Interesting.
Aizen shifted his focus away from the group chat and started thinking about what was happening in Eriri's world.
A normal everyday world suddenly experiencing such strange changes—this was a fascinating research subject. But what was causing these mutations?
A virus leak? The revival of spiritual energy? Or an invasion from another dimension?
The endless possibilities sparked Aizen's curiosity. He had a strong urge to visit Eriri's world and investigate.
But not yet. First, he needed to take care of things in the ninja world.
With that thought, Aizen turned his attention back to the surveillance screen in front of him.
The sky was overcast, and light rain drizzled down.
At the Konohagakure memorial stone, a crowd had gathered. Each person held a flower, their faces filled with solemnity and sorrow.
Everyone here had some connection to Aizen, and his death was a loss that weighed heavily on them.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had finally decided to reveal Danzo's crimes. Acting for his own selfish reasons, he had caused the deaths of an exceptionally talented jonin and two of Konoha's senior advisors. That alone was enough to make him a permanent disgrace in the village's history.
Not to mention all the other schemes he had orchestrated in the shadows.
Colluding with Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure in an attempt to destroy Konoha—this man was the greatest traitor in the village's history, surpassing even Uchiha Madara!
There was no way to cover this up. The people of Konoha deserved an explanation.
Hiruzen truly couldn't understand how a man like Danzo, who once had good intentions, had ended up like this.
Sighing deeply, he looked toward the memorial stone.
Dressed in mourning clothes, Kurenai stood in front of Aizen's grave, letting the rain slide down her hair. "Don't worry, Sosuke-kun. I will, I swear, I will avenge you!"
"So will I!" Mitarashi Anko, standing beside her, clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. "That bastard Danzo, I'm going to tear him apart!"
Regret filled her heart.
She had been so focused on playing matchmaker for her best friend and Aizen that she had buried her own feelings. Thinking back now, she felt like a fool. If only she had been more honest with herself back then...
While the two women were lost in thought, not far from them, Shisui also stood in front of Aizen's grave, his face full of guilt as he murmured, "I'm sorry, my friend."
"Hey, are you okay?"
A hand patted his shoulder, accompanied by a soft voice of comfort.
Shisui looked up in confusion and saw a familiar head of silver hair. "Kakashi-kun?"
"If Aizen were still alive, he wouldn't want to see you like this." Kakashi glanced at Shisui with his usual tired expression, then shifted his gaze to the sky. "Those of us who are still alive have to carry on the dreams of the ones we lost."
"I'm not like you, Kakashi-kun." Shisui hesitated, then sighed. "Aizen's death was my fault. It was my own naïveté that caused it."
This was the pain buried deepest in his heart. Every time he thought about it, it felt like a knife twisting inside him.
"That's even more reason to live on and honor his will, Shisui!" Might Guy walked over, giving a thumbs-up with a wide grin. "If you made a mistake, then fix it! That's what being a man is all about!"
"What… what are you all doing?!"
Before anyone could respond, a young voice suddenly broke through the silence. "Aizen-nii didn't die!"
Huh?
Everyone turned in shock toward the source of the voice.
Standing there was a young boy with spiky blond hair.
"Him…?"
"The demon fox?"
"Damn it, what's he doing here?"
"This place is for Konoha's heroes. He doesn't belong here."
Many of the Konoha shinobi present looked at him with disgust and scorn. Only those who knew the truth, like Kakashi, sighed quietly.
"Naruto, stop causing trouble!" Sarutobi Hiruzen's face darkened as he scolded him.
Normally, he was tolerant of Naruto, but this was not the time or place for his antics. Saying that Aizen wasn't dead—was he mocking everyone's intelligence?
Aizen's body had been examined by Konoha's medical ninjas. The fatal wounds on him were real. There was no way to fake them.
"Grandpa, I'm telling the truth!" Uzumaki Naruto stood his ground, soaked by the rain as he shouted, "Aizen-nii is alive! He told me himself—he promised to take me to see my mom!"
"Get him out of here!" Hiruzen, unwilling to hear any more nonsense, gave the order.
"Yes!" The two Anbu beside him nodded and roughly dragged Naruto away from the memorial stone.
"It hurts! Let go of me! Why? Why does no one believe me? Mom was right after all—you're all bad people! All of you! Aizen bro..."
Even after Naruto disappeared from sight, his voice still echoed in the distance.
A trace of guilt flashed in Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes. He couldn't help but feel that the boy's mental state seemed a bit unstable.
But that guilt quickly faded. "Alright. The reason I've gathered everyone today, aside from paying respects to the heroic spirits of Aizen Sosuke, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu, is to discuss the following strategic deployments..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was firm and commanding, while at the same time, the higher-ups of Sunagakure and Kumogakure were also gathering their forces.
Unlike Kumogakure, Sunagakure decided to mobilize troops against Konohagakure because they had actually received an invitation from the Akatsuki. The one who sent the invitation was none other than Chiyo's grandson, Sasori of the Red Sand.
"Looks like you've got everything set up," Konan said calmly.
"Not yet, there's still a little more to do," Aizen shook his head slightly, turning his gaze to another monitor. The screen showed the Tsuchikage's office, built into the rock walls.
At that moment, Onoki was listening to a report from a female ninja. His face showed clear disdain. "Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure are planning a joint assault on Konohagakure? Hmph, I doubt they'll succeed! Besides, the risks are too great..."
The female ninja remained silent, but her expression subtly relaxed.
Onoki noticed her reaction and smirked. "Alright, you're dismissed."
"Yes!" The female ninja bowed and left.
As soon as she was gone, Onoki turned to an Anbu behind him and said, "Issue an immediate order—have all chunin and higher-ranking ninja gather at the south gate plaza."
"Understood." The Anbu flickered out of sight.
Through the glass window, Onoki gazed at the distant streets.
He had long known that the female ninja was a Konohagakure spy. But instead of eliminating her immediately, he deliberately let her stay so she could deliver false information to Konoha.
"This isn't trickery—it's strategy," Onoki thought smugly, a satisfied smile forming on his lips.
In his mind, he could already picture Konohagakure in ruins. The humiliation he suffered in his youth was finally about to be avenged.
However, what he didn't realize was that while he was busy scheming against others, he had already stepped into a carefully woven trap himself.
"Now, everything is finally in place," Aizen chuckled softly, the flickering light from the monitor casting shadows on his face, making his expression look even more unreadable.
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