Naraku Sora swept his hand, dispelling his Shikai. Looking at the Reishi that was gradually collapsing and dispersing on the ground, he expressed his disdain indifferently: "Just mediocre stuff."
Since they were in the state of sword spirits, even crushing them directly would not have any serious impact. At most, they would just need to spend some time to repair themselves. As for whether it would leave any psychological trauma, Naraku Sora did not know. He was only responsible for correcting these disobedient fellows.
Sasakibe Chōjirō stood silent. He wanted to take back his previous thought; this guy was nothing like Lord Genryūsai. Although that punch hadn't landed on his own body, it was enough to make one's scalp tingle.
Sasakibe Chōjirō clearly remembered the first time Naraku Sora came to the Squad 1 barracks. Back then, he gave off a harmless feeling. Although he was somewhat blunt in his speech, it was precisely that unmasked directness that made the Head Captain favor him.
But how long had it been? For the long life of a Soul Reaper, a few months was truly nothing. Yet the straightforward youth from back then had now turned into this heart-trembling figure. So, what exactly was the reason? Sasakibe Chōjirō couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
Meanwhile, after dealing with Gonryōmaru, Naraku Sora simply charged into the other battlefields within the barracks. Like a runaway dump truck, he violently resolved all the rebelling Zanpakutō. With every rise and fall of his blade, a pile of Reishi fragments followed.
By the end of it, the Zanpakutō spirits were filled with terror. They proactively sought out their Soul Reapers, surrendering on the spot. Compared to being cleaved in two or blown apart by a punch, surrendering voluntarily was a more dignified option.
Naraku Sora's powerful performance undoubtedly earned the unanimous respect of the Soul Reapers present. Although in terms of seniority, these elite members were seniors, their strength was no longer on the same level. Zanpakutō spirits they couldn't take down despite using all their skills couldn't last a single round in Naraku Sora's hands; even his aftershocks were enough to make them crumble. Such a stunning performance left people unable to harbor even a hint of jealousy.
Watching that departing back, the squad members instinctively offered gazes full of admiration.
"Lord Chōjirō, where does Teacher usually spawn?"
By the time Naraku Sora returned, the flames of war in Squad 1 had been completely extinguished, and Sasakibe Chōjirō had stopped his musings. However, hearing this question, Sasakibe Chōjirō felt his blood pressure rise slightly.
"Lord Naraku, please mind your words. Lord Genryūsai usually stays in his private office to handle official business, sips tea in the tea room during his leisure time, and occasionally trains in the dojo. Before the anomaly appeared today, Lord Genryūsai should have been in his office."
Naraku Sora gave an "oh" and then used Flash Step to head toward the office. He had been to the Squad 1 barracks countless times; he could navigate it with his eyes closed. In the blink of an eye, Naraku Sora appeared in the office.
Unsurprisingly, that familiar bald head was not inside. There were no signs of fighting in the room; even the scrolls and documents were organized perfectly and placed neatly on the corresponding shelves. Yamamoto did not seem to have been affected by this inexplicable disaster.
Subsequently, Naraku Sora checked several other places where the old man might spawn, all to no avail. His figure constantly flickered through the ruins, and many squad members once again cast admiring glances at him. Even after resolving the crisis, he refused to rest and continued to serve the Seireitei diligently. 'This is the goal we should all strive for.'
Finally, Naraku Sora made a trip to the Squad 1 barracks prison. This time, there was a different discovery.
Kuchiki Kōga had disappeared.
A huge hole had been blasted through the prison wall, and the bricks at the edges showed signs of melting, looking like rubber scorched by fire.
'This is bad. Teacher wouldn't think Kōga did all this, would he?'
Naraku Sora's expression changed slightly, and he immediately used Flash Step to burst out of the prison. However, when he reached the main road, he happened to run into Sasakibe Chōjirō, who was frowning deeply. Just as Naraku Sora was about to step forward and ask for some details he might have missed, a commotion suddenly came from the distant sky.
A terrifying Reiatsu, like the falling heavens, surged into the sky, instantly covering a massive area of several kilometers. A terrifying, surging tide swept out from there. Vaguely, one could see the surrounding atmosphere trembling violently!
A trace of scorching heat diffused toward the barracks. The moisture in the air evaporated rapidly, making one's throat feel dry. Without a hint of hesitation, Naraku Sora stomped on the ground, his Flash Step exploding to the limit. He streaked across the main road like a meteor, rushing toward the direction the Reiatsu came from.
Before Sasakibe Chōjirō could open his mouth to stop him, his figure had already disappeared at the end of his vision.
In the borderlands of the Seireitei, upon the endless wilderness.
Kuchiki Kōga stared nervously at the aged figure opposite him. He looked like an unremarkable old man leaning on a cane, giving off an ordinary impression. But the scorching heat radiating from his body was suffocating.
Originally, he was staying quietly in the prison, without the slightest intention of jailbreaking. This was because he had deep trust in his father-in-law and the Head Captain, believing the two would return his innocence. However, after a few days had passed, a series of Reiatsu fluctuations that were both strange and slightly familiar suddenly erupted within the barracks, followed by earth-shattering cries of battle.
Just as he was about to ask the guard Soul Reapers, a figure radiating a terrifying aura suddenly appeared in the prison.
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
The old man looked displeased, as if something terrible had happened. His low voice echoed in the prison: "Kuchiki Kōga, I ask you, why did you instruct Muramasa to cause a rebellion within the Seireitei?"
Hearing these words, Kuchiki Kōga was stunned on the spot. What instruction? Where was the rebellion? Hasn't Muramasa been staying in the prison with me all along?
"It matters not if you do not answer." Firelight of gold and red seemed to flash through Yamamoto's eyes. "Just now, Central 46 has issued a secret order. Strip Kuchiki Kōga, Captain of the Squad 1 Special Forces, of all his spiritual power. His Zanpakutō, Muramasa, has been identified as the source of the rebellion and shall be destroyed along with him! This secret order shall be executed by me personally!"
Kuchiki Kōga's pupils shook violently, his face full of disbelief. He quickly spoke up in defense: "But Head Captain! I have been staying in the prison the entire time and haven't gone anywhere. These two guard seniors can also testify for me. As for Muramasa, he has never activated his ability from beginning to end; it's impossible for him to have caused a rebellion in the Seireitei."
Yamamoto's gaze lowered slightly. He raised his aged palm and pressed it against the prison bars. Amidst a scalp-tingling melting sound, the bars twisted like rubber and fell to both sides, clearing a wide entrance.
"At this point, whatever you say is useless. According to the secret order transmitted by the Internal Court Squad, nine squad districts in the Gotei 13 have broken out into Zanpakutō rebellions of varying degrees. In the understanding of Central 46, there are no two Zanpakutō with the same ability in the Soul Society. Therefore, they have determined that the culprit behind this serious incident is you, Kuchiki Kōga."
Upon hearing this, a look of despair surfaced on Kuchiki Kōga's face. As a Special Forces Captain who frequently dealt with Yamamoto, almost no one understood this old man's temperament better than him. If he had only angered Yamamoto, perhaps a lecture would have sufficed. But once Central 46 issued a relevant secret order—this old man, who had guarded the ancient order of the Soul Society for a thousand years, would reveal a suffocatingly ferocious might.
Although many in the squads called this pedantic, labeling him a stiff old man who only knew how to follow dead rules without flexibility, Kuchiki Kōga knew very well. It was precisely this thousand-year unchanging persistence that spared the Soul Society from many unnecessary conflicts and disasters.
However, what Kuchiki Kōga didn't expect was that one day he would actually see this side of Yamamoto directed at him.
"Head Captain, I—"
Kuchiki Kōga was still trying to explain, but a figure wearing a white robe suddenly appeared beside him. Without a single word of nonsense, the moment Muramasa appeared, he raised his right hand toward Yamamoto, and the "Whispering" ability activated instantly. Ripples formed by the convergence of Reiatsu quickly enveloped Yamamoto.
"Is this your Zanpakutō, Muramasa?" The old man lifted his eyelids, his scorching gaze falling upon the two figures. "It is indeed a very powerful ability. No wonder those people see it as a threat. But if this is the only level of strength you have, then I may have to disappoint you."
When the ripple-like light hit Yamamoto, Muramasa's expression changed abruptly. If a normal Soul Reaper's mental defense was a wooden door, then the mental defense of the old man in front of him was like a towering, majestic mountain. Although there might be an enhancement from a heart-closing secret technique, this gap was simply too absurd.
"Kōga, run!" Muramasa turned his head and used a backhand strike of sword pressure to shatter the wall. "I'll buy you some time."
Kuchiki Kōga glanced at Yamamoto, who was surrounded by scorching Reiatsu, and then at Muramasa, who was struggling to hold on. He bit his teeth and then used Flash Step to burst out through the broken hole. Muramasa, meanwhile, activated his ability with all his might, trying to buy more time.
However, just as Kuchiki Kōga's back disappeared from view, he suddenly showed a look of bewilderment. Under Yamamoto's gaze, the Muramasa in front of him shattered like an afterimage and abruptly vanished.
Seeing this, the old man snorted coldly: "Truly a straightforward fool, wasting my breath. If it were that Naraku kid, he would have probably escaped and gone on the run the moment he sensed my Reiatsu."
Yamamoto stood in place and sensed for a moment before performing a Flash Step to give chase. Not long after, he blocked Kuchiki Kōga in the wilderness at the edge of the Seireitei.
"Surrender, Kuchiki Kōga. You have nowhere left to run."
The old man leaned on his cane as if his legs were inconvenient, calmly looking at the nervous young man in front of him, letting out an imperceptible sigh. Sometimes, people with relatively extreme temperaments easily fall into a dead end. Compared to a certain guy who can quickly grasp one's intentions at a critical moment, Kuchiki Kōga was indeed lacking a bit. No wonder Kuchiki Ginrei was so strict in his requirements.
Staring at the calm old man opposite him and feeling that suffocating pressure, a thought instinctively surfaced in Kuchiki Kōga's mind. What would Naraku Sora do if he encountered this situation? Escaping was impossible; with his level of Flash Step, he probably couldn't even run out of Yamamoto's attack range. In that case, there seemed to be only one choice: to fight.
Thinking of this, Kuchiki Kōga's gaze gradually became firm. A low, raspy voice rang out on the wilderness: "At this point, I know that whatever I say is futile. But I will never admit to things I haven't done, even if the judgment is passed. I, Kuchiki Kōga, have never done anything to betray the Seireitei!"
He drew his blade. A purple pillar of light soared into the sky, stirring up gusts of wild wind. Yamamoto shook his head and sighed helplessly. Scorching Reiatsu surged out, and the surrounding air immediately became distorted. The atmosphere was filled with scorching heat, and moisture evaporated rapidly.
Muramasa appeared beside Kuchiki Kōga at the same time. Although his ability was ineffective against Yamamoto, in the Bankai state, a Soul Reaper's combat power increases by five to ten times. Increasing their chances of winning by even a little was still good.
But when Muramasa focused his attention on the old man, he keenly discovered that Yamamoto's attention did not seem to be on Kōga. As an illusion-type Zanpakutō, he was extremely sensitive to a Soul Reaper's mental fluctuations and could usually find loopholes in subtle places. In his perception, Yamamoto seemed to be frequently glancing toward the barracks, as if waiting for someone.
Muramasa found it strange. Yamamoto also seemed to notice Muramasa's perception. He immediately withdrew his thoughts and placed all his attention on the two figures in front of him.
"Since you persist in resisting, then endure my wrath."
Whoosh!
The white Captain's haori rose with the wind, fluttering as it caught on a distant stone peak. Yamamoto shed his inner Shishakushō top, revealing a body covered in scars. Scorching heat surged forth, like an about-to-erupt volcano. As his body stretched, the joints throughout his frame rubbed together, instantly emitting a terrifying sound like a tightening bowstring. Exaggerated muscles bulged slightly, highlighting the hideous scars. A terrifying pressure, like a collapsing mountain peak, followed.
Just as both sides were about to move, a voice suddenly came: "Hold on, Kōga! I'm coming to save you!"
Kuchiki Kōga turned back in shock, only to see a figure radiating a stunning aura, streaking across the wilderness like a meteorite, leaving a hideous trail on the grass. Muramasa noticed that the old man opposite seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when he detected this sudden Reiatsu. A look of thoughtfulness flashed in his eyes.
Naraku Sora turned into a meteor, crashing into their battlefield. Scorching heat surrounded his upright body, and high temperatures suddenly diffused. The old man and the youth were extremely similar in this regard; one could tell at a glance that they were of the same lineage.
"Teacher, give me some face. Let Kōga go first." Naraku Sora grinned. "I can prove the Zanpakutō rebellion has nothing to do with him."
Looking at that cheeky face, for some reason, Yamamoto's anger suddenly flared. The cane stuck in the ground immediately shed its outer shell, and the ancient-looking Zanpakutō appeared before the two.
"Central 46's secret order! No one's plea will work!"
The moment he gripped the hilt, a roar suddenly erupted. A terrifying pillar of fire rose from the earth, piercing the clouds. In an instant, it wiped away the clouds in the sky, dyeing the vault a deep crimson. It was like a sea of fire hanging upside down.
Despite the rolling heat waves, Naraku Sora still stared at Yamamoto's face. When he saw the slight lift of the old man's lips, he suddenly showed an enlightened expression and shouted loudly: "Yamamoto is old and frail, senile and incompetent, and has wrongly accused an innocent person. Today, I shall rebel against this fellow!"
As soon as he finished speaking, another pillar of fire surged into the sky, adding a few more degrees of scorching heat to that crimson expanse!