51-55

Chapter 51: First Encounter with Orochimaru

“Why hide your identity?” Uchiha Itachi asked expressionlessly.

Meanwhile, Aizen acted as though he had nothing to do with it, casually reading through the ninja scrolls he had collected from the Uchiha and Sarutobi clans, quietly listening to Tobi’s nonsense.

“Because if people knew that Uchiha Madara was still alive, it would cause a lot of trouble. Next, I’ll take you to meet the leader of the Akatsuki,” Tobi said, glancing at Aizen, his voice deepening. “Did you hear that, Aizen?”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re called Tobi, not Uchiha Madara. From now on, you’re a two-and-a-half-year trainee of the Akatsuki organization, and we’re full members. You’re the rookie,” Aizen yawned, speaking lazily.

“You...!” Beneath his mask, Tobi’s face twitched with anger, but he had no choice but to let it go.

He realized that Aizen was a deeply manipulative person. He often disguised himself as elegant and polite in Konoha, but in reality, he had a dark sense of humor. Even Tobi couldn’t figure out what Aizen was truly thinking or what his goals were.

And the worst part—Aizen’s strength seemed immeasurable.

Bringing someone like him into the Akatsuki... Tobi wasn’t sure if it was the right decision.

Soon, the three of them arrived at a structure by the river’s edge, a temporary gathering place for the Akatsuki in Amegakure.

It looked like a clock tower.

“Aizen, including the Zetsu you’ve already met, there are currently nine official members in the Akatsuki. We don’t gather frequently, and some members are as strong as the Kage,” Tobi explained as they neared the tower. “Of course, since the organization is still in its early stages, some members are only at the jonin level. Such people don’t last long in the Akatsuki, so be prepared.”

“I don’t care, as long as you can give me a safe place to keep Izumi,” Aizen said, putting away the scrolls with a slight shrug.

Uchiha Itachi remained expressionless.

“Then let’s go,” Tobi said as the boat docked. He quickly got off, his demeanor changing entirely, gesturing dramatically as he walked into the tower.

Aizen and Itachi followed closely behind.

The moment Aizen stepped inside, he saw a familiar face—Orochimaru.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Itachi. Long time no see,” Orochimaru slowly emerged from the shadows, his raspy voice tinged with sinister femininity.

With his long black hair, golden slit pupils, purple eyeshadow extending to his nose, pale skin, and the blue-green magatama earrings, even in Akatsuki attire, Orochimaru exuded the same sinister aura that Aizen remembered.

“Orochimaru-sama?” Itachi, still a newcomer, was surprised and respectful, his face showing shock upon seeing Orochimaru.

“Oh, that’s right. You’re all from the same village. And even Aizen-senpai too! What a nostalgic reunion,” Tobi, now in his goofy “Tobi” persona, added dramatically, even altering his voice.

Orochimaru ignored Tobi, continuing to speak to Itachi. “I’ve heard, Itachi... you truly are a ninja from this side.”

“This side?” Itachi asked, confused.

“A ninja who sees the village, comrades, and family as burdens. Just like this one behind Tobi,” Orochimaru said, shifting his gaze to Aizen. “The one responsible for wiping out the Sarutobi and Shimura clans. The rumors outside say you were framed and died during the Uchiha massacre.”

“I never expected you to still be alive,” Orochimaru added, his golden eyes glinting briefly with a hint of killing intent.

Despite his claims of severing ties with Konoha, and even executing the Konoha Crush plan and personally killing Hiruzen Sarutobi, a sliver of their old master-student relationship still lingered in Orochimaru’s heart.

When Orochimaru had defected, Hiruzen had purposely held back, and during the Konoha Crush, Orochimaru had shed tears while holding a kunai to Hiruzen’s throat.

That lingering connection was undeniable.

With his teacher’s clan now destroyed, it was impossible to believe that Orochimaru didn’t harbor some emotions toward Aizen.

“Well, well, I’m truly honored that the great Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, remembers a small figure like me,” Aizen said, unfazed by the killing intent in Orochimaru’s gaze. He stepped forward, his eyes narrowing, turning cold in an instant. “But I just sensed a bit of hostility from you, Orochimaru-sama. Could it be that you’re planning to avenge your teacher’s clan?”

Meeting Aizen’s gaze, Orochimaru’s reptilian instincts triggered a strange sense of unease. Startled, he thought to himself, This kid sensed my killing intent? He’s no ordinary child.

Quickly changing the subject, Orochimaru gave a sly smile. “You’re quite the joker, Aizen-kun. I’m just curious about you, that’s all.”

“After all, you wiped out the clan of the Third Hokage, the one hailed as the strongest Kage, and even the clan of Danzō, the man known as the ‘Darkness of the Shinobi World.’”

“The strongest Kage?” Aizen scoffed in disdain. “I don’t mind calling Danzō ‘the Darkness of the Shinobi World.’ That old bastard caused the deaths and exile of many Konoha shinobi just to become Hokage. He earned that title.”

“But Hiruzen Sarutobi? The strongest Kage? Him? At best, he was just a withered old man.”

“He even shamelessly gave himself the title of ‘the strongest Hokage.’ If he was so powerful, then why was he always weak against outside threats while harsh against those within?”

“He always preached, ‘Where the leaves dance, the fire burns. The shadow of the fire will light up the village and make the new leaves grow.’”

“But in reality? He allowed Konoha to wither, oppressed other clans, and persecuted strong shinobi. All while funneling the village’s resources to the Sarutobi clan.”

“Do you know how many Sarutobi I killed this time?”

“Two thousand seven hundred and fifty-three. Over eighty percent were shinobi. Many of them were faces I’d never seen in dangerous missions.”

“Think about it. That’s the combined size of the Hyuga and pre-massacre Uchiha clans.”

“While the other clans weakened after three Great Ninja Wars, the Sarutobi clan grew stronger.”

“If things had continued, Konoha would’ve turned into Sarutobi Village.”

“Konoha should be thanking me. I got rid of the pests eating away at the tree.”

Aizen finished, pulling out a water bottle and drinking from it dramatically.

Orochimaru, Itachi, and even Tobi were stunned into silence, unsure of how to respond.

Itachi, in particular, found his entire perception of the Third Hokage shattered.

Aizen’s words were so impactful that even the conniving Orochimaru and the manipulative Tobi were left dumbfounded.

*Chapter 52: Living with Konan*

"Heh, it seems like Aizen-kun harbors quite a grudge against the Third Hokage," Orochimaru chuckled, breaking the silence in the room.

"Of course! If that old man had kept his promise, instead of plotting with that old dog Danzo to kill me, I wouldn't have chosen to defect. Who enjoys living a life constantly on edge? Wouldn't it be nice to just live peacefully as a Jonin in Konoha, do missions, earn commissions, and enjoy a stable life?" Aizen sighed helplessly, spreading his hands with an innocent look.

Orochimaru and his two companions couldn't help but twitch their mouths at this, thinking that anyone who didn't know the truth would assume Aizen hadn’t wiped out entire clans, but rather that others had done that to him.

"It seems you former Konoha shinobi are getting along well," a commanding and authoritative voice suddenly echoed in the tower.

A young man with black rods all over his face entered, followed by a young woman.

She had light blue-purple hair, an absolutely stunning yet cold face, and a graceful figure! She appeared older than Kurenai by a few years.

In terms of beauty, she was no less captivating than Kurenai.

Even someone as composed as Aizen was momentarily distracted, sighing inwardly, The world of Naruto truly is full of beautiful women.

Unfortunately, not many of them have happy endings.

(PS: Sakura doesn’t count. In Qingjiao’s eyes, she’s not a beauty.)

But now that Aizen is here, he’s determined to give these women a better fate.

"Leader," Orochimaru greeted symbolically, while Tobi, disguised as Deidara’s partner, Afei, had slipped away at some point.

Pain paid no attention to Orochimaru’s attitude, waving him off. Orochimaru tactfully left.

As long as Orochimaru didn’t cause trouble and completed the tasks given to him, that was enough for Pain.

Pain's purple Rinnegan eyes swept over Aizen and Itachi before he spoke, "I am Pain, leader of the Akatsuki. You may call me Leader, Pain, or Zero. The Akatsuki’s goal is world peace, with us replacing the Five Great Nations to control the world."

"That’s quite the ambition," Itachi commented calmly.

Aizen, however, shared his thoughts, "It’s a noble goal, but as long as the shinobi village system exists, true peace can never be achieved. The root cause lies in the system itself.

Shinobi villages don’t produce anything; they rely on completing missions to earn commissions. Once peace is achieved, the village's income decreases.

That’s when conflicts arise between nations, as they seek to create chaos.

That’s how the shinobi world wars began."

Itachi looked unconvinced by Aizen’s words.

Aizen glanced at him, folding his arms, and said, "Don’t think I’m just spouting nonsense. You can’t accept this simply because your perspective is still limited to Konoha. Konoha sits on the most fertile land, and Sarutobi Hiruzen is content with the status quo, naturally yearning for peace."

"But those shinobi living in barren lands or war-torn regions don’t think that way."

"They want better resources and a better living environment. No one fights wars just for fun."

"I imagine that as the leader born in Amegakure, you’d understand this well."

"Indeed," Pain nodded, showing a hint of interest in Aizen.

Aizen continued, "At the root of it, it's a historical issue.

If the First Hokage had joined forces with Madara Uchiha to unify the shinobi world and reorganize the nations and villages, instead of naively believing in the Will of Fire to touch people's hearts, there wouldn’t have been so many conflicts later."

"The reason the First Five Kage Summit was able to sign a peace treaty was due to their fear of the First Hokage’s power, not because of any mutual understanding."

"When the First Hokage died, the First Shinobi World War broke out, proving this point."

The room fell into a brief silence after this. After a moment, Pain was the first to speak, asking Aizen, "So how do you think true peace can be achieved?"

"I don’t know," Aizen shook his head. "Even if the world is unified and a complete system is established, it would only be temporary. As long as chakra, a supernatural phenomenon, exists, true peace is impossible. Power-hungry individuals will always emerge.

People like the blatant schemer Danzo and the hypocrite Sarutobi Hiruzen are just the tip of the iceberg in this era."

"I see," Pain nodded thoughtfully, before returning to the main topic. "The Akatsuki’s goal is world peace, with us replacing the Five Great Nations. To achieve this, we gather exceptional shinobi, regardless of their origins. Itachi and Aizen of Konoha, welcome."

Hearing this, Aizen and Itachi silently removed their Konoha headbands and sliced through them, severing their ties with the village for good.

Seeing this, Pain handed them each a ring, exclusive to official members of the Akatsuki.

Itachi’s ring still bore the character "Vermilion."

Aizen, on the other hand, received Deidara’s original ring, "Blue."

These would be their codenames within the Akatsuki.

Pain said, "From now on, your codenames in the Akatsuki are Vermilion and Blue. These rings serve as communication devices and must be worn at all times.

Additionally, during operations, you must wear the Akatsuki’s signature clothing. The organization is still in its developmental phase, so this will help spread our reputation.

Also, nail polish is mandatory."

"Okay, the black robes with red clouds are cool, but nail polish? C’mon, we’re grown men," Aizen muttered as he placed the ring on his right index finger, but before he could finish, Pain’s firm voice cut him off: "No exceptions."

"Fine," Aizen sighed helplessly. Then he added, "Could I have a safe and private place to stay? I need to settle in with my childhood friend."

"Of course. Protecting Akatsuki members and their families is one of our principles. Your quarters will be in the highest tower of the Akatsuki base, where only Konan and I are allowed. No one else can enter," Pain replied.

"Any special rules I should know?"

Aizen vaguely remembered that the highest point of the Amegakure tower was where Nagato and Konan resided.

In some ways, it was indeed the safest place in the shinobi world—assuming Aizen stayed alive and didn’t betray the Akatsuki.

It seemed Tobi still didn’t fully trust him, placing him under the Rinnegan’s watch.

Pain added, "Of course. The highest floor is my residence. Aside from my partner Konan, no one is allowed up there. As for the other areas, do as you like—train, relax, just don’t destroy the buildings."

*Chapter 53: "Ma'am, You're Awake!"*

"Konan, you take him over there," Pain glanced at Itachi Uchiha. "As for you, Itachi, I will arrange separate accommodations for you."

"Follow me, newcomer." Konan glanced at Aizen without any expression and turned to walk out of the tower.

Aizen followed closely behind.

Before long, Aizen was taken to a rather luxurious suite.

It had three bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, and even a kitchen, with almost everything you could need.

It was hard to imagine that such a luxurious setup existed inside the gloomy clock tower.

It was much better than the simple wooden Uchiha houses that didn't even have beds.

"Hey, are all Akatsuki members’ rooms this luxurious? This is like a presidential suite compared to what we had back home," Aizen remarked, lounging on the bed as soon as he entered the room, clearly comfortable.

"No, this is a special case. Consider it some extra care from me and the leader," Konan said calmly.

"Is it because of Danzo?" Aizen placed his hands behind his head and glanced at Konan, speaking casually.

"Seems like you know quite a bit," Konan narrowed her eyes slightly, a dangerous glint in her gaze.

"Don't look at me like that. After all, I was in the Anbu for a year in Konoha. I'm well aware of its darkness. If I didn't know that, I wouldn't have decided to defect so easily."

Aizen quickly sat up and, after a brief moment of sensing, confirmed that they weren’t being watched by Zetsu. He spoke seriously, "Konan-senpai, I assume you're also suspicious about the identity of the man in the mask."

"What do you mean by that?" Konan frowned.

"Nothing much, just that I'd like to strike a deal with you," Aizen said with a mischievous grin.

"What kind of deal?" Konan was intrigued.

"I can help you investigate the man in the mask in secret. You and the leader just need to keep one secret for me." As Aizen spoke, he formed a symbolic hand seal, summoning Uchiha Izumi and Uchiha Mikoto from his system’s storage.

Since Aizen had put them into a deep sleep, both women were still unconscious.

Aizen laid them on the bed, first pointing at Uchiha Izumi, then at Uchiha Mikoto. "This is my childhood friend. I’m sure you’ve already done your research on her.

"As for the other one, she’s also from the Uchiha clan. For certain reasons, I saved her. Even the man in the mask, Zetsu, and that vengeful orphan don’t know about this.

"I can help you investigate the identity of the man in the mask. In return, I want you to keep the existence of this woman a secret and ensure the absolute safety of both her and Izumi. How does that sound?"

Konan glanced at Uchiha Izumi, then at Uchiha Mikoto. She neither refused nor agreed. "I’ll need to consult the leader."

"Then I’ll be waiting for good news," Aizen replied with a light chuckle.

In reality, with his abilities from Kyouka Suigetsu, it would be easy for Aizen to hide the truth from both Tobi and Zetsu.

However, Nagato was another story.

Kyouka Suigetsu required eye contact to be activated.

Nagato, due to his leg injury, never appeared in person, only through the Six Paths of Pain.

At most, Aizen could hypnotize the Six Paths of Pain.

With Nagato’s strong sensory abilities as a member of the Uzumaki clan, it would be child’s play for him to sense Uchiha Mikoto within the clock tower.

It was better to be upfront about it.

After all, Nagato and Konan weren’t completely aligned with Tobi.

Konan left quickly and returned just as fast, bringing with her an Akatsuki uniform, the black cloak with red clouds, and the traditional conical hat with wind chimes, along with some nail polish.

"The leader has agreed. However, if you slip up, that will be your responsibility," Konan said without any expression.

"Of course," Aizen said, taking the Akatsuki cloak and putting it on. He then struck a pose he thought was stylish and smiled. "How do I look?"

This time, Konan’s icy composure cracked just a little. Her cold and delicate face showed a slight shift as she held back a smile. "Looks good, but the pose is a bit silly."

"Alright, remember to come to the clock tower tomorrow morning. Pain will introduce you to the other Akatsuki members and assign your first mission. If you need anything, feel free to find me. I live right across from you."

With that, Konan turned and left the room.

"Directly across, huh? What a test for a guy. What man could handle this?" Aizen muttered to himself with a sigh as he walked back into the room to release Uchiha Mikoto from the pressure point he had blocked.

Moments later.

Uchiha Mikoto slowly awoke and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was an unfamiliar ceiling and Aizen, who was already dressed in the Akatsuki cloak with a cut across his forehead protector.

"Ma’am, you're awake! First off, I can’t tell you where we are. Knowing wouldn’t benefit you. You just need to know that we’re not in Konoha and that we’re out of danger.

"As for your sons, both of them are doing well right now.

"Unfortunately, you probably won’t be able to see your elder son. If you do, that vengeful orphan might kill you again in the name of the village or Uchiha pride.

"Your younger son, though—there's a chance you can meet him. But to the world, both you and Izumi are already dead. You won’t be able to see him for a while.

"For the foreseeable future, you’ll be staying here. If you need anything, just ask the girl who lives across the hall. She’ll provide everything you need."

"That’s about it."

Aizen explained the situation briefly.

"Thank you," Mikoto was no fool. After glancing at the ‘sleeping’ Uchiha Izumi, she quickly understood the situation. She stood up and respectfully bowed to Aizen in gratitude.

"No need to be so formal, ma’am. It’s my duty. After all, I promised Uncle Fugaku I’d take good care of you."

Aizen quickly stepped forward to help Mikoto to her feet, gently holding her arm.

Mikoto’s eyes fluttered, and a flash of panic crossed her gaze. Her mind briefly filled with dangerous thoughts, but she quickly reminded herself that Aizen was only thirteen years old and already had feelings for Izumi. She sighed in relief, feeling guilty for doubting him.

She thought to herself, "Aizen betrayed the village for Izumi. How could I have doubted his intentions?"

At that moment, Aizen’s mind was interrupted by a long-awaited system notification.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering system options."

"1. Do not wake Uchiha Izumi (penalty: physical offense), reward: Perfect Wind Style Chakra and Nature Transformation."

"2. Wake Uchiha Izumi, force offense in her presence, reward: Rasengan series jutsu."

"3. Do not wake Uchiha Izumi, share offense, reward: Observation Haki from the world of One Piece."

"4. Wake Uchiha Izumi, share offense, reward: Armament Haki from the world of One Piece."

"5. Do nothing and be worse than a beast. Reward: I Love One Dog*999999."

*Chapter 54: Prime Minister! I Understand Now*

*[Please choose!]*

"???"

"???"

"???"

Aizen: "..."

Damn, if I had known earlier, I wouldn't have helped.

Konan lives right across, and I haven't even used my Kyoka Suigetsu on her yet.

Besides, if I go through with this, wouldn't Izumi be heartbroken?

More importantly!

Mikoto is not the kind of woman you can just mess with.

If I were to force it, unless I used Sasuke as leverage, she might end up trying to kill herself every day.

Sigh!

You can't rush things; you have to take things step by step.

At that moment, Mikoto shifted her gaze to Uchiha Izumi, changing the subject. "Izumi, this is..."

"Ahem." Aizen cleared his throat and took a step back, subtly distancing himself from Mikoto. He said seriously, "Ma'am, Izumi doesn't know about the Uchiha clan's massacre yet, and I haven't told her. If possible, I hope she can live a carefree youth without such worries."

*[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining 999,999 Ichihime Loves You points, automatically stored in the system warehouse.]*

"I understand. What do you need me to do?" Mikoto nodded, feeling genuinely happy for Uchiha Izumi, grateful that the girl had found such a considerate and thoughtful partner.

After a moment of thought, Aizen said, "Izumi knows about the Uchiha clan's planned coup and that Danzo ordered me to annihilate the clan. When she wakes up, I'll tell her that I, along with Uncle Fugaku, have decided to stage a fake kidnapping of you. This will redirect the Uchiha clan's hatred away from the village, thus preventing the rebellion.

This way, Konoha and the Uchiha clan can live in harmony again."

As he spoke, Aizen released Uchiha Izumi's pressure point hold.

"Aizen, have we already left Konoha? Wait... why is Aunt Mikoto here too?" Izumi asked, her first words after waking up.

Aizen and Mikoto exchanged a knowing glance, silently deciding to tell Izumi a harmless lie.

Aizen then went over some important details about the place with them both.

Izumi, feeling happy for her people, ran into Aizen's arms with affection.

This made Aizen's face flush bright red.

To celebrate escaping the crisis, that evening Izumi used ingredients from Aizen's system warehouse and, with Mikoto's help, prepared a huge feast.

After dinner, while Izumi was bathing, Aizen took out a ceramic urn and handed it to Mikoto. "Ma'am, this is for you."

"What is this...?" Mikoto curiously accepted the urn, a bit surprised.

Aizen solemnly said, "This is your husband's ashes."

"Fugaku..." Hearing this, Mikoto could no longer hold back, hugging the urn tightly as she wept.

Aizen, keeping a straight face, fabricated a story: "He may not have been a great clan leader, but he was a good husband. After his death, I stole his body from under Sarutobi Hiruzen's watch and secretly cremated him on the way here. Don't worry, his body was intact before the cremation. I didn’t take his eyes."

Technically, he didn’t. The system had taken his eyes, as well as the Uchiha bloodline.

"Thank you..." Mikoto bowed deeply, expressing her heartfelt gratitude to Aizen.

Aizen smiled faintly, patting his own shoulder jokingly. "Feeling better now? If you still want to cry, I don't mind lending you my shoulder."

"You never act seriously, where did you even learn such things?"

Mikoto wiped her tears and gave him a playful scolding glance, smiling through her tears. Her mood seemed to improve considerably.

"I'm not going to keep talking to you. Don't you have a mission tomorrow? I'll clean up the table later. After you shower, get some rest. I'll take care of your clothes." With that, Mikoto, still holding the urn, retreated to her room.

Aizen smiled softly. After Izumi finished bathing, he also took a bath and finally got some much-needed rest, the first real break since the clan's massacre.

"Aizen..."

However, not long after lying down, Mikoto knocked on his door.

"Ma'am, do you need something?" Aizen opened the door, smiling.

"Um... I left in such a hurry this time, I didn’t bring any change of clothes," Mikoto said shyly, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"I see. You can borrow mine for tonight. I'll ask Konan to get you some clothes tomorrow. Just give me your size." As he spoke, Aizen took out a white shirt and black shorts from his system warehouse.

As for undergarments, well, he didn’t give her any. He couldn't.

Izumi's size was too small, and undergarments couldn’t just be shared, so Mikoto would have to make do.

"Thank you." Mikoto quickly took the clothes and hurried to the bathroom. Only after Aizen's door closed did she turn on the shower.

The sound of water echoed through the bathroom.

The night passed without further events.

Early the next morning, as the first light of dawn broke, Mikoto, in her role as a housewife, had already prepared breakfast for Aizen.

She had also changed back into her own clothes.

As for Aizen’s clothes, she had washed, dried, and ironed them, then hung them up along with the clothes he had worn the day before.

"Um... Aizen, about last night, thank you. As for the clothes, I’ve already spoken to Konan, and she’ll bring them over later." Mikoto’s face flushed again, feeling a bit awkward.

"That’s good," Aizen smiled gently.

"What happened between you two last night?" Izumi asked curiously as she walked out of her room.

"Nothing much. Mrs. Mikoto just forgot to bring a change of clothes, so I asked Konan to get her some," Aizen winked at Mikoto, who quickly returned a grateful look.

After Izumi sat down, Aizen reminded them of a few important things and mentioned that he might be away for a while.

He then put on his red cloud cloak and left with peace of mind.

At the stairway, he unexpectedly bumped into Konan.

They walked side by side, and Aizen spoke in a low voice, only audible to them: "After I leave, I’ll be counting on you to take care of Mikoto and Izumi. I’ll send you information on the masked man as soon as possible."

"No problem," Konan replied flatly, saying nothing more.

Moments later.

They arrived at the clock tower where they had gathered the day before.

Pain's Deva Path was already there, along with Itachi, who stood expressionless by Pain's side. When Itachi saw Aizen approaching, he immediately activated his Sharingan.

Aizen smiled and found a spot against a pillar, crossing his arms and leaning back with his eyes closed.

Soon after, Zetsu, Kakuzu, Kisame, Orochimaru, and Sasori all arrived.

Finally, when Kakuzu arrived with one of the Akatsuki members who had died in the original story, Aizen opened his eyes.

He sensed a strong killing intent directed at him from the newcomer.

Aizen glanced at Zetsu, who was closest to him, and spoke loudly without lowering his voice, "Does that masked guy have a problem? Always releasing killing intent, is he always this brave?"

"You brat, are you looking to die?" Kakuzu growled, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes filled with anger and greed. If it weren't for Pain standing nearby, he would've attacked already.

Chapter 55: Showing All of the Akatsuki Members Kyoka Suigetsu

White Zetsu explained with glee, "That's Kakuzu, the Akatsuki's financial manager. His favorite thing is money. Since you wiped out the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, Konoha put a huge bounty on you in the underground black market. Now, when Kakuzu looks at you, all he sees is a giant pile of cash."

Aizen realized this and continued asking, "How much is my bounty?"

"Nine hundred million ryō," Black Zetsu replied.

"What? That old Third Hokage is so stingy! It's not even worth three Asumas," Aizen grumbled, dissatisfied, and pulled out a scroll from his sleeve. He unrolled it on the ground, made a hand seal, and with a "poof," several briefcases appeared in a cloud of smoke.

Opening one of the cases, Aizen revealed piles of cash inside and said to Kakuzu, "I don't care much for money. I didn't even bother counting it, but it's definitely over four billion. Since you love money so much, how about we make a bet?"

"A bet? On what?" Kakuzu's throat tightened as he swallowed hard, eyeing the money. He had seen a lot of cash before, but never this much in one go.

Four billion ryō? How many Asumas would he have to kill for that?

Even the other Akatsuki members couldn't help but feel a little moved, especially those like Sasori and Orochimaru, who constantly spent vast amounts on their puppet research and forbidden jutsu. Their yearly expenses were astronomical.

Orochimaru, excited, immediately walked over. "Aizen-kun, where did you get so much money?"

"Where else? From the Sarutobi clan's vault. Your dead teacher's family was filthy rich. I have several more scrolls like this one. It's not like I earned it through hard work, so I don't mind losing it." Aizen shrugged casually.

Hearing this, everyone, including Orochimaru and Itachi, broke into sweat, visibly flustered.

"Aizen-kun, you've certainly hit the jackpot," Orochimaru chuckled awkwardly, secretly considering whether he should rob a rich family if he ever ran out of money.

Ignoring Orochimaru, Aizen put away most of the money, leaving only three cases. He continued to address Kakuzu, "Hey, you tentacled freak, I hate it when people target me. So, how about we fight? If you win, I'll give you a billion."

"Really?" Kakuzu's eyes widened in excitement.

A billion was no small amount—he'd have to kill one Earth Grudge and two Asumas to make that much.

"Of course. But if you lose, what will you do?" Aizen asked.

"Do whatever you want. You're not getting my money, though. Worst case, I'll trade my life for it," Kakuzu said confidently.

He didn’t believe he would lose, and even if he did, he had five hearts—losing one or two was no big deal.

"I'm not interested in your life," Aizen smirked.

Kakuzu was confused. "Then what do you want?"

"Just hand over the ninjutsu you’ve learned if you lose. Don't worry, I won't let you lose out. Even if you lose, you'll still get the billion. I'm not one to let my comrades suffer."

Aizen made up an excuse.

In reality, his true goal was to use this as an opportunity to unleash his Kyoka Suigetsu.

"Deal!" Kakuzu agreed almost immediately.

It was a no-lose situation for him. Even if he lost, trading his ninjutsu for a billion was still a bargain, and it wasn't like he’d lose anything vital.

"Let's go then." Aizen was about to move when Orochimaru quickly stopped him. "Wait, Aizen-kun, I also know a lot of ninjutsu. You don't have to fight me. I’ll just sell them to you."

"You?" Aizen made a gagging motion. "No thanks, Uncle Snake. You wouldn't teach me your core jutsu anyway, and the others are just snakes spitting snakes or snakes spitting swords. I don't want to learn any of that gross stuff. I prefer the traditional five-element techniques."

With that, Aizen disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique, and the rest of the Akatsuki members, now interested, followed closely behind.

Soon, only Pain, Konan, and Zetsu were left in the room.

Black Zetsu turned to Pain. "Leader, is it really okay to let them mess around like this?"

"It's harmless. Besides, I want to see what our new member is capable of," Pain replied before vanishing with a body flicker. Konan followed right after.

"Let’s go, too," Black Zetsu said to White Zetsu before merging into the ground and disappearing.

Before long, all the Akatsuki members had followed Aizen to an open area.

Aizen and Kakuzu stood fifty paces apart.

"Ready, tentacle freak?" Aizen asked, flicking his sleeve as Kyoka Suigetsu appeared in his hand.

With all the Akatsuki members watching, Aizen whispered in his mind, "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."

"You're using a sword? Bring it on, kid," Kakuzu said, not sensing anything unusual. He readied himself, Earth Spear covering his body. He was confident in his skills and battle experience. In the Akatsuki, aside from Pain, there weren’t many he considered equals.

However, in the next moment, before Kakuzu could react, Aizen appeared behind him. Lightning crackled from his hand, and the sound of a thousand birds chirped as he pierced Kakuzu’s left chest with a Chidori Sharp Spear.

"So fast!" All the Akatsuki members were shocked.

Except for Black and White Zetsu, who had witnessed Aizen's annihilation of the clans, none of them expected him to be this fast. In terms of pure speed, Aizen was now unmatched in the Akatsuki and perhaps throughout the entire ninja world.

And his lightning chakra control and shape transformation were terrifying.

In a single strike, Kakuzu had lost a heart.

"That's... Kakashi's Chidori!" Orochimaru was taken aback, his long tongue licking his lips as he stared at Aizen like a rare treasure.

What a perfect body!

What a prodigy!

If only Aizen had a kekkei genkai, Orochimaru might not have been able to resist.

Aizen tutted, "Wow, tentacle freak, you're really fragile. If this keeps up, you won't live long enough to take that billion."

As he spoke, Aizen changed the form of his Chidori, turning it into a lightning whip that crackled with energy, wrapping around Kakuzu.

"Dammit..."

Earth Release was weak against Lightning, and now Kakuzu’s Earth Spear was useless. The lightning whip pierced through his heart, and with a few more crackles, he collapsed, lifeless.

PS: Second update. Please vote for recommendations and monthly votes.

(End of chapter)