Looking at Zaraki Kenpachi, who had just declared war on him, Naraku Sora raised an eyebrow, realizing that the guy's current state seemed a bit too excited.
Even Yachiru, who was clinging to his back, sensed something and kept urging him, "Go get him, Sora, beat Ken-chan up good."
Naraku Sora shot her a sidelong glance, completely unsure whose side this little loli was actually on.
Why did she seem so eager to see Zaraki Kenpachi get beaten up?
The spectating squad members had turned into bloodthirsty spectators, shouting and cheering relentlessly.
They were filled with anticipation for the upcoming battle.
Seeing this, Naraku Sora grinned, revealing a matching smile. "Since that's your request, I'll reluctantly oblige."
He grabbed Yachiru from his shoulder and casually tossed her aside.
The little loli did a three-thousand-six-hundred-degree spin and landed flawlessly on Kakyo's shoulder. Then, pulling out a handful of konpeitō from who-knows-where, she offered, "Do you want some?"
Kakyo paused for a moment before nodding gladly.
Zaraki Kenpachi's small eyes were locked dead onto Naraku Sora's figure. His intense killing intent poured out recklessly, almost solidifying into something tangible and causing the surrounding air to freeze.
In an instant, a Spiritual Pressure even more terrifying than before erupted.
Such an exaggerated scene made Saitō Furōfushi, who had just managed to stand up, freeze in shock.
She had thought that was already the monster's full strength, but she never expected him to be this ferocious.
*Whose subordinate is this?*
Just then, a haori fluttered in the strong wind, revealing a sharply scrawled, knife-like "Eleven" to her eyes.
"Squad 11..."
Saitō took a deep breath, a smile resurfacing on her face.
"So he's the successor of that crazy woman."
After saying this, she seemed to suddenly remember something and looked around warily.
Only after confirming that the familiar figure was nowhere nearby did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
If one were to ask who was the strongest in the first-generation Gotei 13, it was undoubtedly Yamamoto Shigekuni.
But if one were to ask who Saitō feared the most, there was only one answer: the first-generation Captain of Squad 11, Unohana Yachiru.
In terms of threat level, that First Kenpachi was the one even the other first-generation captains dreaded.
Just as she was thinking this, the two figures collided solidly.
Zaraki Kenpachi left his chest wide open. Although his frame was relatively lean, he was incredibly powerful. Every swing of his blade set off a terrifying, tsunami-like shockwave.
Naraku Sora spread his arms, completely bare-handed, wearing a maniacal grin.
Facing Zaraki Kenpachi's slashes, he showed no fear whatsoever.
As the blade fell, Naraku Sora stepped forward and threw a punch.
Single Bone!
The tyrannical wind from the punch formed a visible shockwave, instantly tearing through the massive Spiritual Pressure.
Naraku Sora met the bloodstained, jagged longsword head-on.
Like a moth darting into a flame.
"Die!!"
Zaraki Kenpachi gripped his sword with both hands and delivered an unreserved, overhead cleave straight down toward Naraku Sora's head.
Boom!!
Sword and fist collided, erupting in a deafening roar. The majestic impact spread outward in visible ripples like ocean waves, kicking up a howling gale that utterly pulverized the ground.
Feeling the clash of pure strength, the smile on Naraku Sora's face grew increasingly satisfied.
*This is the ultimate enjoyment that comes from a deathmatch.*
*Zaraki, you're not bad!*
As the muscles in his arm bulged, a sound like a tightening bowstring rang out. Abyssal power poured forth, surging entirely into the jagged longsword.
A flash of astonishment crossed Zaraki Kenpachi's eyes. Just as he was about to say something...
His entire body was instantly sent flying backward, plowing a massive, deep trench straight through the ground.
Seeing this, Saitō was dumbfounded.
She had thought Zaraki Kenpachi was ferocious enough, but compared to Naraku Sora, he seemed completely out of his league.
This guy didn't have a shred of humanity left in him.
*Just what kind of monsters are the Soul Reapers nowadays!*
Naraku Sora grinned, revealing stark white teeth. Intertwining black and red lightning danced across his body, and his black hair whipped wildly in the wind, making him look like a literal demon from Hell.
In the deep crater, Zaraki Kenpachi's body was covered in split wounds, dripping with blood.
Yet, not only did he feel no pain, but he excitedly gripped his jagged longsword and launched a counterattack.
Another unpretentious collision.
At such close range, Naraku Sora could clearly see the burning fighting spirit in Zaraki Kenpachi's eyes. His golden Spiritual Pressure seemed to dye his pupils, and his entire being underwent a distinct transformation.
"Has he completely unsealed himself?"
Sensing the power surging from his opponent grow even stronger, Naraku Sora was somewhat surprised.
Under his grueling training, Zaraki Kenpachi seemed to have completely broken free from his past restraints, revealing his true self.
*Then what comes next should be...*
Under absolute suppression, Zaraki Kenpachi's desire to grow stronger reached its absolute peak.
The next second.
Golden Spiritual Pressure shot into the sky, its berserk aura outlining the phantom of a skull.
Zaraki Kenpachi's smile reached the height of madness. Gripping his jagged longsword in a reverse hold, he recklessly squeezed out every last drop of his remaining stamina, launching a counterattack like a cornered beast fighting for its life:
"Drink, Nozarashi!"
At this moment, a radiant smile bloomed on Kusajishi Yachiru's face.
The originally jagged longsword transformed into an absurdly massive blade, bursting with dazzling light.
Zaraki Kenpachi gripped the blade with both hands and swung his arms in a horizontal slash. The Spiritual Pressure wrapped around Nozarashi surged instantly, kicking up a heaven-shaking hurricane from the flat ground.
The entire training ground was filled with his Spiritual Pressure.
Seeing this, Naraku Sora's eyes lit up. He pulled his right arm back as Kidō energy converged into a scorching torrent, erupting from his shoulder and generating a terrifying propulsion comparable to a rocket engine.
His fist tore through the air, instantly accelerating to an inconceivable speed.
Collision!
The scorching, incinerating wind let out a deafening howl as black and red lightning danced wildly, radiating in all directions.
The berserk impact acted like a heavy hammer, forcefully shattering Zaraki Kenpachi's offensive and bringing the mountain-heavy Nozarashi to a dead halt!
Time seemed to pause for a fraction of a second, everything coming to a standstill.
The very next instant.
A furious gale swept outward with the two of them at the epicenter. The earth quaked violently, and the pillar of golden Spiritual Pressure continuously crumbled under the strike.
When the dust finally settled, Zaraki Kenpachi stumbled on his feet. His towering body was battered and broken, looking as if he had been brutally trampled by a hundred Tauros.
There wasn't a single patch of intact flesh left on his entire body.
Even so, not a hint of pain could be seen on Zaraki Kenpachi's face. The exhilarated smile looked exceptionally ferocious on his brutal visage.
"Next time—"
"I'll definitely slaughter you..."
With those words, he crashed heavily to the ground, unable to rise again.
The exaggerated combat display left the spectating squad members stunned for a few seconds before they all erupted into cheers—
"Head Captain Naraku won!!"
"As expected of Lord Prison Warden!!"
"Commander, we adore you!!"
Amidst the cheers, Kusajishi Yachiru vanished from Kakyo's shoulder and instantly appeared beside Zaraki Kenpachi, giving him a quick check-up.
After confirming that he wouldn't die anytime soon, she grinned and gave a deep bow to Naraku Sora beside her.
"Thank you, Sora!"
Naraku Sora observed the pink-haired little loli in front of him. Reaching out to rub her soft hair, he suddenly remembered something.
If he remembered correctly, Kusajishi Yachiru was a part of Zaraki Kenpachi's Bankai.
If Zaraki Kenpachi wanted to continue growing stronger, then Kusajishi Yachiru was destined to disappear.
It would be a bit too much of a pity for such a cute little loli to just vanish like that.
But restricting Zaraki Kenpachi from getting stronger didn't seem very likely either.
*Is there a way to have the best of both worlds?*
Naraku Sora stroked his chin in thought. However, right at that moment, he caught sight of Kuchiki Kōga cheering in the crowd from the corner of his eye.
His eyes instantly lit up.
*I wonder if Muramasa has a solution.*
Soon, several squad members came up, skillfully lifting Zaraki Kenpachi and heading toward the Hell Hot Springs.
They had to go through this routine several times a day, so they were already used to it.
Naraku Sora, on the other hand, walked over to Kuchiki Kōga. Resting a hand on his good brother's shoulder, he pointed at Yachiru, who was playing with Kakyo, and gestured.
"Kōga, can you see anything?"
Kuchiki Kōga paused for a moment before widening his eyes to look.
However, he had already been infected by a certain someone's meme, and what little intelligence he had left was almost completely gone.
After staring for a long time, he simply couldn't find anything unusual.
In the end, it was Muramasa who appeared to remind him, "It's a Zanpakutō. To be precise, it's the manifestation of a portion of a Zanpakutō's power."
Hearing this, Kuchiki Kōga's eyes widened.
"I wanted to ask if you have any way to let that guy Zaraki master his Bankai without making Yachiru disappear."
Muramasa pondered for a few seconds before shaking his head.
"Returning means becoming whole, and only by becoming whole can one master Bankai."
"This involves the very essence of a Zanpakutō. I am powerless to help."
Naraku Sora nodded, not dwelling on the matter.
Just because Muramasa didn't have a way didn't mean Aizen couldn't do it.
If Aizen couldn't solve it either, he still had Urahara Pal.
If Kisuke couldn't figure it out either, then he would just squeeze it out of him with an iron fist.
Surely, under the threat of death, Kisuke would definitely be able to burst forth with ten, or even nine, tenths of his intellect.
After three days of grueling research, Aizen and the others finally finalized a plan and produced the corresponding results.
Artificial Soul Potion No. 1.
A massive amount of Spiritual Pressure was injected into it using Artificial Soul technology. After drinking it, one would temporarily possess a reserve of Spiritual Pressure that didn't belong to them.
Because the volume was too massive to adapt to instantly, it wasn't suitable for use in combat.
But if it were used for self-destruction, it could certainly enhance the explosive power.
Under everyone's expectant gazes, Naraku Sora pulled the wooden stopper and downed the potion in one gulp.
"Oh ho, I'm all fired up!"
Feeling the instantly swelling Spiritual Pressure, Naraku Sora didn't hesitate. He directly activated his exclusive Kidō on the nervous pink-haired female brat.
"Rinne Tensei Technique."
An intense green light erupted, instantly enveloping her petite body.
Naraku Sora felt the surplus Spiritual Pressure drain away like flowing water, quickly hitting rock bottom.
When the light symbolizing life faded, a brand-new Saitō Furōfushi reappeared in everyone's sight.
She looked at her hands in disbelief, her voice trembling slightly.
"It's actually real..."
Ignoring the mesmerized Saitō, Naraku Sora took another potion handed to him by Aizen and downed it in one gulp, the familiar swelling sensation returning.
The one resurrected this time was Katori Batsu'unsai.
When intense vitality appeared in her body, Katori Batsu'unsai could no longer maintain her usual composure, a flush of excitement rising on her face.
"Lord Naraku, thank you..."
"Ho, just saying thanks like that lacks sincerity."
Naraku Sora crossed his arms over his chest and casually remarked.
Surprisingly, however, Katori Batsu'unsai fell deep in thought.
"I understand."
As if making up her mind, she pressed her hands in front of her, walked straight up to Naraku Sora, closed her eyes, and gently pressed her lips against his cheek.
Feeling the soft warmth on his cheek, Naraku Sora couldn't help but freeze in place.
Seeing this, Saitō Furōfushi was completely dumbfounded, extending a trembling hand.
"Batsu'unsai, you..."
Having done this, Katori Batsu'unsai smiled gently, gave a slight bow, and then fled the scene as if escaping.
Naraku Sora also snapped back to reality. Grinning, he looked at the stubborn female brat.
"Your turn!"
Saitō's face turned beet red as she shouted loudly, "Don't even think about it! How could I possibly do something so indecent, you scumbag Naraku!"
After the female brat vented furiously, she seemed unable to bear the strange gazes of the others and immediately fled in a panic.