"Ah, yes. I made sure you ran into it on purpose."
Aizen took slow steps forward, smiling. "As someone obsessed with power, the moment you encountered an unknown and unique creature, you were bound to want to study it. And just as I expected, you led your men to kill what you thought was the source of Hollowfication. Then, you brought its body back to the Fourth Research Lab in the Root base for study."
Boom.
Hearing this, Danzo felt like he'd been struck by lightning. What the hell was going on? How did Aizen know all of this? It was as if everything he had done had been under Aizen's watch the whole time!
How was that possible?
Not only did Aizen know everything, but he had also played dumb the entire time. They had worked together for years, yet not once had he shown any signs of deception.
His acting was flawless. Absolutely perfect.
"Heh… what a terrifying mind you have." Orochimaru sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he glanced at Danzo. "It seems you picked quite the disciple, Danzo-san."
"You're mistaken, Orochimaru-senpai."
Under the silver moonlight, Aizen's glasses reflected a cold glint. "From the moment I entered the Konoha orphanage, I was already prepared to become one of Danzo-sama's subordinates."
"What do you mean by that?" Danzo asked, his face full of shock.
"You chose me for Root because you noticed my ability to manage the orphanage efficiently. And, combined with my talent in ninjutsu, you saw potential in me, didn't you?"
"And what of it?"
"Did it ever occur to you why Nono-sensei put a four-year-old in charge of the orphanage?"
"You… No way…"
Danzo suddenly understood. He finally understood everything!
Nono had betrayed him long ago. She had deliberately pushed Aizen into the spotlight, using his talent to attract Danzo's attention.
"So," Aizen's lips curved into a small smile, his voice calm and soft, "it wasn't that Danzo-sama chose me… but that I chose Danzo-sama."
"Damn it!"
Shimura Danzo clenched his teeth, his face turning ashen. "Aizen Sosuke, you little brat!"
Rage.
A fury unlike anything he had ever felt before consumed Danzo. His whole body trembled, and veins bulged on his forehead.
Who would have thought that the disciple he had carefully molded into his perfect creation was, in reality, a devil who toyed with people's hearts?
Danzo had spent his life manipulating others, yet now he was the one being controlled.
And it felt horrible. Absolutely unbearable.
Hatred and fury twisted inside him, pushing his rationality to the brink.
Gurgle.
All of a sudden, Danzo coughed up a mouthful of white fluid.
Like a living, flowing substance, it started spreading across his face and body.
"It's happening," Aizen murmured, completely unfazed. "Strong emotions really do speed up the Hollowfication process."
"Heh… How ironic." Orochimaru turned his gaze to Danzo, looking at him like he was some kind of circus clown. "The master manipulator, Danzo, has finally become someone else's puppet."
"An interesting observation." Aizen shifted his attention to Orochimaru and said in a low voice, "But tell me, Orochimaru-senpai, do you really think you're not a puppet yourself?"
"Trying to provoke me, kid?" Orochimaru grinned, his voice laced with amusement. "I'll admit, you're a genius when it comes to scheming… but not everyone is going to fall for your tricks."
Whoosh.
The moment he finished speaking, Orochimaru suddenly sprang up and thrust his Kusanagi sword straight at Aizen.
Buzz.
But just then, a powerful pressure erupted.
The weight of it felt like it struck the soul directly, making Orochimaru's entire body creak as if his bones were about to snap.
Clang.
The Kusanagi sword slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground. Orochimaru gasped for air, dropping to one knee. He stiffly lifted his head, only to see that the source of this crushing pressure was a purple-haired woman with a sword at her waist.
"Konan?" Orochimaru's face darkened. "I have to say, I'm surprised. Even one of Akatsuki's founders has become your subordinate?"
Silence.
Konan remained as indifferent as ever, seemingly unbothered by his words.
"Not a subordinate," Aizen said in a calm, almost gentle tone. "Konan is my companion. But I suppose for a cold-blooded being like you, Orochimaru, that would be hard to understand."
"Apologies, Aizen-sama," Yakushi Kabuto lowered his head, speaking with a guilty tone. "I didn't realize Orochimaru still had the ability to move."
"It's not that you failed to notice, Kabuto," Aizen said with a faint smile. "It's just that Orochimaru has already mastered rapid regeneration."
"You even know about that?" Orochimaru's face grew even darker. He had planned to use this ability as a trump card. "Your research… it's reached this level already?"
"Research?"
Aizen chuckled, his gaze calm. "It seems you still don't understand, Orochimaru. From the very beginning, I have known everything about the abilities and powers of Hollows."
From the very beginning?
Orochimaru's eyes widened in shock. "You… don't tell me…"
Roar.
Before he could finish speaking, beast-like roars echoed around them.
Giant creatures with bone masks covering their faces began gathering around them.
Strangely, these monsters completely ignored Aizen and the others. Instead, their eyes locked onto Orochimaru and Danzo.
"There are this many sources here?" Orochimaru muttered in disbelief.
Aizen clarified, "They're not called sources. Their real name is Hollows—twisted beings born from souls filled with resentment and hatred."
"I see, so that's what it is! This is what you meant by 'from the very beginning'?" Orochimaru finally understood. These beings called Hollows… Aizen was the one who created them.
The gap…
At that moment, Orochimaru felt the vast difference between himself and the young man standing before him. It was like heaven and earth.
"So, you finally understand, Orochimaru," Aizen said softly, smiling. "Now, let me tell you two more things. Have you never wondered why your Experiment No. 8 mutated? Did you really think that rapid regeneration was something you evolved on your own?"
Orochimaru's eyes trembled. "It was you?"
"That's right." Aizen smiled warmly, his tone as casual as if chatting with an old friend. "That's why I asked—do you really think you're not a puppet?"
"Damn you! Aizen Sosuke!" Orochimaru roared in fury.
Gah!
At that moment, his own Hollow transformation began.
He had just been laughing at Danzo for being a fool, but now, he finally realized—the real fool was himself.
"Goodbye, Danzo-sama, Orochimaru." Aizen turned away, his voice calm. "You both made excellent test subjects."
"You damn brat!" Orochimaru clenched his teeth, half of his face now covered by a bone mask as he struggled against the presence inside him.
But in the end, resistance was futile. The surrounding Hollows slowly closed in on Orochimaru and Danzo.
Buzz.
Just then, a golden beam of light suddenly shot down from the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Every Hollow caught in the light instantly disintegrated into ashes.
A mysterious figure, draped in a silver-white robe, appeared before Orochimaru and Danzo.
"Who… are you?" Orochimaru, still barely conscious, asked.
"Don't worry, I mean you no harm." The figure stepped forward and lightly touched Orochimaru's forehead with a fingertip. Orochimaru's body froze instantly before he collapsed into a deep sleep. "After all, we share a common enemy."
---
Read 30 advanced chapters on my patreon
patreon.com/GustinaKamiya
---