"Sir, we found no connection between the attack and the Inuzuka clan," the masked Anbu reported, his voice even.
"Can you guarantee they're not traitors?" Danzo demanded, his anger palpable, before Hiruzen could even speak. His own clan had suffered terribly from the sudden assault, and he wasn't about to let anyone with even a remote association go unchecked.
The shinobi hesitated, falling silent. Their investigation had yielded nothing concrete, yet the attack had undeniably involved dogs—a specialty almost exclusively associated with the Inuzuka clan.
"Hmph." Danzo snorted at the silence, turning his gaze to Hiruzen, his long-time rival. "I'm telling you, we should just search each of their memories. They must have a definite connection to the attack."
Hiruzen remained silent, his eyes closed in thought, while the Anbu ninja felt a chill.
Searching the memories of an entire shinobi clan was far more serious than it sounded. While the Inuzuka weren't as prominent as the Uchiha or Hyuga, they were still a significant force. The mere suggestion from an elder could send shockwaves through the village.
Opening his eyes, Hiruzen waved a dismissive hand. "You can leave."
At his words, the Anbu immediately vanished, eager to escape the suffocating tension.
Danzo was about to speak again when he was cut off. "The Inuzuka are innocent and have nothing to do with the attack."
"Do you believe it?" Danzo demanded furiously, rendering Hiruzen silent. No, he didn't believe it. How could he? Even if the report said nothing, he'd seen it with his own eyes: dogs, massive, tailed-beast-like dogs suddenly appearing in their village. And there was a clan known for using ninja dogs. What fool would believe they had no connection, unless that fool was the Hokage himself?
Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen finally spoke. "The Inuzuka are loyal to Konoha. This was someone trying to sow discord between us."
"Hiruzen, you will regret this! That was definitely their secret technique!" Danzo fumed, his anger intensifying at Hiruzen's unwavering stance. Of course, more worried about his clan's suffering, he was now far more interested in the secret techniques. Was it a summoning, or a technique similar to the Akimichi clan's expansion jutsu? He wanted it.
"Shut up, Danzo! I am Hokage, and my decision is final!" Hiruzen's voice cut through the tension, sharp and unyielding.
"Hmph." Danzo snorted, his blood boiling at the familiar line – a phrase that stung him more than any other loss. He stood up abruptly and, true to form, left the room with a resounding bang.
Ignoring his angry friend, Hiruzen closed his eyes again, deep in thought. The Third Great Ninja War loomed, and he couldn't afford to be distracted by internal conflicts. Still, the image of the attacking dogs lingered in his mind.
"It seems the Inuzuka truly had nothing to do with the attack," he muttered to himself. "Still, it's better to keep a guard against them." He mused further, "It shouldn't be some technique, since no clan members were nearby when the attack happened. Was this the result of some secret medicine they are researching?"
He didn't know it then, but he wasn't wrong. It was the result of medicine, or something similar, but not crafted by the Inuzuka.
Some days before...
"Looks like the time has come. I should leave."
Leaving the clan compound, Aizen arrived at the village center, buying various items for his first mission's journey while eating. He then slipped into a public washroom, emerging minutes later.
A different man entirely stepped out: silver hair in a messy state, wearing a white yukata with a blue swirl pattern at the bottom and sleeve ends. The yukata was worn so his left arm went through the sleeve, while the right half draped over his obi. Over this, he wore a black belt with a dangling end. Underneath, he sported a black, red-lined shirt with a popped collar and black pants. Knee-high black boots, buckled at the top and above his foot, added about half an inch to his height. This was an Aizen shadow clone with a completely altered appearance—perhaps recognizable to someone from Aizen's previous world as Gintoki Sakata.
"Let's go," he muttered, moving towards an alley near the Shimura clan compound. He pulled out a bowl, then a bottle, pouring the contents into the bowl before whistling to attract the alley's residents.
As expected, in seconds, several dogs appeared, looking at him. He pointed towards the bowl and stepped back. Taking courage, a black pup cautiously approached and began to drink. Seeing this, the others followed, though the content wasn't much, causing the older dogs to bark at the younger ones.
Aizen watched from the sidelines, eager to see any changes. But even after they all drank, nothing happened.
Was it necessary for someone to drink it all alone, or was only a specific animal needed? While contemplating this, he took the bottle and broke it.
Just as he was about to destroy the bowl itself, something happened. The dogs—their sizes began to increase at a speed visible to him. The pup that was seconds old rapidly grew to the size of a lion and was still expanding.
Seeing this, the clone simply smiled. "It's just as I expected."
This was the milk he had acquired from the world of Tom and Jerry. Remembering their penchant for experimentation, he'd decided to test it on animals. But instead of his own clan's area, he'd chosen this location. Whatever the result, no one would implicate the Uchiha or him, as his main body had already left the village.
"This is my first gift to Konoha."
********
Check my other FFs specially the new one with Shisui as mc .