*Chapter 116: Three Years of Pregnancy Brain – Convincing Tsunade*

Aizen nodded. “One of them is me, the other is Uchiha Itachi. That foolish Uchiha Itachi has been completely brainwashed by the Third Hokage. Then Danzo, taking advantage of his love for his brother, Uchiha Sasuke, tricked him into wiping out his clan. And that idiot really went through with it.”

“At the time, I also had a close friend in the Uchiha clan, and Danzo used the same trick to threaten me.”

“But he got too greedy and didn’t plan to spare my friend’s life. He even ordered Itachi to kill both me and my friend.”

“I figured out the truth early, and since I had no intention of attacking the Uchiha clan anyway, I decided to go all out. Since I was going to be branded a rogue ninja, I slaughtered the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, making sure those old fools, Hiruzen and Danzo, paid for their actions.”

“You sure hold a grudge,” Tsunade said, her mouth twitching slightly.

For some reason, Tsunade felt a surge of excitement in her heart.

Originally, upon learning that the village her grandfather founded had experienced such a massacre, she should have been angry.

But hearing how her man exacted such swift and decisive revenge, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

“Heh, I’ve always been the kind of person who gets even right away,” Aizen chuckled, then asked, “Wait, where was I?”

“You were just talking about the current state of Konoha,” Tsunade reminded him.

“Oh, right,” Aizen continued, “As for Konoha, it’s like a stagnant pond, stuck in a fake peace. Everyone’s too comfortable with the status quo.”

“At this rate, Konoha will eventually fall apart under Hiruzen Sarutobi’s leadership. One of Orochimaru’s goals with his Konoha Crush plan is to break this deadlock.”

“But does he really need to bring in ninja from other villages? That will only benefit Sunagakure and harm Konoha in the long run,” Tsunade said, her voice tinged with anger.

“Of course, which is why Orochimaru plans to ambush and kill the Fourth Kazekage, then take his place and stir up trouble.”

“That way, he can eliminate one of Konoha’s biggest threats, Kazekage Rasa, and minimize the damage. Once Sunagakure realizes the Kazekage has been replaced, they’ll eventually return to their alliance with Konoha.”

“He’s a twisted guy, alright. Evil, but not completely, since he still has some affection for Konoha,” Aizen added sarcastically.

“How do you know all of this?” Tsunade eyed Aizen suspiciously, unable to see through him completely.

“Of course, because that Rasa guy had a grudge against one of my companions. Not too long ago, I took her to Orochimaru and helped him get rid of the guy before we came to Tanzaku Town,” Aizen replied with a grin.

“You... really?” Tsunade groaned inwardly. What kind of man had she gotten involved with? Taking out the Kazekage, one of the leaders of the Five Great Nations, just like that.

“Don’t worry about it. Now, the important thing is this,” Aizen said seriously, “If you want to break Konoha’s deadlock, the key is Hiruzen Sarutobi. As long as he’s alive, Konoha won’t be able to move past its current problems.”

“And I’m afraid that might be exactly what Hiruzen Sarutobi wants.”

“You mean, the Third knows that Orochimaru wants to kill him?” Tsunade gasped.

“He probably doesn’t know yet, but he will soon. And he won’t stop it,” Aizen explained. “Hiruzen is old, and he’s made a lot of mistakes. Instead of just fading away, he might prefer to die a hero, taking the village’s dark secrets with him, like the previous Hokages. That way, he can at least preserve his legacy.”

“I imagine Orochimaru feels the same. So, the two of them will have a final battle, and Hiruzen will likely die in the process.”

“That’ll be the last bit of teacher-student loyalty between them.”

“I’m sure Jiraiya, being one of the Sannin, is well aware of this. He probably won’t intervene until after it’s over.”

Aizen summed up the events of the Konoha Crush from the original story, outlining the relationship between Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

“So, are you still planning to get involved in all this?” he asked.

Tsunade fell into a brief silence after hearing his words. After a moment, she shook her head and changed the subject. “You said earlier that this is only one of Orochimaru’s goals. What’s the other?”

Aizen smirked. “What else? He’s after Uchiha Sasuke’s body. Ever since Itachi humiliated him with his Sharingan, he’s been obsessed with that bloodline. He wants to use Sasuke’s hatred for his brother to manipulate him. Orochimaru plans to kill the so-called ‘strongest Hokage’ to show off his power and lure Sasuke over to his side.”

“Orochimaru lost to a kid from the Uchiha clan?”

Tsunade felt a sense of melancholy, realizing how quickly the younger generation was surpassing the old.

But then, she looked down at the man lying in her arms, and a sense of peace washed over her.

She then asked the question that had been on her mind. “Aizen, where do you stand in all of this?”

“What if I said I wanted to destroy the Konoha your grandfather built?” Aizen asked, his eyes gleaming as he looked at the fully matured Tsunade in his arms.

“You wouldn’t. You only hate the higher-ups in Konoha, like Sarutobi and Shimura. You grew up in the village. You wouldn’t destroy it just out of spite,” Tsunade smiled.

“Looks like you’re not all brawn and no brains. But how did I manage to get you into bed so easily back then?” Aizen scratched his head.

“Don’t even start,” Tsunade shot him a sharp look, secretly relieved. It seemed she hadn’t misjudged him after all.

If he had truly harbored ill will toward Konoha, she would have been torn between her loyalty to the village her grandfather founded and her love for him. It would’ve been an impossible choice.

Knowing Aizen didn’t hate Konoha as a whole was a huge relief.

Aizen then asked, “Now, the real question is, after the Third dies, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado will probably recommend Jiraiya for Hokage. But Jiraiya doesn’t like that kind of responsibility, so he’ll push for you. What will you do?”

Tsunade turned the question back on him. “What do you want me to do?”

Aizen thought for a moment before replying, “I think you should take it. If Jiraiya doesn’t want it, and you don’t either, then the position will probably go to that old dog Danzo. Unless, of course, you don’t mind me killing him.”

“And if I do become Hokage, and I ask you to come back to Konoha, will you?” Tsunade asked, hope shining in her eyes.