NOVEL NEXT Chapter 148: Tsunayashiro almost wiped out…
Soul Society.
A crescent moon had just risen.
Inside the 5th Division's barracks, the Zen garden spread out with dry rock formations creating ripples that encircled the area.
"As expected, Naruto-kun, the first thing you did upon returning to the Seireitei was to come find me." The man, busy at work near the "pond," paused and lifted his head.
His gaze extended outward.
On the wall, the dim, solitary moon cast a sharp shadow, pointing straight into the darkness.
"After orchestrating such a grand scheme, Captain Sosuke, you still find the leisure to tend to your garden yourself?" Naruto jumped down, landing on a rock formation.
"Just some events that were bound to happen have occurred," the man smiled, meticulously placing his tools in their proper spots. "And they're good events."
"Naruto-kun, aren't you pleased?"
Naruto thought for a moment, then nodded. "Indeed, I'm pleased."
Aizen smiled brightly.
"It would be even more pleasing if it happened naturally, and not because of some unseen hand guiding it," Naruto continued.
Aizen extended his hand. "After witnessing so much, do you still hold onto such thoughts, Naruto-kun?"
"The ugly, insane face of Tsunayashiro Tokinada... isn't that enough to awaken you?"
Naruto tilted his head slightly, his expression calm. "You're a strange person."
"You don't shy away from what you're doing, yet you feel the need to expose even darker, more sinister people or forces."
"Does that make it easier to justify your actions as 'justice'?"
Aizen countered, his tone gentle, with a brotherly smile. "Am I not just?"
"If you're mourning for those unfortunate ants crushed under the wheels of justice..."
"Then after seeing the atrocities of the Tsunayashiro Clan..."
"How much hatred remains in your heart?"
"What drives you to raise your sword against me? Is it hatred, or is it that so-called 'sense of responsibility' that has always existed in your life, making you subconsciously follow it?"
A drifting cloud obscured the crescent moon.
The shadows of the night encroached, enveloping the entire 5th Division.
And along with it, the power of "Kyōka Suigetsu" spread.
The passing Shinigami moved about.
No one could see them, nor could anyone hear them.
"Is there something wrong with having a sense of responsibility?" Naruto boldly retorted. "The reason I haven't become something like Tsunayashiro Tokinada is precisely because of this force that sustains me."
"And what about you, Sosuke Aizen?"
"What do you want to achieve?"
"What drives you to do these things?"
Aizen laughed, pushing up his glasses. "I thought we'd need many more interactions like today before we would discuss such a topic."
He extended his hand and pointed upward.
"Naruto-kun, what do you see up there?"
Naruto followed his direction and looked up.
Clouds, faint stars, a gentle breeze, and the exposed crescent moon formed an expansive sky.
"Is that the sky?" Aizen asked softly.
"No, it's the high throne."
"Do you think there's someone sitting on that lofty, unreachable throne?"
Naruto didn't respond.
Aizen lowered his hand. "Above the Five Great Noble Families, there's the existence known as the Soul King."
"He is the ruler of Soul Society."
"Yet he allows those nobles..."
He paused and took a step forward, his tone low and filled with persuasion. "To possess power but do nothing."
"He is the root of all darkness, guilty of the gravest sins."
"My goal is to kill him and become the ruler of this sky throne."
A gust of wind blew.
It swept away the clouds that obscured the crescent moon, even driving away the few remaining clouds nearby.
Dim stars dotted the sky.
The moon's "light" seemed a bit brighter.
"So, this is what you're after," Naruto said softly.
Aizen smiled. "Isn't this reason enough, Naruto-kun?"
"It's a very compelling reason," Naruto shook his head, "if your understanding is correct."
"Oh?" Aizen raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
Naruto smiled. "You're not as all-knowing as you think you are."
Aizen spread his hands. "I never thought I was."
"No, it's at a level even lower than what you currently believe," Naruto grinned brightly. "What you understand isn't the truth."
Aizen narrowed his eyes.
Just a few hours ago, at Urahara's shop...
Yoruichi had shared the history she knew with Naruto.
The ancestors of the Shihōin Clan never denied their involvement in the conspiracy.
In fact, the only somewhat positive figure in the Shihōin Clan records was an ancestor of the Shiba family, who had tried to replace the Soul King with his own body—though becoming the "Kamā" wasn't easy, as a Shinigami didn’t qualify.
Urahara Kisuke speculated that recreating a "Soul King" might require combining all the world's powers into one.
"Shinigami," "Quincy," "Fullbringers," and "Hollows."
It sounded almost unbelievable.
How could these four powers coexist within a single person?
Yoruichi’s refusal to deny the "sinfulness" corroborated Tsunayashiro Tokinada’s claims.
“The Soul King is not the ruler of Soul Society,” Naruto revealed without hesitation, sharing this "truth." “He’s a pillar meant to stabilize the 'Three Worlds.'”
“He was persecuted by the decayed nobility, led by the Tsunayashiro Clan.”
“He never held power, so it’s not a matter of him neglecting his duties.”
“Sosuke Aizen…”
Naruto paused, his blue eyes filled with genuine emotion. “I wish I could call you ‘Aizen’ again.”
“Before your sins grow too deep.”
“There’s still time for repentance.”
Experimenting on Captains as material is indeed a grave sin.
But after seeing so much and learning so much...
How many people can truly say they are without sin?
Even Naruto couldn't claim such purity.
And within the Gotei 13, Kurotsuchi Mayuri's crimes are no less severe than those of the current "Aizen."
If Mayuri could be released from the "Nest of Maggots," then even if Aizen were imprisoned in the "Muken," there would still be a chance for release.
“Oh, is that so?” Aizen replied softly, his eyes gleaming, showing no sign of being swayed by Naruto. “The throne above the sky has been unoccupied from the start.”
“If that’s the case…”
“Then I have all the more reason to claim it.”
“Rather than let those vile creatures continue to use its name to deceive and manipulate.”
Naruto was taken aback but not entirely surprised by Aizen’s response.
“I see, you’re still set on your path,” Naruto said, lowering his voice.
Aizen sighed, still smiling. “It seems we’re destined never to walk the same path.”
“When the day comes that we must cross swords…”
“I won’t hold back.”
Naruto’s voice was firm. “I’ll spare your life.”
“Unless…”
He lifted his head, gazing past Aizen at the 5th Division’s barracks. “Unless your sins become unforgivable.”
“In that case, I’ll personally place you on the throne you desire.”
Aizen smiled and shook his head.
“If your confidence rests solely on that pet of yours,” he said, “you should reconsider.”
“It doesn’t seem very smart.”
Naruto replied, “You underestimate it, Sosuke Aizen.”
The two faced each other in silence.
Aizen was the first to break eye contact, resuming his task of tending the garden.
Naruto turned and left.
The 7th Division still had to maintain order.
At that moment, the Seireitei was in an uproar.
Although the Tsunayashiro Clan wasn’t entirely wiped out, they were close to it. The main family line was reduced to just a few infants, with everyone from the head of the family to all potential successors meeting tragic ends.
Even some members of the branch families were killed.
The Tsunayashiro Clan, once as populous as the Shihōin family, was reduced to a state similar to the Kuchiki family, with Tsunayashiro Tokinada as the sole remaining heir.
The Central 46 was furious.
The Captain-Commander remained calm.
The Stealth Force was busy, with Soi Fon rarely visiting the 7th Division anymore.
But within a few days, the matter died down.
Although no conclusive evidence was found, all signs pointed to one fact: the person responsible for the mass deaths in the Tsunayashiro Clan was none other than the current head of the family, Tsunayashiro Tokinada himself.
He personally issued an order for the Central 46 to cease their investigation.
In contrast, Naruto’s act of injuring Tsunayashiro Tokinada, leaving him with a missing ear, was met with only a light reprimand from the Captain-Commander.
“Reckless!”
“Even if he was in the wrong, you shouldn’t have harmed him.”
Naruto was ordered to reflect on his actions in the 7th Division barracks, forbidden to leave Soul Society for the human world for the next twenty years.
The Central 46 was initially dissatisfied with this punishment.
But…
Tsunayashiro Tokinada’s attitude changed their minds.
Whenever he was questioned by the Central 46, regardless of the inquiry, his answer was always the same.
He would turn his head and showcase the wound on his ear.
“This is the mark left from my friendly exchange with Captain Uzumaki in the human world.”
No matter the question, his response remained unchanged.
Unable to find evidence to refute his statement, and with no way to prove how he could be in both the human world and Soul Society at the same time, they were at a loss.
The Central 46 found themselves exasperated by Tsunayashiro Tokinada’s near “untouchable” attitude.
He was, after all, a member of the Five Great Noble Families, and technically a disciple of the Captain-Commander, as well as a classmate of Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō.
How was he so different from Kuchiki Byakuya?
There was one possible lead.
It was rumored that the Tsunayashiro Clan possessed the oldest Zanpakutō. Its effects were now unknown, but if there was anything capable of such feats, it might be that.
However, matters concerning the secrets of the Five Great Noble Families were strictly taboo.
Back at the 7th Division barracks.
Soi Fon was grinding her teeth, venting her frustrations to Naruto about the Central 46.
There was a clear path for continuing the investigation, yet they…
Now she somewhat understood why Shihōin Yoruichi had such a disdainful attitude towards the nobility and power.
