Chapter 93: The Birth of a God
Facing Aizen's absolute power, Konoha's two elite jonin were defeated without the slightest suspense.
Two clean, cauterized holes marred Kakashi's legs. Scarlet blood, slow to flow at first from the sealed wounds, now began to seep steadily, a grim testament to his injuries. He gritted his teeth, enduring waves of nauseating pain. The two bolts of white lightning had struck his Achilles tendons with surgical precision, maximizing the damage and the agony.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and the vest of his jonin uniform was stained a dark, spreading red. He had been defeated before he could even activate his Sharingan, forced to his knees in humiliating defeat.
Just as Aizen had stated, the wounds to his legs were like heavy weights chained to his feet, rendering him immobile and overwhelmed.
On the other side, Might Guy strained with all his might, the muscles in his neck cording, but it was useless. The Six Rods of Light prison held his body in an unbreakable grip, rendering the furious blue beast completely powerless.
Two of Konoha's strongest, defeated in moments due to their lack of understanding of Aizen's abilities and their own reckless charge. The battle was over before it truly began, and both now found themselves on the brink of death.
"What is your goal?" Kakashi gasped, his angular face beaded with cold sweat. The pain radiating from his limbs was a fire in his nerves, making it impossible to rise. "Why did you infiltrate Konoha?"
It was all a lie. A grand, elaborate deception.
Kakashi's anger was cold and sharp. For two full months, Aizen had lurked among them, perfect in his disguise. He had presented a character that was the complete opposite of his true self. And the moment his purpose was served, the mask came off, revealing a being of such different temperament it was like night and day.
The sheer scale of the deceit left Kakashi reeling.
The more he thought about it, the more puzzles he found. The tsunami-like spiritual pressure. The impossible return from the dead. The two diametrically opposed personalities. The mysterious, incanted techniques that defied all known ninjutsu.
Each mystery was a tangled knot in his mind, throwing his thoughts into chaos.
"Deception? How ridiculous," Aizen said, his voice laced with a hint of pity. He shook his head slowly. "I never once asked any of you to believe in me. From the very beginning, I never demanded your faith."
He stood tall, looking down at the kneeling Kakashi, a faint, almost playful smile touching his lips. "Isn't that right, Hatake Kakashi?"
"This…" Kakashi's visible eye widened, but he found he had no rebuttal.
It was true. Aizen had never explicitly asked for their trust. Instead, he had always carried himself with an approachable affinity, making those around him instinctively want to draw closer. That supreme, magnetic charisma was the very source of this betrayal. Aizen's fabricated personality had deceived everyone. Their day-in, day-out interactions had subtly, inevitably, bred a sense of trust in him.
"What I truly wish to convey is this: do not trust anyone," Aizen said, his eyes holding a captivating, almost hypnotic depth as he stared at Kakashi. "And that, of course, includes me."
"But sadly, there are very few strong individuals who can truly live by this principle. All living beings instinctively believe in a superior existence."
"In this way, the new creation will struggle free from this heavy pressure and seek an existence at a higher plane. And the existence on that higher plane will yearn for a power at a level higher still."
Aizen stood with effortless grace, his soft black hair stirring in the wind, framing his transcendent features. He spoke slowly, each word weighted with conviction. "It is through this cycle that all kings are born. It is for this reason… that gods are born!"
His words were a thunderclap in the hearts of Kakashi and Might Guy. This kind of domineering, world-defying philosophy was something they were hearing for the first time in their lives. Had it come from anyone else, they would have dismissed it as the ravings of a madman. But coming from Aizen, in the wake of his actions, it felt like a terrifying, fundamental truth.
"So, you see, this is the reason for what you call 'betrayal'. Do you understand now?"
Aizen's handsome face held a sneer of disdain. The mockery in his eyes seemed to laugh at Kakashi and Guy's profound ignorance.
So-called trust was nothing but a fleeting illusion.
So-called betrayal was nothing but meaningless noise.
Flowers in a mirror, the moon reflected on water. They seem within reach, yet can never be grasped.
Kakashi's face was ashen, a deep despair taking root in his heart. Aizen's meaning was clear: he saw Konoha as a small, confining pond, and he intended to leave it to stand atop the clouds of a much wider world.
Kakashi's fist clenched in helpless fury, angry at his own powerlessness. He had never imagined Aizen's true strength was of this magnitude. In the end, he could only watch his Hokage die and be utterly helpless to stop it.
The resentment in his gaze fell upon Aizen, who seemed mildly amused by it.
"A splendid look of hatred, Hatake Kakashi. However, hatred alone will not allow you to defeat me. The balance of a battle is predicated on both sides being on a similar level. The difference between the two of you and myself is the difference between the earth and the heavens." Aizen's tone was final. "Therefore, your fate was sealed from the moment you decided to face me."
With that, Aizen turned away indifferently, dismissing the two jonin who had temporarily lost their ability to fight. For the first time, a flicker of interest showed in his calm eyes.
He looked into the distance, where a figure was rapidly closing in on the watchtower, growing larger by the second.
The figure had wild white hair, a magnificent presence, and was accompanied by a killing intent as solid as a physical wall.
The Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya.
At this critical juncture, Jiraiya had arrived, his powerful aura finally giving Aizen a reason to pause.
Yet, Jiraiya's appearance did not surprise Aizen. Instead, a slight, expectant smile graced his lips.
"So, you've finally arrived," Aizen murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "I have been waiting. Now, let me thoroughly gauge the power you possess."