen’s expression, knew exactly what he wanted. Fighting back the urge to curse Aizen out, he stammered out in a voice barely above a whisper, “Da-dad…”

“Hmm? I didn’t hear you,” Aizen responded loudly.

“Dad,” Sasuke said a little louder.

“Still can’t hear you,” Aizen teased, acting shamelessly.

“Dad!” Sasuke shouted.

“Call me three more times,” Aizen pushed further.

“Hey, don’t go too far!” Sasuke protested, his face flushed with embarrassment and anger.

“Then go chase those Sound ninja. I was going to teach you a jutsu that could defeat Orochimaru.” Aizen shrugged and turned to leave.

A jutsu that could defeat Orochimaru?

Sasuke’s eyes widened in surprise, followed by delight. Swallowing his shame and anger, he shouted three times, “Dad! Dad! Dad!”

“Good boy, my son,” Aizen chuckled, patting Sasuke’s spiky hair like he was petting a dog.

“Alright, hurry up and teach me that jutsu,” Sasuke said, shaking off Aizen’s hand with annoyance.

“I already did,” Aizen replied, shrugging.

“What did you teach me?” Sasuke looked confused. He touched his head and moved his hands, thinking it might be some kind of jutsu like Orochimaru’s curse mark, but he felt no changes or newfound strength.

Aizen explained, “It’s the Jutsu of Patience. Hold out for a month. Then go train with Orochimaru, and in three years, you’ll be able to defeat him.”

“You’re messing with me?” Furious, Sasuke quickly formed hand signs to summon his giant snake, Aoda.

But before he could complete the signs, a massive tree shot up from the ground, binding his limbs tightly—a genjutsu: Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!

“I’m not messing with you; I’m saving you. I’m sure Jiraiya, Kakashi, or someone else has mentioned that Orochimaru is only giving you power because he covets your body.”

“Orochimaru developed a jutsu called Living Corpse Reincarnation, which lets him take over someone else’s body. But he has to wait three years between each transfer. For this to work, his target’s mental strength must be weaker than his, or he risks backlash.”

“Because the Third Hokage sealed his arms, Orochimaru suffers constant agony, and his body is gradually falling apart. If you go to him now, he’ll possess your body on the spot.”

“With your current weak mental strength, even with the Sharingan, you won’t be able to resist the Living Corpse Reincarnation. Forget about getting stronger; you’ll be lucky to survive.”

“But after a month, it’ll be different. Orochimaru’s body won’t last that long, and he’ll have to reincarnate ahead of time. You’ll then have three years by his side to grow stronger.”

“Three years later, when you’re sixteen—if you can’t defeat an Orochimaru who’s lost both hands, then you might as well give up.”

Sasuke realized, “So that’s why Orochimaru’s being so generous.”

“Now, do you still think I’m messing with you?” Aizen said, forming a quick hand sign to release the genjutsu.

Sasuke shook his head and heard Aizen say, “Alright, if there’s nothing else, go back to Konoha quickly. Don’t let anyone from the village catch you. You know the consequences of becoming a rogue ninja, and right now, you’re no match for the Jonin there.”

With that, Aizen dispelled his shadow clone. With a “poof,” he disappeared in a cloud of smoke before Sasuke’s eyes.

As the clone disappeared, Sasuke suddenly realized—he’d been tricked again, fooled into calling him “Dad” a dozen times.

Back with his real body, Aizen, who had just finished a sparring session with Tsunade, laughed heartily as the clone’s memories flooded his mind.

“What’s so funny?” Tsunade, resting in Aizen’s arms with a flushed face, asked curiously, still slightly out of breath.

“Oh, nothing, just thought of something amusing,” Aizen deflected with a grin, listening with his Observation Haki to Sasuke’s frustrated ranting, barely able to contain his laughter.

“Come on, spill it. What are you plotting now?” Tsunade’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“Nothing, really.” Aizen wasn’t interested in depriving Konoha’s youth of the Sound Four as training targets.

Tsunade had been waiting for that answer. Seeing him refuse to explain, she activated her Strength of a Hundred Seal technique, and by the end of the night, Aizen had to consume another Senzu Bean.

end

*Chapter 205: The Annoying Sakura*

Early the next morning, the sun was shining brightly. The Konoha gate guards, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki, each carrying two large stacks of documents, headed toward the Hokage building to report.

On their way, just like in the original story, they encountered Sakura Haruno, who had been knocked out by Sasuke the night before.

"Hey, wake up. Sleeping here will give you a cold," Kotetsu said, nudging her awake.

Sakura’s eyelids fluttered as she suddenly woke up, recalling her encounter with Sasuke the previous day. She cried out his name and broke down, “Sasuke.”

The two gate guards were momentarily stunned.

They quickly reported the situation with Sakura and Sasuke to Shizune, who was filling in for Tsunade at the Hokage office. Shizune then immediately informed Tsunade, who summoned Shikamaru and instructed him to form a team of Genin to pursue Sasuke.

After handling everything, a fatigued Tsunade returned home, exhausted from the previous night's work. "Ugh, such a hassle."

"What happened?" Aizen asked, seated at the dining table, casually accepting the milk from Kazuki as if he didn’t already know.

"What else? That Uchiha orphan, the younger brother of the Uchiha Itachi in your organization, Sasuke Uchiha, was enticed by Orochimaru and defected. I just issued an order to form a pursuit team. So many things to deal with," Tsunade said, yawning as she also took the milk from Kazuki.

"Sasuke is still in the village, you know," Chiya, who was sitting on Aizen's lap and eating breakfast, commented matter-of-factly.

"Nani?" Tsunade froze, standing up in shock as she looked at her daughter in disbelief.

"Chiya’s right. Sasuke is still in Konoha, sleeping soundly at home. We can safely rule out the use of a shadow clone," Aizen sipped his milk, confirming.

"What on earth is Sakura up to?" Tsunade clicked her tongue in annoyance, temporarily disregarding how Chiya knew all this. She quickly turned to Shizune and said, "Shizune, hurry to the village gate and catch up with Shikamaru's team. You should still have time to call off the mission."

"And also, have Kotetsu and Izumo check Sasuke Uchiha’s home. Have them report to the Hokage’s office in half an hour."

"I understand." Shizune nodded respectfully, then leaped out of the window, swiftly heading toward the Konoha gate.

Once Shizune left, Tsunade resumed her lazy demeanor, taking a bite of bread as she asked Chiya, "How did you know Sasuke was in the village? Did your father tell you?"

Chiya looked up at Aizen, giving him an inquisitive look instead of answering.

"You didn’t tell your mother?" Aizen asked, slightly surprised.

"Aizen said it was a secret between us," Chiya replied, shaking her head.

"You’re quite obedient, but it’s okay if you tell your mom." Aizen gently patted his daughter’s head and explained to Tsunade, "Chiya has two types of sensory abilities. One is from the special Sage Mode I taught her, which allows her to sense chakra through natural energy."

"The other is an inherited special perception ability, making her five senses extraordinarily keen. She can sense the presence and emotional shifts of nearby living beings and even foresee and avoid danger."

"With this ability, she can easily detect enemy attacks, even with her eyes closed."

Hearing this, Tsunade took a sharp breath, marveling, "No wonder Kakashi and the others had such a hard time against you. That sensory ability is almost like predicting the future."

Tsunade then seemed to think of something else, setting down her fork and knife as she smiled knowingly at her daughter, "But by the way, Chiya…”

The voice of all things whispered to Chiya, informing her that her mom was angry, and there would be serious consequences.

"Would you care to explain yourself to Mom?" Tsunade’s eyes narrowed slightly. She appeared calm, but she was internally panicking, fearing that her daughter might find out what had happened the previous night.

"Papa…" Hearing Tsunade’s inner thoughts, Chiya was briefly stunned. A faintly mischievous smile flashed across her adorable face as she pretended to be scared, burying her little head into Aizen's chest as if frightened.

Her acting wasn’t very convincing, but it was surprisingly effective.

Aizen didn’t know what the mother and daughter were thinking. He gently patted his daughter’s head and told Tsunade, "I asked her to keep this ability a secret for now. Revealing it before she has fully developed could be too dangerous."

Tsunade clicked her tongue again, seeing this “daddy's girl” paired with such a “drama queen” and couldn't help but roll her eyes, though she knew they were making the right choice.

---

At the Konoha village gate.

At Shikamaru’s summons, all members of the original pursuit team, except for Naruto, who was away training, gathered.

In addition to Neji Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Choji Akimichi, and Shikamaru Nara, the group now included a recovered Rock Lee.

"That’s the situation and the plan. Let’s head out," Shikamaru said, looking at the four of them and assigning their tactical roles. Just as the five were about to depart, a clear voice called out, “Wait!”

The five turned around to see a pink-haired girl with a broad forehead quickly approaching—Sakura.

"I'm sorry, but we can’t bring you along on this mission," Shikamaru frowned, glaring at Sakura with a hint of anger. "Since you couldn’t persuade Sasuke to stay, we have no choice but to do so by force. So, Sakura, your role ends here."

Shikamaru was frustrated. This girl knew Sasuke was planning to defect, yet she hadn’t said anything right away, only revealing it after he had left, which forced them into a difficult position. Now, the five-man team would have to chase him down, risking their lives. This annoyed him.

Hearing Shikamaru’s words, a helpless look crossed Sakura’s face, and her gaze drifted as she instinctively searched for Naruto. Every time something happened, as long as she asked Naruto, he would always step up to help her.

Tearfully, she changed the subject, saying, "Naruto… Naruto isn’t here? Sasuke is gone, so why isn’t he here? I can’t bring Sasuke back alone."

Shikamaru, Neji, Kiba, Choji, and Rock Lee exchanged glances, all frowning. Shikamaru and Neji especially, as they had witnessed Aizen overpowering Kakashi and other Jonin in the Forest of Death, recalled Aizen’s statement about Sakura always asking Naruto for help.

They couldn’t help but feel frustrated on Naruto’s behalf.

What’s up with this girl? Naruto had been training with Jiraiya for a long time now, and she didn’t seem to know. But the moment something happened with Sasuke, she immediately thought of Naruto. Her attitude would irritate anyone; it didn’t even seem like she was asking for help.

(Chapter ends)