161-165

Chapter 161: Tsunade Returns (3k words)

Kakashi tightly gripped the photo in his hand and clicked his tongue, “This is going to be troublesome.”

“Hey, Kakashi, what should we do now? Should we report this to Lord Hokage?” Might Guy asked hesitantly.

“No, Lord Hokage has been acting too strangely lately, and the two Konoha advisors as well. Ever since that day, they’ve shut themselves away. Now, it seems like Aizen’s words might actually be true,” Kakashi shook his head.

Might Guy, anxious, said, “But this isn’t something we can just ignore. If Sunagakure is truly being manipulated by Orochimaru, Konoha could be in danger tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Kakashi closed his eyes in thought for a moment. Suddenly, he opened them and looked at Morino Ibiki and Hayate Gekko. In a serious tone, he asked, “Do you two trust me?”

Ibiki and Hayate exchanged a glance and then nodded in agreement. They weren’t fools. Even though they didn’t want to believe Fujiwara Aizen, the evidence before them made it hard to doubt.

“Good.” Kakashi took a deep breath and first turned to Hayate. “Hayate, according to Aizen, Lady Tsunade and Jiraiya are already on their way back to Konoha. I need you to head out immediately to search the main routes leading to the village. Try to find them before the final round of the Chunin Exams begins. Inform them about the advancement of the exam and everything that Aizen said today, without leaving out a single word.”

“Leave it to me,” Hayate replied respectfully. He quickly gathered his gear, changed, and left the medical ward.

Kakashi then turned to Ibiki. “Ibiki, I’m counting on you to work with the Interrogation Unit. Conduct a thorough investigation around the outskirts of Konoha to see if there are any Suna or Sound ninja lurking. If anything changes, I need you to relay the information as quickly as possible so we can be prepared.”

“No problem,” Ibiki agreed. After a slight hesitation, he asked, “But shouldn’t we inform Lord Hokage about this?”

Kakashi shook his head. “You heard what Fujiwara Aizen said. If it were just a bluff, it’d be one thing. But if this is true, even if we inform Lord Hokage, the Suna forces—who don’t know their Kazekage is dead—would still launch their attack. We must avoid unnecessary conflict.”

“In any case, we must prepare for the worst. I’ll take full responsibility for any consequences.”

“I understand,” Ibiki nodded firmly. He, like Hayate, quickly prepared and left the ward.

With just Kakashi and Might Guy remaining, Guy asked, “Kakashi, what do we do?”

“Tomorrow, you and I will negotiate with Sunagakure,” Kakashi sighed deeply, walking to the window and gazing into the distance, feeling more mentally exhausted than ever. Politics, after all, was something far beyond what ordinary people could handle. The more involved he became, the more lost he felt. Even his father, strong as he was, hadn’t been able to escape his tragic fate.

If it weren’t for his “deceased” friend Obito, Kakashi might have just given up altogether.

Meanwhile, Aizen had returned to Kurenai Yuhi’s home.

“How did it go?” Kurenai asked gently as she helped him take off his Akatsuki cloak and hung it in the wardrobe.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already informed Kakashi. That guy’s no fool; he won’t be deceived by Hiruzen Sarutobi’s tricks. Like you, he’s more concerned with Konoha’s safety than holding a grudge against the man who killed his father,” Aizen said as he embraced Kurenai from behind.

“By the way, Kurenai, do you remember what you promised me last night?” he asked softly.

Kurenai’s face flushed red. “What is it?” she asked, feigning innocence.

“A bath together,” Aizen teased.

“I already took a bath,” Kurenai tried to dodge.

Aizen chuckled. “No worries, you can join me for another one.”

With that, Aizen carried Kurenai into the bathroom, ignoring her playful protests.

The night passed without further events.

At dawn, after a quick sparring session with Kurenai, Aizen returned to the inn where he and Pakura were staying. They disguised themselves and headed to the Chunin Exams finals arena.

Meanwhile, in a hot spring town 100 kilometers away from Konoha, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and their group finally resumed their journey back to the village.

Tsunade, looking groggy, was holding her drowsy daughter, Chika. She hadn’t slept well because the little girl had been too excited at the prospect of seeing Aizen and had stayed up most of the night.

Jiraiya noticed Tsunade’s fatigue and asked, “Didn’t sleep well last night?”

“Not at all,” Tsunade yawned. “This little brat was too excited about going to Konoha. How could I have slept?”

“How about I carry her for a bit?” Jiraiya’s eyes twinkled mischievously.

“No way! I’m not letting a pervert like you touch my daughter,” Tsunade glared at him before glancing at the back of the group, where Naruto was vigorously practicing his Rasengan.

“Hey, that blond kid, he’s your disciple, right? What on earth is he doing? Is he having a seizure?”

“I’m not having a seizure!” Naruto rushed over. “I’m training!”

“Training or not, it looks like a seizure to me,” Tsunade quipped.

“I’m practicing the Rasengan! It’s an A-rank jutsu Jiraiya-sensei taught me,” Naruto shouted in frustration.

“Then show it to me,” Tsunade challenged, her interest piqued. After all, her man had once developed a similar jutsu based on observing the Tailed Beast Bomb.

“I can’t do it yet,” Naruto admitted, deflated.

“Why not?” Tsunade asked casually.

Jiraiya explained in a low voice, “The Rasengan requires excellent chakra control. Naruto’s control isn’t great, and the Nine-Tails interferes with his chakra concentration. He can’t even form it with two hands, let alone one.”

“Well, if two hands don’t work, why not use more hands?” Tsunade stopped walking, recalling a training method Aizen had once mentioned. She turned to Naruto. “Hey kid, aren’t you good at shadow clones? Use them to improve your chakra control.”

“Shadow clones?” Jiraiya and Naruto both lit up with realization.

Without further delay, Naruto summoned a shadow clone, and—sure enough—successfully formed a Rasengan that blasted a large hole in a nearby tree.

“I did it! Perverted sage, Tsunade-baa-chan, I did it!” Naruto cheered.

“Tsunade-baa-chan?” Tsunade’s face twitched.

Jiraiya quickly stepped in, “Don’t get mad, Tsunade. He didn’t mean anything by it. Kids say the darndest things.”

“But I must say, that was a clever method. You really helped the kid master the technique,” Jiraiya commented, trying to shift the conversation.

“Of course,” Tsunade grinned, pride swelling within her. After all, the method had come from her man.

At that moment, a figure emerged from the woods and landed in front of them. It was Hayate Gekko, sent by Kakashi to find Jiraiya and Tsunade.

“Lord Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade,” Hayate greeted them respectfully, kneeling on one knee.

“Hey, Hayate. Isn’t the Chunin Exam finals still a week away? Why are you here so early?” Jiraiya asked, surprised.

“Actually, Lord Jiraiya, it wasn’t Lord Hokage who sent me. It was Kakashi. The finals have been moved up. They’re happening today,” Hayate explained.

Upon hearing this, Naruto—who had just been celebrating—was suddenly distressed. “What? But I haven’t even returned for the exam yet!”

“Quiet, Naruto,” Jiraiya’s expression turned serious as he sensed something was wrong. “What’s going on?” he asked Hayate.

Hayate glanced at Shizune, Naruto, and Karin, and then at Tsunade, unsure if he should continue.

Tsunade, frowning, said, “Go ahead. There are no outsiders here. Speak freely.”

Hayate took a deep breath and recounted everything that had happened the previous evening, including Fujiwara Aizen’s sudden appearance and his warnings.

When he finished, everyone was left in stunned silence.

Tsunade, in particular, was floored when she learned that Aizen had photographic evidence of Danzo implanting her grandfather’s cells and the Sharingan. Her face turned a shade of shock and disbelief.

“That old fool!” Jiraiya muttered angrily, his expression dark. He couldn’t believe that in a bid to preserve his reputation, the Third Hokage had put Konoha in such a dangerous position.

“Tsunade, it seems there were some things I didn’t tell you about Danzo,” Jiraiya said apologetically.

“Now’s not the time to discuss that,” Tsunade replied coldly. “But I won’t let Danzo’s actions go unpunished.”

"That old man is so confused," Jiraiya muttered under his breath, his face darker than ever. He hadn't expected that the old man, for the sake of so-called honor, would put Konoha in such grave danger.

"Jiraiya, you never told me about Danzo, did you?" Tsunade's face was ice cold as she stared at him.

"Sorry, Tsunade, but now's not the time to get into that. No one knows what that guy Fujiwara Aizen is planning. The most important thing right now is to get back to Konoha as soon as possible. Please, Tsunade."

In front of everyone, Jiraiya clasped his hands together, summoning a giant toad, and then performed a deep bow, begging Tsunade.

"Alright, but let me make one thing clear: I won’t let that old guy Danzo off the hook so easily."

Thinking of her man back home, Tsunade felt a sense of urgency herself.

With that, everyone jumped onto the giant toad and sped up their journey back to Konoha.

*Chapter 162: The Show-off Er-zhuz*

*Chunin Exam Arena*

The sky was a clear blue, with the occasional white cloud drifting by. The sun was warm but not scorching, and a gentle breeze gave a refreshing feeling.

The Chunin Exam, co-hosted by Sunagakure and Konoha, was officially kicking off today!

Since the first rays of sunlight broke through the earth’s restraints and shone upon this once-great village of the shinobi world, the quiet streets gradually began to fill with shinobi figures in various types of attire.

These foreign shinobi, who were rarely seen in Konoha, appeared in steady streams today. They escorted lords and even feudal leaders from various nations as they entered Konoha's gates.

Although they hailed from different countries, their destination was the same—the official Chunin Exam arena standing tall in Konoha Village.

“Sure is lively, huh? After today, even if we hold another Chunin Exam, it’s unlikely we’ll see this kind of spectacle again.” After some careful disguises, Aizen led Pakura into the audience stands, choosing an inconspicuous spot to sit.

Pakura responded, “I hear it’s because of that brat from the Uchiha clan. But is the Sharingan really that powerful?”

Because Sunagakure and Konoha were allies, and since most of the Uchiha clan had been dispatched to the Kirigakure battlefield before their downfall, Pakura had never fought against a Sharingan user.

Aizen nodded, “It can be, but it depends on who's using it. After all, the power of a sword is determined by the one wielding it, not the sword itself.”

While they spoke, the genin participants—Gaara, Neji Hyuga, Kankuro, Temari, Shino Aburame, Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, and Shikamaru Nara—gradually filed into the arena below.

Only Dōsu, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kabuto were missing.

Dōsu had been turned into a reincarnated pawn of the First Hokage and couldn’t attend.

Naruto was on his way, riding on the Great Toad.

Sasuke, after training relentlessly on a cliff, was also on his way back.

As for Kabuto, a key figure in Orochimaru’s plan to bring down Konoha, he had already donned his ANBU disguise and, as in the original story, was lurking among the audience.

Noticing Aizen and Pakura in disguise, Kabuto approached them, quietly bowing and speaking in a voice only the three of them could hear: “Lord Aizen.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t interfere with his fight against the Third Hokage,” Aizen glanced at Orochimaru, disguised as the Kazekage and sitting beside Hiruzen Sarutobi. “But after their match, you better have what I need ready, or you’ll be in a lot of trouble.”

“Of course.” Cold sweat formed beneath Kabuto’s mask as he respectfully nodded before returning to the back row of the audience.

At this point, the matches were about to begin.

Perhaps because Konoha, as the host, had arranged things deliberately, the matchups were not much different from the original:

Sakura Haruno vs. Ino Yamanaka;

Kankuro vs. Shino Aburame;

Temari vs. Shikamaru Nara;

Neji Hyuga vs. Naruto Uzumaki;

Gaara vs. Sasuke Uchiha.

Since both Naruto and Sasuke hadn’t arrived, their matches were postponed to the end.

The first match was the weakest one, Sakura vs. Ino.

This was when the gap between civilians and clan heirs truly showed. Other than basic jutsu, Sakura knew almost nothing. Though her dual personalities helped her resist Ino’s Mind Transfer Jutsu for a while, that was all.

After a month of training with her clan elders, Ino’s Mind Transfer Jutsu had grown far stronger than during the preliminaries.

It didn’t take long for Sakura to be controlled.

However, due to their childhood friendship, Ino chose not to win through her clan's secret technique. Instead, she used basic taijutsu.

But even with this, Sakura, who had neglected her training and wasted the last twenty days in despair over Sasuke, still lost.

The first match ended with little excitement from the crowd.

In the second match, Kankuro forfeited to avoid revealing his puppet’s secrets against Shino.

In the third match, Shikamaru gave up to Temari after running out of chakra, despite having her cornered.

Finally, it was time for the last two matches.

But because Naruto and Sasuke hadn’t arrived, the matches were paused.

Following a suggestion from Orochimaru, disguised as the Kazekage, the matches were postponed for ten minutes. If neither arrived, they would forfeit, and the audience’s expectations would be satisfied with Neji vs. Gaara instead.

Time passed quickly, and just as Genma Shiranui, the referee, was about to declare Naruto and Sasuke's forfeits, a whirlwind suddenly kicked up in the arena, scattering dust and leaves.

When the dust settled and the leaves slowly drifted down, Kakashi and Sasuke appeared, back-to-back, striking a dramatic pose that immediately caught everyone’s attention.

“Hey, hey, Kakashi, you still haven’t gotten rid of that habit of being late, huh?” Genma Shiranui quipped as soon as he saw the duo.

“Sorry, sorry.” Kakashi scratched his head, scanning the crowd. His eyes briefly settled on Gai, Ibiki, and Baki. He frowned slightly and then vanished, reappearing in the audience stands moments later.

Gai and Ibiki quickly moved toward him.

“Kakashi, a large number of Suna and Sound shinobi have already gathered outside Konoha. It looks like Sound has sent their entire force,” Ibiki whispered.

“So it’s true.” Kakashi sighed, his face growing more serious beneath his mask. As he scanned the stands, he asked, “Any word from Hayate?”

“None yet,” Gai replied.

“This is bad.” Kakashi glanced up at Orochimaru, seated beside Hiruzen Sarutobi in his Kazekage disguise. “Whether that’s the real Kazekage or not, it’s bad news for Konoha.”

Gai asked, “What do we do now?”

Kakashi thought for a moment before saying, “Ibiki, inform your men and pass the word to every department. Prepare for anything. Gai, you stick with me and help find Aizen.”

“Leave it to me,” Ibiki said gravely before disappearing into the stands.

*Chapter 163: The Ridiculous Leaf Village Destruction Plan*

At that moment, a little girl with a cute ponytail walked over, holding an envelope. She tugged on Kakashi's pant leg and asked in a childish voice, "Are you... the boring pervy Kakashi?"

"Uh..." Kakashi's mouth twitched under his mask, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. He squatted down slightly, feeling a bit awkward. "I am Kakashi, but I’m not some boring perv. Little girl, what’s up?"

"When I came in, a really handsome big brother gave me some candy and told me to give this to you," the little girl said as she handed him the envelope.

"This must be the evidence Aizen mentioned," Kakashi thought as he took the envelope. Gently patting the little girl’s head, he smiled. "I understand. Now, little girl, it’s going to get dangerous soon. You should hurry back to your parents."

"Okay," the little girl replied sweetly before turning and running off.

"Kakashi, this must be the evidence Aizen was talking about, right?" Guy glanced at the envelope in Kakashi's hand, his thick brows furrowing immediately.

"Probably," Kakashi muttered, his own brow furrowed as he slowly opened the envelope. Inside was a stack of photos, the first one showing Rasa, impaled like a pincushion. The next showed Kabuto peeling off human skin in a grotesque scene.

"This... what is this..." Sweat trickled down Kakashi’s forehead. "Guy, I'm leaving this to you."

After a quick word to Guy, Kakashi wasted no time, vanishing in an instant and appearing beside Baki.

"Hey, Baki of the Sand, if you don’t want your comrades to die in vain, follow me." Leaving that statement, Kakashi disappeared into the stands.

Baki clicked his tongue, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately followed him.

Watching the two disappear, Kabuto’s expression under his mask shifted into confusion. "What did Kakashi discover?" he wondered. "No matter, it’s almost time anyway."

Elsewhere, Kakashi and Baki arrived outside the arena.

"It seems you’ve figured something out, but at this point, what’s left to say?" Baki asked, frowning as he stood behind Kakashi.

"No, just take a look at this." Kakashi turned, tossing the envelope Aizen had sent him over to Baki.

Baki glanced at Kakashi warily, then cautiously tore open the envelope. A stack of photos spilled out. As soon as he saw Rasa impaled by kunai, Baki’s pupils shrank, and he was overcome with intense emotion.

He glared at Kakashi. "Hey, Kakashi... where did you get this?"

"I don’t know either. Let’s just say it came from a troublesome person. Just keep looking," Kakashi replied without further explanation.

Baki hesitated but continued to flip through the photos. Suddenly, the complete, horrific sequence of peeling Rasa’s skin was laid bare. "It’s that bastard Kabuto..."

Kakashi spoke gravely, "I trust you understand now. The person sitting next to our Hokage isn’t your Kazekage—it’s Orochimaru. You Sand ninja are just being used."

"That snake..." Baki’s shoulders trembled, the envelope in his hands twisting from his grip. "What do you want?"

"Nothing much," Kakashi replied seriously. "I just want to stop this war before it starts. You should realize that without your Kazekage, there’s no way you can win this fight."

Baki thought for a moment. "Fine, but I have one condition: the Leaf can’t hold this against the Sand Village later."

Kakashi spread his hands. "I can’t guarantee that. Negotiating is up to the higher-ups in the Leaf, and they’ve always been soft. You probably know that already, so you can rest easy. Besides, you don’t want your comrades to die in a pointless battle, do you?"

"Alright, I agree. I’ll withdraw the Sand ninjas surrounding the Leaf, but I can’t command Orochimaru’s Sound ninjas," Baki finally relented, recalling the Leaf’s soft leadership.

"Don’t worry about them," Kakashi said, letting out a sigh of relief.

At that moment, feathers began floating down from the sky over the arena.

"What is that..." Kakashi looked up, shocked.

"That’s Kabuto’s genjutsu. It seems like it’s begun," Baki said.

"In that case, go inform the Sand ninjas," Kakashi instructed, disappearing from sight, heading toward the arena.

Baki hesitated briefly, but ultimately chose to warn the Sand ninjas rather than Gaara and his siblings.

Inside the arena.

Sasuke and Gaara’s fight was nearing its end.

Despite the fact that Gaara had been somewhat influenced by Naruto’s words during the Forest of Death a month ago, he hadn’t truly changed. Apart from being slightly kinder to his siblings, Temari and Kankuro, he remained his usual murderous and cold-hearted self.

Just like in the original timeline, Gaara was initially overwhelmed by Sasuke’s speed, which mimicked Rock Lee’s taijutsu. Gaara's sand couldn’t keep up with Sasuke, forcing him to use the Desert Wave to form a protective barrier around himself.

He was preparing for the Possession Sleep Technique.

However, under Sasuke’s newly mastered Chidori, the Desert Wave was shattered.

Gaara was severely injured, and his Possession Sleep was forcefully interrupted.

Sasuke, in turn, had his arm trapped by Gaara’s sand.

With a crunching sound, the Desert Wave crumbled, turning back into sand.

Sasuke used the opportunity to create some distance between himself and Gaara.

"It’s about time," Kabuto muttered as he watched Sasuke separate from Gaara. He then activated the Temple of Nirvana Technique.

Suddenly, white feathers filled the arena, and most of the spectators were instantly put to sleep.

At the same time, the four Sound ninjas disguised as Kazekage’s guards threw a smoke signal.

Boom!

With a loud explosion, Kabuto and the Sound ninjas emerged from hiding, blocking the Leaf ninjas attempting to rescue the Third Hokage.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru, using kunai, took the Third Hokage hostage, dragging him to the highest point above the stands.

The Sound Four used the Four Violet Flames Formation to trap them both, cutting off any reinforcements from the Hokage’s Anbu guards.

And so, the farcical Leaf Village Destruction Plan began.

*Chapter 164: The Third Hokage’s Fury (Reset)*

In the arena, Kankuro and Temari stood protectively in front of the injured Gaara, unaware that the Sand Village had already withdrawn from the plan to destroy the Leaf Village. They were ready to take him and leave.

"You bastards, this mess must be your doing with Orochimaru, right?" Unaware of the situation, Genma Shiranui glared at Gaara and his siblings, while glancing at the Third Hokage trapped in the Four Violet Flames Formation.

"So what if it is?" Kankuro clicked his tongue, pulling out his puppet Crow, feeling anxious. Where is Master Baki? he thought.

Temari also brought out her three-star fan, preparing for battle.

Genma bit down on the iron senbon in his mouth. "In that case, I definitely can't let you leave."

Just as the tension was about to explode into a fight, Kakashi suddenly appeared between Genma and the Sand siblings, sharply commanding, "Stop, all of you."

"Kakashi, these Sand ninjas were the ones who—" Genma began, his tone angry.

"Take a good look, Genma. That’s not the Fourth Kazekage; it’s Orochimaru in disguise," Kakashi said, staring at the rooftop. At that moment, they all saw Orochimaru tearing off his disguise.

Everyone was shocked—Gaara’s siblings, Genma, and even Sasuke.

Temari couldn’t hold back her question, "What is going on?"

"The real Fourth Kazekage is dead," Kakashi explained gravely. "You Sand ninjas were just being used by Orochimaru. Your jonin commanders have already left the village to stop the Sand forces hiding outside. If you don’t want to be labeled as traitors, you’d better leave now."

"What…?" Hearing about their father's death, Kankuro and Temari’s eyes went blank.

Gaara, meanwhile, recalled his experiences with Rasa, his mind overwhelmed by pain. Unable to bear it, he clutched his head and screamed in agony, "Ahh!"

"Gaara! What’s wrong?" Kankuro asked in alarm.

"Quick, Kankuro, Temari, get me out of here!" Gaara said, raising his head, startling everyone around, including Kakashi, Genma, and Sasuke. One of Gaara’s eyes had transformed into the eye of Shukaku, the One-Tail.

Swallowing hard, Kankuro and Temari exchanged a glance. They suppressed their fear and supported Gaara as they fled the village.

"Kakashi, what was that?" Sasuke couldn’t help but ask, as Genma wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.

"There’s no time to explain. We need to stop those Sound ninjas." Leaving that brief instruction, Kakashi disappeared from the arena.

"That guy… always so infuriating," Genma muttered, following after him.

But Sasuke couldn’t resist his curiosity and followed Gaara’s trail.

Up in the stands, Sakura, who hadn’t fallen under Kabuto’s genjutsu thanks to her dual personality, saw Sasuke running after Gaara and the others. She shouted to Kakashi, who was already fighting Sound ninjas, "Kakashi-sensei! Sasuke’s chasing after those Sand ninjas!"

Her voice didn’t reach Kakashi, but it did catch the attention of two Sound ninjas, who threw kunai at her. Frightened, Sakura closed her eyes, bracing for the worst.

Fortunately, Kakashi arrived just in time, dispatching the two attackers.

"It’s alright now, Sakura," Kakashi sighed, exasperated by her panic.

"Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke—" Sakura said tearfully.

"I know. Everyone’s becoming a handful," Kakashi muttered, glancing around.

Seeing that there were still many Sound ninjas and the mysterious Aizen lurking nearby, he realized he couldn’t leave. He turned to Shikamaru and instructed, "Sakura, you have the ability to break genjutsu. Wake up Shikamaru, and find Neji and Shino, who didn’t make it to the competition. Get them to bring Sasuke back."

With that, Kakashi summoned his ninja dog, Pakkun. "Pakkun, guide them to Sasuke."

Soon, Sakura, Shikamaru, Neji, and Shino left the arena in pursuit.

From a corner of the stands, Aizen watched all this unfold, muttering to himself, "So it seems Sasuke won’t escape his fate of fighting a transformed Gaara after all. A beating is inevitable."

He chuckled, "But what’s really interesting is who’s chasing Sasuke now."

As he spoke, Pakura, standing beside him, dispelled the genjutsu with a hand sign and pulled out a scroll from her pocket. "Lord Aizen."

"Not yet," Aizen replied, shaking his head. "Before that, I have to meet the so-called God of Shinobi, don’t I? Wait here for my signal." With that, he tore off his disguise, revealing the red cloud-patterned black robe and the scarred Leaf headband. In an instant, he vanished from the stands.

At that very moment, atop the arena, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, unleashed his Shuriken Shadow Clone technique—an unimpressive display.

Orochimaru had already used Edo Tensei to summon the First and Second Hokages, who blocked the attack with their coffins. Orochimaru had planned to summon a third coffin, bringing back the Fourth Hokage, but the Fourth’s soul was sealed by the Reaper Death Seal, preventing the summoning.

"It seems… I managed to stop the third one." Seeing that the fourth coffin hadn’t appeared, Hiruzen mistakenly believed his attack had succeeded, feeling a small sense of relief and even a bit of pride.

"Old man, what are you so happy about? You didn’t stop that third coffin with your pathetic Shuriken Shadow Clone technique. Orochimaru simply couldn’t summon it," a clear voice suddenly echoed across the rooftop.

There, standing outside the Four Violet Flames Formation, was Aizen, holding his Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu, as if he belonged there all along.

"Fujiwara Aizen!" Hiruzen gasped, turning to face the newcomer. When he saw him, his lungs almost burst with rage. His eyes nearly shot flames.

This was the boy who destroyed his family, killed his eldest son, castrated his younger son and grandson, and ruined his reputation.

Even now, on the verge of death, this demon refused to let him be.

He had never seen such an evil brat.

Even more wicked than the Uchiha Clan.

*Chapter 165: The End of Hiruzen Sarutobi*

On the other side, Orochimaru’s expression suddenly turned serious as he gazed at Aizen, forcing a smile at the corners of his mouth. "Oh my, Aizen-kun, I thought you were going to wait until I killed the Third Hokage before showing up."

Even though he had resurrected the First and Second Hokage with the Reanimation Jutsu, Orochimaru knew his own abilities well.

His Reanimation Jutsu was far from perfect, and to prevent a repeat of the incident where the Third Kazekage broke free from the jutsu, as well as to give his teacher an honorable death and ensure he was remembered as the "strongest Hokage," Orochimaru had greatly suppressed the powers of the two Hokages.

Even the sacrifices he used for the reanimation were just low-level ninjas.

He had weakened them as much as possible.

At most, they barely reached Kage-level strength. Without the immortality from the Reanimation Jutsu, their overall power was even slightly below that of the current Hiruzen Sarutobi.

If Aizen were to fight him now, Orochimaru feared the result might be the same as their last two encounters, where his life was in danger.

"It’s rare to see the so-called God of Shinobi. Wouldn’t it be a shame not to meet him?" Aizen completely ignored Hiruzen Sarutobi and glanced at the two closest Sound Four ninjas, saying casually, "Alright, tell your two flunkies to open the barrier."

"Oh? Aizen-kun, you don’t seem surprised that I was able to summon the First and Second Hokage," Orochimaru said, clearly wary, but not willing to let Aizen enter.

Aizen nodded. "Of course. After all, back in the Land of Wind, you summoned the Third Kazekage. Coming to Konoha, why wouldn’t you summon the legendary God of Shinobi?"

Seeing that Orochimaru still wasn’t going to let him inside, Aizen smiled lightly and added, "Don’t worry, I’m not interested in joining your little drama between master and disciple. I just want to chat with the two Hokages. Once we’re done talking, I’ll leave."

"Besides, you wouldn’t want me to break the barrier, would you?"

After a brief hesitation, Orochimaru opened the coffins, releasing the First and Second Hokage, then signaled to Tayuya and Sakon of the Sound Four, who were closest to Aizen.

They got the hint and opened a small gap in the barrier for Aizen.

“Don’t let him succeed!” The Hokage’s loyal Anbu members, seeing that Aizen intended to enter, feared he might team up with Orochimaru and pose a greater threat to the Third Hokage. Without hesitation, they rushed at Aizen with kunai in hand.

Aizen smirked and made a symbolic hand sign. A wave of invisible chakra surged from his body with a fierce, piercing sound.

Before the Anbu could get close, they were blasted back by the chakra wave like cannonballs, slamming heavily into the ceiling of the spectators’ stand.

The wave of chakra didn’t stop there; it swept through the entire area, instantly breaking the genjutsu affecting everyone in the vicinity.

The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, both stepped out of their coffins.

Sensing the massive chakra Aizen had released, Tobirama sized him up, frowning slightly. "This chakra… No, you seem to be harboring a tremendous amount of sage energy within you. Young man, are you the one who used the Reanimation Jutsu to summon us?"

"It’s an honor to receive praise from the fastest ninja in the shinobi world," Aizen smiled. "But no, I’m not the one who summoned you."

As the First and Second Hokage shifted their gaze to Aizen, he whispered to himself, "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."

Silently, he released the power of his genjutsu.

"Was it you? To be able to summon us with such a forbidden jutsu… You really are quite an impressive young man," Tobirama remarked, oblivious to the fact that he had already fallen under Aizen’s genjutsu, and turned his head to look behind him.

Hashirama, too, glanced back, a hint of darkness flickering in his eyes.

Seeing this, Orochimaru, confident in his ability to summon the Hokages, smiled. But before he could respond, Aizen said, "Yes, it was him. His name is Orochimaru, a disciple of the Third Hokage—who, by the way, calls himself the 'strongest Hokage in history.' So, that makes Orochimaru your grand-student."

"In order to give his master an honorable death, he used his imperfect Reanimation Jutsu to resurrect both of you. Right now, you’re probably not even at a tenth of your original strength."

"He did all this just to give Hiruzen Sarutobi a dignified death. So, even if he dies today while fighting both of you, he will still live up to the title of ‘the strongest Hokage.’ As for Orochimaru killing him, well, that’s another story."

"And let’s not forget that this so-called 'strongest Hokage,' who claims to have surpassed both the God of Shinobi and the fastest ninja in history, was chosen by you two."

Aizen’s tone turned mocking as he glanced over at Hiruzen Sarutobi. "In his old age, he’s still trying to go out like a hero. He knew about his disciple’s plot but refused to stop the Chunin Exams, taking no meaningful action."

"And now, Konoha is engulfed in flames."

Sarutobi wiped the cold sweat from his brow, desperately trying to defend himself, “First Lord, Second Lord, don’t listen to this traitor. He’s a rogue ninja who left our village, born evil and filled with malice. He even wiped out the Sarutobi and Shimura clans. Now, he’s back to harm Konoha’s top jonin. His intentions are clear!”

"A born villain with malicious intent, huh?" Aizen chuckled. "And yet you think you’re the good guy? Hokages, you should take a good look at the village you left behind. Thanks to our so-called ‘strongest Hokage,’ there isn’t even a single ninja of Kage-level strength left in Konoha."

“And you, First Lord, don’t you notice that aside from the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, there’s another clan missing?”

Hearing this, Hashirama closed his eyes and sensed his surroundings. After a moment, he finally spoke, "It’s the Uchiha clan, isn’t it?"

Aizen nodded. "Exactly. After you died, your dear brother decided the Uchiha clan was inherently evil. To prevent another Madara Uchiha from rising, he relentlessly suppressed them. But at least your brother knew when to give them a carrot after using the stick."