Urahara Kisuke turned to the Thirteenth Division captain, silently asking for support.
But Ukitake Jūshirō only smiled and shook his head.
He agreed with the Head Captain's orders.
Naruto possessed outstanding strength, with solid healing skills, and had recently made rapid progress in demon arts. He was a rare all-rounder.
Unohana Retsu was even stronger and fully capable of taking on the position.
However, she was the captain of the Fourth Division, burdened with great responsibilities and couldn't leave lightly.
At this moment, there was no one more suitable in the Seireitei than Naruto.
As captain, Ukitake believed in his subordinates—he believed in Naruto.
What concerned him was something else entirely.
Had their teacher already decided in his heart that the Ninth Division captain had "died in battle"?
Was that why he was so eager to promote Naruto?
Head Captain Yamamoto continued his arrangements.
The last two members of the special operations unit tasked with investigating the disappearing souls—he initially wanted to send the head and deputy of the Kido Corps, but Kyōraku Shunsui suggested replacing the Grand Kidō Chief with Lisa Yadōmaru, the vice-captain of the Eighth Division.
The six-person frontline support team was finally confirmed.
The other divisions were to prepare for escalation and defend the Seireitei.
Thirteenth Division Barracks.
Just as Naruto returned, Shiba Kaien pulled him aside to help arrange division matters.
Suddenly, a shadow fell from above.
It was someone clad entirely in the skintight black uniform of the Onmitsukidō, the Stealth Force of the Second Division.
"Thirteenth Division's third seat, Uzumaki Naruto." The figure spoke immediately upon landing. "The Head Captain orders you to go at once to the location where the Ninth Division Captain's spiritual pressure vanished."
Naruto froze. "Me?"
"I understand. I'll depart immediately."
He turned to Shiba Kaien.
The black-haired man ruffled Naruto's head with a grave look. "You're going too, huh? Guess it's time for you to stand on your own. Be careful. Stay safe."
Naruto grinned widely and vanished with a flash step.
Rukongai, District 6 on the outskirts.
The moonlight was dim, casting shadows across the sparse forest.
Chaotic and disordered spiritual pressures surged.
Oppressive. Dead silent.
Hiyori's ragged breathing echoed loudly.
She had given it her all.
But dragging a severely injured body, her current speed was already the limit.
Her pursuer…
Had arrived.
A spiritual pressure flashed—an enormous figure slammed down.
Hiyori twisted away in a panic, narrowly dodging.
A deep crater burst forth, dust swirling like waves.
Within the crater, a towering figure stood in silhouette. Its eyes glowed like lamps, radiating a violent and chilling light. The dust particles reflected the beams, making the light seem almost tangible, falling directly on Hiyori.
Like a hunter watching its prey.
It moved again—vanishing without a sound.
Hiyori gritted her teeth.
She wanted to move, but her body had been twisted during the earlier fall, and the oppressive foreign spiritual pressure rendered her immobile.
She couldn't move.
At the last moment—
A flash of blade deflected the attack.
Hiyori looked up—a figure in white now stood protectively in front of her.
A sudden sense of security washed over her.
But when this person turned around, the inspiring mood instantly vanished.
Hirako Shinji wore a sour expression. "Are you insane? Why didn't you draw your sword?"
Hiyori kept her eyes forward. "You're the crazy one."
"Look closely. There's no way I could draw it."
"That thing is—"
Shinji turned to look ahead.
The dust slowly settled, and the light of the crescent moon shone down on the figure, casting his bone-white form in a ghastly light.
A mask covered his face. Multiple bone-like spikes protruded from his back.
He looked like a Hollow.
But he wore a captain's haori and the shihakushō beneath.
Etched across his ribs and lower abdomen were the numbers "69."
Every detail unmistakably identified him.
Shinji was briefly stunned before uttering a name: "Kensei?"
He was part of the advance team investigating the disappearing souls in Rukongai.
And the captain of the Ninth Division—Muguruma Kensei.
It was hard to believe.
That his old comrade had become such a grotesque monster.
The remaining two captains and vice-captains of the advance team also landed.
Their reactions were just as shocked.
But there was no time for emotional reflection.
They engaged in combat with the berserk Kensei and his equally lost-to-madness vice-captain, Kuna Mashiro.
But—
During the clash, white goo suddenly surged up Hiyori's face. Already gravely wounded, she had no strength to resist.
The slime quickly congealed into a mask.
She too lost her reason—and swung her blade at Hirako Shinji.
On her sword was a virus-like contagion, spreading the "bone-mask" infection to others.
Not far from the battle—
Watching silently.
Three figures stood in the forest. In plain sight, yet no one sensed their presence.
"Aizen-sama, they've all Hollowfied. Aren't you going to show yourself yet?" asked a silver-haired youth—Ichimaru Gin, recently promoted to the Fifth Division.
He tilted his head to the man in the center.
Aizen Sōsuke smiled faintly, voice tinged with anticipation: "They're just appetizers."
"The main course has yet to be served."
"We're in no hurry to begin the feast."
Gin asked softly: "Main course? You mean Uzumaki Naruto?"
"Feeling reluctant?" Aizen looked down, his eyes hidden in shadow.
Gin quickly denied it. "Not at all."
"Just a little surprised. I thought you were on good terms with him."
Aizen raised his head, smiling. "Sometimes closeness isn't affection."
"A hunter… also wants to be nearer to his prey."
From his perspective—
A spiritual pressure was rapidly approaching.
The one he had been waiting for.
The main course.
Naruto landed.
And stared in disbelief at the scene before him.
The Ninth Division Captain Muguruma Kensei—whom he had only met a few times—had become a "monster." Just like when he himself entered "Tailed Beast mode," Kensei had lost his mind and attacked everyone in sight.
Hirako Shinji was barely holding on, bracing himself on the ground. White, gooey fluid oozed from his face, which he desperately tried to suppress.
Captain Love Aikawa of the Seventh Division, Captain Rose Ōtoribashi of the Third, and Vice-Captain Lisa Yadōmaru of the Eighth—normally always by Kyōraku's side—all showed the same signs, close to succumbing to the invasive bone liquid.
"What's going on?" Naruto asked.
"Run!" Shinji raised his head at the familiar voice. "Be careful—don't let them touch you!"
"Go back and alert the Head Captain."
"This is Hollow—"
He didn't finish his sentence.
Just that brief lapse in focus, and the bone liquid surged, boiling violently, growing more vicious.
"Captain Shinji, I'll take you all back," Naruto gritted his teeth. "Captain Urahara will find a way."
Leave?
With Captain Kensei already like this, should he really abandon these others—his friends—and watch them fall into monstrosity too?
He formed a hand seal and activated his power.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Golden chains erupted from his back, binding the rampaging Kensei.
His limbs, torso, waist—everything was pinned to the ground.
Vice-Chief of Kidō Hachigen Ushōda, one of the few still uninfected, warned: "Be careful! Their power is overwhelming."
"Even Bakudō #63 couldn't restrain him!"
Naruto clenched his teeth, struggling to hold the chains steady.
Kensei's wild spiritual pressure strained the golden bonds to their limit, the metal groaning loudly under pressure.
Without his full release, Naruto only had a "Fourth-Class Spiritual Power," lower than these "Third-Class" captain-level individuals.
But—
That wasn't the biggest problem.
Chaotic spiritual pressures collided.
A swift, masked attacker with a long horn charged from above, slashing down.
From the height, it looked like Hiyori.
Shinji's words still echoed:
"Don't get injured!"
Though he hadn't explained why, it was clear.
Being hit might turn him… into one of them.
Naruto released his chains and dodged with a flash step.
Speed was his forte.
Hiyori's blade missed.
But Kensei, now freed, charged again, lost to madness.
(End of Chapter)