Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

He paused, put the scroll away, and spoke with a hint of regret.

"But this method requires some time to prepare, and I cannot leave here in the short term."

"So, Sasuke-kun."

Aizen looked at Sasuke, his eyes flickering slightly, and raised his hand to indicate the exit of the corridor.

"During this time, you can do whatever you want to do."

"For example... to fulfill your so-called agreement."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and he asked in a deep voice, "Won't this affect your plans?"

"Influence?"

Aizen seemed to have heard an interesting word, a slight smile curving his lips. His voice was low, yet carried an undeniable confidence.

“Sasuke-kun, you seem to have some misunderstanding about me. My plan was never going to be ‘affected’ from the very beginning.”

"Just treat it like playing a game. Whether you successfully rescue her or fail and are hunted down by the entire Gotei 13..."

"No matter what the final outcome is, it will have no impact on me."

"All the outcomes were already within my expectations."

Chapter 114 Scatter—Senbonzakura

Sasuke had barely stepped out of the Purification Tower Forest when, before he could fully digest that "history," an unexpected change occurred.

hum-

A soft buzzing sound spread like ripples across the sky above Seireitei.

Immediately afterwards, several "Hell Butterflies" emitting purple light soared into the sky and scattered towards the various divisions of the Gotei 13.

Sasuke abruptly stopped, slowly raised his head, and his eyes narrowed instantly.

He recognized the butterfly.

That was the medium used to transmit emergency edicts throughout the entire Seireitei.

A moment later, a cold voice, transmitted through some kind of demonic path, echoed clearly in every corner of Seireitei.

"Final Edict from the Central 46th Bureau—"

"Sinner, Kuchiki Rukia's 'Double Strike' execution, time brought forward."

"It will be officially implemented at noon tomorrow."

These words, like a thunderclap, resounded in the ears of all the Grim Reapers within Seireitei.

Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply, and his face showed undisguised astonishment.

Moved to tomorrow?!

He immediately realized that this was Aizen's action.

This man had just told me that he "needed some time to prepare," and then immediately compressed the execution time to such a short amount.

why?

Sasuke's brows furrowed tightly.

This approach makes no sense.

This is no longer confidence, but a provocation bordering on arrogance.

It's like... eagerly wanting to tell everyone "I have a problem here".

"..."

What exactly is Aizen plotting?

But now, there's no time to think about these things anymore.

Without further hesitation, he blurred into a black afterimage and sped off towards the Palace of Repentance.

Whatever Aizen's purpose may be, he doesn't have much time left.

Meanwhile, in a quiet room of the Palace of Repentance.

Kuchiki Byakuya knelt quietly alone on the wooden floor, holding an unsheathed Zanpakuto in his hand.

When the decree descended from the sky, his face remained expressionless, just as usual.

However, the knuckles of the hand gripping the hilt of the knife were slightly white.

"...Tomorrow, at noon?"

He murmured softly, his eyes surging with intense emotions.

He recalled his wife Hishin's dying wish from many years ago.

Please... you must find my sister, Rukia, and protect her.

I remembered the vow I made at my parents' gravestone.

I will always... abide by the rules...

Now, the time has come to make a decision.

"Hijin..."

Kuchiki Byakuya slowly closed his eyes, his voice filled with unbearable pain.

What should I do?

……

On the white path leading to the Palace of Repentance, Sasuke's figure moved between the eaves and walls, his heart stirred by the sudden decree.

He still couldn't see through Aizen's intentions.

But one thing is certain: because the execution is being carried out earlier, the guards will inevitably be tighter, which greatly increases the difficulty of this rescue operation.

Although Aizen said that his actions would not have any impact on Rukia, it meant that Rukia was already destined to be safe.

But Sasuke still wanted to try and see if he could rescue her himself.

Just as he reached a relatively secluded rooftop, a voice humming an off-key tune came from ahead without warning.

Sasuke paused subconsciously and slowly raised his head.

Not far ahead, on the rooftop, Kusajishi Yachiru's petite pink figure was hopping and skipping toward him.

Behind her, Kenpachi Zaraki's massive body was being dragged along like a giant doll, bouncing on the roof with each leap, creating a comical scene.

"Oh? It's Xiao Zuo!"

Yachiru also noticed him, immediately stopped in her tracks, and with a "bang," jumped heavily in front of him.

Sasuke glanced at the unconscious figure behind her, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

"What is he doing...?"

Sasuke pointed at Kenpachi, "Who defeated you this time?"

"Ok?"

When Yachiru heard this question, her eyes curved into a cute crescent moon, as if she had remembered something happy.

"It's Xiao Yi with the orange-head hairstyle!"

She stretched out her small hand and gestured in the air, "His spiritual pressure suddenly became incredibly strong! Then, with a 'bang,' the two of them collapsed together!"

"..."

Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply the moment he heard the answer.

impossible.

How could that idiot Ichigo Kurosaki possibly defeat Kenpachi Zaraki?

It's impossible that he's only just learned the initial release.

He only managed to survive that battle after he used his Bankai and the power of restraint.

And that guy with the orange haircut was just a half-baked guy who hadn't even recovered his Grim Reaper powers a few days ago.

"Are you talking about Kurosaki Ichigo?" Sasuke's voice was serious.

"Yes, yes!"

Yachiru nodded emphatically, a matter-of-fact expression on her face. "Little One is super strong! He fought with Little Sword with such loud 'bang bang bang' sounds, it was even more fun than with Little Sasuke!"

Sasuke fell completely silent, his face turning grim.

Is the thing hidden inside that guy really that powerful?!

This thought kept him from calming down for a long time.

"Okay, okay, let's not talk about this anymore."

Yachiru seemed completely oblivious to Sasuke's strange behavior. She retied Kenpachi's tattered haori, making it into a makeshift slipper, and then stuffed Kenpachi's head inside.

"Xiao Jian will be hungry when he wakes up, I need to hurry and drag him back to eat some konpeito."

She waved her little hand at Sasuke, her face still bearing that innocent and carefree smile, "Goodbye, Sasuke! Come visit me again next time!"

After saying that, she didn't linger and skipped away, disappearing at the end of the white road, leaving behind only a series of comical "bang, bang, bang" sounds.

"......idiot."

Sasuke muttered to himself, unsure whether he was talking about Ichigo or himself.

He then calmed himself down and stopped thinking about those incomprehensible things.

According to Yachiru, Ichigo Kurosaki should be somewhere nearby.

But the closer one gets to the top of the Palace of Repentance, the more deathly silent it becomes; apart from the sound of the wind, there is no trace of any fighting.

Pity.

Sasuke sighed inwardly.

I originally wanted to see with my own eyes how that idiot managed to fight Kenpachi to the point of mutual destruction.