"Cough, cough..."
Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni cut off their exchange and said in a low voice, "No more digressions. Let’s talk about serious business! Effective imdiately, all Squads must strengthen their patrols. Central 46 is already extrely dissatisfied with the losses among the Shinigami..."
Yes.
The losses among the Shinigami were getting heavier and heavier.
And there were fewer and fewer Shinigami who could be added to the Guardian Court Thirteen Squads, because there was also a clan recruiting Shinigami from within the Quiet Spirit Court.
In fact, there was a pretty good way to quickly make up the numbers of Shinigami, naly to find a way to have the Shinigami of the Uehara Race directly join the Guardian Court Thirteen Squads; however, that would basically be letting the Uehara Race steal the nest...
Anyway.
Hollow incursions were becoming more and more frequent.
Only two people present knew why this was happening, because the current Master of the Hollow World, Aizen Sousuke, needed to use the experintal Hollows he had secretly modified for his experints, and at the sa ti to search for Urahara Kisuke’s whereabouts...
As for Uehara Naraku...
Movents in the Hollow World couldn’t possibly be hidden from him!
This kind of thing wasn’t worth taking to heart; the only slightly troubleso part was that because of the frequent Hollow incursions, even the seemingly rather laid‑back 5th Squad had no choice but to start facing the most important part of a Shinigami’s life...
That was the war between Shinigami and Hollows!
A war that would never end!
The desolate outskirts of Soul Society.
Hundreds of Hollows broke through the dinsional boundary and entered Soul Society, roaring as they tried to invade the central Quiet Spirit Court and Drifting Spirit Town!
By coincidence, the 10th Squad, which had been in charge of patrols, was imdiately plunged into a bitter struggle; and since this group of Hollows did not lack Hollow‑class creatures, they had no choice but to call for reinforcents from within the Quiet Spirit Court.
The 5th Squad was naturally dispatched as support as well.
Aizen Sousuke and Uehara Naraku led the 5th Squad to reinforce them, and under the command of these two "actors," this battle was fought with a surprising amount of difficulty.
After all...
Uehara Naraku was the Shinigami Who Does Not Kill.
Uehara Naraku swung his Zanpakuto and drove back a group of ferocious‑looking Hollows, quickly extended his fingertips, and began chanting: "Devour yourself, black dog of Rondanini. Look upon yourself in awe, then burn. Sever your own throat! Bakudo No.9, Disintegrating Circle!"
Beams of golden light ford from Spiritual Particles shot from Uehara Naraku’s fingertips!
These golden Spiritual Particles instantly transford into golden ropes the mont they touched the group of Hollows, binding them all in one go!
If you set aside the fact that Uehara Naraku still needed to chant, his mastery of Kido didn’t seem weak at all; especially Bakudo No.9, which in his hands seed to have been played to the point of artistry.
Unfortunately...
This was a battlefield where it was you or them, and the most straightforward thod against creatures like Hollows was to cleave the masks on their heads!
Even though he had easily restrained a group of monsters, this newcor of the 5th Squad still seed sowhat out of place on the battlefield!
"Roar!"
The group of Hollows glared at Uehara Naraku and roared in fury!
They struggled desperately to tear apart the bindings of the golden ropes, as if they wanted to rip Uehara Naraku to shreds on the spot, but the restraining power of Disintegrating Circle far exceeded their Spiritual Pressure, and these monsters could only vent their rage with their roars!
"Move!"
A short, white‑haired figure flashed past Uehara Naraku, brandishing his Zanpakuto again and again, slicing the bound Hollows cleanly in two!
This figure looked just like a boy who hadn’t fully grown...
However, the montum of his fighting and the violent Spiritual Pressure rolling off his body were stronger than that of many Shinigami, and once he started moving his strikes were razor‑sharp!
A group of Shinigami stared in surprise at the short figure, unconsciously murmuring the na of that white‑haired boy: "That’s... the newcor from the 10th Squad... Hitsugaya Toshiro!"
This newcor who had only joined the 10th Squad not long ago...
Was already showing the potential to beco a Captain Level Shinigami—no, it might be more accurate to say he already possessed Spiritual Pressure and power comparable to a Captain Level Shinigami!
Compared to Hitsugaya Toshiro...
The new Vice Captain of Squad 5, Uehara Naraku, clearly seed sowhat lacking. Although his performance on the battlefield wasn’t bad, he couldn’t help but co across as a bit soft‑hearted.
"You’re Hinamori’s friend, right?"
Hitsugaya Toshiro sheathed his Zanpakuto, turned his head toward Uehara Naraku, and a trace of impatience flashed across his face. "I really don’t know how you managed to beat Hinamori and beco number one at the Shinigami Academy... to actually go easy on monsters like Hollows..."
"...Sorry."
Uehara Naraku’s eyes dimd slightly as he gazed at the short Hitsugaya Toshiro in front of him and spoke calmly: "They’re souls too... souls that deserve salvation."
"Just don’t get yourself killed."
Hitsugaya Toshiro gripped his Zanpakuto and walked back to the 10th Squad’s formation, leaving one last cold remark: "When Hinamori heard you’d beco Vice Captain of Squad 5, she’s been wanting to transfer to your 5th Squad even more."
Because Hitsugaya Toshiro had grown up together with Hinamori Momo, he knew his childhood friend’s thoughts all too well; lately, Hinamori Momo had practically beco obsessed with getting into the 5th Squad...
She admired her fellow student, the forr number one, Uehara Naraku...
She idolized the gentlemanly Captain, Aizen Sousuke...
Now the two of them were both in the 5th Squad, and they were even Captain and Vice Captain respectively; Hinamori Momo would naturally want to join the 5th Squad more and more.
"..."
Uehara Naraku fell into Silence.
If possible, he really wanted to return that "Just don’t get yourself killed" line Hitsugaya Toshiro had said and give it to Hinamori Momo!
There were two Best Actor–level figures in the 5th Squad right now... A naïve little girl coming to the 5th Squad—wasn’t that basically throwing herself into the tiger’s jaws!
Especially since...
These were two tigers in sheep’s clothing.
When Hinamori Momo thought she was about to enter the heaven that was the 5th Squad, she had no idea she was actually stepping into hell—a hell of endless reversals...
After this battle ended...
Uehara Naraku voluntarily stepped forward to help treat the wounded.
No one could deny that this kind of thing really racked up goodwill, especially since Uehara Naraku’s use of Spiritual Power for healing was such that in just a few short seconds he could make a Shinigami lively again, his efficiency even higher than mbers of the 4th Squad whose sole duty was dical care.
Unohana Retsu, Captain of Squad 4, was a bit puzzled; she was wondering whether she should try to pull Uehara Naraku into the 4th Squad, feeling that as Captain she once again had a promising successor...
After the wounded were treated...
Uehara Naraku gazed at the battlefield that had gradually emptied out, slowly stretched out his palm, and paper flowers rose with the wind, drifting down on every spot where a Hollow had vanished.
"This is..."
Hitsugaya Toshiro couldn’t help but knit his brows.
Shiba Ishin placed his hand on Hitsugaya Toshiro’s head, shook it, and sighed softly: "Ah, what a kind little guy. He wants to pray for those empty souls!"
"Pray for Hollows?"
Hitsugaya Toshiro furrowed his brows even tighter, staring fixedly at Uehara Naraku. "This guy... how does he seem even more simple‑minded than Hinamori?"
"Isn’t being a bit simple‑minded a good thing?"
Shiba Ishin looked at Uehara Naraku and chuckled. "Soone who grew up spoiled, yet still keeps a child’s pure heart..."
A group of Shinigami watched the scene of Uehara Naraku offering a morial and prayers; so sighed over his simplicity, so mocked his foolishness, so didn’t care at all...
This battle was already over.
The Shinigami from the other Squads began leaving the battlefield in groups, but only the 5th Squad still stood in place, watching Uehara Naraku silently praying for the Hollows the Shinigami had cut down.
Just then.
A crack split open in the dinsional boundary in the sky, and a pale‑skinned young man stood on the edge of the rift; the youth’s appearance was extraordinarily strange.
Short, jagged hair...
A half‑skull mask perched atop it...
The young man’s build looked sowhat thin and frail, and his complexion was deathly pale; beneath his erald‑green eyes ran long tear‑like streaks.
However...
The Spiritual Pressure on him was unbelievably powerful!
This eerie youth did only three things.
In the first second, the pale‑skinned youth lowered his head and glanced down at Uehara Naraku; in the second, the pale‑skinned youth turned and looked at Aizen Sousuke.
In the third second...
The youth suddenly extended a finger and fired a streak of erald‑green Cero straight at Uehara Naraku on the ground!
His movents were so fast...
That the mbers of the 5th Squad didn’t even have ti to react!
They were still wondering who this pale‑skinned youth even was when he had already ruthlessly struck at one of their own!
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