This is an Actor: "Not a demon. I, An Ran, am the God of Death."
Curly-Haired Boy: "Here we go again, here we go again. This kind of subtle roleplay isn't funny at all, hey. You're even worse than Aizen in some ways, right? Aizen at least wouldn't have a 'hug a cactus' mentality, would he?"
This is an Actor: "Perhaps."
Curly-Haired Boy: "Hey! Don't think you're really Aizen, you bastard! Aizen still has some integrity, after all! He should... he should still have some, right?"
Book Artist: "Who are you even asking? You make a statement and then immediately question it? Are you losing it?"
Curly-Haired Boy: "I don't know! Gin-san doesn't know what kind of person Aizen is anymore! Is he a perverted control freak or a sadistic masochist? Damn, does he have a cognitive impairment in his brain?"
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Well, aren't both of those just perverted tendencies anyway?"
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "Indeed."
Li Mochou's ability to adapt was quite impressive. She could now understand the subtext of Gintoki's ramblings without any further explanation.
Book Artist: "Rather than saying he has a cognitive impairment, it's more accurate to say you have no healthy thoughts at all, you silver-haired natural perm."
Curly-Haired Boy: "What did you say?! Gin-san has been voted Kabuki Street's Outstanding Youth for five consecutive years! Stop looking down on me, you brat!"
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "I recall the Kabuki District where you live was a red-light area, was it not? What does it even mean to be recognized as an 'outstanding young man' in a place like that?"
Book Artist: "It means his thoughts are likely even more depraved than what we see. They've probably already rotted away."
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "Yes, rotten to the core."
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Oh, let's just bury him on the spot then."
Curly-Haired Boy: "You stinky women!"
Sakata Gintoki gnashed his teeth in fury, but since he had no rebuttal, he could only wallow in his frustration.
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "I have to head out now. You all can keep chatting."
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "Where are you going?"
Book Artist: "Is Aizen taking action again?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "Yes. This time, the target is Kumogakure."
At that very moment, within the Hidden Cloud Village:
The Fourth Raikage, Ay, sat at his desk. He read the letter in his hand by the flickering lamplight, his expression twisting into one of pure disdain. "Hmph. Absolute nonsense!"
Bang!
Ay slammed his fist onto the desk, still clutching the letter. The entire piece of furniture collapsed under the force with a dull thud. After finishing the correspondence, his mood was foul; he felt insulted by such a transparent attempt to fool him.
And for good reason. According to the letter, a Konoha ninja named Aizen Sosuke was planning to sneak into Kumogakure tonight to kidnap the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails?
What a joke!
Ay knew of Aizen Sosuke. He had seen the young man six months ago during a joint exchange between Kumogakure and Konoha. He remembered a boy with brown hair, soft features behind glasses, and a bright smile. The boy had demonstrated his illusion techniques at the gathering, and he was undeniably talented.
But that was just talent!
To transform potential into true strength required years of grueling training, discipline, and life-or-death combat. That boy was only thirteen years old at best. How strong could he possibly be? For Konoha's leadership to authorize such a mission, they would have to be insane.
Was this letter merely a crude prank? Or an attempt to sow discord? The fact that it had appeared so abruptly on his desk suggested it was intentional. Anyone capable of bypassing his security was no ordinary prankster.
Ay's mind raced, focusing on the signature at the bottom: Akatsuki. What kind of organization was this? What did they gain by pitting the Cloud against the Leaf?
The questions lingered, leaving the Fourth Raikage uncharacteristically unsettled. He had a sudden, instinctive premonition that something massive was about to unfold.
Rumble!
A deafening explosion suddenly tore through the air. Ay bolted upright and looked out the window. A dazzling pillar of white flame surged into the sky toward the southwest of the village.
"That's... Bee's place?!" Ay was certain. That was the area where his younger brother, Killer Bee, resided.
Crrack!
Without a second thought, the Raikage punched through the window frame, shattering the glass. He vanished in a streak of azure lightning.
Swish!
In an instant, Ay arrived at the perimeter of Bee's residence. Because his brother was the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, he rarely interacted with the villagers, living in a secluded forest far from the populace.
But the lush forest was gone, transformed into a barren, scorched wasteland. The hut where Bee lived was now nothing more than blackened debris, and the acrid stench of ozone and burning wood filled Ay's nostrils.
"What the hell happened here?" Ay roared, scanning the area. Where was he? Had there been a fight?
Suddenly, Ay's gaze froze. He saw something impossible.
A young man with brown hair and black-framed glasses stood amidst the ruins. Beside him stood a woman with short purple hair and a cold, piercing gaze.
"Ah, Lord Ay," the young man said with a smile, his voice just as gentle as it had been six months ago. "It has been half a year. I am pleased to see you are as energetic as ever."
"Aizen Sosuke?!" Ay gasped, his face pale with shock.
Why was a Konoha ninja standing here? Could the letter from Akatsuki have been true? Was he actually here to kidnap the Tailed Beasts?
No, that couldn't be right! Ay subconsciously rejected the idea. His brother was a perfect Jinchūriki who could master the Tailed Beast form without any side effects. How could a mere brat defeat him?
What unsettled him most was that neither of the intruders had a single scratch on them. Their clothes weren't even wrinkled. They looked as though they were enjoying a casual stroll through a garden, showing no signs of having just engaged in combat.
Then what caused the explosion? Where was Bee?
Ay's pupils contracted sharply as his eyes finally landed on a figure lying motionless behind Aizen and the woman. It was his brother—breathing weakly, covered in blood, and utterly defeated.