Soul Society.
About a week had passed since Aizen defected to Hueco Mundo. The Seireitei had gradually stabilized, and all divisions resumed their duties in an orderly fashion.
That much was expected.
During this time, Ryūjin Uchiha, acting as Captain of the Eleventh Division, frequently traveled between his barracks and the First Division. Each visit allowed him to complete another round of sign-ins.
The results were, to put it simply, excellent.
Ryūjin had successfully signed in for every Kidō numbered above fifty without missing a single one.
In the Soul Society's power system, Kidō typically requires an incantation to activate.
However, that only applies under normal circumstances.
In truth, Kidō can still be cast without incantations, though its power is significantly reduced.
Even so, with Ryūjin's current strength, his incantation-less Kidō still reached a frightening level.
"Captain Ryūjin Uchiha, I will entrust the investigation of Aizen to you."
Inside the First Division barracks, Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni spoke in a heavy tone.
Aizen's defection had become the Soul Society's highest priority. This responsibility was given to Ryūjin, widely regarded as the strongest captain.
From every angle, he was the most suitable candidate.
First, his strength far surpassed that of the other captains. Second, his intelligence was above average. Third, he had already gathered valuable information and clues regarding Aizen. Fourth, he was the only person immune to Kyōka Suigetsu.
If Ryūjin encountered Aizen, he alone could withdraw safely.
No one else fit the role.
"Captain Commander, I will handle it," Ryūjin replied.
He wasted no time taking advantage of the situation.
"Captain Commander, I'd like to visit Central 46 first."
His real intention was obvious, but the request itself made sense. Central 46 was the site of the incident.
Yamamoto agreed immediately.
After a brief farewell, Ryūjin headed straight there.
More precisely, he went to the Grand Library Corridor within Central 46.
That was his first target.
Since his sign-ins at the First Division had been exhausted, he returned the following day.
"System, sign in at the Grand Library Corridor."
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for a successful sign-in. Reward obtained: Incantation Abandonment!"
"Incantation Abandonment?"
Ryūjin's eyes lit up.
This was easily one of the best rewards he had received since arriving in this world.
It meant exactly what it sounded like.
No incantations required.
From now on, every Kidō he used could be cast at full power without reciting a single word.
No weakening. No delays.
A complete upgrade.
Not that he had any intention of chanting in the first place. Long incantations were more annoying than hand seals, and no one in a real fight would give you time to finish them.
That alone explained why most Shinigami relied heavily on their zanpakutō instead of Kidō.
Ryūjin was in a very good mood.
Over the following days, he used the investigation as an excuse to move freely across the Soul Society, signing in wherever possible.
The gains were substantial.
At the same time, he casually fed Yamamoto bits of information aligned with the original storyline, enough to maintain trust and satisfaction.
Eventually, once he had nearly exhausted all available opportunities, he returned to the Captain Commander.
"Captain Commander, I need to go to the World of the Living. Aizen's records in the Grand Library Corridor mostly involve Kisuke Urahara's past research. I want to find him and see what I can uncover."
The request was logical.
Yamamoto agreed without hesitation.
"Sasakibe."
"Understood, Captain Commander."
Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe opened the Senkaimon. Ryūjin stepped through without delay and arrived in the World of the Living.
His destination was clear.
Karakura Town.
He had no real interest in investigating Kisuke Urahara.
His target was the Visored.
Since he was already here, it would be a waste not to collect rewards from them.
After all, the Visored were composed mostly of former captains and lieutenants. Running through them was equivalent to farming nearly the entire Gotei 13 again.
A simple opportunity.
Why not take it?
The moment he arrived, Ryūjin expanded his Observation Haki, covering the entirety of Karakura Town.
He located them instantly.
Interestingly, they were already gathered, discussing him.
Inside a crumbling abandoned building, the Visored stood together.
A mix of personalities filled the room. A composed girl in a school uniform, a lively one in a tracksuit, a stout and friendly-looking man, and a delinquent-like figure leaning against the wall.
This was the group Kisuke Urahara had helped escape.
"Kisuke Urahara suggested we try forming an alliance with Ryūjin Uchiha. Thoughts?"
Shinji Hirako addressed the group.
"Beating Aizen until he was covered in blood? Yeah right. I don't buy it," Hiyori Sarugaki scoffed.
"No one has ever broken Kyōka Suigetsu," Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi added. "Is Urahara's information even reliable?"
"Shinji, what if he's just messing with you?" Mashiro Kuna chimed in.
"He wouldn't say it unless he confirmed it," Shinji replied. "If Ryūjin Uchiha really can deal with Aizen, that changes everything."
"Keep dreaming," Hiyori crossed her arms. "We handle Aizen ourselves."
At that moment, a spatial vortex suddenly formed in front of them.
"What is that?"
"How did that get here?"
Their expressions shifted instantly.
The entire base was protected by high-level barriers set by Hachigen Ushōda, former lieutenant of the Kidō Corps and a master of barrier techniques.
His defenses were not something ordinary people could bypass.
Even Kisuke Urahara would struggle.
Yet now, something had pierced through without him noticing.
That alone made no sense.
From the vortex, a figure stepped out.
A young man, appearing no older than a high school student.
No visible Spiritual Pressure.
Completely ordinary at a glance.
Which made it worse.
The Visored immediately understood.
If they could not sense anything, it only meant one thing.
He was far beyond them.
"Hey."
Ryūjin lifted a hand casually.
"Who are you?" Kensei Muguruma demanded.
"You were just talking about forming an alliance with me," Ryūjin said, glancing around. "And now you don't recognize me?"
The room fell silent.
Then exploded.
"Ryūjin Uchiha?!"
"He's here?!"
Hiyori stared wide-eyed.
So this was him.
No wonder Kisuke Urahara spoke so highly of him.
"State your purpose," Shinji said, gripping his zanpakutō.
"Would you believe me if I did?" Ryūjin shrugged.
No one answered.
"Didn't think so," he added. "We're going to fight anyway. Let's skip the pointless part and get started."
The room grew tense.
"You're full of yourself," Shinji snapped.
"Damn bastard," Hiyori cursed. "You think we're nothing?"
Ryūjin didn't respond.
Shinji moved first.
In an instant, he appeared before Ryūjin and swung his zanpakutō downward.
Ryūjin didn't dodge.
He threw a punch.
Fast.
Too fast.
Shinji couldn't react in time.
Bang.
The impact sent him flying straight into the wall.
Silence.
The Visored stared in disbelief.
One punch.
That was all it took.
Shinji forced himself up, face burning with anger and humiliation.
"So you want me serious? Fine."
He raised his blade.
"Collapse, Sakanade!"