Naruto: Aizen's Shadow in Konoha

"I... I beg you, Aizen, allow me to pass down the Hatake family's swordsmanship," Hatake Sakumo forced out, his voice strained, each word a testament to the strength it took him to say it.

He grit his teeth so hard they nearly cracked. He held himself up, drawing on every ounce of remaining energy to say this.

Aizen arched an eyebrow, his tone teasing. "You think I need your swordsmanship? I'm not the one who'll be learning it—direct it to the one who will."

Sakumo froze, his hands clenching involuntarily, the veins on them standing out. But when he thought of his son, he released his fists, defeated.

Expressionless, Sakumo turned to Hyuga Gin, his voice devoid of emotion. "I ask you… to learn the swordsmanship of our Hatake clan."

Hyuga Gin's face contorted in discomfort.

"Louder!" Aizen's sudden shout startled both Sakumo and Hyuga Gin, their bodies jolting. "Speak like you actually want something! This isn't how you ask someone for help."

The muscles in Sakumo's face tightened, and his eyes reddened with suppressed fury. Finally, he forced out in a strained shout, "I beg you—please learn the swordsmanship of the Hatake clan!"

Hyuga Gin stood frozen, unsure of what to do, glancing at Aizen with uncertain eyes.

"Why are you looking at me? This is your new teacher. Show him the proper respect," Aizen said, an amused smirk on his face.

Hyuga Gin, though confused, quickly knelt before Sakumo, bowing three times and acknowledging him as his master, completing the formalities.

Though the process was bizarre and degrading, Hyuga Gin was now the inheritor of Hatake swordsmanship.

Watching Sakumo suffer through this, Zashi and Yoru's faces twisted with anger, their hands clenched in frustration. But they dared not speak out.

After what they had just witnessed, they had come to understand all too well the unpredictable and merciless nature of Aizen.

The stakes involved Hatake Kakashi's safety, so none of them dared to provoke Aizen further.

"Get up," Hatake Sakumo muttered to Hyuga Gin. "I'm on the brink of death—I can't teach you anything directly. The sword techniques of the Hatake clan, along with the Chakra Mode I developed, are sealed within my home in Konoha. Only I can release it."

Sakumo glanced at Hyuga Gin, then turned his eyes back to Aizen.

"Would you like to see your son one last time before it's over?" Aizen asked, seeing through Sakumo's intentions immediately.

"Konoha is already under your Kyōka Suigetsu's control. Surely, you're not afraid I'll betray you," Sakumo replied, dodging the question but pressing his own.

"Indeed," Aizen replied, a faint smile touching his lips.

Aizen cast an inscrutable look at Zashi and Yoru. "In that case, I've accomplished what I set out to do. Tonight, you may spend your final hours with your comrades. My energy has penetrated deep into their souls—they won't live much longer."

Hatake Sakumo's body stiffened, but he remained silent. Zashi and Moonlight Yoru glared at Aizen with deep-seated hatred, their expressions filled with rage.

Unfazed by their hostility, Aizen activated his spiritual sense, scanning the area within several kilometers. "Quite a commotion tonight," he mused.

Apart from Hatake Sakumo's unexpected surge in strength, everything else had gone as Aizen had planned.

Wood Style: Birth of the Tree World!

 Aizen formed a single-hand seal and pressed his palm to the ground.

Crack… crack…

In the astonished eyes of everyone present, lush trees began to sprout, spreading over the land within a radius of several kilometers, covering the war-torn landscape.

This large-scale technique, originally developed by Senju Hashirama to restore the Land of Fire, allowed vegetation to grow rapidly. While it covered an extensive area, the jutsu was relatively low in chakra consumption, as it only generated ordinary trees, unlike the more powerful, combat-focused techniques.

Though traces of the intense battle lingered, to the untrained eye, the field looked mostly untouched, thanks to Aizen's skillful restoration using Wood Style. Only those who witnessed the fight would understand the level of power that had clashed here.

"Wood Style... even this is within Aizen's grasp," Hatake Sakumo thought, his resolve momentarily shaken as he observed the legendary technique, despite his own overwhelming exhaustion.

Orochimaru, Zashi, and the others also watched in shock. Normally, seeing Wood Style would leave them awestruck for hours. But tonight, Aizen had shocked them far beyond that. Knowing he was of the Senju bloodline, it seemed almost natural for Aizen to wield such power with ease—almost.

They quickly hid their astonishment as Aizen turned to leave, his gaze lingering on Zashi for a brief moment before signaling Orochimaru and Hyuga Gin to follow.

Just as Aizen and his group were walking away, a sudden voice rang out.

"Sakumo, move aside!" Zashi shouted from behind, a surge of electric energy igniting around him.

Before he knew it, Hatake Sakumo instinctively shifted to the side.

"Lightning Style : Thunder Cannon!"

Zashi's voice roared as he unleashed a powerful beam of purple lightning that tore through the air, aimed directly at Aizen and his companions.

The violent surge of Chakra crackled through the air, and both Orochimaru and Hyuga Gin tensed at the oncoming attack. They glanced at Aizen, but he continued walking, entirely unconcerned. Noticing his calmness, they relaxed as well.

As the lightning cannon closed in, Aizen gave a faint smirk and said in a low voice, "Bakudō No. 81: Splitting Void."

A translucent barrier appeared before him, absorbing the impact of the Thunder Cannon with ease. A deafening explosion echoed across the field, shaking the ground.

When the dust finally settled, Aizen and his companions remained unharmed, their figures steadily disappearing into the distance, not once acknowledging the attack.

Zashi stared in disbelief, his eyes wide.