Chapter 357: Aizen's First Contact with Konoha
A brief sensation of weightlessness—
and when Aizen regained awareness, he had already left the Shinigami world and arrived in the Land of Hot Water.
His figure suddenly flashed in midair.
Gazing upon the devastated battlefield below, his expression was calm and emotionless, yet a wave of freshness surged within him.
"So this is the Shinobi World… how interesting. The energy in the air is quite strange—I can't exert my full power here."
Aizen lifted his hand and stirred the nearby energy fluctuations.
He quickly realized that the energy density in the Shinobi World was slightly lower than that of the Shinigami world.
All supernatural power stems from a lifeform's control over energy.
If the energy quality is lower, it naturally limits one's overall strength.
"But… Gin-san didn't mention the disparity in energy. Did he forget, or… do players possess special characteristics?"
A trace of curiosity flashed through Aizen's eyes.
He swept his gaze over the battlefield—one covered in frost and fire—
and in an instant, appeared beside a wounded player.
"Who are you?!"
The startled player, wearing a Konoha forehead protector and possessing light brown eyes, froze at the sudden appearance of Aizen.
Not a ninja, not a marine…
And he didn't sense any killing intent—this man wasn't even a player.
Yet he had managed to completely bypass her perception.
"I'm here to help," Aizen replied gently. "Just a reinforcement sent to deal with the corrupted monsters."
He extended his hand to check her injuries.
Under normal circumstances, such close proximity would've triggered her deep-rooted combat instincts.
But strangely,
she didn't resist at all.
Not until after he had finished treating her wounds did Anko Mitarashi snap back to awareness.
She glanced at her injuries and found they had already been healed.
"That's… strange. You're not a player, are you?"
Anko frowned. "You're from another world, right? And yet you healed me without even using medical ninjutsu…"
Even among foreign reinforcements, not everyone was a player.
The Navy, for instance, had soldiers still awaiting player status, training in the Shinobi World using teleportation scrolls.
"No," Aizen replied with a soft smile, "I'm just a wandering swordsman fleeing the war. I heard Konoha needed help, so I came."
"While battle demands everything you have, you must still leave some strength to protect yourself.
Otherwise, you may fall—and cause grief for those who care about you."
It sounded like a lecture—
but strangely, it didn't irritate her.
In fact, Anko felt like this man was someone very close—worried for her safety.
Which was odd, considering she had just met him.
"I'll handle the rest."
Aizen rose to his feet,
drew his Zanpakutō from his waist, and turned toward a rampaging Abyss Brute.
He looked ready to fight.
"Wait! You're not even a player—if the Abyssal Evil God sees you, you'll die!"
The one who had just injured her was an Abyss Brute, a monster akin to a tank-type melee fighter.
Its [Strength] and [Constitution] stats were likely maxed at 99, and it had abilities that further enhanced both.
Even elite players couldn't handle it—
and Aizen, a supposed ordinary man, was claiming he'd face it?
A swordsman?
In her memory, even Mifune—the strongest known samurai—only barely reached Kage-level strength.
But in the era of the Reincarnation Game, Kage-level had long been obsolete.
Even a Level 19 player could match that tier.
She herself was a Lv.30 Sword Master,
yet had still been instantly defeated by an Abyss Brute. A regular swordsman challenging one was suicide.
Shatter... Kyōka Suigetsu...
Anko's vision flickered—
and what she now saw was Aizen clashing with the Abyss Brute.
Just as she expected—
Aizen was being pushed back, unable to compete with the monster's overwhelming power.
Like a lone boat in a hurricane, struggling not to capsize.
She prepared to rush to his aid—
But then she noticed:
Despite not being a player, Aizen's strength and speed far exceeded that of any swordsman she'd seen—likely Kage-level, at the very least.
While not equal to the Abyss Brute,
his extraordinary battle instinct and masterful swordsmanship made up for the massive stat gap.
"How… how is this possible?"
Anko was stunned.
It was like watching a student from the ninja academy—lacking chakra, strength, or ninjutsu—
duel the Hokage with just pure technique.
Sure, such "leapfrogging" happened. Konoha had always bred prodigies.
Kakashi, while still a genin, could defeat average chūnin.
He could even challenge weaker special jōnin.
And someone like Minato,
before graduating from the academy, had rescued the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki from three Cloud ninja.
But there had to be limits.
Aizen's performance shattered everything she thought she knew.
And yet… it all seemed so natural.
"A genius?"
As Aizen reached his limits,
Anko had recovered enough to leap in and assist—together, they took down the Abyss Brute.
"Are you really a swordsman?"
Anko narrowed her eyes and grabbed Aizen's hand,
a casual gesture that felt oddly intimate.
Aizen blinked,
startled by the contact, and awkwardly withdrew—like a well-mannered man caught off guard.
But that was all Anko needed to activate her sensory technique.
As a Lv.30 Sword Master,
one of her branded skills enhanced her perception.
When she gripped Aizen's hand, she sensed nothing indicating ninja training—
only the raw, disciplined instinct of a battle-hardened swordsman.
"I see. My village is near the border of the Land of Fire. I never left it—"
Aizen smiled faintly, then let his gaze dim.
"Until Orochimaru's experiments destroyed my home. I escaped… and then I saw Konoha under attack by the Evil Gods. I had to help."
Orochimaru?
At the name, Anko tensed sharply—but quickly composed herself.
She had once idolized Orochimaru as her mentor.
Now, she hated him with every fiber of her being.
Not just for destroying Konoha—
but for treating her as nothing more than a disposable tool.
Anko bit down hard, staring at Aizen's face,
trying to read any sign of deception.
A powerful swordsman from the Land of Fire, with a vendetta against Orochimaru…
It was too suspicious.
But Aizen only looked mildly flustered under her gaze—exactly how a shy stranger might react.
Even with her sensory skills at full capacity, Anko could detect no emotional or chakra fluctuations.
He didn't seem tied to Orochimaru at all.
The Reincarnation Game's skills were gifts from the game merchant—
they couldn't lie.
Unless…
Aizen had higher spiritual attributes than her,
or possessed an advanced anti-detection skill.
But that was impossible.
She trusted her perception absolutely.
Remembering Aizen's incredible battle prowess, Anko's thoughts shifted.
"I'm sure you've heard of Konoha's conflict with Orochimaru. If you're seeking revenge, why not join us?"
"I'll vouch for you. I'll even be your teacher, if you like."
"We share a common goal—overthrowing Orochimaru's brutal rule over the Land of Fire."
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Franklin1