Naruto: Aizen's Shadow in Konoha

The situation unfolded just as Aizen had anticipated.

Faced with the expansive reach of Third Kazekage's Sand Iron World, Sasori had no means of escape. His puppet body was pierced through by multiple sand iron tendrils, pinning him firmly to the ground. The magnetic force emanating from the sand iron rendered his puppet mechanisms immobile, leaving him helpless and unable to retaliate.

Despite his defeat, Sasori's expression betrayed no despair. Instead, there was a trace of melancholy in his gaze.

"Even with Aizen-sama's assistance, my current strength is far from sufficient to contend with Third Kazekage," Sasori thought, frustration simmering beneath his calm exterior.

Turning his eyes toward Third Kazekage, who hovered above him, Sasori's gaze brimmed with a mixture of defiance and regret.

A burning desire to grow stronger ignited within him, but it was tempered by a deep sigh of resignation.

"It seems I won't get the chance to defeat Third Kazekage myself," Sasori lamented inwardly.

From above, Third Kazekage scrutinized Sasori's puppet body, his expression darkening with both anger and disgust.

"To transform one's own body into a puppet... what madness!" Third Kazekage muttered under his breath.

While he had heard whispers of Sasori's research into the forbidden Human Puppet technique, he had never imagined that Sasori would take his experiments to such an extreme.

"A character like this... if left unchecked, he'll bring nothing but calamity to the village. He must be eliminated!"

Third Kazekage's eyes gleamed with cold determination as he resolved to end Sasori's life.

"Magnet Style: Iron Sand Spear!"

He extended a hand, and several slender, deadly spears of iron sand formed in the air, their points directed toward Sasori.

"Die!" Third Kazekage commanded coldly, waving his hand as the spears shot downward with blistering speed, their sharp tips whistling through the air.

Sasori, still pinned to the ground, remained eerily calm as he faced the oncoming attack. His expression betrayed no fear, only quiet acceptance.

From Third Kazekage's perspective, it appeared as though Sasori had resigned himself to his fate.

However, just as the iron sand spears closed in, a figure clad in white suddenly appeared between Sasori and the incoming projectiles, his back turned to the deadly assault.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

To Third Kazekage's astonishment, the iron sand spears halted mid-air, a mere meter from the figure's back, as though striking an invisible barrier.

The spears disintegrated into fine dust, reduced to nothingness before they could reach their target.

Third Kazekage's eyes narrowed in shock and alarm as he focused on the new arrival.

"Who is this person?!"

The figure exuded an air of casual indifference, his presence suffused with an overwhelming aura of control.

Third Kazekage's thoughts raced as he pieced together the situation.

"So this is why Sasori dared to attempt my assassination alone. He had an accomplice all along!"

Recalling the earlier instances where his perception had been subtly manipulated, Third Kazekage grew increasingly wary.

"It must have been this man's doing... Such powerful illusions, and yet I couldn't even sense their mechanism. What level of mastery does this individual possess?"

Though his instincts screamed caution, Third Kazekage refrained from attacking immediately. Instead, he carefully observed the newcomer, hoping to glean some insight or detect a weakness.

Aizen, for his part, paid no heed to the Kazekage hovering above. Instead, he turned his attention to Sasori, who lay defeated before him.

"I'm sorry, Aizen-sama. I've let you down," Sasori admitted, his tone heavy with shame.

Aizen's expression remained calm as he replied, "No, your defeat was inevitable. Against someone like Third Kazekage, your current strength simply isn't enough. I anticipated this outcome."

He extended a single finger, casually pointing toward the sprawling Sand Iron World technique that dominated the battlefield.

Crack!

To Third Kazekage's utter disbelief, the intricate construct of iron sand—created through his extensive chakra and Magnet Style mastery—shuddered violently under Aizen's touch.

With a single gesture, Aizen had begun to dismantle the immense jutsu.

"Who is this man...?"

A drop of cold sweat trickled down Third Kazekage's face.

The fear and panic in his eyes as he looked at Aizen were palpable.

From this single demonstration of power, he understood clearly that the mysterious figure before him was someone far beyond his ability to challenge.

"Aizen-sama?!"

Sasori's voice trembled as he looked at the scene before him. The Sand Iron World technique, which had forced him into a corner, had been undone with a single finger by Aizen-sama.

Even though Sasori was already aware of Aizen's unfathomable strength, witnessing this feat filled him with renewed shock and awe.

As the oppressive hold of the Sand Iron World dissipated, freeing Sasori, Aizen turned his gaze toward Third Kazekage in the air, his cold, piercing eyes locking onto the fleeing Kage.

The moment Third Kazekage felt the weight of Aizen's gaze, his body shivered involuntarily. Without a second thought, he flapped the iron sand wings on his back and began retreating frantically, not even daring to look back.

Even Aizen raised an eyebrow in mild surprise at Third Kazekage's panicked flight.

But in the very next moment, Aizen's expression shifted into a cold smile as his figure vanished in a blur, leaving Sasori's side in an instant.

Before Third Kazekage could process what had happened, Aizen reappeared directly behind him, his movements fluid and precise. In one swift motion, Aizen drew Kyōka Suigetsu, delivering a diagonal slash across Third Kazekage's back.

The strike left a deep, gaping wound on Third Kazekage's shoulder. At the same time, Aizen unleashed a concentrated shockwave through his blade, sending the wounded Kazekage hurtling through the air like a ragdoll.

Third Kazekage's trajectory was deliberate—Aizen had aimed him directly toward Sasori.

Without hesitation, Aizen's form flickered once more, and he reappeared beside Sasori, his demeanor as calm as ever.

The entire sequence had unfolded in mere moments, faster than most could comprehend.

When Aizen returned to Sasori's side, his posture was composed, his blade Kyōka Suigetsu now bearing traces of Third Kazekage's blood. For a brief moment, Sasori almost questioned whether Aizen had even moved at all.

Aizen smirked faintly, flicking the blood from his blade with a casual elegance before smoothly sheathing it.

Thud!

Third Kazekage's body crashed to the ground at Aizen's feet, lifelessly sprawled on the desert sand. His once formidable presence was reduced to that of a broken figure, his fate now uncertain.

Sasori's jaw dropped, his disbelief evident. He stared at Aizen, his mind struggling to process the scene before him.

This was Third Kazekage—hailed as the strongest Kazekage in Sand Village's history.

Even with Kyōka Suigetsu's support, Third Kazekage had been a foe that Sasori, despite his brilliance and talent, couldn't hope to match.

Yet here he lay—felled in a single exchange, as though he were no more than an afterthought to Aizen's overwhelming power.

The surreal nature of what had just transpired left Sasori questioning reality itself.

"Was this... an illusion? Could such power truly exist?" Sasori thought, utterly awestruck.