After exiting Konoha Village, Aizen walked steadily towards the Land of Lightning.
Traveling at full speed, it took him only half a month to arrive just outside the hidden village of Kumogakure, the Cloud Shinobi Village.
It was nighttime when he arrived, the village twinkling with lights in the distance. Aizen unsheathed Kyōka Suigetsu, a smile playing on his lips.
With the soft hum of Kyōka Suigetsu's blade, an invisible yet powerful energy spread over the entire Cloud Shinobi Village.
In an instant, every shinobi and civilian in the village became captives to Kyōka Suigetsu's illusion.
Aizen strolled leisurely into the village without resistance.
Though it was his first time in Kumogakure, Aizen made quick work of a random unlucky Jōnin, extracting the information he needed by rifling through the man's memories. With the knowledge acquired, he knew exactly where to go.
After disposing of the body effortlessly, Aizen moved toward the Raikage's office in the center of the village.
Inside the Raikage building, the office remained brightly lit despite the late hour.
A burly figure sat behind the desk, still hard at work.
The man was dark-skinned with long, light-yellow hair and a beard that reached down to his chest. His body was a wall of muscle, and across his chest was a lightning-shaped scar. A tattoo of the word "Thunder" was emblazoned on his right shoulder.
This was none other than the formidable Third Raikage, known for his legendary Lightning Release Chakra Mode. In the annals of shinobi history, this Raikage was said to have fought an army for three consecutive days and nights, only succumbing to exhaustion after his body finally gave out.
Even in the Fourth Great Ninja War, when revived through Impure World Reincarnation, it took the combined effort of Naruto Uzumaki and others to finally seal him away using a clever strategy.
The strength of the Third Raikage exceeded even that of Zashi, making him one of the most feared Kage-level powerhouses, a near-invincible warrior.
In the current era, if it weren't for the presence of Hatake Sakumo, the legendary White Fang of Konoha, the Third Raikage would undoubtedly be considered the strongest among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Even the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, revered for his mastery of Dust Release, was only considered a peak-level Kage.
But the specter of Hatake Sakumo loomed large in the minds of all the village leaders.
At that moment, the Third Raikage sat at his desk, pondering the latest intelligence.
"This past month, Konoha's White Fang has been spotted in the Land of Lightning multiple times. What could his goal be? Why has he chosen to linger in our territory? And, how might this affect our Cloud Shinobi Village?"
He rubbed his temples in frustration.
The mere thought of Hatake Sakumo gave him a headache. The man's very presence felt like a mountain pressing down on the hearts of countless shinobi, a legend that no one could ignore.
Many shinobi, even while attempting to sleep, cursed Hatake Sakumo's name through gritted teeth.
The Third Raikage himself had crossed swords with the White Fang years ago, and he still bore the scars—both physical and mental—from that encounter.
During their first battle, in a single clash, Sakumo had shattered the Raikage's formidable Lightning Release Armor as though it were nothing.
In retaliation, the Raikage had unleashed his feared Hell Stab, a technique renowned as his "strongest spear," intending to finish Sakumo in one strike.
Instead, his fingers were nearly severed by Sakumo's White Light Chakra blade.
To this day, the Third Raikage could not shake the memory of that battle, a lingering terror that gnawed at his pride.
Even a formidable man like the Third Raikage felt an oppressive sense of fear and dread whenever he thought about Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo. The impact Sakumo had on ordinary ninjas was even worse—an overwhelming force that left them shaken before they even faced him.
If not for the helplessness he felt regarding Hatake Sakumo, there was no way he would have issued such an unusual order: Any Cloud shinobi who encountered Konoha's White Fang on a mission was permitted to abandon the task without penalty.
This was both a testament to Sakumo's terrifying prowess and a source of immense shame for the other Hidden Villages.
But what could be done?
The mental anguish caused by facing Hatake Sakumo paled in comparison to the actual, physical losses he inflicted on the Hidden Villages—those were what truly left lasting scars.
In the wake of Hatake Sakumo's unmatched strength and fearless assaults, the villages had no choice but to forgo direct confrontation.
After the end of the Second Great Ninja War, Sakumo's danger level had become so great that the other four Hidden Villages covertly assembled five Kage-level powerhouses along with hundreds of elite Jōnin to form an assassination squad.
And yet, what was the outcome?
Of the five Kage-level shinobi, only two managed to escape, both severely injured. The elite Jōnin were completely wiped out.
Following this catastrophic failure, the name of Konoha's White Fang became legendary throughout the entire shinobi world.
The major villages abandoned all plans to hunt down Hatake Sakumo.
What? You think sending an army of shinobi to overwhelm him would work?
Throughout the Second Great Ninja War, Hatake Sakumo had single-handedly charged into enemy armies on numerous occasions, cutting down foes as though they were grass beneath his blade.
His repeated displays of such absurd strength left the Hidden Villages with only one conclusion: even large-scale attacks against Sakumo were futile. His performance during the war eventually forced the four villages to unite in a desperate effort to confront him.
But their efforts proved to be in vain.
When elite hunters were sent to kill him, they ended up as mere casualties.
Even ninja armies failed to contain him.
Whenever Hatake Sakumo's figure appeared, the only thing the other villages' leaders could do was hope he would leave soon, praying that the White Fang would spare them from his wrath.
And the rest?
All they could do was wait, depending entirely on Sakumo's mood.
"Sigh..."
The Third Raikage let out a long, helpless breath as he reflected on the legend of Konoha's White Fang. Even the massive figure of the Raikage seemed to slump under the weight of his thoughts, his usually powerful frame hunched as if burdened by an invisible force.
He felt utterly powerless.
"So this is the weight of a name known throughout the world? Impressive!"
Suddenly, a mocking voice cut through the silence of the office, making the Third Raikage stiffen instantly.
At the same time, a strange figure materialized before him.
"Who?!"
The Third Raikage shot up from his seat, eyes locked on the figure standing before him.
Under the influence of Kyōka Suigetsu, what he saw was a tall, imposing man, standing about 1.8 meters in height. His entire form was shrouded in a strange mist, obscuring his features. Only a glimpse of his slicked-back hair was visible, with a single strand hanging down over his face.
The figure was dressed in a long coat, white with black edges, and a dark red belt fastened around his waist, giving him an eerie, otherworldly appearance.
"Greetings, Third Raikage," the figure said with an unsettling calmness. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sōsuke."
The figure's voice was polite, yet it carried a weight that unsettled the Raikage.
"Enough!"
Without hesitation, the Third Raikage let out a roar, surging forward with all his might.
Crack!
Lightning erupted from his body, enveloping him in a violent aura of pure power as he charged at the intruder with lethal intent. He didn't care who this man was or how he had managed to infiltrate the Raikage's office. All that mattered was capturing him—and then, everything would become clear.
"Ah... why does it always come to this? You all force me to use violence before you'll listen," Aizen said, his voice carrying a faint trace of amusement as if he was mildly exasperated by the situation.
But there was something darker beneath his words—an edge of cruelty.
Clang!
In an instant, a sharp sound of steel echoed through the air. Aizen's form had shifted, now appearing behind the charging Raikage, seemingly without having moved at all.
The Third Raikage's massive frame froze in place, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Puff! Puff!
From multiple points across the Raikage's body—his chest, back, shoulders, and limbs—blood sprayed out in all directions. The cuts were clean, precise, as if made by an invisible blade.
With a sickening thud, the Raikage's body collapsed to the ground, blood pooling beneath him.