Amegakure, the venue for the Five Kage Summit.
With the information provided by Kabuto Yakushi, the Kage had gained a rough understanding of Aizen's abilities and methods. However, the atmosphere in the room was even more solemn than it had been before the briefing. This was not surprising; ignorance breeds a certain kind of fearlessness. Now that they knew the truth, they truly realized the horror of the man named Aizen.
"That man is already so powerful, yet he is still creating his own army?" Onoki's expression was tense, his brow deeply furrowed. "This is grave news indeed."
Rasa also frowned, weighing the implications. "Is this 'Hollow' transformation really that potent?"
"We can confirm this," Tsunade said with a nod. "A shinobi who successfully achieves Hollowification can indeed elevate their strength to an entirely different level. I won't hide it from you—Shisui has already mastered this power."
At her prompt, Tsunade turned her gaze to Shisui. He nodded slightly, placing his right hand over his cheek and gently pulling downward.
Hum.
A milky-white bone mask manifested instantly. A powerful wave of energy erupted from Shisui's body, and a tangible sense of oppression descended upon the entire conference hall. Although the pressure subsided quickly as he reined it in, it still sent a chill down the spines of the Kage present.
Is this the power of the Hollow?
The sheer force of his presence alone was enough to make resistance seem futile. If Shisui were to launch a sudden attack, most of them wouldn't even have the chance to react.
"What incredible spiritual pressure," Kabuto Yakushi exclaimed.
It was not mere flattery, but sincere praise. The spiritual pressure Uchiha Shisui had just unleashed easily reached the standard of the Espada as defined by Aizen. In fact, he was likely one of the top-ranked among them.
It seems Lord Aizen truly cares for his close friend, Kabuto thought privately, maintaining his gentle smile. "However, even Shisui-kun, who possesses this kind of power, is not actually a 'complete' Hollow."
"What? This isn't even the complete form?" Rasa asked, visibly shocked.
"Correct." Kabuto nodded affirmatively. "If I am not mistaken, Shisui-kun's current state has a strict time limit, does it not?"
"I can maintain it for five minutes now," Shisui said, waving his hand to dissipate the mask. "And after each Hollowification, it takes about ten minutes to replenish that special energy—or should I call it spiritual power?"
"It is spiritual power, indeed. Shisui-kun is a fast learner." Kabuto nodded with satisfaction.
Tsunade interjected, "You mean... because Shisui's Hollow form cannot be maintained indefinitely, it is considered incomplete?"
"It is not merely a matter of duration. The transformation of a truly complete Hollow is irreversible; the masks on their faces become a permanent fixture." Shaking his head, Kabuto grinned. "Strictly speaking, they can no longer be considered human, but an entirely different species. They are called... Arrancar."
Hum.
Before Kabuto could finish his explanation, the space within the conference room began to distort unnaturally. A black void, resembling the maw of a ferocious beast, tore open directly above the round table.
Tap, tap.
A figure clad in white stepped out of the rift and slowly descended into view. It was a sturdy man wearing a snow-white combat uniform. The most striking feature was the white mask fragment on his head, which covered his crown and extended to the back of his skull like a milky-white helmet.
"Who goes there?"
"Enemy attack! To arms!"
The moment the masked man appeared, Pain and the Kage shifted into combat stances.
"You... you are Iwakawa?" Onoki's eyes widened as he stared in disbelief.
Although the man's appearance had changed significantly, Onoki still recognized the face of his former subordinate. This was the spy he had personally selected to infiltrate Konoha, only for the man to defect to Aizen, dealing a massive blow to Iwagakure during the battle for the leaf village.
"Oh, it's Onoki," Iwakawa said, glancing at him with disdain. "You really are as old as ever. Don't you think it's about time you found a nice plot of land to be buried in?"
Onoki ignored the ridicule, trying to process the situation. "So, you are an 'Arrancar' now?"
"Oh? You already know what I am before I've even introduced myself." Iwakawa turned his gaze toward Kabuto Yakushi and grinned. "It seems someone here has a very big mouth."
Kabuto pushed up his glasses, remaining perfectly calm. "It seems this Arrancar-dono's target is me."
"That's right, you scum," Iwakawa sneered. "You've dared to betray the honor bestowed upon you by Aizen-sama..."
Scoff.
Before he could finish his sentence, a bolt of blue lightning shot toward him.
Bang!
As fist met palm, a powerful shockwave rippled through the air.
"Hmph. The Fourth Raikage?" Iwakawa's mouth curled slightly as his right palm held back Ai's lightning-clad fist. "You're nothing special."
As the battle raged in the Amegakure meeting room, Konan, standing before the monitor, provided a diligent live report to the group members. The chat immediately buzzed with the energy of a live viewing party.
Book Artist: "This Arrancar is a bit full of himself, isn't he? Every word out of his mouth is pure arrogance!"
Shark-Faced Guy: "The magnitude of the power increase is immense; it tends to cause a sense of overconfidence. This behavior isn't surprising."
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "This kind of trash would be of little use if it remained in our Pure Land. That is why I suggested we recycle it here."
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Goodness, Konan-neesan. You already sound like a proper head of the household."
Book Artist: "Actually, in Konan-neesan's mind, Pakura is the one she'd really like to 'utilize' as waste, right?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "Since Lord Aizen said she is useful, then she is useful. I would never dream of going against his wishes."
Book Artist: "So sour! What is that pungent smell of vinegar?"
Curly-Haired Boy: "Eriri-chan, there are some things you should learn to see through without pointing them out. Do you catch my drift?"
Glancing at the group's conversation, Aizen didn't intervene. He kept his eyes on the screen, pretending he hadn't seen a thing.
Back in the meeting hall, the battle had reached a fever pitch. Faced with the coordinated efforts of the Five Kage, the previously arrogant Iwakawa was beginning to feel overwhelmed. Realizing he could no longer afford to hold back, he flipped his Zanpakutō horizontally and gently stroked the blade with his right hand.
"Mangle them, Moon Shadow Mantis!"
Boom!
A massive surge of spiritual pressure erupted, completely enveloping Iwakawa.