Orange hair, resembling Kaien Shiba, and an unfamiliar Shinigami—those traits could only an one thing: Ichigo Kurosaki, now branded as a Ryoka.
"He was at the Shiba residence earlier and has been with ever since," Naruto frowned, lowering his voice. "With his current abilities, there's no way he could've attacked Gin."
But the real issue wasn't whether Ichigo had the ti or strength to attack Gin. The problem was the conflict, which had been cooling off due to his connection to the Shiba family, was now flaring up again.
Soi Fon remained silent, deep in thought. It wasn't that she doubted Naruto's words; her thoughts drifted back to Yoruichi. Over a century ago, Yoruichi had faced similar decisions.
The silence made Ichigo uneasy, especially standing before people dressed like the one who had attacked him earlier.
"Should we… leave the Soul Society?"
"What are Central 46's orders?"
They spoke at the sa ti.
Naruto looked at Soi Fon, confused. "Leave the Soul Society? Why would you even think that? We're not there yet."
Soi Fon shook her head, almost saying sothing but stopping short. "It was just a thought."
"The orders from Central 46 are to capture the Ryoka. If they resist, they're to be killed on sight."
Naruto sighed softly. "I see."
Ichigo, uneasy, kept his hand on his sword hilt.
Soi Fon glanced at him and motioned with her hand. The Onmitsukidō agents disappeared in a flash, and Ichigo relaxed just a little.
"Yoruichi has returned," Naruto said, shifting the topic.
Soi Fon's face showed a brief flicker of disappointnt. "She didn't contact ."
"As for the Shihōin family, I don't know what's happening there."
"Do you want to find her?"
Naruto nodded. "There are things I don't understand, and they haven't told everything."
"I'm counting on you to find out what she's planning."
Ichigo scratched his head awkwardly. "And what about ?"
Naruto looked at him, pausing. "You'll stay here."
"Soi Fon…"
Soi Fon nodded. "I understand. Before you leave, I'll coordinate with Nine-Tails to ensure he's protected."
Ichigo glanced nervously at the shorter girl, uneasy with the thought of being protected by soone so small.
Protected... It felt strange to hear that from soone so much smaller than him, especially since he was used to being the one doing the protecting.
Naruto lightly tapped Ichigo's shoulder, leaving a sealing mark.
Ichigo noticed the mark, a large circle with six lines radiating from it, forming another smaller circle inside. Before he could ask what it was, Naruto disappeared in a puff of white smoke.
Soon after Naruto left, Nine-Tails stirred, sensing sothing. It turned towards Ichigo, wearing a contemplative, almost mocking expression that made him uneasy.
"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, feeling the tension.
"That man is here," Soi Fon said, her eyes widening.
Which man?
"Is it the one Naruto ntioned—the one who attacked and Rukia?" Ichigo asked, confused.
Soi Fon shook her head. "No, it's another man. In so ways, he's even more trouble."
"It's the 11th Division Captain… Kenpachi Zaraki!"
A massive spiritual pressure crashed down on them.
"You were right, Yachiru," said a spiky-haired man with a tattered sword in hand. "Naruto really did bring the Ryoka here."
Yachiru Kusajishi clapped her hands in delight. "See, I told you! Naruto's got his eye on him!"
Soi Fon stepped forward, her expression tense. "The Ryoka is under 2nd Division control, Captain Zaraki. There's no need for the 11th Division to intervene."
Kenpachi tilted his head, grinning with terrifying excitent. "Captain Soi Fon, I'm not here for the Soul Society's safety or to investigate Gin Ichimaru's death."
"I don't care about Naruto's plans or anyone else's sches."
"I'm here for one thing: to fight this guy."
Soi Fon was montarily stunned.
Ichigo, too, was confused.
To fight ?
Nine-Tails chuckled, its tone mocking. "Brat from the Shiba family, Kenpachi Zaraki is a battle-crazed maniac. He only thinks about fighting."
"He just wants to take you on."
Ichigo nodded, starting to understand.
Yachiru leaped beside Nine-Tails. "Hey, Kyuubi! You gonna stop Ken-chan?"
Nine-Tails tilted its head. "As long as he doesn't kill the kid or leave this courtyard, I don't care."
Kenpachi raised his sword, his voice full of excitent. "Well? What are you waiting for?"
"But," Nine-Tails added sternly, "when I say stop, you stop."
Kenpachi glared at the fox. "Are you trying to ruin my fun?"
Ichigo waved his hands in protest. "Wait, wait, we're really fighting?"
"You're friends with Naruto, right? Doesn't that make us allies?"
Kenpachi grinned wickedly. "Allies can't fight?"
"Do you need a reason to battle?"
He sheathed his sword and pulled open his shirt. "But since you're just a kid and soone Naruto respects, I'll give you the first hit. Anywhere you want."
Ichigo clenched his teeth. "You're looking down on ."
Kenpachi's grin widened. "Not underestimating you. Just a little gift."
"After all, what's a fight without a little blood, right?"
Nine-Tails sat up, watching closely.
Yachiru, for once, looked serious.
Soi Fon frowned. She didn't like Kenpachi's chaotic logic.
anwhile, at the 4th Division Barracks, Naruto received word from his Shadow Clone and didn't head to the 6th Division right away. Instead, he made his way to the Fourth.
"Captain Uzumaki." Isane Kotetsu greeted him nervously. "You've already heard?"
"Is it confird that Captain Gin Ichimaru is dead?" Naruto asked, walking briskly.
Isane nodded, leading him inside.
After passing two corridors, they entered a dical room.
Naruto asked, "Captain Unohana, have you determined the cause of death?"
"Can you tell who might've done it?"
Retsu Unohana looked up, her voice as calm as ever. "Naruto, you're here."
"The cause of death is clear—one clean strike to the throat."
"But…"
"There's sothing strange."
Naruto waited silently.
Unohana continued, "The ti of death was two or three hours ago."
"And during that ti, we were all in the 1st Division barracks."
At that ti…
The captain's eting was happening.
Suddenly, the Inner Nine-Tails spoke in Naruto's mind: "The person lying here isn't Gin Ichimaru."
Naruto froze. "Not Gin?"
"It's an old man," Nine-Tails explained.
Naruto relayed the information. "The person here isn't Gin. It's an elderly man."
"Can you get so paper and ink? I'll sketch his face."
Isane hurried to gather the materials.
Soon, a face, drawn under Nine-Tails' guidance, appeared on the page.
Isane frowned at the rough sketch.
It wasn't a face she recognized—she had never seen anyone like this in the Gotei 13.
"That's an elder from the Kasumioji Clan," Unohana said, recognizing the face. As one of the oldest Shinigami, she had seen nearly everyone in Seireitei.
Naruto recalled, "That noble family, the Kasumioji?"
"He's a mber of Central 46," Unohana explained. "One of the Kasumioji Clan's representatives."
"Naruto…"
"Are you sure this is him and not Captain Ichimaru?"
Nine-Tails confird it.
The face Naruto had drawn matched perfectly.
"This is a startling revelation," Unohana said softly, frowning. "To use a mber of Central 46 as a decoy."
"And…"
"This body must've been prepared in advance."
"Even before the eting."
Naruto didn't respond imdiately.
"Did the Ryoka target Central 46?" Isane wondered aloud. "Then where is Captain Ichimaru, or his body?"
Naruto shook his head, echoing Unohana's earlier words: "This body was prepared in advance."
"As much as I hate to say it…"
He rembered sothing Aizen had said during the eting.
Gin had been his most beloved lieutenant…
Was that a clue?
"I'm heading to Central 46," Naruto said, standing, feeling a growing sense of dread. "If our suspicions are correct, Gin is probably there."
"And the 5th Division…"
"Captain Unohana, can you inform Captain Shunsui and Captain Ukitake? I don't have ti to deal with this."
Unohana nodded.
Naruto took off in a blur.
The Central 46 Chambers—a place he had never been to, nor had he ever wanted to go.
It was supposed to be one of the most guarded locations in all of Seireitei.
Now, it stood almost unprotected.
Naruto burst inside.
The sharp, decaying stench of blood hit him imdiately.
The room was filled with corpses.
The once-powerful figures of Central 46, the ones who issued orders from on high, lay dead, their wounds dried, indicating they had been dead for quite so ti.
So then…
Who had been giving orders over the past few days?
Was it Aizen… or soone else?
"Gin, co out," Naruto said quietly, his gaze locked on a particular spot in the room. "I know you're here."
A white-haired, snake-like man erged, smirking. "Well, well, Naruto."
"I only just got here myself."
~~~
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