Curly-Haired Boy: "Hollows? Hollowing in the Naruto world? Hey, hey, are you serious?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "Aizen admitted it himself."
Book Artist: "But based on the setting of Bleach, isn't it only spirits that can undergo Hollowing?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "According to Aizen's explanation, chakra—being spiritual energy—can, to some extent, replace the role of a spirit body. Since chakra is woven into the meridians and cells of a ninja, it makes it possible for a physical body to become a Hollow."
Book Artist: "Ah, I remember now! Before they died, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki left some of their chakra inside Naruto. That chakra acted like a soul, capable of manifesting in physical form."
Curly-Haired Boy: "This is incredible... that guy Aizen is truly something else. What on earth does he plan to achieve by creating Hollows in the Shinobi World?"
Aizen's lips curled into a slight smile as he sent a message: Indeed, what does he want to do?
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "Also, why would he reveal such vital information to Konan-san?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "Because he wants me to join him in creating a scene of true peace and prosperity."
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "?"
Book Artist: "Pffft!"
Curly-Haired Boy: "Ha! Creating a truly peaceful scene? That kind of joke is like someone telling me I'll wear women's clothes one day. It makes me laugh so hard my teeth ache!"
This is an Actor: [Picture] "Your women's clothing."
The image was a striking photo of Sakata Gintoki. In it, he wore heavy makeup, twin ponytails, and a feminine kimono, posing with desperate exaggeration.
Curly-Haired Boy: "???"
Book Artist: "Pffft! Hahaha!"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "Is that really Gintoki?"
This is an Actor: "Ah, extracted from my memory."
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "He's... quite charming?"
Curly-Haired Boy: "Impossible! How is this possible! Stop kidding around! How could I, Gin-san, ever wear such tasteless pigtails? And what do you mean, 'extracted from your memory'? Could it be..."
This is an Actor: "Precisely. You are Sakata Gintoki, the protagonist of the Gintama world. Speaking of which, you're quite popular here."
Book Artist: "Eh? This guy is actually a male lead?"
Eriri didn't seem to know the plot of Gintama. Aizen quickly noted this discrepancy. Logically, Gintama was a major series in Weekly Shonen Jump, so a mangaka like Eriri shouldn't be ignorant of it. It was highly probable that the Jump lineups in Eriri's and Gintoki's worlds differed from those in An Ran's previous life.
Curly-Haired Boy: "Humph, hahahaha! I actually realized I was the protagonist a long time ago. After all, someone as handsome as Gin-san could only be the lead."
[System Hint: 'This is an Actor' has uploaded the memory file: "Gintama"]
This is an Actor: "I hope you can still laugh after seeing this."
Book Artist: "This..."
Forget Gintoki himself—even Eriri, as a bystander, was at a loss for words after browsing the memories of the Gintama world. Although the series was built on nonsensical comedy, the protagonist's history was incredibly heavy. To have beheaded his own beloved teacher, Yoshida Shouyou, only to find out the man was 'alive' as the heartless mastermind behind the world's suffering... who could handle a reversal like that?
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "Gintoki, are you okay?"
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "Let's not disturb him. Just let him be alone for a while."
Book Artist: "Right. Anyway, Konan-nee-san, did you promise to help Aizen?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "I don't know."
Book Artist: "What do you mean, 'I don't know'?!"
Eriri was bewildered. She had assumed Konan would either agree out of self-preservation or refuse by citing her loyalty to Pain. Compromise was usually the safest path when dealing with someone like Aizen. But "I don't know" was a heavy response—it meant Konan was genuinely weighing the option of defecting to Aizen's side.
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "I really don't know. I'm hesitant."
Book Artist: "Don't hesitate, Konan-nee-san! Wake up! That guy is trying to seduce you into his cause!"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "I know. I know exactly what kind of man Aizen Sosuke is. I know very well that I shouldn't trust him. But..."
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "But what?"
This is an Actor: "What exactly did Aizen say to you to cause this shift in your mood?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "He said: 'Without a unified nation and a sound system, this world cannot achieve peace. The existence of ninjas and the Hidden Village system is the greatest obstacle to that peace. Because this tiny elite monopolizes most of the resources, the lives of ordinary people are miserable. So, Konan-senpai... are you willing to join me in changing this?'"
Book Artist: "Damn it! That bastard Aizen is too good at finding weaknesses! Even knowing it's deceptive talk, he hit the nail on the head!"
Indeed, the most logical path to peace in the Shinobi World was unification. However, the Hidden Village system was the primary obstacle. To keep the ninja at the center of the world, all the best resources were funneled to them, while the powerful used them as tools to suppress civilians, creating a vicious cycle.
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "So Aizen's goal is to eliminate ninjas? How can that be achieved?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "I'm not sure, but I suspect it involves his Hollow experiments."
Book Artist: "It's better not to trust him too much. What do you think, An Ran-san?"
This is an Actor: "It is obvious Aizen wants to use Konan-san. However, it is also possible to use him in return. Isn't peace in the ninja world what Konan-san truly desires?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "Yes, that's what I thought too. There is no personal hatred between us. If he can truly bring peace, then being used doesn't matter much. He has gone to see Sarutobi Hiruzen and should be back soon, so I'll talk more later."
Book Artist: "Going to see the Third Hokage? 'Back soon'? Konan-nee-san, where are you exactly?"
This is an Actor: "She should be in Konoha. Didn't she mention before that Aizen's identity in this world is a subordinate of Danzo?"
Book Artist: "So... is Konan-san living at Aizen's house now? What does that even mean? Her tone just now—it felt like a wife secretly contacting us while her husband was out."