"Before founding the Gotei 13, I met with Ichibē Hyōsube once."
Yamamoto's gaze lowered slightly, looking at the tea leaves floating in his cup as he recalled events from a thousand years ago.
"I had assumed he would be a strictly serious individual, but unexpectedly, whether in speech or action, he exuded an indescribable sense of relaxation."
"He had a cheerful disposition and remained unfazed by anything, not at all like a being who has lived for a million years."
"But that is merely his outward appearance."
"Although I was inexperienced back then, I could still see his complete indifference toward all things in the world. It was only after learning more that I realized..."
"To Ichibē Hyōsube, guarding the Spirit King is his sole duty. Nothing else matters in his eyes, even if it means the destruction of the three realms."
"Of course, I am not telling you this so you can lower your guard, nor am I telling you to go destroy the three realms."
Yamamoto glared at the eager Naraku Sora.
Ever since his last sparring session with this rebellious disciple, conventional methods of intimidation no longer worked.
He could only be described as thick-skinned, hardly resembling a proper Soul Reaper.
Naraku Sora harbored secrets. That was undeniable.
But as a mentor, as long as his disciple hadn't strayed from the right path and was even developing in a positive direction, there was no need to pry into such matters.
This was one of Yamamoto's principles, as well as his teaching method.
Sometimes, words alone could not teach a person. Only through personal experience could one truly grasp the underlying truths.
If the day ever came when this rebellious disciple decided to open up, Yamamoto wouldn't mind being a listener and offering advice as an elder.
Yamamoto gathered his thoughts and continued,
"Ichibē Hyōsube's ability is highly unique. He can see the true name of everything in the Soul Society, and even bestow names upon them."
"To him, names are power."
"Therefore, with your meager tricks, it would be best not to act out in front of that old man. If you actually get swatted to death, I'll be left as an old man burying the young."
Naraku Sora grinned. Just as he was about to say something, his vision went black. A majestic, overwhelming force suddenly struck, slamming him into the floorboards without a word of explanation.
After doing this, Yamamoto rubbed his calloused fingers together and gave a barely perceptible nod.
The tactile feedback was indeed quite different from striking Kyōraku Shunsui. Even without releasing his Reiatsu, the boy's defensive capabilities were astonishing, far surpassing those of an ordinary Soul Reaper Captain.
*This brat...*
Yamamoto pondered. *Next time I teach him, should I increase the intensity even further?*
"Old gee—... Teacher, I haven't even said anything yet!"
Naraku Sora protested loudly in a fit of anger, "You're abusing your authority!"
Yamamoto snorted coldly, saying disdainfully,
"Nothing good ever comes out of your mouth. Don't think I don't know what kind of nonsense you were brewing."
"That was merely a preemptive strike."
Naraku Sora fumed. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't beat him, how could he let this old man act so fiercely?
"In short, prioritize caution above all else on this trip. Do not act as recklessly as you do in the Soul Society."
Yamamoto's voice softened considerably, a fleeting trace of imperceptible concern flashing through his slightly narrowed eyes.
If possible, he even wanted to accompany him to the Soul King Palace.
As if sensing something, Naraku Sora dialed back the smile on his face and nodded earnestly.
*To let the old man live a few more years, I should probably be a bit more careful when I go to the Soul King Palace this time.*
"Hehehe, it is finally complete!"
Inside the Shino Prison barracks, Kurotsuchi Mayuri let out an incomprehensible, eerie laugh. His mouth stretched to the sides, forming a grin that defied physiological limits.
He looked just like a certain clown from Gotham City. A visage terrifying enough to stop a child's nighttime crying.
"Mr. Mayuri, whether it is a success or not can only be known after testing it. The data hasn't even been collected yet. If it fails, you won't be able to save face,"
Urahara Kisuke said cheerfully, his hands tucked into his sleeves.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri choked on his words for a moment and shot him a sidelong glance.
"Rather than worrying about me, you should worry about yourself. I heard Lord Naraku recently assigned you a new task."
"..." Urahara Kisuke was left speechless.
*Damn it, I almost forgot about that.*
As the master slacker of Shino Prison, he was frequently assigned all sorts of bizarre tasks by Naraku Sora for various reasons.
From remodeling the barracks to researching tofu cuisine, from observing the dietary habits of the prisoners to training rookie Soul Reapers.
If life in Squad 2 was an enjoyment, then Shino Prison was pure torture.
The worst part was that, after so much time, he had actually gotten used to it.
On the rare days he didn't hear Naraku Sora's orders, he even felt a bit unaccustomed to it.
*Could it be that under this immense pressure, I've awakened some unspeakable special fetish?*
At this thought, Urahara Kisuke couldn't help but shudder.
Off to the side, Aizen didn't care about the love-hate dynamic between the two; he was simply calculating data in silence.
Having discovered some secrets regarding the Spirit King's power, he had been busy with experiments lately.
If he hadn't received Kurotsuchi Mayuri's prior notice, he would probably still be busy in the laboratory.
Right at that moment, a familiar voice drifted in from outside the training grounds.
"Yo, everyone's here."
Naraku Sora grinned and greeted the trio.
Before leaving, he needed to give some instructions. He could ignore the others, but he absolutely could not let Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Urahara Kisuke slack off.
Also, he needed to properly notify his adopted son.
Sensing their Reiatsu gathered together, he had rushed over immediately.
"Lord Naraku, you have arrived at the perfect time."
Kurotsuchi Mayuri revealed a genuinely sincere smile.
"After thirty-nine version iterations, the modifications to my Zanpakutō are finally complete. Now is the time to test the results."
When he was first beaten to the ground by Naraku Sora, Kurotsuchi Mayuri had been highly unconvinced.
In his eyes, this newcomer was just relying on brute force.
He was completely different from a scientist like him who relied on his brains.
But as they interacted more...
An endless stream of high-level materials, cutting-edge equipment, and even an absolute mastery over Reishi manipulation that other Soul Reapers could only dream of...
It could be said that the things he only dared to dream of in the past had now been realized through Naraku Sora.
If it weren't for the fact that this guy would find it disgusting, he even wanted to offer to become his loyal retainer.
To a scientist, something like moral integrity was often the least important thing.
Hearing this, Naraku Sora's eyes lit up, and he gestured,
"In that case, hurry up and show it off!"
He hadn't expected to catch a new show right before leaving. As expected of the Soul Society's premier researcher.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri slowly drew his Zanpakutō. The dark, dull blade emitted an eerie glow, completely different from the Zanpakutō of other Soul Reapers.
"There are no changes to the Shikai."
"Therefore, we can just look directly at the Bankai."
"Bankai—"
Kurotsuchi Mayuri smiled eerily, holding the blade upright in front of him and reaching out to grasp where the tsuba should be.
It was a mass resembling internal organs, soft, sticky, and slippery.
"[Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō・Demonic Womb Disease Sealing Entity]!"
The moment his words fell, a sticky, viscous Reiatsu suddenly permeated the air. The dark blade vanished as a massive amount of smoke abruptly erupted, covering the entire dojo.
Naraku Sora widened his eyes, seeing a gigantic silhouette faintly visible within the smoke.
He had assumed Kurotsuchi Mayuri was merely making improvements on the original foundation.
He never expected this guy to directly leap across a century of time, pulling out a Bankai that was originally only born during the Blood War arc.
When the smoke cleared, a colossal behemoth tens of meters tall sat in the center of the training grounds.
It had the pure body of an infant, but with twisted muscle lines. Its skin was a deep, inky black, gleaming with a greasy luster on the surface, as if covered in a layer of liquid toxin.
Two curved black horns grew from the top of its head, and from the ends of the horns hung ancient lanterns emitting a faint glow.
Even just looking at it from a distance gave off an intensely ominous feeling.
"Haha, it's a success!"
Examining the grotesque creature beside him, Kurotsuchi Mayuri's face was filled with a fanatical expression, much like a devout believer.
Although something like combat power was dispensable to him.
But modifying Ashisogi Jizō was a crucial part of his future research plans. Being able to complete it proved that the plan was viable.
He could completely follow the previously established outline and continue his research step by step.
Until he achieved his ultimate, grand ideal.
Urahara Kisuke stared at the ominous creation and smacked his lips.
*Too ugly.*
*It's not even half—no, not even a tenth as beautiful as my Benihime.*
*In this comparison, I guess I win.*
Aizen, on the other hand, observed the Demonic Womb Disease Sealing Entity with great interest, analyzing it from various angles such as spirit waves, Reiatsu, and Reishi.
Despite being extremely proud deep down, even he had to admit the sheer talent of Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Urahara Kisuke in the field of scientific research.
They were existences completely capable of standing on equal footing with him.
If he could get them to join in the research of the Spirit King's power and those taboo subjects, the progress would surely advance at a tremendous pace.
*I need to find a way to drag them down into the water with me.*
While the three of them were lost in their own thoughts, Naraku Sora had already arrived beside the Demonic Womb Disease Sealing Entity, reaching out to pat its inky black skin.
Then, the Demonic Womb Disease Sealing Entity let out a deafening roar.
Immediately after, its highly bulging, hill-like belly split open, and an Ashisogi Jizō with bulging muscles, resembling a Licker, burst out from within.
Although it was in an infant form, its entire body radiated a scalp-tingling sense of power.
"Lord Naraku, the Demonic Womb Disease Sealing Entity will produce a corresponding Ashisogi Jizō based on the intelligence gathered during battle,"
Kurotsuchi Mayuri grinned. "And during the modification process, I implanted the data from our previous battle into it. So right now, it is a weapon created specifically to counter you."
Hearing this, Naraku Sora's interest was piqued, and he immediately prepared to test the weight of this Anti-Sora Noble Phantasm.
In his memories, the Ashisogi Jizō created by this Demonic Womb Disease Sealing Entity had even managed to give the Schutzstaffel a hard time.
To achieve such a level relying solely on science and technology could be said to be absolutely heaven-defying.
Naraku Sora rolled his shoulders. Crackling arcs of electricity wandered around his body, filling the air with a scorching heat as cracks spiderwebbed across the floorboards beneath his feet.
Reiatsu swirled around him.
"?"
Looking at this completely unseen form, Kurotsuchi Mayuri couldn't help but mentally type out a question mark.
*Isn't the intelligence a bit off somewhere?*