Seeing how easily their opponent had overpowered them, they were all deeply shaken.
"How powerful! Who exactly is this guy?"
"A human actually surpassing us Shinigami in soul strength?"
"Terrifying! His soul is practically terrifyingly strong!"
"I even feel like this isn't his full strength yet!"
Though still in spiritual forms, facing him made them feel like they couldn't even breathe properly.
It was like being kids again, playing in the forest only to suddenly run into Tigers and Leopards—utterly terrifying.
"You should all be calm now, right?"
As he spoke, Aizen couldn't help but silently sigh—being transformed into a Shinigami really had a major effect on emotions.
Otherwise, these figures who had earned their place in Uzumaki clan history wouldn't have acted so inappropriately just from hearing a piece of news.
"Please stop! We've already calmed down!"
If initially they still had some arrogance befitting senior figures facing a junior,
Now, they felt only respect and submission.
Coming from chaotic eras themselves, they clearly understood that strength was the easiest way to convince people.
"Glad to hear that!"
Aizen retracted his spiritual pressure. The group instantly felt like fish returning to water—immersed in spiritual comfort.
After calming themselves slightly, Hayami asked once more, "May I ask, what exactly did you mean earlier about the Uzumaki clan being destroyed..."
"It's true!" Aizen gave them a conclusion first. "Because their sealing techniques were so powerful, the Uzumaki clan was wiped out by joint forces from more than ten countries many years ago!"
Though their moods turned gloomy, they didn't act overly emotional or extreme, having been somewhat prepared.
"How could this happen?" Masahide alone muttered softly, then cried out emotionally, "What about Konoha? Didn't Konoha come to rescue them?"
"You've heard of Konoha?" Aizen looked at him with some surprise.
"Of course! It was me who signed the friendship pact with Hashirama Senju... By the way, you know who Hashirama Senju is, don't you?"
"I definitely know." Aizen casually explained. "At that time when this happened, Konoha itself was suffering from war."
"War?" Masahide looked puzzled. "What era are we in now? Has it already been a hundred years?"
"Counting from Konoha's establishment as the starting point, it's only been fifty-one years so far." [See Chapter Two for detailed timeline information.]
"Fifty-one years..." Masahide murmured blankly. "That's right. Hashirama should already be dead! If he were still alive, he would never have let war happen!"
Though feeling sad inside, hearing Masahide's words, the other three still became puzzled.
"As long as that person was alive, war wouldn't have occurred?"
"How could something like that be possible?"
Masahide shook his head. "You don't understand. Hashirama was someone strong enough to bring peace to this chaotic world!"
The other three were deeply shaken. Though they had been mighty figures in their own times, they had never heard of anyone who could single-handedly bring peace to a chaotic era.
"He's right." Aizen slightly nodded. "Hashirama Senju was indeed such a powerful man. Unfortunately, he died just several years after Konoha's founding!"
"How could this happen?"
"Masahide's eyes widened beneath his mask. 'How could Hashirama have died so young?'"
"He dueled Madara Uchiha in a death-match. Although he killed Madara, he himself sustained severe injuries and died several years later."
The other three were still in awe of the mighty warrior who had single-handedly pacified the chaotic era they had just been discussing. The sudden news of his death from that decisive battle shook them completely.
What kind of era could possibly produce two experts of this level simultaneously!
"Hashirama and Madara dueled to the death? Weren't they the closest of friends?" Masahide felt his mind spinning. "Besides, they had fought before, right? Hashirama should have been stronger. There's no reason he should have paid with his life... Could it have been heartbreak?"
Seeing them getting further and further off track, Aizen coughed twice. "Anyway, the Uzumaki clan was destroyed many years ago, but the people carrying this bloodline haven't completely vanished!"
The four of them perked up immediately upon hearing this. That's right, hadn't their opponent mentioned rebuilding the Uzumaki clan earlier?
When four pairs of dark eyes turned toward him, Aizen chuckled softly. "Why not check outside using your sensing abilities?"
Only now did the four realize that the ruined shrine they were in seemed to be covered by a chakra barrier.
Extending their sensing abilities outward, they quickly discovered a red-haired woman holding a baby girl with similarly red hair, though her hair was still quite sparse.
Red hair—the symbolic feature immediately struck a chord deep within them.
"Who... who is she?"
"There's no need to doubt. She is one of your Uzumaki clan!"
Hearing this, they all felt delighted.
"Great!"
"Never thought we'd meet another clan member again!"
Uzumaki Chiyuki even widened her eyes toward Aizen. "So, you're the father of this child?"
Aizen sighed. "Don't misunderstand. I simply rescued her from a monster's den (demon lair)."
"A monster's den?"
"Take a closer look at her body, and you should be able to see some injuries."
The four, puzzled, extended their sensing abilities further outward, and then noticed countless bite marks on the woman's exposed skin—her hands and neck.
"What... what exactly happened here?" Despite no longer having physical bodies, all of them felt furious enough that their very soul forms trembled.
"Without the protection of their clan, what kind of fate would befall Uzumaki clansmen, who naturally possess various unique abilities?" Aizen continued slowly, sentence by sentence, shattering their psychological defenses. "Even becoming human test subjects for medical experiments—those like them would actually count themselves lucky!"
"And precisely because outsiders coveted their powers, in just a few decades, it's already extremely difficult to find any trace of the Uzumaki clan in this world—though in reality, quite a few Uzumaki clansmen actually managed to escape during the clan's destruction!"
Hearing this, the highly reactive group once again flew into a rage.
"Unforgivable! Absolutely unforgivable!"
"I'll kill those bastards!"
"Anyone who dares to harm them—I won't spare a single one!"
This time, Aizen didn't stop them. He simply stood aside quietly, waiting for them to cool off.
After a long while, the four finally calmed down.
"This noble one, what would you have us do?"
Obviously, their attitude had shifted once again.
"You have nothing to worry about. All I ask is that you help care for and nurture them!" Aizen smiled, pointing outside the shrine.
"Just like that?" Several of them couldn't believe their ears — the condition seemed too good to be true. Moreover, it was something they would willingly do without being asked anyway.
"Of course. Do you really think there's anything else worth desiring from you all?" Aizen chuckled.
He wasn't lying. For him, keeping Karen Kagura and her child safe was all that mattered.
In the future, if he ever had tasks to assign, wouldn't those old men jump at the opportunity anyway? Besides, he would have more underlings later on. For the sake of Karen Kagura's status, these old men would surely actively and enthusiastically seek to be used by him!
"Haha, of course we're willing!"
Hayami spoke, somewhat embarrassed.
After all, it was he who had just said they didn't belong in this world and wanted nothing to do with mortal affairs. Yet now, when it involved the Uzumaki clan, he was agreeing to it without a hint of shame.
"The path of the Uzumaki clan does not conflict with mine!" Aizen continued to talk them into it. "My ideal is to rewrite the world's order. Follow me, and I will lead you to achieve the Uzumaki clan's revenge and revival!"
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