Naraku Sora naturally knew about the Tsunayashiro clan.
One of the Five Great Noble Houses—some would even call them the foremost among them. Though in Naraku's memory, the "top" spot was debated; some claimed the Kuchiki were the true head.
But if you measured by sheer capacity for stirring up trouble, the Tsunayashiro were absolutely number one.
Setting aside all the noble-favoring systems Tsunayashiro had pushed in Soul Society, just within the "Forty-Six Noble Families" that symbolized the Central 46, no one knew how many were loyal to Tsunayashiro.
On top of that, they held enormous influence in the Noble Council, enough to sway the Central 46's collective decisions with ease.
"The Tsunayashiro, as one of the Five Great Houses, is an ancient clan that has existed since Soul Society's founding. Their foundation runs far deeper than ordinary people can imagine."
Yamamoto's expression was serious as he spoke in a low voice.
"Across a million years, countless powers and institutions have risen and fallen. Only Tsunayashiro has remained unmoved, watching the tides come and go."
"Over that time, Tsunayashiro has supported many noble factions. Since the founding of the Gotei 13, countless squad members, seated officers, and even captains have accepted the olive branches they offered."
"The Central Court organizations and the Kidō Corps are the same."
"And Ninth Division's Captain Takeda Satoru is one of them."
Yamamoto lifted his gaze, looking at Naraku, who was quietly thinking.
"In my impression, Takeda isn't reckless. On the contrary, he acts cautiously and has earned the trust of his men with excellent performance on many missions—often achieving zero casualties."
"To minimize losses, he usually only acts when he has sufficient intelligence."
"And yet a man like that attacked and tried to kill a seated officer of the Central Prison in the Yokota estate without distinguishing right from wrong."
"No matter how you look at it, it makes no sense."
"So I suspect the sacrifices at the Yokota estate may have been directed by Tsunayashiro behind the scenes."
After all that, Naraku's face remained calm—no visible shock at all. That reaction made Yamamoto a little annoyed.
This conclusion came from combing through a mountain of intel and thinking it through carefully—why did this brat still look so indifferent?
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Third Seat Naraku—do you have a different view?"
Naraku grinned. "Not a 'view,' exactly. Just a question."
"Speak."
"Right now there's no proof Tsunayashiro is the mastermind. But if we do find proof, what will you do?"
"Or rather, what will the Gotei 13 do?"
"That's one of the Five Great Houses—symbols of the highest order in Soul Society. I don't believe the Central 46 would dare punish them."
"Some people are probably still lining up to kiss their feet."
Yamamoto froze, then frowned deeply.
He'd been so focused on finding evidence that he hadn't truly considered what came after.
As the guardian of order, if he moved against Tsunayashiro on his own, he would shatter the fragile stability he'd spent so long protecting.
Even with evidence.
Unless Tsunayashiro went completely off the rails and fast-forwarded straight into "destroy the world."
In simple terms: Yamamoto was a nuclear deterrent—something you could not unleash unless it was truly the last resort.
After a brief silence, Yamamoto lifted his eyes and looked at Naraku steadily.
"You're right. I haven't thought that part through enough."
"Tsunayashiro is deeply entrenched. Simple evidence won't topple them. The laws themselves would likely bend in their favor."
"The Central 46… the Noble Council…"
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes.
As expected, compared to maintaining systems and order, he was far better at simply destroying things.
Just thinking about those vermin working in the shadows stirred anger in his chest. How could Soul Society be run properly if you had to cooperate with trash like that?
"You have a way?"
Yamamoto suddenly stared at Naraku, fire burning in his eyes.
Naraku flinched at the abrupt change in tone and said a bit guiltily:
"Maybe… I might."
"If you have one, you have one. If you don't, you don't. What do you mean 'maybe'?"
Yamamoto clearly realized he'd gotten too heated. He snorted and forced his face back into calm.
Naraku grinned. "Teacher, didn't you take me into Genryū because you wanted to forge a blade sharp enough to cut nobles?"
Yamamoto's expression froze, and the pressure around him eased a little.
"I'm not against it," Naraku continued, smile fading slightly. "Or rather—I'm looking forward to becoming that kind of person."
"A huge portion of Soul Society's rot and chaos comes from people like them. The efforts of the Gotei 13 and other institutions are nothing more than tools they use to maintain their power."
"People like that are the root of calamity."
Maybe Yamamoto's original intention really was to nurture someone who could keep his heart steady even under noble pressure.
But after spending time with Naraku, the old man had instinctively taken the burden back onto his own shoulders again.
In his eyes, no matter how much a student grew, external threats could still harm them—
Like Takeda Satoru, a noble-backed pawn.
On some unconscious level, he didn't want his disciple walking into danger again.
A teacher was supposed to shield the younger generation that trusted him.
Yamamoto went quiet for a moment. A complicated color passed through his half-lowered eyes, and he asked slowly:
"Then what is your way?"
Naraku scratched a grin onto his face—awkward, but still polite.
"I… haven't thought of it yet."
"But with my intelligence, give me at most three days and I'll definitely come up with a suitable plan."
As he said that, Naraku puffed out his chest, looking smug.
Yamamoto watched him skeptically. The things Naraku said today made sense, but his everyday behavior didn't exactly scream "master strategist."
If anything, "storm Tsunayashiro's headquarters and kill everyone" sounded like the kind of "great plan" Naraku would come up with.
Thinking of that image, Yamamoto shook his head. Better not pin his hopes on this kid's "intelligence."
"Whatever Tsunayashiro is planning, caution comes first. Be careful. You won't go wrong that way."
"That's enough for today's lesson."
With that, the old man turned and left the dōjō.
...
...
Fifth Division barracks.
Aizen frowned at the documents on his desk. They were filled with crude language condemning Naraku's "evil deeds" and "moral depravity," as if no one had ever been worse.
Only nobles could write reports like that.
Aizen tossed it into the trash, shook his head, and picked up another.
Just as he settled back into work, a blood-pressure-spiking voice suddenly rang out inside the office:
"Dorae-zen—save me, please!"