Naraku Sora naturally knew about the Tsunayashiro family.
As one of the Five Great Noble Families—perhaps even the head of them, though memories in his mind were conflicted, with some claiming the Kuchiki family held that title—they were undoubtedly number one when it came to causing trouble.
Setting aside the systems the Tsunayashiro had implemented in the Soul Society to benefit the nobility, it was impossible to count how many of the forty-six nobles representing Central 46 were actually loyal to them. Beyond that, they held immense sway within the Gold Seal Council, and could easily influence the collective decisions of the Shino Central 46.
"As one of the Five Great Noble Families, the Tsunayashiro is an ancient clan that has existed since the very founding of the Soul Society. Their family heritage and depth are far beyond what ordinary people can imagine."
Yamamoto spoke with a heavy, serious expression. "Throughout a million years of history, countless powers and institutions have risen and fallen, yet the Tsunayashiro remains unshakable, watching the tides rise and fall with indifference."
"During this time, the Tsunayashiro have supported many noble factions. Since the founding of the Gotei 13, countless seated officers and even Captains have accepted the olive branch they extended. The same goes for the underground organizations and the Kidō Corps. The Captain of Squad 9, Takeda Itsuki, is one of them."
Yamamoto looked up at the pensive Naraku Sora.
"In my memory, he is not a reckless man. On the contrary, Takeda Itsuki is cautious. He won the trust of his squad members by achieving zero casualties in multiple missions. To keep losses at a minimum, he usually only strikes when he has sufficient intelligence."
"And yet, such a man would indiscriminately attack a seated officer of the Shino Prison at the Yokota family's private manor. No matter how you look at it, it is completely irrational. Therefore, I suspect that the Tsunayashiro may be the one behind the Yokota sacrifice incident."
Throughout this explanation, Naraku Sora remained calm, showing no signs of shock. This lack of reaction made Yamamoto feel a bit annoyed.
'This is a conclusion I reached after organizing a vast amount of intelligence and deep contemplation. Why does this brat look so indifferent?'
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes slightly. "Third Seat Naraku, do you perhaps have a different view on this?"
Hearing this, Naraku Sora grinned. "I wouldn't call it a 'view,' I just have a question."
"Speak."
"Currently, while there is no evidence to prove the Tsunayashiro family is the mastermind, what would you do if you actually found relevant evidence?" Naraku Sora asked. "Or rather, what would the Gotei 13 do? They are one of the Five Great Noble Families, symbolizing the very apex of the Soul Society's order. I don't believe Central 46 would dare to sanction those people. Some of them can't even wait to suck up to them."
Yamamoto froze, his brow furrowing deeply. He had been focusing on how to find proof of their crimes, but he had forgotten to consider what to do once he had it.
As a guardian of order, if he unilaterally attacked the Tsunayashiro, he would inevitably destroy the hard-won stability of that order. Even with evidence, the situation remained the same—unless the Tsunayashiro decided to throw caution to the wind and fast-forward to destroying the world.
Simply put, Yamamoto was a nuclear deterrent; the kind that could never be released until the very last moment.
After a moment of silence, Yamamoto looked deeply at Naraku Sora. "Regarding this, I indeed lacked some consideration. The Tsunayashiro are deeply rooted in the Soul Society. Simple evidence won't bring them down, especially when the laws and regulations are biased toward them. Central 46, the Gold Seal Council..."
Yamamoto's eyes narrowed. Indeed, compared to maintaining the existing system and order, he was much better at destruction. Whenever he thought of those insects plotting in the shadows, a fire of rage ignited in his heart. How could the Soul Society be governed properly when cooperating with such a crowd!
"Do you have a way?" Yamamoto suddenly looked at Naraku Sora, his eyes seemingly burning with literal flames.
Naraku Sora was startled by the sudden change in Yamamoto's attitude and said somewhat guiltily, "Maybe, probably, I do."
"A 'maybe' is a 'maybe,' and a 'no' is a 'no.' What do you mean by 'probably'?"
Yamamoto realized he had lost his composure, let out a cold snort, and regained his calm.
Naraku Sora chuckled. "Teacher, didn't you recruit me into the Genryū in the first place to forge a blade sharp enough and brave enough to strike at the nobility?"
Yamamoto's expression stiffened, his momentum deflating by half.
"But I don't reject the idea." Sora's smile faded slightly. "Or rather, I look forward to becoming such an existence. A huge part of the Soul Society's decay and chaos is brought about by those people. The efforts of the Gotei 13 and other institutions are nothing more than tools for them to maintain their own power. Such people are the root of the turmoil."
Perhaps Yamamoto's original intention was to train someone who could maintain their true self even under the pressure of the nobility. But after spending so much time together, the old man had habitually taken the burdens that should have been handed off back onto his own shoulders.
In his eyes, no matter how much you grew, you were still susceptible to threats from the outside world—like Takeda Itsuki, the noble's pawn. Subconsciously, he was unwilling to let his disciple take more risks. As a teacher, he felt he should be the one to shield the younger generation who trusted him.
Yamamoto was silent for a moment, a complex light flashing in his partially closed eyes. He spoke slowly. "Then, what is your method?"
Naraku Sora grinned, revealing an awkward yet polite smile. "I haven't thought of it yet. But with my wisdom, it won't take more than three days to come up with a suitable countermeasure."
As he spoke, Naraku Sora puffed out his chest with an air of pride.
Yamamoto looked at him skeptically. Although the boy's words today made sense, his usual behavior didn't suggest he possessed much 'wisdom' at all. If he had to guess, Naraku Sora's idea of a 'good plan' probably involved charging into the Tsunayashiro headquarters and slaughtering everyone.
Thinking of that image, Yamamoto shook his head. It was better not to pin his hopes on him.
"Though I do not know the Tsunayashiro's scheme, be careful in all things. Caution never goes wrong. That is all for today's lesson."
With that, the old man turned and left the dojo.
...
Squad 5 Barracks.
Aizen Sōsuke looked at the files on his desk with a deep frown. They were filled with crude language attacking Naraku Sora's behavior as atrocious and his morality as corrupt, claiming no one was worse than him. Only those nobles could write such a report.
Tossing the documents into the trash, Aizen shook his head and picked up another.
As he worked diligently, a voice that made one's blood pressure spike suddenly rang out in the office.
"Blue Dream, save me!"