NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17: Chapter 17
Uehara Shiroha's teasing clearly got under Yoruichi's skin. She raised an eyebrow, a smug look crossing her face.
"A cat doesn't just catch small fish and shrimp—it also catches sneaky little mice."
Her golden eyes gleamed mischievously as she continued, "Why have you been dodging my attacks this whole time? With such a 'convenient' ability, why aren't you using it to fight back?"
She tilted her head, smirking. "The answer is obvious—you can't. That weird trick of yours only works defensively, doesn't it? When you attack, you can't use it at the same time."
A confident smile spread across her lips as she pulled at the bandage wrapped around her arm.
"That means… the smart little kitty has caught you."
At that moment, Uehara Shiroha noticed something strange—at some point, the bandage on Yoruichi's right arm had extended.
No, that wasn't the real issue.
The real issue was—the other end of the bandage was tightly wrapped around him.
An invisible force surged through it, sealing off his spiritual pressure.
His expression flickered with shock. "Impossible… When did you—?"
Yoruichi's voice was calm but firm. "Your ability has been sealed, Otsutsuki Naruto. It's over. There's nothing more you can do."
For a moment, Uehara Shiroha lowered his head in apparent defeat. His shoulders trembled slightly.
"Maybe you're right," he murmured. "I was blind. My queen betrayed me. My ability is now sealed." He let out a bitter laugh. "Arrogance really is a terrible thing… especially when you're convinced of your own superiority."
Yoruichi frowned. "Are you just trying to comfort yourself? No, this feels wro—"
Before she could finish, she swung her arm, delivering a lightning-fast captain-level strike to Uehara Shiroha's head.
BANG!
But the moment her attack connected—he vanished.
Only a pair of ordinary wool gloves remained where he had stood.
Yoruichi's pupils shrank.
What…?!
For the first time in a long while, she was so startled that she almost let out an involuntary meow.
Her instincts flared, and she instantly flipped backward several times, landing near the Killing Stone, pressing her back against the wall, eyes sharp with vigilance.
Across the battlefield, Uehara Shiroha stifled a chuckle.
What a shame. If only he had a camera, this moment would have been absolutely priceless.
The truth was—the "Uehara Shiroha" she had been fighting was just a shadow clone.
From the very beginning, he had been observing from the shadows.
With both Doraemon-level gadgets and God-given Magic Weapons in play, who knew what kind of absurd tricks Yoruichi might pull out next?
So of course, he wasn't going to personally fight her.
Why risk himself when a clone could do the job?
After all, a shadow clone wasn't afraid of death and still gained battle experience.
Uehara Shiroha had always believed in being cautious.
He scoffed inwardly.
Aizen, take notes.
This is how you play the game of deception.
Noticing Yoruichi still inching along the wall like a wary little kitten, Uehara Shiroha smirked, eyes gleaming with mischief.
This was too much fun.
Before leaving, Yoruichi hastily grabbed a large bag of supplies.
Seeing this, Uehara Shiroha almost rushed forward on instinct.
That was his stuff! How could she just take it like that?!
After all, this base now belonged to him, meaning everything inside was rightfully his.
But… he stopped himself.
Patience.
To catch a big fish, you had to let the bait swim away first.
So he endured it.
Watching Yoruichi retreat like a thief in the night, Uehara Shiroha sighed dramatically before picking up the discarded Death Gloves and strolling around his newly acquired base.
After a thorough inspection, he muttered to himself:
"…Just the leftover equipment, barriers, and facilities alone are worth over a billion Ring."
He whistled in admiration.
No wonder everyone wanted to become a Captain.
The profit margins were insane.
He chuckled.
And they didn't even invite me to the looting party?
Serves them right for getting robbed.
With zero guilt, he claimed the base as his own.
After tidying up, he pulled out a small flag and planted it firmly into the ground.
The flag bore the familiar Straw Hat Pirates' skull emblem, but with a twist—beneath it was a line of bold text:
"Private Territory of the Otsutsuki Clan – Trespassers Will Be Fined 200 Million!"
Clapping his hands in satisfaction, he nodded at his newly acquired headquarters.
Tonight had been a massive win.
A secret high-level base—for free.
A beautiful female sparring partner—also for free.
Life was good.
The Next Morning
Uehara Shiroha woke up early, refreshed and in high spirits.
Having a secret base made everything ten times more convenient.
More importantly, it was a direct link to Shihōin Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke.
And those two had a lot of interesting things he wanted to get his hands on.
His ambitions were growing stronger by the day.
Stretching lazily, he opened his daily task list.
[Fishing – Daily Task]
[The sun is shining, the breeze is gentle. You decide to pick up your favorite fishing rod and head to the river for some relaxation.]
[Reward: Random Attribute +2]
Ah, an old favorite.
Uehara Shiroha had high-end fishing gear specifically for this task.
Rukongai – North District
While the soldiers of the First Division trained diligently, Uehara Shiroha strolled through Rukongai, wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a fishing rod over his shoulder.
He chose Rukongai for one simple reason:
The fish here were wilder.
And it definitely wasn't because it was easier to "fry fish" with Kidō without anyone noticing.
Of course not.
His destination? Kurōdo Gate.
It was the closest gate to the First Division, often under their jurisdiction.
As he walked, he felt a pang of nostalgia.
In a hundred years… Yhwach would return.
The Invisible Empire would invade Soul Society again.
And this very gate—Kurōdo Gate—would be where Sasakibe Chōjirō, His Vice Captain, would be the first to die, his Bankai stolen.
A grim fate awaited Soul Society.
Blood. Flames. Corpses.
Uehara Shiroha clenched his fists.
"…Well, at least the red-light district shouldn't be destroyed."
That would be a true tragedy.
And who knew? Maybe in the future, he could stage a heroic rescue of some beauty in distress.
For now, though—he had fish to catch.
Just as he was lost in thought—
Two figures blocked his path.
One tall. One short.
Both dressed in Shinigami robes, grinning coldly.
The taller one—a bald brute with a long sword, narrow eyes, and red eye-shadow.
The shorter one—a stylish man dressed like a noble, his robes adorned with far too many accessories.
Uehara Shiroha immediately recognized them.
Madarame Ikkaku. Ayasegawa Yumichika.
Seeing Uehara Shiroha in a bamboo hat, Ikkaku's grin widened in excitement.
"Yumichika, I told you I'd catch up to him." He cracked his knuckles. "Hey, you! You're Uehara Shiroha, 7th seat of the First Division, right?"
Uehara Shiroha blinked.
"…How do you know I caught a thirty-kg fish last time?"
Ikkaku froze. "Huh?"
Turning to Yumichika, he scratched his head.
"…Did I say it wrong, or is there something wrong with his ears?"
Yumichika smirked.
"Uehara Shiroha. Don't play dumb."
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