131-135

*Chapter 131: Ino: Suddenly Sasuke Isn't So Great Anymore (Reset)*

Chakra is the result of combining spiritual and physical energy, and it can be used to connect the spiritual energy between people. At this moment, Yamanaka Ino's spirit was inside Aizen's body, feeling as if she were engulfed in a vast white expanse.

Beneath her was an endless lake with gentle ripples, reflecting her delicate figure like a flower in the mirror, or the moon in the water.

Ino couldn't help but exclaim, "My father once said that when a person's spiritual power becomes strong enough, they can construct their own mental space."

"Is such a massive spiritual space really something a human can create?"

A clear, calm voice suddenly sounded next to Ino's ear. Aizen slowly emerged from the white expanse.

At this time, Ino was still just a child who had recently graduated from the ninja academy and had little experience with the world. Seeing Aizen, wrapped in bandages, suddenly appear, she was startled and turned pale with fear. "What do you want? Don’t come any closer!"

"Am I really that scary? Logically, shouldn't you be asking how I know your father?" Aizen smirked as he slowly unwrapped his bandages.

As soon as the bandages came off, Ino's eyes lit up. What did she see?

A handsome man—no, a very handsome man, even more so than Sasuke.

"So how do you know my father?" Ino asked, blushing as she shyly held her face with her delicate hands.

"You're such a fangirl," Aizen muttered, seeing her all-too-obvious expression. "Alright, enough chit-chat. These aren't things you need to know at your current level. The reason I met you here is simply to understand your Yamanaka clan's Mind Body Switch Technique."

"Using the soul to focus spiritual energy, then releasing it to take control of an opponent's body… quite an impressive jutsu. I imagine Orochimaru's reincarnation jutsu must have borrowed some principles from your clan."

"Now, you'll wake up on your own shortly."

After he finished speaking, Aizen released Ino from her mental restraint and disappeared from the white expanse.

Suddenly, a cloud of smoke exploded in the center of the arena.

As the smoke cleared, Kakashi, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, and Might Guy appeared around Aizen in strange stances.

Asuma held two chakra blades, standing right behind Aizen.

The blades were just inches from Aizen’s neck, with wind-style chakra extending the blade’s edge into wind blades several times their original length.

But Kakashi and Guy restrained Asuma before the blades could strike.

Thirty steps away, Kurenai stood in front of the newly-awakened Ino, staring at Aizen with disbelief.

Just a moment ago…

Asuma, his mind clouded with rage, had disregarded the fact that Ino's spirit was still inside Aizen. Unable to hold back any longer, he had drawn his Flying Swallow blades and used a speed only elite jonin could achieve to charge at Aizen's back.

Sensing Asuma’s intent, Kakashi and Guy exchanged a glance and stepped in to stop him.

Kurenai had initially planned to intervene and protect Aizen.

But Aizen didn’t need protection from his woman. He also didn’t want her to be caught in a dilemma between him and Konoha, so he used Mugen Tsukuyomi to interfere with her five senses, making her believe that Ino was actually Aizen.

And that led to the current scene.

"Guy, Kakashi, what are you doing? Let go of me! I’m going to kill this traitor!" Asuma roared, struggling against them.

But having already lost his balance, how could he match the strength of two grown men like Kakashi and Guy?

Not to mention, these two best friends were stronger than him to begin with.

Guy, his expression serious, said, "I don’t know why you’re attacking this bandaged man, but I trust Kakashi’s judgment."

Meanwhile, Kakashi had already lifted his forehead protector, revealing his Sharingan. "Calm down, Asuma. I understand how you feel right now, but this is the Chunin Exams. As the hosts, we have to wait until the exams are over before dealing with any problems. Besides, if you attack now, your disciple will die."

At this, Kakashi turned to Aizen and said in a grave tone, "You were just about to kill him, weren't you?"

"Why put it like that? It was your Konoha jonin who attacked me during a match with his student. The famous Copy Ninja, Sharingan Kakashi, surely wouldn’t lie with his eyes wide open, would he?"

Aizen shot Kurenai a reassuring glance. Under the complete hypnosis of Mugen Tsukuyomi, he spoke in a voice only Kurenai could hear, "Pretend you don’t know me, and side with Kakashi and the others."

Kurenai’s eyes flashed with worry. She took a deep breath and said, "Understood. Be careful."

"You bastard!" Asuma shouted, ready to attack again, but he was stopped by a sudden voice from Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Enough, Asuma."

"But… father!" Asuma turned to look at Hiruzen, his bloodshot eyes filled with frustration.

Hiruzen lowered his Hokage hat slightly, making it impossible to see his expression. "Kakashi is right. This is the Chunin Exams. Whatever the issue, we’ll deal with it after the exams."

"Truly the strongest of the Hokages. Despite wanting to kill me more than anyone else, you’ve managed to suppress your emotions all this time. You really are deserving of the title 'strongest,'" Aizen said, deliberately emphasizing the word "strongest" with a clear tone of mockery.

At his words, the crowd erupted.

Every Konoha ninja, except for a select few like Sasuke, looked at Aizen with eyes full of anger.

Among them, Naruto, who was especially indoctrinated with the Will of Fire, couldn’t control his emotions and shouted, "Who is that bandaged freak? How dare he mock Grandpa Hokage!"

"Shut up, Naruto," Sasuke snapped. He turned to Aizen again, his gaze heavy with suspicion.

Sasuke thought to himself, Who is this bandaged man? Why do Kakashi and the other jonin, even the Third Hokage himself, seem so wary of him?

And from Kakashi’s words, it seems like if he hadn’t stopped Asuma, Asuma would have died on the spot.

It’s almost impossible to believe.

Asuma is an elite jonin. How could this bandaged man, a mere genin, be capable of killing him so easily, even in a surprise attack?

*Chapter 132: The Calm Before the Storm (Reset)*

Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored Aizen’s taunts, waving his hand grandly as he announced, “Let the match continue.”

“Yes, Lord Hokage,” Hayate Gekkō responded respectfully.

Due to Asuma Sarutobi’s interference, Yamanaka Ino, his student, should have lost the match.

But suddenly, Aizen’s voice rang out from the side, “No need to continue. I concede.”

“Are you serious?” Hayate Gekkō was taken aback and asked in disbelief.

“Of course,” Aizen nodded, then deliberately feigned a dazed look. Ino’s spirit withdrew from her body and returned to her own, slowly awakening.

Upon waking, Ino gazed dreamily at Aizen. The bandages wrapped around his face didn’t seem as off-putting anymore. Instead, they gave him a mysterious allure, like a hidden beauty behind a veil.

It added a certain mystique.

Not only was he handsome and powerful, but he was also gentle, showing deference to her as a lady.

In an instant, her attraction to Sasuke, who was always pursued by Sakura, dimmed.

Unfortunately, he was from the Hidden Rain Village, and after the Chūnin Exams, they might never meet again.

“Sigh! What a pity…”

Amid Ino’s sighs and the bewildered stares of the audience, Hayate Gekkō announced the result, “Thus, the winner of the first round is Yamanaka Ino.”

“No way! Shikamaru, am I seeing this right? Ino actually beat that terrifying bandaged guy?” Chōji’s eyes widened in disbelief, his round eyes sparkling with shock.

“Tsk, what a bother. Who knows…” Shikamaru muttered while glancing around the arena.

Despite his nonchalant words, his highly intelligent brain had already started processing.

First, there was no way Ino could have defeated the bandaged man, someone who made even the Jonin and the Third Hokage wary—this was beyond question.

Then, Asuma had looked like he wanted to tear the bandaged man apart.

The bandaged man himself claimed the Third Hokage wanted to kill him more than anyone.

Which meant this bandaged man was likely once a ninja of this village.

But now, it seemed he had become a rogue ninja.

The question was, who exactly was this bandaged man?

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Shikamaru. He remembered what the bandaged man had said in the Forest of Death and abruptly asked Chōji, “Didn’t you once tell me you had a cousin who was part of Kurenai-sensei’s team?”

“Yeah, so what?” Chōji asked, puzzled.

“I think…I know who the bandaged man is,” Shikamaru forced a smile, a bead of cold sweat forming on his brow.

There was no doubt about it—someone who the Third Hokage and Asuma both hated so deeply and who had once been part of Kurenai’s team, just like Chōji’s cousin.

The answer was clear.

The man responsible for massacring the Sarutobi and Shimura clans: Fujiwara Aizen.

A man once considered the most heinous criminal in Konoha’s history.

“Who is he?” Just then, Naruto appeared behind Shikamaru and Chōji, slinging his arms around their shoulders, boldly asking the question.

“Naruto, don’t you know it’s dangerous to sneak up on people?” Shikamaru clicked his tongue, about to respond when he suddenly recalled Naruto often talking about Fujiwara Aizen during their academy days. With a sigh, Shikamaru shook his head, “It’s nothing.”

“Geez, Shikamaru, you always stop halfway through what you’re saying,” Naruto grumbled.

At that moment, Hayate Gekkō’s voice echoed through the arena once more, “The first round is over, with Yamanaka Ino as the victor. Would the two participants please head to the spectator stands?”

Ino, still swooning, walked over, muttering to herself, “So handsome…”

As she passed Sasuke, Sakura, seeing Ino’s triumphant demeanor, thought she was about to make a move on him. Rushing in front of Sasuke, she warned, “Stay away from Sasuke, you pig, Ino!”

Ino paused, “Oh my, isn’t it bald Sakura? Your wide forehead is showing again. Also, you might want to check that gap in your teeth.”

“You…” Sakura’s face turned blue with rage, but she dared not show her temper in front of Sasuke. Instead, she acted sweetly, throwing herself at him to gain his sympathy, “Sasuke, look at her…”

Seeing Sakura’s tooth gap and exposed scalp, Sasuke felt a wave of disgust and sidestepped, causing her to fall to the ground.

Ignoring the pained Sakura, Sasuke turned to Ino and asked seriously, “During your fight with that bandaged man, what exactly happened?”

Ino thought for a moment and replied, “Well, I used my Mind-Body Switch Technique to control him, but he dragged me into his mental space and said a bunch of stuff I didn’t understand. Oh, and don’t be fooled by the bandages—he’s actually really handsome.”

“Handsome?” Sasuke was speechless, feeling he shouldn’t have asked this lovestruck girl.

Meanwhile, Aizen had returned to the spectators’ stands opposite Sasuke.

Along with him were Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Guy.

They stood beside Hiruzen Sarutobi, reporting the situation to him.

“Was it really wise to expose yourself so easily?” one of them glanced at Aizen.

Aizen smiled, “What does it matter? The old man’s going to die anyway. Considering I’m his clan’s killer, it’s only right to let him see me one last time before he goes.”

“But, Lord Aizen, didn’t you say the Third Hokage has a suicidal technique? Isn’t it dangerous to face him directly?” Pakura hesitated.

Aizen chuckled lightly, “Don’t worry. That old man may hate me to his core, but more than his hatred for me, he cares about his legacy.”

“Remember, people only have one life. Even if he has to die, he wouldn’t do it here.”

“He’ll die in a grander setting, with Konoha facing massive destruction, and in front of the entire village, choosing to sacrifice himself.”

“That way, after his death, the villagers won’t forget him so quickly.”

“No matter how many mistakes he made in life, he’ll be remembered like the Hokage of old, as a hero who died protecting the village.”

“And Orochimaru’s planned destruction of Konoha fits perfectly with his narrative.”

Uchiha Itachi frowned, “Konoha’s strongest forces are all gathered here. I hope you’ll still be laughing later.”

“Judging by your tone, it sounds like you plan to sit this one out?” Aizen’s face broke into a dangerous smile.

*Chapter 133: Pakura Beats Up Sakura*

"My mission is only to ensure that the First Hokage can no longer be reincarnated with Edo Tensei. Everything else is none of my concern," Itachi said coldly.

"Then just watch carefully. But I know exactly what you're like, so don’t even think about pulling any tricks. If you do, I’ll kill your foolish younger brother first," Aizen smiled dangerously, threatening him.

Hearing this, Itachi frowned but remained silent.

Aizen turned to Pakura and said, "Pakura, your abilities are too flashy. When we leave, just stand by and watch."

"Yes, Lord Aizen," Pakura responded respectfully and stood behind Aizen.

The first match ended quickly.

At this point in the tournament, the plot had already started to go off the rails.

In the second match, Sakon, who had lost an arm, fought Kankuro and ended up strangled to death by Kankuro's puppet, Karasu.

But in a way, this was a blessing in disguise.

At least he avoided the fate of becoming a sacrifice for Edo Tensei, as in the original story.

In the third match, Kenmi Tsumu fought Shino, and her tendons were chewed apart by Shino’s bugs, leaving her on the verge of paralysis.

The fourth match saw Shikamaru overwhelm Kin with his superior intellect, easily securing a victory.

In the fifth match, Naruto fought Akado Yoroi. Due to Naruto’s enormous chakra reserves, Akado absorbed too much chakra and ended up bursting from it.

The sixth match was Kabuto versus Itachi.

At this point, Kabuto didn’t dare challenge a member of the enigmatic Akatsuki, even if it was just an intern.

After all, Kabuto knew that anyone who joined that organization was a monster.

Originally, he planned to throw a couple of weak punches and immediately forfeit, but Itachi didn’t even bother leaving the stands and directly forfeited himself.

The seventh match featured Sasuke versus Kiba. Sasuke, despite enduring the pain from his cursed mark, narrowly defeated Kiba.

The eighth match: Pakura versus Sakura Haruno.

"How did this happen?" Learning that her opponent was a Rain ninja, Sakura’s heart sank, and she collapsed to the ground.

In her mind, the only reason Ino made it out unscathed against the Rain ninja was because of the intervention of Kakashi and other high-ranking Jonin.

Now, being forced to face a companion of the bandaged man, Sakura, who only knew the basic Three Academy Jutsu, felt as if she was being sent to her death.

At this moment, Kakashi, who had finished speaking with the Third Hokage, arrived with an injured Sasuke. He glanced at the tournament screen, patted Sakura on the shoulder, and sighed, "Give up. This opponent is beyond what you can handle right now."

He suspected that the female ninja standing next to Aizen was the same one they encountered in the Land of Waves.

"Kakashi-sensei..." Sakura was on the verge of tears from Kakashi’s words, but when she saw Sasuke and remembered Naruto’s victory, her eyes firmed. Wiping her tears, she said, "No, Kakashi-sensei. If Sasuke and Naruto won, then I must too."

"You..." Seeing Sakura’s determined expression, Kakashi didn’t know what else to say.

He knew she was about to face an opponent that not even he might be able to defeat.

Not wanting to crush his student’s confidence, Kakashi reluctantly agreed. He sighed and said, "Fine. I’ll speak to Guy. If at any point your life is in danger, he’ll step in to stop the match."

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said, breathing a sigh of relief before asking, "Kakashi-sensei, will you and Sasuke stay to watch the match?"

"No," Kakashi replied seriously after glancing at Sasuke. "You should have some idea of Sasuke’s condition. I need to deal with his cursed mark, and..."

As he spoke, he looked toward Aizen.

"And what?" Sakura asked, confused.

Kakashi shook his head. "No, it’s nothing. Just do your best. Though I usually teach you not to give up easily, today is an exception."

With that, Kakashi led Sasuke out of the central tower.

Watching them leave, Sakura felt a bit lost. At that moment, Naruto’s cheer echoed from a distance, "Sakura, you’ve got this! Knock out that creepy woman!"

Sakura raised her right hand in response and slowly walked toward the stands, tears welling up inside. If she had known Sasuke wouldn’t be watching, she would’ve followed Kakashi’s advice and forfeited.

But now, with Naruto shouting encouragement, she couldn’t back down. She had no choice but to go through with it.

Seeing that Sakura had the courage to face her, Pakura was a little surprised. She nodded at Aizen, received his approval, made a hand seal, and her body turned into a puff of smoke. She reappeared next to the referee.

The crowd fell silent, including the Jonin, who all looked on with heavy hearts.

Naruto hesitated and asked Shikamaru, "Shikamaru, that Rain ninja looks really strong. Can Sakura win?"

"She can’t win. Someone with that level of chakra could probably defeat most of the Jonin here," Neji said as he approached with his Byakugan activated before Shikamaru could answer.

Rock Lee followed behind Neji. "Naruto, as much as I hate to admit it, Sakura is in serious danger this time."

"Jonin..." Naruto mumbled, confused. "Is it really possible for a Genin to beat a Jonin?"

"You idiot! Haven’t you understood Neji’s point yet? That woman is no Genin," Shikamaru interjected.

Naruto gasped, "Wait! Does that mean Sakura is in serious danger? No way... I’ve got to find Kakashi-sensei!"

Just then, Guy appeared and stopped him. "It’s no use. Her identity is legitimate, and there’s no rule against Genin with Jonin-level skills participating in the Chunin Exams. Unless..."

Unless she wasn’t really from the Hidden Rain Village but was an impostor.

It wasn’t impossible, especially since Aizen’s identity had already been mostly confirmed.

The Hokage had also issued an order to capture him, which would be dealt with once the preliminaries ended.

Naruto turned back, "Unless what?"

"No, it’s nothing," Guy shook his head. "Anyway, Kakashi told me that if Sakura’s life is in danger, I’ll step in."

As they spoke, the fight between Pakura and Sakura began.

Sakura pulled out a kunai from her ninja pouch and swallowed hard.

Thirty paces away, Pakura stood calmly, completely composed.

"Begin," the referee, Hayate Gekko, commanded, signaling the start of the match.

Sakura fought hard to suppress her fear. She threw a few kunai as a diversion before charging forward.

*Chapter 134: Aizen vs Konoha's Elite Jonin*

Pakura didn’t even glance before casually catching the kunai and tossing it back.

With a soft "thud," the kunai struck Sakura, causing her to fall to the ground.

Seeing this, Naruto shouted in concern, "Sakura!"

Might Guy, standing beside him, reassured, "Don’t worry, it’s just a substitution."

Though he said this, no trace of relief showed on his face, as such tactics were child’s play for a Jonin.

As soon as Might Guy finished speaking, a puff of smoke appeared, and the "Sakura" turned into a log.

The real Sakura, meanwhile, had circled behind Pakura, kunai in hand. "Perfect chance," she whispered.

Seeing this, Naruto exclaimed, "Amazing!"

Unfortunately, cool moments seldom last.

Just as Naruto thought Sakura would succeed, Pakura suddenly turned and, faster than she could react, slapped her to the ground.

The scene fell silent. Pakura didn’t make another move, just stood observing quietly.

At that moment, Sakura felt her head buzzing, her young face swelling visibly. It took her a good while to recover.

From the audience stands, Naruto’s voice echoed again, cheering her on, "Sakura, you can do it!"

"Idiot," Sakura thought, feeling tears of frustration welling up. How was she supposed to surrender now?

With no other choice, Sakura forced herself to continue fighting.

Predictably, she got slapped around a few more times.

---

Meanwhile, in the direction of the Sound ninja.

Only Dosu remained of the Sound trio, and next to him was Orochimaru, still lingering due to Sasuke’s presence.

"What an unpredictable guy," Orochimaru mused. "But once the preliminaries are over, things will get interesting. Let’s hope the Third Hokage doesn’t die too quickly at Aizen’s hands. Otherwise, it would be no fun."

Watching Sakura getting beaten, Orochimaru lost interest. After casting a glance at Aizen, he formed hand signs, and a whirlwind swept him away, disappearing from the central tower.

In the end, this match concluded with Pakura forfeiting, giving Sakura the victory.

However, Pakura’s reason for surrendering was odd. Knowing Aizen disliked Sakura, she brutally beat her up, mocked her mercilessly, then quit, claiming she was "tired of fighting."

This left Konoha’s Genin enraged, but powerless.

---

The ninth match: Hinata vs. Neji.

No one expected the usually quiet and shy Hinata to unleash such formidable strength, matching Neji’s Gentle Fist technique blow for blow.

In fact, with her highly pure Byakugan, she even caught Neji off guard for a moment.

In the end, Neji had to use his Rotation technique to avoid defeat.

The tenth match went as it did in the original story: Temari vs. Tenten, with Temari winning.

The eleventh match: Gaara vs. Rock Lee.

Though Gaara still ended up critically injuring Lee, the battle impressed everyone, including Aizen.

It was the most remarkable fight of the preliminaries.

---

The twelfth match: Dosu vs. Choji Akimichi. Despite Dosu’s injured leg, the power gap was too large, and Choji lost.

With that, the twelve preliminary matches concluded.

---

Meanwhile, while the preliminaries were ongoing, Kakashi, Asuma Sarutobi, and other Jonin weren’t idle. Aside from Kurenai Yuhi, who truly took Rock Lee to the hospital for treatment, the others left, supposedly escorting injured students, but didn’t return.

Suddenly, the atmosphere grew tense, like the calm before a storm.

Among the twelve victorious Genin, aside from Sasuke, who was sent to the Konoha hospital due to his cursed seal, the remaining eleven drew lots for the finals.

Shikamaru looked around the massive arena, noticing that aside from the Third Hokage, Iruka, Anko, and Kurenai (who was escorting Lee), none of the Jonin, including Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, Ibiki Morino, or even Hayate Gekko, were present.

Shikamaru felt a sense of foreboding. "I’ve got a bad feeling about this..."

---

On the other side, Aizen and his team had reached the outskirts of the Forest of Death.

Before them stood Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi, and Ibiki Morino, who had already intercepted them.

"Have we been underestimated? I gave you plenty of time to prepare, yet they only sent you three. I thought Hiruzen Sarutobi himself would lead the charge. Isn’t he afraid that his last crippled son might die by my hand? Or perhaps the so-called ‘strongest Hokage in history’ is just afraid of death?" Aizen mocked, sensing the surroundings.

He soon detected Kakashi and Hayate Gekko’s presence, but he smiled, pretending not to know.

Kakashi was hidden behind a large tree not far from the trio, while Hayate Gekko used his stealth technique to conceal himself.

No doubt, Kakashi planned to stay hidden like he did against Kakuzu in the original story, using his Sharingan to observe Aizen’s team, waiting for the perfect moment to strike with Hayate.

"You arrogant traitor," Asuma snarled, gripping his serrated chakra blades. "You learned all your genjutsu from Kurenai. This time, I won’t fall for your tricks. After everything you’ve done, today we settle old scores."

"Yes, I feel the same way," Aizen said calmly, unwrapping the bandages from his face to reveal his fair, handsome face, short black hair, and a black cloak adorned with red clouds.

Next to him, Uchiha Itachi and Pakura removed their disguises, also revealing their red-clouded black cloaks. However, both wore straw hats with bells on top, clearly not wanting to reveal their identities.

Itachi, in particular, felt it wasn’t time yet, and Pakura was following Aizen’s orders to stay hidden until the Konoha Crush plan was complete.

"So, this is Fujiwara Aizen," Ibiki murmured, furrowing his brow at the sight of the youthful figure. "Such a shame, someone so young walking such a dark path."

"Don’t be so arrogant, Ibiki. You know nothing, yet you act like you’ve seen it all," Aizen smirked, his Zanpakuto quietly slipping into his hand.

With a wave, Uchiha Itachi and Pakura exchanged glances, completely ignoring the three Jonin. They sprinted past them without a second thought.

"What should we do? Do we chase them?" Ibiki hesitated, turning to Asuma for direction.

Chapter 135: One-Sided Battle

“No, our target for this mission is Fujiwara Aizen. The other two appear to be from the same organization as him, but their identities are still unclear. Besides, they both have powerful chakra, and their abilities remain unknown. Let them go,” said Asuma Sarutobi in a deep voice.

“Looks like we only need to keep Fujiwara Aizen, then,” Guy Might nodded.

“Keep me?” Aizen smirked, sliding his left hand into his pocket.

“What? You think this is funny?” Guy frowned.

“No, not at all. But it seems like we don’t really have any personal grudges, right? That includes Captain Ibiki Morino from Konoha’s Interrogation Unit. Honestly, until today, we’ve barely crossed paths,” Aizen said indifferently.

Ibiki Morino, standing off to the side, said, “You committed such crimes in Konoha, and now you’re asking for mercy? Isn’t it too late?”

“No, you misunderstood me. What I’m talking about is hatred. The reason you’re standing here today is out of your responsibility to Konoha, but there’s not a trace of personal grudge in your hearts. With that mindset, fighting me won’t even allow you to touch the hem of my clothes, let alone capture me.”

Aizen spoke with composure.

“What about me then?” Asuma Sarutobi's eyes turned red as he glared at Aizen, his face contorted with rage.

Aizen calmly responded, “You’ve got enough hatred, but unfortunately, your strength is too lacking. Back then, you were utterly defeated by me. You don’t even have the right to strike at me. Or did you forget how I castrated you and your nephew, Konohamaru Sarutobi, right in front of you? And then fed you…”

“You bastard!”

Asuma yelled furiously, as Wind Release chakra gathered on his dual blades, instantly extending the curvature of the blades several times, forming razor-sharp swords.

“A Wind Release chakra blade, huh? That’s quite a sight. It reminds me of your late brother. He used the same technique against me back in the day,”

Every word from Aizen was like a steel needle stabbing into Asuma’s heart.

At this moment, Asuma’s anger had reached its peak.

“Take this, Fujiwara Aizen!” Asuma shouted.

Aizen smiled faintly, still maintaining his pose with his left hand in his pocket, his expression calm.

“You’re not even going to dodge?” Asuma took a deep breath and charged forward, slashing with his dual wind blades.

“Heh.”

As their blades clashed, the sparks that flew were immediately consumed by the fierce wind pressure.

Asuma maintained his crossed-blade stance but was completely overpowered by Aizen’s Zanpakutō.

From the shadows, Kakashi, who had only activated his left Sharingan, was taken aback, thinking to himself, "Such advanced Wind Release chakra manipulation! He’s managed to attach Wind Release chakra to the blade in a way that’s nearly invisible to the naked eye. And that power—he’s suppressing Asuma’s dual-hand wind blades with just one hand.”

“Charging at me recklessly—have you got a death wish, son of the Third Hokage?” Aizen said calmly, pushing his blade closer to Asuma’s shoulder with a soft laugh.

Feeling the immense strength from Aizen’s blade, Asuma was shocked, but his face remained composed. He sneered, “Fujiwara Aizen, I must commend you for not using genjutsu with your first strike.”

“My first strike didn’t involve genjutsu?” Aizen chuckled, lifting his left hand from his pocket to block. “No, I should commend you for not being foolish enough to come at me alone.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Might Guy’s steel-like leg came crashing down on Aizen’s blocking arm.

At the same time, Might Guy’s loud voice echoed in everyone’s ears, “Leaf Strong Whirlwind!”

“How is this possible? He blocked my Leaf Strong Whirlwind with one hand!” Might Guy, maintaining his reverse roundhouse kick position, felt a sharp pain in his Achilles tendon and gasped in shock.

“Guy, retreat! Hayate, now’s your chance!” Asuma shouted.

Hidden in the shadows using the Transparent Escape Technique, Hayate Gekko drew his blade and suddenly charged, forming two shadow clones with a hand seal.

At the same time, Asuma and Guy leaped back, distancing themselves from Aizen.

Konoha-Style Kenjutsu: Dance of the Crescent Moon!

Hayate Gekko and his two clones instantly closed in on Aizen, attacking his vital points from the left, above, and right.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

However, just as Hayate’s blade was about to strike Aizen’s vital points, Aizen vanished. With three swift slashes of his blade, he reappeared behind Hayate.

“As expected of Konoha’s Special Jōnin, Hayate Gekko. That was some impressive swordsmanship, and your timing was impeccable,”

“Being restrained by Guy and Asuma, most people would’ve been finished off by your move.”

“But it’s a shame. I once single-handedly wiped out over two thousand ninja from the Sarutobi and Shimura clans using only my swordsmanship.”

“Your Konoha-style kenjutsu is child’s play to me.”

With those words, there were two soft popping sounds as Hayate’s shadow clones vanished, while his real body collapsed to the ground, a long gash on his back, blood splattering everywhere.

“Hayate!” Asuma shouted.

Might Guy crossed his arms in front of his chest and roared, “Damn it! If that’s the case, I’ll use the Eight Gates!”

“Relax. I’ve already said that we have no personal grudge, so I won’t kill you. In fact, in a way, my slash might’ve saved his life. But... I won’t give you the chance to use that dangerous taijutsu.”

Before Guy could open the Eight Gates, Aizen suddenly appeared behind him like a ghost, his Zanpakutō piercing through Guy’s abdomen from behind.

“How… how is this possible? You were just over there…” Guy’s eyes widened as he looked at where Aizen had previously been standing, his voice weakening. “It was… genjutsu…”

The Aizen standing in the original spot dissolved into cherry blossom petals.

“Guy! Fujiwara Aizen, you bastard! When… when did you cast the genjutsu?” Asuma roared as he rushed forward, wind blades swinging rapidly.

Aizen withdrew his blade and flicked off the blood. Dodging Asuma’s attack in a flash, half of his face hidden in the shadows, he said, “When did I cast the genjutsu? Interesting. Well, let me ask you this: when did you start thinking I wasn’t using genjutsu?”

Asuma didn’t reply. He quickly formed hand seals, exhaling a cloud of hot ash toward Aizen.

Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!