At this moment, deep within the frigid confines of the Ice Palace, Uehara Shiroha lounged comfortably alongside Shihouin Yoruichi and Nel. The unusual trio—two powerful adults and one seemingly innocent child—were all fixated on a crystalline ice screen, watching the live broadcast of the Karakura Town Defense War with varying degrees of interest.
Nel, her large childlike eyes gleaming with fascination, bounced excitedly on her cushion. "This is so cool! Look at them all fighting!" she exclaimed, clearly entertained by the spectacle. Born and raised in the harsh wastelands of Hueco Mundo, such elaborate battle tactics and strategic warfare were entirely foreign to her.
Uehara Shiroha cast a sideways glance at the former Espada, a hint of amusement playing across his features. He felt that her reaction betrayed a certain ignorance, but he couldn't really blame her. "Of course you'd find this fascinating," he mused.
"But this is understandable," he added with a casual wave of his hand. "After all, in terms of surveillance and intelligence gathering, Hueco Mundo really can't compare with Soul Society."
Indeed, Soul Society possessed what one might call a rich "history of being monitored"—a fact that Shiroha found endlessly amusing. For centuries upon centuries, every significant event had been observed, recorded, and analyzed by various factions.
There was the automatic text records of the Great Spirit Book Corridor maintained by the Tsunayashiro family—a treasure trove of historical data that few were privileged enough to access. Then came the all-round monitoring capabilities of the Image Hall, a technological marvel that could capture events across different realms. The Technology Development Bureau had their own sophisticated Kidō and technology-based surveillance systems that extended their reach far beyond the borders of Seireitei.
Not to be outdone, Soya Azashiro had implemented specialized Bankai monitoring, while the shadowy Invisible Empire operated their own covert surveillance network that few knew existed. From the lofty heights of the Soul King Palace, the Zero Squad utilized their clairvoyant monitoring to keep tabs on potential threats to the realm.
And of course, the triumvirate of Aizen and his conspirators had their own methods, as did the ever-resourceful Urahara Kisuke with his unique blend of Kidō and technological innovations.
"And naturally," Shiroha thought with pride, "there's also my own perfect-level observation Haki." His abilities far exceeded those of the other surveillance systems, allowing him to perceive reality with a clarity that others could only dream of.
In the not-too-distant future, Aizen would establish his own spiritual monitoring network that would permeate all three realms—Soul Society, the Human World, and Hueco Mundo—extending his influence to unprecedented levels.
These old foxes all shared a morbid desire for intelligence, constantly gathering information and establishing networks of surveillance. They reminded Shiroha of the "Nick Fury" archetype from the Marvel universe—the paranoid mastermind who builds safe houses all over the world, preparing for every contingency, trusting no one completely.
That was precisely why Uehara Shiroha had prepared his countermeasures from the very beginning. He had meticulously isolated himself from all forms of surveillance, creating a perfect bubble of privacy where none could observe his actions or divine his intentions.
In the end, he still had the last laugh. While others scrambled and fought, he could watch these people battle to the death in perfect comfort, untouchable in his sanctuary of ice. For him, this war was both entertainment and opportunity—a season of harvest where he could reap the benefits of others' struggles without putting himself at risk.
This was, without a doubt, a victory for the sunny and cheerful big boy that he presented himself to be—an image that concealed the calculating intellect beneath.
"Is Aizen really that strong?" Yoruichi's voice carried a note of genuine fear as she watched the chaos unfold on the screen. Her golden eyes were wide with disbelief at the devastation a single Shinigami could cause.
Fortunately for her, she had not acted on impulse when first learning of Aizen's betrayal. If she had chosen to rush headlong into battle against him, as her pride might have demanded, she would certainly have found herself in grave trouble. Even with her considerable abilities, even if she had brought all her family's artifacts and unleashed her power at full capacity, she would have been easily defeated by a monster of Aizen's caliber.
Initially, when Uehara Shiroha had warned her of Aizen's terrifying strength, she had been somewhat dismissive in her heart. She'd thought that perhaps he was exaggerating the threat Aizen posed, unable to believe that any Shinigami could be so formidable.
Now, watching the reality of Aizen's power displayed so dramatically before her eyes, she realized just how ignorant she had been. Thankfully, due to Shiroha's timely warning, she had immediately abandoned any notions of seeking revenge against Aizen.
As this realization settled in her mind, Yoruichi's gaze shifted to Uehara Shiroha, her eyes growing increasingly fiery with admiration:
"With his strategic mind, it's impossible for him not to have seen the threat Aizen poses from the beginning," she thought, studying the relaxed figure beside her. "In other words, Uehara Shiroha must have absolute confidence in his ability to defeat Aizen if necessary. As expected... only monsters can defeat monsters."
Although she couldn't fathom the depths of his power, or understand what trump cards he held that allowed him to so casually ignore the threat of Aizen and remain so relaxed, she chose to believe in him without reservation.
After all, Uehara Shiroha had repeatedly proven himself to be a person capable of creating miracles, a genius among geniuses—a true prodigy whose existence defied conventional understanding. His strength was so immense that it transcended the imagination of "fake geniuses" like herself and the other captains.
However, as her attention returned to the battle on the screen and she saw Kurosaki Ichigo's hesitation in the face of Aizen's manipulations, Yoruichi's expression softened with sympathy.
"We really owe this guy a huge debt," she said with genuine regret in her voice. "He really didn't have to risk his life fighting because of our mistakes. The battle between Shinigami should never have involved mortals like him and his friends... this is our failure."
"Hey, it has nothing to do with me," Uehara Shiroha responded coolly, clearly disagreeing with Yoruichi's perspective. He crossed his arms and continued with calm indifference:
"You are not comparing yourself with me correctly. First of all, this is your mistake—yours and the other Shinigami's. I didn't make any errors, nor was I deceived by Aizen for even a moment." He paused, gesturing dismissively toward the screen. "Secondly, Aizen's words are designed only to deceive children. Anyone who believes his rhetoric is a fool, plain and simple."
He shook his head, a touch of disdain coloring his tone. "You really haven't suffered enough if you're still willing to listen to that guy's endless chatter. In this regard, you should really take a page from Kurosaki Ichigo's book—just refuse to listen. 'I don't want to hear it, I won't hear it'—and then chop him down directly. No conversation needed."
Shiroha's philosophy was clear: when facing manipulative intellectuals like Aizen, there was no point in engaging with their rhetoric. It was like traveling to the world of Jinguan or Pili and encountering wise men like Qiao Rulai or Wenhuang—you must never waste time talking philosophy with them. The only effective approach is to physically seal their lips before they can speak.
In his view, the best way to deal with the so-called wise men was to defeat them directly through superior force. Just as when confronting a Dragon King about to unleash a devastating attack, the wisest course is to tear away his ability to speak before he can even begin.
This was why the philosophers of ancient Rome were renowned for their physical prowess as well as their intellect—because sometimes, physical persuasion was also necessary. Facts had proven time and again that a wise man incapable of fighting was not truly a complete wise man.
In Uehara Shiroha's eyes, Aizen was entirely analogous to a CPU manipulating Kurosaki Ichigo's actions like a video game character. His rhetoric wasn't merely a diversion of conflict—it was an outright lie, a transparent attempt to fool those gullible enough to listen.
The most frustrating part was that Ichigo Kurosaki was genuinely shaken by these manipulations.
On this point, Uehara Shiroha had little to say. Regardless of how much nonsense Aizen spouted, the fact remained that he intended to sacrifice Karakura Town and slaughter Ichigo's family and friends. Even if Ichigo didn't particularly care for his father, he couldn't simply stand by and watch as his two innocent sisters were reduced to ashes.
It could only be said that Ichigo Kurosaki's reasoning abilities were somewhat lacking—his brain was experiencing what Shiroha mentally termed "pig brain overloaded" syndrome.
Of course, this was partly because Ichigo was still caught in a state of hesitation and fear. The image of Aizen as a great devil was even more profound, more visceral, and more terrifying than it had been in the original timeline that Shiroha recalled. The pressure of facing such an opponent was enough to make anyone falter.