Liuyu remained silent.
But his heart beat a little faster when he heard the phrase "the Soul Reapers of Seireitei."
Ulquiorra had done better than he had expected.
Not only had he carried out the killing, he had also perfectly established a backstory of hostility between "Las Noches" and "Seireitei."
He had deftly cast "Uchiha Ryūha" as "a traitor to Seireitei who had also stolen the power of Las Noches."
Now all his unconventional powers had a "reasonable" explanation-they had been stolen or copied from those two fictitious factions.
As for his master, Zaraki Kenpachi?
Given the persona he had displayed in his battle with the Raikage that day, he could still belong to Liuyu's side.
And the pursuit by "Las Noches" had become a sword of Damocles hanging over him and the entire shinobi world, ready to fall at any moment.
Perfect.
"Lord Hokage... is afraid." Hatake Sakumo closed his eyes.
"He's not just afraid of the existence of 'Las Noches.' He's even more afraid of you, Liuyu.
"He can't understand where your power comes from. He can't control you, and you have an inexplicable connection to that terrifying being.
"Danzo's death, Root's destruction-all of it needs an explanation. It needs someone... to take responsibility."
He opened his eyes and looked at Liuyu, his gaze bloodshot.
"You can't go back, Liuyu.
"Even if you do, what awaits you won't be questioning or an investigation. It'll be... execution.
"The higher-ups have reached an agreement. To stabilize the village, to answer for the dead shinobi, and above all... to eliminate you, this 'uncontrollable threat.'"
Hatake Sakumo took another document from inside his clothing.
He slowly unfolded it.
It was a wanted poster.
The paper was pristine, the ink still wet. It had clearly just been made.
At the top of the