"Chirp chirp chirp..."
In the corridor of the First Division Barracks, countless birds chirped incessantly.
"..."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, a man known as the strongest Soul Reaper in a thousand years, stood quietly beside the birds, like a withered tree that had stood there for thousands of years, silently watching the birds' movements.
" Genryūsai."
Just as the birds were enjoying themselves, a dark shadow appeared behind Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai in an instant. The figure's posture and words were full of respect, a respect that came from the bottom of his heart.
"You've arrived, Chōjirō..."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai been keeping his eyes narrowed, appearing as kind and gentle as an old tree, slightly opened his eyes upon hearing the voice behind him. A chilling aura emanated from his open eyes.
"Chirp chirp chirp..."
The birds that had been freely munching on millet on the ground in the corridor only realized, the moment Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai opened his eyes, that what had been beside them was not a kind old tree, but a ferocious beast that could devour them at any moment!
The birds, filled with fear, screeched and flapped their wings, soaring high into the boundless blue sky, escaping the monstrous beast that could devour them at any moment.
"Well..."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai watched the birds flee at the slightest sound of wind and sighed helplessly. He lamented how quickly the quiet time always passed, giving him no chance to catch his breath. After the birds had all flown away, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai turned around and looked at the Chōjirō Sasakibe, behind him.
" Chōjirō, what's your take on the current situation in Soul Society?"
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai Chōjirō, looking at Chōjirō's increasingly aged face, and felt a pang of emotion. Even that brat who had undergone plastic surgery and only knew how to follow him around had become so old. This made Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai sigh, "Time really waits for no one!"
"..."
Chōjirō Sasakibe was taken aback when he heard Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's words. He hadn't expected Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai to ask him such a question. Usually, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai was the one who spoke and listened; he never offered his own opinion, and Yamamoto never asked. He was like Yamamoto's hands, constantly toiling away... But now that Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai asked him, he felt somewhat awkward, unsure of what to say or not to say...
"Please feel free to speak."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai looked at the hesitant and reluctant Chōjirō Sasakibe, who seemed to want to speak but hesitated, and gently shook his head.
"With the complete annihilation of the Central 46 Chambers and the growing power of the Five Great Noble Clans, things will become even more uncontrollable."
Chōjirō Sasakibe spoke his mind.
"Hmm, is there a solution?!"
After hearing what Chōjirō Sasakibe said, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai nodded slightly and continued to ask.
There is no solution.
After much deliberation, Chōjirō Sasakibe shook his head helplessly.
"Why?!"
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai feigned confusion, asking as if he didn't understand.
"As long as Sōgo Shihoin in Soul Society, the Five Great Noble Clans will be like Mount Everest, occupying an unshakeable position at the Soul Society."
Chōjirō Sasakibe was somewhat helpless. He recalled the child who had shocked him to the point of scalp tingling upon their first meeting, which then filled him with fear, and ultimately forced him to hypnotize himself into accepting the child. He felt helpless; that child was not meant to be born into this world. To be honest... when he first met Sōgo, he thought that the Lord Soul King's illegitimate son had been found by the Shihoin Family, secretly given the name Shihoin... and secretly raised to scare everyone to death.
It's not that Chōjirō Sasakibe Sasakibara is overthinking things, mainly because... Sōgo really doesn't seem like someone from the Shihoin Family! Especially his skin color... compared to the Shihoin Family, he's far too pale.
"Yeah?!"
"Then who do you think killed the Central 46 Chambers and Sōsuke Aizen of the Fifth Division?"
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai narrowed his eyes slightly and continued to ask.
"There are countless people in Soul Society capable of killing Sōsuke Aizen, but to kill Sōsuke Aizen so stealthily and move his body to such a conspicuous place, as if afraid no one would notice, is something I only know of throughout Soul Society — Sōsuke Aizen with such a flamboyant personality and such power..."
Chōjirō Sasakibe hesitated at this point. He didn't know whether to play dumb or speak frankly. Sometimes, being too clear-headed is not a good thing. Sometimes, being a little confused is the best way to maintain peace, or at least maintain a semblance of peace. If you are too clear-headed, then war will break out, and even the semblance of peace will disappear.
"What's there to hesitate about? Just say it."
Seeing Chōjirō Sasakibe's hesitant expression Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai felt somewhat helpless. He gently shook his head, indicating that Chōjirō Sasakibe should just speak his mind and not hide anything from him.
"Or... Sōgo Shihoin."
Chōjirō Sasakibe received Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's approval and uttered the name with a somewhat solemn expression.
"Really?! You think so too?"
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai nodded slightly, seemingly unsurprised that Chōjirō Sasakibe had mentioned that name. Strangely, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai not only wasn't surprised, but he also seemed relieved.
"Since you think so too, then there's no problem. Now I can rest assured."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's solemn expression vanished completely after Chōjirō Sasakibe uttered that name. He resumed his usual poker face, a face that was neither smiling nor angry, making it impossible to discern his true thoughts.
"Um?!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe was slightly taken aback, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Think about it~
"Even you believe that Sōgo did this, then probably everyone in the Soul Society thinks that Sougo was Sōgo of it. Doing so would actually be detrimental to the Five Great Noble Clans Five Great Noble Clans, making them seem too arrogant and domineering. Therefore... this could absolutely not have been done by Sōgo Shihoin. Someone deliberately did it for us, making it seem as if Sōgo Shihoin was involved."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai explains to Chōjirō Sasakibe the reasons why he feels at ease.
"Oh, this..."
"What do you mean that even I believe Sōgo Shihoin did this, but the entire Soul Society thinks Sōgo Shihoin did it?"
Is there really any logical connection between these two things?
"And... is it really polite of you to talk like that?"
Chōjirō Sasakibe was completely speechless at Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's words. He didn't remember the person he swore to follow for life being such a decrepit old man... Come to think of it, when was the first time he decided to follow this man? Probably... a thousand years ago, right?
Chōjirō Sasakibe recalled the past and smiled helplessly. He suddenly remembered that when he first showed his Bankai to this old man, he was called as naive as a baby. Thinking about it... Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai really hasn't changed at all over the years! His mouth is still as sharp and ruthless as it was a thousand years ago.
"Indeed... if that's how I think, then that's probably true for the entire Soul Society..."
Chōjirō Sasakibe didn't refute Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, not because he couldn't defeat him, but because the facts were as Yamamoto stated. If even he believed Sōgo was responsible, then everyone in Soul Society was probably in a similar situation. His intelligence and cognitive abilities were only at the level of an ordinary person. Although he had lived a bit longer, he was still just an ordinary person who had lived a relatively long life, not exceeding that level. Therefore, since he could deduce that the person who killed Aizen might be Sōgo Shihoin, then probably all the Soul Reaper in the Gotei 13 thought the same thing.
Just as Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai said, since all the Soul Reaper saw the arrogance and domineering nature of the Five Great Noble Clans, then eliminating the Central 46 Chambers would actually be detrimental to the Five Great Noble Clans. In other words, someone deliberately lured them to doubt Sōgo Shihoin, thus causing a clash between the two sides, and finally waited for both sides to be exhausted before coming to reap the rewards.
"That was a huge oversight."
Chōjirō Sasakibe Sasaki shook his head repeatedly, feeling somewhat guilty for almost making a big mistake because of his subjective assumptions.
"If we really fall for that mastermind's scheme and end up fighting Genryūsai Sōgo, it would be a catastrophe that would destroy the entire Soul Society. Few would likely survive. Once Genryūsai and Sōgo are exhausted, that villain will emerge to reap the benefits. What a vicious scheme! But unfortunately, Sōgo and Genryūsai are not the clam and the heron, and the mastermind is not the fisherman!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe expressed his thoughts, while also praising Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai.
"Hahaha..."
Chōjirō, you're overthinking it.
"If Sōgo disliked the Central 46 Chambers, or even our Gotei 13, we would be dead already..."
"Nobody's going to be chatting here anymore; they'd all be in Hell for tea by now."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai rarely smiled. His smile was relaxed, a kind of ease that came from the weight of responsibility lifted from his shoulders. The title of the strongest Soul Reaper in a millennium was both an acknowledgment from others and a shackle, a burden, a responsibility. Precisely because he was the strongest person in Soul Society on the surface, he had to be at the forefront, never daring to be idle. But now... the Soul Society had changed, and he was finally beginning to consider retirement.
"You mean... that Sōgo kid... is already above you?!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe's expression changed drastically upon hearing Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's words. This was no joke; it meant that... this man, who had been invincible for over a thousand years, was acknowledging that this young man Sōgo Shihoin, was superior to him?!
Chōjirō Sasakibe knew that Sōgo Shihoin strong, even stronger than him, but he never imagined that Sōgo Shihoin would be this strong?! Stronger than the one in front of him, who was considered the ceiling by countless Soul Reaper!
Chōjirō Sasakibe's thoughts were the thoughts of countless other Soul Reaper captains or members of other divisions. Most of them only knew that Sōgo Shihoin very powerful, but they never thought that Sōgo Shihoin would be this strong.
"It's just the new generation pushing the old one aside."
"No one in this world can be invincible forever, not even me."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai shook his head. He didn't know how many more years he could last, or how many more years he could remain invincible. Before he grew too old to move his legs or wield a sword, a Soul Reaper who surpassed him like the sun appeared. Wasn't that something to celebrate?
"Is... is that so?"
After hearing Chōjirō Sasakibe Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's words, Chojiro opened his mouth slightly, as if he wanted to say something. However, looking at Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's weathered face, he ultimately couldn't say anything. He could only respond to Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's words with a bitter smile, indicating that he understood.
"Lord Genryūsai, what should we do next?"
"Now that Genryūsai has reached a conclusion, shall we still execute Rukia Kuchiki as previously ordered by the Central 46 Chambers?"
Chōjirō Sasakibe, speaking to Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, raised his own questions.
"Of course, if you're going to act, you have to go all the way."
"Now that they've given us the script, we naturally have to perform this scene smoothly according to it."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai Yamamoto preached to Chōjirō Sasakibe.
"I see."
After hearing Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's words, Chōjirō Sasakibe nods slightly, indicating that he finally understands.
"Now that you understand, go and prepare!"
"Be prepared to deploy the Sōkyoku!"
After learning that Chōjirō Sasakibe already understood the specifics, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai spoke softly.
"Yes, sir!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe once again transformed into a black shadow, this time leaving the corridor of the First Division Captain's room as a shadow.
"Then let me see what you're planning to do."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai gripped the scepter tightly in both hands. Hidden within this scepter was Zanpakuto, the most powerful Zanpakuto in Soul Society, known as the strongest fire -Ryūjin Jakka Zanpakuto.
Time flies...
Soon, the day of Rukia's formal execution arrived.
On this day, the entire Gotei 13 was much quieter than usual. Not a single Soul Reaper dared to make a sound. Everyone kept quiet and waited for Rukia Kuchiki's public execution.
Aside from the ordinary soldiers who were completely unaware of the facts, the captains of the Gotei 13 each harbored their own ulterior motives: some fanned the flames, some watched from the sidelines, and others unleashed their own inner fighting spirit...
(End of this chapter)