191-195

*Chapter 191: Naruto’s Outburst*

While watching the battle, Pakura saw Naruto charge at Aizen and didn’t hold back, unleashing scorching-hot, massive fireballs at the reckless Jinchuriki. The scorching flames met with moisture in the air, creating vast clouds of steam.

But this only slowed the Jinchuriki’s advance slightly.

All smoke, no harm.

Her flames were entirely ineffective against Naruto’s Tailed Beast Cloak.

Once the flames dispersed, the Jinchuriki only surged with even more Nine-Tails chakra, growing stronger.

“Stand down, Pakura. You can’t handle Naruto in his current state,” Aizen called out to her. He didn’t want to see his partner injured.

“Yes, Lord Aizen.” Pakura respectfully replied, sending a few more large fireballs before stepping out of the battlefield.

Aizen looked down at the Jinchuriki, who lay on the ground at the foot of the mountain, immobilized by the flames yet unharmed, and turned to Jiraiya. “Jiraiya, I’m sure you don’t want to see Naruto get killed by me, right?”

“What are you planning to do?” Jiraiya, though well aware of Aizen’s unpredictability, had no other choice.

“I remember you have a seal that can restrain the Nine-Tails’ chakra. I’ll beat Naruto down to the point he can’t resist, and then you seal him,” Aizen replied calmly.

“I’ll go too,” said Uncle Sasuke, struggling to his feet, unwilling to entrust Naruto to this dangerous man.

“You?” Aizen scoffed, glancing dismissively at Uncle Sasuke. “Maybe focus on recovering first. Look at you—you’re a wreck.”

Without further ado, Aizen lunged toward the Jinchuriki like a blur.

At that moment, the Jinchuriki had finally recovered from Pakura’s flames and noticed Aizen. Blood-red tails from the demonic fox materialized from the mist, reaching out to grab Aizen.

Aizen created two shadow clones, which generated electric currents in their hands, forming lightning chains to counter the demon fox tails.

The enormous tails tried to catch the charging clones, but they evaded with agility.

The clones’ attacks connected, forming a chain of lightning like Kakashi’s "Lightning Cutter" from the Fourth Ninja War, severing the demon fox’s tails effortlessly.

In the meantime, Aizen himself seized the opening, reaching the Jinchuriki almost instantly. With his right hand infused with Armament Haki, he launched a straight punch toward the Jinchuriki’s face.

Naruto had no time to dodge such an insanely fast strike, and his face twisted as he flew back like a cannonball.

As he flew, a massive cluster of chakra rose from his back, morphing into half the form of a demonic fox, claws poised to tear into Aizen.

However, Aizen never gave his opponents a moment to breathe.

Embodying a “finish them while they’re down” combat style, he quickly condensed chakra into a giant Rasenshuriken with his right hand.

As the demon fox’s claws approached, he hurled the Rasenshuriken.

The chakra-made claws collided with the Rasenshuriken, shredded almost instantly.

The Rasenshuriken’s momentum remained, striking the main body of the Jinchuriki cloaked in the demon fox’s aura.

The next moment!

A deafening explosion echoed across the land.

The sheer force displaced the air, forming milky white shockwaves that spun and expanded outward from the explosion’s center. Massive trees were ripped apart like paper, reduced to fragments, and eventually disintegrated into ashes under the continuous force.

“This can’t be! Not only did he improve Chidori, but he’s also refined the Rasengan to this degree!” Jiraiya’s eyes widened, shocked beyond words.

Sasuke looked equally grim, realizing that not only had his own Chidori been surpassed, but Naruto’s Rasenshuriken had also been developed by this person. How could this be?

As the two were momentarily stunned, Aizen’s voice reached their ears. “Jiraiya, what are you waiting for? If you don’t act now, and if the Nine-Tails takes over Naruto’s body, I’ll have no choice but to kill him. I still haven’t mastered sealing jutsu yet.”

As he spoke, Aizen activated Sage Chakra, used Chidori, and swung a lightning whip to temporarily bind the severely weakened Six-Tails Naruto. But this wouldn’t hold him for long.

The Tailed Beast’s full power only manifests within its Jinchuriki, and Naruto was visibly recovering, even beginning to manifest a seventh tail.

Once all nine tails emerged, the fully formed Nine-Tails would be unleashed—a serious problem.

Naruto wasn’t a perfect Jinchuriki and couldn’t resist genjutsu.

Unless Aizen was willing to kill him, he’d have to use Shisui’s Mangekyō.

It was only at this moment that Aizen realized his limitations.

While he was among the most powerful in the Akatsuki, he lacked the specialized abilities needed to counter a Tailed Beast like the Nine-Tails.

Otherwise, he’d have to fight the Nine-Tails head-on, just as Naruto once battled it in the sealed space.

As Aizen considered this, Jiraiya pressed a sealing talisman on Naruto’s forehead.

Only once the Nine-Tails chakra receded from Naruto’s body did Aizen release his lightning jutsu.

In an instant, he appeared before Naruto, whose skin had been scorched by the Tailed Beast Cloak. He asked Jiraiya, “How is he?”

Jiraiya shook his head grimly, unwilling to answer, and cast a cold look at Aizen.

After examining Naruto, he found the injuries were worse than he’d expected. Besides burns on his skin, his entire body’s cells and meridians seemed shredded as if sliced by countless tiny blades.

These injuries went beyond what any normal human could recover from, even with Tsunade’s help.

“Don’t look at me like that. I told you, despite our different positions, the Akatsuki won’t make any moves for three years, so I won’t let Naruto die.” Aizen knelt by Naruto, placing a Senzu Bean into his mouth.

“What is this?” Jiraiya finally asked, and then watched in amazement as Naruto’s body began healing visibly, awakening soon after.

“A divine remedy,” Aizen said as he turned to face Uncle Sasuke.

At this moment, Pakura also approached with Boruto slung over her shoulder like a ragdoll and dumped him unceremoniously in front of Uncle Sasuke.

She knew her man disliked this spiky-haired kid, so she hadn’t handled him gently.

“Sometimes, I just want to get rid of this brat who constantly stirs up trouble.” Casually, Aizen tossed a Senzu Bean into Boruto’s mouth, and to Uncle Sasuke’s astonishment, Boruto’s wounds healed at a visible rate.

Boruto awoke slowly. “What happened to me?”

---

*Chapter 192: Sasuke, I’m Your Stepfather*

“Sasuke, focus for a moment,” Sasuke’s voice sounded weak as he spoke. “See if you notice any changes in your body. Look closely—see if the mark Momoshiki left on your right hand is still there.”

Boruto stretched his arms and legs, feeling renewed. “I feel incredible! My chakra and stamina are fully back.” As he unwrapped the bandages from his right hand, his eyes widened. “Huh? The mark in my palm is gone!”

Ignoring Boruto’s surprise, Aizen pulled out a Senzu Bean and held it up in front of Sasuke, smirking. “Hey, Mr. 'Low Energy,' want one of these too?”

“I’m not ‘low energy,’” Sasuke replied with a skeptical look. “But tell me, where did you learn to use the Rasengan Shuriken?”

“Judging by your tone, it seems like you’ve seen that technique somewhere in your world?” Aizen replied with a grin.

At Sasuke’s question, Pakura immediately got defensive, her eyebrows furrowing as she shot back, “What do you mean, ‘learned it from somewhere?’ Lord Aizen created the Rasengan himself after observing the Three-Tails’ Bijuu Dama. It only took him a few days to master it.”

She continued, “And it took him just a month to perfect it. Your ‘Kirin’ attack? Lord Aizen can shape any form he imagines.”

“Don’t overestimate yourself. Lord Aizen’s mastery of ninjutsu is unmatched.”

Pakura’s fierce loyalty made Aizen’s face flush slightly with pride. While it was true he developed these techniques, they were inspired by Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi’s original ideas.

Sasuke seemed to realize something, his doubts easing. After all, the Sasuke of this world never developed the Kirin technique, yet Aizen had not only created it but improved it to be more powerful and versatile.

Aizen cleared his throat and changed the topic. “Mr. ‘Low Energy,’ are you taking the Senzu Bean or not? If not, I’ll put it away.”

Pakura urged, “Don’t be stubborn. Lord Aizen’s Senzu Bean can heal any injury and restore chakra and stamina.”

“For the last time, I’m not ‘low energy,’” Sasuke grumbled, reluctantly taking the bean. “But…why are you helping us?”

“Because you’re my stepson.” Aizen’s unexpected response sent shockwaves through the group.

“Stepson?” Sasuke and Boruto’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Even Pakura looked puzzled, thinking, “But Lord Aizen only has Lady Izumi and me…” She wondered if Sasuke had somehow become Izumi’s adopted son.

“Yes, stepson.” Aizen nodded, pulling out a family photo of himself with Izumi, Mrs. Mikoto, and a young girl. With a mischievous smile, he said to Sasuke, “Because of our parallel worlds, I don’t know exactly what happened in your reality. But here, I met Izumi on the night of the Nine-Tails attack.”

He continued, “During the Uchiha Clan Massacre, the Third Hokage and Danzo ordered Itachi and me to wipe out the entire clan. The condition was to spare Izumi and you.”

“They secretly ordered Itachi to kill me afterward, too, since they never planned on letting Izumi live.”

“So, knowing what kind of people the Third Hokage and Danzo are, I played along, pretending to cooperate with the Konoha higher-ups.”

“When your brother sought out the masked man to plan the Uchiha’s downfall, I also made my own deal with him.”

“Our agreement was that he would provide a safe place for Izumi and me, and in return, I would work for the Akatsuki.”

“Naturally, joining the Akatsuki required a show of loyalty. Your brother’s loyalty test was the Uchiha clan. For me, I targeted the Sarutobi clan and Danzo’s Shimura clan.”

“On the night of the massacre, while your brother eliminated the Uchiha, I secretly rescued Izumi. I created a clone to deceive him. While the Konoha higher-ups focused on the Uchiha, I took the opportunity to wipe out the Sarutobi and Shimura clans.”

“When I returned to the Uchiha compound, your father and mother were there, waiting for Itachi.”

“Your father had awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan, and it seemed he could see glimpses of the future. Perhaps he saw something in me that made him entrust your mother to me, leaving behind a divorce letter.”

“Things went as he seemed to have foreseen; in time, I fell in love with your mother, and we had a daughter, Chika.”

Aizen smirked, pointing at the family photo of Mikoto and Chika. “See, there’s your mother, Mrs. Mikoto, and your little half-sister Chika.”

Looking at the photo, where his mother was smiling and his newly discovered sister looked so joyful, Sasuke didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

His mother had remarried someone his brother’s age after his father’s death and had even had a child. And, judging by Chika’s age, it seemed like she had been conceived not long after his father died.

This was beyond surreal.

“Did Itachi know about this?” Sasuke gripped the Senzu Bean tightly, closing his eyes in pain.

“No way I’d let that brainwashed brat know,” Aizen replied with a scoff. “If he found out your mother was alive, he’d probably obsess over killing her, too.”

“He had his reasons,” Sasuke murmured, sighing.

“Reasons?” Aizen sneered. “What, for the village? For you? And to do that, he slaughtered his parents and clan? Someone who doesn’t even love his family can’t claim to love his village.”

“Don’t give me the excuse of ‘other nations will invade if there’s a civil war.’ I wiped out over two thousand Sarutobi ninjas in one night, which was more than any civil war losses, and no other nation invaded. He’s just a brainwashed fool.”

“Someone brainwashed by Sarutobi and Danzo, removing his family’s competition for the Sarutobi clan—selling his soul without even realizing it.”

Boruto hesitantly asked, “Did you kill Konohamaru-sensei too?”

“No,” Aizen shook his head, and Boruto let out a small sigh of relief.

But Aizen’s next words stunned him. “I just castrated him. And I left Asuma, the only decent Sarutobi, alive.”

“Castrated?” Boruto felt a sense of foreboding. “Oh no…does this mean my future sister won’t exist?”

---

Chapter 193: Communication Between Stepfather and Stepson

"Asuma-uncle was also... castrated by you?" Boruto suddenly felt a foreboding sense of dread. "Great, that means Mirai-sister will be gone too."

Aizen nodded slowly. "Yes, I did that to him as well."

"Oh no, no! Mirai-sister is gone!" Boruto grabbed his face in shock, pacing frantically as if in a daze.

"Who's this Mirai-sister?" Aizen asked knowingly, looking toward Uncle Sasuke.

Sasuke explained, "Mirai Sarutobi, Asuma Sarutobi's daughter."

"Well, you don’t need to worry about her because Asuma's daughter has already been born," Aizen replied with a mischievous smile.

"How is that possible? Didn't you already, you know, castrate him? Or... did he win over Aunt Kurenai beforehand?" Boruto asked, looking bewildered.

"The 'Aunt Kurenai' you’re talking about is probably my teacher, Kurenai Yuhi. There's no way she would be interested in someone like him," Aizen said with a dismissive shrug, making up an excuse and blaming Orochimaru.

"When I castrated him, I actually gave him a potion I got from Orochimaru that could allow a man to get pregnant, just to continue the Sarutobi bloodline," he added.

"That little one must be around five now, a bit older than Chiharu."

"You're seriously twisted," Sasuke muttered, twitching slightly before swallowing a Senzu Bean he had in hand.

In the next instant, Sasuke felt a surge in his muscles as his bones crackled, and his chakra, stamina, and even his ocular power began to restore at a visible speed. Astonishingly, his missing left arm even regenerated.

"This is…" Sasuke stared at his newly grown arm, feeling shock and disbelief.

"Mr. Sasuke, your left arm... it's back!" Boruto exclaimed.

Sasuke nodded, rising and looking at Aizen, unable to resist asking, "What exactly is this?"

"Senzu Bean. A rare, divine item. Just one will prevent hunger for ten days and has powerful restorative abilities. As long as you aren’t dead, it can restore energy and bring the body back to peak condition almost instantly," Aizen explained.

"Amazing," Sasuke murmured in awe.

Aizen nodded and changed the topic, "Now that Urashiki is dead, what’s your plan? Are you going to see your mother?"

"No," Sasuke thought for a moment before shaking his head.

Even if she looked the same, this world’s Mikoto was not his mother. Meeting her would only bring unnecessary pain, much like Itachi. Better to leave things as they were.

"Then go back. If possible, I hope you’ll avoid interfering with this world’s course," Aizen said with a smile, though his tone left no room for debate.

Boruto caught the threatening tone and hesitantly asked, "What if we don’t go back?"

Aizen glanced at him, deadpan. "Then I might really kill you here, just as I did Urashiki."

"Problems in your own timeline should be handled by your own people. Urashiki wanted to disrupt this world, so I killed him. You two came to stop him, and although you didn't help much, I still chose to assist you."

"There are exceptions, though. If enemies come from beyond this world, that’s a different matter."

Aizen then turned to Sasuke, his smile growing dangerous. "I know you’re strong now, but since I was willing to restore you, I’m confident I could kill you here. So, what’s your answer?"

"Before I answer, I have a question for you." Now fully restored, Sasuke's face turned cold, transforming into the confident, younger version of himself.

"Go ahead," Aizen replied calmly.

"Even though the timeline continues, your presence has caused major deviations in this world’s history compared to ours. I want to know—what are your intentions?"

With a slight shrug, Aizen walked to the edge of a hillside, overlooking Jiraiya below and Naruto, devastated by the Nine-Tails' rampage. He chuckled softly.

"I’m not someone with grand ambitions or a keen interest in world peace or the shinobi system. To me, these things are simply parts of life’s amusement, just like joining the Akatsuki is," he said, glancing back at Sasuke. "I’ve taken care of most of my grievances, so I suppose I’ll observe this world's future as a bystander."

There was more he didn’t say—like how he would inevitably stir up some trouble along the way.

"I understand," Sasuke replied, feeling somewhat reassured. Aizen’s answer aligned with his own perspective.

"I’ll go back with Boruto soon. I’ll also erase any traces of us being here," Sasuke added. "Aside from you, the kunoichi from Suna, and Itachi, the only ones aware of our origins are Jiraiya and Naruto. I’ve erased everyone else’s memories with the Sharingan before leaving the village."

Before Sasuke could finish, Aizen interrupted him, "Don’t expect to erase my memory with the Sharingan or Rinnegan."

"I find this whole time-travel thing fascinating, and I don’t want to forget it. Besides, who knows, maybe I’ll visit your world someday—not that you could do it anyway."

As he spoke, Aizen silently activated his Mirror Flower, Water Moon technique.

Sasuke's mouth twitched slightly, and he continued, "I will erase Jiraiya and Naruto's memories of this time. But if I ever find you using Urashiki’s Rinnegan to harm this world, neither I nor our Naruto will let you off."

"Still as arrogant as ever, huh? Do it if you can," Aizen shrugged, unfazed.

As Sasuke turned to leave, Aizen's smile faded, and he suddenly called out, "Before you go… aren’t you going to call me ‘stepfather’?"

"Thunk!" Sasuke stumbled, nearly tripping over his own feet.

---

*Chapter 194: Teaching Boruto a Lesson, Returning to the Akatsuki*

"Get lost!" Uncle Sasuke's face turned from pale to flushed, about to head toward Jiraiya and Naruto when Aizen's voice sounded in his ear again, "Wait a moment."

"What now?" Uncle Sasuke asked impatiently.

He realized he was starting to really dislike this guy who had won over his mother.

Aizen took out another Senzu Bean. "If you're already this drained, then I’m sure the Naruto in your timeline is in just as bad shape. Give this to him for recovery."

Aizen added, worried that the Naruto there might act selflessly and leave the Senzu Bean for others: "Make sure he takes it in front of you. This bean is special; I obtained it from a place where I trained in Sage Arts. If it stays too long without my chakra, it'll disappear."

"Got it. Thanks." Uncle Sasuke's expression softened a bit as he took the Senzu Bean.

"Who knew a stubborn guy like you could say thank you?" Aizen chuckled, then continued, "Also, from what I’ve observed, you seem to rely too heavily on your eyes, leading to complacency, even forgetting the most basic skills of a ninja. That's why you keep losing against someone like Urashiki."

"Be honest, ever since you got those eyes, have you trained much at all?"

Uncle Sasuke's face flushed. "Due to certain tasks, I've been constantly investigating, so I haven’t had much time."

"No wonder you guys are in this state. I bet Naruto isn't doing much better either." Aizen sighed helplessly, then shifted his gaze to Boruto. "One last thing. Hey, spiky head."

"Me?" Boruto pointed at himself, confused.

"Yes, you." Aizen nodded and playfully knocked Boruto on the head.

"Ow!" Boruto yelped as a visible bump swelled on his head, eyes watering from the pain. Clutching his head, he asked, "What was that for?"

Aizen smiled slyly. "Just making sure you learn a lesson so you’ll think twice before causing trouble for your dad again."

This was one way he could make a difference.

After all, in his past life, watching episodes of Boruto where Naruto and Sasuke were weakened just to highlight the protagonist was infuriating.

It practically ruined his childhood.

"Causing trouble for Dad?" Boruto blinked, unable to resist asking, "How do you know I did that?"

"Observation," Aizen replied flatly. "Not only did you trouble your dad, but also my stepson. I’m sure he lost his chakra earlier because of you. Even though you’re weak, you probably provoked Urashiki, making him sacrifice himself to protect you."

As he spoke, Aizen gave Boruto another knock on the head.

This time, Boruto didn’t yelp but instead took on the growth arc of a protagonist, looking guiltily at Uncle Sasuke.

Uncle Sasuke, true to his aloof nature, turned away but tried to offer comfort with awkward words.

Aizen wasn’t interested in sticking around for their emotional moment. Unfurling his lavender wings, he said, “Yakura, we’ve delayed long enough. Let’s go.”

“Yes, Lord Aizen.” With a burst of joy, Yakura stepped forward and let Aizen scoop her up in a princess carry.

With a powerful flap, they soared into the sky, circled once, then shot toward the Land of Rain in a flash, disappearing from view.

“Flying like that is so cool,” Boruto said, envy written all over his face as he watched them disappear, having quickly regained his fighting spirit from Uncle Sasuke’s comfort.

Seeing them leave, Jiraiya finally approached with Naruto, who still looked shaken from his Nine-Tails rampage. "Are they gone?"

“There’s no trace of their chakra left,” Uncle Sasuke confirmed, watching the direction where Aizen had vanished.

Hearing this, Jiraiya sighed in relief. Now he understood why even a shinobi as strong as Orochimaru repeatedly failed against Aizen.

Even Urashiki, with his Rinnegan, had fallen to him.

No wonder Orochimaru kept losing.

It seemed he needed to speed up Naruto’s training to control the Nine-Tails chakra.

As Jiraiya mulled this over, Uncle Sasuke’s voice broke through. “Soon, Boruto and I will return to our own time. Naruto, if you have anything to say to Boruto, now’s the time. To keep this world’s timeline intact, I’ll erase your memories of this encounter with my Sharingan.”

Naruto forced a smile as he looked at Boruto, eyes welling up. “Are you really my son from the future?”

“Yes, Dad.” Boruto nodded, tears brimming in his own eyes.

Father and son from different worlds and times embraced each other.

Jiraiya, watching the two teenagers call each other father and son, shivered. To distract himself, he glanced at Uncle Sasuke’s new arm and hesitantly asked, “Your arm?”

“Like Naruto, Boruto and I both took Senzu Beans from that guy Aizen. Our bodies have fully healed,” Sasuke replied.

Just the thought of Aizen made Uncle Sasuke exasperated. Sure, that guy had saved his mother in this world, but he’d also wooed her, fathered a daughter, and had the nerve to make Sasuke, now over 30, call him stepdad.

Seriously, it couldn’t get any more infuriating.

“That’s truly incredible. A Senzu Bean that not only heals instantly but can even regrow limbs,” Jiraiya marveled.

He gazed in the direction Aizen had flown, thinking of the formidable enemies they’d face like him in the future. A headache set in as he silently cursed the Third Hokage for leaving such messes for future generations.

Finally, after erasing the memories of Naruto and Jiraiya, Uncle Sasuke and Boruto returned to their timeline.

Before long, with the boost from his violet wings, Aizen crossed the entire Land of Fire in less than half a day and arrived at Amegakure.

To keep others from targeting him and to maintain his usual secrecy, Aizen paused outside the village, retracted his wings, and continued on foot to the Akatsuki’s hidden base.

There, he happened upon the artistic duo of Deidara and Sasori, just back from their mission.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 195: The True Base of the Akatsuki*

"Brother Aizen, I heard you caused quite the chaos in Konoha this time. Hmm... I have to say, it was truly artistic. Hmm."

As soon as Aizen returned to the Akatsuki base, Deidara came up, his admiration evident.

Aizen, however, pressed his hand against Deidara's forehead to keep him at a distance—he had no interest in letting another man get that close.

"Next time, why don't you go shake things up in Iwagakure?" Aizen suggested, pulling a scroll from his system storage and tossing it toward Sasori. "Here’s the corpse of your Fourth Kazekage, Rasa. The skin's gone, but it’s well-preserved, almost like he's just died. Now, what about that puppet toy I asked you to make for my daughter?"

"I've made it exactly as you requested." Sasori, hiding within his puppet Hiruko, caught the scroll, tossing another scroll back to Aizen.

In a raspy voice devoid of emotion, Sasori added, "I've never seen anyone dote on their child the way you do—going as far as collecting the bodies of powerful ninjas just to get a toy made."

"It's all just convenient anyway. They’re dead, so might as well put them to use."

Aizen, knowing Sasori's past, sensed a hint of envy in his voice and smiled slightly, unrolling the scroll to examine the toy.

The toy Aizen had commissioned wasn’t ordinary—it was Bumblebee, from the Transformers movies on his previous world, Earth.

What’s more, it could transform, controlled by chakra threads.

In both color and form, even size, it was a remarkable replica.

Two months ago, before a mission in the Land of Water, Aizen had requested that Sasori begin working on it. It took Sasori quite some effort, as Aizen had only left him with rough sketches of Bumblebee’s transformed and untransformed states based on memory.

The complex transformations had Sasori wracking his brain. He couldn’t fathom how Aizen had thought of something like this.

Still, he enjoyed the challenge. Aizen's vision had opened up a new world for him, leading him to become absorbed in transforming puppets.

Before long, other Akatsuki members, including Itachi and Kisame, began to arrive.

"It’s rare to see everyone here. The last time was at least half a year ago."

Aizen looked over the members, his gaze finally resting on Pain. "Leader, is there something you need us to do?"

Pain glanced around, speaking in a low voice. "There are two matters. First, the leader of Konoha's Root, Danzo, has gone rogue."

"The 'Darkness of the Shinobi World' went rogue?" The Akatsuki members, except Aizen and Pakura, were shocked at the news.

"This happened three days ago, during Orochimaru's Konoha Crush plan. Because of Aizen's exposure of Danzo's use of the First Hokage's cells and Sharingan, he faced intense anger from Konoha’s citizens and shinobi."

"The new Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, is the First Hokage’s granddaughter, and she won’t tolerate such actions."

"Foreseeing that he could no longer stay in Konoha, Danzo defected. On her first day in office, Tsunade ordered Danzo to hand over the Sharingan and First Hokage cells."

"Of course, Danzo refused. He's now officially a rogue ninja."

Pain closed his eyes, a hint of excitement in his tone.

He had Aizen to thank for this turn of events.

He hadn’t anticipated that Aizen’s trip to Konoha would yield such a valuable outcome.

In Pain's heart, he had two main enemies—Hanzo and Danzo—who were responsible for Yahiko's death.

He had already dealt with Hanzo.

Now, only Danzo remained.

Previously, Danzo had been holed up in Konoha, and various reasons prevented the Akatsuki from making a move. But now, things were different.

If they could find him, they could take him out and avenge Yahiko.

"Are we planning to recruit this Danzo guy?" asked Hidan, the least tactful member.

Hidan’s question left Aizen speechless. Not only was the Akatsuki already full, but even if they had room, they would never take in someone as manipulative as Danzo.

They’d much rather see him utterly destroyed, as he was one of the main culprits behind Yahiko's death.

"Someone like him would only interfere with our plans. We need to find out where he’s hiding and get rid of him," Pain shook his head.

His gaze then shifted to Aizen and Itachi, and he asked, "Did you gather any intelligence on your trip to Konoha?"

"No," replied Itachi, his answer as cold as his personality.

Even if he knew something, he wouldn’t betray Konoha.

In his view, despite Danzo's extreme actions, they were all done for Konoha.

Aizen also shook his head, knowing he’d saved Danzo as a punching bag for Sasuke and had no intention of handing him over. Keeping a straight face, he replied, "That old rat is hiding underground somewhere, protected by a sensory barrier. If he’d crossed my path, I’d have taken care of him already."

Hearing this, Pain didn’t doubt them. After all, Itachi had been with Kisame the entire time, so if Kisame hadn’t detected Danzo, Itachi likely wouldn’t have either.

And everyone knew that Aizen held a deep-seated hatred for Konoha’s leadership.

If he had found Danzo’s whereabouts, he wouldn’t have let him go.

Of course, if Pain knew Aizen had already captured Danzo, he would think differently.

"For now, let’s stay alert for any intel on Danzo."

Pain’s voice echoed through the empty cavernous base.

No one replied; the silence was typical of the Akatsuki, so Pain wasn’t surprised.

After all, where else would you see a leader speaking without any flattery or agreement from subordinates?

"Now, onto the second matter."

As he spoke, Pain quickly formed hand seals, pressing his palm to the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu: Gedo Statue!"

The ground of the cave began to tremble violently.

A massive humanoid figure, almost like an Ultraman, slowly rose from beneath.

With nine closed eyes and a scroll-like object in its mouth, the statue had a withered, tree-like color and ten pillar-like extensions on its back, showing only its upper body and hands.

Its posture was strikingly strange, almost as if it were pleading, with its ten fingers open wide, each large enough to hold a person comfortably.

Even the proud Akatsuki members were visibly shocked. "Is this…?"

"What you see now," Pain said, "is the true Akatsuki base and the container we will use to seal the tailed beasts—the Gedo Statue."

---