Naruto: Aizen's Shadow in Konoha

Chapter 24: Cloud Shinobi



"Why is her hair red, is she a monster?"

"Tomato, the color is exactly the same as the tomato my mother bought last night."

"Hahaha, yes, she is a red tomato!"

A group of little boys surrounded a red-haired girl in the corridor. They taunted her mercilessly, causing a deep frown to crease her face. This little girl clearly wasn't one to take such teasing lightly. Unlike some quiet and easily bullied girls, she had a loud, fiery personality. Her face, once soft and sweet, contorted in anger. Her red hair, like a burning flame, bristled on her head.

Clenching her fists, she launched a fierce attack on the boys. Screams and yelps filled the corridor as she pummeled them mercilessly. Even Aizen, with his composed demeanor, couldn't help but wince at the sight of the boys' misery. "That's the new student in our class, Uzumaki Kushina!" a voice announced.

Aizen turned to see Uchiha Fugaku approaching. Aizen acknowledged Uchiha Fugaku with a nod, but couldn't help feeling a flicker of curiosity towards Uzumaki Naruto's mother. When Uzumaki Kushina noticed his gaze, her expression darkened further.

On seeing Uchiha Fugaku beside him, her face contorted in a cold snort before she stormed off. Aizen frowned, utterly perplexed. "This is our first meeting," he thought, "yet she seems to harbor some animosity towards me. I haven't done anything to offend her, have I?"

"Well," Uchiha Fugaku sighed, "it's not just you. Me, Nawaki, and anyone else close to Minato seems to be on her blacklist."

"Why?" Aizen's bewilderment deepened.

"Apparently, she has an unexplained grudge against Minato. Even those of us on friendly terms with him get caught in the crossfire. Quite a predicament," Uchiha Fugaku admitted, a hint of exasperation in his voice."Just be cautious around Uzumaki Kushina for now," Fugaku advised in a hushed tone.

"She's a girl, after all, just a hothead who needs to learn to control her temper. Don't take it personally. "Seeing them meet, Fugaku felt compelled to warn Aizen. He didn't want him to get into an unexpected brawl with Uzumaki Kushina. Being pummeled by a little girl would be bad enough, but…"Worse yet," he continued in a lower voice, "Uzumaki Kushina is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, a very dangerous individual. If her emotions spiral and the Nine-Tails breaks free, none of us stand a chance against that monstrous power."

"Hmm, interesting," Aizen smirked playfully. "Sounds like Minato might be a bit of a heartbreaker, wouldn't you say? "Fugaku chuckled, recognizing Aizen's teasing. "Minato's always been a hit with the ladies. That kind of behavior wouldn't be like him."

"Of course," Aizen conceded with a gentle smile. "The specifics are beyond me, but it seems Uzumaki Kushina doesn't care much for Minato's personality. "Knowing the original anime's plot, Aizen understood the situation perfectly.

"Look," Fugaku lowered his voice again, glancing around cautiously, "Nawaki mentioned something else about Uzumaki Kushina. Apparently, she has a very special background and is constantly under Anbu's protection. Let's avoid any conflict and minimize contact with her."Fugaku, being a Uchiha prodigy, coupled with Uzumaki Kushina's surname and Nawaki's cryptic message, had a hunch about her identity.

However, such secrets couldn't be shared openly with Aizen. He could only offer vague warnings. "Thank you, Fugaku, I appreciate the heads-up," Aizen responded with a nod. Aizen, of course, understood the reason behind these precautions. Having witnessed Uchiha Fugaku leave, Aizen pondered, 'Uzumaki Kushina… the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki already, huh? It seems she's already encountered Namikaze Minato, just like in the original work. I wonder how long it'll take for their classic moonlight confession… well, that's none of my concern'.

Aizen shook his head and turned to leave the corridor. For a cunning strategist like him at this stage, getting involved with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki or the Cloud Ninja kidnapping incident would be foolishly dangerous. The hero-saving-beauty scenario in the original manga wouldn't be a simple feat. It wouldn't be logical for a team of Cloud Ninjas capable of infiltrating Konohagakure and kidnapping the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to be thwarted by a single, non-graduated ninja student.

After finishing his ninja academy classes, Aizen returned to the familiar riverbank, ready for his usual day of monotonous training. "Huh?" However, upon arrival, his sensory net immediately detected a concealed spiritual body. Since the sensory net was a technique for perceiving souls, and Chakra contained spiritual energy, Aizen could also sense physical bodies, especially those of Jonin-level Chakra.'Who is it? Anbu? Root? Or someone from another Konoha faction? What's their purpose for hiding? Are they targeting me or someone else?'

Aizen's mind raced, his face remaining impassive, pretending ignorance. Despite his well-practiced facade, the figure in the shadows seemed impatient. The moment he spotted Aizen, he charged towards him with a thick aura of murderous intent! And the undisguised forehead protector on his head made Aizen's pupils shrink.

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