"Senior, let's stop here for today. There is a lot of division business that needs urgent attention."
With a click, the office door opened and Aizen stepped out.
Ren followed close behind, seeing his junior off.
"Hirako Shinji too... He saw that you weren't a good person, yet he still dared to hand over the division's affairs to you."
"You're being a bit harsh, Senior. I am an excellent subordinate. I keep the division's trivial matters perfectly organized. Captain Hirako trusts me deeply."
Aizen smiled as he spoke. Ren's face was speechless. No matter how he looked at that smile, it felt eerie.
Aizen's excellence was beyond doubt. Within the Gotei 13, he was known as the 'Dragon of Documents.' If one only looked at the surface, his gentle nature, politeness, and charity made him appear to be a truly good man.
But Ren knew Aizen's true nature inside and out.
Even Shinji Hirako could vaguely sense that Aizen's essence was anything but kind.
As for trust?
'Sousuke, are you sure you aren't talking in your sleep?'
"Fine, say whatever you like. As long as you're happy."
Shisui, who had been guarding outside on high alert, saw Ren and Aizen walk out chatting and laughing, and he immediately felt a sense of relief.
Ren gave him a slow nod, and Shisui's tense nerves relaxed slightly.
Aizen's gaze swept over Shisui and landed on the other side of the doorway, where a young Ichimaru Gin was waiting.
Seeing Aizen come out, Ichimaru Gin hurriedly stuffed the dried persimmon in his hand into his mouth and swallowed it whole, his face returning to its usual smiling expression.
"Vice-Captain Aizen, you actually left me all alone. That's so cruel."
"Haha, sorry, Gin."
The light reflected off Aizen's glasses for a fleeting second. His scrutiny was buried deep beneath a gentle smile.
"Senior Ren called for me quite urgently, so I couldn't look after you."
"But you've caught up now, haven't you? I'm quite satisfied."
Ichimaru Gin walked to Aizen's side, acting as he always did—like a little shadow following Aizen.
"I had to keep up with Vice-Captain Aizen's pace. I didn't want to be left behind."
Looking at the obedient and sensible Ichimaru Gin, Ren raised an eyebrow. He stepped forward and placed his large hand on that head of silver hair.
"Gin... you really are a good kid."
Ichimaru Gin instinctively wanted to dodge, but he forced himself to stay put, letting the large hand ruffle his neatly kept hair into a mess.
When the large hand finally pulled away, Ichimaru Gin looked up. His squinted eyes stared at the tall figure before him, then flicked toward Aizen.
Aizen looked down from his height, his smile unchanged.
Ren looked at the deep-thinking child and thought of the young girl who shared a profound bond with Gin, sighing inwardly.
He remembered that the story of this prodigious boy and beautiful girl didn't have a happy ending.
Because of Aizen's machinations, the two were eventually separated by life and death.
'Sigh, a pair of star-crossed lovers.'
Turning to Aizen, Ren said softly, "Sousuke, why don't you hand Gin over to me? Nothing good will come of this kid staying under you anyway."
"Senior, please stop joking."
Aizen pushed up his glasses and gave a firm refusal.
"Gin is my excellent subordinate. I won't be giving him to you."
"I was just speaking my mind."
Ignoring Aizen's nonsense, Ren reached out his 'evil' hand toward Ichimaru Gin once more.
Gin was still trying to fix his messy hair. Seeing Ren's movement, he sighed in his heart and lowered his hands, letting the large hand wreak havoc on his head again.
"The texture is quite nice. What kind of conditioner do you use?" Ren asked casually.
"I only use water to wash my hair," Ichimaru Gin replied with a speechless expression. "Commander-General Shihoin, I feel like you're treating me like a toy."
"Don't make it sound so bad."
Having had his fill, Ren finally withdrew his hand.
Ichimaru Gin's originally smooth and silky hair was now a complete bird's nest, even messier than before.
"Sousuke isn't a good person. Life under him won't be easy."
"In the future, if you find you can't stay with him anymore, you can come to me. My door will always be open for you."
Aizen immediately spoke up, a hint of dissatisfaction in his gentle tone.
"Senior, I'm still standing right here."
"Who says such terrible things about someone right in front of them to their subordinate?"
"Sorry, Sousuke. I'll say it behind your back next time."
Ren chuckled inwardly as he saw the two out of the Onmitsukido. Watching their departing figures, he breathed a small sigh of relief.
Talking to someone like Aizen was exhausting. You had to stay sharp every second to avoid being led into a trap.
Fortunately, the result was decent.
Just as he turned around, Ren saw Shisui behind him with a look that said he wanted to speak.
"Shisui, if you have something to say, just say it."
"My Lord."
Shisui plucked up his courage, seemingly having made a firm decision, his face full of resolve.
"Actually... my hair texture is also very good. You can pat it as much as you like, My Lord."
With that, he lowered his head, adopting a posture of total surrender.
Hearing Shisui's determined words, Ren looked at the man before him. The sight of that slightly curly black hair made his eye twitch.
'So that look of absolute resolve... was just for this?'
"Shisui, are you serious?"
Looking at Shisui's behavior, Ren felt like he was seeing a puppy wagging its tail. The resemblance was uncanny.
"My Lord, I am very serious."
Shisui nodded heavily. As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt a large hand brush over his head.
Ren withdrew his hand, his voice tinged with helplessness.
"Are you satisfied now?"
"If you're satisfied, get back to work."
Shisui looked up. His black eyes sparkled with excitement. The corners of his mouth turned up, but he forced himself to suppress it and maintain a calm facade.
"Yes, My Lord!"
Ren could almost see a tail wagging frantically behind Shisui. The feeling of deja vu grew even stronger.
"Let's head back."
"My Lord, seeing your conversation and manner with Aizen after coming out... I assume today's meeting was productive..."
Walking along the stone path, Shisui glanced at Ren. He paused for a moment before daring to voice his concern.
"It's just that Aizen is extremely sinister. Isn't cooperating with him too dangerous for you?"
Ren nodded slightly, agreeing completely.
"Aizen is naturally a dangerous individual. I am well aware of that."
"It's just that I can't do without him yet, so I'm forced to cooperate."
If nothing else, Ren was still counting on Aizen to complete that half-finished Hogyoku in his possession.
At this thought, a slightly gloomy and despondent figure appeared in Ren's mind.
Urahara Kisuke!
Ren remembered clearly that Urahara Kisuke also had a Hogyoku. He wasn't sure if it was completed yet.
He would have to find time to ask him later and take the Hogyoku from his hands.
Seeing Ren go silent with a thoughtful look, Shisui ventured, "There's nothing wrong with cooperating for now. Once you've obtained what you want, My Lord, perhaps it would be best to kill Aizen to eliminate any future trouble."
Ren said softly, "Aizen is deep and his strength is not weak. Getting rid of him won't be easy. We must be perfectly prepared."
Even without Shisui mentioning it, that was exactly what he intended.
No matter how one looked at it, the ambitious Aizen was an obstacle on his path.
When an opportunity arose in the future, he would certainly have to be removed.
Returning to the office, Ren sat behind his desk. Shisui approached carrying a stack of documents.
"I didn't have time to report earlier since you were with Aizen."
"My Lord, this is the latest progress."
Ren took the files from Shisui and opened them one by one.
Shisui explained from the side, "Tekka has already brought those Five Kage to the Onmitsukido, and they are preparing to undergo training."
Ren nodded. "They are all excellent shinobi. With a bit of simple training, I imagine they'll integrate into the Onmitsukido quite quickly."
A flash of worry crossed Shisui's face. "The other four are fine, but the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki, is rather flighty. I fear he might cause trouble."
"Shisui, don't underestimate him."
The slightly comical image of Gengetsu Hozuki flashed through Ren's mind, and he shook his head lightly.
"To be honest, I quite like the little mustache guy."
"After all, he was a shinobi who rose to become a village Kage. His fundamental skills are very strong."
"I recall he implemented a policy of secrecy in the Hidden Mist. At the very least, he is trustworthy when it comes to information security."
"Understood."
Seeing Ren's stance, Shisui nodded and stopped dwelling on that point, moving on to the next matter.
"Regarding the Ninja World, Orochimaru is taking that disciple of his, Kabuto Yakushi, around to rob graves and summon powerful deceased shinobi."
"Of course, this is being done in secret, away from the eyes of the living. Our people have been staying by his side to collect the souls."
There were simply too many souls in the Pure Land. If they searched them out one by one, it would take a massive amount of effort.
It was better to leave it to Orochimaru. Letting him follow the clues was far more efficient than them fumbling around in the Pure Land.
Ren asked, "How many souls have been collected so far?"
"Considerable progress has been made."
Shisui opened his notebook and checked off the names.
"Currently we have already found the Second Kazekage and the Second Raikage, and of course... Uchiha Izuna."
"With Uchiha Izuna on our side, I imagine Uchiha Madara will also yield."
Ren nodded.
The abilities of the second generation Kage of the Five Great Villages were all excellent. Whether it was their personal strength or political savvy, they far exceeded the norm.
But what Ren valued even more were their exceptional research capabilities.
Tobirama Senju went without saying—a total master of forbidden jutsu. Reanimation, Flying Raijin, and Shadow Clones all came from him.
As for the other four: Gengetsu Hozuki used his unique traits to create the infinite explosions of Steam Imp; Mu was even more remarkable, developing the Particle Style, a Kekkei Tota, and even the ability to split his own body.
The Second Raikage created the Lightning Style Chakra Mode, an ultimate offense and defense, while the Second Kazekage researched Magnet Style and sealing jutsu based on the One-Tail, Shukaku.
One could only say they were all rare talents.
"There's no rush with Uchiha Izuna. Take it slow. With the Uchiha clan here, he'll come to our side eventually."
"Yes... and there's one more thing."
Shisui hesitated.
"Speak."
"Yes. It's about Black Zetsu, who claims to be Uchiha Madara's will..." Shisui said in a low voice. "Our people are monitoring him, but his nature is very special. I fear he might sense us."
"Just keep him under surveillance."
Hearing Ren's words, Shisui naturally understood his meaning.
From Ren's mouth, he already knew the true nature of Black Zetsu. He wasn't born from Uchiha Madara's will, but was the manifested will of the legendary Rabbit Goddess, born through her great power for the purpose of freeing her from her seal.
The millennium of turmoil in the Ninja World and the constant conflict between the Uchiha and Senju clans were inseparable from Black Zetsu's covert instigation.
As for why Ren allowed Black Zetsu to act freely, Shisui could guess a thing or two.
'A peaceful Ninja World cannot nurture the strong.'
'Only when Black Zetsu stirs up chaos and endless war can exceptional shinobi continue to appear...'
Regarding Ren's somewhat dark reasoning, Shisui didn't feel any pity for the tragic state of the Ninja World. He had long since severed all ties with it.
Now he had only one identity. He was not Shisui of the Uchiha, but Ren's subordinate.
Upon learning of Ren's thoughts, Shisui actually felt a strange, inexplicable surge of joy deep in his heart.
'The darkness in My Lord's heart... only I know! Only I am the most trusted!'
'And only I am the one who bears My Lord's dark side!'
This secret, which seemed to belong solely to him, made him feel a genuine sense of happiness from the bottom of his soul.
Straightening out his chaotic thoughts, Shisui continued, "In a few days, the Uchiha clan will formally execute Danzo and Itachi. Would you like to attend, My Lord?"
"No! Why would I waste my time watching that?"
Ren waved his hand, giving a flat refusal.
He had already handed the matter over to the Uchiha. How they handled it was their own business; he had little interest in it.
"Understood. I'll let the clan know," Shisui said.
Ren flipped through the documents in his hand page by page, reading carefully. When he reached the last page, his eyes lit up, and a joyful expression appeared on his face.
"The people in the Development Department have actually manufactured modern firearms!"
"Now this is good news!"
Seeing Ren's reaction, Shisui also seemed to share his joy.
"Yes, My Lord."
"Manufacturing guns and cannons is simple. Although those special warheads were troublesome, they were successfully researched."
"The warheads can be loaded with Kido up to level seventy. The experimental success rate is very high. As for Kido above level seventy, they are currently being tested. I believe results will be out soon."
"Once they pass the tests, they can be officially manufactured and then mass-produced. The strength of the army in the Underworld City will increase by a huge margin."
Ren listened to Shisui's report and read the documents over and over, unable to contain his delight.
Shisui was right. As long as these weapons could be deployed, he could completely take control of the Seireitei with the troops in the Underworld City!
Ren's heart stirred, and he suddenly asked, "What about those suits of armor?"
Shisui said, "The experiments to carve barriers onto the armor are still ongoing. We have the initial results now."
"However, the current barrier armor is still too bulky. Soldiers lose their flexibility when wearing it. The Development Department is currently working on reducing the weight."
Ren nodded. Just as he was about to say something, a sudden commotion came from outside.
This was the headquarters of the Onmitsukido. Even Yamamoto Shigekuni wouldn't dare set foot here lightly, let alone cause such a scene.
Only one person came to Ren's mind who would dare to act so wildly here.
Shisui also guessed who it was and said softly, "My Lord, it should be Lady Yoruichi..."
The door opened a crack, and Guernica's figure appeared in the room. He knelt on one knee and said respectfully, "Report, My Lord. Lady Yoruichi has come looking for you."
As soon as the words fell, the door was kicked open.
Boom!
With a loud crash, the two doors slammed hard against the walls on either side.
A beautiful figure appeared at the door, her white haori fluttering.
Yoruichi slowly retracted her extended leg and crossed her arms over her chest, looking unfriendly. Her golden eyes reflected the figure sitting behind the desk.
A sharp cry rang through the room.
"Ren, you've got some nerve!"
"You didn't even come to see me first after coming back from outside! And here I was, always worrying about you!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]