"Head Captain, you still don't trust me, do you?"
"At a critical time like this, does the Head Captain really think I'd be so petty as to let past friction between our families stop me from giving my all?"
Ren followed Yamamoto Shigekuni down the corridor toward the Division 1 tea room.
Beside him, Tessai Tsukabishi pushed up his glasses, his expression one of indignant agreement.
"Head Captain Yamamoto, my original duty was to remain on standby at Division 1, so staying here is fine."
"However, Lord Ren bears a heavy responsibility. He is in charge of commanding the Onmitsukidō to defend the Seireitei. Is it not somewhat inappropriate to force him to stay?"
Yamamoto sighed internally as he heard the two behind him.
"Gentlemen, please forgive my rudeness."
"Any news from the front lines will be reported to Division 1 immediately. By staying here, you can react as quickly as possible."
He knew his actions were forced and would draw criticism.
But the situation was dire, and he couldn't afford to care about such things now.
He would rather be overcautious than let a single suspicious detail slip by.
To be honest, he didn't trust Ren Shihoin in his heart.
There was no evidence, no anomaly, yet his intuition kept telling him this man was unreliable.
Helplessly, he could only keep the man under his own watch for the time being.
Minimize the risk first.
After leading them to the tea room, Yamamoto Shigekuni solemnly invited them to sit and personally brewed tea for them.
Ren didn't appreciate the gesture; he didn't even touch the tea pushed toward him.
"Head Captain Yamamoto, I know you don't trust me, which is why you kept me here."
"But regardless, I am of the same rank as you. Your actions today are quite an insult to my honor!"
"Just wait. Once today is over, I will certainly have my payback!"
Ren looked at the calm Yamamoto, growing angrier as he thought about it.
He had already arranged all the secret operations for tonight.
Where he personally stayed didn't actually matter.
What rankled him was Yamamoto's forceful attitude!
If he let this humiliation pass without a word, how could he show his face in the Seireitei again?
How could he maintain authority before his subordinates?
He clenched his fist and slammed it onto the tea table, the force splashing the tea everywhere.
"Shisui!"
Ren called out in a low voice.
Shisui appeared respectfully, kneeling on one knee as he awaited Ren's orders.
"Tell the strike force to handle all defensive duties. There must not be the slightest negligence!"
In front of Yamamoto, Ren glanced at him and spoke with a harsh tone.
"Also, tell the Great Judges of Central 46 to begin discussing the necessity of abolishing the Gotei 13 from this day forward. I want a satisfactory answer!"
"Understood!"
Shisui responded heavily.
Tessai Tsukabishi stood up abruptly, nearly overturning the table, a look of disbelief on his face.
"Lord Ren, please don't make such jokes!"
Yamamoto Shigekuni's eyes widened as he looked at Ren, his gaze filled with shock.
He knew his actions would anger Ren, but he hadn't expected the reaction to be so extreme.
He actually wanted to abolish the Gotei 13?!
"Commander-in-Chief Shihoin! And you, wait!"
Seeing Shisui about to leave, Yamamoto stood up and shouted.
But Shisui was unmoved, completely ignoring his words.
With a single use of Shunpo, he vanished from the room in the blink of an eye.
Yamamoto tried to pursue him, but Toji, appearing behind Ren, suddenly intercepted him, grabbing his wrist with a death grip.
"What?!"
Yamamoto was shocked by Toji's sudden appearance.
Someone in Ren's service could actually read his movements and keep up with his speed?
And looking at the boy's face, he was so young!
"Old man, aren't you supposed to be monitoring my boss?"
"If you leave like this, my boss might do something 'bad', you know."
Yamamoto exerted force and broke free from Toji's grip, inwardly noting the boy's incredible strength.
His gaze moved past Toji to Ren, who was sitting calmly above, and his expression darkened.
"Boy, do you truly wish to enrage me?"
"Old man, you were the one being unreasonable first!"
Ren spoke coldly, suddenly lashing out and flipping the tea table.
The table smashed through a nearby screen, precious porcelain shattered, and tea splashed everywhere amidst the clattering wreckage.
Ren stood up, glancing at Yamamoto's clenched fists with a sneer.
"I came here in good faith, yet you treat me like this? Then don't blame me for turning hostile!"
"You created this situation. Whatever consequences follow, you shall bear them!"
"What, you have the guts to do it but not to own it?"
He stepped forward, staring down Yamamoto without backing an inch.
"Ha, you want to fight me now?"
"At a critical time like this?"
Looking at Ren's sharp gaze, Yamamoto didn't doubt that if he made a move, the other would disregard the Seireitei's safety and turn this into a full-scale brawl.
His fists clenched and loosened several times as the old man stared straight at Ren.
Seeing this, Tessai Tsukabishi rushed forward to de-escalate.
"Lord Yamamoto, please calm down. Lord Ren is young and headstrong; he cannot bear humiliation."
"Lord Ren, please, calm yourself. Do not let anger cloud your judgment and lead to irrational actions."
The noise inside the room soon drew the Soul Reapers on duty outside.
The door was pulled open with a clatter, and Sasakibe appeared with three squad members.
"Head Captain, what is..."
He looked at the chaos in the room and then at the confrontation between Yamamoto and Ren, shock coloring his face.
Yamamoto waved a hand. "It's nothing. Withdraw, Sasakibe."
"...Yes."
After a moment of hesitation, Sasakibe led his men back out.
Seeing that Yamamoto didn't want to make a scene, Ren felt emboldened.
He slowly reached out and, under the shocked gazes of the three people present, placed his hand directly on Yamamoto's smooth, bald head.
He even gave it a little shake.
"Old man, if you're too scared to fight me, just say so."
"Do you even have the guts to take me on?"
Ren's action was so shocking that Yamamoto froze in place.
His pupils trembled, and once he realized what was happening, he stared at Ren in disbelief.
He was actually being...
A surge of rage rose in his chest as Yamamoto grabbed Ren's wrist and pried it off his head.
The old man's bloodshot eyes were filled with fury, his white beard trembling.
"Boy, do not get ahead of yourself!"
Ren looked down at him with a haughty, disdainful gaze.
"What, you want to fight?"
Seeing the two reaching a boiling point, Toji looked stunned.
He hurried to Tessai and shouted, "What are you standing there for? Separate them!"
With that, he rushed forward and hugged Ren from behind.
Pinning Ren's limbs, he dragged him back, pulling him away from Yamamoto.
"Boss, calm down! Think about what time it is!"
*Ren's behavior now is completely different from the plan he first told me!*
*Wasn't the fight with Yamamoto Shigekuni supposed to wait until after we got the Hōgyoku?*
*Why is it suddenly exploding now?*
*Has Ren really lost his head?!*
Prompted by Toji, Tessai snapped back to his senses.
He clapped his hands together, his spiritual pressure surging as he released a Kido barrier to separate the two.
A shimmering, transparent wall of crystal slammed down between them, blocking the two combatants.
With the barrier in place, Tessai urged them, "Gentlemen... please, calm down! The Seireitei is in crisis; this is no time for petty squabbles!"
Yamamoto suppressed the fire in his heart, maintaining a calm facade as he spoke in a heavy voice.
"Grand Kido Chief, do not worry. I know what is important."
"I will not be provoked by such simple taunts."
On the other side, Ren broke free from Toji's grasp and sneered at Yamamoto.
"The old man talks a big game, but he's the one who's been provoking me from the start!"
Yamamoto sighed almost imperceptibly at the words.
He looked at Tessai, gesturing for him to relax.
Then, the old man began to walk, bypassing the Kido barrier to stand at Ren's side.
"Boy, since you're so angry..."
"Release it all on me now. I will take it, and I will not say a word."
Tessai panicked. "Head Captain, you can't..."
He didn't finish before seeing Yamamoto raise a hand to stop him.
"No matter. If it lets this boy vent his anger, I do not care what happens to me."
Looking at Yamamoto's calm gaze, Tessai sighed inwardly, finding the situation incredibly thorny.
One was a powerful figure who secretly controlled Central 46, and the other was a legendary pillar who had guarded the Seireitei for a millennium.
Though he was the Grand Kido Chief, he was still just a pawn compared to these two. What could he possibly do?
When giants clash, it's the little people who get caught in the crossfire.
*Sigh...*
*Why do I have to deal with this?*
*If I had known it would be like this, I should have gone to the front lines with the other Captains.*
*Even a narrow escape from death would be better than witnessing this madness.*
Ren stepped up to Yamamoto and scoffed.
"Old man, didn't you dislike me? Weren't you on guard against me?"
"I'm giving you a chance to fight me right now, and you can't even cut it."
He pushed his luck again, reaching out and placing his hand on the old man's head.
He saw that while the old man looked uncomfortable, he was still forcing himself to endure.
"Boy, are you satisfied?"
"Hmm?"
Ren patted the bald head twice, making two crisp slapping sounds.
Slap, slap.
"Boy, are you satisfied?"
Yamamoto gritted his teeth, his voice thick with suppressed rage as he maintained a superficial calm.
Toji and Tessai watched the scene with horror.
"Boss..."
"Head Captain..."
Tessai was about to step forward again when Yamamoto stopped him with a gesture.
Ren's face twisted into a savage grin.
*This old man can really endure?*
"Then how about this!"
Ren suddenly exerted force, his hand slamming down on Yamamoto's head.
Thud!
Under Ren's immense strength, Yamamoto was sent flying, crashing into the Kido barrier.
Crack, crack!
Faint cracks spiderwebbed across the barrier.
Tessai gasped and quickly canceled the Kido to rush to Yamamoto's aid.
Before he could move, Yamamoto stood up from the floor.
A gash had opened on the side of the old man's smooth head, and blood flowed down his face, staining his white eyebrows and beard red.
He looked calmly at Ren in front of him.
"Boy, are you satisfied?"
Ren's eye twitched as he looked at the enduring Yamamoto.
*Old man, who the hell do you think you're fooling?*
He vanished and reappeared instantly in front of the old man.
He grabbed the old man's head again and slammed it toward the floor.
"How about this!"
Crash!
Wood splinters flew as a large hole appeared in the floorboards.
The old man's body slumped into it.
Clatter!
The wooden door was thrown open once more as Sasakibe burst in with his squad.
"Head Captain, what happened?"
As soon as he entered, he saw that the room was in even worse shape than before.
A hole had been torn in the floor, stained with blood, and Ren was standing right beside it.
Head Captain Yamamoto was nowhere to be seen.
Sasakibe's heart skipped a beat as his hand went to his hilt.
Just as he was about to draw his sword, Yamamoto's gravelly voice rang out.
"Sasakibe, withdraw!"
Sasakibe followed the sound; it was coming from the hole.
He was about to say something when an aged hand reached out, gripping the edge of the floorboards.
Yamamoto leaped out of the hole and stood steadily on the floor.
Blood now covered his entire face.
Seeing this, Sasakibe's expression turned frantic as he drew his Zanpakutō with a sharp ring.
"Head Captain, what is going on?"
"Sasakibe, I told you to leave."
"But..."
"No buts!"
Yamamoto was unyielding as he looked at Sasakibe's hesitant face.
"Furthermore, no matter what sounds you hear from this room, do not enter."
Seeing the bloodied face of the Head Captain and the determination in his eyes, Sasakibe gritted his teeth.
"Understood!"
He reluctantly sheathed his blade and led his subordinates out.
Yamamoto turned his head slightly to look at Ren.
"Boy, are you satisfied?"
Seeing Yamamoto still acting this way, Ren snarled.
He reached out again, grabbing the old man's face and slamming it into the ground!
"How about this!"
Thud!
"How about this!"
Thud!
"How about this!"
Thud!
"Ugh..."
Watching Ren frantically slam the Head Captain's head into the floor repeatedly, Tessai felt a chill in his heart.
He swallowed hard and tried to speak, "Lord Ren, the Head Captain is old, surely that is enough..."
"Hmm?"
Ren shot him a cold glance, his eyes completely bloodshot.
He was still gripping Yamamoto's head, and blood stained his own hands red.
The terrifying sight left Tessai speechless.
The advice he had been rehearsing got stuck in his throat.
"I... I..."
He hesitated for a moment, looked at the calm Yamamoto, and then gritted his teeth.
"I'm going to the front lines!"
This petty squabble between two giants was not something a small figure like him could participate in.
It was too terrifying!
He couldn't stay here a second longer.
Before leaving, he glanced at Yamamoto again.
Since the Head Captain was enduring it like this, a full-scale battle probably wouldn't break out.
Feeling a bit more at ease, Tessai fled the room as if escaping a nightmare.
Now that Tessai was gone and he had vented his frustration, Ren felt the knot in his chest loosen.
He used a bit of force and tossed Yamamoto back toward the center of the room.
The old man wiped the blood from his eyes, stood up nimbly, and looked silently at Ren.
"Well? Are you satisfied?"
Ren flicked the blood off his hands and sneered at Yamamoto.
"Old man, I remember you used to have more spine than this!"
"If you didn't want to fight, then you shouldn't have put on such an arrogant front in the first place!"
Beating up an old man over a thousand years old had lost its thrill after the initial release.
He curled his lip, his face showing boredom.
After a few silent seconds, Ren exhaled slowly and looked at Toji.
"Brew a pot of tea and have someone bring a basin of warm water. I need to wash my hands."
Seeing that Ren's madness had faded and he had calmed down, Toji felt a wave of relief.
*It's good that he's calm...*
He walked out of the room and called out to the Soul Reapers on duty, who were standing outside with gritted teeth.
"Hey, Soul Reapers, come in and clean up this mess."
Meanwhile, Tessai Tsukabishi was running away from the Division 1 barracks as fast as he could.
Under the silver moonlight, he looked back at the barracks behind him.
Recalling the scene he had just witnessed, a look of lingering fear appeared on his face.
"That scared the life out of me."
He wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve and took a breath to steady his pounding heart.
He just wanted to get away from there, the further the better.
"The front lines are definitely better than this!"
Tessai shook his head, trying to drive the terrifying images from his mind.
Recalling Urahara Kisuke's worried face during the Captains' meeting, he felt a sudden urge and turned toward the Division 12 barracks.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]