Naruto: God Reborn

13 Years Later

The figure known as Aizen sat chained to a chair, his body covered in intricate sealing formulas. Every inch of him, from his chakra network to his vision, was suppressed and locked away by powerful fūinjutsu. The light in the cell barely reached him, casting shadows that seemed to accentuate the regal indifference in his gaze.

You might wonder: how did Aizen come to this point? Let me explain.

As a child, Aizen was almost courteous. He extended a strange "kindness" to those around him, more as an afterthought than a natural gesture. But in his first year at the academy, when the villagers discovered his status as a Jinchūriki, everything shifted. They labeled him a monster, avoiding him and treating him with open hostility. Aizen decided to embrace their view.

Anyone who dared glance at him with disdain or voiced their contempt was met with punishment. With nothing more than a look, Aizen would ensnare them in his illusions. Within these illusions, Aizen mentally broke them, peeling back their sanity layer by agonizing layer. As his name spread in whispers, the villagers came to fear him even more, pushing Hiruzen to confront him directly.

Hiruzen intervened to try and curb the boy's behavior, demanding he cease these torturous games. Aizen responded simply, trapping Hiruzen himself in an illusion, a cruel masterpiece in which Hiruzen watched, helpless, as Aizen killed everyone the old man loved over and over.

It was only when Hiruzen, reduced to a pleading shell, screamed for release that Aizen ended it. Hiruzen, horrified, asked how Aizen could relish such torment.

The boy's smile was chilling."Consider yourselves lucky," he replied. "Ants like you should be grateful for the honor of looking upon a god."

Realizing he couldn't make the boy stop, Hiruzen decided to have Aizen imprisoned. Surprisingly, Aizen offered no resistance.

During his confinement, Aizen was still afforded a rudimentary education, though Iruka, his instructor, was strictly prohibited from teaching him jutsu, providing only an understanding of their mechanics. The boy had other visitors: Hiruzen came to observe, the Ichirakus would occasionally visit to support the boy, Shikaku and Shikamaru, who often challenged him to shogi, and Inoichi served as his therapist, though it's questionable how much Aizen revealed of himself.

---

Present Day

Restricted Facility, Intelligence Division

This facility was where the worst of the worst were held. Kakashi, Shino, and Hinata had just arrived there, each wondering about their purpose in such a bleak location.

Shino voiced his curiosity, asking why they were here. Kakashi's answer was blunt: they were here to retrieve their teammate. Shino and Hinata exchanged a shocked look, having a criminal as a teammate was the last thing they expected.

When they reached Aizen's cell, both Shino and Hinata failed to recognize the boy they once knew. Though they had shared a brief three months at the academy, this figure exuded an aura of something...otherworldly.

Without looking up, Aizen greeted Hinata, his words relayed by his spiritual pressure.

Hinata flinched, but the familiarity in his voice stirred a memory. "Naruto," she whispered, unsure.

Long ago, he had once saved her from bullies, leaving her with the words, "The Strong bully the weak. The weak serve the strong". He told her to become strong enough to conquer others" She hadn't forgotten him.

Shino's eyes widened at hearing the name. Naruto... he hadn't seen the boy since he disappeared six years prior.

Aizen finally glanced their way, a spark of amusement in his eyes. "To what do I owe this visit?" he asked, his voice dripping with disdain.

Kakashi stepped forward, unfazed. "I have orders from the Hokage for your release. From this moment on, you're to serve as a shinobi of the Leaf."

Aizen chuckled, his tone laced with mockery. "Why would I ever lower myself to serve that insect you call Hokage?"

Hinata and Shino could hardly believe his audacity in referring to the Hokage with such contempt. Kakashi, however, had been briefed on Aizen's delusions of godhood, his unrivaled illusionary prowess, and his genius.

"It's a fair deal," Kakashi countered. "You'll regain your freedom, in exchange for your service to the Leaf."

The amusement in Aizen's expression darkened. "Little ant, do not be so presumptuous." His voice lowered, carrying a cold bite." If I wanted to leave, I could have done so long ago?"

With a flicker of power, the seal on his left eye broke. His gaze alone filled the room with a fierce, overwhelming disgust, and Kakashi, Shino, and Hinata felt an unnatural chill in their bones. The air thickened with his presence, their knees buckling under an unseen weight.

Satisfied with their reactions, Aizen closed his eye, sighing theatrically. "Fine, I'll play along."

"Excellent," Kakashi said, concealing his relief.

Moving closer, Kakashi reached out to release Aizen's bindings. But before he could act, Aizen dismantled several seals himself, leaving most of the chakra suppression seals, paralysis seals, and the one over his right eye.

Even with most of his power restrained, the spiritual pressure emanating from him made their skin crawl.

"Pathetic," Aizen remarked, the barest hint of a smile on his lips. "This isn't even a fraction of my power." With that, he stepped out of the cell, glancing back impatiently.

"Are we going, or would you rather stay groveling?"

The three of them snapped out of their thoughts, their lingering fear morphing into a wary respect as they followed Aizen out into the open world once more.