91-95

*Chapter 91: Mixed Bathing and Aizen’s Plan*

Aizen continued, “Never underestimate any opponent.”

“Let’s put Zabuza aside for now. Kakashi is the kind who gets stronger when faced with stronger opponents. He can hold his own against almost anyone. If you dare to underestimate him, you might find yourself in big trouble.”

“Zabuza is a perfect example. At first, because those little brats distracted Kakashi, he had the upper hand and even trapped Kakashi with the Water Prison Technique.”

“But his blind arrogance put him in danger. This fight is as good as lost for Zabuza.”

As they spoke, Kakashi once again copied Zabuza’s Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique and used his Sharingan’s predictive abilities to strike first, unleashing a powerful stream of water that sent Zabuza crashing into a tree on the riverbank.

Kakashi then threw kunai, pinning Zabuza's limbs to the tree stump.

“It seems you're right,” Pakura said noncommittally. Glancing at the tree trunk behind them, she whispered, “It looks like someone is eavesdropping on us. Want me to take care of her?”

“No need. Let’s go.” Aizen shook his head and disappeared from the tree.

After hesitating briefly, Pakura followed.

Strictly speaking, Aizen had come not only to meet an old friend but also to save Haku and prevent tragedy.

Though he wasn’t exactly a saint, anyone who had read the original Naruto couldn’t help but feel regret over Haku’s death.

This would be the second unresolved regret he had taken care of, after helping Pakura.

Plus, he could provide their beloved Mizukage with two valuable assistants.

Shortly after Aizen and Pakura left, Haku emerged from behind the tree, bowed toward the direction Aizen had left, and swiftly headed toward Zabuza.

Meanwhile, Aizen and Pakura arrived at a residential area.

Looking at the lifeless passersby and sensing the country's poverty, Pakura couldn’t help but ask, “Can you really make extra money in a place like this?”

“Of course. Making extra money doesn’t mean robbing civilians, and there’s nothing to rob from them anyway.” Aizen, sensing Haku and Zabuza’s movements, smiled slightly. As they approached an onsen (hot spring inn), he stopped and turned to Pakura, “Want to take a bath? My treat.”

“A bath?” Pakura tilted her head.

Moments later, Aizen and Pakura had changed into yukata and were in the outdoor hot spring.

“Sorry, guests. Due to the extreme poverty in the Land of Waves, we don’t have enough money for maintenance. This is the only mixed bath we have left.” The owner, a woman in her seventies, said with a contented smile, bowing slightly.

“No problem. I’m booking this place for the next week. Don’t let anyone else in.” Aizen casually pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to the owner.

“Oh, thank you so much! Don’t worry, we’ll close the inn starting today, and no one will disturb you.”

The owner gratefully accepted the money, a small fortune that was equivalent to a year’s income for the inn.

Once the owner left, Aizen removed his yukata, leaving only a towel wrapped around his lower body, revealing his pale but toned muscles. He entered the hot spring, rested his arms on the edge, and lay back, a look of contentment on his face.

“Aren’t you coming in?” Aizen turned to Pakura.

“Yes.” Pakura replied respectfully, nervously untying her yukata and stepping into the bath, her face flushed. Even her neck had turned pink.

Like Aizen, she only wore a towel, but hers was wrapped around her entire body, covering her upper half as well.

As her yukata got wet, it clung tightly to her body, outlining her shapely and curvaceous figure.

“Relax. It’s not the first time we’ve bathed together, and I’m not going to bite.” Aizen turned, admiring Pakura with interest. When his eyes landed on the gold ring around her neck, he smiled and touched it. “You’re still wearing this ring, huh?”

“Yes, Lord Aizen. You told me to keep it safe and never take it off, no matter what,” Pakura’s face grew even redder, a mix of nervousness, fear, and a faint sense of anticipation.

“I’ve told you many times, stop calling me ‘Lord’.” Aizen said, slightly exasperated.

“Lord Aizen, you saved my life, guided me in my training, and taught me ninjutsu. I owe you everything, and my admiration for you is—" Pakura looked up at Aizen’s handsome face and began to speak passionately.

“Alright, alright. Whatever.” Aizen sighed, losing interest. He turned back to rest against the edge of the bath.

Suddenly, Aizen felt a soft sensation against his back. Pakura had wrapped her arms around him from behind, her voice trembling. “If Lord Aizen desires it, I’m willing to do anything for you.”

Aizen glanced at the towel floating in the water beside them. Although his blood was boiling, he didn’t seem inclined to act.

Gently removing Pakura’s hands, he placed the towel back over her and, for once, resisted the temptation.

“I know you want revenge, and I promised to help you. But don’t let hatred blind you to the point of doing something against your own will. I liked the old you better.”

With that, Aizen softly patted Pakura’s head and smiled, “Alright, that’s enough for today. I’ll go get us something to eat.”

He stood up and left the bath, leaving Pakura standing there, looking bewildered.

Afterward, Zabuza entered a recovery period, and Kakashi, having overused his Sharingan, was left drained of chakra and unable to move for several days.

Under Kakashi’s guidance, Naruto and Sasuke began learning how to climb trees, while Sakura relaxed.

The Land of Waves returned to its usual quiet.

As for Aizen, he had already scouted the area and snuck into Gato’s residence, using his Sharingan to control him and make him gather funds.

A week passed quickly.

Now dressed in Akatsuki robes and wearing their conical hats, Aizen and Pakura stood at the inn’s entrance.

Sensing that both Kakashi and Sasuke were fighting Zabuza and Haku, Aizen handed Pakura a bag of storage scrolls. “I’ll leave that side to you. I’ll be waiting for you at the Great Naruto Bridge.”

“Leave it to me.” Pakura took the bag, bowed respectfully, and disappeared.

Her mission was to take all of Gato’s assets.

“What a hassle. I’ve killed so many people since I came to this world, but today I’m going to great lengths to save someone who has nothing to do with me. And he’s a boy, no less.” Aizen chuckled to himself before heading toward the bridge.

*Chapter 93: Saving Haku*

By the time Aizen arrived, the battle had reached its peak.

Sasuke was getting beaten up as usual. He first put on a tough front, only to be tortured by Haku's Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, suffering severely. He was pierced all over by senbon needles.

It wasn’t until Naruto arrived that they had a chance to catch their breath.

Meanwhile, Zabuza was falling into Kakashi's trap step by step. After Zabuza's Decapitating Knife was stained with Kakashi's blood, he used the Hidden Mist Jutsu, enveloping the entire bridge in a thick fog.

Kakashi, seizing the opportunity, pulled out his summoning scroll and began to call upon his eight ninja hounds.

Watching Kakashi summoning dogs, Aizen was reminded of Batman from a Western comic in his previous life: you could fight him, but never schedule a fight with him. After gathering intel, he’d plan everything out to ensure your defeat.

Zabuza was clearly suffering from this mistake.

While Kakashi was releasing his dogs, things weren't looking good for Sasuke. To protect Naruto, he was hit by Haku’s senbon again.

"You... idiot..." Sasuke forced a smile.

Naruto’s body trembled, his eyes wide open. "Why? Why did you save me?"

"How should I know?" Sasuke's eyes began to dim, memories of Naruto flashing in his mind. "I hated you the most... but my body moved on its own... idiot."

With that, Sasuke could no longer hold on and collapsed, falling into Naruto's arms.

As he lay in Naruto’s embrace, feeling his consciousness fading, Sasuke thought he was dying. He remembered Uchiha Itachi, and with a voice full of regret, muttered, "I haven’t defeated my brother yet... How can I die here? You can’t die either."

The last sentence was for Naruto. After saying it, Sasuke passed out.

"SA-SU-KE!" Naruto's roar echoed as, in his fury, he unleashed the Nine-Tails' dark red chakra and charged at Haku.

Aizen watched all this unfold, silently remarking to himself, "No wonder Kakashi later said in the Fourth Great Ninja War that the first enemies Team 7 faced were Zabuza and Haku, and how lucky they were."

Back when he first watched this, Aizen was too young to understand. He just wanted to see Naruto fight. But now, it was clear that Sasuke risking his life for Naruto made Naruto’s future relentless pursuit of Sasuke make sense.

This friendship had transformed into something profound. If one of them had been a girl, there would be no room for Hinata or Sakura in the original story.

"Good thing Haku was the one they were facing. Otherwise, Sasuke and Naruto would have ended up as star-crossed lovers today."

"It seems like it's almost over," Aizen slowly stood up.

The battle had reached its climax.

At this point, Zabuza was being pinned down by Kakashi’s eight ninja hounds. Kakashi charged up his Lightning Blade, preparing to end Zabuza’s life.

Haku, having been defeated by Naruto’s Nine-Tails chakra, was ready to sacrifice herself, intending to block Kakashi’s attack for Zabuza.

Just as Haku used her Water Body Flicker Technique to rush in front of Zabuza, Aizen acted.

He intercepted Haku at a speed faster than hers, then used a shadow clone to take her place and block Kakashi’s Lightning Blade.

"Why did you save me?" Haku recognized Aizen.

"To die now would be too pitiful for you. Don’t think your life has no meaning. Zabuza doesn’t just see you as a tool. You’ll see soon enough."

Aizen glanced at the shadow clone that was taking the hit for Zabuza, still intact. He thought to himself, "Looks like Kakashi has been slacking these past years. He’s nowhere near as sharp as in Shippuden."

Aizen had only used his Kyoka Suigetsu to hypnotize Kakashi’s senses, making him believe he had killed Haku. He also wrapped the shadow clone in a protective aura.

But Kakashi’s Lightning Blade, despite not breaking through the clone’s defenses, couldn’t even make the clone disappear with its impact.

Kakashi gently laid the clone down, then started ruthlessly beating Zabuza.

It didn’t take long for him to use a kunai to disable both of Zabuza’s arms.

Just then, Gato arrived with a group of thugs, unaware that he had been betrayed.

As he spoke humiliating words and stepped on Haku’s 'body,' Naruto gave a heartfelt speech that brought Zabuza to tears.

Biting down on his kunai, Zabuza charged at Gato.

"Lord Aizen, is this what you call 'Talk no Jutsu'?" At some point, Pakura had appeared beside Aizen and Haku.

"More or less," Aizen replied, turning to Haku, who was now crying as she watched Zabuza fight. "Do you still think you're just a tool for Zabuza?"

"Lord Zabuza..." Haku’s voice trembled as she watched Zabuza fight alone in the crowd, her tears flowing uncontrollably.

The scene was deeply touching. Even Pakura was moved and asked Aizen, "Lord Aizen, allow me to assist."

"No need," Aizen shook his head, snapped his fingers, and the shadow clone disguised as Haku suddenly came to life. It picked up a sword from the ground and dashed into the crowd with incredible speed. In just a moment, everyone except for Gato and Zabuza was dead.

"How... that child was already dead, wasn’t he?"

The sudden revival of 'Haku' and the overwhelming power shocked everyone. Even Kakashi was startled.

Naruto and Zabuza, on the other hand, were overjoyed, crying tears of happiness at Haku’s apparent return to life.

As for Sakura, clueless as ever, she had no idea what was happening and just sobbed uncontrollably over Sasuke’s body, not even sure if he was dead.

"It’s simple. He wasn’t dead." Aizen’s voice echoed through the mist. He and Pakura, dressed in red cloud black cloaks and wearing straw hats, walked out with Haku by their side.

At the same time, countless sakura petals began to fall from the sky, signaling the activation of the Falling Sakura Genjutsu.

Apart from Kakashi, Zabuza, and Gato, everyone else fainted instantly.

"This is Genjutsu... you are..." Kakashi’s pupils dilated as he looked at Aizen and his group, then at the revived 'Haku,' who had slaughtered Gato’s men.

A terrible realization dawned on him.

In the next moment, the shadow clone posing as 'Haku' reverted to Aizen’s form and vanished into smoke.

"Haku, you’re still alive?" Zabuza was equally shocked. Seeing Haku alive, his body, already covered in wounds, finally gave out. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed.

"Lord Zabuza!" Haku rushed forward, trying to catch him.

*Chapter 94: Goodbye, Kakashi (Please Subscribe)*

“Don’t come any closer! If you do, I’ll kill him!”

However, Gato was still unwilling to give up. Knowing he couldn’t escape, he frantically picked up a sword from the ground and held it against Zabuza’s neck, trying to alleviate his fear by shouting.

“Yo, Kakashi-senpai. Long time no see. It’s been almost five years, hasn’t it? You’re still so weak. Have you been reading too much of ‘Make-Out Paradise’?”

Aizen had never even looked directly at Gato. Lightning flickered in his hand, accompanied by the chirping of a thousand birds. The lightning transformed into a sharp spear that pierced Gato’s forehead, shattering most of his skull.

Clang! The sword fell to the ground as Gato staggered and collapsed, dead beyond a doubt.

With Gato no longer a threat, Haku rushed forward and caught Zabuza.

“Is that the Chidori? Are you Aizen?” Kakashi finally recognized Aizen. He collapsed to his knees, supporting himself with his hands on the ground, staring at Aizen in disbelief.

Wearing a wind chime hat that covered his face, Aizen’s chin’s sharp lines gave off a familiar feeling.

Just like in the original story, Kakashi’s chakra was nearly exhausted at this point.

“You finally recognized me?” Aizen murmured.

“Why? Since you’re still alive, why didn’t you return to the village and explain everything to the Hokage? Not just me, but Naruto and Kurenai too—they’ve all been hoping for your return,” Kakashi gasped, questioning him.

“How is Kurenai doing now?” Aizen hesitated before asking.

“Because of you, she chose to step back and join the medical division. It wasn’t until three months ago, when summoned by the Hokage, that she returned to the front lines as a team leader, just like me,” Kakashi replied.

“That’s good to hear.” Aizen smiled slightly, unbuttoning the high collar of his black robe with red clouds. He took off his wind chime hat, revealing short black hair, a scratched Konoha headband, and a perfectly handsome face.

When Kakashi saw the scratch on Aizen’s headband, his pupils immediately shrank in shock. “Aizen, you—”

“As you can see, I’ve already become a rogue ninja. And thank you for your trust, but unfortunately, what the wanted poster says is true. Just like Itachi Uchiha who exterminated his clan, I have also wiped out the Sarutobi and Shimura clans. Not just them—I even killed Sarutobi Hiruzen’s son and daughter-in-law.”

Aizen shrugged nonchalantly, looking innocent.

“Why... Why did you do this?” Kakashi’s world was shattered; he could hardly believe it.

The person who was once so bright, elegant, kind, and respected by the people of Konoha had truly done such things.

“Why?” Aizen put his hat back on, mimicking Obito’s tone when he spoke to the Fourth Hokage. “You could say it was premeditated, or maybe just out of interest.”

“If I have to explain, I’d say it was to rid Konoha of its parasites.”

“What does that mean?” Kakashi frowned.

Aizen casually summoned a chair from his system storage, sat down, and continued, “Kakashi, you’re a smart guy, but you’ve been influenced by your environment, narrowing your perspective.”

“When you were the captain of the Anbu, tasked by Sarutobi Hiruzen to handle the Uchiha clan’s bodies, you must have also dealt with the Sarutobi clan’s corpses, right?”

“Didn’t you find anything odd back then? Where did this supposedly low-profile Sarutobi clan suddenly get so many ninjas?”

“Over two thousand ninjas. That surpasses the peak numbers of the Senju and Uchiha clans.”

“While other clans weakened or vanished after three great Shinobi Wars, the Sarutobi clan kept growing. Ever notice that aside from Asuma, none of those Sarutobi ninjas had names or were seen on missions?”

“Doesn’t that say something?”

Aizen took three bottles of water from his system storage, throwing one to Pakura behind him and one to Kakashi.

Kakashi accepted the bottle but didn’t drink, silently watching Aizen while restoring his chakra and waiting for him to continue.

Aizen paid no mind, opened his bottle, took a sip, and went on, “Wherever the leaves dance, fire burns. The fire’s light will guide the village and help new trees grow. The Will of Fire never dies.”

“That line—Sarutobi Hiruzen often preached it. You’re familiar with it, right?”

“It sounds nice, but what did Hiruzen do? He used the people of Konoha as fuel, burning the village to shine on his clan.”

“If I hadn’t wiped out the Sarutobi clan and Hiruzen kept ruling, mark my words: Konoha would soon be renamed Sarutobi.”

“So, tell me, didn’t I rid Konoha of its parasites?”

Kakashi frowned, trying to gather more information from Aizen. “So, you hated the Third Hokage and destroyed the Sarutobi clan because of this?”

“Of course not.” Aizen shook his head. “The Sarutobi clan means nothing to me. Even if Hiruzen had renamed Konoha, it wouldn’t concern me.”

“But before we go on, let me tell you some of Hiruzen’s blunders over the years.”

“Do you know how your father died?” Aizen suddenly asked.

“My father?” Kakashi froze, unable to keep calm as memories of his father flooded his mind.

Aizen continued, “Yes, your father, Sakumo Hatake.”

“Your father, known as the White Fang of Konoha, was a genius ninja whose fame overshadowed even the Sannin. But he suddenly committed suicide.”

“Rumor has it he abandoned a mission to save his comrades, leading to a huge loss for the village, and he was condemned by the village, including those he saved. Broken in spirit, he took his own life.”

“But the truth is different.”

As the sun rose and the mist cleared, light fell across the bridge.

Half of Aizen’s face was cast in shadow due to the sunlight.

“Your father died from political persecution.”

“Political persecution?” Kakashi looked bewildered.

*Chapter 95: Pain’s Call (Please Subscribe)*

Aizen nodded seriously and said, "Back then, your father was renowned, overshadowing the Three Sannin. His prestige was so great that it even rivaled the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, during his prime."

"He was a strong candidate for the Fourth Hokage. Whether among the ninjas or the common people, there was a strong push for him to succeed as the Fourth Hokage. Even the Third Hokage had to bow to the pressure and grant him the Hokage half-sleeve."

"However, it was this public support that led to his demise."

"You should know that although the Hokage is supposedly chosen based on merit, in reality, a hidden rule emerged starting with the Second Hokage."

"The Second Hokage was the brother of the First. The Third Hokage was a disciple of the Second, and the Fourth Hokage—your teacher, Minato Namikaze—while not a direct disciple of the Third, was taught by Jiraiya, who was."

"From the Second to the Fourth, they all shared one common trait: they were all closely tied to the Hokage line."

"From the moment your father became a contender for the Fourth Hokage, his tragedy was already set in stone."

"The so-called secret mission was nothing more than a fuse. Even if he had chosen the mission over saving his comrades back then, another incident would have eventually occurred."

"All these years, have you never had your doubts?"

"A secret mission is called ‘secret’ because it must remain absolutely confidential."

"But why did it suddenly become known to everyone?"

Aizen’s words left Kakashi skeptical. He asked gravely, "Are you suggesting that the Third Hokage deliberately leaked this information?"

"No, that old geezer wouldn’t do that," Aizen shook his head. "Such things are usually Danzo’s doing. Danzo also wanted to be Hokage, almost to the point of madness. You should know this better than anyone since you once worked under him in the Root. He even had you and Yamato try to assassinate the Third Hokage."

"Danzo knew he couldn’t openly eliminate your father, his rival, so he waited in the shadows for an opportunity."

"Then, he got it. When your father failed his mission, Danzo seized the moment to manipulate public opinion, making the mission’s failure known to all and exaggerating the harm it brought to the Leaf Village."

"In no time, your father went from being a celebrated hero of the village to a figure despised by everyone. Eventually, even the person he saved turned against him."

"The Third knew all this. Rather than merely permitting it, it was more like he desired this outcome."

"First, he was in his prime and neither willing nor ready to step down from the Hokage position. And even if he had to retire, he would never pass the title to someone outside the Hokage circle."

"Secondly, as I mentioned, there was a sense of Hokage inheritance. After the Third Great Ninja War, when he had no choice but to step down, he chose your teacher over Orochimaru, who had already aligned with Danzo."

"If you’ve noticed, Orochimaru’s experiments on the village’s ninjas and civilians all began after he failed to become the Fourth Hokage."

"As for your father’s suicide, it wasn’t just the public backlash that killed him. It was the despair he felt after seeing the dark side of the Leaf Village, where reality clashed with his ideals."

Aizen finished, and a heavy silence fell.

After a long pause, Kakashi finally spoke, "Why are you telling me this? Do you want me to betray the village like you did?"

"No, don’t misunderstand. I have no such intention. Besides, so many years have passed, and all evidence has vanished. Even if you believe this to be true, you wouldn’t betray the Leaf because of your experiences. I just wanted you to see Hiruzen Sarutobi’s true face." Aizen shook his head.

At that moment, the rings on Aizen and Pakura’s fingers emitted a pulling force, and Pain’s voice resonated in their minds, "Recently, a new ninja village called the Hidden Sound Village has emerged. Orochimaru is likely involved in its formation. If any of you are free, investigate it."

Aizen stood up and exchanged a glance with Pakura, saying, "I’ll go. We’re not busy anyway."

"Among the Akatsuki, your sensory abilities are the best, so I’ll leave it to you," said Pain before cutting the call.

Aizen stood up, put away his chair, and said to Kakashi, "Too bad, Kakashi-senpai. I wanted to chat more since it’s been a while since we last met, but it looks like I have to go. Next time we meet, our positions may force us to be enemies."

"As for today, telling the Third won’t help you, but it doesn’t matter if you do. The Leaf is already in decline thanks to that old man, even his Sarutobi clan has been wiped out by me. If I truly wanted to destroy the Leaf, it wouldn’t be much harder than annihilating the Sarutobi and Shimura clans."

With that, Aizen walked toward Zabuza and Haku.

Pakura glanced deeply at Kakashi before following him.

Watching Aizen and Pakura walk away, Kakashi thought to himself, “They don’t see me as a threat at all. It seems he’s not bluffing.”

“How are you feeling now?” Aizen asked Zabuza.

Zabuza’s wounds had been treated by Haku, who had already stopped the bleeding, but Zabuza was too severely injured and was near death.

Haku was beside him, crying uncontrollably.

"Not too bad. I never thought you’d be the one to save me," Zabuza said weakly, coughing up blood.

"No, it wasn’t really me who saved you. You saved yourself. If you hadn’t made a stand in the end, I might not have intervened," Aizen replied frankly.

"I see," Zabuza smiled in resignation, looking at Haku with growing guilt. "Sorry, Haku. It’s too late to say anything now, but at least you’re still alive, and that’s what matters."

"Zabuza-sama," Haku cried, clutching his hand tightly, ready to follow him in death once Zabuza passed.

"Aizen... no, Lord Aizen, can I ask one last favor?" Zabuza said, struggling to hold on.

Aizen, feeling they had been emotional long enough, took out a Senzu Bean from his system storage and said, "If you’re asking me to take care of Haku after your death, there’s no need. Haku sees you as everything, and if you die, he won’t want to live either. Besides, you’re not going to die. Eat this."