Location: Reformed Uzushiogakure – Central Plaza
Time: Morning – Day of the Academy's Opening Ceremony
Anyway, while Seijuro was out there being given access to shit that a lot of people wanted—God knows Jiraiya would swim in that shit—the second he even got the chance, he would do it.
Man would probably sell both of his nuts for the chance at that Tsunadussy, while Seijuro could care less. Oh well.
Aizen, meanwhile, was finishing up the Uzumaki buildings. Some of them were made of wood, but others were made of different materials—mostly wood, though. As for why he wasn't afraid they would catch on fire: they were his wood...
Get your mind out of the gutter.
They were his woods, filled to the brim with Nature Energy, so you'd have to seriously try—like try really hard—to make them catch on fire.
And the houses were also hella durable, by virtue of, well, Aizen making seals for them. With the Uzumaki having access to their seals once more, every house in this area was heavily fortified. You'd need high A-rank jutsu just to destroy the basic houses... so let's not even get started on the actually fortified ones.
Anyway, Aizen was currently standing in front of the Uzumaki. Behind him stood the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails.
He was planning on getting the Three-Tails too. The ocean around them would be a great area for the turtle to swim in.
Plus, their ocean life had a lot of coral reefs, and according to Gyūki, Isobu would like it here... so yeah.
Anyway, time to make a speech.
"Do not fear them."
His voice, clear and measured, echoed throughout the plaza, infused with subtle chakra that soothed the subconscious.
"These are not monsters. These are not weapons. These are Guardians. From this day forth, Matatabi shall guard our forests, and Gyūki will patrol our seas. They are not prisoners. They are our allies. Our friends."
The crowd shifted uneasily, though the tension softened as Matatabi bowed her feline head respectfully, and Gyūki gave a low, thoughtful rumble. Children peeked from behind their parents, staring at the Bijū with wide, awestruck eyes.
"I have spoken to them," Aizen continued, voice calm but firm. "They will live freely within these lands. No seals. No cages. They will be protected—and in return, they will protect us."
He stepped forward, his presence like a still flame in the wind.
"And as for the future... when the time comes, when a new generation is ready, they—the Bijū—will choose their own jinchūriki. It will not be a matter of power. Not of lineage. But of trust."
A pause.
"Only those worthy will receive that bond."
A gentle smile spread across Aizen's face, that same faint, disarming expression he always wore—calm, in control, deeply human despite everything he had done.
"We rebuild not just walls... but faith. This time, the Uzumaki clan will not be a footnote in someone else's legacy. We will write our own."
Soft applause began at first, cautious. Then louder, growing into a roaring wave of cheers, chants, and clapping as the crowd began to understand.
This wasn't fear.
This was hope.
Yet, for those who could feel his chakra... this felt like him trying to ensure the Uzumaki had several powerhouses in place before he could pass away.
Speaking of which, he was planning to ask Nagato to join.
Oh well.
Flashback: The Night Before – Shrine of the Bijū
Aizen sat cross-legged in a barrier-lined cavern beneath the ocean cliff, lit by candlelight and surrounded by a ten-layered Fūinjutsu circle. Opposite him sat Matatabi, flames dimmed, and Gyūki, massive form coiled to fit inside the protective dome.
"You really expect us to trust humans again?" Gyūki grumbled, one tentacle twitching in irritation. "We've seen this cycle before."
"I don't," Aizen said plainly. "I expect you to trust me."
Matatabi's blue flames flickered. "That's a dangerous distinction."
Aizen looked at her, his Rinnegan glowing faintly.
"You've been hunted, tortured, sealed in children, and used like living bombs. I don't blame you for your hatred. I carry it, too. But what I'm offering isn't servitude. It's strategy."
Gyūki raised a brow. "How is being sealed again a strategy?"
"Because I'm not immortal," Aizen said calmly. "And the second I fall—which I know I will—they will come. Other nations. Greedy, cowardly, ambitious. They'll see two free Bijū and try to take you again. Matatabi will be bound in chains. You, Gyūki, will be locked in a cavern again, feeding someone else's war."
Gyūki's brow furrowed.
Why did he sound so certain?
"You are an Uzumaki, and you are fairly young. You will be alive for the next hundred years or so... yet you speak like someone who only has a decade left to live."
Aizen sighed a bit.
"Those eyes of mine... I had to sacrifice a lot for them. After the clan was eliminated... I used a forbidden seal in the Uzumaki clan. I sacrificed my bloodline and a vast majority of my life for power... I learned of the Sage of Six Paths. I learned of Indra and Ashura... I simply found their newest reincarnations... and took their chakra in order to awaken these eyes..."
His explanation was bulletproof—especially in front of the Bijū.
"In order to achieve absolute power... I gave it my all..."
He then bowed in front of the Bijū, his head touching the floor.
"And thus, I am here today, to plead for my people. I beg of you... please help protect them. I am willing even to destroy my eyes, if need be."
The Bijū froze for a moment...
This human... he seemed so different. He had gone through so much to achieve such power... yet was willing to give it all away, just for his people to be okay.
"...We agree..."
A/N No I did not forget the Hyuga subplot. Also please tell me, I didn't lose you.