Chapter 119: The Chunin Exam Begins, Goodbye Team 7

"If you can manage it," Kankuro sneered, full of disdain.

Standing beside him, Temari, aware of the Sand and Sound Village's plan, sighed helplessly. She didn’t want any unnecessary trouble and advised, "Stop it, Kankuro. You'll get scolded later."

Kankuro didn't care. He was about to make a move on Konohamaru when Naruto suddenly shouted Konohamaru’s name and rushed over. However, Kankuro easily tripped Naruto using his chakra strings.

From a nearby rooftop, Aizen, Itachi, and Pakura watched everything unfold.

Hearing Konohamaru’s name, Itachi looked at Aizen in surprise. "Didn't you already wipe out the Sarutobi clan?"

"Of course. But I'm not a complete monster. Just like how you spared Sasuke from the Uchiha clan, I left survivors from the Sarutobi family. And not just one. The Third's youngest son is still alive," Aizen said with a light laugh.

"Then why does Konohamaru seem so weak? Did you do something to him?" Uchiha Itachi frowned.

"Nothing much. I just castrated him. Oh, and the same goes for Asuma Sarutobi. Now, aside from that old man Hiruzen Sarutobi, there's not a single male left in the clan," Aizen said with an innocent smile.

Itachi’s mouth twitched under his mask. He thought to himself, I never realized this guy was so dark before.

As they spoke, Sasuke stepped in to intervene.

In a flashy move, Sasuke threw a pebble, hitting Kankuro's hand and freeing Konohamaru. He then appeared on a tree, casually tossing another pebble while looking down at them. "What are you doing in someone else's village, you idiots?"

At that moment, several onlookers blushed, especially Sakura, who immediately became infatuated and shouted, "Sasuke, you’re so cool!"

"Your Sasuke is still as much of a show-off as ever," Aizen smirked, glancing at Itachi.

Itachi didn’t respond, but his mouth tightened slightly under his mask. Sasuke, you’ve grown up, he thought. But not enough. Your hatred for me still isn’t strong enough.

Just then, Gaara finally arrived, catching Pakura’s attention. "I didn’t expect it to be them," she said, surprised.

"Oh? You know those Sand Village kids?" Aizen asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Yes, they’re Rasa's children. The Wind Style ninja Temari, the puppeteer Kankuro, and the boy with the gourd, Gaara, the One-Tail Jinchuriki, also known as the Sand's ultimate weapon," Pakura explained, her expression serious.

Aizen pretended to be surprised and chuckled. "No wonder I sensed a strange chakra from him, similar to the Fourth Mizukage, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, Yagura. So he’s the One-Tail Jinchuriki. Seems like we hit the jackpot this time—two Jinchuriki in one place."

"Two Jinchuriki?" Pakura was startled. "You mean the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is here too?"

"Yep, that blond kid," Aizen said, subtly glancing at Itachi.

At that moment, Itachi's face twisted in frustration, his eyebrows nearly merging together.

"Should we capture them? Now might be the best chance," Pakura hesitated.

"No need. The leader said we’re just here to observe. There’s no point in taking on a risky task for no reward. Let’s go." Aizen shook his head, then leaped from the rooftop in a blur.

"Understood, Lord Aizen," Pakura responded respectfully, following close behind.

As Itachi listened to Aizen’s words, he also followed. He felt relieved.

With Aizen’s strength, no one in Konoha could stop him if he decided to act.

The three of them walked past Gaara, Naruto, Sasuke, and the others without a care.

Itachi glanced at Sasuke, and their eyes briefly met.

Sasuke frowned. Though he didn’t recognize the disguised Itachi, a strong sense of déjà vu made him uneasy. Who are these people? he thought angrily. Even as they walked right past me, I didn’t sense them. Damn it.

Among them, Gaara, the strongest, also sensed something strange about Aizen and the others. "What are your names?" he asked coldly.

"You’re not worthy of knowing," Aizen replied casually as they disappeared down the street.

Gaara’s eyes narrowed, but instead of anger, he smiled. "Seems like you’re worth killing," he said, much to the terror of Kankuro and Temari, who feared he might lose control again.

As evening approached, the sun set, casting a golden glow over the buildings of Konoha, making the village look both beautiful and majestic.

Inside an inn, Aizen had already shed his disguise and changed into casual clothes, ready to head out.

"Where are you going?" Itachi, standing by the window with his arms crossed, frowned slightly. He was worried Aizen might do something to harm Konoha.

"Don’t look at me like that. I’m just going to visit an old acquaintance. You can go see your brother too if you want. I won’t stop you."

"As long as it doesn’t interfere with the mission, people can turn a blind eye to certain things."

"Of course, if anyone leaks any information, that’s different. After all, our mission is just to observe. If someone spills the beans, more than just the Third Hokage will die," Aizen warned, glancing at Itachi to ensure he wouldn’t run off to tattle.

Then, turning to Pakura, his tone softened. "Pakura, I’ll be heading out now. I probably won’t be back tonight."

With that, Aizen vanished from the room, leaving Itachi momentarily confused.

Pakura, however, wasn’t surprised. She merely bowed slightly toward where Aizen had disappeared, then leaned against the wall, closing her eyes to rest.

"He’s always like this?" Itachi asked hesitantly.

"Lord Aizen always has his own plans. I don’t interfere. If you want to go, just go. Don’t disturb my sleep," Pakura waved him off without even looking at him.

"Then I’ll be back tomorrow," Itachi said, hesitating for a moment before vanishing from the room.

He wasn’t planning to confront Sasuke just yet, but seeing him more wouldn’t hurt.