Chapter 74: The Calm Before the Storm
At dawn the next day, life stirred under the rising sun.
After a night of deceptive tranquility, Konoha returned to its bustling facade.
Yakushi Kabuto, Baki, and their co-conspirators had spent a sleepless night, each hour a torment of fear and anticipation. Suspicion, nervousness, restlessness, and anxiety churned within them, etching lines of worry on their faces and making their suffering palpable.
Finally, the dawn of judgment arrived.
That day, Yakushi Kabuto maintained his usual disguise, walking absently through the crowded streets. His mind was a whirlpool of confusion and panic, desperately searching for any clue about Moonlight Hayate's fate.
On the other side, the Sand ninja Baki was equally on edge, pacing relentlessly in his temporary quarters. He was a tightly coiled spring, ready to flee at the first sign of trouble. The agonizing wait was unbearable, but he had no choice but to endure the crushing pressure.
Aizen, the true mastermind behind the scenes, was the picture of calm. He sat in serene meditation, refining his spiritual power, utterly indifferent to the undercurrents of panic he had set in motion. He placed his faith in one thing alone: essential power. Once his spiritual energy returned to its peak, he would possess the strength to look down upon the entire world. In the face of such absolute power, all schemes and calculations would become meaningless.
Sitting cross-legged, the seed of spiritual power within him glowed brilliantly, its light intensifying with each passing moment. The Reiatsu within his body swelled steadily, breaking through layer after layer of his self-imposed seals.
At this stage, he could now invoke Kidō up to the 88th level, Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho (Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon), with an incantation! This was a clear sign that Aizen had recovered more than half of his former strength. He was now just one step away from wielding the 90th-level Kidō.
Of course, he was still a long way from the pinnacle of his past life, where he could annihilate a Captain-level opponent with a single, incantation-less Kurohitsugi (Black Coffin). Yet, Aizen was confident. In the less than a month that remained, his power would advance even further. He would wait for Konoha and the Sand-Sound alliance to bleed each other white. That would be the perfect moment for him to take the stage.
Time flowed onward. By noon, Konoha was as prosperous and peaceful as ever. Yet, this surface-level calm only deepened the dread within Kabuto and Baki. Their nerves were stretched to the breaking point, teetering on the verge of collapse. With a thousand chaotic thoughts plaguing them, they could only wait in helpless agitation.
During the day, Kabuto and Baki dared not meet, which only amplified their internal panic and isolation.
As the day wore on, the mental torture continued for both parties. When night fell once more, their anxiously suspended hearts finally began to settle. Everything remained normal; no alarm had been raised. It was as if the incident had never happened.
After a full day passed without incident, Yakushi Kabuto and Baki finally allowed themselves to breathe a sigh of relief. They concluded that Moonlight Hayate must be dead; otherwise, an incident of this magnitude would surely have caused an uproar throughout Konoha. The identity of the mysterious hand that had aided them, however, remained an enigma.
Time flew. Several days passed, and Konoha remained quiet.
Though the disappearance of Moonlight Hayate had initially caused a stir within the village, the investigation had hit a dead end. No matter how hard they searched, they found no trace of him. It was as if he had vanished from the face of the earth.
After half a month, the mystery of Moonlight Hayate's disappearance faded from public attention, gradually forgotten. The Chunin Exams finals, which had captured the interest of every nation, were fast approaching. The atmosphere in the village began to ferment, growing hotter and more excited by the day.
Everyone was eager to see who would claim the ultimate victory. Which talented young genin would make a name for themselves on the grandest stage?
While the world's attention was fixated on the upcoming exams, Aizen continued his focused cultivation, his power growing steadily.
He finally crossed that invisible threshold.
He broke through to the 90th-level Kidō.
Kurohitsugi — The Black Coffin.