Encountering Aizen

Naruto remembered the first time he met Aizen.

At that time, he had just finished a miserable day, having been beaten up by a group of kids from his village.

He dragged his battered body back to his small house, ate a bowl of instant noodles, casually washed himself, and prepared to sleep.

Even as a child, Naruto had discovered the difference between himself and ordinary students.

No matter how severe his injuries, the bruises would disappear by the next day, and his stamina would be restored.

This also meant he wasn't ordinary.

Perhaps, as the villagers said, he was the Nine-Tails Fox Demon.

With a complex mix of emotions, he fell into a deep sleep.

His consciousness was drawn in and pulled into a mysterious space.

"Ding dong."

The sound of dripping water woke Naruto up.

He opened his eyes in confusion, and what greeted him was a dim and cold basement.

"Where is this?" Naruto asked, utterly bewildered.

He had clearly been sleeping, but in the next moment, he had arrived in an unfamiliar space.

"Is anyone there?" he shouted, his voice echoing through the space.

Using the dim light, Naruto fumbled his way forward. The cold air made him hug his arms, his eyes filled with fear.

Soon, he felt his way to an iron door.

There was a sealing talisman pasted on it.

Through the dim light, a figure appeared.

A white robe, brown curly hair, his perpetually confident gentle smile, and a pair of unfathomable eyes hidden behind glasses.

Aizen.

His full name was Sōsuke Aizen, from the world of Shinigami. He was the former Captain of the Fifth Division of the Gotei 13, who later betrayed Soul Society and became the ruler of Hueco Mundo.

On the surface, he was refined and gentle, but inwardly he was cold-hearted and ambitious.

He had only one goal: to surpass Shinigami and pursue ultimate power.

He viewed everyone around him as pawns to be manipulated at will.

After obtaining ultimate power, he became arrogant and conceited, defeating one Shinigami after another who stood in his way.

But he was eventually defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki, who had mastered "Mugetsu," and was imprisoned in the deepest level of The Undercity Prison.

This was Aizen's original life. However, at this moment, he was still the powerful and courteous Captain of the Fifth Division in the Shinigami forces.

Within the sealing space, facing a completely bewildered Naruto, Aizen adjusted his glasses, his brown eyes flickering incessantly.

He didn't know when it started, but every time he fell asleep at night, his consciousness would come to this dark space.

A light screen would appear before him, showing glimpses of Naruto Uzumaki's life.

Aizen had thus observed Naruto's life, being controlled by the higher-ups, bullied by the villagers who treated him as a demon fox, and enduring all sorts of cold stares and malice.

With Aizen's intelligence, he quickly understood that Naruto was a terrifying force to the Konoha higher-ups. To control him, they had made Naruto the Nine-Tails Fox Demon that the entire village hated, so that they could become Naruto's "light."

This was a very low-level brainwashing technique.

It was frankly crude.

Naruto, growing up in such an environment, was prone to developing hatred for the village and even going berserk.

But it was baffling that Naruto didn't harbor hatred for Konoha; he even aspired to become Hokage.

Hokage was the title of a village leader in the ninja world.

The Hokage Aizen knew was just the tip of the iceberg of the entire ninja world, and he was filled with interest for this unknown world.

Before this, he had persecuted Mako Hirako, the former Captain of the Fifth Division, turning him into an experimental subject for Hollowfication, in his search for a way to surpass Shinigami power.

Now, he wanted to understand the secrets of the ninja world through Naruto's perspective, seeking the power to surpass Shinigami.

In this world, there was no Soul Society, no Shinigami, and certainly no power system like that of the Shinigami world, Reiatsu.

Instead, there were ninjas and Chakra.

Every ninja could use Chakra to perform Ninjutsu of different attributes.

It was regrettable that Naruto had never witnessed the use of Ninjutsu.

Aizen understood.

Naruto Uzumaki's level was not yet sufficient.

Or perhaps, once he grew, he would be exposed to the mysterious Ninjutsu.

As it stood, Aizen's curiosity about Ninjutsu outweighed his desire.

However, this was, after all, a system from another world, and there were surely many things worth exploring and understanding.

Naruto, as Aizen's "eyes," needed to grow properly.

That's why Aizen put on that scholarly facade he had always maintained.

He greeted Naruto, "Naruto Uzumaki, it's finally good to meet you."

"You know me?" Naruto asked, surprised.

"Of course. You like instant noodles, hate expired milk, dislike the hostile eyes of others, and want to become the Hokage," Aizen said, his voice full of magnetism.

"I understand you better than you think. I've been paying a lot of attention to you, Naruto."

The words "I've been paying a lot of attention to you" immediately brought tears to Naruto's eyes.

Besides Grandpa Third, this was the first person who had ever understood him like this.

No, this Mr. Aizen understood him even better than Grandpa Third.

"Oh, right. My name is Sōsuke Aizen. You can call me Aizen."

Meeting Aizen was simple.

He was like a light that illuminated Naruto's world.

With Aizen's help, Naruto began to read books and try to think independently.

"Sometimes, what your eyes see is not the truth."

"Why do you, who are seen as the Nine-Tails Fox Demon, have a human form? Why are you so weak, bullied even by children?"

"Every world has its rules, and by living in this world, you are bound by them. Konoha is a shield for you, but at the same time, it's a place that restrains you."

"Will you choose to follow the rules or break free from them and become the one who makes the rules?" Aizen always spoke in cryptic words back then, his eyes deep.

Naruto didn't understand at first, but now, he too began to try and think.

How to see the truth by transcending the essence of events.

How to understand his current situation and respond perfectly.

Naruto shed his childishness and innocence, becoming more refined and also more reserved.

He grew continuously through learning and became deeply curious about Aizen.

Perhaps it was an illusion.

Naruto always felt that this gentle and refined man had another side to him.

He was so unfathomable.

Naruto always felt that what he saw was not Aizen's true self.

"Mr. Aizen, why are you helping me?" One day, Naruto finally asked the question that had been weighing on his heart.

Aizen had appeared inexplicably in the Sealing Space and taught him so gently.

If it were in the past, he would have been overwhelmed with gratitude, wishing to regard Aizen as his god.

But now, he found himself thinking.

There was no such thing as absolutely selfless help in the world.

Aizen must have wanted something from him.

Facing Naruto's question, Aizen simply smiled. "To be able to ask that question, it seems you are no longer the Naruto you once were."

"I come from another world, and my purpose is quite simple."

"One, to understand the secrets of ninjutsu through your eyes. Perhaps it can become my aid in the future."

"Two, your life is a diversion from my own boring existence. I want to see how Naruto, after breaking free from schemes, will treat Konoha and how he will overturn this world."

"Three, it's a personal preference. I dislike Konoha because their methods are too crude and foolish. So, I simply helped you out a bit."

The memory ended.

Naruto's lips curved slightly.

Regardless of anything else, the fact that Aizen had helped him was undeniable.

Without him, Naruto might still be yearning to become the "Hokage" now.

A new book begins! Requesting all kinds of support. It's not my first time writing about Naruto, but this character, Aizen-sama, is too charismatic. I'm also worried I might not be able to control him properly. If any readers feel something is off, please point it out so we can discuss it.