"You dodged slightly at the last moment, huh?"
Aizen flicked the blood off his blade with a slow, casual motion. "It seems your ability to react under pressure has improved again, Kakashi. That's good."
He's too fast!
Kakashi glanced down at the wound on his arm, his pupils dilating slightly.
Even with his Sharingan, he hadn't been able to track Aizen's movements at all.
Clearly, Aizen was much stronger than he had ever let on. And based on what Kakashi knew about himself, normal tactics probably wouldn't work here.
So, he needed an unexpected approach.
Kakashi's mind raced as he kept his eyes locked on Aizen.
"Planning your next move during a short break?" Aizen smiled, as if he had already seen right through him. "That's a good habit for battle. But I'd advise you not to push yourself too hard. After all…"
Before he could finish his sentence, he disappeared again.
Slash!
Bright red blood sprayed from Kakashi's back.
Aizen's voice whispered in his ear, "It's not easy to crush an ant without killing it outright, you know."
Damn it!
Kakashi's face twisted in pain, but he still didn't loosen his grip on Naruto.
"Oh? Even if it means dying, you won't let go?" Aizen said, his tone indifferent. "That's fine. I'll respect your wish. Take your time finishing whatever last regrets you have."
He raised his sword.
The silver blade caught the sunlight, reflecting a chilling gleam.
Clang!
The sword came down—only to be stopped by another blade.
The one holding it was Shisui, his face filled with shock. "Aizen?! What the hell is going on?!"
"Shisui, huh?" Aizen's expression didn't change. His smile remained as calm and composed as ever. "So you've started getting the hang of using spiritual energy."
"What… are you talking about?"
Uchiha Shisui looked completely confused.
Spiritual energy? What was that supposed to mean?
— ¶ —————————————————————
"Shisui, watch out!" Kakashi suddenly shouted, his voice urgent. "Faking his own death, working with outsiders to attack Konohagakure—Aizen Sosuke is the real mastermind behind all of this!"
What?
Shisui's eyes widened in shock as he stared at Aizen. "Is this true?"
"Kakashi-kun, the word 'working with' isn't quite right," Aizen said with a slight smile, correcting him. "The right word should be 'using.' Whether it's Kirigakure, Sunagakure, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, or even the Akatsuki, to me, they're nothing more than tools to be used."
Frozen.
Shisui stood there, completely stunned. His blank stare remained fixed on Aizen. Those words alone made it clear—Aizen was admitting he was behind everything.
"Aizen."
The sunlight fell upon the brown-haired young man, but his face no longer had the warmth that Shisui once knew. The dark shadows outlining his features made him look almost sinister. "You're not the Aizen I used to know anymore."
"Not the Aizen you knew?" Aizen chuckled softly. "I'm afraid the Aizen you knew never existed in the first place."
"Never existed?" Shisui's expression changed slightly, his brows furrowing.
"That's right." Aizen nodded casually, his tone relaxed. "Did you really think I didn't know why you approached me five years ago, Shisui?"
What?
Hearing Aizen's words, Shisui's expression shifted immediately.
"You got close to me on Uchiha Fugaku's orders, because Danzo valued me. You wanted to use me to change Danzo's opinion of the Uchiha. Am I wrong?"
"Aizen, back then, I—"
"No need to explain. I'm not blaming you," Aizen interrupted calmly. "On the contrary, I'm actually grateful, Shisui. If it weren't for you approaching me, my plan wouldn't have worked out so perfectly."
"Plan? What plan?"
"Of course, the plan to break away from the Root. Trying to move from the dark depths of Konohagakure's Root to another division isn't easy. Without the Hokage's support, the outcome would have been grim. To avoid direct conflict with Danzo, I had to earn the Hokage's approval first. And you showing up was exactly the missing piece I needed."
Aizen paused for a moment before smiling slightly. "In Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, the bonds between people are the perfect embodiment of the Will of Fire. And at that moment, you, trying to get close to me, became the perfect candidate to establish that bond."
Shisui remained silent for a long time before his expression darkened. "So, it was all an act? After doing so many cruel things, you can still smile?"
"Cruel?" Aizen smirked slightly. "I only wanted to help a homeless boy reunite with his mother. And the ones who tormented him… were Konohagakure itself. So tell me, who's really cruel here?"
Shisui took a deep breath, gripping his sword tightly. "Trying to justify taking the Nine-Tails like that… You're not the Aizen I once knew! If that's the case, I won't hesitate anymore!"
Swish.
His figure blurred, suddenly closing the distance between him and Aizen like a teleporting shadow.
That speed...
Kakashi's face froze in shock. He realized that his Sharingan had failed him again. Whether it was Aizen or Shisui, their movements were beyond what the Sharingan could track.
So strong!
Shisui could feel it too. He had never felt this powerful before. That strange force had surged through him, not only freeing him from the black rods restraining him but also making him feel as if his body had stepped into a higher dimension.
It must be because of that person!
A black figure that had appeared in his consciousness many times surfaced in his mind, and the words "hollowfication" echoed inside his head.
But now wasn't the time to think about that. His only focus was defeating Aizen and restoring Konohagakure to how it should be!
As if responding to its master's determination, the small katana in Shisui's hand erupted with dark red flames.
Boom!
The sword, wrapped in flames, slashed down at Aizen without hesitation, sending a blinding flash of fire into the air.
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