Naruto: Aizen's Shadow in Konoha

As Aizen took in the sight before him, he sensed something unusual with his heightened perception ability, Kenshin.

Hatake Sakumo's entire body was now radiating a silvery-white light, and within his soul, countless glowing spots surged like boiling water, releasing violent energy waves with each pulse.

"What…?" Aizen's eyes widened, a rare expression of solemnity crossing his face. "You're burning your own sword spirit, forcing your realm briefly to the level of a super Kage. Do you intend to die?"

The shock was evident in his voice as he assessed Sakumo's newfound power.

Those watching from a distance, who had already been awed by Sakumo's intense surge of energy, were equally stunned.

"Has Sakumo truly chosen to risk his life, knowing he cannot match Aizen otherwise?" Orochimaru muttered with a tinge of unease.

"Sakumo!" Zashi and Yoru called out together, the pain of their comrade's self-sacrifice piercing deeply.

Regardless of the outcome, Sakumo's act guaranteed his life would be cut short, igniting a profound sadness within them.

"Zashi! Yoru! Don't worry—I'll defeat Aizen and protect you all!" Sakumo glanced reassuringly toward his allies, then turned his focus fully back to Aizen, resolve hardening in his gaze.

"Hatake Style Secret Art: Shinsō!"

His aura burst even more fiercely, hands gripping the broken White Fang blade with renewed purpose. An intense killing intent fixed solely on Aizen.

In a flash, multiple slender white beams shot forth like lasers. Each beam, though seemingly fragile, radiated an aura of utter devastation and sliced through the air at five times the speed of sound. Such an attack could fell even the most seasoned warrior if they weren't vigilant.

This was the technique Sakumo had used to force Aizen back earlier, creating the opening needed to rescue Zashi. The technique resembled Uchiha Sasuke's Chidori Sharp Spear, involving both nature and shape transformation of lightning chakra. However, compared to the Chidori Sharp Spear, Sakumo's Shinsō, infused with pure sword intent, was on an entirely different level.

Yet, even faced with this powerful strike, Aizen's expression remained one of detached indifference. With minimal effort, he swung his sword, shattering the laser-like swords with ease.

But Sakumo knew that Shinsō alone wouldn't be enough to take down Aizen. His real intention was to gain the smallest advantage by forcing Aizen into a momentary reaction.

In a battle at this level, even the slightest advantage could turn the tide.

"Hatake Style: Piercing Fang!"

Just after Aizen deflected the attack, Sakumo suddenly darted to a position where Aizen's movement was restricted and unleashed a powerful shout.

Shhhhhh!!

This time, the laser-like sword energy was so refined that it appeared as thin as silk threads. There were hundreds of them—each moving at an astonishing speed, thirty times the speed of sound!

For the first time, Aizen's expression turned serious. Even with his enhanced reflexes, evading this blow wasn't possible. While he could use the Flying Thunder God Technique to escape, this attack had stirred something within him—the thrill of true battle. The pride inherent in a warrior of his caliber prevented him from dodging unless absolutely necessary.

"Kendo: Blade Dominion"

Aizen cast a cold glance at the incoming barrage of laser-like sword energy and raised Kyōka Suigetsu. The blade gleamed with a chilling, ominous light, its aura oppressive.

"Take this!" he murmured, channeling a tenth of his immense energy into Kyōka Suigetsu before releasing a powerful slash.

Hiss!

The unleashed energy surged forward, forming a massive, half-moon-shaped arc that collided head-on with the deadly sword energy

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As the arc clashed with the hundreds of laser-thin attacks, each thread of sword energy shattered on impact, making a resounding crack with every burst. But Aizen's blade wasn't invincible; the concentrated energy on his arc began to dissipate, worn down by the overwhelming force of sword energy. In their mutual destruction, fragments of sword energy scattered across the landscape, slicing through the surroundings.

The intensity of the battle laid bare the destructive force of super Kage-level power.

In the astonished eyes of Orochimaru and others, a single residual arc of energy, as effortlessly as a laser through paper, silently cleaved a nearby mountain.

They were less than half a meter away from the flying sword energy.

"We need to move! Now! Otherwise, we will surely die!" Orochimaru yelled, grabbing Zashi and Yoru and bolting in a panic.

Hyuga Gin, pale with fear, scrambled to follow, practically tumbling over himself in desperation. He silently cursed the fact that he only had two legs, desperately wishing for more to escape faster.

Whoosh!

At this point, the clash between Sakumo's attack and Aizen's counter reached its peak. With the energy from both attacks largely depleted, Sakumo and Aizen could maneuver to avoid the remnants of each other's strikes.

Shhhhhh!

A hundred razor-thin beams from Sakumo's attack cut through a nearby mountain without obstruction. The mountain vanished in an instant, annihilated by the aura of destruction woven into the attack. Meanwhile, Aizen's diminished sword energy dissipated only after slicing through a dozen more mountains.

Witnessing this terrifying display, Orochimaru and the others felt their terror intensify, urging their feet to move even faster.

With the field momentarily cleared, Aizen and Sakumo stood facing each other from a distance.

Boom!

Their eyes locked, and a powerful surge of energy exploded between them.

Whooosh!

The skies darkened as wind and clouds churned, responding to the intense collision of their auras. The mountains around them quivered, and the landscape itself seemed to shift and tilt under the pressure of their power.

The clash of these super Kage-level energies altered the very atmosphere, sending tremors across the ground for miles. By now, the entire landscape looked as if it had been torn apart by a giant blade, reduced to fragments.

But for these two mighty combatants, this was merely the beginning.

With his gaze steeled, Sakumo's voice rang out: "Hatake-Style Secret Technique: Shadow Kamishini no Yari!"

In an instant, Sakumo transformed into thousands of streaks of white light, surrounding Aizen from above. Within each glimmering fragment, the deadly energy was building, ready to unleash its full force.