"Wait, that Reiatsu seems to belong to the Head Captain, right?"
"When did Old Man Yama run off to the Dangai? Oh ho, they're fighting!"
"So energetic. Ever since Sora's strength increased, Sensei has clearly become much more lively than before."
"I don't know if it's just my imagination, but Lord Genryūsai's Reiatsu seems a bit stronger than before."
In the courtyard, the Captains looked up at the dissipating vortex in the sky, genuine smiles appearing on their faces.
As for Kuchiki Ginrei's speculation, the others didn't take it to heart.
Aside from a few veterans, the remaining Captains hadn't been in office for very long, so they weren't entirely clear on Yamamoto's true strength.
But Naraku Sora was someone they had watched grow stronger step by step.
His growth rate was absurd. Looking through the Soul Society's records over the past few millennia, one couldn't find a Soul Reaper as monstrous as him.
Normally, a newly enlisted Soul Reaper who could be promoted to a seated officer within ten years was already considered a minor genius. Those who mastered their Shikai during their enlistment were basically the mainstays of the Seireitei.
As for Soul Reapers who learned Bankai, they were powerful existences worthy of being recorded in the annals of the Soul Society. It was a symbol of glory.
In contrast, Naraku Sora had already displayed outstanding talent during his academy days. Upon graduation, he exhibited the Reiatsu of a high-ranking seated officer, making him an absolute genius.
But this achievement, compared to his performance after joining the squads, was like comparing a firefly to the bright moon. There was simply no comparison.
In just a few short years, he not only became one of the few high-ranking officials in the Soul Society's institutions but also successfully mastered Bankai.
Now, under the watchful eyes of countless people, he obliterated the Valley of Screams with a single strike, becoming a hero who saved the Soul Society and the World of the Living, an idol admired by all Soul Reapers.
Such a life was even more exaggerated than Yamamoto's past.
The seated officers responsible for recording history would definitely leave a heavy and colorful mark for him.
Perhaps in the near future, Naraku Sora's name would also appear in the textbooks of the Spiritual Arts Academy.
Feeling the scorching Reiatsu faintly transmitting from the vortex, Kyōraku Shunsui adjusted the straw hat on his head, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
*'How nice.'*
*'If it weren't for Sora, perhaps these unbearable torments would have fallen on me.'*
*'Speaking of which, junior martial brother doesn't seem to be very good at handling paperwork, does he?'*
*'But does a Head Captain really need to do all that?'*
Kyōraku Shunsui subconsciously recalled his teacher's daily work. He always seemed to be very busy, like a spinning top that would never stop. Spinning endlessly.
*'No, no, I have to think of a way.'*
*'Even if he doesn't like handling paperwork, he needs to have someone around who is good at these things. Just like little Lisa.'*
In order to live a wonderful, slacker life in the future, Kyōraku Shunsui decided to make a sacrifice now.
Thinking of this, his gaze became a bit firmer. After greeting Ukitake Jūshirō, he headed in the direction of the Shino Prison.
Senna hid behind cover, trembling as she looked in horror at the two demon-like figures in the sky.
Could someone tell her why the Head Captain of the Gotei 13 was here?
Why was he fighting Lord Naraku?
Also, wasn't it said that Head Captain Yamamoto was the strongest Soul Reaper in the Soul Society for the past thousand years?
Why did she feel like these two were on the same level!
A flaming blade sent Naraku Sora flying. Surging heatwaves roared beneath the sky, rapidly evaporating the moisture in the atmosphere as the temperature climbed rapidly, seemingly without limit.
Scorching explosive flames fell, transforming into a pillar of fire that shot straight into the sky, completely enveloping Naraku Sora.
No one would believe that this strike didn't carry a bit of personal grudge.
Yamamoto glanced at the crumbling earth nearby, then at his almost completely unharmed rebellious disciple. While feeling a bit helpless, he also felt a trace of imperceptible gratification.
The brat who couldn't even withstand a single punch from him back then could now fight him head-on.
Being able to teach such a disciple made his life worthwhile.
However, to inherit his position, there were still many things he needed to learn!
Yamamoto opened his eyes, a golden-red fiery light flashing through his pupils.
The moment Ryūjin Jakka fell, another Taimatsu erupted from the ground. The howling fire tornado transformed into a natural disaster, surging forward with mighty momentum.
Without any hesitation, another slash fell, followed closely by Fortress of Blazing Fire. Blazing flames surrounded Naraku Sora, the terrifying high temperature constantly eroding his outer layer of Reiatsu.
After a few probing attacks just now, Yamamoto had temporarily determined his rebellious disciple's strength level. Therefore, he didn't hold back at all when attacking, specifically aiming to beat him mercilessly.
"Flames of Hell!"
Just as Naraku Sora braved the scorching heat and forcefully tore apart the Taimatsu, the strongest crowd-control move descended before his eyes.
A terrifying, abyssal Reiatsu poured into the ground, causing countless hideous fissures to burst open, with golden-red magma flowing wildly within them.
In the next second, dozens of towering pillars of fire erupted straight into the clouds, dispelling the dim night sky and turning the Dangai battlefield into bright daylight.
"Ugh!"
Unable to dodge in time, Naraku Sora took a pillar of fire straight to the face. However, this terrifying attack, which would have killed or severely injured an ordinary Captain, failed to inflict any effective damage on him.
Even if his skin was charred black, it returned to normal in the blink of an eye.
At first, Yamamoto guessed that this powerful recovery ability might be some kind of innate talent.
There was no shortage of Soul Reapers with special talents.
He originally thought Naraku Sora was one of them, but looking at it now, what bullshit talent.
This was a Menos Grande's High-Speed Regeneration!
*'No wonder I always felt that the sensation of hitting him was weird, with an inexplicable sense of familiarity.'*
*'Now everything is clear.'*
*'That glossy skin is clearly a Menos Grande's Hierro.'*
After a brief suppression, the old man and the young man crashed into each other fiercely like meteorites.
The blades of Ryūjin Jakka and Vajrayati crossed, locked tightly together, sparking countless brilliant and dazzling sparks.
Majestic power vented wantonly, and the surging volcanoes even produced distorted patterns as a result.
Looking at Yamamoto across the blades, Naraku Sora smiled disdainfully and grinned.
"Head Captain, you're nothing much."
"?"
Seeing his idiotic disciple still full of energy, anger rose from Yamamoto's heart, and malice grew in his guts. While gripping the hilt with his right hand, he pulled his left arm back.
His terrifying muscles made a sound like a tightening bowstring, and the joints all over his body rubbed against each other. His already exaggerated arm circumference expanded another circle, highlighting the hideous scars on it.
A terrifying pressure like an erupting volcano followed.
Reiatsu lingered, and black and red intertwined arcs of lightning wrapped around his arm.
Seeing this, Naraku Sora's eyes instantly widened. Just as he was about to react, Yamamoto seized the initiative and threw a simple, unadorned punch straight forward.
"Black Flash Single Bone!"
*Crack.*
The sound of bones shattering rang out, and an irresistible, terrifying force surged forward like an overturning ocean.
In just one second, Naraku Sora streaked across the sky like a meteor, plowing a fissure several kilometers long through the fiery clouds that dyed the battlefield.
Finally, he crashed into the barren earth, kicking up a wave of dust that shot straight into the sky!
Looking at his masterpiece, Yamamoto blew the rising smoke off his fist, a hint of satisfaction appearing on his old face.
Although the final blow was a bit underhanded, that was just how battles were.
Yamamoto gauged the Reishi density in the air, then flew towards a more stable area. Having been away for so long, it was time to return to the Soul Society.
Before leaving, he seemingly unintentionally glanced at the cover on the edge of the battlefield.
The condition of that young female Soul Reaper seemed a bit abnormal.
*'Forget it, I won't bother with it.'*
*'Since that brat found her, I'll leave it to him to handle.'*
Although the matter with the Ryūdōji clan had some unexpected developments, fortunately, it was a false alarm, and the crisis was completely resolved.
Watching Yamamoto's disappearing back, Senna hesitated for a moment before running in the direction where Naraku Sora had fallen.
"Damn it, that old man actually fought dirty and launched a sneak attack."
"I'll remember today's grudge. Sooner or later, I'll let him know that the tables always turn."
In the Rukongai, Naraku Sora led a bewildered Senna down the street, heading in the direction of the Seireitei.
"Senna, you should be able to tell."
"In principle, I can beat that old man."
Hearing this, Senna was a bit curious. "Then what happened to you at the end?"
Naraku Sora gave her a faint look. "Probably because the nature of respecting one's teacher and honoring their teachings is carved into my bones."
Senna: "..."
Her eyesight wasn't great, but she couldn't see a single trace of those words on a certain someone.
Seemingly sensing her disrespectful thoughts, Naraku Sora snorted coldly.
"The people of the Ryūdōji clan are all dead, and the risk of the Valley of Screams has been eliminated."
"Girl, you are free now."
Senna froze for a moment. "F-Free?"
"Yes, being free means you can go wherever you want."
Naraku Sora gave her a look as if looking at an idiot and casually explained.
"Whether you return to the World of the Living or go to the Seireitei, it's fine."
"In short, as long as you don't do anything illegal, you can do whatever you want."
Senna fell silent.
She subconsciously recalled everything that had happened in the Dangai, as well as the words Ryūdōji Ganryū had said.
After a brief silence, the girl raised her head and asked timidly.
"Then, Lord Naraku, do you know what the Shinenju is?"
Naraku Sora scratched his head and explained.
"You saw those white souls inside the Valley of Screams earlier, right?"
"Those things are called Blanks. They are souls wandering in the Dangai. After they spontaneously gather together, their shells form a special Reishi space called the Valley of Screams."
"And the memories of these souls aggregate into another object, which is the Shinenju."
"If you think about it carefully, you'll realize that the memories in your head are all incomplete fragments, and they might even contradict and conflict with each other."
Hearing this, Senna subconsciously recalled her past.
A human, an office worker, middle school, a Soul Reaper, a Hollow, passing on...
No wonder she would get headaches from time to time. No wonder she always felt like something was missing.
After a brief silence, the girl's body trembled slightly. She raised her despair-filled eyes and looked at the figure beside her.
"Am I... really Senna?"
Naraku Sora grinned. "Yes, and no."
"A name is just a code. You can be called Senna, and I can be called Senna too."
Senna: "?"
"The name isn't important. What's important is what kind of person you want to become."
"As for those incomplete memories, there's even less need to dwell on them."
"Just treat them as the experiences of countless playthroughs in a game."
Naraku Sora stretched his back, his expression relaxed as he said.
"Actually, from the moment you were born, you were already a complete individual. The fragmented judgments in your memories don't represent you."
"As long as you follow your own heart, you won't have feelings of confusion in the future."
"Now, Senna, have you decided what you want to do in the future?"
The girl held back the tears welling up in her eyes and nodded, her gaze becoming firm once again.
"I want to become..."
"A Soul Reaper!"