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Upon hearing the calm words, the three of them reacted as if they were facing a formidable enemy, their expressions vigilant and their eyes focused intently on the newcomer.
A gentle breeze swept through the mountains, slightly stirring the strands of hair on the newcomer's forehead, adding a touch of tension to this unusual reunion.
"As expected, Sōsuke, you've truly allied yourself with the Iwa Village, just as the intelligence indicated!" Jiraiya said, his expression grave as he stared at the newcomer. Despite his weakened physical state, facing Aizen seemed to render everything else irrelevant.
After Jiraiya spoke, Tsunade, standing behind him, gazed at Aizen with a soft, sorrowful light in her eyes and said quietly, "Have you really decided to join forces with Iwa Village against Konoha, Sōsuke?"
As they spoke, Aizen, who was gradually approaching them, smiled faintly and said softly, "Sōsuke… what a nostalgic name."
As he spoke, a fleeting indifference flashed in his eyes as he looked at the three of them, his voice calm. "But to me, that was nothing more than a falsehood from the past."
"My name is Aizen. I will become the ruler of this world, establish a new order for it, and bring forth a new era. Sōsuke was just a false identity I used while among you."
Aizen's calm words resonated through the scene. Behind him, Saki and Sasori bowed respectfully, as if they were facing a supreme king.
Hearing Aizen's words, Jiraiya's face darkened. He endured the pain in his body and shouted angrily, "Sōsuke! What have you gone through? Why? Why do you refuse to acknowledge even the memories we once shared? Are you afraid to face them?"
"Even though I was your close friend and knew you well, your so-called 'falsehood' means nothing!"
Tsunade, too, looked at Aizen with deep sorrow, her eyes still holding a glimmer of hope. However, after Aizen's next words, that hope dimmed completely.
"Close friend?" Aizen murmured softly.
The next moment, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he said, "But Jiraiya, how do you know that the person you thought you knew so well wasn't just a persona I deliberately put on for you?"
Hearing Aizen's words, the three of them were visibly shaken, their faces paling.
Aizen ignored them, continuing with a faint smile, "Jiraiya, you were an unexpectedly talented individual. From the very beginning, I noticed that you were different from the other children during our ninjutsu training sessions."
"However, it seems you never realized this yourself. Deep within you lies an insecurity you don't acknowledge, which is why you always resorted to exaggerated actions to attract attention."
"And I, knowing this, approached you at the right time. After all, every person lacking confidence needs someone to motivate them to move forward, don't they?"
He then glanced at Tsunade, whose face had grown even paler, and said softly, "As for you, Tsunade… bearing the heavy expectations of the Senju clan must be exhausting."
As soon as he said this, Tsunade seemed to recall something, her face turning even whiter.
"In a world of ninjas dominated by men, how could a woman like you hope to restore the Senju clan's reputation, or even fulfill the seemingly unattainable dreams of the First Hokage?"
"So, I shared my thoughts with you. Since we both wanted the people of Konoha to live happy lives, I hoped to gain your favor."
Hearing this, Tsunade collapsed to her knees, her eyes filled with sorrow and darkness. Aizen glanced at her briefly but didn't look again.
His eyes were as calm as a deep, unfathomable lake, yet the corners of his mouth held a smile as he continued, "It's simply a matter of understanding your hidden personalities. By presenting myself in a way that you found approachable, I easily became what you called a friend or even a close friend."
"In that sense, friendship or close friendship is indeed a cheap existence."
Jiraiya gritted his teeth upon hearing Aizen's words. He glanced at Tsunade, who had lost her composure and combat ability, and trembled with anger, staring at Aizen. "A true friend isn't what you make it out to be!"
"No matter if you're Sōsuke or Aizen, this time, even if it costs me my life, I will stop you here!"
Hearing his words, Aizen's lips curled slightly, and he chuckled, "Always spouting such grand statements, Jiraiya. You've never changed, nor have you progressed."
Jiraiya didn't argue, his gaze fixed on Aizen. He bit his thumb hard and quickly formed hand seals.
Boar-Dog-Rooster-Monkey-Sheep.
"Boom!"
As Jiraiya's hand slammed onto the ground, a massive cloud of smoke suddenly enveloped him.
Aizen watched with interest, a glimmer of light in his eyes, and said with a soft laugh, "Are you trying to use summoning against me? You should understand the difference in our power, shouldn't you, Jiraiya?"
As the smoke slowly dissipated, two tiny toads stood on Jiraiya's shoulders, seemingly unaware of what was happening. One held a pot, and the other was knitting a sweater.
"Ribbit, it's little Jiraiya. What do you need us for?" The toad with the gray beard looked at Jiraiya and asked in a deep voice.
Jiraiya's eyes never left Aizen, his expression extremely serious, as he said in a deep voice, "Fukasaku-sama, this time, I want to use that power. No matter the consequences, I must stop this guy here, and I need your help!"
In response, the old toad with the gray beard replied in a low voice, "So, this is the friend who betrayed the village? If you're that determined, I'll do my best to help you."
Hearing the old toad's words, Jiraiya nodded solemnly.
Then, Jiraiya swiftly pulled out some oil-based paint from his ninja pouch and applied it to his face. After that, he clasped his hands together, his gaze fixed on Aizen. Orochimaru, who had been watching this, looked puzzled, but a glint of understanding flashed in his eyes. He then joined Jiraiya, assuming a battle stance against Aizen.
In the distance, Aizen showed no concern for their combat stances, his eyes instead focused with interest on the two toads on Jiraiya's shoulders.
Their earlier conversation with Jiraiya had not been concealed, so Aizen had heard everything clearly.
'Fukasaku-sama…?'
'So these are the sages of Mount Myoboku? It's intriguing. How have they managed to survive in the shinobi world for so long?'