Death: Starting as the Guardian of Avici Hell

It was as if flesh and blood had been stripped away in an instant, and all life had vanished!

Only now did Naraku Sora truly realize the gap between the two of them.

It's like an abyss.

"very nice."

Unohana Retsu suddenly spoke, and in an instant, the illusion dissipated, and the Fourth Division Captain, loved and respected by countless people, returned.

As one of the most senior captains in the Gotei 13, she has seen countless geniuses, including some who mastered Bankai right after graduation.

There are even monsters who know absolutely nothing about swordsmanship and slashing techniques, yet somehow manage to defeat her in battle.

But only twice did something truly stir her heart.

The boy in front of me was undoubtedly one of them.

Unlike monsters that start at max level, they subconsciously seal themselves away in order to enjoy the thrill of battle.

Naraku is more like an extreme leap from zero to one.

If someone had told her yesterday that someone could leap from basic kendo to grasp the essence of kendo, she would have scoffed at it.

Even after witnessing all of this today, it still feels completely...

Arabian Nights!

The perfect replication of the subtle changes in the sword stance, the perfect use and control of spiritual pressure—it's incredible that someone could accomplish all of this in such a short time.

It took her a full month to progress from basic slashing techniques to true swordsmanship, yet even so, her teacher still called her a once-in-a-millennium genius in Soul Society.

Later, the name Yachiryu was established on this basis.

Now, she has met someone with even greater talent in swordsmanship than herself, and she finally understands the way those people looked at her.

That enormous gap, like an insurmountable chasm, cannot be bridged by time and hard work.

"It's even better than I expected."

Unohana Retsu smiled and looked over: "Could you share your insights or experiences while comprehending the way of the sword?"

Naraku Sora grinned: "Of course, it's instinct!"

Upon hearing this answer, Retsu Unohana's smile froze on her face, and her eyes widened slightly.

After a long while, she took a deep breath, as if suppressing some kind of emotion:

"Naraku-kun, you remind me of some unpleasant memories."

"Therefore, the following discussion on kendo may be somewhat influenced by personal emotions, and I hope you are prepared for that."

Nai Luo Kong: "?"

Without even a moment's instinctive mourning for Naraku, the one who immediately rushed to the dojo was—

There are eight thousand flowers of Mao!

……

……

The entrance to the Fifth Division barracks.

When the gatekeeper, Death, saw a boy covered in wounds and with a bruised and swollen face approaching him, he dared not be negligent in the slightest and hurriedly went to him.

"Hello, do you need me to take you to the multi-aid center? You don't look well."

"Thank you, I just came from over there," Naraku Sora said politely, though her words were somewhat indistinct.

The gatekeeper, Death: "?"

What exactly did this child go through?

Even after being treated by the Fourth Division, he still looked half-dead.

Before treatment, wouldn't he have been left with only a breath left?

Ignoring the man's wild imagination, Naraku shook his head and said seriously:

"I actually came to see Sousuke. Your squad should have someone like that, right?"

The gatekeeper, Death, thought for a moment and then suddenly realized:

"Is that the newly appointed head of the council, Lord Aizen?"

"Please come with me. Lord Aizen is currently in the office processing some documents."

As he spoke, he walked towards the barracks.

Naraku was stunned for a moment, then strode after him.

Upon arriving at the duty room, the gatekeeper, Death, pointed to the figure working at a desk in the spacious room before leaving.

Upon entering the house, Naraku looked around at the scene before him.

Just as he had predicted, Aizen was targeted and ostracized in the Fifth Division.

The mountain of documents was enough to make one's eyes dizzy and one's head itch with an unbearable urge, not to mention the utterly humiliating sign standing on the desk—

The Dragon of Documents!

Noticing a dark figure appear in front of him, Aizen looked up and, upon recognizing the person, instinctively reached to cover the standee on the table.

But it was too late.

"Tsk, the Dragon of Documents." Someone said in an irritating tone, "As expected of Sousuke!"

Although this was a unanimous recognition of his achievements from the captain down to the members of the team, for some reason, when this guy in front of him saw it, he suddenly felt a strange sense of shame.

I should have refused Hirako Shinji's suggestion.

Aizen silently pushed the standee aside, using the mountain of documents to cover it, and calmly glanced at Naraku Sora, frowning slightly.

"How did you get beaten up like this?"

Upon hearing this, Naraku sighed, pulled over a chair, and carefully sat down, avoiding the marks on his buttocks.

"The child has no mother; it's a long story."

To make a long story short...

"He was beaten up by a crazy woman."

Aizen understood immediately; it must have been that foul mouth that offended a Captain-level Shinigami, and then the Captain bullied him and beat him up.

"Let's not talk about things that make you happy, Sousuke. How's the investigation I asked you to do going?"

Naraku Sora released a soundproof barrier with his backhand, enveloping the two of them, and grinned.

"Have you found the mastermind behind this?"

After the disaster that occurred at the Araki family's residence, although the First Division ordered a strict ban on discussing related matters, the commotion was too great and too many people witnessed it, making it impossible to control.

Therefore, although no one talks about it on the surface, everyone knows that a huge change has occurred in the Araki family.

Hearing Naraku Sora's words, Aizen lowered his gaze and said in a low voice:

"It might be related to the five noble families..."

Chapter 30 There's Only One Truth (Please Read On and Vote!)

"According to my investigation, the Araki family, a noble family, declined a hundred years ago, and the huge family can't even find a single person who can become a Grim Reaper."

Aizen's expression turned serious.

Although it was a bit too early for him to make contact with the five great noble families according to his plan, he could use Naraku Sora as a springboard to test the deep foundation of those great noble families.

This will prepare for the next step of the plan.

But what would his reaction be if he found out that I was using him?

He probably looked betrayed and incredulous.

Aizen subconsciously conjured up an image of someone angrily drawing their sword, writhing in unbearable pain, and his gaze became somewhat complicated.

Although Naraku Sora is a bit abnormal, he has always been completely open and honest when it comes to friendship.

Put yourself in their shoes. If this guy had been faking it all along, and then suddenly chose to betray you at the crucial moment, how would you feel?

It will probably be completely swallowed up by that biting cold.

Thinking of this, Aizen frowned, feeling inexplicably irritated, and took a deep breath:

"But fifty years ago, the Araki family, which was on the verge of complete ruin, recruited a group of Shinigami from somewhere, Shinigami who had never been registered in Seireitei."

Such things are common among the nobility.

"With their help, the Araki family rose again, regaining its former glory in just a few decades, and even making further progress."

Naraku Sora looked thoughtful: "I feel like I've heard of this situation somewhere before."

Aizen glanced at him with some surprise. He hadn't expected that Naraku, a newcomer who had just joined the party, would know such a secret. It seemed that his status in the Central Prison was not bad.

"I've got it!" Naraku slammed his fist down, suddenly realizing, "It's those criminals from the True Central Prison who were released early!"

Every so often, the 46th Chamber would issue orders to release some good-behaved criminals ahead of schedule.

Because of their past misdeeds, they are not included in organizations such as the Gotei 13 or the Kidoshu, and are usually recruited by nobles.

This is the normal procedure.

Some criminals who did not conform to the rules at all were released early, and this group usually consisted of members of the nobility or grim reapers who had made some kind of cooperation with the nobility.

As far as Shutara Senjumaru was concerned, since it was an order from the 46th Chamber, there must be a reason behind it.

She usually doesn't bother with things unless they affect her interests.

In her eyes, the biggest function of the Shin-O Prison was to provide research materials.

Instead of racking your brains to manage this sieve-like organization, it would be better to spend more time studying Naraku Sora and his physical and spiritual structure.

Just like when Araki Makoto brazenly barged into the detention room of the Shinigami Prison, Shutara Senjumaru had no intention of meddling in other people's business.

If Naraku Sora hadn't recklessly charged forward, Araki Makoto wouldn't have been imprisoned in the underground prison.

Aizen nodded: "But it's not the Central Prison, it's the Nest of Maggots."