Starting as the mastermind behind Naruto

Chapter 685 To enter the chessboard, one must at least be qualified to become a chess piece, right?

The information provided by Gin Ichimaru was extremely useful.

When Aizen Sousuke parted ways with Ichimaru Gin, he was still pondering the story Gin had told him. It seemed that there was more than one person in this world who had created the Hogyoku.

According to the information Aizen Sousuke knew, Kabuto Yakushi did not exist for long, but he transcended time and broke through the power limits of a Shinigami. Perhaps this was due to the effect of the White Zetsu armor.

Aizen Sousuke frowned slightly as he pondered Black Zetsu, a byproduct of his creation of the Hogyoku. Perhaps he could wait for Black Zetsu to return from his mission and try to integrate it into his body, just like the Hogyoku…

after all…

Black Zetsu has devoured many souls and Hollows, and its spiritual power is quite strong, which may allow it to have a higher foundation at that time.

Black Zetsu is a byproduct of his failed attempt to create the Hogyoku...

He still has a complete and successful Hōgyō (a type of magical artifact) inside his body.

Black Zetsu's power and the power of the Hogyoku complement each other. In addition, he possesses the spiritual power of a Shinigami, which may be another possibility for him to break through his limits.

As Aizen Sousuke pondered, he slowly strolled into Orochimaru's laboratory, a laboratory that even he found somewhat overwhelming.

Orochimaru is still tirelessly researching the upper limit of Hollow power. He has always tried to use quantity to break through quality. In this laboratory alone, there is one Vasto Lorde-class Hollow and two Adjuchas-class Hollows.

These Hollows, who were comparable to Captain America in the outside world, were merely test subjects in Orochimaru's experiments.

"What a rare guest..."

Orochimaru put down his experimental equipment, took off his gloves, casually invited Aizen Sousuke to sit down, and said with a light laugh, "Hehehehe... Shouldn't you be in your lab researching the Hogyoku at this time?"

"There are some things I'd like to ask Orochimaru-san."

Aizen Sousuke didn't sit down, but stood at the doorway watching Orochimaru, and said softly, "How much does Orochimaru-sensei actually know about Uehara Naraku?"

"The most talented Grim Reaper in the world."

Orochimaru opened his palm, a sinister smile spreading across his lips: "I've been lusting after his body since he was twelve... If I could obtain his body, I would become a god in all worlds!"

This is no lie!

After Orochimaru defected from Akatsuki, he was hunted down by Uehara Naraku. That was his first humiliating memory, and from then on, Orochimaru kept a close eye on Uehara Naraku.

Taijutsu, Sage Mode, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Chakra…

Uehara Naraku has almost no weaknesses.

Furthermore, Uehara Naraku also experienced another world, where he established the Akatsuki organization like a god. It was in that world that Yakushi Kabuto obtained some amazing abilities and gained power that completely surpassed Orochimaru.

As for the world of Bleach, Uehara Naraku felt no discomfort whatsoever, and soon displayed his powerful talent, breaking through the limits of a Bleach.

That brat…

It seems there are no limits to strength!

Aizen Sousuke was unaware of all this; he was still deep in thought, and the atmosphere in the laboratory gradually became somewhat heavy.

It wasn't until much later that...

Aizen Sousuke suddenly raised his head, looked at Orochimaru, and asked, "So... does Orochimaru-san know that Naraku's power has surpassed that of Uchiha Madara?"

"Hehehehe..."

Orochimaru showed no surprise, only a wide grin as he slowly shook his head, then suddenly nodded: "Wasn't this kind of thing... destined to happen? I warned you before..."

"In fact, Naraku is hiding his true strength."

Aizen Sousuke interrupted Orochimaru.

Hahahaha!

Unexpectedly, Orochimaru suddenly grinned, almost bursting into laughter, and said, "This is truly interesting... Aizen..."

You don't actually think there are any good people in the Uehara clan, do you? The Uehara clan… could there be any naive people? I've suspected that brat's disguise for a long time!

"Perhaps I am the naive one."

Aizen Sousuke gently shook his head and continued, "When life and death in the world have no meaning, there is no boundary between good and evil."

"good."

Orochimaru wholeheartedly agreed with Aizen Sousuke's words, but then he added, "However, you don't need to worry too much... Even if that little guy Uehara Naraku becomes a god, you, having obtained the Hogyoku, can evolve to another dimension."

At this point, Orochimaru suddenly smiled and said, "Now that you have the Hogyoku, we can't delay any longer, can we? When can I begin my revenge?"

"soon."

Aizen Sousuke looked at Orochimaru and said softly, "Please begin preparations, Orochimaru-san... After I conduct my final experiment, prepare for war!"

As a last resort, as a final boost to his power, Aizen Sousuke wanted to wait for Black Zetsu's return so he could absorb Black Zetsu into his own body.

This world…

Ultimately, it belongs to the powerful.

While Aizen Sousuke was leading active preparations for war, he was also secretly sending Black Zetsu to try to sow discord between the Uehara clan and the Seireitei, waiting for the final opportunity.

Fortunately, Black Zetsu brought him some bad news.

Originally, Aizen Sousuke wanted to plan for a while longer, but a sudden change forced him to abandon his idea of ​​remaining on the sidelines!

A message has arrived from Yakushi Kabuto, who is far away in the Spirit King's Palace...

They must overthrow the Spirit King's rule as soon as possible!

Because several members of the Zero Division wanted to permanently close the Soul King Palace, these guys seemed to have no regard for the impending storm in the Soul Society; they only cared about the Soul King's safety!

If the Spirit King Palace is completely closed...

No one knows if there's still a way to open that sealed space in the Spirit King's Palace!

Aizen Sousuke secretly wanted to tell the Uehara clan this news, hoping that the Uehara clan could bring him a surprise... However, the Uehara clan suddenly launched a new war against Hueco Mundo in Soul Society!

Seireitei would find it difficult to refuse the Uehara clan's request.

Meanwhile, those idiots in the Central 46 Chambers, after learning some information about the Hogyoku from Kisuke Urahara, also vowed to take back the Hogyoku!

That's the Hogyoku...

We absolutely cannot let it fall into the hands of the Uehara clan!

In a sense, this Hōgyoku might be of higher priority than the Uehara clan's secret technique, the Impure World Reincarnation!

Inside Uehara Castle.

Between the underground thrones.

"Captain Aizen is still as cautious as ever..."

Uehara Naraku sat on the throne, reached out to touch his cheek, and sighed softly: "If I hadn't specifically asked Kabuto to pass on the message to the Soul King Palace for him, perhaps he would still be enduring in Hueco Mundo..."

Even though he's already the ruler of Hueco Mundo and has even obtained the Hogyoku, why does he still like to resort to such petty tricks?

It's impossible to hide the truth about Hueco Mundo from Uehara Naraku.

All of Aizen Sousuke's information channels were controlled by Uehara Naraku.

News of Aizen Sousuke's dispatch of Black Zetsu to incite the Uehara clan and the Seireitei's higher-ups had already spread, which was truly a headache.

Indigo dyeing…

But he was a person who could endure for over a hundred years!

If Aizen Sousuke isn't forced, he might only start taking action after Kurosaki Ichigo has already died of natural causes...

"You have no right to call him cautious..."

Standing beneath the throne, Tobirama Senju couldn't help but utter a sarcastic remark.

Tobirama Senju truly didn't know how to evaluate Naraku Uehara. If Naraku was reckless, then this guy had always been hiding his power; if Naraku was cautious, then this guy had handed over that bizarre tool, the Hogyoku, without hesitation…

Aren't you worried about problems with the Hogyoku?

There's no need to worry.

Uehara Naraku curled the corners of his lips into a sinister smile hidden in the shadows: "Did you really think Captain Aizen's opponent was me? His true opponent has always been that little guy he raised himself..."

"Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Tobirama Senju frowned. "No matter how you look at it, that kid isn't strong enough to be a match for Aizen Sousuke at this stage of his life, is he? Even without the Hogyoku, Aizen Sousuke is still someone Tobirama couldn't possibly contend with..."

"Don't underestimate these people..."

Uehara Naraku shook his head, unable to resist chuckling softly, "When saving the world, Kurosaki Ichigo, like Naruto, can unleash considerable power..."

"..."

Tobirama Senju couldn't help but want to complain again.

Even if you can unleash tremendous power, can you really save the world from your grasp?

"etc…"

After pondering for a moment, Tobirama Senju suddenly said, "So... you've been secretly nurturing Aizen Sousuke... just to use him as fodder for training Kurosaki Ichigo?"

This guy…

What the hell is going on?!

Ever since Uehara Naraku received news of Aizen Sousuke, he has been quietly monitoring everything Aizen Sousuke does, helping Aizen Sousuke clean up the mess left by the Hollowfication incident, and secretly helping Aizen Sousuke repair his Zanpakuto...

They even gave him the Hogyoku, a divine artifact…

In the end, all of Uehara Naraku's actions were merely to make Aizen Sousuke a driving force for Kurosaki Ichigo to become stronger?

Tobirama Senju thought Naraku Uehara had a twisted sense of humor!

"It's not just that, is it?"

Uehara Naraku shook his head and chuckled as he replied, "Anyway, let's leave it at that for now! I want to see who will win this time, the so-called protagonist or the antagonist... and..."

Uehara Naraku slowly lowered his hand, his smile deepening: "Don't you find it interesting?"

When Captain Aizen thought he was training Ichigo Kurosaki as a test subject to examine his own power, only to discover that Ichigo was being used as nourishment to make Ichigo even stronger, his expression at that moment must have been quite interesting, right?

"You bastard..."

Tobirama Senju's expression was extremely grim: "Now that Aizen Sousuke knows your power has long surpassed the limits of a Shinigami, he probably won't be interested in Ichigo Kurosaki anymore, right?"

"He definitely will."

Uehara Naraku clasped his hands together, a strong sense of confidence flashing in his eyes: "If he really is unwilling, then I will have to be their opponent."

Then I hope their Zanpakuto blades are a bit sharper, to somewhat make up for the loss of my enjoyment of watching a good show…”

"..."

Tobirama Senju remained silent.

Without a strong heart, it would be impossible to communicate with Uehara Naraku when he reveals his true colors; this guy always says things that don't sound like human speech.

Of course, without an even stronger heart, one cannot deal with the disguised Uehara Naraku, because the disguised Uehara Naraku often does inhuman things...

Nothing in the world is absolute.

Uehara Naraku gently closed his palms and calmly said, "Which of Captain Aizen and Ichigo Kurosaki is the stronger nourishment for the other, and who will ultimately be the victor to receive the reward in my hands, depends on their battle."

Uehara Naraku slowly leaned back against the back of the tall throne and said softly, "Let Orochimaru kidnap Inoue Orihime and lure Kurosaki Ichigo into Hueco Mundo... at least make him qualified to enter the chessboard as a pawn."

In this game of chess, with the human world, Hueco Mundo, Soul Society, and Soul King Palace as the chessboard, if you are not strong enough, you don't even have the qualifications to become a chess piece!

In this game of chess, even a captain-level Grim Reaper can only be a pawn!

Those who can truly be used as regular pawns by Uehara Naraku are those who break through the conventional boundaries of the Shinigami!

Tobirama Senju was silent for a moment, then asked, "Where are Madara Uchiha and my elder brother? Yamamoto Shigekuni has already returned to Seireitei to oversee things. Should we send them to continue searching for Yhwach's whereabouts?"

"It's unnecessary."

Uehara Naraku shook his head and continued softly, "Summon them back...have Kabuto cooperate with them to eliminate the Zero Division members within the Soul King Palace..."

Uehara Naraku stretched and slowly said, "This is going to be a big show. They'll be very disappointed if we miss it!"

"..."

Tobirama Senju was too lazy to comment.

They have absolutely no desire to participate in this so-called grand spectacle!

If it weren't for their interest in Ichigo Kurosaki and Sosuke Aizen, two people who were always favored by Naraku Uehara, Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju would definitely have ignored this so-called grand drama!

Everything is proceeding smoothly.

After receiving orders from Uehara Naraku, Orochimaru secretly dispatched the Hollows, using the pretext of a precious experimental subject, to capture Inoue Orihime and bring her to Hueco Mundo. He was indeed very interested in Inoue Orihime's power.

In the basement of Hueco Mundo.

Orochimaru looked at Inoue Orihime, whose face was full of panic and unease, stuck out his tongue and licked the corner of his mouth, which frightened the girl so much that she curled up into a ball and huddled in the corner.

Orochimaru's abduction of Inoue Orihime naturally caught the attention of Kurosaki Ichigo. This fearless guy picked up his Zanpakuto and, with the help of White Zetsu under Urahara Kisuke, stormed into Hueco Mundo!

Hueco Mundo.

Inside Aizen's secret chamber.

At this moment, Aizen Sousuke had just summoned Black Zetsu and fused with Black Zetsu's power, and was still feeling the enhanced body and spiritual power after Black Zetsu possessed him.

Aizen Sousuke ordered Ulquiorra and Orochimaru's subordinate Neriel to stay behind at Las Noches, and personally invited Orochimaru to lead the Arrancar army to Soul Society to face this final battle of the century!

Hurry, hurry, hurry!

(End of this chapter)