"Goodbye, everyone from Konoha, Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure. And members of the Akatsuki organization—you have completed the mission I assigned to you very well."
With those final words, the black rift in the sky slowly sealed shut. The ninjas left on the ground wore a mosaic of expressions: shock, fury, terror, and hollow daze. Every shinobi present knew in their heart that the world as they knew it had just shifted forever.
"That bastard is still mocking us!" Kakuzu spat, his voice trembling with rage.
Sasori countered bluntly, "So what? You can't touch him." He then turned his gaze toward their leader, who remained deathly silent, his eyes fixed on the spot where Konan had vanished.
"Tsk, what a miserable defeat." Tsunade looked around at the scorched earth; all she saw was devastation.
Sarutobi Hiruzen lowered his head, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists. "This... this is all my fault."
"What a terrifying young monster." After a long silence, Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, finally spoke. "He single-handedly manipulated the five great hidden villages. He even secured seven of the Tailed Beasts, including the Eight-Tails and the Nine-Tails. I fear there is no one left in this world who can stop him."
Strangely, the Kazekage's tone held little hatred; instead, it carried a disturbing hint of admiration.
"No, there is still hope," Jiraiya cut in, his voice firm and resonant. "For the future of the shinobi world, we cannot simply abandon hope. This is only the beginning!"
"The beginning?" Ohnoki demanded sharply. "Jiraiya, what exactly do you know? Who gave you that intelligence regarding Aizen?"
The question had been gnawing at him. Aizen had lurked in Konoha for years, deceiving even those closest to him, like the Third Hokage and Uchiha Shisui. How had Jiraiya obtained such specific information?
"Is this a prophecy from the Great Toad Sage?" Hiruzen asked, his interest piqued.
"This concerns the ultimate weapon to deal with Aizen. I'm sorry, but I cannot reveal more now," Jiraiya said, shaking his head. "But please, believe me—Aizen's next moves will be even more insane. The entire world may be destroyed because of this..."
The Hueco Mundo.
Aizen sat high upon his throne, looking down at the Arrancars assembled before him. "Gentlemen," he said calmly, "we have completed the first phase of our mission. Now, it is time to proceed to the next step of the plan."
"Lord Aizen, do we truly need a plan for those ninjas?" Kinkaku asked arrogantly, a white mask covering the left half of his face. "Just let us destroy them. Leave the Hidden Cloud to me."
"Then I shall take the Hidden Mist," Hozuki Mangetsu added.
"Are you planning to disobey Lord Aizen's orders?" Pakura narrowed her eyes, pinning them both with a cold stare.
Boom.
A powerful surge of spiritual pressure erupted from her, sweeping toward Kinkaku and Mangetsu. Unwilling to be outdone, the two unleashed their own Reiatsu to counter her. The entire hall began to hum and vibrate; tables and chairs rattled violently under the weight of the colliding pressures.
"It is alright, Pakura," Aizen said, waving a hand dismissively. "Kinkaku and Mangetsu are merely eager to fulfill our collective expectations. I understand their fervor."
The moment he spoke, Kinkaku, Mangetsu, and Pakura instantly restrained their power.
"However," Aizen continued, a thin smile playing on his lips as his gaze drifted to the two men, "being overly aggressive is often ill-advised. Don't you agree?"
Though he was smiling, in the eyes of Kinkaku and Mangetsu, Aizen appeared as terrifying as a demon god. They immediately dropped to one knee.
"I am deeply sorry, Master Aizen!"
"I let myself get carried away, Lord Aizen!"
Cold sweat soaked their backs. As Arrancars, they understood the horror of Aizen far more intimately than any ninja. Just a trace of his unfiltered aura was enough to make their bones creak.
"Hmph, those two idiots," Ringo Ameyuri muttered, curling her lip before glancing at Ginkaku. "Having a brother like that... I truly feel sorry for you."
"He has been deeply influenced by the Hollow side," Ginkaku said dryly, though his attention remained fixed on the small figure standing beside the throne.
The bone mask and the Zanpakutō marked the figure as another Arrancar. However, unlike the others, this small figure's head was entirely encased in a white, porcelain-like substance, making it impossible to discern its appearance or gender.
By the standards of their evolution, such a form should be considered a semi-finished product. How could a mere prototype be permitted to stand beside Lord Aizen's throne? More importantly, why was Lord Aizen so tolerant of its presence?
Ginkaku was so lost in confusion that he barely heard the rest of Aizen's speech. He wasn't the only one distracted; Konan was also busy elsewhere.
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "Alright, I've uploaded the full memory record of the Battle of Konoha. Please review it alongside the explanations I provided earlier."
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "Thank you for your hard work."
Book Artist: "It really is a lot of work. It would be so much easier if we had a live broadcast function."
Eriri empathized; even with mental typing, compiling such long texts and visual explanations was exhausting. Moreover, Konan wasn't just a commentator—she was a primary actor in the scene.
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "The live broadcast function should be unlocked soon, right?"
This is an Actor: "4,856 points remaining."
Book Artist: "Excited! I can't wait!"
Curly-Haired Boy: "But thanks to Konan, we got to see exactly how dangerous Aizen is. Tsk tsk, did you see Sarutobi Hiruzen's face? Hahahaha!"
Shark-Faced Guy: "His face turned green with pure spite. And then there's Ohnoki. He was the first ninja in history to be defeated by Master Aizen's pure spiritual pressure, wasn't he?"
This is an Actor: "Precisely."
Aizen confirmed. Normally, he preferred more elegant methods of combat, as using brute Reiatsu to crush an opponent felt a bit monotonous.
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Nagato-san seems very upset with Konan-san as well."
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "I suspect a detailed explanation is in order."
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "No, I actually find the situation quite interesting."
Curly-Haired Boy: "?"
Book Artist: "Pfft! What's so funny about this? Konan-oneesan, is something wrong with you?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "Two people who should have been the closest of friends go their separate ways to fight for their conflicting ideals... Isn't that a great storyline?"