"Teacher! Old Man! Head Captain!"
Hearing this vigorous shouting, Chōjirō Sasakibe's eye twitched as he watered the flowers, slowly suppressing his rising blood pressure.
He didn't even need to look; it was definitely Naraku Sora.
Chōjirō shook his head, refocused on the flower bed, and pointed in the general direction of the tea room. "Genryūsai-sama is over there."
Inside the room, Yamamoto was quietly flipping through a scroll, completely ignoring the commotion in the courtyard.
The Seireitei had been in a state of constant unrest over the past two days.
First, Soul Reapers from the 1st Division were attacked without provocation, and then a large-scale Zanpakutō rebellion broke out. Although his rebellious disciple insisted it was the work of the Tsunayashiro family, the lack of key evidence and their sensitive status made it impossible to move against them.
Furthermore, Chōjirō had recently reported another disaster.
Arturo, who had been sealed beneath the Hill of Sōkyoku, had escaped.
When he first heard the news, Yamamoto was momentarily stunned. He had to think for a long time before he could even recall who Arturo was. It wasn't until Chōjirō reminded him several times that he finally remembered.
It was the Unfading King who once claimed to be the ruler of Hueco Mundo.
Two thousand years ago, Arturo had indeed come close to ruling the Soul Society. If Yamamoto had not led the Soul Reapers in a fierce counterattack at the critical moment, the outcome would have been uncertain. Considering that Arturo could devour the spiritual pressure of those he defeated, Yamamoto couldn't help but take him more seriously.
He was indeed dangerous. Allowing him to grow further would undoubtedly pose a threat to the Soul Society once again.
Thinking of this, a trace of anger flickered in Yamamoto's heart.
He worked so diligently, fulfilling his duties with almost no rest or holidays. For what? Was it not for a stable and peaceful order? Yet there were always insects who, for their own selfish desires, threw the Seireitei and the entire Soul Society into chaos.
However, Arturo's escape confirmed one thing: the framing of Kuchiki Kōga and the inciting of the Zanpakutō rebellion were definitely the work of the Tsunayashiro family. Even if other nobles knew Arturo was sealed beneath the Hill of Sōkyoku, they lacked the ability to break the seal without alerting anyone. Only the Tsunayashiro family, who controlled the Great Spirit Book Gallery, could do it so easily.
The logic of the situation was simple.
First, frame Kuchiki Kōga to severely damage the Kuchiki family's reputation. Then, while the Gotei 13 was occupied with the Zanpakutō rebellion and unable to guard the Hill of Sōkyoku, unseal Arturo.
Though the plan was simple, simpler plans were less likely to fail. Moreover, if Naraku Sora hadn't informed him in advance, no one would have guessed that the Tsunayashiro family possessed an ancestral heirloom capable of copying the powers of other Zanpakutō.
One could say that without that kid, Tsunayashiro's plan would have succeeded.
According to intelligence from the Inner Court Squad yesterday, a terrifying Captain-level spiritual pressure erupted at the Tsunayashiro estate. The head of the house, Tsunayashiro Taketori, first fought an unknown entity and was later attacked by a maddened Kuchiki Kōga.
Two consecutive high-intensity battles had leveled the massive estate. Now, the Tsunayashiro clan had relocated to the Moriyama estate.
It was worth noting that the Moriyama family had been discovered entirely wiped out recently, leaving not even a trace of spirit particles behind—only ruins remained of their courtyard in the Ryukongai.
Yamamoto shook his head. Indeed, nothing good ever came to those who associated with the Tsunayashiro.
"Teacher!"
Naraku Sora slid the wooden door open, leaped inside, and sat directly across the tea table.
"Hmph."
Yamamoto nodded slightly and brought a cup of tea to his lips, showing no intention of entertaining Sora. Even though this brat had seen through the Tsunayashiro plot and made them pay a price, Yamamoto knew he couldn't praise him now. If he did, Sora's ego would likely float all the way to the heavens.
However, Sora simply grinned and pulled a blade from his pocket, slamming it onto the table.
"This is the treasure passed down for a million years by the Tsunayashiro family. The legendary blade that can copy the power of other Zanpakutō—"
"Enrakyōten!"
Pfft!
Yamamoto nearly sprayed his mouthful of tea across the room.
Having maxed out his evasion and predicted the reaction, Sora dodged the spray and looked at the old man with a strange expression. "Teacher, what are you doing?"
Yamamoto wiped the tea from his beard, his face looking rather peculiar. "Did you cause all that chaos just to go to the Tsunayashiro house and steal a sword?"
Hearing this, Sora grinned. "Look at what you're saying. Do I look like an unintelligent person?"
"Enrakyōten was just a bonus, a way to prove that I wasn't making things up. The real goal was to trigger an internal crisis within the Tsunayashiro family. Once things spiral out of their control, they'll panic from within and collapse on their own."
Yamamoto looked at him with some surprise. He hadn't expected his reckless disciple to say something so insightful.
"Actually, I'm more curious about how you managed to steal Enrakyōten under the Tsunayashiro's heavy guard."
"How can an educated man's actions be called stealing?"
Naraku Sora looked righteous. "I found this on the road. It has nothing to do with the Tsunayashiro family."
He then proceeded to give a detailed, albeit embellished, account of his actions with Kuchiki Kōga in the Noble District.
"After a heart-to-heart persuasion on my part, Enrakyōten finally chose to yield and reverted to its original form. That's why I brought it to you."
Yamamoto's expression became even more bizarre. In a certain sense, Naraku Sora's actions hadn't violated any specific laws of the Soul Society.
'Is this boy allergic to the rules?'
Yamamoto picked up the Zanpakutō and examined it closely. A faint voice seemed to echo in the depths of his soul.
"It is indeed Enrakyōten."
He put the sword back down calmly. "The loss of a Zanpakutō passed down for a million years will surely make Tsunayashiro Taketori lose his composure. The events at his estate cannot be hidden from the other nobles. As long as Kuchiki Ginrei isn't a fool, the Kuchiki family's counterattack will begin soon."
"Be careful during this time. I worry that old fox Taketori might do something desperate."
Perhaps influenced by Sora's habit, Yamamoto no longer bothered to watch his phrasing when mentioning the Tsunayashiro.
As he set his teacup down, Yamamoto suddenly remembered something. "By the way, the Zanpakutō rebellion in the 13th Division hasn't been resolved yet. If you have time, go help them."
"It's still not settled?"
Yamamoto nodded. "Jūshirō's health is poor, and his personality is too gentle. As a result, his Zanpakutō has yet to yield."
Naraku Sora grew thoughtful. He knew exactly why Ukitake Jūshirō was in poor health. Because of a serious illness in his youth, his parents had prayed at an ancient shrine, and a legendary indigenous deity had answered.
The deity had used its power to keep Ukitake's illness in a state of "stasis," which was the primary cause of his weakness. That deity was Mimihagi, the legendary Right Arm of the Soul King, who governed the authority of "stillness."
While Ukitake usually looked sickly, he was actually quite powerful. In a moment of true crisis, he could unleash power that was no less dangerous than Yamamoto's.
"Sure thing, leave it to me!"
Sora pounded his chest in agreement. After multiple battles with materialized Zanpakutō, he had accumulated a wealth of experience. A mere Sōgyo no Kotowari would be no trouble at all.
13th Division, Ugentsū.
Ukitake Jūshirō looked at the two children jumping around the room with a massive headache. Unlike other materialized Zanpakutō, his Sōgyo no Kotowari had turned into two mischievous children after its rebellion.
Perhaps because of its own nature, it hadn't caused any major destruction, but it was still keeping the entire barracks in a state of chaos.
"Alright, stop messing around, Sōgyo no Kotowari. I still have scrolls to process."
Ukitake sat on the floor, looking troubled, as the two blue-clad children laughed and circled him.
"No way! You can let Sentarō handle that."
"Exactly! Your job right now is to play with us."
Just then, a voice suddenly appeared behind the two of them.
"How about I play with you instead?"
The twins turned around to see a face wearing a very "kind" smile.
Noble District, Moriyama Estate.
In a newly constructed secret basement.
The white-haired Tsunayashiro Taketori stared intently at a cylindrical container. Inside, countless gas-like strands swirled around, emitting a faint glow like a cluster of stars.
"Just a little bit more."
"The Ancestor was far too merciful back then, exiling the power that should have belonged to the Tsunayashiro into the three worlds. It has forced us descendants to spend thousands of years trying to reclaim it."
Gosuke stood respectfully to the side, his eyes downcast, remaining silent.
"But we are running out of time."
Taketori turned his gaze, his low voice echoing in the room. "Gosuke, let our people begin."
Hearing this, Gosuke bowed and immediately walked out of the room. He bit his finger and drew a Kido array in the air, chanting under his breath.
"Black and white net. Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowns and belts. Footprints, distant thunder, sharp peak, receding land, night lurking, sea of clouds, blue line. Form a circle and fly through the heavens!"
"Bakudo #77: Tenteikūra!"
A massive spiritual pressure transformed into a web, spreading out instantly. It pierced through the walls at a speed imperceptible to the eye and flew toward the sky.
A moment later, a response came back. It was just two simple words: "Received."
Meanwhile, at the 1st Division barracks.
Yamamoto, who was processing scrolls, suddenly sensed a wisp of spiritual pressure enter his perception. He looked up just as an Inner Court Squad member, dressed in black, walked in. The member knelt on one knee and said respectfully, "Head Captain, Central 46 has called an emergency meeting. Please attend!"
Hearing this, Yamamoto narrowed his eyes slightly.