First Division barracks.
"Bastard!"
Veins bulged on Yamamoto's scarred head. Normally steady and even-tempered, he was now glaring wide-eyed, flames seeming to burn in his pupils.
"I truly want to split your skull open and see what the hell you've stuffed inside it!"
"You pulled nearly all the Maggot's Nest retirees out without authorization—are you trying to build a brand-new Gotei 13?!"
Naraku muttered back under his breath, "It wasn't all of them. I left a few in there."
"Yoruichi herself said the Maggot's Nest riots constantly. Second Division's short on manpower and can't spare anyone to keep it under control."
"And the Central Prison is short-staffed too. Putting those retirees back to work so they can contribute to Soul Society again—how is that not a win-win?"
Yamamoto laughed in anger.
Second Division almost emptying the Maggot's Nest was one win. The Central Prison getting a fresh injection of manpower was a second win.
But did this little bastard consider his feelings at all?
Starting last night, secret orders from Central had been pouring in nonstop. From minor sages to full judges, Central 46 had gone mad, sending people again and again to ask what on earth had happened at the Maggot's Nest.
He hadn't slept a wink.
"If it were one or two, I could still cover for you," Yamamoto said grimly.
"But you only left one or two behind. That makes it hard."
"The 'prisoners' in the Maggot's Nest, strictly speaking, haven't actually violated any laws."
"But on paper, they're still classified as 'dangerous individuals.'"
Naraku looked at Yamamoto with an odd expression—
like he was staring at someone whose IQ might somehow be lower than his.
That insulting look made Yamamoto's temper spike again. He was about to explode when Naraku spoke:
"Teacher, which law in Soul Society says you can't transfer Maggot's Nest retirees to the Central Prison?"
Yamamoto frowned.
"As far as I know, Maggot's Nest personnel transfers only require two seals: Second Division and the Onmitsukidō."
"Conveniently… I have both."
Naraku produced the stamped paperwork Yoruichi had prepared in advance and slid it across the table to the suddenly silent old man.
Yamamoto: "..."
To be honest, until now he'd never seen anyone actually abide by Soul Society's laws so rigidly—
Even though those laws were written by the highest judicial body, Central 46.
In practice, the laws were more like shackles for Rukongai residents and ordinary squad members.
A loophole-lawyer like Naraku? This was his first time seeing one.
But by the letter of the rules, the boy really hadn't broken any laws.
Yamamoto said nothing as he collected the document.
If the paperwork was legitimate, all he had to do was hand it over to Central 46.
As for everything else… let those dogs argue with the Five Great Houses themselves.
Just thinking about his disciple's other identity gave Yamamoto something close to a heart attack.
At first he'd assumed Naraku would involve himself in the Shihōin infighting as some kind of retainer.
He hadn't expected him to become the current clan head's fiancé.
Since Soul Society's founding, there had never been an incident this outrageous.
Even now, the Noble Council was still screaming at each other over it: one faction insisted Yoruichi's behavior was absurd and demanded harsh punishment for Naraku, who had slaughtered Shihōin elders.
Another faction argued it might be extreme, but still technically within the rules—so as long as Yoruichi and Naraku married soon, everything would be "resolved."
The rest were fence-sitters, ready to jump to whichever side gained the advantage.
In short, Naraku's antics had turned the Noble Council into a boiling pot.
"We'll set that aside for now," Yamamoto said with a cough.
"I'll submit the paperwork for Central 46 to review. If they find it forged, you can look forward to being locked in your own Central Prison."
Naraku just grinned, completely missing the threat.
"A few days ago, didn't you ask me where there might be abnormal incidents?" Yamamoto changed the subject. "This is intel the patrol units gathered. Read it."
Naraku took the mission slip and read carefully.
There were a lot of details, but nothing stood out—on the surface it was just another routine noble gathering.
"Strange, isn't it?"
Yamamoto lifted his tea cup and heated it with his own hands, making the cooled tea boil again.
"What if I told you that every so often, a large number of souls vanish near this location?"
...
...
"What's with that look?"
On the streets of Junrin'an, a man and woman walked side by side, both dressed in fairly luxurious noble clothing that sharply contrasted with the residents around them.
Sui-Feng: "..."
The girl ignored him completely and even rolled her eyes.
If not for Yoruichi-sama's order, she'd rather die than wear noble formalwear and go on a mission with the man trying to "steal" Yoruichi-sama away.
Since joining the Onmitsukidō, she had thrown away those fussy noble customs and devoted herself entirely to training.
It had paid off.
In just two and a half years, she'd gone from a trainee to a direct member of Yoruichi's personal unit—one of her closest subordinates.
That had been her goal all along.
And it was also the tradition of the Hachi (Bee) family.
Naraku, meanwhile, also had a headache.
From his point of view, once they'd identified where the abnormality was happening, the right move was to show up in force and smash the place.
But because the evidence wasn't complete, and because the gathering was a noble event, they had to avoid tipping anyone off.
Better to infiltrate first, learn the lay of the land, and only then plan the next move.
After asking Yoruichi for help, she immediately dispatched her most capable subordinate.
Even if the girl's eyes screamed resistance, her actions didn't hesitate for a second. She agreed firmly and vowed to complete the mission even at the cost of her life.
Ten minutes later, the two of them successfully blended into a large private manor.
This was the Yokota family's estate.
Nobles from other Rukongai districts and Seireitei exchanged warm greetings. Complicated rituals and etiquette played out one after another.
Sui-Feng—true to her reputation as Second Division elite—handled multiple inquiries smoothly, escorting Naraku deeper and deeper into the estate.
The gathering was about to begin.
On a raised platform, the Yokota clan head delivered an impassioned speech, railing that spiritual talent should never fall into the hands of low, inferior residents, and that nobles ought to be the true protagonists of Soul Society.
The speech struck a chord. Thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.
But in a corner, the boy frowned deeply. A strong sense of unease churned inside him as his gaze swept the area again and again—
As if something terrible was about to happen.