A group of people led by a man with dark green hair. As he approached, he squinted his eyes, stood with a slightly tilted head, and gazed directly downwards with a rather flippant attitude: "Hey there, Captain Uzumaki, this must be our first meeting."
Such a posture was a highly disrespectful gesture.
Among all the Death Gods in the Soul Society, the thirteen captains were the most powerful combatants.
The position of a captain was very prestigious.
Traditionally, the Captain of the Second Division is the head of the Shihouin family, while the Captain of the Sixth Division is the head of the Kuchiki family.
In terms of etiquette, captains should at least be treated on par with the heads of the four great noble families. But.
This man didn't even come close, not showing the slightest bit of basic respect, arrogantly considering himself to be "above all."
The Kamiyashiro family, indeed, lives up to its infamous reputation.
Naruto had a poor impression of this family, especially after learning about Kaname Tōsen's situation last night.
Among the four great noble clans, the Kamiyashiro family was the most notorious, once the "leader of the nobles," but they became too obsessed with power, ignoring the responsibility that came with it, committing countless misdeeds. Now, the ideal model of a noble had fallen to the "Kuchiki family."
"Is this how you greet a captain?" Naruto asked, releasing a trace of spiritual pressure.
The man with dark green hair smiled slyly, unfazed.
He was fairly strong, on par with Byakuya Kuchiki.
But the other nobles present had mere average strength; upon feeling this spiritual pressure, their expressions changed slightly, unable to withstand such intensity, they couldn't help but take a step back.
"Does Captain Uzumaki not recognize me?" The dark green-haired man feigned surprise, "I thought I was quite famous in the Seireitei." He grinned.
"My name is Kamiyashiro Jitan."
Naruto squinted his eyes, slightly intensifying his spiritual pressure with a more pressing force. He'd heard of this name before.
It was the most representative figure of the Kamiyashiro family.
A man with an extensive history of wrongdoing, epitomizing the family's inherited vices with striking clarity.
Of course, what left the deepest impression on Naruto was—
The man in front of them, named Kamiyashiro Jitan, was from the notorious family responsible for killing both colleagues and his own wife.
"So, Captain Uzumaki is familiar with me." Kamiyashiro Jitan noticed the undisguised disdain in the air, yet he wasn't angered in the slightest. Instead, he laughed brightly, "I knew I couldn't be that obscure."
Naruto's voice turned cold, "What do you want, you insolent fellow?"
Kamiyashiro Jitan extended his hand confidently, "Captain Uzumaki, hand over the body of Tosen Kaname to me."
"To you?" Naruto let out a sarcastic laugh, "You're the last person qualified to make such a demand."
"You really do hold a grudge against me." Kamiyashiro Jitan waved dismissively, "It seems that Tosen Kaname, that guy, told you some nonsense before he died?"
He paused, his voice meaningful, "But he was a criminal."
"One who could harm his colleagues just to gain strength."
"And you actually believed him?"
Naruto approached with a smile, his demeanor undisturbed, while Kamiyashiro Jitan kept his head high, casting his gaze slightly downward.
"I think there's something you need to learn first." Naruto suddenly punched the man with dark green hair in the stomach.
Reiatsu pressed down.
Forcing Kamiyashiro's body to instinctively hunch.
Naruto grabbed his hair, yanking his head up, anger woven into his words, "When you're facing a captain, you ought to learn to use polite language."
"Secondly, right now I'm filled with anger and have nowhere to vent."
"Thank you for showing up."
"And finally,"
"Just because Tosen Kaname was a sinner doesn't mean you, standing against him, are a good person."
"You're both equally vile."
Despite being punched, Kamiyashiro Jitan looked disheveled but not a bit angry, grinning broadly, "Such a sense of justice, Captain Uzumaki."
"No wonder so many in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads like you."
"However,"
"This isn't just a personal request, it's an order from the Kamiyashiro family."
"The Great Spirit Book Gallery must record all known matters and intel of the Soul Society, including the secret of Tosen Kaname's 'Hollowfication.'"
He lifted his head and met Naruto's gaze: "This is one of the highest orders in the Soul Society."
"The Great Spirit Book Gallery" records everything about the Soul Society.
But this isn't some sort of inherent ability; it's a collection and documentation done manually.
"I see." Naruto tossed him aside, his voice calm, "Then come back to me after I've unearthed its secrets."
"Maybe a hundred years, two hundred, or even a thousand years it may take."
"As for now,"
"Get out of my way."
Kamiyashiro Jitan squinted, spreading his grin even wider.
Byakuya Kuchiki stepped forward, "Kamiyashiro Jitan, this is also the sentiment of the Kuchiki family."
"We have more faith in Captain Uzumaki's abilities."
Holding his stomach, Kamiyashiro Jitan asked, "So this is the conclusion reached by Captain Uzumaki and the Kuchiki family together?"
"I understand."
"Then I look forward to seeing Captain Uzumaki's results. Until we meet again."
He waved and bade farewell to the two of them.
Although he achieved nothing this time and even received a punch, he remained undeterred.
Naruto could even sense a hint of "delight" in his emotions.
Byakuya Kuchiki shook his head, "The Kuchiki family has long been disgusted with the Kamiyashiro family, who don't assume the responsibilities or set an example befitting nobility."
"If such power fell into their hands, who knows what trouble it would cause."
"Besides,"
"This small matter is insignificant compared to your generosity to the Kuchiki family, Naruto-kun."
Naruto chuckled lightly.
Byakuya Kuchiki took his leave.
Back in the office, Naruto sat at the desk, looking at the piles of documents and files, but had no intention of dealing with them.
"So the murderer is actually that man named Aizen." Kurama spoke up, somewhat surprised, "I thought it would have been that blind man."
"Naruto, how did you know?"
It didn't feel a thing.
Naruto softly reassured both Kurama and himself as he unraveled the events from yesterday: "It's exactly because of what I said; he's too weak."
"His swordplay is mediocre at best. If it had been Kaname Tōsen at the start, there's no way he could have withstood my two strikes."
"Among the captains present at the time, there were only two."
"We all know Captain Suigetsu's abilities very well."
"So, it's clear: the Aizen who was with us from the start wasn't the real Aizen. He was 'Kaname Tōsen' in disguise."
"That initial appearance of Kaname Tōsen was meant to deceive others."
"Aizen switched places with the disguised Kaname Tōsen afterward."
"That's why Kaname Tōsen could suddenly appear in the crowd and attack Vice Captain Kuchiki."
Kurama nodded, lost in thought, before suddenly being shocked: "So before this, Aizen was always Kaname Tōsen in disguise?"
"If that's the case, then during the meeting, the Aizen that old man saw was also Kaname Tōsen in disguise?"
Could even Head Captain Yamamoto have fallen for his 'illusion'? Unable to see through it?
Naruto pondered deeply, shaking his head: "I'm not sure."
"But it's most likely the case, after all, back then, the Dangai was sealed off."
"He can bend perception, but he cannot erase the evidence of reality."
"Had he crossed over ahead of time, any traces would have been detected."
"It's exactly for this reason that I didn't act against him just now."
Aizen never showed his true strength in front of me.
It's just during our interactions, I could vaguely sense some things.
All the Kido Naruto knows so far has been taught by Aizen. Anything below number ninety, he can easily cast without incantation.
And this is merely the tip of the iceberg.
Now he's exposed himself as having the power to deceive even Head Captain Yamamoto.
Naruto is not overly confident he can completely defeat him in a head-on battle.
"What's most crucial now is to figure out precisely how he managed to fool everyone." Naruto paused for a moment, continuing, "What kind of illusion did he use? And how can such an illusion be broken?"
Kurama lightly said, "An illusion, huh?"
"The Uchiha clan certainly are all masters of illusions."
Naruto shook his head, choosing not to comment further.
"Speaking of which, that kid who's always around Aizen,"
Kurama prompted, "the one called Gin Ichimaru? I get a really uneasy feeling from him."
"His aura is quite sinister."
"Even though he's your friend, you should still be cautious."
"After all, he's Aizen's vice-captain."
Naruto paused, then stood up. Kurama's words had struck a chord with him. Gin Ichimaru.
Although his interactions with Gin had been relatively pleasant, upon reflection, his relationships with others, including Byakuya, whom he trained with, weren't particularly strong.
Was Gin deliberately getting close to him?
Kurama might be right; it was time to find out.
The next day, at the izakaya.
Naruto had arranged to meet Gin Ichimaru.
"Oh, it's just Captain Uzumaki?"
The white-haired teen approached, peering over the table, his face adorned with his signature exaggerated smile.
"Inviting me out alone?"
He squinted his eyes, his inner thoughts already forming suspicions.
Naruto nodded, his expression somewhat grim: "Gin, there's something I'd like to ask you."
"I hope you can be honest with me."
Kagura's Mind Eye activated.
"If it's Captain Uzumaki asking,"
Gin Ichimaru sat down, tilting his head, "I couldn't possibly lie to you."
Naruto lifted his glass, taking a sip: "I want to know, Gin, how do you really feel about Captain Aizen?"
Gin replied softly, "That question, huh."
"Let me think about how to answer."
He paused, opened his eyes, his tone still gentle but laced with deadly intent:
"I wish I could kill Captain Aizen with my own hands right now."
"But I'm not strong enough yet, just biding my time."
"I stayed by his side with exactly this intention."
Naruto was taken aback.
The insight from Kagura's Mind Eye confirmed it; the statement was genuine, a heartfelt truth without a trace of deceit.
(End of Chapter)