Shinigami in the Ninja World

What If 14: Plan and Conspiracy

The Ryoka caused chaos in the Seireitei, plunging the Shinigami into turmoil.

Despite their small numbers, the trouble they stirred was enough to instill fear.

Two captains had been defeated!

One of the Ryoka, a boy suspected to be a Quincy, had managed to defeat the 12th Division Captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. However, though he succeeded, he completely exhausted his strength and was easily captured by the 9th Division Captain. He was now imprisoned in the 4th Division barracks.

This event didn’t surprise the Shinigami much.

After all, the 12th Division specialized in re

“What’s going on?” Sasuke pressed, his expression stern. “I searched all day and couldn’t find you. Someone is interfering with me.”

“If it’s the remaining Ryoka…”

Yoruichi shook her head, her expression grave. “No, it’s not Ichigo. His abilities aren’t in the realm of spiritual deception.”

“And he’s too much of an idiot to try something like that.”

“It’s someone else.”

Sasuke frowned, his confusion deepening.

If it wasn’t Yoruichi’s group, then who was helping to obstruct his search?

“I don’t know either,” Yoruichi admitted, curling her tail. “But before I came here, Kisuke Urahara told me to pass along a message if anything unusual happened.”

Sasuke sat up straighter.

“One hundred and ten years ago, the tool that caused Shinji Hirako and the others to undergo Hollowfication was called the Hōgyoku. It’s a special artifact created using fragments of the Soul King’s power.”

“That artifact possesses immense strength,” Yoruichi explained, her voice serious. “Someone in the Seireitei has their sights set on it.”

“Previously, Kisuke hid the Hōgyoku inside Rukia’s body.”

Sasuke’s expression sharpened. “So the death sentence—was it an attempt to kill her and extract the Hōgyoku from her body?”

Yoruichi nodded.

Sasuke’s brows furrowed. “The Kuchiki family? Or the Tsunayashiro family?”

The first two names that came to Sasuke’s mind were Kuchiki and Tsunayashiro.

The Kuchiki family’s reaction had been highly unusual. Others might not understand the nuances, but as the captain of the 2nd Division, Sasuke knew the truth. Rukia was not some lucky girl who had randomly caught Byakuya Kuchiki’s favor.

She was the younger sister of the late Kuchiki matriarch, a woman from Rukongai whose presence had caused a stir in the Seireitei. Rukia was her dying wish—the only thing left of her.

Given Byakuya’s love for his wife—a love strong enough to defy opposition and marry her—it was hard to believe he would simply allow her sister to be executed unless there were circumstances Sasuke didn’t yet understand.

As for the Tsunayashiro family, Sasuke’s suspicion was simple. In all his years as the 2nd Division captain, any case requiring seated officers or higher to investigate was almost always tied to the Tsunayashiro family in some way.

Once the most prominent of the Five Great Noble Houses, the Tsunayashiros were notorious troublemakers. They rarely involved themselves in anything noble or honorable, but when something shady occurred, their fingerprints were often there.

Whenever chaos erupted, assuming their involvement was rarely a mistake.

“Neither,” the black cat said, shaking her head swiftly.

Sasuke’s tone turned sharper. “It seems you already know who’s responsible.”

“Indeed,” Yoruichi replied with a sly grin, her golden eyes gleaming as she watched Sasuke’s expression closely. She spoke the name slowly, almost savoring the moment: “Sōsuke Aizen.”

“Well? Didn’t see that coming, did you?”

She seemed eager to see a reaction, but the black-haired young man remained composed, his cold demeanor unchanged.

“Is that so? A bit unexpected,” Sasuke said calmly.

Yoruichi scoffed, flicking her tail. “You’re getting more boring by the day, Sasuke. Not even that man surprises you?”

Sasuke’s calm demeanor betrayed none of his thoughts. He understood why Yoruichi was trying to provoke him. Captain Sōsuke Aizen of the 5th Division was widely regarded as an exemplary Shinigami, with a spotless reputation. Even the 2nd Division had no dirt on him.

But Sasuke had little interest in the politics of the Soul Society or its captains. His interactions with Aizen were superficial at best.

“What kind of ability does he have?” Sasuke asked, tilting his head. His sharp gaze met Yoruichi’s. “What kind of power could force someone like Kisuke Urahara—or you, the Shihōin family’s leader—to flee the Soul Society and hide in the World of the Living?”

And more than that…

What kind of power could manipulate the Central 46 Chambers into sentencing Rukia to death?

Yoruichi’s expression turned serious. “His Zanpakutō.”

“It’s not the water-type he pretends it to be. Its true power lies in illusion.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed, his expression hardening instantly. Illusion? This directly challenged the Sharingan’s dominance.

“The Seireitei’s analysis suggests that his Zanpakutō can control senses—manipulating what others perceive at will,” Yoruichi continued, her tone bored but her words grave. “Everything people see is what he wants them to see. That’s why things have escalated this far.”

She sighed. “If only we’d known about his ability earlier, we could’ve prepared for it. Unfortunately…”

If they had been forewarned, Kisuke Urahara wouldn’t have been forced to flee the Seireitei in disgrace.

Sasuke mulled over her words.

So that’s how it was. Aizen’s Zanpakutō concealed his misdeeds and crafted his perfect image.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Sasuke asked, his cold eyes locking onto Yoruichi’s. His tone was sharp, bordering on accusatory, with no hint of restraint.

Yoruichi hesitated before letting out a nervous laugh, waving her paw dismissively. “You were too young back then! Besides, everything was such a mess. We were too busy helping you become a captain.”

“We just… forgot, I guess. Haha! If we’d told you back then, maybe things wouldn’t be so chaotic now.”

Her explanation reeked of insincerity.

Clearly, this wasn’t the truth.

While Yoruichi might be indifferent, Kisuke Urahara had likely chosen to withhold this information deliberately.

Sasuke didn’t press further.

The real reason was as he suspected—Kisuke didn’t want him to know.

The reason was simple.

The Hōgyoku was synonymous with immense power. And while Sasuke had frequent interactions with Yoruichi and Kisuke, his obsessive nature and the ominous power of his Sharingan left a poor impression on Urahara.

Stubborn individuals like Sasuke were the most susceptible to temptation.

Kisuke feared that if Sasuke learned about the Hōgyoku and its potential, he might act in unpredictable and uncontrollable ways.

But the situation had changed.

Before Yoruichi returned to the Soul Society, Kisuke had warned her to closely monitor Sasuke.

If Sasuke handled things too smoothly—whether it was capturing Ichigo Kurosaki or avoiding any meaningful involvement—it would mean only one thing: Sasuke had sided with Aizen.

If Sasuke’s actions appeared constrained or hindered, it would prove he wasn’t aligned with Aizen.

Yoruichi could understand if Sasuke chose to slack off, but success? That would be suspicious.

Kisuke explained that Sasuke’s path to capturing Ichigo would never be easy. Aizen was undoubtedly interested in Ichigo and would ensure he didn’t fall into the wrong hands.

For Aizen, the worst-case scenario was Ichigo ending up with a capable outsider like Sasuke.

Only after seeing Sasuke struggle against these obstacles could Yoruichi reveal the truth.

If Sasuke’s actions were suspiciously smooth, Yoruichi was not to make contact.

Sasuke broke the silence. “What do you need me to do?” He waved off further questions, his voice sharp. “Your goal now is just to clear your name, isn’t it?”

Yoruichi shook her head. “That doesn’t matter anymore.”

“The real issue is what Aizen plans to do with the Hōgyoku. Kisuke has a terrifying theory. If he’s right…” she paused, her golden eyes narrowing.

“All three worlds are in danger.”

Sasuke’s expression didn’t change.

“Three worlds in danger” was a phrase that held no particular weight for him.

Yoruichi continued softly, “Kisuke believes your Sharingan’s insight could be a powerful counter to Aizen.”

“Because the illusions we see are manipulated by him, not born from within us. If he encounters something unfamiliar or outside his expectations, his illusions might falter.”

“That’s your chance to catch him. Use those eyes of yours wisely.”

Yoruichi paused, flicking her tail. From somewhere, she produced a small vial of liquid and tossed it to Sasuke. “Kisuke made this for you. It’s a special eye solution.”

“It’s designed to restore normal vision for nearsightedness. We’re not sure if it’ll work on your Sharingan’s visual anomalies, but it might help a little.”

Sasuke caught the vial, hesitating for a moment.

Yoruichi bristled immediately. “It’s clean! What are you thinking, you brat?”

“You’ve gotten so much less adorable over the years.”

Sasuke placed the vial on the desk. “So there’s no rush to expose Aizen?”

“Not until there’s enough evidence,” Yoruichi replied. “We can’t alert him too soon.”

Sasuke lowered his gaze. Out of Yoruichi’s sight, his Sharingan activated, its three tomoe spinning slowly.

“So that’s it,” he muttered to himself.

Aizen’s illusions had been so flawless they had even eluded the Sharingan… until now. The strange distortions Sasuke had sensed earlier in the day suddenly made sense.

…

The Next Day

Sasuke awoke and began briefing his division members, preparing to continue yesterday’s operations. He wanted to see if Aizen would continue interfering and hoped to uncover some clues in the process.

But before he could leave, a shocking piece of news thundered through the Seireitei.

Captain Sōsuke Aizen of the 5th Division was dead!

Assassinated—killed with a single strike.

At the 4th Division barracks, in the mortuary, Captain Retsu Unohana stood over the body, her brows furrowed in thought.

“Captain Uchiha wants to see Captain Aizen’s body,” Vice-Captain Isane Kotetsu reported quietly, stepping closer.

Unohana’s eyes flashed with recognition, recalling the haunting crimson glow of Sasuke’s Sharingan. She nodded. “Bring him in.”

Her expression remained nearly unchanged, as serene as ever, though her faint, habitual smile was conspicuously absent.

“Captain Uchiha, to what do we owe the honor?” Unohana greeted him with a polite smile as Sasuke entered.

In the entire Seireitei, very few individuals were capable of killing someone like Aizen, who had served as a captain for over a century.

And among those individuals, the one with both the means and temperament to carry out such an assassination… was n