Doujin Artist: But if there are no ninjas, can it still be called the ninja world?
Amegakure Village's Angel: Doesn't matter. We can just rename it the Spirit World. Or even the Soul Society.
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Konan, you're really open-minded about this. The Soul Society, huh…
Curly-haired Guy: Copyright infringement warning from Bleach!
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Still, Anzen-san really is amazing! He figured out Aizen's plan so easily!
Curly-haired Guy: Tch, in the end, it's just his own analysis and guesswork. Who knows if it's actually true?
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Even if it's just a theory, doesn't it make a lot of sense? Why do I get the feeling Gin is picking a fight with Anzen?
Doujin Artist: Just ignore him, Mouchou. He's obviously jealous. If he's so capable, he should come up with his own analysis!
Curly-haired Guy: Hmph! Gin-san isn't some manipulative schemer!
Doujin Artist: You, the guy with panties on his head, actually have the nerve to call someone else a pervert?!
Amegakure Village's Angel: Anzen-san isn't just playing mind games. He's the real Aizen, isn't he?
This is an Actor: Oh? You noticed, Konan-senpai? I thought you would've figured it out sooner.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac ???
Saten Ruiko looked completely lost. What was going on? Was Anzen really Aizen?
Curly-haired Guy: Hey, hey, are you two putting on a stage play or something? If you've got skills, why don't you pull a rabbit out of a hat for me?
Doujin Artist: That's magic, you idiot! But still, Konan and Anzen's performance does feel pretty convincing.
Amegakure Village's Angel: Sorry if we scared you, Ruiko-chan. But Anzen sure gets into character fast. The way he talks and acts—it really does feel like Aizen!
This is an Actor: That's because I am Aizen.
Amegakure Village's Angel: Mm-hmm, sure, I believe you.
Konan, who had just sent the message, smiled slightly and reached out, tapping the air in front of her.
Buzz.
A black void suddenly opened before her, like a giant mouth waiting to devour everything.
After steadying herself, Konan stepped into the darkness.
"Welcome back, Konan-senpai."
The moment she stepped out of the dark portal, Konan saw Aizen already waiting for her. He sat in a high-backed chair to her right, a cup of tea on the table in front of him. His eyes, behind his glasses, were calm and composed. "It seems your mission went smoothly."
Konan kept a blank expression, silently pulling a black cube from her sleeve and placing it on the table—it was the sealed Six-Tails. "I've completed the task you gave me. Now I need to return to the Akatsuki base."
"Ah. Even if you didn't say it, I would've let you go back." Aizen nodded slightly, speaking in a soft tone.
"What are you planning?" Konan's expression shifted as she tried to stay calm.
Aizen smirked slightly and said casually, "Please inform Leader Pain that I'd like him to come to Konohagakure in two months to retrieve the Nine-Tails."
Retrieve the Nine-Tails?
Konan's pupils shrank, and her body tensed.
She knew full well that Aizen would never just let Akatsuki take the Nine-Tails right under his nose. So why was he telling her to pass this message to Pain?
Could it be… his real goal was to create conflict between Konohagakure and Akatsuki?
Konan felt like she had figured it out, but she kept a straight face. "With Konohagakure's current defenses, even if the entire Akatsuki attacked together, they wouldn't be able to break through head-on."
That was the truth.
Neither Akatsuki's overall strength nor Nagato's mastery of the Rinnegan had reached the level described in the legend of Hokage Hayate. If they tried to brute-force their way into Konohagakure now, it would be nothing but suicide.
"Yes, that's true."
Aizen's smirk deepened as the reflection from his glasses hid his brown eyes. "The bloodline clans, the many elite Jonin of Konohagakure… If they all banded together, their power would be overwhelming. Even Akatsuki would have no choice but to back off."
"Then why…"
Before Konan could finish, Aizen interrupted, "But what if, by that time, Konohagakure was already caught in a war? With Leader Pain's strength, he should have no problem crushing a weakened and exhausted Konohagakure, don't you think?"
Konohagakure… in a war?
Konan froze, disbelief written all over her face. But she didn't ask any more questions. After a brief silence, she stepped back into the black portal, deep in thought.
The moment she left the realm, she hurriedly opened the group chat to ask for help.
Doujin Artist: He's asking Akatsuki to come to Konohagakure for the Nine-Tails? What the hell is Aizen up to this time?
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: I remember Konan mentioning that he's been in contact with Naruto pretty often. If he really wanted the Nine-Tails, he could've taken it himself with no problem.
Amegakure Village's Angel: Exactly. That's why this feels so suspicious.
Curly-haired Guy: Don't tell me Aizen is luring Nagato over just to take him out?
Amegakure Village's Angel: No way, right?!
If there was one person in the Naruto world that Konan deeply cared about, it was definitely her friend Nagato.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac I don't think that's very likely. What reason would he have to go after Nagato? For the Rinnegan? Aizen didn't even care about the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, so I doubt he'd be interested in the Rinnegan.
Curly-haired Guy: The Rinnegan? You think that's his goal? You're too naive, Ruiko-chan. It's still too early for you to understand what's really going on here.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac ?
Doujin Artist: What do you mean 'too early'?!
Curly-haired Guy: Aizen isn't targeting Nagato just for the Rinnegan! His real goal is Konan! If he gets rid of Nagato, his damn rival in love, he can have Konan all to himself!
Skirt-Flipping Maniac Pfft.
Amegakure Village's Angel: ?
This is an Actor: ?
Aizen's eyebrow twitched slightly. Hmph, there's no point in getting mad at an idiot. Taking Gintoki seriously is a losing battle!
Doujin Artist: Here we go again! You seriously need to get your brain checked, Gintoki!
Curly-haired Guy: A little brat like you wouldn't get it. I'm talking about real male instincts here—male instincts! Every man has a strong sense of possession deep down!
Doujin Artist: No, I think that's just the instinct of a pervert.
Curly-haired Guy: Hah? Then tell me, what other explanation do you have?
Doujin Artist: Anzen-san! Hurry up and shut him down!
Amegakure Village's Angel: Thinking about it, I still feel like the root of the problem is in Konohagakure. Since Aizen said the village would be caught in war, it means he's probably been working behind the scenes to make that happen. And now that the Akatsuki is involved, what will Konohagakure become?
Skirt-Flipping Maniac Ah, so… the whole village will turn into whatever Aizen wants?
Doujin Artist: Pfft!
Turning Konohagakure into his ideal shape? That's not quite it.
Seeing the messages in the chat, Aizen shook his head slightly. What he wanted wasn't to reshape the village—it was simply to make a declaration. He would use Konohagakure as a stage to announce the existence of a "god" to the world!
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