"Hmm? This is..." After dispatching a Suna shinobi, Hatake Sakumo's gaze fell upon Aizen in the distance, a subtle frown creasing his brow. He moved closer to Mitarashi Zashi, who was nearby, and inquired in a low voice, "Zashi, who is that young man?"
Following Sakumo's line of sight, Zashi immediately recognized the figure. "His name is Aizen. He's a genius from the same generation as Minato Namikaze and Nawaki Senju, and now a student of Tsunade. However, I hear he aspires to be a skilled medical-nin and doesn't enjoy combat. Hence, his reputation isn't as prominent as Minato's or others. Why, Sakumo? Is there something amiss about him?"
Zashi was puzzled. She couldn't understand why the seemingly ordinary Aizen had caught Sakumo's attention.
"His swordsmanship is quite impressive. He's already begun to tap into the realm of sword intent," Sakumo replied, his brow furrowing further.
"Sword intent!" Zashi was taken aback. His perspective on Aizen shifted as he looked at him anew. With a swordsman of Sakumo's caliber beside him, Zashi understood the significance of sword intent. In the entire shinobi world, only a select few had attained such mastery in swordsmanship. Even Gekkou Yoru, who possessed a deep understanding of the sword, was merely a swordsman at the level of sword energy.
While the ninja world primarily focused on ninjutsu, Mitarashi Zashi couldn't help but be deeply impressed by Aizen, a prodigy who had tapped into sword intent at the tender age of twelve.
"To master sword intent at such a young age... it's not inconceivable that he could become a swordsman on par with you, Sakumo," Zashi mused.
However, his admiration quickly turned to puzzlement. "But even if Aizen has the potential to become a formidable force, why are you so interested in him, Sakumo? The Hatake clan's swordsmanship is a closely guarded secret, and you've never expressed a desire to take on a disciple. Besides, he's already under Tsunade's tutelage."
Sakumo shook his head, his gaze fixed on Aizen with a hint of unease. "It's not his talent that concerns me, but the intent behind his sword."
"Intent? The will of the soul imbued within the sword?" Zashi inquired.
"Yes, something like that... For swordsmen like us, sword intent is the purest manifestation of our spiritual will, our very soul. And at the stage of sword intent, this will begins to take shape," Sakumo explained gravely.
"What do you mean?" Zashi asked, sensing a deeper meaning in Sakumo's words.
"From Aizen's sword, I sense an icy, arrogant, and sharp intent. It's a will that disregards all life, a cold indifference. People with such intent are often ambitious and harbor dark desires. I fear that Aizen may one day bring disaster upon Konoha," Sakumo confessed, his expression grim.
Zashi's face hardened, and a hint of murderous intent flickered in his eyes as he looked at Aizen. However, a moment of realization washed over him, and he sighed. "Sakumo, what you say may be true, but it's all just speculation based on his sword intent. We have no concrete evidence. Even if he harbors ill intentions towards Konoha, he's too young to act on them now. Your concerns are merely assumptions about the future."
Zashi paused, then added, "Moreover, he's Tsunade's student and a member of the Hokage lineage. Given our current relationship with the Hokage, do you think they'd believe us if we accused their heir of such heinous intentions without any proof?"
Sakumo fell silent, acknowledging the truth in Zashi's words. The Hokage lineage would likely see their actions as an attempt to sow discord.
"Besides," Zashi continued, "Konoha has many powerful shinobi. Even if Aizen were to become a threat, do you doubt your ability to stop him, Sakumo?"
Sakumo remained silent, pondering Zashi's words. Perhaps his fears were unfounded. Or perhaps, as Zashi suggested, he would be there to protect Konoha from any future threat posed by Aizen.
Sakumo paused, struck by Zashi's words. Indeed, Konoha's strength was enough to suppress any rogue ninja. Even he himself could be restrained, let alone a mere Aizen. With this realization, Sakumo relaxed and dismissed his concerns about Aizen. Zashi, however, made a mental note of the incident, though he didn't dwell on it. After all, they were top shinobi with unwavering confidence in their abilities. They believed that even if Aizen were to act against Konoha, they could easily neutralize him. Moreover, Aizen's status as a direct descendant of the Hokage lineage made it impossible for them to take any action.
Aizen, on the other hand, was well aware that his sword intent had been detected and scrutinized by Sakumo. While this was troublesome, he knew it would only raise suspicions and caution among the Konoha leadership, not lead to his immediate demise. After all, he was Tsunade's disciple, and even if they voiced their concerns to Hiruzen Sarutobi and others, would they believe such baseless accusations?
Aizen kept this incident to himself, resolving to be more cautious around Sakumo in the future. However, the person he truly wanted to eliminate was Senju Ryuken. If not for Ryuken's interference, his sword intent wouldn't have been exposed. Aizen desired to make him pay dearly.
But Ryuken was not a simple opponent. Even with his current strength, Aizen couldn't defeat him. Fortunately, Aizen was on the verge of being promoted to Special Jonin, a rank that would grant him the qualifications to assassinate Ryuken. Before that, however, Aizen sought to further enhance his strength and acquire more trump cards.
Before the war began, Aizen had set a specific goal, believing it would yield promising results. Now, with everything in place, all he needed was the right opportunity. Soon, that opportunity presented itself.
Shortly after, Orochimaru, who had been rushing to reinforce the Konoha forces, finally arrived. He swiftly organized a cover for the retreating army. The evacuation process was chaotic, with the battlefield descending into disarray.
Under Aizen's watchful eye, a figure who had been silently observing the conflict from afar finally made their move, taking advantage of the pandemonium.
....
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