XX-level Hokage

Their entire quest was laid bare from the very beginning. They countered each move with equal precision.

Both individuals were driven by the most primal and pure purpose, constantly attacking and countering each other before striking again. Once all their moves were defended, how could things possibly progress to the final, perfectly planned stage?

However, looking at the end of the event from this perspective reveals two puzzling points. First, Aizen clearly knew that Tosen alone couldn't be of much use.

After all, strictly speaking, there are quite a few captains and vice-captains in the current Gotei 13 who can play the same role as Kaname Tōsen. If we have to say, it's possible that Aizen might use underhanded tactics on those captains and vice-captains, suddenly performing a liberation ceremony before the real fighting begins, marking everyone. Only Kaname Tōsen, whether due to his physical defects or Aizen's special treatment of him, can completely ignore the influence of Kyoka Suigetsu.

Given this premise, it seems somewhat unreasonable that Mashiro stubbornly stayed in the First Division for so long, only to fail in the end, leaving Tosen alone in the First Division to wait for death.

Secondly, there was Aizen's "promised" appearance. But he only did two things:

The first thing: He went to Dongxian to "catch up" and beat him up, as if it were just to vent some kind of emotion.

The second thing: lure Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni out and use a strategy to hold him back from the battlefield.

During this process, he did not show any intention or tendency to search for Rukia Kuchiki. Instead, he directly moved to Rukia Kuchiki's true hiding place. Even before he arrived, the spirit bomb transferred by Gin Ichimaru had already pinpointed the location of the Central Prison.

With these two illogical points of doubt, it's difficult to believe that the events leading up to the final battle were as simple as previously thought. Aizen wasn't an omniscient or omnipotent god; he was merely exceptionally intelligent, capable of actively or passively extracting clues and pre-arranged plans from what should have been...

They have all the information they know and shouldn't know in their grasp.

Even for Aizen, achieving this level of skill was somewhat of a deus ex machina. Now that Aizen has left Soul Society, how he managed to do this is unknown.

However, Mashiro has a small personal guess about this.

In fact, when she hid Rukia Kuchiki in the unexpected underground prison of the Shinigami Academy, she had already discovered the flaw in this regard.

If Aizen did indeed exploit that weakness in the end, then Mashiro would have to admire Aizen's sharp insight. It was beyond the realm of mere cunning; it was an insight that bordered on supernatural ability, which was already considered to be foresight.

This flaw is

The place that Aizen used at the beginning.

Collaborating with the Technology Development Bureau, but not belonging to the Information Center of the Technology Development Bureau - Image Hall!

Even if this is a flaw, it's not a foolish clue like "Kuchiki Rukia is in the Central Prison Underground".

If manipulated properly, during the gap when Aizen was controlling the Central 46 Chambers and had no time to attend to anything else, Rukia Kuchiki was hidden in the Central Prison Underground. Even the guards responsible for guarding the Central Prison Underground were unaware of this, and the relevant records of the Great Spiritual Library Corridor, which forcibly contained all information, were also erased.

Only.

Even if no one notices, a record will remain in the video hall stating that "the first level of the underground prison was opened during a sensitive period."

This short usage record is mixed in with a vast amount of data, so it is the fact that people are able to notice this unusual record and deduce everything from it that makes it seem rather unusual.

The idea of ​​using the video hall and searching for residual abnormal records to accurately pinpoint abnormal data is actually more laborious and time-consuming than painstakingly setting up traps.

Chapter 154: This is how everything unfolded (Part 2)

Mashiro herself never personally intervened in Rukia Kuchiki's hiding place, and none of the Gotei 13 knew her exact location.

From beginning to end, only two people knew Rukia Kuchiki's whereabouts: Mashiro herself and one or two trusted confidants. However, even with such tight secrecy, Aizen was able to pinpoint her location so accurately that Mashiro could only think of one possibility...

Judging from the fact that Aizen was able to find Urahara Kisuke's remaining technology in all of Urahara Kisuke's remaining records, he is indeed intelligent, but he is also the kind of ruthless person who, once he thinks of a possibility or a breakthrough, will never hesitate to use exhaustive methods to confirm it one by one.

Extracting the technology he needed, probing and inducing Mashiro to leave the First Division while simultaneously reviewing all records and data, considering the possibility of clues in the video room, and making contingency plans—this is typical of Aizen's style.

However, Aizen's ultimate success was still inseparable from the intriguing mystery of Mashiro's voluntary departure from the First Division. The catalyst for Mashiro's departure was Gin Ichimaru.

After Gin Ichimaru had defeated all the captains and vice-captains who might pose an obstacle to Aizen and passed on the necessary information to Shinji, he headed to the 12th Division.

During this process, Aizen, who probably already knew where Kuchiki Rukia was, did one last thing: he faked a true order to transfer Soi Fon to the 12th Division to deal with Ichimaru Gin's problem.

If you look at the list of "post-Aizen era", Soi Fon is actually on it as well. Although she was already active when Aizen was still the vice-captain, at that time Soi Fon was neither the third seat nor qualified to meet Aizen. Therefore, it can be said that she was lucky enough to avoid the hypnosis of Kyoka Suigetsu. From this perspective, Soi Fon was also a target to be defeated.

Mashiro left the First Division because Soi Fon was unusually transferred, leaving only Tosen Kaname behind. Tosen Kaname was defeated by Aizen, and Yamamoto Genryu Shigekuni had no choice but to "break through" and attack Aizen, but was tricked by Aizen and unable to pursue him.

Ultimately, this allowed Aizen to blast open the surface of the underground prison, find Rukia Kuchiki, and steal the Hogyoku.

It can be said that the starting point of Aizen's decisive action that led to the collapse of everything was precisely Mashiro's seemingly "irrational" actions.

Mashiro is so concerned about Soi Fon that she even knows there are risks involved, yet she still wants to take a gamble, betting that Aizen won't act, or that even if Aizen comes to the First Division, he will be attacked by Yamamoto Genryu and Shigekuni and rashly leave the place he shouldn't have left?

The answer is... no.

Mashiro doesn't deny that Soi Fon's influence played a part in her departure. After all, Soi Fon is special, and it's hard to guarantee that Aizen wouldn't order Gin Ichimaru to kill Soi Fon specifically to provoke Mashiro, thus enraging her and forcing her to lose her temper and take further action. But is that the whole answer?

The answer was still negative.

If Mashiro deliberately left the First Division barracks, deliberately allowed Aizen to take advantage of the situation, and even deliberately let Aizen succeed in taking control of the Hogyoku, how should this be explained?

When faced with Aizen's triumphant taunt, "I'm returning Kuchiki Rukia to you, Captain Mashiro. Don't worry, I've completely lost interest in her,"...

Mashiro replied, "Oh dear, Aizen, I was right. You've always been the smartest Shinigami. Congratulations!"

You have achieved your goal.

Her primary goal was to seize power from the Central 46, which at one point caused Aizen to break down. So, what about the second half of her statement, "You achieved your goal?" Was it just a show of strength, a pretense of calm because she was unwilling to admit her defeat?

Think about it carefully. When exactly was Mashiro's primary goal achieved? In other words, the fact that Aizen obtained the Hogyoku actually happened after the primary goal was achieved, and it was also included in the category of "after-fun" by Mashiro.

Mashiro realized more clearly than anyone else that if she wanted, she could continue in that stalemate. She could keep guarding it for at least a few months without any problem. For a Shinigami, that time was just a blink of an eye. Aizen, while not lacking in adventurous spirit, certainly did not have the suicidal spirit to knowingly charge into the tower knowing he was doomed to defeat and die.

The combination of Mashiro, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, and Tosen Kaname is truly terrifying to even think about. Even someone as proud as Aizen couldn't withstand it, and dragging this out would be pointless.

The first objective had already been achieved, and the second objective was also achieved. Including the Gotei 13 and Ichigo Kurosaki, they also had a long-awaited, real-life "large-scale exercise" rehearsal on the eve of the resurgence of the war that had not ended for a thousand years.

Between Mashiro and Aizen, one of them must make a concession or overturn the table. Either Mashiro will make a concession here, or Aizen will decide that the Hogyoku has been completely digested by Rukia Kuchiki and there is no hope left, so he will overturn the table.

Therefore, it was Mashiro who chose to compromise there.

She went with the flow, using that opportunity to let Aizen slip in and take action. Although she didn't expect that Aizen already knew where Kuchiki Rukia was hiding—in Mashiro's calculations, Aizen should have used that place as a springboard to realize that Kuchiki Rukia wasn't there, and thus obtained new clues—it didn't really matter.

As expected, Aizen faced off against Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni and fought him. Just as Mashiro had predicted, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni was indeed targeted. Thus, the Third Judiciary was also achieved.

In comparison, the Hogyoku was... a "gift" originally intended for Aizen. "Whoosh!!"

A few splashes of water were heard as Mashiro stood up in the large bathtub, which was used by only one person. The remaining water droplets on her body slid across her skin and fell back into the bathtub, creating ripples.

She stepped out of the bath in two steps, picked up a towel placed to the side, and gracefully and calmly wiped her body.

“There’s still a lot to do.” Her voice was calm and low, as if she were talking to the air, or perhaps to herself.

The bath towel was tossed aside, and Mashiro slipped her hands into her sleeves, tied the belt around her waist, and put on her bathrobe. Without looking back, Mashiro walked out of the bathroom, her figure disappearing into the steaming white mist, leaving only the surface of the bathtub still rippling slightly, dappled with the colors of the lamplight.

"This is just the beginning. I hope you won't let me down, Aizen."

The door was opened, and golden sunlight poured in through the open doorway, illuminating the interior.

Appearing at the door was an elderly man with a composed and dignified appearance, yet also a slightly kind demeanor—Yamamoto Genryuji Shigekuni.

He wore a captain's haori and carried a large cane. Although he was very old, no one dared to ask him, "Can you still eat?" mainly because they were afraid of being punched to death by him.

As Yamamoto Genryuchi entered the conference room, he glanced at everyone who was already seated, nodded slightly, and then walked to the head seat at the front. Standing half a step behind him was his adjutant, Chojiro Suzaku.

Yamamoto Genryu Shigekuni's gaze swept over the more than twenty people on either side of the huge, long conference table once more, before he asked in a deep voice, "Is everyone here?"

Seated on either side of Yamamoto Genryu Shigekuni were all the current captains of the Gotei 13, not one of them absent. Behind them were all the vice-captains.

And sitting at the very back, a few humans who were specially invited to participate in the first captains' meeting after this incident—Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, and Yoruichi Shihouin, who used to be a captain but is now a convicted criminal.

No one responded.

The entire huge hall fell silent, solemn and dignified, but this was precisely the most appropriate response. No one answered, which meant that no one was absent, and that everyone was present.

"Then let's begin the meeting today," Yamamoto Motoyanagi Shigekuni announced in a deep voice.

Chapter 155: The Meeting

"Don't be in such a hurry, old man. Don't you still have me?"

In the midst of this solemn atmosphere, the conference room door was suddenly pushed open, and Mashiro walked in with a relaxed smile.

Instantly, the expressions of the people in the conference room varied, especially for some of the captains and vice-captains. Although they had heard that Mashiro had returned to Tokishiro and played a significant role in this incident, they were still somewhat surprised when they actually saw the former "tenth division captain" who had been expelled.

The reactions of Toshiro Hitsugaya, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Soi Fon were particularly noticeable, their eyes filled with complex emotions: surprise, doubt, and even a hint of indescribable complexity in Soi Fon's expression.

Yamamoto Genryu Shigekuni merely glanced at Mashiro before continuing his previous statement in a deep voice: "Those who should have come and those who shouldn't have come have all arrived."

Let's begin then.

Then, Yamamoto Genryusaka Shigekuni struck his cane heavily, the steady and solemn sound echoing in the spacious conference room. There was no trace of the internal injuries he had suffered a few days ago from the backlash of forcibly taking the hit of an explosion that could have killed more than two thousand Gotei 14 soldiers and even more innocent people.

Mashiro could only roll her eyes inwardly, muttering to herself what she meant by "shouldn't have come." If she really hadn't come, the person most anxious right now would probably be Mr. Yamamoto himself.

Despite thinking this, Mashiro still consciously stood next to Yamamoto Genryu Shigekuni, and exchanged a glance with Kyoraku Shunsui on the other side, their eyes carrying a tacit understanding that only the two of them could comprehend.

Although the venue had changed, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's habit of tapping his cane heavily as a signal to start the meeting remained unchanged. He then looked at one of Kyoraku Shunsui and Mashiro, who were seated to his right.

"Since you're here, tell me everything you know, from beginning to end." He threw the question that everyone was concerned about, which had gathered everyone here, directly to Mashiro, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority: "Former captain of the tenth division - Mashiro."

It is now more than a week after the incident ended.

Although many of the captains and vice-captains present had been knocked down or seriously injured during the incident for various reasons, even with specialized...

Even with the combined efforts of the Fourth Division, which has healing abilities, and Retsu Unohana, who possesses healing skills, it would be impossible for everyone to recover to the point where they can come here for a meeting in such a short time.

However, among the four humans who invaded the Seireitei, a girl named Inoue Orihime possessed extremely special healing abilities.

With her selfless help, at least these Grim Reapers, who were at the highest rank of captains, were restored to the point where they could handle their official duties normally.

Among them, Kira Izuru, the third division vice-captain, and Hinamori Momo, the fifth division vice-captain, who were originally recorded as missing, were found during the subsequent investigation. They had only lost consciousness due to the effects of the drugs and were hidden in a relatively secluded corner of the third division; their lives were not in danger.

This makes one sigh that although former Third Division Captain Gin Ichimaru may have harbored malicious intentions from the beginning, he has now betrayed the Seireitei. That person...

He exudes a dangerous aura that makes people unable to trust him, but over the years he has developed some affection for his loyal subordinates, which is why he simply hides them away to create chaos.

Over the past week, each division has been dealing with a mountain of tasks, including internal recovery efforts and external communications. Because the First Division and the Shinigami Ward suffered particularly severe damage, every division with spare capacity has been sending members to assist. Even now, Seireitei cannot claim to have fully recovered.

It was precisely because of this that, after the original squad leader's meeting room was completely destroyed, the first squad leader meeting after that was held in the meeting room of the Golden Seal Noble Council. This meeting room had only been used once, fifty or sixty years ago, when Kuchiki Byakuya insisted on marrying his wife Kuchiki Makoto. No one would have thought that the next time it would be used, it would be lent to the Gotei 13.

The single seats in the huge spaces on both sides were unused, while the long table in the very center, which should have been reserved for the most powerful nobles in the Seireitei, was full of people.

The five chairs in the front row, which should have been reserved for the five noble families, now only had Yamamoto Genryuchi Shigekuni sitting in the very center. Soi Fon and Kuchiki Byakuya, the current heads of the five noble families, could only sit in ordinary seats.

Because what's being held here now isn't a meeting of the Golden Seal Nobles, but an emergency meeting concerning the future of the Seireitei. Mashiro smiled, her voice clear and calm, echoing in the vast conference room as she began to speak.

Perhaps because she had been given prior notice and was prepared to give her report, Mashiro's report was extremely well-organized, and she spoke at a measured pace.

But it also makes people feel like they have no room to interject.

Starting with Rukia Kuchiki's death sentence, she gradually reveals the complex threads hidden behind this seemingly simple event. Perhaps because they usually hold meetings standing up, the captains seemed unusually serious now that they finally had tables and chairs to sit on.

It's also possible that the situation reported by Mashiro was too complex, and the entire sequence of events too chaotic to be immediately understood simply by listening.

When Ise Nanao took out paper and pen to start recording and analyzing the relationships, the others, including many captains, borrowed paper and pen from her and started writing and drawing as well.

This is not a situation where one person simply takes notes and then copies them after the meeting. Rather, everyone has their own different ideas and understandings.