176-180

*Chapter 176: The Akatsuki Holds a Meeting*

"Not bad." The Akatsuki members paused, exchanging glances before replying.

"Something's happened in the Leaf Village. For some unknown reason, the Chūnin Exams were suddenly moved up. Orochimaru used the Sound and Sand villages to declare war on the Leaf, but it seems he wasn't able to destroy it," Pain finally spoke, his pale purple Rinnegan eyes scanning the room before settling on Aizen, awaiting his report.

"Orochimaru really is pathetic," Deidara scoffed, his hands on his hips in disdain.

Aizen shrugged slightly. "The leader's information is spot on. Orochimaru's attack on the Leaf happened during the day, and by evening, you already knew. I didn’t even have time to report it to you yet."

"Did Orochimaru's plan start early?" Itachi asked, his projection appearing alongside Kisame's. Upon hearing Aizen's words, Itachi couldn't help but question.

Kisame also looked puzzled, as there was still a week left until the time Aizen had told them the Leaf would collapse.

"It all happened too suddenly," Aizen said, speaking seriously despite the fabrications. "I had no idea where you guys were, so I didn’t have time to inform you. But rest assured, the mission was completed. The Third Hokage has fallen, the First and Second Hokages have been sealed, and Orochimaru has lost the ability to use all jutsu that require hand seals, as well as the ability to perform the Impure World Reincarnation."

Pain asked coldly, "Give us the details."

Aizen explained, "The power of the Impure World Reincarnation depends on the strength of the living sacrifices. To honor his teacher, Orochimaru used the incomplete technique to resurrect the First and Second Hokages, using two Genin as sacrifices."

"As a result, the so-called ‘God of Shinobi’ and the ‘Fastest Shinobi’ of the past were weakened to a humiliating degree. Setting aside the immortality granted by the Impure World Reincarnation, I'd say any pair from our organization could have fought them."

"In the end, the Third Hokage, unable to win, used a self-sacrificial technique. I’ve experienced it myself, and I have to say it’s truly dangerous. By sacrificing the caster's soul, the jutsu summons a Shinigami who, through the caster as a medium, reaches out a spectral hand to pull out and devour a person's soul."

The Akatsuki members frowned at the mention of a soul-sealing technique, a jutsu that was terrifying in its seemingly broken nature.

"That's one scary jutsu, yeah," Deidara remarked, looking at Aizen with admiration. "No wonder you're so amazing, Aizen. You even managed to avoid such a dangerous technique, yeah."

Aizen smiled faintly and continued, "The Third Hokage used this technique to seal the First and Second Hokages’ souls. As for Orochimaru, perhaps because the Third Hokage was old and exhausted, or maybe he couldn’t bring himself to take his beloved student’s life, he only sealed Orochimaru’s hands, causing him to lose the ability to perform any jutsu requiring hand seals."

Pain spoke in a deep voice, "So the souls of the First, Second, and Third Hokages, as well as Orochimaru’s hands, have all been devoured by the Shinigami, making it impossible for them to be reincarnated through the Impure World Reincarnation technique again. And Orochimaru has lost his ability to perform the jutsu. Correct?"

"That’s right," Aizen nodded.

Pain then asked, "What about the intelligence on the jinchūriki?"

Aizen smiled slightly. "The jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails in the Leaf is named Naruto Uzumaki. The jinchūriki of the One-Tail in the Sand Village is Gaara of the Sand, the youngest son of the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa."

"As it happens, the Sand Village went all out for this attack on the Leaf. Though the Fourth Kazekage died before his plan could succeed, they still sent the One-Tail jinchūriki. As a result, the two jinchūriki clashed outside the Leaf Village, leading to a spectacular battle. It was quite the sight to behold."

"The fight between the Third Hokage and Orochimaru, excluding the self-sacrificial jutsu, was nothing more than child's play compared to that."

"I originally planned to capture them directly, but unfortunately, Jiraiya and Tsunade, Orochimaru’s fellow Sannin, returned. Both of them are very strong, and unlike Orochimaru, who weakens due to frequent body transfers, they aren’t vulnerable to genjutsu. I couldn't capture the two jinchūriki with so many Sand and Leaf shinobi surrounding us, so for now, we withdrew."

"No matter," Pain said, his face expressionless. However, the real Nagato, hidden in the highest tower of the Rain Village, exchanged a glance with Konan, his expression shifting slightly, though neither of them spoke further. "As long as we’ve gathered intelligence on the jinchūriki. It’s not yet time to capture them."

Kakuzu chimed in, "So when do we begin our operation?"

Hidan added eagerly, "Yeah, I’ve been waiting too long for this! I want to offer the jinchūriki as sacrifices to the great Jashin-sama. It'll be awesome!"

"It won’t be much longer. Three years. In three years, the organization will enter its final phase and start capturing all the tailed beasts."

This was the result of Nagato's discussion with Tobi. They had concluded that the current intelligence on the jinchūriki wasn’t complete, and capturing them too early might alert other nations.

There were also internal issues within the Akatsuki.

The organization wasn’t stable.

Almost every member had their own ambitions, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say they were all harboring hidden agendas. This would take time to smooth out.

And then there was the issue of Tobi himself.

First, he had made a promise to Itachi that he wouldn’t target the Leaf Village during Itachi’s lifetime.

Second, while capturing the tailed beasts quickly was ideal, Tobi didn’t want to become Madara’s puppet.

He wanted to break free from Madara’s control.

That’s why he deliberately extended the timeline of the Moon's Eye Plan, intending to use Nagato to build his own power and act according to his own will.

These factors led to the Akatsuki’s plan being delayed.

"Three years, huh." In the dark projection space, silence fell briefly. Everyone had their own thoughts, and no one knew what the others were thinking.

After a while, Pain broke the silence. "For the next three years, lie low. Don’t make too much noise. Especially you, Aizen. It seems you've gone too far this time. You’ve stirred up quite a bit of trouble for the Leaf's higher-ups. From now on, you’ll focus on intelligence gathering."

"Big brother Aizen, did you do anything else in the Leaf?" Deidara asked, surprised, glancing at Aizen.

"Nothing much. Before Orochimaru's Leaf collapse plan began, I just injured a few of their Jōnin and gave the Leaf higher-ups a little 'medicine,' that’s all," Aizen shrugged casually.

"Medicine? What kind of medicine?" Deidara asked, his curiosity piqued.

Most of the other Akatsuki members also turned their curious gazes toward Aizen.

*Chapter 177: Sasuke Finally Meets His Stepfather*

"Ahem."

Before Aizen could respond, Konan softly cleared her throat, a faint blush appearing on the cheeks of her real body as she signaled for him not to continue.

"You're still young; I'll tell you when you're older." Aizen smiled warmly, said those words, and then dispelled the Illusion Projection, disappearing into the pitch-black space.

Once Aizen left, Pakura followed.

Next to leave were Kakuzu, Hidan, Zetsu, Konan, Itachi, Kisame, and the others, all departing one after another.

In the end, only two remained in the dark cave—Deidara, who was full of curiosity, and Sasori, who had a keen interest in drugs.

"How could Aizen just leave like that? He's left us hanging, hmph." Deidara tilted his head toward Pain. "Leader, what exactly did Aizen use on those old geezers from Konoha?"

Pain's mouth twitched hard.

What kind of drug?

What could make those old geezers, nearing seventy, go wild?

What other drug could it be?

"An aphrodisiac," Pain muttered the two words and then dispelled his Illusion Projection.

This left Deidara completely stunned, while Sasori looked at him as if he were a fool.

When Aizen and Pakura opened their eyes, they exchanged a glance. Pakura nestled into Aizen's arms and whispered, "Lord Aizen, you're really naughty."

"Do you like it, though?" Aizen teased, gently pinching her delicate nose.

Pakura blushed deeply, closing her eyes, allowing him to do as he wished.

However, Aizen only lightly grazed her nose and did nothing else, chuckling softly. "Alright, get some rest tonight. Tomorrow we leave Konoha, and we'll have plenty of time later."

"Do you have something to do?" Pakura asked, surprised.

"Yes. Before leaving, I need to see a few old acquaintances." Aizen nodded and disappeared from the room.

At the same time, in a remote forest.

A campfire crackled gently.

Beside the fire, Kisame and Itachi sat on stone stumps, hands clasped in the sign of meditation.

"Meeting Aizen, it seems Konoha's higher-ups have really been put through the wringer this time," Kisame said with a laugh as he opened his eyes.

Itachi didn't respond directly, remaining seated in meditation. After a brief silence, he rose, leaped off the stone stump, and began walking toward Konoha.

"Let's go, Kisame."

Now that the Third Hokage was dead, the agreement between him and the Third to protect Sasuke no longer held.

At this moment, the news of Danzo’s "defection from Konoha" had not yet spread.

Itachi, unaware that Danzo had also gotten into trouble, needed to confirm Sasuke's safety and warn Danzo that he was still alive and to stay away from his foolish little brother.

"Where to?" Kisame asked, puzzled, as he gazed at Itachi.

"Konoha," Itachi replied without stopping.

Kisame followed, a bit surprised. "This doesn't seem like your usual style. Are you reminiscing about your homeland?"

"No, not at all." Itachi stopped for a moment and glanced sideways at Kisame.

"But the leader just said that for the next three years, we need to keep a low profile, not show ourselves easily," Kisame said hesitantly.

"Don't worry. I'm just going to confirm something. I won't cause a big disturbance in Konoha." With that, Itachi used the Body Flicker Technique, disappearing into the trees.

"I really can't do anything about him." Watching Itachi's distant figure, Kisame sighed in resignation and followed.

In Konoha Village, at the old Uchiha grounds.

The former hustle and bustle, along with the joyous laughter, had long since faded away. Fallen leaves swirled through the cold, desolate streets.

The once-vast streets now had only one person: Sasuke, hands in his pockets, head slightly bowed, his eyes shadowed as he walked slowly through the empty streets.

The long shadow cast by the setting sun made him appear especially lonely and isolated.

At this moment, Sasuke’s mind was in turmoil.

On one hand, the battle between Naruto and Gaara during the day had deeply shocked his senses.

Especially when Naruto summoned a thousand shadow clones to perform Rasengan against Gaara’s tailed-beast form, and then summoned the giant toad to battle Gaara.

Sasuke was both shocked and tormented.

He couldn't imagine how the person who had always been a loser in his eyes could unleash such incredible power at a crucial moment.

In contrast, what had Sasuke been doing all these years?

He had been smug after mastering Lee's taijutsu in less than a month and matching his speed.

After learning Chidori, his ego inflated even more, and he no longer feared Gaara's sand.

But in the end, he realized he was just a fool.

As an Uchiha, compared to Naruto and Gaara, he was nothing.

Thinking this, Sasuke suddenly stopped, clenched his fist, and punched the old utility pole where his brother had once stood. He gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath, "Damn it. What have I been doing all these years? Even Naruto has surpassed me..."

"Damn it... Damn it..."

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Sasuke clenched his other hand into a fist, and without using any chakra, he started pounding the utility pole with just his raw strength. Blood flowed freely from his knuckles, but he didn’t even notice.

"You're really a mess, aren't you, Sasuke?" Suddenly, a clear voice rang out from above him.

Startled, Sasuke instinctively activated his Sharingan and leaped back several meters, looking up at the top of the utility pole. When he saw who it was, his pupils contracted. "Fujiwara Aizen."

"Hey, Sasuke, glad you remember me. But I think you should call me something else now." Aizen smirked. Without any visible movement, he disappeared from Sasuke's sight.

"He's gone!" Sasuke was shocked, his Sharingan darting around, searching for any sign of Aizen.

A slender, pale hand lightly patted him on the back.

Sasuke jumped in fright and spun around, but there was no one there. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as he suppressed his fear and shouted with all his might, "Come out! Fujiwara Aizen, you bastard, show yourself!"

But the only thing that answered him was his own echo.

After pacing nervously for a while, Sasuke, with a heart full of unease, slowly made his way back home, panting heavily, his body trembling from exhaustion and fear.

When he opened the door, he found Aizen already bustling about in the kitchen, the smell of food wafting through the air.

"Hey, you're back. Go wash your hands; dinner will be ready soon." Aizen, wearing an apron, turned and smiled at Sasuke, his face radiating warmth like that of a father figure.

"Why?" Sasuke clenched his fists, his shoulders trembling slightly.

"Why what?" Aizen asked, though he already knew the answer. He teased, "I thought you'd come at me with Chidori the moment you got here."

*Chapter 178: Two Pillars Calls for Father, Hinata Gifts a Pressed Flower*

Sasuke didn’t answer Aizen’s question. Instead, he raised his youthful face and shouted at him, “Your lover Uchiha Izumi also died at Itachi's hands, right? Why? You clearly have such powerful strength, so why didn’t you take revenge, why didn’t you kill him?”

“As for revenge, I got that long ago, on the night of the massacre. As for your beloved brother, who is still alive, I think it’s more fitting for you to kill him yourself.” Aizen untied his apron and brought out a dish he had just finished cooking.

“Already took revenge?” Sasuke froze for a moment. Then, memories of Kakashi’s unusual behavior over the past few days, and the reactions of the villagers when they saw him carrying Naruto and Sakura back to the village, began to connect in his mind. Some villagers had even pointed at him, with some casting him looks of pity.

Thinking back to the night of the massacre, besides the Uchiha clan, both the Shimura and Sarutobi clans had also been wiped out.

Sasuke wasn’t foolish and quickly began piecing together the key points.

“Are you saying that in the downfall of the Uchiha clan, it wasn’t just Itachi—did the Sarutobi and Shimura clans also play a part? No, that’s impossible. They were wiped out by you that same night. They couldn’t have been involved.” Sasuke walked over to the dinner table and sat down.

“You’ll have to find out the truth for yourself,” Aizen said, serving himself a bowl of rice.

“I can’t, and I don’t want to,” Sasuke screamed again. “If you won’t kill Itachi, then give me your power so I can find him and avenge my clan.”

“You want to be my disciple?” Aizen narrowed his eyes slightly.

Sasuke was silent for a moment before looking away from Aizen’s gaze, his prideful face giving a slight nod.

“Then call me ‘Dad’ first,” Aizen put down his chopsticks, crossed his arms, and looked at Sasuke with amusement.

“Hey, shouldn’t I be calling you ‘Teacher’ if I’m training with you?” Sasuke replied harshly.

“Didn’t you say that you’d do anything if it meant becoming stronger? What? You can’t even call me ‘Dad’?” Aizen teased, not revealing the fact that he was actually Sasuke’s stepfather now.

Sasuke took a deep breath, “As long as I can have my revenge, I’ll do anything.”

“Then go ahead, say it,” Aizen urged.

“You—” Sasuke’s face turned bright red. But the image of Uchiha Itachi appeared in his mind, and his gaze became firm. After struggling for a moment, he finally muttered, “Dad… Dad…”

“Haha, good boy, my son,” Aizen laughed heartily as he ruffled Sasuke’s spiky hair.

“Now you can teach me how to become stronger, right?” Sasuke shook off Aizen’s hand, secretly cursing him a thousand times over. He swore to himself that once he became strong, he would make this humiliating guy regret it for the rest of his life.

“No,” Aizen said, casually taking a bite of food, his words infuriating Sasuke.

“You’re messing with me?” Sasuke stood up abruptly, glaring at Aizen in a fit of rage.

“Not exactly. I never said I’d teach you how to become stronger. In this world where betraying your teacher is common, taking on a disciple is like digging your own grave—just like with Orochimaru and the Third Hokage,” Aizen explained, putting down his chopsticks before tossing Sasuke a scroll.

“What’s this?” Sasuke caught the scroll, suddenly feeling a surge of joy. Could this be some kind of powerful jutsu?

“It contains the beheading broadsword.”

But before he could open it, Aizen’s voice came again, stopping his movements.

“Damn it! What’s the point of giving me something like this?” Sasuke threw the scroll angrily to the ground.

“No, it might be useless to you now, but it will be useful to you in the future. Keep it. It might save your life one day,” Aizen smiled softly, his figure gradually turning into cherry blossoms and disappearing before Sasuke’s eyes.

This was the illusion technique Three Sakura Blossoms. Aizen thought it was quite impressive, so he often used it when making an entrance or exit in front of others.

“Wait!” Sasuke shouted in a panic as Aizen began to leave. He didn’t want to continue sinking into despair like this.

“Are you really that desperate for power?” Aizen stopped the illusion and returned to his normal form in Sasuke’s eyes.

“Yes,” Sasuke nodded firmly.

“Then call me ‘Dad’ three more times. I might be merciful enough to teach you a jutsu.” Aizen opened his right hand, revealing the summoning scroll for Ryūchi Cave that he had taken from Orochimaru. After all, Orochimaru likely had more than one, so it didn’t matter if Sasuke learned it now.

“This won’t be another beheading broadsword, right?” Sasuke said, looking annoyed.

“You can always choose not to call me that,” Aizen said, preparing to leave.

“Wait! I’ll do it,” Sasuke snatched the scroll and, under Aizen’s mischievous gaze, called him “Dad” three more times.

By the time Aizen left Sasuke’s house, the night had fully fallen.

Night descended.

The moon hung in the sky like a silver plate, surrounded by countless stars.

Aizen arrived at the Hyūga household, outside Hinata’s room.

“Yo, little Hinata,” Aizen called out, resting his chin in his hand, leaning against the window.

It was still early. Having just finished her day of training and a bath, Hinata hadn’t gone to bed yet. She was sitting by her desk, working on her pressed flower crafts.

When she saw Aizen suddenly appear, her pure white eyes lit up. “Big brother!”

It was clear that this wasn’t Aizen’s first time coming to see her.

“Making pressed flowers again?” Aizen lightly patted Hinata’s cute little head through the window.

“Mm-hmm.” Hinata nodded shyly, her face flushing slightly. “Big brother, come in. I’ll go open the door for you.”

“No need,” Aizen shook his head. “I’m only here for a short while, just to say goodbye.”

Hinata froze, “Big brother, are you leaving?”

This past month had been the happiest time in Hinata’s life.

Nearly every few days, the person she liked most would come to see her at night.

“Yeah, the things here in Konoha are resolved. It’s time for me to go,” Aizen nodded.

“Will you come back?” Hinata asked reluctantly.

“Of course. I’ll still visit you from time to time, but it won’t be as frequent as now,” Aizen smiled.

Once he fully mastered the Flying Thunder God technique he extorted from Orochimaru, he would be able to return anytime.

“Then, big brother, wait a moment,” Hinata hesitated briefly before standing up and going to the cabinet by her bed. She fumbled for a while before pulling out a delicate heart-shaped box, her cheeks turning red as she shyly handed it to Aizen. “Please, take this.”

When Aizen opened it, he found a beautiful pressed flower pendant inside. He immediately understood Hinata’s feelings.

And just at that moment, the long-lost system notification sounded in his mind.

Chapter 179: Did Chinatsu awaken the ability to hear the voice of all things with Observation Haki?

"Ding, congratulations to the host for triggering system options."

"1. Return the gesture, and give Hinata a kiss from the person she loves. Reward: Advanced Flying Technique from the Doupo World 'Eagle's Wings' (Note: Delivered in the form of ninjutsu)."

"2. Return the gesture, but punish her under the moon. Reward: Qinglian Earthly Flame from the Doupo World."

"3. Don’t return the gesture, proving you're worse than a beast. Reward: God-level flower pressing skill."

"Ding, please make a choice."

"Should I say, as expected of the original story's princess? She can summon things from fantasy worlds, even strange flames?" Aizen couldn't help but sigh internally as he looked again at the shy face of Hinata, feeling a little guilty.

While choosing the second option meant that Hinata probably wouldn’t refuse, it was still too soon for her.

With that thought, Aizen made his decision.

"Hinata, I really like your gift," Aizen smiled at Hinata, "As the saying goes, courtesy demands reciprocity. So, I'll give you a gift as well."

"R-Really?" Hinata's eyes lit up. Was this an exchange of tokens of love?

Aizen nodded, "Close your eyes first."

"Okay." Hinata obediently closed her eyes.

Looking at the blushing lips and Hinata's pure, adorable face in front of him, Aizen smiled, then leaned in from the window and kissed her gently.

Hinata was startled at first, but once she realized what was happening, her mind went completely blank.

And by the time she came to her senses, Aizen was already gone, leaving only a shy, red-faced Hinata covering her lips by the window.

"Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining 'Eagle's Wings.'"

"So this is 'Eagle's Wings'? Interesting. It’s been transformed from Dou Qi wings into chakra wings via ninjutsu."

Standing atop one of the buildings in Konoha, Aizen took out the 'Eagle's Wings' scroll from the system and smiled faintly.

Though losing the strange flame was a pity, having 'Eagle's Wings' made up for his inability to fly.

After storing the scroll, Aizen arrived at Kurenai Yuhi’s home.

Without any unnecessary flourishes, he directly picked her up and walked into the bedroom.

Two hours of passionate sounds later...

Kurenai, exhausted, nestled into Aizen’s arms, pouting, "You were so rough today."

"I'm leaving Konoha soon," Aizen hid the fact that he still had to visit Tsunade.

In truth, he wasn’t leaving until tomorrow, after attending Tsunade’s ceremony to become the Fifth Hokage.

As for the Third Hokage’s funeral, scheduled for three days later, Aizen had no interest in attending.

It had been over two months since he had seen Lady Mikoto, Izumi, and his younger daughter, Chika.

After all, as a man, he had to be fair to everyone.

"Will you come back?" Kurenai asked the same question as Hinata.

"Of course," Aizen pulled out the scroll he had blackmailed from Orochimaru, "This is 'Flying Thunder God,' extorted from him."

"'Flying Thunder God'? That’s the Fourth Hokage's space-time ninjutsu!" Kurenai was shocked.

"Yes, exactly. Once I master it, I’ll be able to come back often." Aizen chuckled.

"Just be careful," Kurenai was already numb to it. She couldn’t fathom what her favorite student had gone through to repeatedly extort Orochimaru.

First, it was the Ryūchi Cave summoning scroll and the Rashōmon summoning scroll.

Now, it was the 'Flying Thunder God.'

She really couldn't see through him anymore.

But this wasn’t a bad thing—at least her dear student would have more ways to protect himself.

When the peaceful era he spoke of finally arrived, and Konoha lifted his rogue-nin status, she would retire from being a ninja, have some children with him, and spend the rest of her life in peace.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking...

Aizen, who had fought with Tsunade until dawn, had only slept for a few minutes before being woken up by Chika.

"Aizen, why are you sleeping with that old woman again?" Little Chika sat on top of him, pouting angrily.

"I’ve told you many times, you’re supposed to call me Dad." Aizen was feeling groggy.

He had to admit, Tsunade was fierce.

Usually, he dominated with Pakura, Lady Mikoto, and Kurenai, but with Tsunade, it felt like half his life was being drained.

Last night, she wouldn't let go of him, even after exhausting him once, and kept going until dawn. Thankfully, he had a senzu bean, or he probably wouldn’t even be able to walk today.

"I don’t care! You promised to hold Chika while sleeping, but instead, you ended up in that old woman’s bed." Chika pouted, her golden twin-tails waving as she pouted angrily and lightly pounded Aizen’s chest.

"How do you want me to make it up to you?" While she was distracted, Aizen took a senzu bean from the system warehouse, restoring his body to peak condition.

"Umm..." Chika tilted her adorable little head, thinking for a moment, her delicate face suddenly turning red, "Marry Chika when I grow up."

"No way," Aizen flatly refused.

"That's unfair!" Chika began fake crying.

This wasn’t the first time this scene had played out.

With a sigh, Aizen picked Chika up and set her aside as he began getting dressed. Casually, he asked, "Where’s your mom?"

"She’s already gone to the Hokage building to prepare for the Hokage succession ceremony." Chika huffed and muttered under her breath, "I don’t even know why people like that old woman."

"Chika, I heard that! You called your mom an old woman again." Aizen's eyebrow twitched.

"It doesn’t matter, as long as Mom didn’t hear it. In front of her, I’m a good girl," Chinatsu replied with an innocent smile on her cute face.

"No 'good girl' would call her mother an old woman. Who even taught you that?" Aizen rolled his eyes.

"Of course, it was Karin. Whenever Mom gets lovey-dovey with you in front of her, Karin always complains in her mind that Mom is an old woman who’s after younger men," Chinatsu readily sold out Karin.

"Uh..." Aizen’s mouth twitched. That did sound like Karin.

Wait a minute...

Did Chika just say she could hear Karin’s thoughts? Could it be that she’s awakened the ability to hear the voice of all things?

It wasn’t impossible. After all, Observation Haki could be considered a kind of special Kekkei Genkai in this world.

He had awakened his own Observation Haki through repeated efforts, especially during his nights with Tsunade.

It’s very possible that Chika was conceived after he had unlocked it.

But the ability to hear the voice of all things, something even he hadn’t awakened yet...

Does that mean he no longer had any secrets in front of his daughter?

With that thought, Aizen hesitated for a moment and then asked cautiously, "Chika, do you have some kind of ability to read minds?"

Chapter 180: Sasuke Crossed Over

"No, Chika absolutely didn’t," Chika adamantly denied, but her evasive gaze already betrayed her guilt.

"Come on, when did you awaken?" Aizen sighed helplessly.

"I didn’t." Chika tried to continue hiding it, but Aizen’s rare stern look stopped her. Timidly, she admitted, "I've had it since I was little. Whenever I calm my mind, I can hear things from very far away, and I can hear people's and animals' thoughts."

She knew she couldn’t hide it any longer. If she did, her handsome dad would surely get upset.

"So that means the first time we met, you already knew I was your dad, right?"

Aizen’s lips twitched hard.

Normally, he prided himself on being fairly intelligent, but at this moment, he felt like one of those "sick men springing up in shock, realizing the fool is actually themselves."

However, what Chika said next left him completely bewildered.

"Nope. Chika can read the thoughts of stones, plants, humans, and animals, but for some reason, I can’t hear your voice, Aizen. It makes me really curious." Chika said, clenching her tiny fists, her eyes noticeably brightening.

"Well, keep being curious then. Dad’s got to go now." Aizen breathed a sigh of relief, fearing his secret of being a time traveler might have been exposed.

"Promise you’ll come visit me often, okay?" Though reluctant, Chika obediently didn’t try to stop him.

"And you have to promise Daddy to keep your mind-reading ability a secret. You’re still young, and Dad can’t always be with you. This power is dangerous, and except for your mom, you can’t tell anyone." Aizen smiled, crouching down slightly, and gently brushed his daughter’s cheek.

Chika obediently nodded.

Finally, after saying goodbye to Karin's mother, who took care of Tsunade’s household, Aizen went to meet up with Pakura at a high building near the Hokage Tower.

A gentle breeze blew as Tsunade, wearing the Hokage hat, stood on the high platform of the Hokage Tower, her long hair flowing.

Behind her stood Jiraiya, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado, the shameless Konoha advisors.

Below the Hokage Tower were Kakashi, Might Guy, Naruto, Sasuke, and many other Konoha shinobi along with countless civilians.

In front of the worshipful and excited gazes of all the Konoha villagers, Tsunade, bathed in sunlight, dramatically removed her Hokage hat and loudly announced her inauguration.

"From today onward, I am the Fifth Hokage, leader of the Konoha village."

Suddenly, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.

Standing with his arms crossed on the roof, Aizen smiled faintly.

Tsunade, as if noticing him, looked up and returned his smile confidently.

Seeing this, Pakura, standing nearby, felt a bit inferior and sighed, "For a female shinobi, this Fifth Hokage is really impressive."

"Indeed." Aizen turned away, casting one last deep look at Tsunade before disappearing from the rooftop.

Pakura followed closely behind.

With the decaying Third Hokage and Danzo gone, Konoha would now be reborn.

Leaving Konoha village, Aizen didn’t rush, leisurely strolling through the forest, he summoned the long-forgotten system panel.

[Ding, system loading.]

[Host: Fujiwara Aizen

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Chakra attributes: Fire, Lightning, Earth, Wind, Water, Yin, Yang

Chakra level: 270

Secret technique: Heavenly Technique (Level 8, provides protective aura and teleportation skills)

Ninjutsu: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu, Fire Style: Hiding in Ash Jutsu, Shadow Clone Jutsu, Body Flicker Technique, Chidori Series, Rasengan Series, Lightning Release: False Darkness, Wind Release: Pressure Damage, Earth Release: Earth Spear, Earth Release: Earth Wall, Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet, Water Release: Water Barrier, Summoning Jutsu: Rashomon, Sealing Techniques

Summoning Animals: Crows, Garaga

Kekkei Genkai: Sharingan

Barriers: Uchiha Fire Formation, Breath Perception Barrier

Special Abilities: Observation Haki, Armament Haki, Kyoka Suigetsu (Once seen, even without chakra interference, it directly affects the soul, controlling the five senses and spiritual perception, works in the Naruto world to manipulate chakra perception)

Genjutsu: Kotoamatsukami, Genjutsu: Sharingan, Tree Binding Death, Demonic Illusion: Mirage, Infernal Vision Technique

Taijutsu: Basic Konoha Taijutsu, Heavenly Technique’s Moves, Uchiha Shuriken Throwing, Kunai Throwing

Chakra Nature Transformation: Fire, Lightning, Earth, Wind, Water, Yin, Yang

Inventory: Kyoka Suigetsu, 1225 kunai, 2311 shuriken, various clothes, Mangekyo Sharingan (Fugaku’s), Danzo’s replacement logs x79, Child-Mother River Water, Senzu Beans x41, Flying Thunder God Scroll, Eagle's Wing]

"Wow, so much has happened in just two months. Not only do I have Chika as a daughter now, I’ve also managed to win over Tsunade, Pakura, and Kurenai. I almost got little Hinata too, but she won’t escape for long."

Looking at the system panel, Aizen couldn’t help but smile.

Now it was time to think about how to continue increasing his strength.

His ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu had already reached the limits of a shinobi.

He wasn’t exaggerating when he thought of himself as the strongest below the Six Paths level.

He could probably even use Kyoka Suigetsu to take down the so-called Six Paths.

Apart from continuing to refine the Heavenly Technique, ordinary ninjutsu and genjutsu training no longer offered much benefit.

To further enhance his power, he needed a new path.

Improving his Observation and Armament Haki was one option.

Collecting Shisui's other eye and Obito’s double Kamui was another.

However, that plan would have to wait.

If he rushed to reclaim those eyes now, he'd lose a lot of fun in the future.

There was also the matter of bloodlines.

Ordinary Kekkei Genkai had limited usefulness, but if he could fuse them all together to create a brand-new Kekkei Mora, releasing it like a protective aura or through Armament Haki...

At that point, his strength would soar to new heights.

Even without Kyoka Suigetsu, he could still dominate the shinobi world.

Not to mention, the system could still provide other things.

But before that, he needed to master Flying Thunder God and Eagle's Wing. After all, nothing is truly invincible in this world. The more survival methods one has, the better.

Thinking about this, Aizen rubbed his chin and took out the Flying Thunder God scroll to study it.

But before he could dive into it, his Observation Haki suddenly sensed something unusual above him. At the same moment, Pakura’s voice rang out beside him: "Lord Aizen, look! There seems to be something in the sky..."