In the end, Aaron got exactly what he wanted, cleanly out of the situation.
Not by taking his own life… but by "dying."
Morishita was found dead in his home, killed by a lightning-style jutsu that pierced straight through his chest, something very similar to Chidori.
After examining the body, ANBU concluded that it matched the same technique used by the intruder who had posed as an Iwagakure ninja. The attack was precise, fast, and lethally efficient.
There was another detail, too.
Beneath Morishita's body, drawn crudely in blood, was the symbol of a root.
To the investigators, it looked like a dying clue; his last attempt to identify his killer.
All signs pointed to one culprit:
Root.
The leader of Kusagakure was furious.
He immediately ordered a full lockdown, no one in or out and had every ninja in the village conduct a thorough sweep.
But it was already too late.
By then, Aaron and his team were long gone, already on their way back to Konohagakure, mission accomplished.
Thinking back on it, Aaron couldn't help but chuckle.
"Sometimes," he said casually, "a dead man is more useful than a living one."
He glanced back once, as if imagining the chaos behind them.
"The Grass leader's probably losing his mind right about now."
Still, leaving Morishita behind wasn't entirely pointless. At the very least, the timeline checked out perfectly no loose ends, no contradictions.
And more importantly…
Danzō Shimura was about to have a very bad time.
Even if Kusagakure didn't strike directly, they could easily place bounties through the underworld or hire rogue ninja to target Root operatives.
Either way, trouble was coming.
"Boss, you're smiling way too much," Inuzuka Midori said, grinning as she leaned forward. "What's the good news? Share it with the rest of us."
Aaron smiled calmly.
"Oh, just thinking about your new training schedule."
"Morning: sparring. Afternoon: conditioning. Evening… more sparring."
Midori's face dropped instantly.
"Wait, how is that a plan? That's just getting beat up all day!"
"Exactly," Aaron said with a chuckle. "Just imagining all of you walking around bruised and swollen… it's pretty entertaining."
"Boss," she said flatly, "you're a world-class jerk."
"Thanks," he replied. "But you might want to drop the 'world-class' part, unless you want your face more swollen than the others."
Midori thought for a second.
"…You're a jerk."
Aaron flicked her forehead hard enough to mess up her hair.
"Can't help yourself, huh?"
"You said you wanted to learn advanced combat techniques, right? This is how you get there."
At the mention of his iron-like defense and overwhelming presence in battle, Midori's eyes lit up.
"Wait, you mean that ability? The one that makes your body feel like steel?"
"Then I'm in! I love training. I can take a hit!"
Aaron smirked.
"Maybe. But I'm not sure I feel like teaching you anymore."
"You already turned it down once. Opportunity doesn't knock twice."
Midori froze.
"…That's not fair."
Aaron shrugged.
"Guess you'll just have to watch Kakashi and Kenshi pick it up instead."
"That technique boosts close combat a lot, you know."
Midori looked like she was about to cry.
Hanare chuckled softly and patted Midori's head.
"He's bluffing. He's not going to leave you behind."
Aaron rubbed his chin.
"Man… that sensory ability of yours is really convenient."
Hanare smiled.
"I can feel chakra flow. It makes lies… pretty obvious."
Midori immediately perked up.
"Really?!"
Aaron waved a finger.
"Depends on your behavior. Keep mouthing off, and you're out."
Midori went completely serious.
After a moment of deep thought, she pulled out a bandage and wrapped it around her mouth like a makeshift gag.
For the sake of power… sacrifices had to be made.
Aaron stared.
Does she have that little faith in her own self-control?
"Kaka"
"Yes?" Kakashi cut in immediately.
Hanrei blinked, slightly flustered.
"Why do you keep staring at me?"
Kakashi froze.
"…No reason."
"And your real name is Kakashi, right?"
She had figured it out during the journey, everyone else called him by his real name, not his alias.
Kakashi nodded.
"No point hiding it."
"'Kakashi'… it suits you," she said with a smile.
Midori suddenly leaned in.
"Hey, did he use any weird fake names back there?"
Kakashi replied instantly, face completely straight.
"No. Just normal ones. Think 'John Smith' level."
Midori squinted.
"…Really?"
Hanrei smiled.
"Really."
Midori clicked her tongue.
"Boring."
She had been hoping for something embarrassing.
Kakashi quietly exhaled in relief, shooting Hanare a grateful look.
Boss was right… people can be terrifyingly good actors, he thought.
Not long after, a massive gate came into view.
Tall, sturdy, and alive with movement, it stood as the entrance to the most powerful hidden village in the world:
Konohagakure.
Hanrei slowed, staring at it in awe.
Compared to Kusagakure… this felt like stepping into an entirely different world.
"...So this is the Leaf Village?"
Aaron nodded.
"Yeah."
He turned to her, a faint smile on his face.
"Welcome to Konoha."
"From here on out… this is home."
Hanrei thought about everything she'd been through the war, the loss of her homeland, the suffering in Kusagakure… and the unexpected kindness she found along the way.
Then she smiled, genuinely and without hesitation.
"…That sounds nice."
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