Squad 3 Barracks.
"What?!" Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō held the special Denreishinki, a flash of astonishment in his eyes. "Hirako Shinji was dealt with this quickly!"
"Didn't they say the mission had no risks?"
"Did the opponent not play by the rules?"
"*Bzzzt...*"
While he was on the call, a squad of fierce-looking Soul Reapers, resembling evil spirits, completely ignored the warnings of the front gate guards and forced their way into the barracks.
"Where is Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō?" A brutal thug casually grabbed a passing squad member, hoisted him up, and asked with a ferocious expression.
"C-Captain is in his office..." The member, terrified by the fiendish appearance, subconsciously blurted out the answer.
"Brothers, charge!"
"Let's claim the first victory for Lord Naraku's grand cause!"
The clamorous noise quickly caught Rōjūrō's attention. Frowning, he hung up the call and looked out the window.
He saw a group of highly excited Soul Reapers radiating a vicious aura, rushing headlong toward his office.
"What's going on?!" Rōjūrō was startled by the sight, unable to process it for a moment.
However, when he clearly saw the squad insignias they wore, he immediately realized what was happening.
"Damn it, they're the thugs from Shino Prison!"
The next second, chaotic Reiatsu surged forward, crashing like a collapsing mudslide, making the surrounding space feel thick and viscous.
Rōjūrō's breath hitched, his expression turning ugly.
Although he was a clone, his Reiatsu and memories were no different from the original.
As the Captain of Squad 3, he knew exactly what level his subordinate Soul Reapers were at.
While they might not be considered a particularly elite squad within the Gotei 13, they were definitely not the worst.
But compared to the beasts before him, they weren't even in the same league.
Even the weakest among them possessed the strength of an elite Soul Reaper.
When he saw these guys on a normal day, they were clearly never this strong!
How did their Reiatsu all suddenly skyrocket in the blink of an eye?
Could it be that those bastards in Shino Prison had been hiding their true strength all along?
Damn it, what exactly were they trying to achieve?!
After a brief moment of thought, it was as if lightning flashed through Rōjūrō's mind.
"Are these guys really planning to rebel?"
At that moment, the crowd had already charged near the office.
"Captain's haori, wavy blonde hair."
"It's the target, Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō!"
"Don't be afraid! Just block your hearing and this guy is useless. He's an absolute disgrace to the Captains!"
Hearing the undisguised words of these beasts, veins bulged on Rōjūrō's forehead, and he ground his teeth audibly.
Although he wasn't the original, a clone's greatest dream was to replace the original.
Therefore, this was no different from mocking him personally.
"A bunch of vulgar idiots!"
"Play, Kinshara!"
Rōjūrō dashed out of the office, ready to slaughter this group of insubordinate fools.
The dancing golden whip filled the courtyard, emitting sharp, piercing sounds as it cut through the air.
The ground instantly cracked open with hideous fissures, like the gaping maw of a giant beast, swallowing the swirling, turbulent dust.
"Kinshara Sonata Number Eleven—"
"Izayoi Bara!"
Rōjūrō swung the blooming Kinshara, violently whirling it in front of him to form countless intertwining ripples.
Vibrant colors bloomed amidst the clash of metal, accompanied by the eruption of dazzling Reiatsu light. Magical, colorful clouds instantly rippled outward, immediately engulfing the charging Soul Reapers.
The squad members of Shino Prison could easily crush ordinary Soul Reapers from other squads, but that didn't mean they could handle a Captain-class Soul Reaper.
Normally, this kind of area-of-effect attack could easily instantly kill a large swath of squad members who weren't even seated officers.
But soon, Rōjūrō was horrified to discover that these guys didn't fall immediately.
Their transcendent resilience allowed them to withstand the first wave of Izayoi Bara's impact.
Seeing the group howling and charging at him once again, Rōjūrō's face darkened.
"You brutes don't understand the gap in our strength at all. Even if my Bankai's ability is ineffective, the sheer boost to my power is enough to easily dispose of you."
"Bankai—"
Boundless Reiatsu erupted, and a materialized pillar of light shot straight into the sky, instantly blowing away several of the charging Soul Reapers.
"..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a dazzling white light flashed across the courtyard, and the air filled with intense heat generated by high-speed friction.
*Squelch—*
Boiling hot blood splattered as agonizing pain overwhelmed Rōjūrō's nerves.
Looking at the silver-white blade protruding from his chest, a look of disbelief appeared on his face.
"Where did this Zanpakutō come from..."
Turning his head with great difficulty, he saw a harmless-looking youth standing in the center of the courtyard, smiling at him. A faint, imperceptible blue light flashed in his narrowed eyes.
Only then did the Shikai release command echo through the courtyard.
"Shoot to kill, Shinsō."
Ichimaru Gin observed him earnestly and tilted his head.
"I don't know if it's just my imagination, but you don't seem to be the Captain Ōtoribashi I know."
Rōjūrō opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to argue, but bloody froth welled up from his throat, drowning out the words he was about to say.
The flash of the blade retracted, transforming back into a short sword resembling a wakizashi.
Just as Rōjūrō thought the opponent was going to stop, a strong sense of crisis came from behind his head, instantly making his blood run cold.
With absolutely no time to dodge, his head was blown apart in a state of sheer terror.
His frontal combat ability might be slightly inferior to Soul Reapers of the same level, but when it came to sneak attacks, there were few in the Soul Society who were stronger than him.
Even the Onmitsukidō, who specialized in assassination, were no exception.
Very few people could react to the speed of Shinsō.
"C-Captain is dead?"
Only then did the Squad 3 Soul Reapers in the barracks realize what had happened.
The battle had broken out too suddenly.
While everyone else's attention was drawn to the besieging Soul Reapers, Ichimaru Gin's instantaneous Shinsō had directly one-shot Rōjūrō.
As the corpse crashed to the ground, the original flesh and blood instantly turned into clay, shattering all over the floor.
An uproar erupted in the courtyard.
Ichimaru Gin stepped forward and picked up an irregularly shaped gemstone from the dust, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes.
"..."
*'So this was Lord Prison Warden's goal all along.'*
As he thought this, a trace of disappointment flashed across his face.
However, Ichimaru Gin quickly regained his spirits and tucked the gemstone into his robes.
Regardless, this was a rare opportunity.
He had finally gotten the chance to solve a problem for Lord Naraku, and he couldn't let it slip by so easily.
He turned and walked toward the outside of the barracks.
Only at this moment did the Squad 3 Soul Reapers recover from their shock, realizing that Ichimaru Gin and the others had come to eliminate the imposter Rōjūrō.
They immediately felt a surge of guilt and bowed deeply in unison toward the departing Ichimaru Gin.
"Thank you for your help."
Hearing the voices behind him, Ichimaru Gin stopped in his tracks and said calmly without looking back,
"If you want to thank someone, please thank Lord Naraku."
"If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have come to subjugate the imposter."
Watching his retreating back, everyone revealed thoughtful expressions.
So everything was under Lord Naraku's control?
This lord's wisdom was truly astonishing!
Shino Underground Assembly Hall.
In the spacious venue, the atmosphere was exceptionally oppressive and gloomy.
Elderly figures gathered here, and only the sound of heavy breathing remained in the silence.
"Everyone, I presume you have all read the intelligence report?"
Behind the number one seat, the judge named Asano broke the silence.
"Naraku Sora killed the gatekeeper Ikkanzaka Jidanbō at the Hakudōmon, shattered the Seireitei Gate, and murdered the Captain of Squad 5, Hirako Shinji, in broad daylight..."
"And he announced his rebellion against the Soul Society."
"In terms of his crimes, even being imprisoned in Muken for ten thousand years wouldn't be enough."
Hearing this, the crowd's breathing quickened slightly.
"Didn't they say that Hirako Shinji was an imposter?" A doubtful voice came from behind the number six seat.
As soon as he finished speaking, the person next to him glared and said sternly,
"How could it be so easy to impersonate a Captain? In my view, that is nothing but the one-sided claim of the traitor Naraku."
"Yamamoto Shigekuni's whereabouts are unknown after heading to the Dangai, and he specifically applied to us to let Naraku Sora act as Substitute Head Captain."
"Perhaps having tasted the sweetness of power, this traitor intends to seize this opportunity to completely usurp control."
As soon as these words were spoken, the others echoed their agreement, nodding repeatedly.
As the highest judicial authority in the Soul Society, they were supposed to be supreme beings.
Even Head Captain Yamamoto Shigekuni had to act according to their whims.
However, ever since Naraku Sora appeared, the prestige of Central 46 had been repeatedly diminished.
To say they were utterly disgraced was no exaggeration.
Yet, hindered by a certain someone's martial prowess and Yamamoto's protection, they were unable to convict him.
Even if there were occasional offensive actions on normal days, they could only choose to turn a blind eye.
But now.
Naraku Sora had openly declared his rebellion, which was an absolutely perfect opportunity.
"Since everyone is in agreement, let us draft the secret order."
Number one Asano's tense nerves relaxed, and he issued the command in his capacity as a judge:
"Naraku Sora has murdered his colleagues and intends to rebel; his crimes are heinous!"
"Immediately transmit the secret order to the Gotei 13, the Onmitsukidō, and the Kidō Corps. Anyone who discovers the traitor Naraku and his rebellious faction—"
"Kill them on sight!"
"At the same time, spread the news of Naraku Sora's rebellion throughout the Soul Society!"
*Creak—*
The moment the order was issued, the doors to the assembly hall suddenly opened. A brown-haired young man wearing glasses stood in the sunlight.
A gentle smile hung on his face as he calmly gazed at the high and mighty sages.
"Before coming here, I was still thinking of a reason to make my move."
"If I insisted that Central 46 had been replaced by imposters, perhaps that guy would believe it unconditionally, but I don't want to deceive him."
Aizen stepped into the assembly hall step by step, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
"Now there's no need to agonize over it."
"As that guy's best friend, let me do what a rebellious faction ought to do."