Yamamoto Shigekuni was in a foul mood.
It was a mood so sour that it defied simple description.
Even his favorite roasted sweet potatoes tasted like wax to him.
A perfectly standard meeting of the Central 46 had been transformed into a trap designed specifically for Yamamoto Shigekuni.
Though it had inflicted no physical harm, he had been pointlessly transported into the heart of Hueco Mundo.
When he saw the crescent moon hanging high in the sky and felt the slick sand beneath his feet, Yamamoto realized it instantly.
'Damn, I fell for a diversion!'
Without a moment to worry about his own safety, his immediate concern was finding a way back to the Soul Society.
However, it was a source of great frustration that as the strongest Soul Reaper in a thousand years and the Head Captain of the Gotei 13, he was only suited for combat.
When it came to matters outside of cutting down enemies or slaying Hollows, he found his abilities somewhat lacking.
With no other choice, he turned to the most rudimentary method.
Brute force.
He would find a point where the fabric of space was at its weakest and unleash a devastating strike to shatter it, allowing him to enter the Dangai.
And so, on that day, the Menos who had never seen the sun witnessed a sight in the eastern sky—
A rising sun!
After a great deal of effort, he finally managed to return to the Soul Society, only for his own student to tell him that times had changed and the Tsunayashiro family was gone.
"I have lived for thousands of years, and I thought I had a fair grasp of just how absurd you can be."
"In other words, I thought I had seen it all."
"Yet I never expected that in the blink of an eye, you would stir up such a massive disaster for me."
"One of the Great Five Noble Families—arguably the head of them—the Tsunayashiro, has been erased by your hand just like that."
"Boy, in a sense, you truly are a genius."
"Haha, you flatter me, Master."
Sitting before the stove, Naraku Sora stopped blowing into the embers and gave Yamamoto a modest smile.
A vein popped on Yamamoto's forehead as his temper flared.
It felt as though his Spiritual Pressure had spiked significantly.
'Do you really think I'm praising you?'
Just as he was about to erupt, a roasted sweet potato—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and smelling richly sweet—was thrust toward him.
Yamamoto reflexively took the potato, expertly peeled back the skin, and took a bite.
The toasted aroma filled the air, the flesh was soft and honey-sweet, and the warmth spread through his internal organs. It was incredibly pleasant.
Though it was still a step behind his own thousand-times-refined technique, it was already quite perfect.
'Wait, I got so caught up in eating that I almost forgot to scold the boy.'
Yamamoto looked at Naraku Sora while eating, preparing to give him a severe lecture.
However, when his gaze landed on the stove, he suddenly froze.
Beneath the stove lay a sword.
He instinctively glanced at the wall; Ryujin Jakka was hanging there perfectly fine, untouched.
He looked back at the stove.
The blade was long and slender, the hilt was pale and adorned with diamond-shaped ornaments that sparkled like stars, and the manji-shaped crossguard gave it a unique look.
A wisp of blood-red Spiritual Pressure flickered like fire, radiating heat.
It was not fire, yet it surpassed fire.
An ordinary Soul Reaper might not have recognized it, but as someone's teacher who frequently administered 'education in the name of love,'
Yamamoto was all too familiar with this sword.
So much so that when he clearly identified it, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
"Boy... are you using Vajrayati to roast sweet potatoes?"
Naraku Sora gave him a strange look.
"Is there a problem?"
Yamamoto's eyes widened. "Of course there's a problem! As a Soul Reaper, you must learn to cherish your Zanpakuto. They possess consciousness and thoughts. By doing this—"
"—are you not afraid of losing the bond between you?"
"?"
A question mark slowly formed in Naraku Sora's mind.
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"Wasn't it you, Master, who first used a Zanpakuto to roast sweet potatoes?"
Yamamoto choked on his words, his expression faltering. He forced himself to remain stubborn.
"Ryujin Jakka and I have worked together for thousands of years; we are of one mind. Not even Koga Kuchiki could hope to shake our relationship."
"It is precisely on the foundation of this bond that I am able to use Ryujin Jakka to roast sweet potatoes."
Naraku Sora picked up a finished potato, peeled it, and began to eat.
"Hmph, who isn't?"
"Before, to get on Koga's good side, I had him use Muramasa on me. In the end, despite all the effort, he couldn't even summon Vajrayati's spirit."
"He made me get my hopes up for nothing."
Yamamoto: "?"
The master and disciple sat on the floor of the tea room, and after savoring the sweet potatoes, they finally forced the conversation back to the main topic.
"You shouldn't have been so reckless."
Yamamoto said calmly, "Taking it upon yourself to lay siege to the Tsunayashiro family while I was away..."
"While it was satisfying, did you ever consider the consequences?"
Naraku Sora thought for a moment and tested, "The Soul Society is more peaceful, with fewer filthy and underhanded dealings?"
Yamamoto glared at him irritably.
"If only it were that easy."
"The nobility does not just symbolize power; to a certain extent, they represent order."
"The Tsunayashiro industries are vast, covering every facet of the Soul Society. Many are directly related to the Soul Reapers, such as the Sekki-seki mines, the Shozenryo's garment production..."
"...and the crafting of Zanpakuto scabbards."
"It is like a tree with deeply entwined roots; the relationships beneath the surface are incredibly complex, involving numerous lower and even upper-class nobles."
"Now that the Tsunayashiro have fallen, the industries that once belonged to them must undergo a complete redistribution."
Yamamoto took a sip of tea and glanced at the thoughtful Naraku Sora. He was suddenly afraid the boy would have another 'bright idea.'
'The Shiba family has no interest in getting involved in such tedious matters, and the Mikado family never interferes in the affairs of the Soul Society.'
"Although Koga Kuchiki was framed by the Tsunayashiro, the previous Zanpakuto rebellion more or less affected his family's reputation."
"For the sake of stability, Ginrei Kuchiki will not take over much of the Tsunayashiro legacy."
"The only ones left to turn to are the Shihoin family."
Naraku Sora nodded, indicating he understood.
"But because I slaughtered a bunch of elders during the Shihoin internal conflict, they are short-staffed and can't maintain all these industries, right?"
Yamamoto looked at him in surprise. He hadn't expected his normally wayward disciple to think that far ahead.
"Actually, I already have a master plan."
"Speak."
Desperate times called for desperate measures; Yamamoto was almost ready to give up and see what happened.
"Since Shino Prison absorbed the Maggots' Nest, there are plenty of idle hands available to take over some of the duties."
"They are all retired members of the Gotei 13, so they should be able to handle the work easily."
Yamamoto nodded.
Although it was a bit crude, if one ignored the negative impact on their reputation, it was not a bad plan.
It would just require extra attention in management to prevent any further trouble.
However, despite the decent arrangement, he absolutely could not praise the boy.
Otherwise, if he dared to cut down the Tsunayashiro today, he might very well slaughter the Central 46 tomorrow.
For the Soul Society, the existence of the Central 46 was far more important than the Tsunayashiro.
"Merging the Maggots' Nest was definitely your idea too."
Yamamoto snorted. Just as he was about to say more, he suddenly realized a critical point.
From the internal conflict of the Shihoin leading to the deaths of most elders, to using Yoruichi's connection to take over the retired Soul Reapers of the Maggots' Nest...
...and then to the fall of the Tsunayashiro, leaving their industries unmanaged, only to push the Maggots' Nest Soul Reapers into those roles.
Though they seemed unrelated, each step locked into the next, creating a sequence of strange coincidences.
'Is this boy playing a grand game of chess?'
Yamamoto was horrified.
He turned to look at Naraku Sora.
He saw the boy pull out a bottle of maintenance oil from somewhere and begin polishing his Zanpakuto.
Spraying, wiping.
His movements were clumsy and awkward, not looking like a deep-scheming mastermind at all.
'Fine, I must be overthinking things.'
"I heard you also killed Gosuke Kenpachi of Squad 11?"
Yamamoto tossed his previous thought aside and changed the subject.
Naraku Sora nodded absently. "That Gosuke really did have some skills. No wonder he inherited the title of Kenpachi."
"If I hadn't gained a significant boost in strength recently, I might have nearly fallen for his tricks."
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes, accurately catching the key phrase.
"Gained another significant boost?"
If he remembered correctly, the boy's progress had already been exaggerated when he last taught him.
It had barely been any time, and he had improved drastically again.
'Could it be...'
"Boy, have you mastered Bankai?"
"What Bankai?" Naraku Sora looked up blankly.
Yamamoto frowned. "Without Bankai, how did you defeat Gosuke, who was a Captain?"
"With my stunning and brilliant intellect, of course."
Naraku Sora finished maintaining his Zanpakuto, looking very satisfied with the gleaming blade.
"I invented a brand-new Kido a few days ago. I used it to turn the tables at the critical moment and strike him down."
Yamamoto suddenly remembered the technique Naraku Sora had shown him before—that Black Flash which had nearly sheared off his entire beard. The memory was still vivid.
And now, not much later, the boy had invented another new technique.
A Kido at that!
Yamamoto suddenly grew interested.
"Come, follow me inside."
Naraku Sora put down his Zanpakuto and followed cheerfully.
Inside the training hall.
An old and a young figure stood facing each other.
"Come. Show me your new Kido."
Naraku Sora grinned and raised his hand, pressing his thumb against his chest. Dazzling golden lightning erupted instantly, consuming his body in a moment.
Sizzling arcs of electricity surged across his entire body, leaping and twisting continuously.
Yamamoto's eyes widened, a trace of surprise appearing on his face.
The way Naraku Sora used Kido was somewhat beyond his experience.
"The principle of the Lightning Style Armor is to use electricity to activate the physical body, enhancing one's reflexes, defense, and speed."
Naraku Sora flexed his arms. The electrical arcs on his body grew increasingly violent, making him look like a bolt of lightning walking among men.
"Master, watch out."
A hint of seriousness appeared on Yamamoto's face. He took a deep breath, but just as he was about to speak—
A surge of scorching heat rushed toward him, and a friendly smile wreathed in electrical arcs was already right in front of him.
An elbow strike!
Bang!
An incredible shockwave erupted the moment their bodies collided, the aftershocks sweeping wildly and whipping up a gale within the hall.
At the critical moment, Yamamoto displayed the true caliber of the strongest Soul Reaper.
In response to an almost unavoidable attack, the old man's upper body shifted slightly backward in an uncanny manner. The muscles in his right arm suddenly bulged like a restless volcano, unleashing rolling waves of heat.
In an instant, his arm rose and his five fingers spread, perfectly blocking the sudden elbow strike.
The boom of breaking the sound barrier and the sound of the impact overlapped, making them indistinguishable.
Suffocating strength, speed beyond the naked eye, and unbelievable skill were perfectly integrated into what appeared to be a simple parry.
Naraku Sora's mouth curled into a grin.
This was the Captain-General Yamamoto he knew—the strongest Soul Reaper in the Soul Society.
Even relying solely on his physical body, he still exhibited astonishing prowess.
Yamamoto was deeply surprised.
As his teacher, he knew Naraku Sora's Flash Step proficiency like the back of his hand.
Yet the speed just unleashed had easily surpassed his previous limits.
There was no improvement in technique; there was only pure physical power.
To use the boy's own words, it was all about—
Stats.
Yamamoto took a deep breath, letting the searing heat churn in his lungs.
"A quite impressive creation."
"In that case, I shall get a bit more serious myself."
To ensure his student did not stray from the right path, Yamamoto decided to put a bit more effort into his instruction.
Under Naraku Sora's confused gaze, searing heat began to surge relentlessly, as if a walking volcano had manifested within the training hall.
"Wait, Master, I don't want to die in my prime—"
Before he could finish, the burning wind arrived.