Dim.
Cold.
And always, that lingering stench of mold.
In the corners of the cell, faint scratch marks remained—traces left by those imprisoned before him. Ninja, desperate to leave behind secrets. But most of those secrets had long since been deciphered by Konoha's ANBU and the Intelligence Division.
When Aoyama was dragged out of the cell, he squinted against the sudden sting of sunlight. He bared his teeth in discomfort, glancing at the man escorting him.
"Kakashi Hatake? Hah—I thought Root dogs would be the ones dragging me out. Didn't expect you, the former ANBU squad captain. What's this? You rejoined ANBU?"
Kakashi's voice was flat, weary. "If it weren't for the fact that I'm the only one who can handle you one-on-one, this job wouldn't have fallen on me."
Aoyama laughed. "You're kidding. Has Konoha really gotten that weak? I've only been gone… what, half a year? And already no one else can manage a jōnin-class rogue? What a mess."
Kakashi shook his head. "We still have jōnin. But most wouldn't stand a chance against you. Opening the Eight Gates at will, mastery of Summoning Techniques… you've built a name for yourself across the shinobi world. Though" his visible eye narrowed, "he was still beneath me. Which is why I'm here to suppress you."
Aoyama chatted casually as they walked, showing no fear. To him, living in this shinobi world felt like drifting through a dream. If he died, maybe he'd wake up back home. A world with no Wi-Fi, no air conditioning—hardly a place to settle down. He wondered idly if the next world he traveled to might finally be his own home.
At the Hokage's office, Kakashi shoved him forward, forcing him to bow before the Third Hokage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled two puffs of smoke. His expression was tired, heavy with both disappointment and burden. "Jōnin Aoyama. I have looked into your betrayal. Now that Danzo is dead, if you are willing to confess all information you know about the organization that attacked the village, I will see to it personally—you may return to Konoha. Your status as a rogue-nin will be revoked."
Hiruzen could not afford to take this lightly. He had glimpsed, even if only from the corner of his eye, the terrifying eye techniques wielded by that enemy—the so-called Pain. Even while bound in battle with Orochimaru, he had seen enough to piece together fragments of their powers.
First ability: the power to repel anything. Ninjutsu of any element, thrown weapons, even explosive tags—everything was forcibly deflected.
Second ability: gravitational force. A pull impossible to resist; when the enemy's palm opened, his target was instantly dragged into his grasp.
Third ability: the conjuring of black weapons—iron rods harder than kunai, sharp enough to slice them apart in a clash.
This was the extent of Hiruzen's analysis of Tendo Pain. Incomplete, yes, but enough to see the threat. A man like that could crush enemies at any range.
Aoyama grinned. "Sure, why not? Ask away. I'll tell you everything."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "Good. Then let's begin. Tell me about this organization. Your clothes, for one, you all wear the same uniform. Am I correct?"
"Yeah. Once you join, you wear the black cloak with red clouds. A wide straw hat with little bells. And yeah—fingernails painted with polish."
"The group's name is Akatsuki. To be precise, it means Dawn. It's a gathering of missing-nin. Right now, not many members. First one is Kakuzu, once sent to assassinate the First Hokage."
"What?" Hiruzen's pipe nearly fell. His face darkened with fury. "Assassinate the First Hokage? Do you even hear the nonsense you're spewing?"
Unbothered, Aoyama shrugged. "It's true. Kakuzu was from Takigakure. In the era just after the Warring States ended and the great villages were founded, Takigakure wanted prestige. So they sent Kakuzu to kill Hashirama Senju."
Hiruzen fell into deep thought. "…Continue."
Aoyama nodded. "You know of Takigakure's forbidden technique, don't you? The one called Earth Grudge Fear (Jiongu). Anyone who uses it becomes something… not human. Neither aging nor dying in the normal way."
"So Kakuzu has survived since the Warring States era. His power is on par with a Kage. He wields all five elemental natures. And by stealing hearts, he gains extra lives."
Kakashi frowned. "Extra… lives?"
Aoyama explained, "He holds five hearts inside his body. Each one is tied to an element. Each one has an extra chance at life. Kill him once, and he just switches hearts. As long as he has at least one left, he keeps fighting. In battle, he can rip out the hearts of his enemies and replace the ones he loses. If his enemies are numerous, he can fight endlessly until only he remains standing."
"Earth Grudge Fear…" Hiruzen muttered. "So it was real. I once heard whispers of it from my teacher, but I thought it was a myth. To think such a vile technique truly exists. If ever I encounter this Kakuzu, I will end him myself—for daring to strike at Hashirama-sama."
Aoyama glanced at the old Hokage, studying the lines of age etched deep in his face. Once, Sarutobi had been the strongest of all Kage—the Professor of Ninjutsu. But time had gnawed away at his strength. Aoyama knew the truth: when Orochimaru launched his invasion, Hiruzen had been too weak to resist, dying by his own student's hand.
If he faced Kakuzu now… he would likely fall. And The Strongest Hokage would be remembered as a cruel joke.