After briefly listing a few essential precautions, Aizen moved with practiced efficiency to gather all the remaining experimental materials.
Then, he did his best to erase every trace of his presence.
The other Captains would be arriving shortly. While leaving the scene completely devoid of evidence might cause Naraku Sora some trouble, Aizen's logic was simple: isn't a good brother meant to take the fall every now and then?
"I'm heading out first."
Aizen used a Bakudō spell to seal the materials into a portable container. Gripping it with one hand, he immediately cast another spell to mask his spiritual signature before using Flash Step to vanish from the spot.
Not long after, another familiar spiritual pressure descended from the sky. The dirt beneath them instantly buckled, and the surrounding atmosphere grew thick and heavy under the weight of an immense Reiatsu.
It felt as though the very gravity of the earth had suddenly intensified.
"Is it settled?"
A pair of pale, slender hands suddenly rested on Sora's shoulders. An elegant fragrance mixed with the scent of strange medicinal chemicals filled his nostrils.
The aroma was an instant wake-up call, leaving him feeling more alert than ever.
Sora turned back in shock to find an exquisite face less than an inch from his own. He could even see the slight quiver of her eyelashes.
"You actually bothered to leave your laboratory?"
"Listen to you. The moment I sensed you were caught in that explosion of Reiatsu, I rushed toward the scene as fast as I could."
Seeing her "Silly Boy" was unharmed, Shutara Senjumaru seemed to be in a very good mood.
"Can you really not feel how much I care for you?" she teased. "I might have neglected you recently because I've been busy, but it was all for your own good."
Sora stared at her blankly.
Experience being exploited and squeezed for labor told him that whenever this "bad woman" left her lab to be active outside, someone was about to be victimized.
'I wonder who it is?'
'It's really so hard to guess.'
Sora seemed to remember something. He tugged at his Shishakushō, which was currently repairing itself, and asked the woman pretending to be pure and kind, "I noticed something during the battle."
"Aside from basic functions like repair, cleaning, and defense, this uniform also has a built-in Kidō for monitoring health and a data transmission function."
"Do you have any thoughts on that?"
If Aizen hadn't requested to borrow the custom Shishakushō for research out of curiosity, Sora might still be in the dark.
"How would I know?"
The innocence in Senjumaru's voice was almost overflowing. "Would I ever harm you?"
She paused, then added, "Fine, I admit I've victimized you a few times in the past. But it's been so long. Am I still that same malicious bad woman in your heart?"
Sora nodded with absolute sincerity.
"That truly hurts my feelings."
Senjumaru feigned a wounded look. "If it weren't for my genuine concern, why would I have added such features to the Shishakushō?"
Sora squinted at her, refusing to let his heart soften.
Senjumaru had used similar tactics countless times. Whenever she was caught causing trouble in the shadows, she always played the innocent. But in reality, if you were to cut her open, you would find a heart as black as coal.
The thought of a black-hearted entity constantly watching him made Sora feel like he was standing in the sunlight while shivering from a bone-chilling cold.
'Damn it, when will I finally be the one victimizing this woman?'
"Hey, tell me."
Senjumaru reached out with a slender finger to poke Sora's cheek. "How did you find out?"
"I wasn't exactly trying to hide those features, but they are incredibly difficult for ordinary researchers to detect. Only someone at Kurotsuchi Mayuri's level should have noticed. Did you go and find someone else behind my back?"
Sora simply replied, "Intuition!"
It was one thing to backstab someone occasionally, but he couldn't bring himself to sell out his "good brother." After all, the moment Aizen realized Sora was in danger, he had rushed to help without the slightest hesitation.
Senjumaru narrowed her eyes, the corners of her mouth curling into a beautiful arc.
Though she wasn't sure who was helping Sora behind the scenes, the fact that the scene had been picked clean suggested that the other party's scientific expertise was top-tier. There weren't many scientists in the Soul Society who reached that level.
'That's fine, then.'
The hardest thing to guard against wasn't a frontal assassination, but a researcher plotting in the shadows. Since Sora had someone helping him, she didn't need to worry too much.
"By the way, Tsunayashiro Taketori has been dealt with," Senjumaru said, shifting the topic. "Are there any more plans?"
"Of course."
"Can I come along?"
Sora gave her a strange look. This "bad woman" seemed unusually enthusiastic today. Normally, she wasn't interested in these kinds of affairs. Her intense fervor was usually reserved for her research on him.
"Sure."
Sora nodded and agreed. One more person wouldn't hurt.
'While Old Man Yama isn't home, I might as well settle everything at once.'
'As for the lecture I'll get later, I'll worry about that when it happens.'
He was thick-skinned enough by now that a few more punches wouldn't make a difference. If he didn't take this chance to wipe out the Tsunayashiro, there was no telling what kind of madness those rotten-to-the-core nobles would dream up next.
Upon returning to the Seireitei, Sora's first move was to check on Ukitake Jūshirō.
Thanks to Unohana Retsu's timely arrival, the sickly Captain Ukitake had stabilized quickly. His injuries and chronic illness were under control, and he was no longer in danger.
As for Kotsubaki Sentarō, he was perfectly fine. He had simply been knocked out by the shockwave before he could even react.
Supposedly, the moment he woke up, he had power-slid to Ukitake's feet and begged for forgiveness in a full kowtow. As a personal guard, failing to protect his Captain and instead being protected by his sickly superior was, in his eyes, an unpardonable sin.
If Ukitake hadn't repeatedly urged him otherwise, the man might have performed a ritual suicide on the spot to atone. Sora was deeply disappointed he missed such a spectacular scene.
Once he confirmed Ukitake was out of the woods, it was time to gather allies for the raid on the Tsunayashiro estate.
Deciding whom to invite was something of a science.
First, Kuchiki Kōga absolutely had to be there. As the victim who had been most severely framed, he wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully until he saw the Tsunayashiro completely annihilated.
Next, it was best to call on the other long-absent victim, Shihōin Yoruichi. As the head of the Shihōin family, her personal strength aside, her presence made the mission official. They were "cleansing the filth within the Five Great Noble Families to return clarity to the Soul Society."
As long as they raised that banner, even Yamamoto wouldn't be able to find fault with it when he returned.
To Sora's surprise, other Captains also volunteered.
Among them were the Captain of the 6th Squad, Kuchiki Ginrei, and the Captain of the 7th Squad, Aikawa Love.
When it came to kicking someone while they were down, the Kuchiki family never lagged behind—especially when that "someone" was the Tsunayashiro.
As for Aikawa Love, his motivation was purely a sense of justice. After learning that the source of the Soul Society's chaos was the Tsunayashiro, he was willing to risk exile just to demand justice.
However, he was surprised to find that the number of people heading to besiege the Tsunayashiro was slightly larger than he had anticipated.
Soon, they reached the heights above the Moriyama estate.
Countless waves of Reiatsu descended, locking onto the spiritual signatures of every family member inside. Soul Reaper soldiers moved through the alleys, sealing off the entire estate so tightly that not even a fly could escape.
The main Tsunayashiro estate still hadn't been fully repaired, so over ninety percent of the family members were currently staying in this Moriyama mansion.
A short while later, an elderly man in lavish clothing stepped out from the main gate. Under the gaze of countless eyes, he forced himself to stay calm and shouted, "You dare surround us? Do you intend to take action against the Tsunayashiro family?"
"Violating the laws of the Soul Society... are you not afraid of Central 46 sentencing you to the Sōkyoku execution?!"
Kuchiki Ginrei stepped forward first, his deep voice echoing in the silence. "Tsunayashiro Taketori, as the head of your family, incited chaos in the Soul Society. He framed members of the other Five Great Noble Families and harmed Head Captain Yamamoto, Captain Ukitake, and Third Seat Naraku Sora."
"The evidence is irrefutable. Tsunayashiro Takeyuki, do you intend to make excuses for your brother?"
Seeing the evidence Ginrei threw down, Takeyuki's expression shifted. His mind raced, and he quickly made a decision. "This has nothing to do with the Tsunayashiro family! It was all Taketori's doing. We were completely unaware!"
It was the classic, trademark noble scapegoating maneuver.
From her high vantage point, Shihōin Yoruichi let out a scornful laugh. She looked down at the old man who was desperately making excuses. "When you were enjoying the power Taketori secured for you, every one of you was more than happy. Now that it's time to face the consequences, you're in a hurry to cut ties? Is your so-called family honor really such a shameful thing?"
Takeyuki's face twitched, turning a shade of sickly green. He squeezed the words through his teeth. "The innocent remain innocent. I have nothing to say to you. The events of these past few days have nothing to do with the Tsunayashiro family. When Head Captain Yamamoto arrives, I will explain it to him personally."
The moment he finished, someone stepped forward with a wide grin. "Teacher? He won't be back for quite a while."
"Didn't Taketori tell you? To ensure his plan's success, he sent your only lifeline to Hueco Mundo."
Takeyuki's expression froze. He felt as if he had been plunged into an ice cellar.
The streets near the estate fell into a deathly silence.
"There's no point in talking sense."
Sora straightened his posture, a cold, undisguised killing intent flickering in his eyes.
"As a victim, I've had quite enough of these formalities."
The moment he spoke, his brilliant Reiatsu turned into a pillar of light that shot into the sky. It poured down like a broken dam, instantly enveloping the entire estate.
Under countless terrified gazes, Sora's fingers gripped his hilt.
He drew his blade and slashed!
A sword pressure dozens of meters long tore across the sky. The roaring, vibrating sound was like thunder as the highest tower of the estate behind them was cleaved in half.
The clouds drifting on the horizon shattered. It was like a war horn had been sounded. As the dust from the collapsing building billowed upward, the other Captains unleashed their power, directing their fierce Reiatsu at the estate.
In an instant, a chaotic tide of spiritual pressure surged forward, and a suffocating sense of despair filled the air.
The Soul Reaper soldiers didn't even get a chance to act. The battle was nearing its conclusion after only a few shouts.
Facing the combined might of several established Captains and a victim like Sora who showed absolutely no mercy, the members of the Tsunayashiro family couldn't even summon the will to resist.
Perhaps because the corruption had been so severe, the execution was incredibly fast. No one was given a chance to surrender.
Blades fell, and heads rolled.
Before long, the Tsunayashiro family—one of the Five Great Noble Families—was declared extinct.
Amidst the ruins, Sora noticed a unique presence.
It was a woman who appeared quite gentle. She was dignified, with a slender build, and a sense of resolve and sorrow in her eyes. Unlike the other members of the family who were filled with hatred and venom, she seemed to harbor no malice.
She simply seemed out of place in this scene.
Sora walked up to her and asked, "Are you also a member of the Tsunayashiro?"
The woman lowered her gaze, offering a faint, apologetic smile as she spoke softly. "Yes. I bear the same guilt as the rest."
"My name is Kakyo. Tsunayashiro Kakyo."