"Sarutobi Hiruzen, my vision is far greater than yours."
Aizen's laughter echoed without pause.
Outside, the world was drowning in war, yet he strolled as if enjoying a casual walk, leisurely chatting with the Third Hokage.
Orochimaru, watching from the side, felt a thrill of satisfaction as he saw the mixture of rage and shock on his former teacher's face. Instead of stopping Aizen, he smiled and enjoyed the show.
Aizen continued, his tone calm yet mocking:
"You were only half correct. Indeed, I asked Orochimaru to put the bear summon at my neck earlier. It was nothing but a performance—to show everyone that I had no ties to Orochimaru."
He shifted his gaze, narrowing his eyes at Hiruzen.
"But that wasn't only meant for Sunagakure. It was also for Konoha. Once you die, it will allow me to seize full control of this village."
"What!?"
Hiruzen's face stiffened in shock.
Aizen chuckled. "And as for Rasa's death—yes, you guessed right. Orochimaru didn't kill him. I did. Displaying his body in public wasn't merely to pin the blame on Orochimaru. There was another purpose…
"To force you into sending more Konoha forces outside the village to hunt for Orochimaru. That way, Konoha's defenses would be weakened—making our success inevitable."
Cold sweat trickled down Hiruzen's forehead. The precision of Aizen's schemes horrified even a veteran who had lived through two Great Ninja Wars.
"And one more thing," Aizen added lightly. "Rasa did not die three days ago. He turned to ash and vanished from Sunagakure four years ago."
"What?!"
Not only Hiruzen but even Orochimaru widened his eyes in disbelief.
Rasa died four years ago?!
"That's impossible!" Hiruzen barked, his voice trembling with anger. "If Rasa has been dead for so long, would Sunagakure not have noticed? And what of the corpse nailed to the inn's wall three days ago? Explain that!"
Orochimaru's mocking smile had faded into grim seriousness. His snake-like eyes stayed fixed on Aizen, eager to hear the truth.
"That corpse? Ah, you mean this?"
Aizen raised his right hand. None of them had noticed when he had done it, but now, in his grasp was the body of the Fourth Kazekage himself.
"This is—!"
"When did you—how?!"
Neither Orochimaru nor Hiruzen could believe their eyes.
"When? Why, I've been holding it this entire time." Aizen's smile deepened. "You simply couldn't see it until I chose to show you."
"What do you mean…?" Hiruzen's voice faltered. His composure as Hokage was slipping away.
"You'll see soon enough."
Aizen's voice lowered, almost whispering:
"Shatter… Kyōka Suigetsu."
The body in his hand splintered like glass, shattering into fragments of illusion, revealing only the sheathed blade at his waist.
Both Hiruzen and Orochimaru froze in stunned silence.
Buzz—
The tip of Kyōka Suigetsu struck the tiles beneath his feet, humming with eerie resonance.
"It's tedious to explain in full, but this is my ability—Complete Hypnosis."
"Complete Hypnosis…" Orochimaru muttered, frowning. His obsession with ninjutsu stirred a mix of fascination and unease.
"Yes," Aizen said smoothly. "Kyōka Suigetsu has the power to control all five senses. It can alter sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell—turning reality itself into illusion. With it, one can mistake a fly for a dragon, a swamp for a field of flowers, or even a mere blade—or man—for the Fourth Kazekage himself."
"You…" Hiruzen's voice roared with fury. "You used this to make Sunagakure believe Rasa was alive, and secretly controlled them all these years?!"
The thought was unbearable. Beyond Shisui's Kotoamatsukami or Itachi's Tsukuyomi, here was an illusion even more terrifying—able to ensnare an entire village without detection.
"It isn't so simple," Aizen said mildly. "The stronger the target, the greater the strain and the shorter the control. That's why I fabricated the story that Rasa had been gravely injured after a battle with me, forced into seclusion and rarely appearing before others. This minimized Kyōka Suigetsu's burden."
He gave a soft chuckle. "Even I cannot indefinitely manipulate the senses of an entire village without limits."
Cold sweat drenched both Orochimaru and Hiruzen. The reality of Aizen's machinations pressed down on them like a suffocating weight.
"You… your true identity…" Hiruzen whispered, his voice cracking.
Aizen's lips curved into a cold smile.
"Finally guessed it, have you? It's been a long time since I revealed my true face."
Slowly, with deliberate calm, he raised his left hand. His fingers touched the smooth surface of the white mask covering his features.
Then, sliding it down, Aizen removed the mask—unveiling his true visage.