"Stop spouting nonsense!"
Yamamoto glared at Naraku Sora in annoyance. "Don't think I don't know what you're scheming."
Blaming it on Kagerōza was utter bullshit.
Even if Kagerōza did it, his last name must be Naraku!
Naraku Kagerōza!
Although he was fully aware of the convoluted truth behind the matter, Yamamoto chose not to voice it.
Some things were better left unsaid; once brought to light, the consequences would be too severe to handle.
Given Naraku Sora's current prestige within the Seireitei, pinning the slaughter of the nobles on him would likely trigger a rebellion far worse than the current turmoil.
Setting aside the new Gotei 13 this brat had established, countless officers and even Captains in the current Gotei 13 held him in high esteem.
In the eyes of certain Captains, their relationship with Naraku Sora was even better than with him, the Head Captain.
If forced to choose sides between this brat and the nobles, Yamamoto was one hundred percent certain they would stand with Naraku Sora.
Besides, no one had any proof, right?
Considering those nobles were nothing but scum, Naraku Sora looked like a saint in comparison. Yamamoto simply decided to stop dwelling on it.
"What's done is done. We'll turn the page on this matter, and I won't hold it against you," Yamamoto said.
"But there absolutely must not be a next time!"
Naraku Sora grinned and nodded.
This old man had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. He always claimed it was the last time, yet when it truly mattered, he would firmly stand by his side.
As for whether there would be a next time, that depended entirely on whether those high-and-mighty nobles knew what was good for them.
Seeing this, Yamamoto snorted coldly and continued, "Alright, if there's nothing else, get out of here. Just looking at you annoys me."
"One more thing."
"You are responsible for dealing with Kagerōza. If anything goes wrong, I'll hold you accountable!"
Naraku Sora nodded, turned around, and left the barracks.
Watching his retreating figure, Yamamoto slowly opened his half-closed eyes, a profound look flashing in their depths.
"Genshirō, do you think he can truly bear the heavy responsibility of protecting the Seireitei?"
Hearing this, Okikiba Genshirō, who had been standing guard nearby, paused. After a long silence, he gently shook his head.
"I do not know."
"Lord Naraku is highly capable and exceptionally talented. Although he acts somewhat impulsively, his intuition is often incredibly accurate, allowing him to strike at the heart of many incidents."
"Most importantly, Lord Naraku acts as a bond, connecting the various factions of the Soul Society."
"Despite the frequent turmoil in recent years, I can sense that the Seireitei, and even the Soul Society as a whole, possesses far more vitality now than before Lord Naraku joined the squads."
Yamamoto nodded, his expression softening significantly.
Okikiba Genshirō had been by his side for nearly as long as Sasakibe Chōjirō.
He was calm, steady, and possessed keen insight, making him an invaluable right-hand man.
"After the rebellions of the Araki and Tsunayashiro clans in recent years, the conflicts of interest among the nobles, and the rebel uprisings, I have come to deeply understand one truth—"
Yamamoto closed the file, his gaze darkening.
"That is, the human heart is never satisfied."
"As the head of the Five Great Noble Clans, the Tsunayashiro clan held power above Central 46, with only the remaining four Great Noble Clans capable of keeping them in check. Their status was so high that the laws of the Soul Society couldn't even bind them."
"Yet even so, they were not satisfied with the status quo. They desired more, even seeking to replace the Spirit King and become the supreme rulers of the three realms."
"The other nobles are the same."
"To seize more benefits, they resort to any means necessary, causing countless chaotic incidents."
"The reason I do not hold them accountable is that I have too many concerns. The various factions are intricately intertwined; a single misstep could trigger a chain reaction that destabilizes everything."
Hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Okikiba Genshirō's eyes.
Yamamoto sighed deeply, a trace of gratification appearing on his face.
"But that brat is different."
"Although he outwardly abides by the rules, he is actually lawless. He doesn't care about the consequences at all. He even dared to kill a Tsunayashiro; what else wouldn't he dare to do?"
"If Naraku Sora succeeds the position of Head Captain, with his personality, he will inevitably bring immeasurable reforms to the Soul Society."
"I am actually quite looking forward to that day."
Okikiba Genshirō fell silent.
Following their conversation, he suddenly remembered a rather suspicious matter, unsure for a moment whether he should mention it to Yamamoto.
After a brief moment of thought, Okikiba Genshirō looked up and spoke earnestly, "Lord Genryūsai, just as the Reigai rebellion began, Squad 1 received a secret order from the Inner Court Troop. It explicitly stated that Lord Naraku was to be classified as a traitorous Soul Reaper and a rebel."
"If his whereabouts were discovered, he was to be killed on sight."
Yamamoto: "?"
Looking at his old subordinate's serious expression, the old man blinked, suddenly feeling a headache coming on.
After everything that had happened, did those fools still dare to harbor such inappropriate thoughts?
Seeing that Yamamoto didn't speak, Okikiba Genshirō continued, "However, after issuing this secret order, Central 46 hasn't sent out any further commands. They seem completely unconcerned about the chaos outside."
Hearing this, Yamamoto seemed to realize something, and his expression drastically changed.
"This is bad. Central 46!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the old man vanished from the office, heading straight for the underground assembly hall.
Although no one was allowed to enter the assembly hall without an order from Central 46, the guarding Soul Reapers obediently opened the doors when they saw Yamamoto's menacing glare.
Then, they saw it—corpses lying haphazardly across the seats, their thick blood having long since coagulated.
Seeing this scene, Yamamoto's aged face instantly darkened, and the temperature inside the assembly hall skyrocketed.
*What an absolute bastard!*
After mentally adding another severe mark against Naraku Sora, Yamamoto took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. A hint of helplessness then flashed in his eyes.
This brat really had the nerve.
Was he not afraid that the Soul Society would plunge into chaos because of this?
Despite the gruesome scene before him, for some reason, Yamamoto felt not a shred of sorrow in his heart.
He didn't even feel a hint of anger.
Central 46 symbolized the highest judicial authority in the Soul Society. The orders they issued had to be obeyed not only by the Gotei 13 but also by the nobles, who couldn't openly defy them.
In the past, he would have flown into a rage, his fury burning across the entire Soul Society.
Could it be that he had already been assimilated by a certain bastard?
Forget it.
What's done is done. He might as well prepare for Central 46's aftermath.
"Relay my orders. Notify the Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō and the Captain of Squad 4 to come and examine the cause of death for Central 46."
A member of the Inner Court Troop bowed respectfully, activated Flash Step, and instantly vanished from the spot.
Naraku Sora left Squad 1 and headed straight for the main battlefield in the Squad 12 district.
What met his eyes was an extremely chaotic slaughter.
Everyone fought their own battles, dividing the battlefield. Chaotic Reiatsu washed over the ruins like tidal waves, kicking up clouds of dust.
Although the Captains of the Gotei 13 held the upper hand overall, the clones were not far behind them in strength, so the situation remained somewhat ambiguous.
Looking at those nearly identical faces, a bold idea suddenly sprouted in Naraku Sora's mind.
If he could persuade this group to surrender, wouldn't the Gotei 13's power skyrocket?
Thus, he forcefully intruded into the battlefield of the two Ukitake Jūshirō, violently separating the two who were locked in combat, and then turned his gaze toward the Reigai.
"I'll give you a chance. Choose to surrender, and I can spare your life."
The Reigai Ukitake wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression vicious. "Only one can exist between the original and the clone. If you are willing to let me—"
"Alright, say no more. I understand."
Naraku Sora interrupted him expressionlessly.
Reigai were indeed very useful.
They were powerful, fearless of death, and could even resurrect.
But if the price of their existence was the disappearance of the people he was familiar with, then there was no room for negotiation.
He still preferred being around living, breathing people rather than puppets created by someone else.
"Heh, I knew it."
The Reigai Ukitake revealed a fierce look. Taking advantage of Naraku Sora's moment of thought, he burst forth with astonishing speed. His twin blades slashed toward Sora's vital spots from extremely bizarre angles.
Standing behind them, the real Ukitake noticed this. His expression changed slightly, and just as he was about to call out a warning, he realized Naraku Sora's movements were even faster.
"Too slow."
Naraku Sora drew his Zanpakutō, stepped forward, and executed a downward slash.
A pitch-black sword pressure flashed by. The Reigai Ukitake's body froze in place, the expression on his face instantly solidifying as if time had been paused.
In the next second, blood erupted like a fountain.
Looking at his fallen "self," Ukitake's expression was somewhat subtle.
After their recent battle, he was one hundred percent certain that the Reigai's strength was not much inferior to his own.
Yet, such a powerful enemy couldn't even withstand a single strike from Naraku Sora.
Did that mean if he were to face his junior martial brother, he would also be one-shot?
Ukitake couldn't help but fall deep into thought.
Taking advantage of the Reigai being pinned down by the Soul Reaper Captains, Naraku Sora displayed overwhelming suppressive power. After ruthlessly clearing out a wave of enemies, he turned and left, leaving the remaining cleanup to the Captains present.
Rukongai.
Facts proved that under the threat of death, people could often unleash astonishing potential.
After witnessing Naraku Sora's terrifying battlefield dominance, Kagerōza completely abandoned the bold idea of competing against that monster.
He swore he had never run this fast in his entire life.
But even so, that intense, suffocating chill continued to firmly envelop him.
It was as if he had never escaped the other party's control from the very beginning.
*Who on earth is it?*
The image of a brown-haired young man suddenly popped into Kagerōza's mind. His gentle smile seemed completely unaffected by the outside world.
He maintained a calm and composed demeanor from start to finish, even when facing the Reigai Yamamoto.
*Damn it, he's just a mere Lieutenant! How can he be this powerful?!*
Recalling the scene of being completely suppressed by Aizen back in the laboratory, Kagerōza nearly ground his teeth to dust.
Just then, a figure appeared extremely abruptly in front of him.
Upon seeing the person's face clearly, an intense wave of jealousy and hatred inexplicably erupted in Kagerōza's heart. He immediately brandished Raikū, preparing to launch a ruthless attack.
Watching Kagerōza charge toward him, the corners of Aizen's mouth curled up, his gaze lowering slightly.
In the next second.
An utterly terrifying Reiatsu erupted from his body.
The air let out an overwhelmed wail, and the high-density Reishi even formed visible, distorted lines that scattered around him.
The charging Kagerōza's expression changed drastically. Before he could even open his mouth, he plummeted heavily to the ground, smashing a deep crater and kicking up an astonishing wave of dust.
The mastermind who had single-handedly orchestrated the Reigai Project was pinned firmly at the bottom of the crater, his eyes filled with sheer terror.
At this moment, only one thought remained in his mind—
*This is... Aizen's Reiatsu?!*