"Squad Member Aizen, are you in your right mind?"
Seeing that Aizen didn't look like he was joking, Naraku Sora couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of exasperation.
What did he mean, 'I'm going too'?
Did he really think this was some place to play house?
The Soul King Palace wasn't Hueco Mundo, where there were only a handful of strays and the two of them could just steamroll through as brothers.
Any single one of those old fogeys from the Zero Division would be enough to give them a run for their money.
Not to mention there was a living fossil who had existed for over a million years.
Aizen's expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, "I am perfectly lucid, and I know exactly what I am saying."
Sucking in a breath, Sora said, "Sōsuke, it's not that I don't want you to go, it's just that your status isn't quite suitable for it."
Sora's face was twisted in conflict as he tried to find a perfect excuse to reject this request.
He couldn't exactly say, *'You have a great evil lurking in your personality, and if the Zero Division finds out, you're dead meat,'* could he?
Though strictly speaking, Aizen had only conducted a few taboo research projects.
Like dissecting rogue Soul Reaper captains, experimenting with soul boundaries, analyzing Hell...
While in the eyes of others, this would be considered heretical and unforgivably evil.
But if they were really going by Soul Society's laws, all of that combined wasn't as severe as him slaughtering the Tsunayashiro clan.
Looking at it that way, it seemed the true great evil wasn't Aizen, but him, Sora?!
Sora's pupils trembled, and his internal conflict deepened.
If this trip was meant to be a reckoning, then he absolutely couldn't let Aizen tag along.
If he died alone, so be it. What was there to fear?
But dragging his adopted son down with him would be way too much of a loss.
"..." Aizen said nothing.
Although this guy didn't say anything, judging by his shifty gaze, he definitely wasn't thinking anything good.
*I'll make a note of this and settle the score with him once we return from the Soul King Palace,* Aizen thought.
"Haha, Sōsuke, it's not that I don't want to take you, it's just that we're leaving in such a hurry that there's no time to report the specifics to the Soul King Palace. You know that's the upper realm, after all; communication is very troublesome..."
In his panic, Sora finally came up with a suitable excuse.
Aizen didn't bat an eye. "It doesn't matter. Just take me to see Shutara Senjumaru, and I will explain it to her personally."
"If it really isn't possible, then we'll drop it."
The conflicted look on Sora's face grew even more pronounced.
Truth be told, he didn't even know if he could add a last-minute passenger. If he agreed and it backfired, they'd be screwed.
Although he didn't know exactly why, his intuition told him that Aizen going up to the Soul King Palace would be far more dangerous than him going.
Subconsciously, he didn't want his good brother to take this risk with him.
If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have said anything.
He should have waited until he came back to brag to Aizen.
A miscalculation.
As if seeing through a certain someone's thoughts, Aizen said lightly, "If you don't discuss such a serious matter with me in advance, it only proves that a rift has formed in the trust between us."
"The consequences of that might be even more severe."
"..." Sora was speechless.
*When did he learn mind reading?*
"I don't possess an absurd ability like mind reading," Aizen explained calmly.
"Even Kōga's Muramasa can only read the memories of others."
"Guessing your thoughts doesn't require that kind of ability."
Sora: "?"
Inside the laboratory, Senjumaru looked in surprise at the polite, elegant young man standing before her.
She had a deep impression of Aizen.
Aside from his outstanding spiritual power talent, he also possessed incredible scientific research capabilities, often getting together with Kurotsuchi Mayuri and the others to study various inventions and technologies.
Even the renovations to the squad barracks were based on blueprints provided by Aizen.
However.
As smart as she was, she still couldn't quite understand how Aizen had ended up hanging out with her silly boy. The two of them had completely opposite personalities.
Could this be what they called complementing each other?
"Miss Shutara, the situation is like this. Because of Naraku's unintentional boasting, I learned of an opportunity to travel to the Soul King Palace."
Aizen's expression was incredibly amiable, like an innocent, harmless youth.
"I figured this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which is why I made such a presumptuous request."
"I hope Miss Shutara can understand."
Her evaluating gaze swept over the two of them, and she happened to notice Sora standing in the back, winking at her so frantically his eyelids were about to generate a breeze.
A beautiful arc formed at the corner of Shutara Senjumaru's mouth, as if she had discovered something amusing.
"This isn't something I can decide."
"Whether or not you can go to the Soul King Palace will have to be asked of the leader of the Zero Division."
Hearing this, Sora's suspended heart finally settled.
It was said that there were seventy-two layers of impenetrable barriers between the Soul Society and the Soul King Palace. The distance was absurdly far, and ordinary communication methods would take three days and three nights to get through.
*This is in the bag.*
Then, he watched as Senjumaru operated the equipment behind her for a moment, and soon, a deep, resonant voice rang out.
"Great Weaver, is there an urgent matter?"
"It's like this." Shutara Senjumaru relayed Aizen's request.
The other end of the communicator fell silent.
A moment later, a hearty laugh echoed. "Haha, another junior Soul Reaper who admires the Soul King Palace? Aizen Sōsuke, that's a very nice name."
"For the sake of that name, I agree!"
Sora: "?"
*What kind of crude approval method is this?*
Aizen was also a bit silent. He hadn't expected that the first thing to be recognized wouldn't be his personal abilities, but rather his seemingly ordinary name.
However, considering the other party was Ichibē Hyōsube, the man who named everything in the Soul Society, this kind of approval actually made sense.
"That guy thinks highly of you, Mr. Aizen," Senjumaru praised.
Perhaps by extension of her affection for him, she also found Sora's friend quite pleasing to the eye.
"Don't forget to gather at the Shiba clan's estate when the time comes."
Dropping that sentence, Senjumaru chased the two of them out of the laboratory.
District 6, Noble Street.
Unlike the other low-key Four Great Noble Clans, although the Shiba clan's residence looked a bit dilapidated, its style was extremely prominent.
In front of the ancient mansion, a massive stone stele towered into the clouds, bearing the bright and clear characters for "Shiba," as if afraid others wouldn't know this was the estate of one of the Five Great Noble Clans.
It was worth mentioning that although the Shiba clan currently appeared a bit more down-and-out compared to the Shihōin and Kuchiki clans, they were still a hundred times better off than the Tsunayashiro clan.
Therefore, they still held the title of nobility, and minor nobles would occasionally come to visit.
Their days were clearly much more comfortable than before the Tsunayashiro clan's downfall.
Welcoming Naraku Sora and the others was a middle-aged man named Shiba Mokua, accompanied by a young boy who didn't look very old but had an extremely composed expression.
He seemed even younger than Sora, not even at the age to attend the academy.
Considering that Soul Reapers couldn't be judged by their appearance, Sora had reason to suspect this was some hidden old monster of the Shiba clan.
Maybe he was even older than Yamamoto and just looked young.
"Lord Shutara, Prison Warden Naraku, Captain Ukitake, and this..."
Seeing one more person than mentioned in the intelligence report, Shiba Mokua paused.
"He is the 3rd Seat of Squad 5, Aizen. He received permission from Lord Ichibē Hyōsube to accompany us to the Soul King Palace."
The good-natured Ukitake Jūshirō introduced him with a smile.
He had dealt with Shiba Mokua many times, so the two were quite familiar, making their interaction much more relaxed.
Shiba Mokua realized, "Haha, I see. 3rd Seat Aizen sure has good luck."
"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce him. This kid is named Shiba Isshin. He's the heir of the branch family for this generation. Because his spiritual power talent is quite good, we're having him observe the ceremony."
"To prepare him for learning the family's secret arts later on."
Hearing this, Sora revealed a surprised expression, looking in astonishment at the boy who was half a head shorter than him.
*This kid, who is as composed as Aizen, is actually the future father of Kurosaki Ichigo?*
He was completely different from the image in his memories.
*Just what kind of trauma did he suffer to turn into that cynical, playful guy later on?*
Noticing Sora's surprise, Aizen lowered his gaze, a bit more curiosity entering his eyes as he looked at Shiba Isshin.
*For a certain someone to pay so much attention to him, is there something miraculous about this boy?*
Unlike other nobles, the Shiba clan, despite being one of the Five Great Noble Clans, had a dwindling population. Even the branch family only had a few strays left.
Therefore, Shiba Mokua cared deeply about Shiba Isshin, who hailed from the branch family.
Even when it came to secret arts that only the main family could learn, he wasn't stingy in the slightest.
Judging by the level of importance he placed on him, it seemed he was grooming Shiba Isshin to become the family head.
Led by Shiba Mokua, the group arrived at the inner courtyard.
What greeted their eyes was a pitch-black cannon barrel towering into the clouds, exuding a heavy majesty.
Sora looked surprised.
This was his first time seeing such an exaggerated contraption.
Although he had similar images in his memories, seeing it in reality was a completely different matter.
Aizen fell silent. Considering his persona, he couldn't exactly maintain his calm demeanor either.
He could only mimic Sora's expression and feign surprise.
Even now, he still didn't know exactly how they were going to travel to the Soul King Palace.
But upon seeing this cannon barrel, a rather bad premonition had already formed in his heart.
*Let's hope it's not what I think it is.*
"This is the Hanatsuru Cannon, a spiritual tool specifically designed to launch the Tenchūren," Shiba Mokua introduced. "And the Tenchūren is the vehicle you all will be riding in. It can break through the barriers and go straight to the Soul King Palace."
"..." Aizen was speechless.
*Is it too late for me to back out now?*
Sitting inside a cannon and being launched out... The person who invented this method of transportation probably had the same level of brainpower as Naraku Sora, didn't they?
Soon, under Shiba Mokua's operation, the Tenchūren rose from underground. As the hatch opened, the group filed inside.
The interior space was actually quite spacious.
Sora surveyed his surroundings. Although it was pitch-black, it wasn't crowded at all.
Shutara Senjumaru quietly stood beside him, her slender hands resting on his sturdy shoulders.
"Isshin, watch closely and learn well."
On the artillery platform, Shiba Mokua instructed with a serious face. He then began to form hand seals. Surging spiritual pressure was injected into the ground beneath his feet, and intricate patterns lit up on the Hanatsuru Cannon.
Shiba Isshin's expression was earnest as he meticulously stared at his uncle's movements, memorizing everything.
*Boom—*
Amidst a deafening roar, the Tenchūren shot out of the cannon barrel, heading straight for the sky!
Squad 1 Barracks, Courtyard.
Yamamoto stood under the eaves, looking up at the pillar trailing a tail of flames. A trace of solemnity flashed through his half-closed eyes.
*I hope everything goes smoothly on this trip...*
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