It Can't Possibly Be the Spirit King, Right?
Yamamoto had been in a good mood lately, and even his sleep was much sounder than before.
Previously, ever since they captured the Quincy named Quilge Opie and extracted information about the Wandenreich and Yhwach from him, his already heavy heart had been clouded with even more gloom.
As an old man who had lived for thousands of years, Yamamoto was very self-aware of his own abilities.
When it came to fighting, there wasn't a single person in the entire Soul Society stronger than him.
But when it came to management and maintaining order, he fell somewhat short.
This was evident from how he handled squad duties.
When the war ended back then, the Soul Society was in ruins waiting to be rebuilt. Mountains of files piled up on his desk, keeping him so frantically busy that he often went days and nights without sleep just to process them.
Yet even so, there were still numerous errors and omissions.
This situation persisted for nearly a century.
Only after accumulating enough experience did he finally become adept at it.
Just as Yamamoto thought everything was on the right track and the Soul Society was developing in a positive direction, Quilge Opie's intelligence sent him plummeting from the clouds straight into the abyss.
The great enemy who nearly destroyed the Soul Society back then, Yhwach, was not dead.
Instead, he was accumulating power within the shadows of the Seireitei, waiting to fully awaken before returning to finish his uncompleted crusade.
From then on, this matter weighed on Yamamoto's heart like a massive mountain, causing him to lose sleep night after night and his beard to fall out in clumps.
But later, his rebellious disciple did something earth-shattering—
He allowed the Captains to achieve Hollowfication without any side effects.
And the first to bear the brunt of this was him, the Head Captain of the Gotei 13.
After Hollowfying, Yamamoto felt an unprecedented surge of power.
His strength, which had stagnated for hundreds of years, once again saw a visible improvement.
It even allowed him to break through to an entirely new realm.
From then on, Yamamoto felt completely at ease, even beginning to look forward to Yhwach's return.
The gloom blocking his heart largely dissipated, and he slept much more soundly than before.
The only thing that still worried him was that Naraku Sora frequently stirred up trouble out of nowhere, making it hard to find true peace of mind.
As the saying goes, what you think about by day, you dream about by night.
For instance, while taking a nap this afternoon, Yamamoto had an incredibly bizarre nightmare.
In the dream, Naraku Sora was surrounded by powerful enemies, covered in blood and begging him for help. However, just as he was about to intervene, the dream suddenly shattered, and he returned to the real world.
"Thank goodness it was just a dream."
The old man wiped the sweat from his forehead. Just as he was about to get up and brew some hot tea, a booming roar echoed from outside.
"Teacher, save me!"
The deafening voice erupted in the courtyard, recklessly assaulting Yamamoto's fragile nerves. With a momentary lapse in focus, the Ryūjin Jakka in his hand instantly flared with explosive flames, evaporating the tea kettle in a flash.
Watching a handful of ashes fall into the hearth, he fell silent.
Before he even had time to mourn, a figure eagerly slid open the door and skidded right up to Yamamoto's side.
Looking at the energetic young man, anger rose from Yamamoto's heart, fueling a sudden vicious impulse.
Before Naraku Sora could even open his mouth to explain himself, a fist the size of a clay pot crashed down.
Boom!!
The floorboards collapsed, the building trembled, and dust rained down.
A certain someone was smashed solidly into a deep pit, leaving only half a foot sticking out—a tragic sight beyond words.
"You bastard, how many times has this old man told you? Those in high positions must learn to be steady."
"Rushing around recklessly all day, what kind of behavior is this?!"
Yamamoto wore an expression of deep disappointment, scolding loudly, "Looking like this, how can this old man safely entrust the Gotei—"
"Ahem, entrust Shino Prison to your continued care?"
This rebellious disciple was great in every way, except that he raised people's blood pressure far too easily. One slip of the tongue, and Yamamoto nearly blurted out his true thoughts.
Previously, just having him act as substitute Head Captain for a short while made him lose all interest and nearly pack his bags to run away.
If this brat knew that he was planning to hand the position of Head Captain over to him permanently, he would probably roll up his bedroll and flee the Soul Society overnight.
Until he thought of a foolproof plan, it was better not to reveal his true intentions.
After spending so many years together, Yamamoto prided himself on having thoroughly figured out his rebellious disciple's temperament.
The matter of his retirement would have to be taken slowly.
Naraku Sora pulled himself out from under the ground. With a casual wave of Reishi manipulation, he repaired the floorboards perfectly, then stood obediently in place, flashing a harmless smile.
Looking at the floor that was identical to before, Yamamoto's eye twitched.
He realized that he could no longer quite understand this brat's abilities.
*We're both Transcendents, so how come you know how to do more things than this old man, your teacher?*
But as a teacher, he still had to maintain his proper authority. Yamamoto glared at Naraku Sora in annoyance and asked in a deep voice, "What are you panicking about?"
"Could it be that Yhwach has awakened?"
Naraku Sora chuckled. "No, it's not that. I just have a matter I need my teacher's help with."
"Speak."
Yamamoto took a new tea kettle from a nearby cabinet, filled it with sweet spring water, added tea leaves, and then placed it on top of Ryūjin Jakka.
A wisp of flame rose, and Ryūjin Jakka autonomously began the work of brewing tea.
Its proficiency in this operation seemed as if it had been carved into its very instincts.
"Didn't you mention at the Captains' meeting that Captain Hikifune is about to be promoted to the Zero Division and will be heading to the Soul King Palace to report for duty in a few days?"
As Naraku Sora spoke, he took two sweet potatoes from the food cabinet and familiarly placed them on the blade.
"I figured the interior space of the Tenchūren is quite large, so stuffing one or two more people inside shouldn't be a problem—"
"?"
Yamamoto frowned, seemingly guessing a certain possibility.
"Don't tell this old man you want to tag along to the Soul King Palace."
"As expected of my teacher, guessing what's in your disciple's heart right away."
Naraku Sora shamelessly flattered him. "Your disciple plans to go to the Soul King Palace to find a little something to increase our chances of defeating the Wandenreich in the future."
Hearing this, Yamamoto's frown deepened.
What could possibly be in the Soul King Palace that was worth Naraku Sora making a personal trip?
*It can't possibly be the Spirit King, right?*
Thinking of this, Yamamoto suddenly felt it was a bit absurd.
No matter how audacious his rebellious disciple was, he wouldn't target the Spirit King.
That was the Zero Division's lifeblood.
"If you truly have important business, just explain it directly to the Zero Division. The Gotei 13 headquarters has communication equipment. Do you need this old man to activate it?"
Naraku Sora shook his head. "If it were really that easy, I would just apply to the bad woman directly."
"Do you remember? The last time I went to the Soul King Palace, I had a bit of a conflict with that fat monk."
"Under these circumstances, I'm worried that old geezer won't agree to my request."
"So I plan to act first and report later."
Yamamoto's brow twitched violently as he listened.
*Smuggling yourself into the Soul King Palace... I can't believe you actually came up with that.*
Was he not afraid that the Zero Division would fly into a rage and execute him on the spot?
Seemingly guessing Yamamoto's thoughts, Naraku Sora grinned. "Teacher, don't forget, I am now more than ten times stronger than when I last ascended to the Soul King Palace."
"Even if the Zero Division attacks me all at once, they won't be able to do anything to me."
The confidence in his words practically overflowed.
Yamamoto's expression turned somewhat wistful.
He suddenly recalled the earth-shattering battle he had with his rebellious disciple in Hueco Mundo.
Although Sora's performance was slightly inferior to his own, that was only because he had already mastered Hollowfication.
If it had been his strength prior to Hollowfying, he really might not have been able to defeat Naraku Sora.
Moreover, after the battle, whether Naraku Sora had been pumped full of adrenaline or what, he had actually broken through to the realm of a Transcendent as well.
Even before breaking through, he could fight him to a standstill.
Now that he was a Transcendent, Yamamoto almost didn't dare to imagine his strength.
If they really fought seriously again, he would probably be overthrown by this brat.
"Hyōsube Ichibē is an existence that has lived for a million years. How could he be as simple as he appears on the surface?"
Yamamoto frowned. "Is it absolutely necessary to go to this Soul King Palace?"
Naraku Sora fell silent for a moment, then nodded with a serious expression.
Whether it was the Spirit King fragments that Aizen needed or his own path to growing stronger, the Soul King Palace was an indispensable link.
Although the combined strength of the Gotei 13 and Las Noches now exceeded the Wandenreich on paper.
There was still the possibility of unexpected accidents.
For the sake of the people he cared about, he had to nip even this slightest possibility in the bud.
What he wanted wasn't some evenly matched fight, but absolute suppression!
Seeing Naraku Sora's serious expression, Yamamoto fell silent.
No one understood this disciple better than him.
He seemed cynical and playful, but once he set his mind on something, not even nine Vasto Lordes could drag him back.
If he really wanted to refuse him, it wasn't impossible.
But he was afraid that this brat would just think of another way to ascend to the Soul King Palace, like fighting his way up from the front.
If that really happened, he would be standing completely in opposition to the Soul Society.
After pondering for a few seconds, Yamamoto nodded and said in a deep voice, "Since you are so resolute, then this old man cannot say much more."
"Later, this old man will personally inform Captain Hikifune of this matter and explain its importance to her."
"Given Captain Hikifune's temperament, she should agree."
Hearing this, Naraku Sora looked up, only to see the old man in front of him wearing a stern expression, though a trace of imperceptible concern surfaced on his aged face.
Compared to the Yamamoto Shigekuni who strictly adhered to the laws of the Soul Society back then, Old Man Yama had truly changed a lot...
After learning the news that Naraku Sora planned to smuggle himself into the Soul King Palace, Kirio Hikifune was somewhat surprised, but after Yamamoto's analysis of the pros and cons, she agreed.
In her eyes, the importance of the Soul Society was much greater than that of the Zero Division, even if she was about to become a member of it.
After all, the Soul Society was her hometown.
As for the Shiba clan, who was responsible for firing the cannon to the Soul King Palace, they were even easier to fool.
Because Shiba Isshin served as a Captain, he was now the head of the branch family and temporarily managed the main family.
In reality, it just meant taking care of the few remaining members of the main family.
Regarding the arrival of Naraku Sora and the others, Shiba Isshin personally came out to welcome them.
Looking at his enthusiastic demeanor, it seemed he was treating Naraku Sora as a respected elder.
After a few pleasantries, a woman from the Shiba main family named Kūkaku opened the Kūkaku Cannon and released the transportation device inside.
With a loud boom, the Tenchūren shot into the sky and disappeared at the edge of their line of sight.