*Chapter 118: The Strongest Trio, Joined by the Newcomer*

Pain nodded slightly, looked around, and thought for a moment before speaking again. "Normally, Genin teams are made up of three people. Aizen and Pakura’s team is still missing one person. For this upcoming Chunin exam, does anyone want to join?"

As soon as Pain finished speaking, Deidara, who was always reckless, immediately raised his right hand and shouted, "I'll go! I'll go, hm!"

"Step aside," Sasori scolded. "Aizen's mission this time is to take down the First Hokage, who’s been revived through Edo Tensei. With your style, the Konoha Collapse Plan will be ruined before it even starts, with the entire village blown to bits."

"Sasori, how could you question my art, hm!" Deidara shot an annoyed glance at him.

"That stuff you call 'art' is a joke. Only eternal things are truly perfect." Sasori's Hiruko puppet voice was raspy and low, sneering.

While the two argued over art, Itachi remembered Sasuke, staying silent for a while before finally speaking. "I'll go."

"Deidara's abilities are too flashy, making him unsuitable for this mission. It makes sense for you to go. Among our members, besides Deidara, you and Aizen are the youngest and both from Konoha. No one is more fitting than you."

Pain ignored the two artists and nodded at Itachi.

"Then, the task will be entrusted to Aizen, Pakura, and Itachi. Kisame will be responsible for supporting them. This mission is critical. Make sure the First Hokage can never be revived by Edo Tensei again."

After giving these orders, Pain deactivated the Phantom Projection Jutsu. The other members of the Akatsuki slowly left as well.

Soon, in the dark, enclosed cave, only Aizen, Pakura, Itachi, and Kisame remained, surrounded by dim lights.

"My, my, what an honor it is to work alongside Mr. Aizen," Kisame complimented with a wide grin.

"Likewise," Aizen glanced subtly at Itachi and Kisame, thinking to himself, I never imagined these two would join me in heading to Konoha early. Seems like the future events might change completely.

Wonder if Sasuke and Kakashi can survive this beating.

Probably not.

Oh well, whatever happens, happens!

Three days later, Aizen, Pakura, Uchiha Itachi, and Kisame met outside the gates of Konoha.

By then, Itachi had already changed into the Rain Village's ninja uniform. He carried several of the signature umbrellas used by Rain Village ninjas and wore a gas mask similar to Hanzō’s to hide his identity, covering most of his face. His tear troughs were also concealed with makeup. His hairstyle was different too—his ponytail, once bound with a red string, was let loose, giving him a more androgynous appearance. At first glance, it was almost impossible to recognize him.

Kisame, since he didn’t need to infiltrate Konoha, still wore the standard Akatsuki uniform—the black cloak with red clouds. He handed two Rain Village ninja identification papers to Aizen and Pakura. "Here, Mr. Aizen, Miss Pakura. The leader prepared these for you. As long as you disguise yourselves to look like the photos on these IDs, you can easily enter Konoha as Rain Village Genin. The leader also found three individuals of similar build to you. I’ve already killed them on my way here to cover your tracks. So, even if your identities are exposed during the Konoha Collapse Plan, the organization and the Rain Village won't be linked."

"Well-prepared, I see." Aizen took the IDs and glanced at them, a bit surprised.

It wasn’t that the photos were unflattering, but they looked eerily similar to the Second Tsuchikage, completely wrapped in bandages, with only their eyes exposed. They looked like mummies, save for the different forehead protector symbols.

Obito really went all out to ensure the First Hokage isn’t revived.

"Thanks for the compliment. Now, I'll leave the rest to you three." Kisame handed over two Rain Village uniforms.

Soon after, Aizen and Pakura changed into their new outfits.

After showing their identification papers, they walked right through the gates of Konoha without a hitch.

"It’s been almost five years since I last returned here. It feels quite nostalgic," Aizen remarked, standing front and center, with Pakura keeping a respectful step behind him wherever they went.

Meanwhile, Itachi followed silently with his usual cold demeanor, like someone owed him money.

"Lord Aizen, what should we do next?" Pakura glanced at Uchiha Itachi, clearly displeased with someone who killed his own parents, and whispered to Aizen, frowning slightly.

"There are still three days until the Chunin Exams. Let’s just find a place to stay for now. But before that, meeting a few old friends doesn’t sound bad."

Aizen stopped and looked back at Itachi with a smile. "I sense your foolish little brother's chakra 500 meters at our nine o’clock. There’s an inn over there. Want to check on him?"

"Whatever," Itachi said coldly, though a flicker of emotion flashed through his eyes, quickly hidden as he responded with his usual aloofness.

"Such a tsundere. He cares so much but pretends not to," Aizen teased as they headed toward the area where Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were.

Aside from them, Aizen sensed three other chakras far beyond the level of Genin, one of which emitted an aura quite different from that of a Jinchuriki. It had to be the Sand Siblings—Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, who first clashed with Team 7 in the original storyline.

Besides those six, there were three more nearly negligible chakras. One of them was familiar—Konohamaru, the very person Aizen had castrated, serving as the catalyst for this upcoming conflict.

A gray hawk circled high above Konoha.

Receiving the news, Konoha’s Jonin, including Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma, hurried to the Hokage Tower to recommend their students for the Chunin Exams.

Aizen and Itachi, as former Konoha ninjas, knew the hawk signaled a summons from the Hokage, but they paid it no mind.

By the time the trio arrived, the conflict had already started. Konohamaru had accidentally bumped into Kankuro.

"Ouch! You brat," Kankuro, carrying his puppet Crow wrapped in cloth, grabbed Konohamaru by the collar, lifting him off the ground and teasing, "By the way, are you a boy or a girl? You're dressed like a boy, but you sure talk like a girl."

"You jerk, I'll kill you!" Konohamaru snapped. Ever since Aizen had castrated him at the age of three, anyone questioning his gender had become his greatest trigger.