*Chapter 111: The Shock of Team 8*

Note: Incorrect title, it should be "The Shock of Team 8."

"To be honest, this time, they did cause me some trouble. But... it doesn't matter anymore."

As Kakashi spoke, his right eye squinted slightly, and with a serious expression, he looked at Kurenai Yuhi. In a low voice, he asked, "Do you still remember a person named Fujiwara Aizen?"

Kurenai clutched her chest with her delicate hand, her face full of sorrow as she lowered her head. Her beautiful eyes were filled with confusion and grief. "What’s the point of telling me this now? He's already dead."

"No, he's still alive," Kakashi interrupted.

"How can that be? You clearly..." Kurenai gasped in shock, her hand tightening around a ring Aizen had left her.

Suddenly, long-forgotten memories surged back into her mind.

In a daze, she saw Aizen again.

That night, before he left, he gave her that ring.

So, he was really still alive.

But why did he leave without a word back then?

Kakashi had no idea that his words had broken the genjutsu Aizen had once placed on Kurenai’s mind.

He continued, "I don’t know how he did it, but I saw him again this time, without a doubt."

"Moreover, he used the same trick again, fooling me into thinking that the ice ninja with Zabuza had been killed. In reality, it was just a shadow clone with a genjutsu cast on it."

"Then why hasn’t Aizen returned to the village?" Kurenai asked, echoing the same question Kakashi had once asked.

She still couldn't believe Aizen was the one who slaughtered the Sarutobi and Shimura clans.

Kakashi sighed softly. "I asked him that too, but his answer might be beyond what you can imagine, because it involves too many people and too much history for me to explain directly."

"But what I can tell you for sure is that Aizen has become a rogue ninja. He admitted to personally wiping out the Sarutobi and Shimura clans."

"And he holds a deep grudge, not against Konoha per se, but against the upper echelons of the village. He even seems to want them dead."

"He's no longer the Aizen we once knew, or maybe... this is who he truly was all along, and we just never saw it."

"Of course, this isn't even the worst part. Plenty of people want to overthrow Konoha; they just lack the ability to do so."

"But Aizen is different. With his current strength, he truly has the power to challenge Konoha. And it seems he's joined some mysterious organization."

"Someone like him is incredibly dangerous for Konoha now. If you see him again, be prepared."

Kurenai fell silent.

She was now torn between two choices. On one side was Konoha, the village she had grown up in and was dedicated to protecting.

On the other side was her beloved student, whom she had thought dead but who now had a bond with her that surpassed that of mere teacher and student.

As Kurenai wrestled with her feelings, three people approached from outside the shop.

They looked to be about twelve or thirteen years old—two boys and one girl.

Well, to be exact, two boys, one girl, and a dog.

Standing in the center was a boy wearing a gray-white fur coat despite the summer heat, with a small white dog perched on his head.

He had wild black eyes, sharp canine teeth, and red markings on his face, exuding a feral energy.

Behind him, on his left, was the only girl in the group.

She had short, pale purple hair and pure white eyes. Her appearance was delicate and pretty, and her conservative attire gave her the shy, demure air of the girl next door.

The last person, who seemed quite ordinary, was the least noticeable of the three.

He was covered almost entirely by his cloak, even wearing dark sunglasses that made him look aloof and isolated.

These three, along with the dog, were the current members of Team 8—Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame, and Kiba’s ninja dog, Akamaru.

"Sensei—oh, Kakashi-sensei is here too. We heard you talking about someone named Aizen. Who is he?" Kiba asked loudly as he walked into the dumpling shop with Hinata and Shino.

Even Akamaru seemed curious, barking a few times, "Woof woof!"

Before Kurenai or Kakashi could respond, Shino, the least noticeable of the group, answered, "Aizen, full name Fujiwara Aizen, was an outstanding student at the Academy. In the 54th year of Konoha, he graduated from the ninja school a year early and became a Genin. He joined the first Team 8 under Kurenai-sensei."

"54th year of Konoha? That’s the same year we entered the Academy, right?" Kiba said, surprised, looking at Shino.

Hinata lowered her head, a trace of sadness flashing through her eyes, though no one knew what she was thinking.

Shino nodded and continued, "Within a year, he passed a special exam set by the Hokage, skipping over Chunin and Special Jonin, and before he turned twelve, he became the youngest Jonin in Konoha's history."

"Jonin before twelve? That’s impossible!" Kiba’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Even Kakashi was surprised, glancing at Shino and asking, "Is there anything else you know?"

"A year after becoming a Jonin, he was implicated in the massacre of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, becoming an S-rank rogue ninja," Shino said, shocking everyone.

"An S-rank rogue ninja at thirteen, responsible for the slaughter of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans? He was our age when he did that? How?" For the first time, the fearless Kiba felt a chill of fear.

It wasn’t Aizen’s ruthlessness that scared him—after all, being a ninja meant killing people.

What terrified Kiba was Aizen’s immense strength and talent.

Never mind the truth behind the Sarutobi and Shimura massacres, but becoming a Jonin before the age of twelve was already astounding.

Kiba, who had always been confident and ambitious about becoming Hokage, suddenly felt a massive gap in his abilities.

For the first time, he began to doubt himself—if someone like Aizen couldn’t become Hokage, could he really do it?

Kakashi ignored Kiba’s shock and narrowed his eyes at Shino. "This isn't something a Genin would normally know. Where did you hear all this?"

"I observed... and also, from this."

Shino pulled out a ninja handbook, which listed various rogue ninjas from Konoha and beyond.

Kiba snatched the handbook from Shino, flipping through it. "Wow, there are so many powerful guys here! Wait, Uchiha... there’s even someone from Sasuke’s clan, and he's an S-rank rogue ninja too!"