"Aizen,"
Rasa spoke suddenly.
"Yes," Aizen Kaidō replied calmly.
Rasa's voice carried a weight of authority, though laced with a faint illusionary undertone. "This mission will fall to you."
"I understand, Lord Kazekage."
Pakura thought for a moment before interjecting cautiously. "Lord Kazekage, sending only Master Aizen feels somewhat insufficient. While no one doubts his strength, Kirigakure is in turmoil. To send just one person…"
Rasa cut her off with a wave of his hand. "I have complete confidence in Aizen's strength. More importantly, the fewer people on this mission, the better. If another nation were to discover our shinobi crossing their borders without permission, it could lead to disaster."
You'll die if you keep speaking like this… so don't interrupt, Aizen thought quietly to himself.
"Yes, it was my mistake, Lord Kazekage." Pakura bowed her head and fell silent.
Thus, the mission was classified as S-rank and placed under Aizen's responsibility. Rasa gave strict orders that none of the Jōnin present were to reveal even the slightest detail of this mission.
Before leaving, Aizen sought out the Kazekage's three children to bid farewell.
The journey from the Land of Wind to the Land of Water and back would take at least ten days. With the mission itself consuming more time, there was no chance of returning within half a month.
By then, Gaara had already regained consciousness. Aizen made a point to warn him. "Do not rely on your tailed beast's power while I'm away."
"I understand," Gaara replied flatly, though his tone unsettled Temari and Kankurō. His demeanor was… different. They could feel it.
"When Mr. Aizen is gone, I'll take care of them. You don't have to worry." Temari stood up firmly.
"Really? Temari, you're such a good girl."
Aizen smiled and gently ruffled her hair. Though it resembled the spikes of a durian, it was surprisingly soft and smooth to the touch.
"Hey…" Temari's face softened with an expression of enjoyment. But when she caught the word girl, her pride stirred in quiet protest, leaving her slightly dissatisfied.
"Don't slack off in your training while I'm gone. Now, I'll be on my way."
With those final words, Aizen vanished into thin air.
The Kazekage's children, Sasuke—still haunted by the Uchiha massacre—and Naruto, who was still seeking acknowledgment through mischief… they were just children, quietly waiting for their time. But Aizen—Aizen was the one actively reshaping the flow of history. Each step he took shifted the course of the world in ways unforeseen.
And this mission would prove no different.
…
…
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
By now, Aizen had reached the Land of Water, a perpetually mist-shrouded and damp country. Since Uchiha Obito had seized control of Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, the state of Kirigakure bore unsettling similarities to Sunagakure under Aizen's hand. The difference lay in leadership—Obito had no gift for governance, and the loss of Rin had twisted his mind into something warped and unstable.
Where Sunagakure thrived under Aizen's guidance, the Land of Water was drowning in chaos.
Through days of discreet investigation, and with his knowledge of Kirigakure's bloody history, Aizen pieced together the truth.
The Land of Water was in civil war.
Two factions battled endlessly: supporters and opponents of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura.
The pro-Yagura faction was led by the village's current leadership, though several of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had turned traitor. Kisame Hoshigaki had already defected. Only Mangetsu Hōzuki and Raiga Kurosuki remained loyal.
The opposition, meanwhile, consisted of bloodline clans and dissenters. Aizen hadn't yet uncovered their leader's identity, but he had a strong suspicion.
If memory of the "original story" was correct, this was the same civil war that claimed Pakura's life.
…
At that moment, Aizen sat in a deserted teahouse at the edge of a forgotten post station. With the Land of Water wracked by strife, many civilians had fled to foreign nations or vanished into the mountains and forests.
Boom!
The ground shook suddenly. Aizen, wearing a wide-brimmed hat reminiscent of Uchiha Itachi's, lifted his gaze.
Three hundred meters away, shinobi clashed fiercely, their jutsu rattling the land.
Water dragons surged upward, crashing against bolts of lightning from the heavens. The collision sent violent tremors rolling through the air.
Water Style and Lightning Style?
Aizen's eyes narrowed. But then, the battlefield was engulfed in a rising white steam, blanketing the rainforest. At first glance, it resembled Kirigakure's standard Hidden Mist Technique.
But his Sharingan pierced through the haze. This was no ordinary mist. The steam corroded the trees, melting them as though they had been submerged in acid.
That's… Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique.
"There's only one person in Kirigakure who can use this jutsu."
With a faint smile, Aizen lifted his left hand to his face. Fingers trailed down, as if he were drawing a mask from nothingness.
Shhhk!
A pristine white mask slid into place over his features.
Aizen had arrived.