Susanoo nodded. Immortality, huh? He knew about that—it always struck him as strange.
Looking at Hidan, who was covered in wounds yet still shouting obscenities, Kawaki Aoba had already decided how to deal with him.
"You're immortal, right? I wonder if your immortality has a limit. If I cut you into ten or eight pieces, you might regenerate—but what about eighty or ninety?
Eight or nine hundred pieces? Eight or nine thousand? Would you still be able to come back to life?
Or maybe I'll just grind you into mincemeat and feed you to the dogs."
As he spoke, Susanoo didn't sound like he was threatening Hidan—he was genuinely considering it.
Suddenly, Hidan fell silent.
"Heh," Susanoo sneered. "So, you're not fearless after all—you just have something to rely on. Too bad whatever you're counting on is worthless against Kawaki Aoba."
"We are the Underworld Organization, and we have a major operation coming up: a raid on the Fire Capital to assassinate the Daimyō of the Land of Fire. I'm giving you one chance to join us. If we succeed, you can come with us.
But if we fail—I'll chop you to pieces and scatter you, starting with your head in the nearest cesspit."
Hidan's facial muscles twitched. Fear was written all over him.
This guy—this Susanoo—he wasn't just a killer. He was a demon.
Hidan shivered at the thought of being reduced to dog food. "Success—we'll definitely succeed! It's just the Daimyō's head, right? I'll do it!"
Bang!
Susanoo punched him square on the head. "Who said you could call me that? You're just a prisoner."
This time, Hidan wisely kept his mouth shut and only nodded.
Satisfied, Susanoo gave a small nod in return.
In truth, Kawaki Aoba didn't intend to truly recruit Hidan. His real motive was more ironic: to send Hidan to his doom. Especially poetic was the fact that Asuma Sarutobi—whom Hidan had killed in the original timeline—was now part of the forces defending the Fire Capital. It was like handing his brother the chance for revenge.
Of course, it also amused Aoba in a twisted way.
"Well then, let's begin. I'll send you to the Fire Capital."
Just as Susanoo was about to act, the Third Raikage, Ay, suddenly spoke.
"You and the leader aren't coming? You're sending just us?"
Kawaki Aoba, controlling Susanoo, gave him a strange smile.
"I'll stay here and wait for your return. The leader has his own tasks—but he'll make an appearance soon. For now, follow Raikage Ay's orders."
Before anyone could react, Susanoo activated his space-time ninjutsu, and they vanished.
On a mountain overlooking the Fire Capital, the group reappeared.
"Lord Susanoo said we're to follow you, Ay. What's the plan?" one of them asked.
Everyone turned toward Ay—only for his posture and expression to shift unnaturally.
"Kisame Hoshigaki, you talk too much," he said.
The voice and tone—it was the leader speaking through Ay's body.
Everyone immediately understood: this wasn't Ay anymore. Kawaki Aoba was now puppeteering his body.
This was Aoba's first time possessing a body in this way. It wasn't as fluid as controlling Susanoo's construct—more like operating a freshly tuned puppet. But it had its own advantages. He only needed to give mental commands, and the body would act.
It was like playing a high-stakes game with living pieces.
Once he had fully adjusted to Ay's body, Kawaki Aoba waved his hand.
"Let's move out."
"But first, some bad news: our intel was leaked. Konoha knows about the plan. The Daimyō is now under heavy protection—his Guardian Ninja are present, along with both the current Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and the former Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Surprised? Excited?"
The group fell silent.
Luckily, most of them were already undead or otherwise beyond fear. Otherwise, the mere mention of two Hokage would have had them fleeing.
"Don't worry," Aoba said. "You're not expected to fight those monsters. Jixiang Sanbō, your mission is to eliminate the nobles and loot their wealth.
Avoid prolonged combat. If you meet resistance you can't handle—retreat.
If you find any Hyūga clan members who can't resist, capture them. Everyone else? Leave them.
Might Guy, Hidan—you two come with me. We'll raid the Daimyō's mansion and kill him directly."
The plan was absurdly simple—but no one objected. The Underworld Organization wasn't a democracy. It was a stage—and Kawaki Aoba was the only actor who mattered.
Even Might Guy, once the most principled of shinobi, now understood that.
---
A signal flare exploded in the skies over the Fire Capital.
It was the warning that Underworld ninjas had been discovered. Instantly, the city's defenses went on high alert.
In the Daimyō's mansion, Minato Namikaze stood still, staring at the direction of the flare.
"The city gates?" he murmured. "They're actually going for a frontal assault?"
Minato Namikaze had prepared for countless scenarios regarding how the Akatsuki might launch their assault. Given their frequent use of space-time ninjutsu, Minato wouldn't have been surprised if they appeared directly in the Fire Daimyo's bedroom.
But this—this was a frontal assault?
"Minato, be careful. This might be a ruse," warned Hiruzen Sarutobi, stepping beside Minato with a grave expression.
Minato nodded. "Understood, Third Hokage. I'll order the shinobi to maintain formation. We must not fall for any diversion."
These two Hokage—one seasoned, the other in his prime—could not have guessed that the grand offensive they feared was being held back by Kawaki Aoba's strategic restraint.
"Mirror, activate your Byakugan and monitor the surroundings. Determine the enemy's true intentions," Hiruzen commanded.
An ANBU operative from the Hyuga clan responded instantly, activating his Byakugan with a focused nod.
"Lord Hokage," he reported, "the enemy forces are approaching from the main gate of the Fire Capital. The leader appears to be the Third Raikage, and most of the Akatsuki are present—excluding their two known leaders. There is also a young man wielding a triple-bladed scythe."
Minato's brow furrowed. "A scythe...? That sounds like Hidan."
The ANBU continued. "The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have scattered—three of the original members are targeting the nobles. The Raikage, a rogue Leaf ninja identified as Might Duy, and the scythe-wielding youth are headed straight for the Daimyo."
Hiruzen frowned deeply. This was odd—too orchestrated for a simple invasion.
Yet he did not alter his stance. "Do not reassign the guards protecting the nobles. All other units, intercept the rogue Mist ninjas immediately. The Hyuga clan will rotate shifts to keep their Byakugan active—maintain visual on every potential threat."
"Also, send word to—"
Before Hiruzen could finish, Hyuga Mirror collapsed to the ground with a bloodcurdling scream.
"AAAHHH!"
The pain surged through his eyes and head like fire. He writhed on the floor, crying out in agony.
"The Caged Bird Seal!?" Hiruzen exclaimed, stunned. "But who…? Why now?"
It made no sense. The Hyuga Main Family wouldn't activate the cursed seal on an ANBU agent under Hiruzen's direct command—especially not during a state of emergency.
The implications were grim.
Then came another ANBU, breathless and panicked. "Report! One of the Twelve Guardian Ninja—Hyuga Tokuma—collapsed. Same symptoms. His Byakugan was forcibly sealed!"
Hiruzen's heart sank. "No… So it's begun."
He could now assume the worst: every Hyuga in the Fire Capital who bore the cursed seal was compromised.
Hiruzen clenched his fists. "No choice. Minato, we move together. We must protect the Daimyo. The Akatsuki can't be allowed to win here."
Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted nearby, followed by streaks of lightning across the sky.
It was the Third Raikage—A, reanimated and surging forward in his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
"Hahahaha! The era of nobles is over! Weaklings like them belong in the trash! The age of shinobi begins now!"
Bathed in lightning, the Third Raikage charged with explosive power, announcing his presence like a natural disaster.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, prepare yourself! Hell Stab: Four-Finger Thrust!'"
He lunged forward, his legendary spear-hand technique aimed to kill.
Hiruzen was surprised to be the target, but decades of battle-hardened instinct kicked in. He evaded with a string of Body Flicker Techniques, retaliating with the Adamantine Staff, transformed from the body of the Monkey King Enma.
The staff struck with crushing force—but the Raikage barely flinched, protected by his near-impenetrable Lightning Armor.
"You've still got some strength, old man! I thought you'd gone soft after years in that chair!"
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. The Raikage's words—were they truly his? Could this reanimation retain a shred of will?
If he were being controlled through Edo Tensei, like Might Duy once explained, shouldn't he be more... robotic?
But this—this looked like the Raikage's genuine rage.
Of course, that was Aoba Kawaki's plan all along. The Raikage's soul remained conscious, suffering as he was forced into battle by necromantic control. Every word he uttered was his own, shaped by bitterness and helpless fury.
Suddenly, golden light flashed above. Minato Namikaze descended from the sky, Rasengan in hand, aiming for a clean strike.
But the Third Raikage smirked. "I was ready for you, Yellow Flash!"
He erupted with a burst of Black Lightning—a powerful, volatile variation of the Lightning Release he had developed in secret before his death. It wasn't a Kekkei Genkai, but its ferocity rivaled many bloodline techniques. The energy formed into the shape of a black panther, lunging straight at Minato.
Minato's expression tightened. "So this is your hidden technique…"
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