Free Web NovelChapter 818: Chapter 642: A Man Performing Before Uehara Naraku
Outside Mokumoku Town.
More than a hundred Shinigami were swarming over.
The Masked Shinigami looked at this clearly hostile crowd of enemies, and everyone’s expression grew a little grim. They slowly stood up, watching the enemies flying toward the barrier in the distance.
They all happened to recognize the ones in the lead.
The current Captain of the 10th Squad of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squads, Shiba Ishin; the 7th Seat of the Thirteen Deadguard of the Uehara Race, Namikaze Minato; and the young Patriarch of that noble clan of the Soul Society, Uehara Naraku.
"What an annoying interruption..."
Hirako Shinji leapt onto the rooftop, the corner of his mouth splitting into a creepy grin. "Yo, looks like they’ve already pinned down our location..."
"So what do we do?"
The little girl Sarugaki Hiyori landed on Hirako Shinji’s shoulder, standing on his head to look out at the enemies in the distance. Her brows slowly furrowed. "Are we supposed to bail at a time like this?"
"Doesn’t seem like we’ve got a better option, right?"
The sailor-uniform girl with glasses standing next to them had a somewhat strange look on her face. She adjusted her glasses and spoke in a low voice. "Or we could stay, maybe give them a lesson, so they remember we’re not to be messed with..."
Her name was Yadomaru Risa.
Yadomaru Risa had once been the original Vice Captain of the 8th Squad, only right now this sailor-uniform girl Shinigami’s face was full of coldness...
"Uh... let’s stay rational..."
The former Vice Captain of the Kido Corps, Ushoda Hachigen, slowly shook his head, muttering in a low voice, "There seem to be other enemies here as well..."
The next moment, Ushoda Hachigen’s expression changed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "Wait... they’re charging straight at us. Do we pull out immediately?"
"Too late!"
Muguruma Kensei shook his head and said calmly, "If we try to escape now, we’ll just turn into prey being hunted down... That Namikaze Minato, to this day there aren’t many who can say they’re confident about escaping right in front of him..."
"Ah-leh?"
Another girl with short green hair glanced at the enemies in the distance, couldn’t help but shake her head, and said softly, "I seem to remember he’s the Soul Society’s number one Divine Speed..."
That was indeed the case.
Namikaze Minato was called the Soul Society’s Number One Divine Speed!
In terms of Shunpo usage alone, he was also hailed as the first in the Soul Society!
Even if this group of former Captain Level Shinigami could use Hollowfication to boost their speed, there was no way they could surpass Namikaze Minato. It would be very likely to turn, under Namikaze Minato’s control of speed, into a chase like a lion hunting rabbits...
Crash...
Just as the Masked Shinigami were still thinking of countermeasures, the Four Violet Flame Array shattered in an instant—someone had forcibly broken the Four Violet Flame Array from the outside!
Two figures leapt over at high speed and landed at their side. One of the figures urged loudly, "Hey, Shinji, why are you still here if you’re not leaving? What are you hanging around for?"
It was the hurriedly arrived Urahara Kisuke and Shihoin Yoruichi.
After learning that Namikaze Minato and Shiba Ishin were encircling the Masked Legion, Urahara Kisuke and Shihoin Yoruichi had rushed over here!
Unfortunately...
They were a bit early.
No, or rather, for everyone else, they were right on time!
A dazzling golden light shot over and abruptly stopped in front of the Masked Legion and Urahara Kisuke, then gradually reshaped into a slightly youthful figure!
Uehara Naraku.
The newly promoted Vice Captain of Squad 5 stood on the rooftop, gazing down at the Masked Legion and Urahara Kisuke and the others below. A hint of pity flashed in his eyes. "Sorry, please hand over the culprit who ambushed and wounded Captain Aizen..."
That statement wasn’t exactly wrong.
No matter how you looked at it, in the incident where Uehara Naraku was ambushed, the only one who was actually injured on the surface was Aizen Sousuke, who had taken a Cero to protect Uehara Naraku.
Precisely because of that...
To Uehara Naraku, Aizen Sousuke could be considered to have done him a great favor.
Not to mention, their relationship had already been fairly good to begin with. Uehara Naraku had always quite admired his own Captain—at least that’s how it looked...
When he mentioned Aizen, a trace of struggle flashed across Uehara Naraku’s face, and his voice gradually turned serious. "Otherwise... I can’t guarantee what I might do..."
The instant he finished speaking...
Uehara Naraku’s face was already full of determination and defiance!
At this moment, Uehara Naraku practically looked like a hot-blooded youth here to avenge his Captain!
"..."
The scene fell into silence.
The Masked Shinigami all looked at each other.
So this was the little Patriarch of the Uehara Race?
Just from appearance alone, he didn’t look like anything special. It was only that flight technique where he turned into light just now that felt a bit shocking...
Come to think of it...
If only that bastard Aizen Sousuke had actually been injured!
"What a naive kid..."
Shihoin Yoruichi slowly lifted her head to look at the stern-faced Uehara Naraku, the corner of her mouth curling into a smile as she sized up this little Patriarch. "Hm? Looks like he hasn’t even grown up yet. If I remember right, at this age the Patriarch of the Uehara Race still doesn’t get to make the decisions, right?"
If she remembered correctly...
During this period, the Uehara Race should still be effectively ruled by the Thirteen Deadguard!
A Patriarch like Uehara Naraku, who looked as if he hadn’t even reached adulthood, was just being spoiled by the Thirteen Deadguard like a child and had no real power at all...
"Yoruichi, don’t talk nonsense."
Urahara Kisuke cut off Shihoin Yoruichi’s words. He looked at Uehara Naraku in front of him, gave a couple of light coughs, and dipped his head slightly in a gesture that was almost polite. "Cough, cough... To be able to meet Lord Naraku here in the Mortal World today is truly a great honor for us..."
This was the etiquette Urahara Kisuke wanted to observe.
In any case, first smooth things over a bit.
Because Urahara Kisuke was quite good at coaxing kids. When dealing with this kind of hot-blooded brat, the best approach was to guide and go along with his attitude in conversation...
"There’s no need to bring up topics that shouldn’t be stirred."
Uehara Naraku fixed his eyes on Urahara Kisuke, his brows creasing slightly as he spoke in a deep voice. "I won’t listen to any of your sophistry. Right now I only want to know where the Masked Shinigami who injured Captain Aizen is hiding!"
Hirako Shinji curled his lips and couldn’t help but mutter, "If any of us could kill that bastard Aizen, we’d have snuck into the Soul Society long ago and taken him out..." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
How could they possibly be surrounded here by the Uehara Race and the Guardian Court Thirteen Squads?
If someone really could kill Aizen Sousuke, Hirako Shinji seriously wanted to track down that Shinigami who’d gravely injured Aizen Sousuke...
Unfortunately...
That person had to be Aizen’s spy!
"Lord Naraku..."
Urahara Kisuke patted Hirako Shinji’s shoulder, cutting him off. He held up his palm to press down the brim of his hat and spoke softly. "If you take a careful look, the person you’re looking for shouldn’t be here..."
Urahara Kisuke glanced at the areas to either side of Uehara Naraku, as if he’d sensed the Spiritual Pressure hidden nearby. He continued quietly, "I think what we need to do now isn’t wasting Spiritual Power on a pointless fight, but to search together for that Mask who attacked you... or rather, it’s highly possible that guy is an Arrancar..."
Urahara Kisuke spread his hand and added with a smile, "Even though we left the Soul Society many years ago, we used to be on good terms with Captain Aizen. He wouldn’t want Lord Naraku to recklessly drag the innocent into this either, right..."
This was where Urahara Kisuke’s cleverness showed.
Ever since he’d learned that the young Patriarch Uehara Naraku had joined the 5th Squad, Urahara Kisuke had guessed that Aizen Sousuke must be putting on a great performance in front of Uehara Naraku...
Which meant...
The relationship between the Uehara Naraku before him and Aizen Sousuke was definitely good.
So right now he absolutely couldn’t be like Hirako Shinji and call out Aizen Sousuke as some kind of scumbag. He had to first go along with Uehara Naraku’s wishes, then slowly change his thinking...
That required a few insignificant little tricks.
"Urahara Kisuke..."
Just as Urahara Kisuke was still thinking through his wording, Uehara Naraku’s brows twitched and he coldly cut off Urahara Kisuke’s train of thought. "Before I came, someone specifically warned me I absolutely must not be bewitched by your words..."
After saying this, a resolute look flashed across Uehara Naraku’s face. He lowered his head and spoke softly, "Now it seems it’s just as he said... what you’re best at is using words to incite others into becoming your pawns... no one you meet ever escapes your manipulation..."
"..."
Urahara Kisuke’s smile stayed on his face, but after a second of Silence, he immediately spoke up. "Doesn’t that kind of impression just prove that everything I say is very reasonable and persuasive... Lord Naraku, deep down you think so too, don’t you?"
