"It seems I have been sealed for too long; the long passage of time has erased every trace I left in the Soul Society."
Arturo Plateado slowly stretched his stiff body, the sound of firecrackers popping echoing from his joints as the Reishi drifting in the atmosphere gathered toward him like a siphon.
Gosuke could clearly hear the sound of flesh and blood knitting back together.
"As my juniors, you simply don't understand my true strength."
Arturo Plateado was like a parched sponge; as he absorbed the Reishi from the air, his thin, withered frame filled out, and his spiritual pressure grew increasingly powerful.
"If multiple Soul Reapers hadn't joined forces to ambush me and set a trap, it would have been impossible for me to lose.
"I was just a step away from ruling the Soul Society."
His yellow pupils stared straight at Gosuke, as if looking at a choice piece of pastry.
"Since Lord Arturo is so confident, why don't you follow me?"
Gosuke lowered his eyes, seemingly adopting a humbler stance before the other man, but his words didn't yield an inch.
"I am curious to see if a Vasto Lorde who nearly conquered the Soul Society two thousand years ago will still be...
"Boasting quite so loudly when he sees that terrifying existence."
Arturo Plateado narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the unassuming man before him.
Judging solely by the spiritual pressure within him, the man didn't seem strong, but where did this inexplicable confidence come from?
Could it be that during the time he was sealed, the Soul Society had undergone some incomprehensible transformation?
Arturo Plateado donned the cloak Gosuke had thrown to him. After cautiously using his abilities to inspect it, he draped it over his lean frame.
Although he had only been free for a short time, his High-Speed Regeneration and ability to absorb Reishi had already allowed him to recover most of his strength.
The two left the dark cave one after the other, officially arriving at the base of Sokyoku Hill.
Arturo Plateado stood on the grass, arms spread wide, quietly savoring the scent of freedom.
Regaining his liberty after two thousand years, he finally saw the blue sky, the green grass, and the soil again. He felt the breeze on his face and the pleasant warmth of the sun—alongside a doomsday scene that looked like a volcanic eruption.
The expression on Arturo Plateado's face froze. He widened his eyes to stare at the edge of the Seireitei, a flash of disbelief crossing his gaze.
What was that?!
A pillar of fire reached into the sky, surging with overwhelming heat waves that dyed a corner of the heavens crimson, as if a sea of fire were hanging upside down and pressing toward the earth.
The heat rolled over them and the ground trembled, feeling like the arrival of a true apocalypse.
Even across a distance of several thousand kilometers, one could still clearly sense the heat and dryness permeating the atmosphere.
"That is the power of the current Head Captain of the Gotei 13, the culprit who sealed Lord Arturo, and the strongest Soul Reaper currently in the Soul Society...
"Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni."
Seemingly sensing Arturo Plateado's thoughts, Gosuke gazed at the reddened sky and explained with a touch of emotion.
Arturo Plateado's pupils shrank; he could hardly believe his ears.
The fellow who had nearly lost to him two thousand years ago had actually become this absurdly powerful?
Sensing carefully, the heat filling the air did indeed share the same signature as the Yamamoto from back then.
However, compared to two thousand years ago, the current Yamamoto was likely over a hundred times stronger.
Arturo Plateado took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing the hatred in his heart.
The plan for revenge would have to be postponed.
If he went up against such a ridiculous monster now, he would only end up in a worse state than he did back then.
He would follow his heart's better judgment.
"Lord Arturo should be able to understand my previous words now, correct?"
Gosuke said calmly, "Compared to your era, the current Soul Society is filled with masters. A single moment of carelessness could lead to your downfall."
Arturo Plateado remained silent.
"Before you seek revenge against Head Captain Yamamoto, focus on recovering your original power.
"A two-thousand-year seal has not only drained your body; even your soul must have been eroded, hasn't it?"
Gosuke spoke casually, as if stating something insignificant.
However, from the slight change in Arturo Plateado's expression, the truth of those words was evident.
"At the very least, our goals are aligned.
"Let's go. Don't keep the master waiting too long."
Gosuke strode over the gravel on the ground, heading in the opposite direction of the sky-piercing pillar of fire.
Arturo Plateado watched his departing back, a subtle light flashing in his eyes. He suppressed his complex emotions, thought for a few seconds, and followed.
In this terrifying and unknown era, even the former King of Hueco Mundo needed to huddle with others for warmth.
Shortly after the two left, the shadows under the nearby trees rippled like silk. A faint light from Kidō flickered, and a black-clad figure slowly emerged.
Behind plain lenses, eyes as calm as still water watched the figures disappearing into the distance, a look of contemplation flashing within.
"An existence that was never recorded. It seems I need to check the confidential archives in the barracks.
"Fortunately, Shinji Hirako was beaten badly enough by that guy. Otherwise, accessing documents with such high security clearances would have been quite troublesome."
Yamamoto's expression was grave to the extreme.
"Boy, watch your words.
"If I find that you are lying, it will be more than just swinging your sword a million times under a waterfall."
Naraku Sora patted his chest and said confidently, "Teacher, do I look like the type of person who would deceive my elders?"
"Yes."
Brief and blunt, he spoke his mind directly.
After a few seconds of silence, Naraku Sora sighed helplessly and explained, "You always have too many misunderstandings about me. In fact, I am a very honest person."
Yamamoto ignored the nonsense and urged in a deep voice, "Enough. Tell me exactly what is going on. What do you actually know?"
Naraku Sora gathered his thoughts and said seriously, "The name of that blade is Enrakyōten.
"It is an heirloom of the Tsunayashiro family, one of the Five Noble Houses. It is the oldest Zanpakutō in the history of the Soul Society, with origins that can be traced back to the founding period of this world."
Yamamoto frowned slightly.
Although it sounded somewhat absurd, it was surprisingly credible.
As an ancient noble family that had endured for a million years, it was perfectly normal for the Tsunayashiro family to possess things that ordinary Soul Reapers had never heard of or could even imagine.
The question was, where did this boy get such secret information?
As if sensing Yamamoto's thoughts, Naraku Sora pointed at the specially made Shihakushō he was wearing.
During the battle just now, the garment had been nearly half-burned away by the intense heat, but as his spiritual pressure recovered, it had grown back.
It was as if it were a living thing.
"Is it Shutara Senjumaru?"
Yamamoto's expression shifted to one of realization.
This made it much more reasonable.
As a candidate for the Zero Division, Shutara Senjumaru could take the Tenbashuri to the Soul King Palace at any time. If she hadn't been delayed by some of her research, she might have left the Soul Society years ago.
Naraku Sora was like a miracle that had fallen from the sky; no one knew exactly what had attracted that woman to him so intensely.
She wouldn't even allow him to be transferred out of the Shino Prison.
She had visited the Soul King Palace and knew secrets unknown to commoners, which made perfect sense. If Naraku Sora learned of Enrakyōten's existence from her, there was no issue.
The analysis was perfectly logical.
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes, choosing not to delve deeper into the matter.
Based on his recent tutelage of Naraku Sora and his thousands of years of teaching experience, he could distinguish whether a person was being honest.
Although this boy was a bit mischievous, he wouldn't lie about something like this.
Yamamoto gave Naraku Sora a deep look and frowned. "Even if everything you say is true, it doesn't prove that the Tsunayashiro family is behind this.
"Kuchiki Kōga still hasn't cleared his suspicion.
"If I encounter him again, I will still carry out the orders in the secret decree."
Naraku Sora nodded, not denying that point.
"Furthermore, as one of the Five Noble Houses, even with ironclad evidence, it is very difficult to convict the Tsunayashiro family.
"They could simply pin the matter on anyone they choose and then use their authority to fish them out of the prison. They wouldn't even serve a single day."
As someone who frequently dealt with the Central 46, no one knew the nature of those nobles better than Yamamoto.
The Tsunayashiro family was undoubtedly the worst among them.
This was exactly why Yamamoto had such a poor opinion of them.
Relying on their noble power, they acted willfully within the Soul Society, despising Soul Reapers and treating the law as if it were nothing.
Hearing this, Naraku Sora grinned, full of confidence.
"That's why, Teacher, I have a plan!"
Yamamoto shot him a sidelong glance and snorted disdainfully. "You have a plan?"
Naraku Sora was indignant, seriously suspecting the old man was targeting him because of the acting they'd just done. If he'd known, he would have fired off a few more Hadō spells.
This plan was actually his own idea and didn't have much to do with Aizen.
Aizen wasn't aware that the Tsunayashiro family possessed a blade like Enrakyōten capable of copying other Zanpakutō abilities, so his subjective judgment was slightly off.
Aizen's thought was that the enemy had used some illusion or soul-based method to manipulate and influence Kuchiki Kōga, thereby triggering this Zanpakutō rebellion.
In that case, the top priority was to find Kuchiki Kōga and find a way to lift the negative effects on him.
If Yamamoto got there first and solved the problem ahead of time...
The rebellion might end, but one of the Tsunayashiro family's goals would be achieved.
Once Kuchiki Kōga died, the Kuchiki family's voice in the Gold Seal Council would be weakened.
In turn, the Tsunayashiro family's power would grow even greater until there was no one left to check them. In the near future, the Soul Society would truly become a place where only their voice was heard.
Therefore, regardless of what came next, the most important thing now was to save Kuchiki Kōga.
Fortunately, Yamamoto wasn't just a blockhead with muscles for brains.
As soon as the Zanpakutō rebellion began, he had sensed something was wrong. He had closed off his mind in advance and deliberately went easy on Kuchiki Kōga, waiting for Naraku Sora to appear.
"Teacher, my idea is actually very simple," Naraku Sora said seriously under Yamamoto's skeptical gaze.
"Since the Tsunayashiro family wants to muddy the waters of the Soul Society, we'll let them have their wish.
"We'll use this momentum to make an even bigger scene—so big that all those nobles won't be able to sit still. When people get chaotic, they panic, and when they panic, they make big mistakes."
Surprise appeared in Yamamoto's narrowed eyes.
"I understand what you mean.
"But the unrest must stay within controllable limits. The moment it becomes uncontrollable, I will step in personally."
Before the plan was executed, he had to set limits for the boy.
Otherwise, given Naraku Sora's audacious personality, he might just charge directly into the Tsunayashiro manor.
Naraku Sora nodded very seriously and accepted the conditions.
"However, I'll have to trouble you to suffer a little bit."
"?"
That evening, Yamamoto returned to the barracks carrying a visible rage, his scorching spiritual pressure nearly melting the buildings.
Word quickly spread through the barracks that the Head Captain had personally taken action, yet the culprit, Kuchiki Kōga, had managed to escape.
Inside the office.
Chōjirō Sasakibe calmly drafted the arrest warrant, preparing to issue it to the other squads.
"Chōjirō, do you think that boy's plan is reliable?"
Yamamoto held a cup of steaming tea, his long eyebrows knitted together until they nearly formed a single line.
Hearing this, Chōjirō Sasakibe instinctively recalled the encounter in the First Squad barracks. At the critical moment, Naraku Sora had descended like a god of war and shattered Gonryōmaru with a single punch.
From every angle, that scene had looked remarkably like Yamamoto himself.
He thought for a moment and shook his head. "Lord Genryūsai, although Master Naraku usually appears somewhat improper, he is quite reliable at critical moments."
Yamamoto nodded and looked out the window, gazing at the star-filled sky as a trace of melancholy rose in his heart.
Naraku Sora hadn't been able to find Kuchiki Kōga immediately. The man's mastery of Kidō was somewhat ridiculous; he had even erased the remaining traces of his Reishi.
Since the search yielded no results, Naraku Sora decided to borrow a little outside help.
"Sōsuke!"
The moment Naraku Sora stepped into Aizen's private room, he saw a grave face.
Before he could even speak, Aizen said solemnly, "Sora, things have become difficult."
Naraku Sora froze slightly.
"This afternoon, while you were heading to the First Squad, I went to the Noble District and happened to see the Captain of the Eleventh Squad, Gosuke Kenpachi, walking out from the deepest area.
"Out of curiosity, I followed him all the way to the vicinity of Sokyoku Hill."
Aizen then recounted the scenes he had witnessed that afternoon.
"After returning to the barracks, I immediately went to the archives to investigate.
"Finally, I found relevant information in a dossier with the highest security clearance."
Under Naraku Sora's curious gaze, Aizen said word for word, "The sealed individual is the former King of Hueco Mundo, Arturo Plateado—a Vasto Lorde who achieved the feat of becoming an Arrancar on his own!"