Yoruichi left, without taking a single cloud, but she truly took half of Shihōin Hiroki's life.
The honey-colored figure vanished like a phantom into the night, leaving only a lingering hint of ambiguity in the bedchamber and a sense of weakness in Hiroki as if he had been trampled by a giant Hollow. He slumped on the soft brocade cushions, staring blankly at the exquisite ceiling beams, every breath pulling at muscles that were sore all over.
"Drained... truly drained dry..." Hiroki murmured to himself, his voice incredibly hoarse. "That cat demon..." The ecstasy of his newfound freedom and fantasies of a beautiful life were instantly crushed by this "collection of the marital tax" before her departure, leaving only boundless despair and weak knees.
Before leaving, Yoruichi hadn't forgotten about business. She solemnly instructed that Suì-Fēng should take over her position as the Captain of the Second Division.
Hiroki also deeply agreed with this; he didn't want to expose his own forces so early. Captain Commander Yamamoto's unfathomable depth and Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu were both swords hanging over his head. Stepping into the spotlight now would be no different from seeking death. Hiding behind the scenes and accumulating strength was the best course of action.
Suì-Fēng was indeed the best candidate for Captain of the Second Division. She had followed Yoruichi for many years, fighting across many battles in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Her image as a brave and decisive warrior was well-established, and her strength was steadily increasing, earning her sufficient prestige. Having her succeed Yoruichi's position would seem perfectly natural to the outside world, leaving no room for suspicion.
Most importantly, the core positions of the Onmitsukidō, the most vital part of the Second Division, were already firmly controlled by the elites of the Uchiha Clan. This was the result of Hiroki's painstaking efforts in recent years.
In name, Suì-Fēng could mobilize the Onmitsukidō as the Captain. But with a single thought from Hiroki, any order contrary to his will would be silently frozen by the Uchihas. The blade that was the Onmitsukidō would ultimately only obey him from the shadows.
"Aizen..." Hiroki mustered some strength, a cold light flickering in his eyes. That mastermind had not only directed the Captain Hollowfication incident but had also personally forced his troublesome wife out of the Seireitei. If he didn't show some initiative, it wouldn't be convenient for future cooperation.
Aizen's Hollowfication Technique could significantly, or even exponentially, increase Spiritual Pressure, which was exactly what Hiroki dreamed of.
Although the system's mall also had the [Hollowfication Technique (Perfect Version)] for sale, the price was a mere 10 million points... For Hiroki, whose savings currently only amounted to a few hundred thousand, it was simply a pipe dream. Settling for the next best thing and targeting Aizen was undoubtedly the most cost-effective choice.
Combining Hollowfication Technique with the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan? Hiroki licked his lips, his heart burning with excitement as he imagined the potential birth of a new form possessing insight, genjutsu, eerie speed, and violent power.
"Lord!" A low voice sounded outside the door; it was Shisui.
"Speak," Hiroki responded, forcing himself to be alert.
"Aizen... has taken Tōsen Kaname and Ichimaru Gin, leaving the Soul Society through the Technology Development Bureau's passage. All signs indicate that he has gone to Hueco Mundo!" Shisui's voice carried a hint of subtle excitement.
"Good, good!" Hiroki sat up abruptly, the fatigue in his eyes swept away and replaced by the sharp, brilliant light of a hunter discovering his prey. "Finally... I've waited for this opportunity!"
He took a deep breath and ordered in a low voice, "Pass down the word. According to the prearranged plan, we are heading to Hueco Mundo!"
"Yes! Lord!" Shisui's voice was resolute.
Several years had passed since the Captain Hollowfication incident. In the world of Shinigami, time flowed both quickly and silently. Regrettably, the "happy days" Hiroki dreamed of had never arrived as expected.
That damned cat demon, relying on her undetected cat form and her peerless Shunpo in the Soul Society, had actually become a frequent visitor to the Seireitei! She would openly pass through layers of defenses and return to the Shihōin Clan bedchamber every month to complete her "monthly levy"!
How the hell was this any different from before?!
In a short while, several figures silently gathered like ghosts in a secret room deep within the Shihōin estate. Even the darkness could not conceal the powerful Spiritual Pressure fluctuations emanating from them.
Leading them was Uchiha Fugaku, steady as a mountain, his Mangekyo seemingly flickering with cold light beneath his eyepatch.
Following him was Uchiha Shisui, his aura as ethereal as the wind, his sharp Sharingan shimmering with a jade-like glimmer in the gloom.
Uchiha Itachi also appeared soundlessly, his gaze calm as a deep well, yet containing a fearsome power.
The last figure to arrive was Uchiha Izumi. Her arrival brought a distinctively sharp aura. Since following Hiroki to the Soul Society, undergoing trials of life and death, and witnessing the huge shock of Itachi's return, she had actually become the first in the clan to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan in the new world!
Hiroki's gaze fell on Izumi with a hint of approval. The growth speed and resilient will of this girl were indeed impressive. Correspondingly, another stubborn figure—Suì-Fēng—had also shown amazing potential after Yoruichi's departure, successfully mastering Bankai and truly securing her position as the Captain of the Second Division.
These two women, who couldn't stand each other, competed in secret, which to some extent became a catalyst for each other's breakthroughs.
Looking at the four people standing silently like a forest before him, the resentment Hiroki felt from being tormented by Yoruichi was suppressed, replaced by a strong sense of security. Two veteran Mangekyo users (Fugaku, Shisui), one BUG-level Mangekyo with its own artifacts (Itachi), one newborn Mangekyo (Izumi), and himself with the nuclear deterrent that was the "Taixu Divine Sword."
"Let's go," Hiroki said succinctly. "Yes!" The four responses were low and powerful, echoing slightly within the secret room.
They did not use the official Senkaimon. That gate was constantly under the strict surveillance of the Technology Development Bureau and the Central 46 Chambers. But as the head of the Four Great Noble Clans, the Shihōin Clan naturally possessed an unknown private Senkaimon.
As the spatial gate twisted open, a strong sense of weightlessness hit them. When they set foot on solid ground again, what met their eyes was a world of deathly silent white sand. The cold wind whipped up grains of sand, making a wailing sound, the sky was forever a sickly grayish-white, and the roars of Menos Grande could be heard faintly on the distant horizon.
"What a... desolate and disgusting place." Hiroki frowned, unable to feel any liking for this extreme wasteland.
He delayed no further and took out a small instrument from his robe—one of Urahara Kisuke's inventions. Back then, under the "sponsorship" of the Shihōin Clan's massive funds, many of Urahara's research results were "generously" shared as backups.
As for this exquisite tracker, Itachi had unknowingly attached it to Tōsen Kaname's seemingly secure shinigami uniform during a secret monitoring mission.
They exploited the fact that although this blind Shinigami's perception was powerful, his defenses still had vulnerabilities when faced with someone of Itachi's level of stealth and Shunpo techniques.
The tracker's needle pointed steadily in one direction. The group concealed their presence, like venomous snakes gliding through the white sand, and sped toward the target.
After an unknown amount of time, a vast and dilapidated complex of buildings appeared at the end of the horizon in the endless sea of white sand. It looked like the remains of an ancient giant beast, pieced together from huge, decaying white bones and dark rocks, with ruins standing tall, emitting a depressing aura of decay and misfortune consistent with Hueco Mundo itself.
This should be the prototype of Las Noches, Aizen's future base in Hueco Mundo.
"Heh, what terrible taste, this ghost of a place..." Hiroki curled his lip, expressing his disdain for the simplicity of this "palace."
Just as they approached the outskirts of the ruined palace, bursts of violent energy fluctuations, accompanied by ear-piercing booms and sharp whistling sounds, clearly came from deep within the massive complex!
A fierce battle was breaking out inside!
The shrill energy hums and the loud crashes of collapsing buildings gradually subsided, leaving the air filled with the choking scent of scorched Reishi ashes and rubble dust. Hiroki and his group, like phantoms, silently passed through the last section of the ruined passage of the Las Noches prototype, finally arriving at a relatively open central courtyard formed by what looked like giant ribs.
When the scene before them entered the eyes of Hiroki and the others, the battle was indeed nearing its end.
On the messy battlefield, scattered white bone fragments and Spiritual Pressure residues like molten metal could be seen.
In the center of the field stood three figures—the one in the gentle light-brown shinigami uniform with glasses reflecting the pale light of Hueco Mundo was Aizen Sōsuke, a customary smile on his face as if he understood everything.
Beside him was Ichimaru Gin with his fox-like cunning smile, and Tōsen Kaname with his calm and solemn expression.
On the ground before the three of them lay a massive being! It was a skeletal giant composed purely of huge white bones, its form seemingly symbolizing decay and death itself.
At this moment, the head of this mountain-like, hideous and terrifying Skeleton Emperor was lowered. A skeletal palm made of the purest bone was pressed firmly against the cold white sand, its five fingers sinking deep into the grains.
The vast and cold Spiritual Pressure emanating from it was still terrifying, but what erupted from the depths of its soul was an extreme sense of unwilling humiliation from being forcibly suppressed!
The future No. 2 of the Espada, the former king of Hueco Mundo—Baraggan Louisenbairn! At this moment, like a skeletal beast with its claws and teeth removed, he prostrated himself before the relatively small figure at Aizen's feet!
"Oh my, oh my, Captain Aizen,"
Ichimaru Gin's signature tone, filled with endless playfulness, was the first to break the brief silence. His narrow eyes squinted slightly, like a venomous snake precisely capturing its prey, as he instantly locked onto Hiroki's group appearing at the courtyard entrance.
"I really didn't expect that while we were cleaning up the remnants, we'd have such extraordinary 'guests' visit our—well, our newly tidied 'new home'."
He deliberately dragged out the word "guests," his gaze sweeping over Hiroki and the four black-clad Ninjas behind him who radiated a dangerous aura.
Aizen slowly raised his head, his gaze behind the lenses steadily passing through the drifting smoke and the prostrate Baraggan to land on Hiroki at the front. The gentle smile on his face didn't change, but a very faint, almost imperceptible trace of surprise flickered in the depths of his eyes.
"Shihōin Hiroki... the Acting Head of the Shihōin Clan?" Aizen's voice was as gentle as ever, like casual conversation. "Being able to find this place in such a short time is indeed beyond my expectations. It is truly an unexpected and... not unwelcome surprise."
His gaze swept over the four people behind Hiroki: Fugaku, Shisui, Itachi, and Izumi. Their crimson Sharingan shone like ignited blood-colored stars in the dim light, unreservedly emitting a heart-palpitating cold Spiritual Pressure and singular ocular power!
Under Aizen's terrifying perception, these four forces were like torches in the night, clearly signaling that they were by no means at the level of ordinary Captain-level! The power characteristics, so different from the Shinigami system and filled with negative emotions and mental pressure, caused Aizen's lenses to reflect slightly.
However, in his heart, he gave a disdainful cold snort—except for that youth with the unusually silent aura (Itachi), who made him instinctively perceive a hidden edge and a sense of discord, as if he harbored something that could threaten him, the other four... in the face of an absolute power gap, would ultimately be unable to cause much of a stir.
Hiroki met Aizen's scrutiny, which seemed to both encompass and look down upon everything. There was no surprise or anger on his face, only a flat indifference, as if the prostrate Skeleton Emperor was just a broken stone on the roadside.
"A coincidence?" The corner of Hiroki's mouth curled into a cold arc, his voice clearly piercing through the wind. "Captain Aizen, this is no boring coincidence." He took a step forward, the white sand beneath his feet making a soft "shasha" sound. "I came specifically to find you, Aizen Sōsuke."
"Specifically?" Aizen's eyebrow twitched imperceptibly, a trace of genuine curiosity flashing behind his lenses. "That is even more unexpected. I wonder what advice the Acting Head of the Shihōin Clan has... deep in Hueco Mundo? Surely it's not for the sake of that 'former' Captain Shihōin Yoruichi who left the Seireitei without permission?" His tone carried a well-measured "confusion" and a faint, subtle hint of mockery.
"Her? Heh, thanks for your concern." Hiroki gave a cold laugh, his tone carrying a bit of impatience, as if he were talking about an insignificant matter. "I don't have the leisure to worry about her affairs. She can go wherever she wants." He paused, his gaze piercing like a physical substance into Aizen's eyes behind the lenses. "I came this time because I want to talk to you about... cooperation."
"Cooperation?" The smile on Aizen's face deepened, but his eyes became even more profound and inscrutable. "That word coming from a Shihōin Head who sneaked into Hueco Mundo in the middle of the night with such a powerful armed force has a truly unique meaning. However..."
He put his hands behind his back, his posture upright and his aura as steady as a mountain, as an invisible pressure began to spread. "Cooperation is always built on a foundation of equal strength between both parties. I wonder how the Acting Head intends to... prove that?"