76-81

*Chapter 76: Orochimaru, The Tough Fighter*

"So what? Who are you? Why are you with that scumbag, Sasori?" the reanimated Third Kazekage frowned and asked.

"You don't need to know who I am; just remember who you are," Aizen sneered, mocking him. "Who would’ve thought? The Third Kazekage of Sunagakure, known as the strongest Kazekage in the shinobi world, reduced to a puppet of Orochimaru, a traitor from Konoha and the apprentice of the Third Hokage. Controlled to be nothing but a killing machine—how humiliating."

"Bastard! I'm not a puppet!" The reanimated Third Kazekage glanced at Orochimaru and, much like in the original story, used his own will to break free from the Reanimation Jutsu, allowing his soul to ascend.

Seeing this, Deidara, who was watching from afar, widened his eyes in disbelief. "Hey, hey! Sasori! What the hell is this 'talk-no-jutsu'? Is it really that powerful? He didn’t even lift a finger, just talked, and solved that endlessly regenerating nuisance."

Sasori heard this and remained speechless, ignoring Deidara. His focus was entirely on Orochimaru.

He used Iron Sand to form a massive cylindrical structure, preparing to attack at any moment.

On the other side, Orochimaru appeared thoughtful and muttered to himself, "It seems like this jutsu still has many flaws."

"There's a weakness," Sasori thought, taking the opportunity. He flicked his fingers, controlling the Iron Sand cylinder, and smashed it into Orochimaru.

However, it was useless.

Orochimaru had already prepared. He used the Orochimaru Substitution Jutsu, allowing an external body to take the heavy hit.

Then, from his mouth, he slithered out, his legs turning into a snake’s tail as he quickly escaped into a cave.

Unfortunately for him...

Aizen had already sensed Orochimaru’s movements with his Observation Haki. The moment Orochimaru used the substitution, Aizen threw a Rasenshuriken.

In the original story, a Rasenshuriken at 50% of Naruto’s power was enough to destroy two of Kakuzu's hearts and cripple him.

Aizen had no personal grudge against Orochimaru and didn’t intend to kill him.

So, he used only 50% of the Rasenshuriken’s power and even adjusted the angle to minimize its impact on Orochimaru's body.

The goal was not to slice Orochimaru into pieces.

Otherwise, even with the Orochimaru Substitution, he’d probably be done for.

Unless, like Sasuke in the original story, Orochimaru used the Evil Releasing Method to lift the curse mark on Anko Mitarashi, Orochimaru wouldn’t be able to revive again.

"Ah!"

Orochimaru never expected the Rasenshuriken could be thrown, catching him completely off guard. His back made direct contact with the spinning storm of the Rasenshuriken.

With a scream, he was sucked into the massive, terrifying whirlwind it created.

He experienced pain only Kakuzu had known in the original story.

"Hey, hey! What kind of ninjutsu is that? The power is insane!" Deidara, who was preparing to use explosive clay to chase after Orochimaru, was blown off his clay bird by the powerful storm generated by the Rasenshuriken.

He crashed onto the sandy ground, lying there, stunned by everything he had just witnessed. Hearing Orochimaru's screams nearby, he couldn’t contain his shock.

Meanwhile, Sasori, sensing the danger, had already erected a huge sand wall in front of him to block the storm’s effects.

"I heard Orochimaru mention that the Fourth Hokage created a similar technique called the Rasengan. If that’s the case, I’ll call this Wind Style: Rasenshuriken," Aizen’s calm voice suddenly appeared beside Deidara and Sasori.

"Wind Style: Rasenshuriken, huh... Yeah, that's a powerful technique, and it's got a certain artistic flair to it. Brother Aizen, I apologize for being disrespectful before. From now on, you're my big brother, just like Sasori."

Deidara stood up and walked over, a look of admiration on his face.

"Big brother, huh? Alright. I’ll take you in as my little brother. If you ever need anything, your big brother's got your back," Aizen smiled and patted Deidara on the shoulder.

"Once a big brother, always a big brother," Deidara said flatteringly.

As they spoke, the storm gradually subsided, and Orochimaru's figure appeared in the sky.

By now, he had become a bloodied mess, his entire body being continuously assaulted by trillions of Wind Chakra needles.

Eventually, his screams ceased, and his body fell from the sky, landing in the giant crater created by the Rasenshuriken.

"Is that snake finally dead?" Sasori removed the sand wall and glanced at Aizen.

"Probably. I can’t feel his chakra anymore," Aizen knelt down, placing his hand on the ground as if checking for signs of life.

In reality, the moment Orochimaru fell into the pit, he had already used his substitution jutsu again and fled.

The body in the pit was nothing more than an empty shell.

As expected, when Sasori approached the pit and used his puppet tail to pull up Orochimaru’s body, he found that it was hollow.

Additionally, a snake was attached to the mouth.

This meant that Orochimaru had used his substitution technique twice in a row to escape the Rasenshuriken’s assault.

Deep in a dark cave...

The holographic images of Akatsuki members appeared around a central lantern.

"That damn snake got away again," was the first thing Sasori said when he arrived.

"What happened?" Pain looked toward Aizen.

"Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t hold back this time. If you don’t believe me, just ask Zetsu. I bet he was spying the whole time," Aizen shrugged innocently.

"I'll let everyone judge for themselves." As he spoke, Black Zetsu played back the battle between Aizen, Sasori, and Orochimaru.

The Akatsuki members were all shocked when they saw the Third Kazekage being reanimated. Then, as they watched Aizen "talk-no-jutsu" the Third Kazekage and use the Rasenshuriken, their expressions turned to pure amazement.

They all realized that aside from Pain, few among them could withstand that jutsu.

"It seems Orochimaru has mastered a unique substitution technique, allowing him to completely avoid external damage."

After watching the footage, Pain accepted Aizen's explanation and asked, "Aizen, you said there are four other ways to stop the Reanimation Jutsu, aside from sealing and physical restraint. What are those four?"

"Talk-no-jutsu, Genjutsu, soul extraction, and Yin-Yang Release."

Aizen's response shocked everyone.

Especially Black Zetsu, who felt a chill run down its spine. After all, it was a product of Yin-Yang Release, created by Kaguya Otsutsuki herself.

*Chapter 77: The Scorch Release and Pakura's Flaming Back*

Pain frowned and asked, "Be more specific."

Aizen began to speak nonsense with a serious expression:

“The first method is through verbal persuasion, also known as the ‘Talk no Jutsu.’ Simply put, you use words to make the reanimated person develop a resistance to the control of Edo Tensei, freeing themselves, and allowing their soul to ascend.”

“However, this method has several limitations. First, the reanimated person must be strong enough. Then, the person using this technique must be careful, or they might provoke the reanimated one instead.”

“Also, as Edo Tensei improves, the success rate of Talk no Jutsu will decrease. They might just attack while you’re still talking. Overall, this method is risky, and should only be used as a last resort.”

“The second method is genjutsu. Using a powerful genjutsu, like the Sharingan, you can control the caster and force them to undo Edo Tensei. This is the easiest and quickest way.”

“The third method involves soul extraction. This might only be possible for the leader. When I was at Konoha, I infiltrated the archives and found the Second Hokage’s notes, which mentioned the abilities of the Rinnegan.”

“One of these abilities is soul extraction, where a person’s soul can be pulled directly out of their body. Without a soul, they would be dead.”

“As for the last technique, Yin-Yang Release,” Aizen glanced at Black Zetsu with interest before continuing, “It’s different from the illusion-based Yin Release or the medical ninjutsu-based Yang Release.”

“Yin-Yang Release is a combination of both.”

“The Second Hokage’s notes mention that Yin-Yang Release contains the power of creation and destruction. It’s said to be a secret technique unique to the Sage of Six Paths, able to nullify all ninjutsu. Even Edo Tensei bodies cannot resist it. Once hit, the body won’t heal, and in severe cases, it can be reduced to ashes.”

“This technique has never been seen in the shinobi world because it’s nearly impossible for a person to possess both Yin and Yang chakra properties. And even if they do, they wouldn’t know how to combine them.”

There were two more things Aizen didn’t mention. One was that if the dead person knows the hand signs, they can break the summoning contract and free themselves from control.

The other was his Zanpakutō, which could completely kill the reanimated.

As soon as Aizen finished speaking, the room fell silent, as if frozen in a dead, eerie stillness.

No one had expected there to be such secret techniques in the shinobi world.

After a long pause, Pain finally broke the silence, “That’s enough for now. Keep an eye on Orochimaru’s actions. He’s not one to sit idly by. As long as he’s alive, he’ll make a move.”

“What a troublesome guy, learning techniques to resurrect the dead. If it wasn’t for Brother Aizen, we might have been in danger this time,” Deidara said sarcastically.

“Speaking of immortality, we have another example right here,” Konan added.

Pain explained, “It’s a request from the Hidden Hot Springs Village. They say a murderous madman has appeared, and they’ve asked us to take him down.”

Kakuzu raised an eyebrow, “Doesn’t the Hidden Hot Springs Village have their own shinobi?”

“They can’t kill him. It’s said he’s the only successful result of a cult that experimented with immortality. But it’s unclear whether it’s Edo Tensei,” Konan answered.

“Let’s talk assignments. Sasori, Deidara, you two will continue with Aizen to recruit Pakura, the Scorch Release user. Zetsu will inform you of the ambush location near the Hidden Mist Village. Kakuzu, you’ll go with Konan and Itachi. Dismissed!”

With that, Pain ended the projection.

“He sure likes giving orders. By the way, Brother Aizen, are the leader’s eyes really that powerful, able to steal souls?”

As soon as Deidara opened his eyes, he was like a curious child, eager to ask Aizen.

“Well, since they’re said to be the eyes only the Sage of Six Paths possessed, it wouldn’t be surprising if they had such abilities. But I’ve never seen it myself, so I can’t say for sure. Who would be foolish enough to go up against the Rinnegan anyway?”

Aizen replied nonchalantly.

“That’s true. To steal a person’s soul and kill them in an instant—that’s a real work of art,” Deidara nodded in agreement.

“Alright, let’s stop the chit-chat. If we’re late, that woman from the Sand Village is going to be done for,” Sasori said impatiently, urging them.

“I know, I know,” Deidara responded, summoning two large clay birds.

With Aizen and Sasori aboard, they flew toward the Land of Water.

The Land of Wind isn’t too far from the Land of Water.

With Deidara’s clay birds, it took them less than a day to cross the Land of Fire and several surrounding nations to reach the Land of Water, where they met up with Zetsu.

“They’ve arrived at last,” muttered Black Zetsu, watching the birds fly overhead.

Moments later, the giant birds landed, and Aizen, Deidara, and Sasori jumped down.

“How’s it going, Six? Has Pakura, Brother Aizen’s new partner, arrived yet?” Deidara made a hand sign to dismiss his clay birds, mimicking Aizen’s tone as he questioned Zetsu.

“By sunset, she should be here. The Hidden Mist’s shinobi are already lying in wait on either side of the mountain pass, ready for the ambush,” Zetsu answered, his voice as raspy and low as ever.

“Oh? This is a perfect spot for an ambush. Surrounded by mountains, if you lure someone in without them knowing, just the shuriken and kunai would be enough to turn them into a pincushion,” Aizen mused, observing the Hidden Mist shinobi lying in wait.

He vaguely remembered that in the original timeline, Pakura had been ambushed in a place just like this, getting stabbed by hundreds of shuriken and kunai.

Sasori glanced at the mountain pass and clicked his tongue. Turning to Aizen, he asked, “What’s your plan? Should we kill them now?”

“We don’t need to do anything. If we act rashly, Pakura might suspect us. We have to wait until she fully realizes the darkness of the Hidden Sand Village before she’ll consider joining us. Until then, we just wait for the right moment to strike.”

Aizen shook his head, pulled out a straw hat with a wind chime, and sat down to meditate.

It wasn’t long before a woman appeared at the entrance to the mountain pass, around sunset.

She wore a backless black outfit, but her chest was covered modestly. A Sand Village forehead protector adorned her head, and her hair was tied into a bun, with orange bangs framing her face and contrasting sharply with her dark green hair.

The most striking features were her fair back and ample chest, which even rivaled those of Lady Mikoto.

---

*Chapter 78: Pakura Enters the Dawn*

"Is this the place?"

At this moment, Pakura had yet to sense the impending danger.

This time, she was sent to Kirigakure under the guise of a secret mission by the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, Gaara's father.

The meeting point was right here.

She first confirmed the mission scroll at her waist and then initiated the signal.

Before long, a Kirigakure ninja appeared. He had a kind and deceptive appearance, radiating the demeanor of a friendly old man, and approached with a warm smile.

"Scorch Release Pakura-sama, I am your Kirigakure contact."

"It’s truly an honor to meet you."

"Due to the heavy fog in the Land of Water, Elder Gen sent me to wait here."

Following the usual protocol, both sides exchanged identification.

After confirming the details, Pakura suspected nothing and followed the Kirigakure ninja into the mountain path.

"Die."

But as soon as she stepped onto the path, the once-kind-looking Kirigakure ninja's expression shifted dramatically, and he hurled several kunai at her.

Pakura, one of Sunagakure's top warriors, quickly reacted even in the face of a surprise attack, narrowly dodging the kunai. She shouted angrily, "Bastard, what are you doing? Are you trying to break the peace treaty between Sunagakure and Kirigakure?"

Her mission was to negotiate the final terms of the peace treaty with Kirigakure’s Elder Gen.

The Kirigakure ninja sneered at Pakura with a look that seemed to mock her stupidity. "Fool. The terms of the peace treaty between Sunagakure and Kirigakure were settled long ago. The precondition was your death."

"Scorch Release Pakura, you killed so many of our comrades from Kirigakure during the Third Great Ninja War. It's time to repay that blood debt."

"You won’t escape this time."

As his words fell, over a hundred Kirigakure ninjas emerged from the high ground on either side of the mountain path.

They all stared at Pakura with a mix of malice and hatred.

"Bastards." Hearing this, Pakura finally understood that she had been betrayed by the high command of Sunagakure.

She quickly formed hand seals, intending to unleash her Scorch Release, but the Kirigakure ninja from earlier forced her back with another kunai.

"Pakura, we know all about your abilities, and we won’t give you the chance to use your Scorch Release. Attack!" the Kirigakure ninja said, executing a Body Flicker Technique to distance himself from Pakura.

In the next moment, every Kirigakure ninja, driven by their hatred from the Third Great Ninja War, simultaneously hurled shurikens and kunai at Pakura.

In an instant, countless blades rained down like a storm of light, converging on Pakura.

"Damn it." Seeing no escape, Pakura let out a desperate roar toward the sky.

At this moment, Pakura's heart sank to its lowest.

She couldn't understand why the village she had devoted herself to protecting would betray her.

Just as Pakura was losing hope, a shadow appeared like a god descending from the heavens, standing before her. In her astonished gaze, the figure raised his right hand, creating an invisible protective barrier that enveloped them both.

Kunai and shurikens clashed against the barrier, sparking fiercely with a piercing metallic sound before being deflected away.

Pakura was stunned. She looked at the young man who had appeared like a hero to save her, momentarily lost in a daze.

"Looks like I made it in time." Aizen, with a swift movement, appeared behind the Kirigakure ninja from before, striking his acupoints to immobilize him before kicking him over to Pakura’s feet.

At this point, Pakura finally saw the young man’s appearance clearly.

He was dressed in a black cloak with red clouds, wearing a ring marked with the word "blue" on his right index finger, and had a straw hat with wind chimes on his head.

Beneath the hat, she could vaguely see a young, handsome face.

With just one glance, Pakura recognized his identity, exclaiming in shock, "Fujiwara Aizen."

She couldn’t help but recognize him. Aizen’s reputation was too widespread throughout the ninja world, both in the underground and among the major villages. His name alone instilled fear.

After all, this was the man who had killed Sarutobi Clan and wiped out Shimura clan of the ninja world.

"Heh, seems I don’t need to introduce myself." Aizen removed his straw hat, revealing his medium-length black hair, a Leaf Village forehead protector scarred by a blade, and an exceptionally handsome yet masculine face.

As they spoke, explosions, clashing metal, and cries of agony echoed around them.

Pakura, now on high alert, activated her Scorch Release, forming four fireballs around her body, ready to counter any potential attack.

Aizen noticed Pakura’s wariness and chuckled, "Relax, it’s all my comrades handling things around us. One of them is even an old acquaintance of yours. You’re safe now."

"Why did you save me?" Pakura asked, still cautious and hesitant.

Aizen smiled faintly. "Nothing much. Our leader values your strength and wants you to join us."

"Join?" Pakura looked puzzled.

Aizen nodded. "Yes, join. You must have realized by now that you were betrayed by Sunagakure’s high command and handed over to Kirigakure."

As he spoke, Aizen casually revealed the conspiracy between Sunagakure and Kirigakure to betray Pakura.

"Those bastards... How could they?"

Pakura’s eyebrows tightened in anger, and she nearly ground her teeth in rage.

She had bled and sweated for her village, dedicating her entire life to it.

But in the end, she was betrayed by her own people.

In a fit of fury, she grabbed the immobilized Kirigakure ninja by the neck without even bothering to interrogate him.

She snapped his neck instantly.

Feeling that wasn’t enough, she used her Scorch Release to incinerate him into a dried corpse.

Aizen shrugged and continued, "Actually, it’s a pretty common scenario."

"If you think about it, you and Rasa were both strong candidates for the Fourth Kazekage. Even though you willingly gave up the position, you were still a threat in Rasa’s eyes."

"Because of your withdrawal, those in Sunagakure who once supported you eventually shifted their allegiance to Rasa."

"If this ambush by Kirigakure didn’t happen, Rasa would’ve found another way to get rid of you eventually."

"He’s just like the Third Hokage—‘weak and ineffective against external threats, but ruthless within his own ranks.’ Although his methods aren’t as subtle as Hiruzen Sarutobi’s, his heart is just as dark, if not darker."

"At least Hiruzen had to maintain his image in front of his subordinates, often delegating the dirty work to Danzo."

"But Rasa is different. If I’m not mistaken, even the mission scroll he gave you is blank."

"Check if you don’t believe me."

Hearing this, Pakura opened the scroll.

It was blank.

In a fit of rage, she tore it to pieces in just a few moves.

*Chapter 79: Mei Terumi's Attack*

Pakura couldn’t tell if she was disappointed or angry. She stood there trembling uncontrollably, finally catching her breath after a while. She asked the question that was burning in her mind, “Then why are you and your companions here?”

“It’s simple. We’ve known about the plans of Kirigakure and Sunagakure for a long time. We waited until this moment so that you would sever all ties with your village. How does it feel to be betrayed by your village’s leaders, just like me?” Aizen said calmly.

Pakura was stunned. “You were betrayed by your village too?”

“Of course. Do you think I slaughtered the Sarutobi and Shimura clans just for fun?” Aizen nodded.

At this moment, Deidara and Sasori, who had teamed up to eliminate the Mist ninjas on both sides of the mountain path, walked over.

“Brother Aizen, the Mist ninjas on both sides are taken care of, and Brother Sasori has found some decent materials,” Deidara said casually.

“How did things go on your end?” Sasori glanced at Pakura and asked Aizen.

“Almost done,” Aizen replied with a slight smile, looking at Pakura. “So, what’s your answer?”

“What if I refuse?” Pakura frowned and asked back.

“Not much,” Aizen shook his head and then added, “But our organization has invested so much in you. To prevent you from leaking what happened today, my companions here might not let you go. And even if you survive today, where can you go?”

“Sunagakure? If you return, you’ll probably die even faster. The Sunagakure higher-ups, led by the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, won’t tolerate having an unstable factor like you around.”

“Those bastards…” Pakura clenched her fists tightly, her bones cracking audibly. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and her chest heaved in rage, creating a striking outline in the air.

After a while, she took a deep breath, barely controlling her emotions, and said seriously, “Fine, I agree to join you, but I have one condition.”

“Speak freely. As long as you complete the tasks given by the organization and don’t betray us, your actions won’t be interfered with,” Aizen said calmly.

“I want to kill Rasa and those Sunagakure scumbags,” Pakura gritted her teeth.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get your chance. You’re not the only one who wants to kill the Kazekage, and some have already succeeded,” Aizen said, glancing meaningfully at Sasori.

“This is…” Hearing this, Pakura finally noticed the unremarkable Sasori standing beside Aizen.

“This is the old acquaintance I told you about, known as the ‘Genius Puppet Maker’ of Sunagakure, Sasori of the Red Sand,” Aizen introduced with a slight smile.

“Tch,” Sasori scoffed arrogantly and turned his head away.

“I never expected even you to join this organization. It seems this group is truly extraordinary,” Pakura said, taking a deep breath, clearly surprised. She continued, “Granny Chiyo has always been thinking about you.”

Since Chiyo and her brother Ebizō had retired early after Sasori defected and didn’t participate in the Kirigakure incident, Pakura didn’t harbor much resentment towards Chiyo.

“Enough with the sentimentality. We’re not far from Kirigakure, and with all this commotion, the Mist ninjas will catch up soon,” Sasori, seemingly touched on a nerve, raised his voice in impatience, trying to change the topic.

Aizen smiled, “Not ‘soon,’ but they’ve already caught up.”

As he finished speaking, a giant Venus flytrap emerged from beside him.

“Aizen, the Mist ninjas are here, led by the Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumi,” said White Zetsu, his tone filled with a sense of mischief.

“What’s your plan?” Black Zetsu asked Aizen.

*Ding! Congratulations, Host, for triggering system options.*

*Option 1: Meet Mei Terumi. Reward: One Senzu Bean.*

*Option 2: Meet Mei Terumi and mock the Mist ninjas. Reward: Three Senzu Beans.*

*Option 3: Meet Mei Terumi and confront the Mist ninjas. Reward: Armament Haki.*

*Option 4: Ignore Mei Terumi and flee. Reward: Viagra 9999.*

*Rewards can be stacked. Please choose.*

“Mei Terumi, huh…” Aizen chuckled softly, “Since she’s here, I can’t just pass up meeting the new Mizukage. Sasori, Deidara, Mist ninjutsu can obscure vision, and neither of you has sensory abilities. Take Pakura and leave first. I’ll follow.”

Hearing this, the three exchanged glances. Deidara said, “Brother Aizen, we’ll wait for you ahead… yeah.”

With that, Deidara summoned two giant clay birds and took off with Sasori and Pakura.

“Um… thanks for before… and be careful,” Pakura stammered, her cheeks turning red as she expressed her gratitude and concern before leaving.

Watching the trio disappear, Black Zetsu said, “We’ll withdraw too.”

As he spoke, the giant Venus flytrap slowly sank into the ground.

It wasn’t long before Sasori and the others had just left when the Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumi led a large group of Mist ninjas to the scene.

Mei had emerald-green eyes, long auburn hair styled with a cross at the back, partially covering her right eye, and pink lips. She had a full chest, fair skin, and wore a blue strapless dress with a white belt at the waist.

At this moment, Mei Terumi was still in her twenties, youthful and beautiful. Though not as mature as her appearance in the Shippuden series at thirty-one, she was still strikingly attractive.

“What the hell happened here?” Mei Terumi was stunned when she saw the corpses of the Mist ninjas on both sides of the mountain path. It was clear she was unaware of the collusion between Kirigakure and Sunagakure against Pakura.

She then spotted Aizen at the end of the road and murmured, “Red clouds on a black robe… You’re from Akatsuki.”

*Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have received one Senzu Bean.*

Hearing the system prompt in his mind, Aizen shrugged and said, feigning innocence, “If I told you I was just passing by and didn’t kill these people, would you believe me?”

Before Mei Terumi could respond, Ao, the “White-Eyed Killer” beside her, approached her with a serious expression and said respectfully, “Mizukage-sama, he is Fujiwara Aizen, considered the most notorious criminal since Uchiha Madara. He single-handedly slaughtered the Third Hokage, the Sarutobi clan, and the Shimura clan.”

“He excels in genjutsu and is known as the Illusion God in Konoha. It’s rumored that his genjutsu skills rival those of Uchiha Itachi.”

Mei Terumi let out an “oh,” surprise flashing in her eyes. “I didn’t expect the rumors were true. Not only are you alive, but you’ve also joined the Akatsuki. Our Kirigakure has countless grudges against Akatsuki, so I can’t just let you leave.”

Raising her delicate hand, Mei pointed at Aizen with a smile, “At the very least… let me give you a melting kiss.”

Chapter 81: Your Kiss, I Accept It

“Melting is one thing, but a kiss? I guess I can reluctantly accept that. So, it seems like a fight is inevitable.”

Aizen flicked his wide sleeve, and his Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu, silently appeared in his hand. As Terumi Mei and the other Hidden Mist ninjas watched, he whispered to himself, “Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu.”

“Of course. We won’t give you a chance to use your genjutsu.”

“Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu.”

A faint smile appeared on Terumi Mei's face as her hands moved rapidly in a sequence of hand signs. A dense mist spewed from her mouth, quickly enveloping the area around Aizen, making everything hazy. Visibility dropped to almost nothing.

“So this is the Hidden Mist Jutsu infused with Water Style chakra? As expected of the Fifth Mizukage. The density of this mist is far superior to the ordinary Hidden Mist Jutsu,” Aizen’s voice echoed from within the fog.

“It’s an honor to receive praise from the legendary Phantom God, Aizen. But this ends now,” Terumi Mei declared as she began forming hand seals to unleash her Lava Release.

“Yes, it’s over. Your first kiss—I’ll be taking that.”

Before Terumi Mei could complete her jutsu, Aizen appeared suddenly before her.

Terumi Mei’s eyes widened in shock. Before she could react, Aizen had already grabbed her hands mid-seal.

In her stunned gaze, Aizen kissed her.

Silence. The entire scene fell into a dead, eerie stillness.

The surrounding Hidden Mist ninjas stared in disbelief, eyes wide and jaws dropped, unable to process what they had just witnessed.

Finally, it was the “White-Eyed Killer” Ao who broke the silence, shouting, “When did he get here? Protect Lady Mizukage!”

Ao pulled out a kunai, slashing at Aizen. At the same time, several Hidden Mist ninjas launched their attacks on Aizen.

Aizen dodged effortlessly, using his Body Flicker Technique to escape several hundred meters away in mere moments.

Meanwhile, Terumi Mei stood frozen, her mind spiraling into confusion. She had been forcefully kissed—by a rogue ninja, no less.

Though the man looked handsome, the whole situation was just too shocking.

Ding! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining three Senzu Beans!

Hearing the system’s notification in his mind, Aizen wiped his lips and formed a few symbolic hand seals. “That was quite a kiss. In honor of your Mizukage, I won’t kill you all today. Until we meet again.”

“Where do you think you’re going?”

As a loyal follower of the Fifth Mizukage, Ao clenched his teeth, fuming with anger at seeing his leader humiliated in such a way. He immediately ordered the surrounding Mist ninjas to launch a coordinated assault on Aizen.

But before they could act, Aizen breathed out a fireball. Upon hitting the ground, the fireball transformed into a vast sea of flames, rushing toward them.

This was Kakuzu’s B-rank Fire Style: Head-on Hardening Technique.

Enhanced by Aizen’s Sage Chakra, the technique’s power rivaled and even surpassed the Great Fire Annihilation used by Uchiha Madara during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

The Hidden Mist ninjas were stunned by the grand display and quickly formed a Water Wall in unison.

The collision of fire and water caused massive steam to fill the air.

Despite the combined efforts of dozens of Hidden Mist ninjas, they could only manage a draw against Aizen’s attack.

Seeing the deadlock, Terumi Mei finally unleashed her Water Style: Water Pillar Jutsu, extinguishing the flames completely.

“Lady Terumi Mei, are you alright?” Ao rushed to her side.

“What about Fujiwara Aizen?” Terumi Mei shook her head.

Still reeling from being suddenly kissed, her face was flushed, and even her neck was tinged with pink. Her shoulders trembled slightly, uncertain whether she was excited or angry.

She could barely speak coherently.

Ao, who had been monitoring Aizen with his Byakugan the entire time, shook his head bitterly. “After unleashing that powerful Fire Style, he vanished without a trace.”

“To appear before us all so suddenly... maybe his genjutsu really is on par with Uchiha Itachi’s.”

“No, maybe he’s already surpassed Itachi.”

“When he used that Fire Style just now, I observed with my Byakugan that his chakra spiked tenfold.”

“It’s like he’s a tailed beast himself. I have no idea how the Leaf Village managed to produce such a monster.”

“That bastard...” Terumi Mei gritted her teeth, recalling the earlier kiss, feeling both angry and embarrassed. She absentmindedly touched her reddened lips.

After a while, as if remembering something, Terumi Mei frowned and asked, “Ao, what’s really going on here? I don’t recall ordering our forces to be stationed here.”

“This...” Ao hesitated.

“What? Are you hiding something from your own Fifth Mizukage?” Terumi Mei asked angrily.

“I wouldn’t dare...” Ao quickly apologized and explained the deal between Elder Genji and the Mist ninjas.

Terumi Mei was aware of the peace treaty between the Mist and Sand, which she had personally signed. The negotiations, however, had been handled entirely by Elder Yuan.

Upon hearing the demand for the Sand Village to hand over Pakura of the Scorch Release, Terumi Mei felt a bit contemptuous but knew that eliminating Pakura would only benefit her village.

So, she didn’t blame anyone and simply patted Ao on the shoulder with a sly smile. “Ao, I don’t want any more hidden agendas in the future. Got it?”

“Yes, Lady Mizukage.” Ao, feeling somewhat embarrassed, bowed. “Lady Mizukage, what should we do next? Should we inform the Leaf Village of this incident?”

“What, do you want the world to know that I got forcefully kissed by Fujiwara Aizen?” Terumi Mei’s forehead creased with anger.

“I wouldn’t dare...” Ao quickly bowed again.

Terumi Mei waved her hand impatiently. “Alright, alright. Have our people gather our comrades’ bodies and check if Pakura’s among them.”

“Oh, and check the cause of death for each. Make sure they really died at Aizen’s hands.”

The results came back quickly.

“Lady Terumi Mei,” Ao reported, “Pakura’s body wasn’t found. We examined the bodies along the mountain path and determined they died from various sharp weapons and explosives, some resembling Sand’s puppet techniques and Rock’s Explosion Release.”

“We also found Jonin Ten Kaguya’s body. All the moisture was drained from it, likely due to Pakura’s Scorch Release.”

“I see.” Confirming that Aizen hadn’t left a blood debt in the Mist Village, Terumi Mei felt an odd sense of relief.

Recalling the earlier kiss, her cheeks flushed as she silently cursed, “That damn bastard... next time, you better not fall into my hands.”