Bleach : Begins with a Contract with the Departed Souls of the Uchiha Chapter 285 285: Subduing the Unseen

Beyond serving as a headquarters for garrisoning troops, it allowed for constant monitoring of the Soul Reapers' movents within Seireitei.

After a period of construction, the Shadow Space had regained its vitality.

Streets had been laid across the vast ground, lined with orderly rows of buildings in a precise layout.

The overall architectural style differed from the Western European aesthetic of the Quincy or the traditional structure of Seireitei.

Instead, it followed the architectural style of the Qin and Han dynasties from Ren's mories.

The result was an appearance that was ancient, grand, deep, and majestic.

At the heart of what was once Silbern, Ren had ordered the original castle leveled to ensure no traps were left behind by the Quincy.

In its place, a palace complex was built to serve as Ren's residence and the command center for his forces. At the very center of these buildings stood the largest palace, towering hundreds of ters high and covering a vast area to accommodate large-scale etings.

It was nad the Zhenyou Hall.

Inside Zhenyou Hall, the air was thick with activity.

Generals, scribes, and agents from the Secret Ops had been summoned, taking their seats on the left and right sides of the lower hall.

The massive throne at the front remained empty, as their supre commander had yet to arrive.

Speculation rippled through the crowd, and a low clamor echoed through the hall.

"The military, the civil officials, and the secret agents... even idle personnel like us have been gathered. It seems the Empire is making a major move."

"Izuna, what do you think this is about?"

"Brother, the Empire's policies lately have focused on internal reform rather than expansion... Gathering us all so suddenly likely ans it is ti to move against Seireitei."

"Ah, are you serious?"

"Hashirama, your naturally evil brother has always been highly trusted. He's practically the representative for all the ninjas now. What, did he not tell you?"

"Tobirama said it was classified and couldn't be shared with anyone else."

"Hmph, looks like you aren't much of an elder brother after all."

"First Lord, Lord Madara, please calm yourselves. Everyone is watching."

"Sigh, war again..."

To the side and rear of the main hall lay a spacious side chamber.

A massive circular conference table occupied the center, and it was already fully occupied.

Ren stood at the entrance, listening to the noise coming from the main hall.

After a mont, he closed the door firmly.

He turned his gaze toward the room.

Shisui and Guernica were currently distributing thick docunts to each of the twelve seats at the table.

Ren's gaze swept over the group before he walked to the vacant head seat and sat down.

"Everyone, we are all accounted for."

Every seat at the table was filled.

To Ren's right sat Nobunaga, Shimazu Toyohisa, Tobirama, Mayuri, and Ubuyashiki Kagaya. To his left were Sengoku, Tsuru, Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom.

These were the subordinates he had gathered over the years—confidants he treated as brothers-in-arms and assistants he viewed as family.

Behind each person stood two subordinates, flanking their chairs.

In total, nearly twenty people were present in the chamber.

Opposite Ren sat a young, bright-eyed girl.

Wearing a sailor uniform with her black hair tied in braids, her innocent aura felt completely out of place in such a solemn atmosphere.

Amanai Riko scratched her cheek and stole glances at the figures in the room, feeling a wave of pressure.

"Um... why am I here exactly?"

Everyone present was either imposing or fierce-looking—clearly powerful figures accustod to high status.

She was just a girl who didn't understand any of this. Why had she been called to sit here?

She felt like a husky that had accidentally wandered into a pack of wolves.

Ren waved a hand, his solemn expression softening slightly.

"Riko, you are now the Master of the World Gate Hall, in charge of the gates connecting various worlds."

"While our focus is currently on the interior of the Soul Society, our strategy will shift to outward expansion once Seireitei is conquered. Naturally, you cannot be absent from this closed-door eting."

Hearing this, Amanai Riko's face fell.

That ant her busy schedule would only truly begin once Seireitei was taken.

Standing behind her were a man and a woman.

The woman was roughly the sa age as Riko, youthful and beautiful, with a beauty mark under her eye. Her eyes glowed with a crimson light as three tomoe slowly rotated within them.

It was Uchiha Izumi.

The man was pale with vibrant red hair. Within his purple eyes, concentric ripples spread outward, exuding a mysterious power.

The Rinnegan!

It was Nagato!

Ren looked at the two of them and said, "From now on, your mission is to serve as Riko's bodyguards. Protect her and ensure she cos to no harm."

"Understood."

The two responded with solemn gravity.

Ren's gaze swept over the seats again as he nodded slowly.

"Everyone, I believe the purpose of this eting is clear to you all."

"We have lurked in the shadows for so long, constantly building our strength. Finally, that mont has arrived."

"The war is about to begin!"

Ren turned his gaze toward the gentle, white-haired man sitting to his side.

Ubuyashiki Kagaya.

"Aside from Zephyr guarding Yomi Castle and Fugaku at Pure Land City, who could not attend due to their duties, everyone here is a friend or a brother to ."

"Allow to introduce our new compatriot."

As Ren finished, Ubuyashiki Kagaya slowly rose and bowed slightly to the group with a smile.

"I am Ubuyashiki Kagaya. By the grace of the Great King, I have beco a Sage within the Chamber of 23, participating in the administrative operations of Seireitei."

"I look forward to your guidance in the future."

Ren gestured for him to sit down.

He opened a docunt, his fingers tapping the heavy tabletop.

"This is the battle plan for the conquest of Seireitei, created through your collective cooperation. I have reviewed it, and there are no major flaws."

"The Secret Ops, one of the three major military institutions in Seireitei, is already in my hands. There is no need to ntion it further."

"Due to our prior sches, the Gotei 13 has lost more than half of its Captains, and its strength has plumted. The Kido Corps is the sa; having lost both its commanders, it no longer poses a threat."

"The Chamber of 23 has already been infiltrated by Kagaya..." Ren glanced at Ubuyashiki before turning to Sengoku. "Sengoku, dispatch a portion of your elites to assist Kagaya in suppressing the Chamber of 23."

Sengoku replied deeply, "Understood. According to the strategic outline, I will send Sakazuki to assist in the suppression."

Ren nodded.

"Once the Soul Reapers are dealt with, Kagaya will oversee the Chamber of 23, while the Secret Ops will step in to replace the Gotei 13 in handling various affairs."

"Any issues with that, Tobirama?"

Tobirama replied expressionlessly, "No issues. The Secret Ops has spent these years expanding; our personnel are fully staffed. We have a clear division of labor modeled after the Gotei 13, sufficient to maintain order in the three realms."

Ren continued, "As for the various noble houses of Seireitei, the battle plan already contains corresponding asures. Proceed accordingly."

At that mont, Mayuri Kurotsuchi suddenly raised his hand, his amber eyes scanning the group before resting on Ren.

"There is one question. How do we deal with the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13?"

"He is no ordinary man. His strength is beyond imagination. If we don't have proper ans to deal with him, he alone could potentially overturn our entire invasion."

Having spent so many years in Seireitei, Mayuri naturally knew how terrifying Yamamoto Shigekuni's power was.

Calling him the strongest Soul Reaper was no exaggeration!

Ren smiled with confidence.

"The Captain-Commander is powerful, so I will personally lead the team to deal with him."

"What?"

The room was shocked to hear Ren intended to take the field himself.

Voices of concern and persuasion imdiately rose.

"The Great King going to the front lines? Isn't that a bit..."

"A man of high status should not sit in a dangerous hall. Ren, you are our King. How can you expose yourself to such risk?"

"Exactly. If anything happens to you, this entire ga will fall apart."

Listening to their words, Ren raised his hand slightly, and the voices instantly fell silent.

They watched Ren with tense expressions.

Ren laughed. "I understand your concerns, but since I have made this statent, I have sufficient confidence in our victory."

"Furthermore, I am not going alone. I will take nurous experts with to besiege him. There is absolutely no possibility of failure."

Nobunaga frowned. "But even so..."

"Nobunaga, there are no 'buts'," Ren said firmly. "My mind is made up!"

Seeing Ren's resolve, the group exchanged looks and sighed inwardly.

Once Ren decided on sothing, no amount of persuasion would have any effect.

They also understood that given the strength of Yamamoto Shigekuni, Ren was likely the only one among them capable of defeating him.

The eting continued as they discussed further combat deploynts.

As a consensus was reached, Ren stood up abruptly.

"For this battle, Nobunaga will be the Supre Commander, overseeing all military affairs. Sengoku and Tobirama will serve as deputies to assist him!"

"In the conquest of Seireitei, prioritize deep infiltration and elimination. We must completely destroy Seireitei's fighting strength."

"That is all!"

In the vast main hall of Zhenyou Hall, the gathered crowd sat on both sides.

As ti passed, the noise in the hall grew louder.

Just then, the door to the side of the hall swung open, and several figures erged.

It was Nobunaga, Sengoku, and the others who had finished the eting.

The hall fell into a solemn silence as the crowd watched them take their seats at the front.

Nobunaga stepped into the center, looking out at the people in the hall.

Before him was a sea of people—the elites and middle-tier pillars of the Empire's structure.

"I believe you all know why you have been summoned here."

"Everyone, the war is coming!"

"Our Great War!"

anwhile, Ren went to the dressing room behind the hall. Looking at the clothes laid out before him, he couldn't help but fall into thought.

The outfit was a military uniform, entirely jet-black, sleek, and sharp, topped with a dark cloak.

Under the service of Shisui and the others, Ren finished dressing. Standing before the mirror, he looked at his new self.

Compared to his previous Shihakusho, he now looked sharper, carrying an air of decisive authority.

However, Ren's brow furrowed slightly.

"These clothes are fine, but why do they look so familiar?"

Guernica spoke up softly from the side. "Your Majesty, this style was designed by Lord Walter. It is said to be based on the military uniforms of the Second World War from his world."

Ren looked at himself in the mirror again, particularly at the collar decorations, and it suddenly clicked.

"No wonder. Walter must have used the uniforms of the Third Reich as a reference."

What was this supposed to be? Was it mandatory to pair them with Soul Reapers?

Ren shook his head. "Forget it. Since they do look striking, this will do."

With that, Ren straightened his collar and walked out of the room toward the main hall.

The mont Ren appeared, the entire hall beca solemn.

"Salute the Great King!"

Amidst the repeated salutations, Ren felt a slight tremor in his body and his steps felt light.

Taking his seat on the throne at the highest point, Ren raised his hand toward the bowing crowd.

"At ease."

Watching the crowd take their seats, Ren's gaze swept across everyone in the hall.

His deep and solemn voice echoed throughout the space.

"Gentlen, the war has already begun!"

"From now on, we shall stand in the light. I hope you will all work together with one heart to conquer Seireitei and seize the three realms!"

"There is no need for fear or hesitation. Glory is with you, and rit lies just ahead, within your grasp."

"Before us, there are no rivals!"

As Ren's words fell, a synchronized roar erupted from the hall.

"Victory!"

"Victory!"

The shouts were thunderous, shaking the entire palace and spreading in all directions, echoing through every hall.

Hearing the distant shouts, Yūshirō's body trembled, and fear appeared on his face.

He hurriedly looked at Yoruichi, who was sitting beside him.

"Sister, what is that..."

At this mont, Yoruichi's face was as dark as a thundercloud.

Hearing the continuous cheers outside, she understood exactly what was happening.

"It must be that fellow Ren, mobilizing his troops!"

"Damn it, I didn't think he would move so quickly!"

Yoruichi had thought Ren would wait a while before taking action, which would have given her a chance to find an opening, escape surveillance, and secretly warn Seireitei.

But she hadn't expected Ren to act the mont she was captured.

She hadn't even had ti to scout the area.

Beside her, Suì-Fēng's face was pale, her expression filled with guilt.

"I am deeply sorry, Lady Yoruichi."

"I have beco a burden to you. I truly have no face to look at you."

The gloom on Yoruichi's face softened as she waved her hand at Suì-Fēng.

"It isn't your fault. Even without you, I would have ended up in this position."

"Ren had already calculated all of this."

With that, she looked at Suì-Fēng's arm.

"More importantly, is your hand okay?"

"Thank you for your concern, Lady Yoruichi. I am fine."

Suì-Fēng held her hand, looking moved.

She had been brought back after receiving treatnt, and her severed hand had been successfully reattached.

There was only a visible circle of sutures on the skin.

After the healing, she had been warned by that pervert Mayuri not to move it unnecessarily, or it would cause issues.

Of course, many guards had co along with Suì-Fēng.

Yoruichi's gaze fell on the old woman with the bun, and her expression darkened.

"It seems Ren is truly 'protective' of ."

"Walter wasn't enough; he had to send all of you to watch !"

Chiyo chuckled softly but did not speak.

Pakura, beside her, was about to say sothing but was pulled back by Chiyo, who shook her head slightly.

Walter was sitting on the floor with Yoichi, playing with Touichirou.

Hearing Yoruichi's sarcasm, he sighed. "Lady Yoruichi, Lord Ren sent us here to protect the three of you. Lord Ren is very concerned about your safety."

"Protect?" Yoruichi's gaze sharpened into a cold laugh. "Then how about protecting us by letting us go back to Seireitei?"

"That won't do. War is about to break out in Seireitei; it is a dangerous ti," Walter shook his head.

Yoruichi threw her hands up. "There you go. Surveillance is surveillance. Why call it protection?!"

Yoichi hurriedly tried to soothe her. "Lady Yoruichi, I can understand your frustration, but Ren's concern for you is genuine. He simply has no other choice."

"Hah."

Yoruichi folded her arms, her face filled with disdain.

A mont later, the hall doors suddenly opened, revealing a tall figure.

As the guards bowed, Yoruichi turned her head, her sneer deepening.

"Oh, a busy man like you has ti to co here instead of attacking Seireitei?"

"And you're dressed all fancy too. How rare, Ren!"

The newcor was indeed Ren.

After finishing his speech in the main hall to boost morale, he had co to this palace in the rear.

Faced with Yoruichi's mockery, Ren remained expressionless as he walked up to her.

"Yoruichi, I know you resent in your heart. I don't bla you. In the end, it was I who failed you."

"Now that the war is about to begin, I just wanted to see you before the battle and tell you one thing."

"Oh?" Yoruichi's gaze swept over Ren's guilt-ridden face.

Ren said, "Kisuke, Hirako, and the others have escaped from my hands."

Yoruichi's interest was piqued, a spark lighting in her eyes, but it quickly faded.

"What's the use of telling this?"

"Every word out of your mouth is a lie. It was true before, and it's true now. I will never trust you again."

Seeing the finality on Yoruichi's face, Ren felt a bitterness in his heart but continued, "I am telling the truth. Just as I intended to absorb their Spiritual Pressure and seize their Zanpakutō, I was suddenly blocked and failed."

"Hirako and the others were also moved away by Tessai Tsukabishi using forbidden Kido."

"Right, right, you let them go."

Yoruichi wouldn't stop sneering.

The expression on her face clearly said: I'm just sitting here watching you talk nonsense!

Seeing this, Ren knew his credit with Yoruichi was in the negatives.

No matter what he said, Yoruichi wouldn't believe it.

He sighed inwardly and looked at the others.

"Yoichi, Walter, Granny Chiyo, and Pakura—please protect Yoruichi and the others. I'm counting on you."

"Please rest assured, Lord Ren. We will give our all!"

Each of them responded solemnly, giving their guarantee.

Yoichi nodded heavily, giving Ren a reassuring look.

With that, Ren prepared to leave.

Just as he took his first step, Yoruichi's voice suddenly rang out.

"Ren, there's one question I want to ask you!"

"Regardless of whether your answer is true or false, I want to hear it from your mouth."

Ren turned back to look at her.

"What is it?"

Yoruichi opened her mouth, her expression becoming firm. She gritted her teeth and asked, "Ren, why are you suddenly rebelling against Seireitei? Don't you already hold massive power?"

"What's wrong with the way things are now? Who in the entire Soul Society could possibly threaten you? Even the Captain-Commander has to be wary of you. What exactly do you want?"

"Is it really as Yoichi said—to get revenge for your dead brother?"

Ren was stunned.

He had thought Yoruichi wanted to ask sothing else, like why he had deceived her.

He hadn't expected it to be about this.

Ren glanced at Yoichi, knowing she must have told Yoruichi earlier.

He rubbed his chin, thought for a mont, and shook his head. "Why move against Seireitei... I can tell you clearly, it isn't for revenge."

"I'm not that narrow-minded. I moved past the events of the past long ago."

"How should I put it..." Ren's voice trailed off for a mont.

"Because I refuse to be diocre. I would rather be boiled in five cauldrons than live an ordinary life... or perhaps I simply found myself at this stage without realizing it, so I wanted to try and see if my power could overturn Seireitei."

Yoruichi's eyes widened as she looked at Ren in disbelief.

She had imagined countless reasons in her head, but she never expected Ren to give her an explanation like this.

"Just for a reason like that? Ren, are you serious?!"

"Naturally, I am as serious as can be."

Ren nodded, looking at Yoruichi with a solemn voice.

"Yoruichi, have you ever heard the phrase 'letting nature take its course'?"

"If sothing is within my reach if I just stand on my toes or stretch out my hand, of course I'm going to reach for it. That is letting nature take its course."

"If the Heavens give and you do not take, you will surely suffer the consequences. I can't just let go, can I?"

If he were to use the ancient history he knew as an example, he had already reached the rank of a Grand Marshal commanding all military affairs.

At such a ti, shouldn't one be seeking to be nad a King, receiving the Nine Bestowals, and then after the three customary refusals, ascending the throne?

Any normal person would do the sa.

One couldn't truly stop here, could they?

Looking at the shell-shocked Yoruichi, Ren said no more and turned to walk outside.

"My Soul Society..."

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