Target: Hueco Mundo!

In that instant, even Chōjirō Sasakibe, who had served as Vice-Captain for a thousand years, could not help but feel a measure of fear welling up from the depths of his heart toward Aizen Sōsuke, that man whom no one seemed able to see through.

Everything seemed to be under his control...

After deliberately creating such a situation, could the Thirteen Divisions truly still stop Aizen Sōsuke?

"Chōjirō."

"Yes!"

"Relay my orders to the Twelfth Division. Begin preparations under the contingency plan immediately. Gather all Soul Reapers of seated officer rank and above from the Thirteen Divisions, ready to face the coming decisive battle at any time."

"Yes!"

As Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, forced to tacitly permit Unohana Retsu and the other captains' plan to head to Hueco Mundo with neither support nor opposition, began gathering the Thirteen Divisions' remaining combat strength—

Within the underground space beneath Urahara Shoten in Karakura Town, Urahara Kisuke used a special technique to open a Garganta leading to Hueco Mundo.

Besides Unohana Retsu, Soi Fon, Matsumoto Rangiku, and Ise Nanao, Kurosaki Ichigo, Uryu Ishida, Chad Yasutora, and Inoue Orihime were also asking Chiba Makoto to let them go to Hueco Mundo as well.

That put Chiba Makoto in a difficult position instead.

Chiba Makoto had originally used this excuse only to screen out those Soul Reapers within the Thirteen Divisions who would unquestionably stand on the same side as him.

But if Ichigo and the others were added as well, the entire group would become exceptionally bloated and large.

More importantly, with Aizen Sōsuke's objective still unclear, even Chiba Makoto could not predict what might happen, nor could he guarantee that he would be able to look after everyone at all times.

"Ichigo, Uryu, Yasutora, and Orihime, all of you should stay in Karakura