Chapter 51: An Intercepted Path
Aizen dropped lightly from the tree branch, landing without a sound. His primary objective was complete; the spiritual seal was nestled within Gaara, a hidden key to a future lock.
The entire encounter had been a masterclass in subtlety. He had used nothing but his preternatural speed, a skill that could be dismissed as a mere specialty, thus avoiding any deeper suspicion from the volatile Sand ninja. There was no need to rush to the central tower. Breaking records was a vanity, and vanity attracted the wrong kind of attention. Maintaining his disguise was paramount until the final act.
He would proceed at a leisurely pace, a humble genin struggling through the forest. He had a feeling the Sand siblings would shatter the record soon enough, drawing all the glory and scrutiny onto themselves.
Leaving the patch of desertified earth behind, Aizen moved into the deeper, more conventional woods.
Just minutes after his departure, three new figures arrived at the scarred battlefield.
They were clad in the distinctive grey of Otogakure, their forehead protectors slashed with the mark of the eight-note scale.
The Sound Ninja trio.
Kin, Zaku, and Dosu.
They didn't need to search for clues. Their eyes were immediately drawn to the massive, web-like fissures in the ground and the fine layer of sand dusting everything.
"A battle just happened here," Dosu stated, his voice muffled by his face wrappings. "And all this sand... it had to be that Gaara."
A subconscious shudder, cold and instinctual, passed through them. Before entering the forest, Lord Orochimaru had given them one explicit, non-negotiable order: Do not, under any circumstances, provoke Gaara of the Sand.
Their primary mission was to test the Uchiha heir, Sasuke, and assess his potential as a vessel for their master. But a secondary objective had been added. During their initial gathering, Orochimaru had felt a fleeting, yet intensely perceptive gaze upon him—a gaze that had originated from this very Aizen Sōsuke. They were to use Kabuto's intelligence-gathering "ninja info cards" to record everything about this boy and report back.
"Based on these traces, it ended very recently," Zaku said, flexing the devices on his arms. "Let's move!"
In three simultaneous flickers, the Sound ninja vanished, speeding into the forest ahead on Aizen's trail.
Within the Forest
Hmm? This presence... it seems I have guests, Aizen mused, a faint smile touching his lips. He deliberately slowed his pace, curiosity piqued. He wanted to see who was so eager to find him.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three figures wove through the trees with aggressive speed, their passage rustling the leaves like an approaching storm.
"Ha! Almost there," Zaku grinned, his face twisting. "I only sense one chakra signature ahead. It has to be him."
"An unexpected bonus," Kin added, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "We bump into our secondary target by sheer luck."
"Quickly," Dosu commanded, his voice low and urgent. "We subdue him fast. Alone, he's no match for us."
Dosu kicked hard against a tree trunk, using the recoil to propel himself forward even faster. The distance between them and their target closed rapidly until they could clearly see the fleeing figure ahead.
Aizen's back was to them, his movements seeming hurried and panicked. The sight cemented their belief—he was weak prey, a fish already flapping on the riverbank.
"Trying to run? Wishful thinking," Zaku sneered.
He brought his arms up, the hollowed devices on his palms aimed directly at Aizen's back. He clenched his fists, and the mechanisms within whirred to life.
"Decapitating Airwaves!"
A 100% concussive blast of air pressure, mixed with a 0% ultrasonic component, shot forth from the devices on his arms. It was an invisible, scything attack that controlled atmospheric pressure with chakra, capable of slicing through trees and repelling enemy assaults.
The twin, crescent-shaped waves of force screamed through the air, flying in a cross-shaped pattern toward Aizen's spine.
Sensing the attack, Aizen 'startled,' glancing over his shoulder before hastily performing a basic Body Flicker to the side.
SWISH! CRACK!
The Decapitating Airwaves missed him, but they slammed into two large trees directly in his path. With twin, splintering roars, the massive trunks were severed and crashed to the forest floor, forming a formidable barricade.
In that same instant, the three Sound ninja landed, surrounding him perfectly. Kin to his left, Zaku to his right, and Dosu blocking the path ahead.
The retreat was cut off. The trap was sprung. Aizen stood encircled, the trio of Oto ninja closing in for the capture.