054 The Mastermind: Aizen Sosuke
Dilapidated houses and fractured streets defined the landscape. On a battlefield shrouded in thick smoke and drifting ash, the figures of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Fourth Raikage Ai, Kakuzu, and Sasori remained intertwined in a deadly dance, punctuated by the rhythmic, muffled thuds of high-level combat.
As for Biwa Juzo, the man who had first provoked this clash, he had already become a silent corpse. His earlier arrogance was now mirrored only by the grizzly nature of his end.
In truth, this was hardly surprising. Biwa Juzo's strength was still a significant distance away from the Kage level. Facing a Third Hokage who was genuinely determined to kill him, the fact that he had held on as long as he did was an extraordinary performance.
Of course, his struggle had not been entirely in vain. At the cost of his life, he had forced Sarutobi Hiruzen—already strained by age—into a state of visible exhaustion. The elderly Hokage was rapidly reaching his physical limit.
Opposite him, Kakuzu seemed to sense this fatigue. His attacks grew more intense and frantic, his movements driven by a cold determination to claim the renowned Hokage's head as his ultimate bounty.
Bang!
Suddenly, a massive shadow plummeted from the sky, stirring a fresh whirlwind of dust.
"That's enough! Stop this meaningless fight!" A resounding voice boomed, forcing everyone to a halt. As the haze cleared, a gigantic toad loomed over the crater.
"Is that... Jiraiya? And Tsunade-hime?"
Seeing the two legendary Sannin standing atop the toad's head, the combatants' expressions shifted into a mosaic of shock and wariness. Only Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a wave of genuine relief; it seemed he would not have to gamble his life today.
Poof.
A cloud of white smoke erupted as Jiraiya dismissed his summoning and dropped to the ground. His face was grim. "Please, listen to me! This war is a complete sham. Every one of you here is a victim!"
Ai frowned, his lightning-shrouded form flickering. "What do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said. This war is nothing but a plot by someone with ulterior motives. Don't you find it strange that so many powers just happened to converge on Konoha at once?" Jiraiya surveyed the devastation around them and took a heavy breath. "To that man, everyone in Konoha today is merely a pawn in his hand!"
Silence followed. As Jiraiya's words hung in the air, the entire area fell into an eerie, stifling quiet.
"Pfft... Hahahaha!"
After a long pause, a roar of laughter echoed from the sky. It was Ohnoki, who had been hovering above, waiting for a chance to wipe out everyone below. "Are you kidding me? A plot against all of us?" Ohnoki, at least, was convinced he had come to Konoha of his own volition after careful deliberation.
"The person you're referring to is Danzo, isn't it?" Mentioning his old friend brought a flash of pain and a weary sigh to Hiruzen's heart.
"Heh, Danzo?" Tsunade, who had remained silent until now, let out a sharp sneer. "Is he even worthy?"
The former princess of Konoha radiated pure disdain at the mention of the Root leader. Her words, however, sparked deep astonishment in Hiruzen. "If the manipulator behind the scenes isn't Danzo, then who is it?"
"A man who should be quite familiar to you, Sensei," Jiraiya said softly, his voice heavy with foreboding. "His name is Aizen Sosuke."
Aizen? Aizen Sosuke?
At the foot of the Hokage Rock, Kakashi stared blankly at the brown-haired youth standing before him, his mind reeling. A person who was supposed to be dead had appeared here, completely intact. It felt as though he were staring at a ghost. Kakashi shook his head violently, trying to clear his vision, but the Aizen in front of him did not vanish.
Not only did he remain, but he began to approach with measured steps. "What's wrong? I believe I made myself clear. Put Naruto down, and you may leave."
Put Naruto down?
Kakashi felt a sudden clarity through the shock. He frowned, his voice tight. "Your target is Naruto? So you were Danzo's true backup all along? Your death was just a play staged between the two of you, wasn't it?"
"A play performed in collaboration with Danzo? What an imaginative guess." Aizen smiled thinly, his tone remaining terrifyingly gentle. "But unfortunately, the Danzo you speak of will not be appearing ever again."
What?
Kakashi's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks. He won't appear again? Does that mean Danzo is dead? Judging by the youth's confident tone, it was clear he had killed Danzo himself. No wonder the Anbu had searched for weeks without finding a single trace of the man. Konoha had assumed Danzo had simply hidden himself too well; the truth was that he had already perished at Aizen's hand.
But if Danzo was dead, why were these enemies attacking the village? Wait—Kakashi realized his line of reasoning was flawed. The real question was: had Danzo ever truly been the one in control?
He stared at Aizen in a daze. The boy who had always looked so kind and approachable now seemed like a man-eating demon in his eyes. Panic, cold and sharp, invaded Kakashi's heart. He felt a chill race down his spine, and his arms, still holding Naruto, began to tremble.
"It seems you are unwilling to let go," Aizen said, his right hand moving to the hilt of his blade. He slowly drew the steel from its sheath. "Indeed, after everything you've been through, letting go must be difficult. It's alright. Hold onto Naruto as long as you can. And then... leave your right hand behind when you go."
Swish.
In a blur, Aizen vanished. When he reappeared, he was already standing behind Kakashi. A straight, red line of blood suddenly bloomed from Kakashi's right shoulder down to his elbow.
Splurt.
Bright red blood splattered onto the ground.