A New Mission

In reality, when it came to Soul Society—that is, the people under their jurisdiction—Aizen's presence could not exactly be called omnipresent. At best, it was better than nothing.

Aizen himself seemed more enthusiastic about playing Konoha Acting Advisor. He bustled around Konoha all day, while placing very few restrictions on them. Other than occasionally sending them on black-market missions to supplement their living expenses, he rarely forced them to do anything.

And the people he had truly awakened were not limited to the three of them. Some had chosen to return to eternal sleep, while others had tried to escape. Aizen had never cared about such things. To a certain extent, he was even happy to see it happen.

It was like putting a few catfish into the stagnant dead water of a bucket. Those who fled would carry away a bit of technology and bring even more surprises to this world.

One person's talents and ideas were ultimately limited. But what if more people possessed more power and pushed things forward together?

With that mindset, Aizen was actually very tolerant. Those missions were simply posted there. Whoever wanted to do one could take it down and do it.

Someone like Kagami Uchiha was doing it more to demonstrate his resolve to be irreconcilable with Sosuke Aizen. People always needed a sense of ceremony. Without it, life often felt less meaningful than that of a bug.

But for Hatake Sakumo, that sense of ceremony was rather delicate.

Looking at the seemingly stern Kagami Uchiha, Hatake Sakumo always had a very strange feeling.

His education was not particularly high, roughly around the average level for a ninja. The solution he had come up with when faced with rumors had been to simply kill himself, so it was hard for him to put into words what he thought of his two current captains.

But seeing Kagami Uchiha's nervous reaction upon learning that his ancestral grounds were under surveillance, contrasting it with how they seemed somewhat blind to Konoha's current changes, as well as their superficially friendly but fundamentally indifferent attitude toward ordinary ninjas, Hatake Sakumo always felt as though something were stuck in his throat.

There seemed to be a word to describe that feeling, but his education was too limited for him to say it. He could only continue looking subtly at the apparently furious Kagami Uchiha.

"White dolls? Aren't those surveillance things people?"

After hearing the intelligence Hatake Sakumo had brought, Kagami Uchiha's expression darkened further.

A group of unknown people had infiltrated the area around Konoha and were even monitoring the Uchiha ancestral grounds and Konoha's various bases. Kagami Uchiha, who loved both the village and his clan, could not tolerate such a thing.

If they were spies from another great nation, that would at least be understandable. Those were known forces. But these watchers, who had appeared from nowhere, existed outside Konoha's current surveillance system, much like themselves.

The news was nothing short of horrifying. There was actually another shadowy force in the Ninja World similar to them? Could this world even be saved?

"They existed before Aizen... What exactly is going on?"

Dan Katō, standing to the side, also wore a frightened expression.

As the captain of the Covert Operations Unit and the Execution Squad, this was also Dan Katō's first time hearing that something so strange had been watching Konoha.

But Hatake Sakumo did not particularly care about the news. He was part of a combat unit, after all. He had nothing in common with Uchiha aristocrats or Dan Katō's Punishment Force.

The reason he had been the first to learn this intelligence was probably because, aside from him, the other two barely ever looked at the bulletin board. Meanwhile, he, a member of a combat unit, had enough idle time to check it.

"That's what Aizen said. But he won't act personally."

Picking up a bite of vegetables and putting it into his mouth, Hatake Sakumo said quietly:

"But compared to past power, he values future possibilities more. So he won't investigate personally. He wants us to trace the source of these things. That's what he said."

"That guy really knows how to put people to work..."

"Why else did he bring us out? I doubt it was because we're handsome."

"Sakumo-kun, haven't your comments become a little too sharp lately?"

"Maybe. It's just that, from our perspective, it feels like we can see more things that are different."

With a short sword hanging at his waist, Hatake Sakumo gazed at the clear sky outside the window and slowly closed his eyes.

"I would advise you two not to stay immersed in your own worlds all the time. Look outside. You might feel differently."

"Konoha is indeed doing quite well now, but is prosperity built on lies and terror truly right?"

"If lies and terror can bring prosperity and stability, then what is wrong with them?"

Hatake Sakumo looked at his two companions and spoke quietly as he held his wine cup.

Unlike the other two ninjas, neither of whom had children or families, Hatake Sakumo had a son.

Before committing suicide, he had believed that his death could bring Kakashi stability. But now, suicide was nothing more than an act of cowardice.

If possible, he hoped this world could remain peaceful and harmonious, without any accidents, without Kakashi suffering harm or pain. As a father and a commoner, he was completely different from someone like Kagami Uchiha, who promoted the clan and Konoha, or Dan Katō, the Senju son-in-law.

They cared more about ensuring that Konoha's upper structure was not shaken, but Hatake Sakumo only wanted his child and more of Konoha's people to live in stability.

"What everyone wants is nothing more than a peaceful life. Konoha has its own Root and ANBU too. There is no shortage of interrogation and conspiracies, and I myself am no exception. So why is Aizen not allowed to do it when others are?"

"Because Aizen is an evil man. We do not even know what he truly intends to do."

Dan Katō looked at the somewhat dejected man before him and earnestly tried to win him over.

"Sakumo-kun, I know Konoha's current problems have left your thoughts in disarray, but we should not throw ourselves into chaos. There should not be cracks within us."

"But he is the Konoha Acting Advisor, and in three years, he will definitely become Konoha's Advisor."

"That is only—"

"Only what? Aren't ninjas supposed to obey orders?"

Taking a sip of wine, the middle-aged man looked at his two unmarried companions and sighed. (For the relationship between Shisui and Kagami, please see the author's note below.)

"By both sentiment and reason, if we are Konoha's ninjas right now, then we should be listening to him."

"But we aren't. Only we know the truth."

"Then from a certain perspective, aren't we the rogue ninjas? Opposing the Advisor's plan to secretly protect Konoha, undermining Konoha's unity, and so on. If one truly calculates it, he claims that everything he does is for Konoha, so perhaps we are the ones betraying the village."

"..."

That topic left Dan Katō and Kagami Uchiha frozen in place.

Having always viewed themselves as members of Konoha's great clans and gradually integrated into its upper ranks, they truly could not understand that way of thinking.

The village's rules they had in mind were completely different from the village's rules Hatake Sakumo had in mind. The theory spoken by a ninja from the absolute bottom rung left the two high-ranking ninjas stunned.

They wanted to find something to refute him with, but no matter how hard they racked their brains, they could not find anything to say.

That was right. The Konoha Acting Advisor was qualified to maintain a secret force of his own.

And before Aizen had summoned them, he had already possessed the authority to recruit some helpers, though he had never openly revealed it. The funding and intelligence had also been tacitly approved by Konoha's upper ranks.

From a certain perspective, as long as Aizen did not say anything, they were still Konoha ninjas in terms of official standing. If they wanted to be extreme about it, they could even use these bodies to draw salaries without doing any work.

As long as Aizen had not betrayed the village, he was one of Konoha's people.

And since he was someone in Konoha with the authority to do so, what was wrong with it?

The clash of ideals made the two fall silent.

The sounds of drinking and shouting outside gradually grew louder, while the three people in the room began to consider their own positions and what they ought to think.

Just as the three captains began to reflect on life, in the Third Hokage of Konoha's office, a blond young man radiant as the sun smiled at Sosuke Aizen before him.

"Jonin Minato Namikaze has just returned to the village after completing a mission. He has mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique and can help you escape danger quickly and deal with enemies. He is also the person I intend to assign to you for your research into Space-Time Ninjutsu. You may ask him any questions you have."

The Third Hokage, wearing a conical hat, looked at the two men standing before him and said with some surprise:

"I suddenly realized that although you two are Konoha's Sun and moon, it seems you have never met before?"

"You flatter me. I have no need for such exaggerated titles."

Aizen smiled as he adjusted his glasses, then looked at Minato Namikaze, who wore the same gentle smile.

"And we meet again, Jonin Minato Namikaze. It has been several years, has it not? Or would it be better if I called you Minato?"

"There is no need for us to be so formal with each other, Sosuke."

"...?"

When did you two get to know each other?

Watching the two exchange smiles as though they were very familiar with each other, the Third Hokage widened his eyes in surprise.

Seeing the Third Hokage's puzzled expression, Aizen gently explained.

"Actually, we met even earlier than that, Third Hokage. Back then, I often read in Konoha's library area to learn about the Will of Fire and stories of the Ninja World, and Minato-kun also loved reading."

"So, because I was a few years older than Minato-kun, I could borrow some books that he could not. I helped broaden his horizons. Over time, we gradually became acquainted. Minato-kun also helped me with many things."

"But that was all long ago. As Minato-kun gradually became a ninja capable of standing on his own, someone without ability like me had no way of meeting him again. I simply never expected that we would meet again in this way. How should I put it? It almost feels like fate."

It was truly wonderful to meet you.

Looking at the young man before him, smiling like the sun, Aizen smiled and adjusted his glasses.