Starting as the mastermind behind Naruto

Chapter 621 Gin Ichimaru and Kabuto Yakushi's Past

To be honest...

Is Uehara Naraku's Hado Tsukumo really trustworthy?

If others had seen Uehara Naraku's clumsy chanting to release the Six Staffs of Light Prison, they would probably have dismissed this sealing scroll with disdain. But Gin Ichimaru was a completely different person.

With a smile, Gin Ichimaru accepted the sealing scroll given to him by Naraku Uehara. He believed in Naraku Uehara's power, just as he believed in his own initial choice.

Decades ago.

In a corner of the alley in Rukongai.

Young Gin Ichimaru carefully unscrewed the water glass, licked his lips, and placed the glass on his right.

To Gin Ichimaru's right, a young girl named Rangiku Matsumoto stared blankly at a piece of bread, her face still bearing the fear from robbing the black market merchant.

This is the life of these homeless children, living in constant fear and anxiety.

Generally speaking, the dead do not need to eat; they can survive by absorbing the spiritual particles of the Soul Society. However, the dead, such as Gin Ichimaru and Rangiku Matsumoto, who possess high spiritual power, must eat to survive.

This is their good fortune.

It is also their misfortune.

To survive, they must constantly obtain food and water, two things that are especially precious in Rukongai, and can only be obtained by risking their lives...

During the most difficult times, they even ate raw taro, just to keep their bodies moving.

"Are we just going to continue like this?"

The girl, Matsumoto Rangiku, finally came to her senses. She looked down at the pancake in her hand, swallowed hard, and handed the rest of the pancake to Ichimaru Gin.

The girl was still very hungry.

Her reluctance was evident even in the heaving of her chest, but the bread in her hand was perhaps their only harvest for the day, and it shouldn't be enjoyed by her alone.

"Heh...don't push yourself too hard..."

Young Gin Ichimaru chuckled, reached out and took the pancake from Rangiku Matsumoto's hand, broke off a small piece and put it in his mouth.

Because Gin Ichimaru knew the girl's nature.

Now is not the time for him to be considerate of others.

Young Gin Ichimaru pushed his water glass toward the girl, smiled with narrowed eyes, and started munching on a pancake: "You go home first... I want to go for a walk by myself."

"…good."

The young girl, Matsumoto Rangiku, hugged her water glass and lowered her head.

Although Gin Ichimaru told her to go home, what home did they have? It was just a dilapidated, desolate wooden hut where the two of them depended on each other for survival…

"Drink more water."

Young Gin Ichimaru reached out and ruffled the girl's orange hair.

But just as his hand was about to touch the girl's hair, he slowly stopped and withdrew it on his own.

The boy said nothing more.

There was one thing that the boy, Gin Ichimaru, didn't tell the girl, Rangiku Matsumoto: their greatest gain that day wasn't actually the food and water they had, but rather overhearing a piece of information that was very important to him.

Someone purchased large quantities of food and water from the black market.

Tomorrow, someone will come to the black market to make a transaction.

Young Gin Ichimaru already knows where they will meet. He plans to attack the buyers. If he can get enough money from the attack, he will have a chance to give himself and Rangiku Matsumoto a chance to live a peaceful life.

Although Gin Ichimaru knew there was a lot of food and water in the shipment, the buyer would definitely send a lot of people to move it, which meant the level of danger would be greatly increased.

but…

This may be his only chance.

This will give Matsumoto Rangiku the opportunity to live a life free from financial worries.

late at night.

In a desolate warehouse.

A burly black market merchant appeared at the warehouse with hundreds of strong henchmen, carrying large bags and small packages of food and water. His face was full of a ferocious smile.

There are no rules in Rukongai.

When this black marketeer learned that someone wanted to buy large quantities of food and water from him, his first thought was not to engage in legitimate trade, but to see if he could simply eat the person!

This black market merchant had gathered all his subordinates, including several wandering souls willing to risk their lives for him. They also possessed considerable spiritual power, making this force quite formidable in the entire Rukongai.

certainly…

If the other party brings enough people and they are strong enough, then the transaction can proceed smoothly, and you've gained a major client. No matter how you look at it, it seems like you're not losing out.

The moonlight gradually became brighter.

A hooded figure slowly walked into the warehouse.

The black market merchant and his group of subordinates looked at the newcomer with puzzlement, their expressions showing confusion and bewilderment.

"one person?"

"Is that not allowed?"

The newcomer slowly removed his hood, revealing a full head of silver hair and a bespectacled face. A strange smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "You seem to have brought quite a few people... This amount of cargo isn't worth bringing so many people, is it?"

"Hahahaha...it's definitely not worth it!"

The black market merchant let out a maniacal laugh, and shouted at the newcomer, "If you're alone, it doesn't seem like you're here to make a deal!"

At this point, the black market merchant abruptly stopped laughing. He stared intently at the newcomer and said in a deep voice, "What do you mean by this? We brought the goods, but did you bring the money?"

"certainly…"

The newcomer adjusted his glasses, casually took out a scroll, pulled out a box of money from it, placed it on the ground, and said with a smile, "According to our agreement, this money should be enough, right?"

The box was full of money.

Anyone who sees that box of money will find their eyes drawn to it; it's enough to allow anyone in Soul Society to live a life of luxury for hundreds of years.

"Of course... that's enough!"

The black market merchant squinted, trying to figure out who his buyer was, especially after that trick he'd just used to extract money from the sealed scroll…

He appears to be a death god who has cultivated the ways of the demons.

However you look at it, he is definitely not a member of the Gotei 13!

As long as he's not from the Gotei 13 or the Seireitei, there's no need to care who he is. It's not like we can't afford to offend him!

Even the Seireitei...

It's not like there aren't Shinigami who've fallen in Rukongai!

The next moment, as the black market merchant made a gesture, a group of people swarmed forward, surrounding the silver-haired youth wearing glasses. A tall man then swung his knife and decapitated the silver-haired youth…

The group of people who succeeded didn't seem to have expected that this silver-haired youth, who seemed to have some skills, would be dealt with so easily by them.

This is really...

This was completely unexpected.

The black market merchant didn't care. He waved his hand, telling his men to take the money, reload their goods, and leave the warehouse where the transaction was taking place.

The mantis catches the cicada, and the oriole is behind.

Just as they were rejoicing at the ease of their journey, the steel wires disintegrated and turned into sharp blades, which in the blink of an eye grazed the entire warehouse!

A group of tall people were instantly dismembered on the spot!

Only a few vigilant individuals managed to escape this sneak attack!

However, the entire warehouse seemed to have turned into a battlefield of hidden weapons, with sharpened iron scraps and steel needles flying everywhere, causing these people to frown incessantly!

Someone is lurking in the shadows, trying to assassinate them!

Finally, the dense barrage of hidden weapons stopped, and a young man appeared in the warehouse, holding a sharp iron spike in his hand.

next moment…

Young Gin Ichimaru charged forward, brandishing his iron spikes. The screams and cries of agony echoed through the warehouse, and blood splattered like crimson ribbons in the moonlight!

He was the one who secretly orchestrated all of this!

When the black market dealers planned to double-cross him, he carefully investigated the black market dealers' subordinates and calculated his chances of success!

After a long while.

The warehouse finally quieted down.

Just as young Gin Ichimaru was inspecting his spoils and thinking of Rangiku Matsumoto waiting for him at home, a round of applause interrupted his thoughts.

"..."

A look of surprise flashed across the young Gin Ichimaru's face.

But when he turned around, he saw the silver-haired youth who should have died long ago, which added to the surprise on his face.

No, this is normal.

How could someone like that be killed so easily?

Gin Ichimaru turned around and glanced at the spot where the silver-haired youth had been killed; it had somehow turned into a wooden stake.

Such a person...

So weird!

Gin Ichimaru's mind immediately began to consider his chances of winning and everything that had happened. He slowly turned his head to look at the silver-haired youth, suddenly arched his eyebrows, and smiled slightly, saying, "Are you satisfied with my performance?"

"...How clever!"

The silver-haired youth slowly closed his palms, generously offering his praise: "When did you figure it out? Or did I already know when I started observing you?"

"Just now..."

The young Gin Ichimaru's face gradually calmed down, and he said softly, "I just realized that when I overheard you about to make a deal yesterday, it was a trap set for me, no, or rather, a test..."

"That's enough."

The silver-haired youth slowly walked in, then knelt down in front of him, smiling as he looked at the boy who bore a resemblance to himself: "Originally, this exam shouldn't exist... but I want to see your abilities..."

It seems that this little guy is really smart and talented, and with a little guidance, he could become a suitable assistant.

The young Ichimaru Gin smiled the same smile as the silver-haired youth and said softly, "Now, may I ask your name?"

"Yakushi Kabuto".

The silver-haired youth extended his hand and placed it on his shoulder: "Now that you've passed the test, do you want to come with me?"

"What would I gain if I followed you?"

"You get nothing."

Kabuto's smile gradually softened. He calmly approached the young Gin Ichimaru and chuckled, "No, there is one thing you can gain, such as... protecting your companions."

"..."

Young Gin Ichimaru squinted and nodded.

Actually, getting this much is already more than enough.

Soon after, two more children joined the Yakushidou Orphanage.

Gin Ichimaru and Rangiku Matsumoto grew up in this orphanage, and they never had to live the life of hunger and deprivation they once had.

Here, as the boy Gin Ichimaru and the girl Rangiku Matsumoto grow up, they begin to learn how to take care of the children in the orphanage, and they both inevitably learn a part of Kabuto Yakushi.

Gin Ichimaru learned from Kabuto Yakushi's profound and subtle nature, and his personality gradually became more and more like Kabuto's, or rather, he and Kabuto were the same kind of people.

Matsumoto Rangiku learned the gentleness from Yakushi Kabuto, which was inherited from Yakushi Nonou, Kabuto's former headmistress.

In fact…

Kabuto the Pharmacist lied.

No, this cannot be called a lie at all.

Gin Ichimaru was well aware that what they received from this orphanage was far more than he had initially expected; and that they had to pay no price whatsoever.

Given Kabuto's abilities, they wouldn't need to do anything; his purpose was very simple, seemingly only wanting to adopt two orphans...

if…

If it weren't for that test still being held.

When Gin Ichimaru finally felt he had to do something for Kabuto Yakushi to repay what he and Rangiku Matsumoto owed him, Kabuto gave Gin two choices.

One option is to join an organization called Akatsuki.

One option is to inherit the pharmacist's orphanage in the future.

Gin Ichimaru remembered that his expression at the time was somewhat puzzled. He really didn't expect that Kabuto Yakushi would adopt him just by finding an orphanage director!

however…

Gin Ichimaru chose to join Akatsuki.

He was given access to a completely new world.

A different world.

The secret history of a thousand-year-old noble family, a series of ancient unsolved cases sealed in time, and a god hidden in the Soul Society for a thousand years.

No one would have expected this.

The head of a thousand-year-old wealthy family has always been the same person, like a shadow in the dark who never shows himself.

Lord Naraku.

Compared to the Naraku-sama before him, Aizen Sousuke, the captain of the Fifth Division who was hiding his true identity, seemed like a child playing around.

Although everything about Aizen Sousuke was already unsettling enough in Ichimaru Gin's eyes, it was still far less alarming than the person who had laid the plan much earlier.

Perhaps the only regrettable thing is that…

This boss is always habitually a bit out of touch.

For example, right now, Uehara Naraku asked a question that Ichimaru Gin found difficult to answer: "Speaking of which, do you think I'm a kind person?"

"..."

How is Gin Ichimaru supposed to answer this question?

Gin Ichimaru glanced down at the scroll in his hand before speaking softly, "Of course, if it weren't for Lord Naraku, many orphans in Rukongai wouldn't have survived to adulthood..."

"That's thanks to Dou, because his adoptive mother was the director of the orphanage, and he simply inherited the will of his former director."

Seeing Gin Ichimaru's expression, Uehara Naraku, sensing that his subordinate doubted his sealing scroll, couldn't help but speak up: "Don't doubt what I entrusted to you. Perhaps it's not enough to destroy the entire Soul Society, but it should be more than enough to destroy the Seireitei, even with the protection of the Killing Stones..."

"Uh...yes."

Gin Ichimaru carefully rolled up the scroll.

Wait, why would his superior give him a scroll capable of destroying the Seireitei?! And why would he make him carry this scroll with him at all times to protect himself…?

This boss…

Did they overestimate the strength of their subordinates?

If only I had known…

Gin Ichimaru somewhat missed the other option that Director Kabuto had given him; perhaps he should have chosen to accept the position of director of the orphanage.

what…

No reminiscences, no Naruto!

Wrong scene! No flashbacks, no death!

(End of this chapter)