Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Chapter 431 Aizen, the ultimate boss, finally makes his appearance.

Ding ding ding, clang clang clang, ring ring ring —

A series of crisp, melodious clanging sounds rang out, like a sudden summer downpour, the sound of tiny sword blades being shattered by sword energy.

This destruction does not diminish the power of Senbonzakura, because the broken blade is still under Byakuya Kuchiki's control; it only slightly increases the difficulty of his maneuvering.

Overall, Kenpachi Zaraki had the upper hand in this round of attacks. He pressed his advantage and stepped forward, preparing to launch a further attack.

But as he gripped his sword with both hands, preparing to attack, he suddenly noticed a change in the color of his surroundings.

He instinctively looked up at the sky, only to be horrified to find that the sky was now a pink ocean of cherry blossoms.

The pink sword blades that blotted out the sky formed clouds, and as far as the eye could see, there was a pink ocean.

【Jianjing·Senbonzakura Kageyoshi】

Kuchiki Byakuya dared not be negligent. The moment he finished preparing, he waved his hand downwards, controlling the petals flying all over the sky to gather into countless starlight.

The points of light that make up a meteor are like a long sword composed of finely arranged blades. Because they can refract and reflect light to a great extent, they appear bright white and thus create the dazzling starlight.

The gleaming longswords emitted a dazzling light, hundreds of them hovering in the sky, forming neat geometric formations.

Then, under Byakuya's control, the longswords transformed into meteors that fell to the ground, creating a magnificent and awe-inspiring meteor shower.

Kenpachi Zaraki was ecstatic: "That's amazing! Such a magnificent sword technique! Captain Kuchiki, you're way better than that brat Ichigo!"

Ichigo Kurosaki: "————"

"Hahaha, Byakuya Kuchiki, I'll tell you a secret: I, Kenpachi Zaraki, am not just a useless fighter who only knows how to attack!"

Kenpachi Zaraki's spiritual pressure increased once again, and a materialized spiritual pressure defense actually appeared. The super strong golden spiritual pressure materialized into the shape of a giant skull.

It must be said that this giant skull looks just like Susanoo, effectively protecting Kenpachi Zaraki inside and isolating him from all external attacks.

When the gleaming meteor sword fell onto the skull, the two sides instantly clashed most violently.

The meteor sword, penetrating from top to bottom, used the impact of its fall to strike downwards with tremendous force, each strike penetrating deep into the golden skull.

In addition to exhibiting extremely strong defense, the golden skull also displayed terrifyingly high temperatures.

Once the meteor sword strikes to a certain depth, its spiritual structure is burned away and completely loses its penetrating power.

"Tsk tsk tsk, really, it seems that apart from a few honest guys, the captains of the Gotei 13 are all quite formidable, and they're all secretly hiding their strength."

Xia Zuo looked at Unohana Retsu beside him and asked, "Retsu, you've been hiding your strength too, haven't you?"

Unohana shook her head and laughed, "Is there anyone in Seireitei who can hide their true abilities better than you?"

"But when will Aizen show up?"

"If he doesn't come soon, the old man is going to throw a tantrum."

"Once the inferno of the burning city takes shape, you and I will have to use our Bankai to protect ourselves, and naturally we will no longer be able to hide."

Xia Zuo pointed to the edge of the core battlefield: "Look, he's here."

Sure enough, right at the edge of the core area of ​​the flame spiritual pressure, Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tosen appeared beside Rukia at some unknown time.

Moreover, right in broad daylight, Aizen, the captain of the Fifth Division known for his gentleness, smiled and reached into Rukia's chest, rummaging around inside her body, seemingly looking for something.

Rukia has clearly lost control of her body.

She was like a puppet doll with its strings cut, her expression blank and her eyes vacant.

Around Rukia, the vice-captains and executive officers, realizing something was wrong, surrounded Aizen, but under his terrifying spiritual pressure, they couldn't get within a hundred meters.

In just two seconds, Aizen accurately located his target within Rukia's spirit body, carefully tucked it into his robes, and then revealed a relieved smile.

Even at this moment, Aizen's smile remained gentle, like a spring breeze, instantly endearing anyone who saw it.

As expected of the most prestigious BOSS in all the heavens and myriad realms, even when his long-planned scheme succeeded, he could still smile without changing his expression, as if no one knew what he had done.

He smiled and raised his hand to greet all the Grim Reapers: "Gentlemen, it's been a long time."

"Aizen Sousuke!!!"

The moment Captain-Commander Yamamoto sensed Aizen's spiritual pressure, he realized he had been tricked from beginning to end, and he was naturally furious.

Yamamoto Shigekuni stopped, and his two disciples, who were almost killed, naturally stopped as well, because their teacher's anger was now truly intense.

The intense killing intent tainted the flames, turning their color from yellow to dark red.

But this does not mean that the temperature of the flame has decreased; on the contrary, the temperature of the flame has increased.

When Komamura Sajin saw Aizen, Ichimaru Gin, and Tosen Kaname, he was completely stunned.

After a few breaths, he realized that Aizen's previous death was a hoax, that he must have betrayed the Soul Society, and that Tosen Kaname had also betrayed them.

Komamura Sajin could not accept this result.

Tosen was Komamura Sajin's only friend. How could someone so full of justice betray him?

How could he betray us?!

But no matter how much Komamura Sajin resisted, the facts were the strongest and most irresistible force.

So he completely ignored the two Grim Reapers he was fighting and turned to pounce on Tosen Kaname, but was stopped by an old but strong arm.

"Captain-Commander Yamamoto—"

Komamura Sajin immediately stopped, even restraining his Black Rope Tensen Myōō, and obediently stood behind the Captain-Commander.

Aizen, who witnessed this from afar, smiled with admiration: "Komamura Sajin is quite the good dog, isn't he? What do you think, Tosen?"

Kaname Tosen: "—Aizen-san, Komamura is a samurai who combines benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and courage."

Aizen chuckled and said, "Alright, I won't call him a dog anymore."

"He's a brainless idiot."

Kaname Tosen: "————Alright then."

Faced with this unexpected turn of events, even the slow-witted Kenpachi Zaraki knew something was wrong and he could no longer enjoy his battle with Byakuya Kuchiki, so he regretfully stopped attacking.

However, he didn't regret it for long, because he had three more targets to kill, all of whom were captains and could be killed directly.

Kuchiki Byakuya stopped fighting as soon as he saw Rukia being attacked.

While observing the environment and analyzing the enemy's strength, he gathered all the tiny blades. As soon as the battle preparations were complete, he activated the cherry blossom cloud that filled the sky and swept towards Aizen and his group.

Kurosaki Ichigo and Abarai Renji were even faster; they abandoned Komamura Sajin and pounced on Rukia without any preparation.

As for Shinigami like Aizen, they are merely obstacles between them and Rukia; they can simply be cut down with a sword!

Ichigo Kurosaki: "Getsuga Tenshou!!"

Renji Abarai: "Baboon Fang Absolute Bite!!"

Aizen didn't look at the two people, but instead raised his head and made a listening gesture.

Gin Ichimaru took two steps forward, drew his Zanpakuto, and chuckled, "Young Shinigami, let me tell you a fact: Bankai is not the end of a Shinigami's power."

"Shoot him! Sharpshooter!"

Outside the Central 46th Division, Toshiro Hitsugaya, the captain of the 10th Division, requested an audience in his capacity as captain, but received no response.

Feeling the spiritual pressure fluctuations in the distance growing stronger with each wave, the youngest captain finally lost his patience and, without permission, reached out and pressed his hand against the door of Room 46.

His vice-captain, Matsumoto Rangiku, was terrified, but dared not stop his captain on such an important matter.

It wasn't until Toshiro pushed the door open a crack that this female Shinigami with a keen sense of smell detected the scent of death.

She rushed forward and kicked the door open, revealing dozens of corpses lying paralyzed inside room forty-six.

Matsumoto Rangiku covered her face and exclaimed in horror, "All the nobles of the Forty-Six Chambers are dead!"

"Captain! What do we do now?"

-

Hitsugaya has only been a captain for a few years, and his knowledge, experience, and qualifications are the most limited among the captains. He has no experience to rely on at all.

He was completely stunned by the sudden destruction of the highest authority of the Soul Court.

But a genius is a genius. Toshiro quickly composed himself, stepped into Room 46, and swiftly examined the corpses on the ground.

He quickly confirmed that the corpses were real; he had met these nobles after taking office and remembered their appearance.

Toshiro sighed deeply and commanded, "Rangiku, use [Heavenly Void] to address the Captain-Commander, the other captains, and—"

He looked toward the most intense part of the battlefield, feeling Ichigo Kurosaki's spiritual pressure, and continued, "—and the Ryouka, inform all the powerful Shinigami of the devastating news that the 46 Chambers have been completely annihilated."

Toshiro Hitsugaya's growth was too rapid. He was appointed captain shortly after becoming famous and was burdened with heavy team duties, leaving him no time to solidify his foundation.

Therefore, he mastered very few types of demonic arts, and they were all offensive types; he did not master any support-type demonic arts.

Matsumoto Rangiku, not daring to be negligent, immediately began to chant: "Black and white net! Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowns, footprints, distant thunder, peaks, returning to the earth, night lurking, sea of ​​clouds, azure sequence, filling the cosmos, soaring straight to the heavens!"

"Binding Spell Seventy-Seven - Heavenly Void!"

As Matsumoto finished chanting, her spiritual power exploded, opening up a vast network of spiritual energy that connected to the minds of all the powerful Shinigami in the Soul Society.

Following Toshiro's instructions, Matsumoto Rangiku addressed all the Shinigami: "Captains, lieutenants, and acting lieutenants of the Goen 13th Division, as well as all the Ryoka, I am Matsumoto Rangiku, the lieutenant of the 10th Division."

"By order of Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya of the 10th Division, I am making an emergency telepathic call to everyone."

"I've confirmed with Captain Toshiro that all members of the Central 46 have been murdered!"

"It has now been confirmed that the mastermind behind the murder of the 46 members is former Fifth Division Captain Aizen Sousuke! He is not dead! That corpse was a decoy illusion!"

"Aizen's Zanpakuto's true power is complete hypnosis; anyone who sees his Zanpakuto will have their five senses manipulated by him—"

""

"He controlled all members of Room 46, issuing orders in the name of Room 46—"

"Furthermore, it can be confirmed that both Gin Ichimaru, captain of the Third Division, and Kaname Tōsen, captain of the Ninth Division, have betrayed the Soul Society!"

"It has now been confirmed that Rukia Kuchiki's mission is a conspiracy, and his target is Rukia. Please protect her!"

""

"All of the above is testified to by Captain Toshiro's honor!"

Toshiro: ?

Some of the things I said were not mine.

After listening to Matsumoto Rangiku's words, Aizen smiled and said to Ichimaru Gin, "Hehe, your childhood friend is quite strong. She uses [Heavenly Void] very well."

Gin Ichimaru tilted his head in distress: "Captain Aizen, I've already said it, we're childhood friends, but not boyfriend and girlfriend. Saying this will affect my future marriage prospects—"

Aizen snorted lightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and kicked Kuchiki Byakuya, who was lying in a pool of blood in front of him, so that he landed on top of Kurosaki Ichigo and Abarai Renji.

Just as Matsumoto Rangiku was speaking, Ichimaru Gin's divine spear pierced through Ichigo and Renji's chests, easily taking them down.

Aizen also casually defeated Kuchiki Byakuya.

The two of them displayed strength far exceeding that of the other captains, leaving everyone deeply shocked.

"Inize!!"

A deafening roar came from behind. Aizen didn't even need to turn around to feel a huge long sword coming down on him.

boom-

The Black Rope Heavenly Punishment King's greatsword slashed down fiercely, and the intense wind pressure stirred up a huge cloud of dust.

When the dust settled, Komamura Sajin was astonished to see that Aizen had actually held up the enormous Zanpakuto with one hand, and the immense sword energy of Hades hadn't even managed to harm the grass beneath his feet.

"Komamura Sajin! It's only been a few days, and you've grown to the point where you're no longer insecure and are willing to show your true self?" Aizen greeted him with a smile, "Congratulations!"

"Aizen Sousuke, how can you still laugh? You betrayed us all, you deceived us, and you have committed an unforgivable crime! Unforgivable!"

Aizen caught Kurokawa Tensen Myōō's greatsword, but Komamura Sajin's Zanpakutō was not. He deliberately desynchronized with Myōō's movements and swung his sword at the traitor Aizen.

Komamura Sajin's powerful Zanpakuto was stopped by another Zanpakuto, namely Tosen Kaname, who was standing next to Aizen.

"Tosen, Komamura is in your hands now," Aizen said with a light laugh. "His survival depends entirely on you."

Tosen Kaname nodded: "Please rest assured, Captain Aizen, Komamura will not be an obstacle for you."

Komamura Sajin's rage soared to the heavens: "Tosen Kaname! Are you really going to betray the Seireitei, betray my mother?"

Kaname Tosen said expressionlessly, "I never had a Soul Society to begin with, so what's this talk of betrayal? Isn't that ridiculous?"

"As for you, my friend, there's nothing I can do about it."

"Who gave you such complete loyalty to Captain-Commander Yamamoto, without even having your own thoughts?"

"Yamamoto, the Captain-Commander, was so cowardly that he groveled before the noble Shinigami of Seireitei, even less than a dog."

"For justice, for fairness, for ideals, I have no choice but to sacrifice friendship."