Including the Captain Commander, every Captain and Lieutenant fell into deep thought after hearing Ryūjin's words.
After witnessing Ryūjin Uchiha's overwhelming strength with their own eyes, no one believed he was exaggerating.
Everyone understood that if Ryūjin Uchiha had truly intended to kill them, then aside from the Captain Commander, every Captain present would already be dead.
Their bodies would have long gone cold.
And Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni would have been powerless to stop it.
His abilities were heavily restrained by Ryūjin Uchiha's powers, and Ryūjin had already demonstrated that he possessed the strength to force even the Captain Commander back.
More importantly, it did not appear that Ryūjin had used his full power.
No one knew where his limits truly lay.
If such a person wanted to act within the Soul Society, who could stop him?
Why would he need Kisuke Urahara's assistance?
Why would he need Shiba Isshin's help?
And how could Lieutenant Renji Abarai possibly have survived?
For the first time since the incident began, doubts arose in the minds of many Captains regarding Kuchiki Byakuya's death.
"Everyone, the truth will eventually come to light. I believe that day isn't far away."
Under the gaze of everyone present, Ryūjin spoke slowly.
His eyes shifted to the Kamui Sharingan.
A spiraling spatial vortex appeared before him.
His figure was instantly swallowed by the vortex and vanished completely.
"He disappeared?"
"What was that vortex just now?"
"What kind of technique was that?"
Whispers immediately spread through the battlefield.
Nobody had ever seen an ability like it.
It was clearly a highly advanced spatial technique, somewhat similar to a Garganta.
Ryūjin Uchiha's abilities were simply unfathomable.
Soon afterward, silence settled over the area.
Looking at the devastated battlefield, the Captains still felt as if everything had been a dream.
Nearly every Captain and Lieutenant of the Gotei 13 had participated in the battle.
Yet this was the result.
Aside from Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni and Captain Unohana Retsu, who had not joined the fight, everyone else had suffered serious injuries.
Just what kind of monster was Ryūjin Uchiha?
The battle within the First Division Barracks had created such an enormous disturbance that it was impossible to conceal.
News of Ryūjin Uchiha single-handedly challenging the entire Seireitei quickly spread throughout the Soul Society.
The entire Seireitei erupted.
"Have you heard? Captain Ryūjin killed Captain Kuchiki, defeated all the Captains, and escaped from the Seireitei!"
"The news has spread everywhere! Every Captain is seriously injured! Ryūjin Uchiha did it alone!"
"Even the Captain Commander couldn't defeat Captain Ryūjin! I heard he was pushed back during their battle!"
"Captain Ryūjin? He's no longer a Captain. Ryūjin Uchiha has defected from the Seireitei!"
"How can someone like Ryūjin Uchiha even exist in the Soul Society?"
Such discussions could be heard everywhere.
The shock caused by Ryūjin's strength left people speechless.
Although he had defected from the Seireitei, Ryūjin's reputation reached unprecedented heights.
This battle would become one of the greatest legends he left behind in the Soul Society.
...
First Division Barracks.
Or rather, what remained of it.
Because the First Division Barracks no longer existed.
Only ruins remained.
At that moment, all Captains and Lieutenants had returned to their divisions to recover from their injuries.
Only Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni remained standing amid the rubble.
His expression was exceptionally grave.
"Captain Commander."
Chōjirō Sasakibe stepped forward and stood beside him.
"What is your opinion regarding Ryūjin Uchiha?"
After a brief silence, Yamamoto spoke.
"He could have killed every Captain present, and this old man would have been unable to stop him."
"But he didn't."
"He has no intention of becoming an enemy of the Seireitei."
His gaze hardened.
"Now that I think about it, the death of Captain Kuchiki is indeed highly suspicious."
Ryūjin Uchiha's strength was simply too great.
Not only would it have been impossible for news of him killing Kuchiki Byakuya to leak out, but the circumstances themselves were questionable.
With spiritual pressure as powerful as his, Ryūjin should have sensed Kuchiki Byakuya long before being discovered.
If he did not wish to be found, how could Kuchiki Byakuya have located him?
Furthermore, if Ryūjin had truly killed Byakuya to silence him, then it would prove he was ruthless.
In that case, why spare the other Captains?
Why return to the Seireitei at all?
There were simply too many contradictions.
Sasakibe nodded.
"What should we do now?"
"Everything will be decided by the Central 46."
Yamamoto answered in a deep voice.
...
Fifth Division Barracks.
Aizen, Ichimaru Gin, and Tōsen Kaname gathered once again.
The atmosphere was heavy.
Shock still lingered in their expressions.
"I never imagined Ryūjin Uchiha would be this terrifying."
Ichimaru Gin was the first to speak.
His tone carried unmistakable caution.
They were considered among the strongest figures in the Seireitei.
Yet in front of Ryūjin, they seemed no different from children.
The gap between them was overwhelming.
"Aizen, did you foresee that Ryūjin Uchiha would be this strong?" Tōsen Kaname asked.
"No."
Aizen shook his head.
"Ryūjin Uchiha exceeded all of my expectations."
"Even the Captain Commander was unable to do anything to him."
"I believed I had already given him sufficient attention, but it appears I still underestimated him greatly."
After a brief silence, Ichimaru Gin spoke again.
"Because of today's events, the circumstances surrounding Kuchiki Byakuya's death have become questionable."
"Many people now believe there may be another truth behind it."
"Will this affect our plans?"
"It doesn't matter."
Aizen waved dismissively.
"Although unexpected developments have occurred, everything remains under control."
"In any case, Ryūjin Uchiha has now left the Soul Society."
"That outcome is far preferable to having him imprisoned."
"Many people have begun questioning Kuchiki Byakuya's death."
"But they will never discover the truth."
His eyes narrowed.
"Gin, Kaname."
"The matter of Ryūjin Uchiha ends here."
"Rukia Kuchiki has already been brought back to the Soul Society."
"Our plan has officially begun."
...
The incident of Ryūjin Uchiha overturning the Seireitei by himself not only caused chaos within the Soul Society but also drew the attention of someone else.
However, nobody within the Seireitei knew this.
Because that person was believed to have died a thousand years ago.
The son of the Soul King.
The ancestor of all Quincy.
Yhwach.
Deep within the shadows of the Seireitei existed a mysterious black space.
Within that darkness stood an enormous white palace.
Towering.
Majestic.
Untouchable.
Yet strangely unsettling.
This was Yhwach's palace.
The headquarters of the Wandenreich.
Inside the grand hall, a rough-looking man sat upon a throne.
His beard was unkempt.
His appearance resembled that of a vagabond.
Yet the aura surrounding him was enough to make anyone tremble.
Needless to say, this man was Yhwach.
"Interesting."
The silence of the palace was broken by his voice.
It seemed he had discovered something surprising.
"Your Majesty, what have you seen?"
A figure stepped from the shadows.
He was tall, with long golden hair and a refined appearance.
Elegant and dignified like a medieval knight.
Yet beneath that elegance was unmistakable coldness.
He wore the white uniform of the Sternritter.
Only one person in the entire Wandenreich could stand before Yhwach with such composure.
Jugram Haschwalth.
Sternritter "B."
Grandmaster of the Sternritter.
Yhwach's closest advisor.
"Is it Ryūjin Uchiha?" Haschwalth asked immediately.
Since the Wandenreich's creation, they had secretly monitored everything occurring within the Seireitei.
Naturally, the arrival of a new Captain had drawn their attention.
Initially, Ryūjin had not attracted particular interest.
Strong Captains were nothing unusual.
The Sternritter possessed power that surpassed most Captains.
Aside from the Special War Powers and Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, the Wandenreich paid little attention to the rest.
But then Yhwach discovered something shocking.
He could not see Ryūjin Uchiha's future.
The Almighty had failed.
From that moment onward, Ryūjin became one of the Wandenreich's primary targets of observation.
Even Yhwach personally monitored him.
That was why Haschwalth immediately guessed the answer.
"That's correct."
Yhwach nodded.
"Ryūjin Uchiha is far stronger than we originally believed."
"He alone possesses the power to overturn the entire Seireitei."
Haschwalth's expression changed dramatically.
"Your Majesty, are you saying he can overturn the entire Seireitei by himself?"
"Just moments ago, he single-handedly defeated every Captain in the Seireitei."
"He also gained the upper hand against Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni."
Yhwach paused briefly.
"And he still wasn't using his full strength."
Haschwalth was deeply shaken.
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni represented one of the greatest threats to the Wandenreich.
Even Yhwach approached him with caution.
A thousand years ago, Yamamoto had killed him once.
Yet now Yhwach was telling him that Ryūjin Uchiha could suppress Yamamoto.
"This man is immeasurably deep."
Yhwach's voice grew solemn.
"Haschwalth."
"From this day onward, Ryūjin Uchiha shall be ranked first among the Special War Powers."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Haschwalth immediately acknowledged the order.
...
After Ryūjin defected from the Soul Society, the Central 46 quickly issued a secret mission to Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
The mission was simple.
Capture Ryūjin Uchiha.
However, there was no deadline.
No specific requirements.
The Captain Commander was instructed to determine the timing and methods himself and proceed with caution.
That was all.
Yamamoto felt no surprise.
Ryūjin's strength was simply too overwhelming.
The Seireitei lacked the capability to capture him.
Even if Yamamoto personally took action, success was far from guaranteed.
The Central 46 clearly understood this.
The mission was little more than a formality.
No one truly expected Ryūjin Uchiha to be captured.
After reading the order, Yamamoto put it away and continued his duties as though it had never arrived.
Even so, the issue of Ryūjin remained a major headache.
Kuchiki Byakuya's death was filled with inconsistencies.
From Ryūjin's perspective, it did not seem like something he had done.
Yet from the Seireitei's perspective, the possibility of three Captains and one Lieutenant all being mistaken at the same time was extremely low.
The more Yamamoto thought about the matter, the more it felt as though an invisible hand was manipulating events from behind the scenes.
Perhaps Ryūjin and the others had all been used by the true mastermind.
Looking at the situation from beginning to end, the entire incident carried the unmistakable scent of conspiracy.
But if such a mastermind truly existed, who was the most likely suspect?
Kisuke Urahara.
After a moment of contemplation, the image of that lazy, carefree genius surfaced in Yamamoto's mind.
Urahara possessed extraordinary intelligence.
He was the founder of the Research and Development Bureau.
If someone could create methods capable of deceiving multiple Captains simultaneously, then perhaps it was him.
At the very least, it was not impossible.