To visit the organization's hideout, Nemu Kurotsuchi, a Shinigami lieutenant, couldn't remain conscious.
Shiraishi controlled his strength and knocked her out with a chop to the neck, then chose to carry her on his back.
It wasn't obvious from her appearance, but she was very well endowed. Judging by what he felt against his back, she was at least a 36D.
Her thighs were fleshy but not fat, smooth but not greasy.
Her head rested on his shoulder, and even viewing her sleeping face up close, he couldn't find a single flaw.
"So you really do like young girls," Kichō muttered. She turned and headed back into the tea shop. "Follow me."
Shiraishi followed with Nemu Kurotsuchi on his back.
Kichō entered her bedchamber, pulled a book from the shelf, pushed it back in, then pulled it out and pushed it back in again. After she repeated this three times, an opening appeared in the floor.
A dark blue-green stone slab was revealed.
Kichō stepped onto it and beckoned. "Come over here."
Curious, Shiraishi stepped onto it.
She stamped her foot, and the dark blue-green slab rapidly descended. Darkness filled their view, and the floor closed above them.
A little while later, after they had descended an unknown number of meters, a passage came into view. Its walls and floor were a cold blue-green.
"So your hideout is underground."
"Mm. It's not very convenient to operate on the surface, and if we run into Hollows, we have to deal with fighting them. It's more peaceful underground."
Kichō explained as she walked. She left the passage and entered a wider, taller main corridor, then pressed a button on the wall.
With a rumble, earth swallowed the passage behind them, and she turned left.
The main corridor ran straight ahead, with other branching passages joining it from time to time.
Shiraishi looked around. He wasn't interested in the rebel organization, but he liked this secretive way of doing things. It gave him the mysterious feeling of being a secret agent in a movie.
At the end of the main corridor was a spacious area, at least dozens of meters high and some two or three hundred meters across, with an unchanging blue sky and white clouds overhead.
A highly conspicuous hot spring waterfall stood in the center, its rushing water roaring.
Green grass surrounded the waterfall, dotted with nameless wildflowers. Some were red, some white, and some green, their colors looking especially vivid.
A flagstone path led all the way to the hot spring where the waterfall came down.
Kichō led the way.
Shiraishi followed, his gaze fixed on the waterfall. He could sense a fiercely volatile, destructive Reiatsu coming from within it.
As he drew closer, he made out a figure beneath the waterfall. Was someone training?
"This is the leader of our Owari Group, Oda Nobunaga."
Kichō turned slightly to explain to him.
Shiraishi didn't actually know much about Japanese history. He only knew the names of a few famous historical figures from anime and games.
Within the narrow limits of his knowledge, the name Oda Nobunaga definitely had a place.
It had all started with The Ambition of Oda Nobuna.
When he watched it, the screen was full of comments about Oda Nobunaga being turned into a girl. Curious, he had looked him up and learned about his life.
Oda Nobunaga had originally been the daimyō of Owari Province. He had made his name at the Battle of Okehazama, defeating Imagawa Yoshimoto despite being outnumbered and earning great fame.
Later, by supporting Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the last shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, he had seized the opportunity to march on Kyoto and gradually gain control of the city. He had then formally proclaimed his policy of unifying the realm by force, setting his sights on bringing all of Japan under his rule.
He had twice broken through the encirclements formed against him, defeated the hostile daimyō one by one, and gained control of more than half of Japan's territory.
In the end, just as he was about to unite the realm, a subordinate had rebelled, and he had died in the famous Honnō-ji Incident.
Some people online even compared him to Cao Cao.
Shiraishi had never imagined he would get to see the real man with his own eyes. Excited, he said, "This is my first time meeting a famous historical figure. Can I see what you look like?"
A hand reached out from the waterfall, so covered in burn scars that it was almost unrecognizable as a human hand. An extremely hoarse voice came through the water. "As you can see, my body was burned by flames. The scorching heat burns me constantly, and only by staying in the hot spring can I ease the pain a little."
"Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto."
The moment Shiraishi saw the hand, he knew who had caused it.
"You guessed right. I was young and rash back then. I tried to assassinate Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and take the realm, but he left me in this wretched state instead. For three hundred whole years, I haven't left the waterfall."
Oda Nobunaga spoke of the past without hatred or anger. His voice was calm, as though he were describing a disaster that had happened to someone else.
"Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto is a monster beyond anything I imagined."
"Even knowing that, you still refuse to give up challenging him."
"There is no greater joy in life than defeating a powerful enemy."
Oda Nobunaga's hoarse voice carried a deep joy. He only had to imagine defeating Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto for the pain in his body to become insignificant.
Or rather, the only thought that had allowed him to endure such extreme pain was defeating Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
Otherwise, how could he have endured three hundred years of being burned by scorching heat, forced to remain beneath the waterfall without ever seeing the light of day?
Shiraishi couldn't help asking, "You sound so sure of yourself. You must have a way to heal your burns, right?"
"All I need now is a rare snow lotus as a medicinal catalyst. Then I can make a cooling medicine to drive out the scorching heat."
Oda Nobunaga answered truthfully. "I need your help to obtain the snow lotus."
Shiraishi ventured a guess. "Does it have something to do with the job that'll make me rich?"
"Yes. I received word that the snow lotus is with this tax-collection party."
As Oda Nobunaga brought it up, a trace of emotion inevitably entered his voice, and he began to explain in detail. "At the end of every month, the districts of Rukongai pay that month's taxes to the Central 46 Chambers. Seated officers of the 11th Division escort them to Seireitei.
"For safety's sake, many noble-owned businesses mix treasures intended for the nobles in with the taxes and send them to Seireitei together."
"Our target is the tax-collection party at the end of May. We'll ambush them in West District 15. You get the money, and we want the snow lotus."
Such generous terms left Shiraishi feeling a little uneasy. "You don't want a single coin, just the snow lotus?"
"To me, it's priceless. Nothing can go wrong."
Oda Nobunaga had had enough of staying in this wretched place and enough of the scorching heat that tormented him and kept him from sleeping day and night. He couldn't wait to be rid of it and get a good night's sleep.
Shiraishi nodded firmly. "All right. Since you're willing to pay so much, I'll definitely help you bring the snow lotus back."
"I believe you can, cough, cough."
Oda Nobunaga broke into a coughing fit before he could finish. The scorching heat left by Ryūjin Jakka seemed ready to evaporate all the moisture in his body, leaving him unable even to speak for long.
"Lord Nobunaga, you should rest."
Kichō hurriedly urged him.
"Cough, cough. Sorry." Oda Nobunaga tilted his head back and drank large mouthfuls of hot spring water to combat the scorching heat that filled his body.
Shiraishi said considerately, "It's fine. Focus on recovering from your injuries. I'm tired too, so sorry for the trouble, but could you arrange somewhere for me to rest?"