Looking at the rebellious disciple beside him, Yamamoto revealed an expression of sudden realization.
No wonder the feel of his strikes had seemed a bit off earlier; it turned out this rebellious disciple had long ceased to be a Soul Reaper.
Although it was somewhat absurd, it somehow seemed perfectly normal when it came to Naraku Sora.
Yamamoto didn't even spend a single second agonizing over it before he came to terms with it.
As a remnant of the old era, if he could even accept Hollowfication, what else couldn't he accept?
At worst, he would just treat it as having taken an Arrancar Menos Grande as his disciple.
Just as Yamamoto was about to let Aizen and the others continue the testing, he heard Aizen suddenly speak up.
"However, there is one more thing to note."
"Based on our joint research over the years, Sora's Hollowfication appears perfect, but in reality, it is still missing something."
"It is almost like some kind of unfinished product."
Yamamoto frowned but did not reply.
Having served as the Head Captain of the Gotei 13 for so many years, he had learned one truth: leave professional matters to the experts.
It was best not to interfere in matters outside one's own field of expertise.
Otherwise, one careless move could easily backfire.
Beside him, Naraku Sora raised an eyebrow, knowing exactly what Aizen was talking about in his heart.
Ever since he exterminated Ulquiorra's kin and dealt with some relatively strong Menos Grande in Hueco Mundo...
Unfortunately, ever since his Hollow power reached ninety percent, it had been completely stuck.
The slightly stronger Hollows in Hueco Mundo had either been recruited into Las Noches or beaten to death on the spot and purified.
Looking across the vast expanse of Hueco Mundo, he surprisingly couldn't find another Menos Grande that met his requirements.
Because of this, he had even specifically asked Aizen to use the Hōgyoku, combined with their current technology, to create an unprecedented Adjuchas Arrancar.
Sadly, it still ended in failure.
Later on, Naraku Sora simply stopped paying attention to it.
If Aizen hadn't mentioned it, he wouldn't have even remembered that there was still a crucial missing piece of the puzzle left incomplete.
Just as he was trying to think about it, the testing on the other side began again.
This time, it was attack intensity.
Yamamoto retracted all his Reiatsu into his body, looking like nothing more than an ordinary bald old man, the kind you could see anywhere on the street.
However, when he held his breath, put on a serious expression, and slowly threw a punch, the surrounding space seemed to distort, causing his bulging arm to blur.
Bang!
His massive fist landed on the testing equipment, instantly causing a violent tremor as endless power surged into it like a tidal wave.
The next second, under the shocked gazes of Szayelaporro and the other researchers, the incredibly sturdy equipment—capable of withstanding the impact of the Kōtotsu and the annihilation of the Kōryū—
Instantly collapsed and shattered, turning into a pile of dust on the floor.
And the connected screen displayed a symbol representing infinity.
Aizen pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose and said calmly,
"It exceeded the upper limit of the testing equipment. Given Head Captain Yamamoto's previous performance, this is quite normal."
Hearing this, everyone subconsciously recalled the brutal scene of Yamamoto beating up his rebellious disciple earlier, and they immediately accepted this powerful reality.
Even though Great King Naraku was no longer the strongest, they still revered him all the same!
Next, they tested a series of other items.
Yamamoto repeatedly broke the upper limits in their database.
Although it felt a bit strange, bizarrely enough, Yamamoto actually seemed to be enjoying himself, grinning as he continuously cooperated.
Naraku Sora stood to the side, his arms crossed over his chest, thoughtfully watching the scene before him.
To be honest.
The old man looked pretty badass wearing a Hollow mask, but he wondered if this state counted as being a Hollow.
Normally speaking, once a Menos Grande became an Arrancar, they were essentially detached from the Hollow species.
But this didn't stop Naraku Sora from reaping benefits from them.
As for Hollowfied Soul Reapers, because they were all experimental materials, he hadn't actually tried it on them.
Speaking of which, it seemed the old man was the only one left from the first generation of the Gotei 13 who hadn't been locked up, right?
Staring at the figure actively moving among the equipment, a hint of anticipation suddenly appeared in Naraku Sora's eyes.
Yamamoto, who was undergoing a Reishi examination, inexplicably felt a surge of coldness travel up his spine straight to the top of his skull.
It was as if something bad was about to happen.
He abruptly turned his head and happened to lock eyes with Naraku Sora. Instantly, a surge of malice rose in his heart, and without hesitation, he slapped out, sending his defenseless rebellious disciple crashing straight through the floorboards.
Furious, Naraku Sora immediately wanted to commit insubordination, ready to pull out his Bankai and blast this completely unreasonable old man into dust.
Fortunately, at the critical moment, Aizen stopped him in time.
Yamamoto snorted disdainfully, having absolutely no intention of explaining himself.
In this current situation, the only ones capable of giving him a bad premonition were Yhwach and the rebellious disciple in front of him.
That old bastard Yhwach was still turtling up in the Wandenreich, so it was definitely Naraku Sora's doing.
Therefore, just hitting him was enough; asking questions would be entirely superfluous.
Through meticulous testing, Aizen collected extremely detailed data, gaining a clearer understanding of the realm of a Transcendent.
At the same time, he also formed a preliminary plan on how he himself could reach the Transcendent level.
Barring any accidents, it would likely rely on the Hōgyoku.
Initially, he had thought the Hōgyoku's function was to "break the boundary between Hollows and Soul Reapers."
But as his research deepened, Aizen shockingly discovered that the Hōgyoku's true ability was to manifest the desires of its wielder!
Upon realizing this, he immediately wished to become the supreme ruler of the three realms, replacing the Spirit King who stood at the zenith.
Unfortunately, the Hōgyoku gave no response.
Next, Aizen lowered his expectations, wishing to become a powerful existence comparable to Ichibē Hyōsube.
Unsurprisingly, it failed once again.
After a series of tests, he finally realized that the Hōgyoku's upper limit was tied to the wielder themselves.
If he wanted to use the Hōgyoku to break through to become a Transcendent, he feared it would completely consume the orb.
In that case, wouldn't he be the only one able to grow stronger?
Was he destined to walk the path of growing stronger all alone?
No, there had to be another way.
Aizen suppressed this thought in the depths of his heart and casually initiated a related project named the "Anti-Yamamoto Protocol."
Although it seemed for now that Head Captain Yamamoto was on their side.
It was better to make more preparations just in case.
On the other side, Naraku Sora had somehow sidled up behind Yamamoto, skillfully massaging his teacher's shoulders and back, looking like a total sycophant.
The sight made Urahara Kisuke feel somewhat physically ill.
Yamamoto shot a sideways glance at his rebellious disciple, who was being overly attentive for no reason, and said in annoyance, "Spit it out. What do you want to ask of me?"
Having taught Naraku Sora for so long, he prided himself on being the person who understood this brat best in the world.
He knew exactly what this rebellious disciple was plotting before the boy even made a move.
He who is overly attentive without reason is either a thief or a scoundrel.
"Listen to what you're saying. Can't I just show some filial piety for no reason?"
Naraku Sora looked completely justified.
Yamamoto frowned and replied in a deep voice, "Just say it."
The more his rebellious disciple acted like this, the more his heart pounded with anxiety.
He was always worried that this brat would suddenly drop a massive bombshell on him.
The last time he acted like this, he ended up slaughtering Central 46.
"I set up a special facility in Las Noches, and I'd like you to go take a tour."
"?"
Yamamoto's eyes widened in anger, and he almost threw a punch.
"Hmph, you bastard!"
"Do you take me for Kyōraku Shunsui?"
Naraku Sora looked bewildered.
"What does a prison have to do with Senior Brother?"
"Isn't that my responsibility?"
Yamamoto was speechless.
*'Spending too much time with Kyōraku Shunsui has made my own thoughts dirty.'*
*'After returning this time, I definitely have to teach that rebellious disciple a good lesson!'*
Meanwhile, in the Squad 1 office.
An inexplicable yet pure wave of malice struck, causing Kyōraku Shunsui, who had been forcibly dragged in to do grunt work, to immediately shiver.
"How strange."
Kyōraku Shunsui tightened his haori around himself and frowned.
"What's with this sudden ominous premonition?"
"Could it be that Old Man Yama got killed by our junior brother?"
At the thought that his current miserable life might continue for a very long time, Kyōraku Shunsui couldn't help but feel a wave of sorrow, and his whole demeanor became much more decadent.
After the situation was explained, Yamamoto thought for a few seconds before gladly agreeing.
Although Naraku Sora messed around a bit on normal days, he was still very reliable at critical moments.
Touring a prison wasn't exactly a dangerous thing.
Could this rebellious disciple actually lock him inside?
The two hit it off immediately. They threw on the haori prepared in advance within Las Noches and walked out of the laboratory.
Watching the direction the two figures left in, a thoughtful look flashed in Aizen's eyes.
It seemed Sora had his own methods as well.
Aizen turned his head and looked at the Hōgyoku suspended in its container, a hint of anticipation appearing on his face.
A Transcendent, huh?
Soon, the two figures arrived at the Shino Prison branch.
The architectural structure was exactly the same, looking completely devoid of any novelty.
"You brought me here just to look at this?"
Yamamoto frowned deeply, unable to figure out what tricks Naraku Sora had up his sleeve.
"Don't be impatient, Teacher. I actually want you to go inside and try it out."
Naraku Sora was quite frank about this, showing no intention of hiding anything.
Yamamoto understood him, but didn't he also understand Yamamoto?
As long as it wasn't some particularly outrageous request, this old man with a sharp tongue but a soft heart would agree to it.
Yamamoto's expression was a bit strange.
He now seriously suspected that the "tour" his rebellious disciple mentioned was actually pronounced "ambition," and his true goal was to trap him here.
Then, after returning to the Soul Society, he would directly seize the position of Head Captain of the Gotei 13.
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes.
If that was really the case...
Then that would be absolutely wonderful!
He was just worrying about what excuse to use to trick this brat into taking the initiative.
Thinking of this, he snapped the iron lock on the prison cell, pulled open the door, and voluntarily walked inside.
Seeing this, Naraku Sora's eyes lit up, and he reached out to close the door for his teacher.
The next second, the air in front of him rippled like water, and all-too-familiar text quietly surfaced before his eyes.
Looking at the text, Naraku Sora grinned.
*'The final piece of the puzzle to my complete life has finally been put in place!'*