"Ah, ah, Captain-Commander Yamamoto, I'm surprised as well."
Faced with Captain-Commander Yamamoto's question, Gin Ichimaru narrowed his eyes and spoke unhurriedly.
"You should know that, in order to deal with that Ryoka, I had already released my Zanpakuto. But I never expected those Ryoka to be so cunning..."
"We had only exchanged one move when they immediately withdrew from the Byakudōmon. At the time, the Seireitei's spirit walls descended, sealing off the gates between the Seireitei and the Rukon District. That was how they escaped."
Ichigo Kurosaki and the others had only just entered Soul Society and defeated Jidanbō, the guard of the Byakudōmon, when they encountered Gin Ichimaru. Naturally, that was no coincidence.
The Seireitei was completely surrounded by walls forged from "Killer Stone." The "Soul-Shield Membrane" formed by those walls was something even the Hollows of Hueco Mundo could not locate.
Only through the registered Senkaimon within the Seireitei could one travel directly between the Human World and Soul Society from inside the Seireitei.
After sensing the aura of the half of the "Hogyoku" within Shino Madarame, Aizen Sosuke knew this would be his second confrontation with Urahara Kisuke.
Urahara Kisuke had sent a Soul Reaper connected to Ailin, the captain of the Eleventh Division, to challenge him.
Both sides had to accomplish their goals without provoking Captain Ailin.
Aizen's goal was to obtain the Hogyoku.
Urahara Kisuke's goal, meanwhile, was to make Aizen reveal his true face and deal with him in this confrontation.
Therefore, Aizen guessed that Urahara Kisuke definitely had other contingencies in place.
There were only four entrances between the Seireitei and the Rukon District.
The Byakudōmon, Seiryūmon, Shubamon, and Kokuryōmon.
These four gates had always been guarded by the Seireitei's champions.
Jidanbō guarded the Byakudōmon, Ikkaku guarded the Seiryūmon, Danzōmaru guarded the Shubamon,