Chapter 144: The Noblest and the Most Sinful Man

"Kūgo went out earlier," the middle-aged man replied. "If you have something important, you can tell me first. I can act as the interim leader of the organization when Kūgo is not around." He grinned, revealing an earnest smile.

"My name is Tenshiyo Agata. I'm the oldest member of this organization."

Naruto nodded, returning the smile. "Are all your members here, or have some left? Where did Kūgo go?"

Tenshiyo Agata glanced at the short-haired girl still suspended by the chains, thought for a moment, and then answered, "We received information that a Fullbringer appeared in Aomori. Kūgo took some people and headed there this morning."

"As for the rest of the members, there are two more groups out on missions."

"Four people?" Naruto asked.

Tenshiyo Agata hesitated before nodding.

"They left for Aomori this morning?" Naruto frowned.

Aomori was located in the northeastern part of the country, a considerable distance away. Even with Naruto's speed, it would take several hours to get there.

If the Tsunayashiro Clan's target was Kūgo Ginjō, rushing over now might already be too late. But... Naruto had yet to return the "Substitute Shinigami Badge" to Kūgo Ginjō, meaning the Tsunayashiro Clan had lost their means of monitoring him. How could they have responded so quickly, setting out just as Kūgo left?

"Captain Uzumaki, are you looking for Kūgo?" Tenshiyo Agata asked. "We can contact him."

"Right now?" Naruto asked, surprised.

Tenshiyo Agata nodded and gestured to a timid, map-holding boy who approached.

The boy looked very young, perhaps only around ten years old, and was quite short—barely reaching Naruto's chest, even shorter than Naruto had been at that age, standing at only about 1.2 meters. He had a bowl-cut that covered his eyes, and despite being just a child, he exuded a gloomy, almost rotten aura.

"His name is Wakamatsu Tomoya," Tenshiyo Agata introduced. "His Fullbring is quite unique—it involves the use of a map."

"Anyone he marks will have their location displayed on the map, and he can communicate with the marked person at any time, from anywhere."

Naruto looked at the boy. Even with a gentle gaze, he saw the boy shrink back behind Tenshiyo Agata. "Even if Kūgo is already in Aomori?"

Tenshiyo Agata nodded. "Yes, we've tested it before. As long as the person is within the area covered by Tomoya's map, they can be tracked and contacted without any obstacles."

"He's our organization's most precious asset."

Such an ability... It was more than unique—it was almost unbelievable.

It sounded similar to Bakudō #77, "Tenteikūra," but the range of that Kidō spell was tied to the user's spiritual pressure. The larger the sensory range, the greater the area of effect. Even with Naruto's current sensory abilities, he could only cover a radius of about fifty kilometers. But Naruki City to Aomori was a distance of seven to eight hundred kilometers.

"Please go ahead and contact Kūgo," Naruto said to Wakamatsu.

Wakamatsu nodded timidly and spread out the map.

It was an old national map, its publication date tracing back to Kūgo Ginjō's younger days. He extended a finger and touched the map, which began to glow.

The spiritual pressure being mobilized wasn't particularly strong—in fact, it was quite weak, even less potent than that of the current Mayuri Kurotsuchi. But something remarkable happened: small heads began popping up on the map, all depicted as simple yet distinctive caricatures.

There were about ten heads clustered in the middle of the map, representing Tenshiyo Agata and his group's location. Three other heads appeared in the northeastern part of the map.

Kūgo's caricature stood out—a square face with sharp, sword-like eyebrows, even without fully drawn features, making him instantly recognizable.

Wakamatsu touched Kūgo's caricature, and it immediately twisted, with spiritual pressure surging as Kūgo Ginjō's head materialized above the map.

"Ah, Tomoya, it's a bit inconvenient here, so I'll only chat with you for a bit," he sighed. "Then you can go find Uncle Tenkai or..."

Tomoya interrupted, "Kūgo, someone wants to talk to you."

Naruto spoke up, "Kūgo, it's me."

Kūgo Ginjō seemed to struggle as he turned, indicating that he was in a cramped space. "Captain Uzumaki? What brings you here?"

"Are you really the Kūgo Ginjō I know?" Naruto asked.

"Of course, I am," Kūgo Ginjō nodded, a look of confusion crossing his face as he was about to ask why Naruto would question that. But then he remembered the first thing Captain Uzumaki had said when they met: "No one can lie to me."

So, this was a way of confirming his identity.

"Has something happened?" Kūgo Ginjō's expression grew serious.

Naruto was lost in thought. Even though only Kūgo's "head" appeared before him, Naruto's sensory technique could still work. What was the mechanism of this technique? The spiritual pressure wasn't particularly strong, so how could it achieve this?

Was it due to the "Reiatsu of the Soul King"? What kind of power was that?

"If you haven't encountered any trouble, then there's nothing to worry about," Naruto shook his head, replying.

Kūgo Ginjō breathed a sigh of relief. "Everything's fine on my end. I haven't run into any enemies."

"You look like you're in a bit of a tight spot," Naruto observed. That stern expression didn't seem to align with the "everything's fine" statement.

Kūgo Ginjō frowned. "The car I bought has a small interior, so it's a bit cramped with everyone squeezed in."

"Can you initiate contact with Wakamatsu?" Naruto asked.

Kūgo Ginjō shook his head.

"No, I can't," Wakamatsu replied softly. "I can only contact someone if I want to see them first."

"How long can you maintain this?" Naruto asked gently, turning to him.

Wakamatsu lowered his head, avoiding Naruto's gaze. "As long as Kūgo doesn't get tired of it, I can keep it up indefinitely."

Naruto sensed Wakamatsu's spiritual pressure, noticing there was hardly any depletion. The feedback from his *Kagura Shingan* confirmed it was the truth. It seemed he could indeed do as he said. An incredible ability.

Naruto realized that he might have underestimated these unique and innovative powers because Kūgo Ginjō seldom used his Fullbring. This was the strength of the "Soul King's power," wasn't it?

"Then, please continue to maintain it," Naruto said, raising his hand slowly.

Wakamatsu, slightly frightened, closed his eyes. "But this will trouble Kūgo, won't it?"

"It won't," Kūgo Ginjō quickly reassured him. "This is important, Tomoya, so hang in there."

Wakamatsu opened his eyes and lifted his head. Naruto placed a hand on the boy's head, gently ruffling his hair, though his thoughts were elsewhere.

The organization seemed to be safe. Kūgo Ginjō was unharmed. So... what was Tsunayashiro Tokinada's real objective in making his move? Could it truly be the reason they stated in their application—hunting Hollows in the living world? That seemed unlikely.

"Are there any Fullbringers near you who you've encountered but haven't yet managed to recruit into the organization?" Naruto pondered aloud, asking a question.

Kūgo Ginjō laughed. "Captain Uzumaki, I've been working very hard over these past six months. I've managed to persuade every Fullbringer I've come across. Except for the one we're about to meet, there's no one left who hasn't agreed to join."

But... the man named Tenshiyo Agata's expression changed slightly. Naruto immediately caught it and turned his gaze to him. "Mr. Agata, are you hiding something?"

Tenshiyo Agata remained silent.

"This is a serious matter," Naruto said, frowning. "It concerns the safety of the person you're hiding."

"No one should be able to find her," Tenshiyo Agata shook his head. "I've protected her well."

"Don't overestimate your abilities," Naruto's tone became firm as he released the short-haired girl from the chains. "Your protection won't hold up against a strong opponent. Please tell the truth."

Tenshiyo Agata lifted his head and met Naruto's gaze.

In a nearby city of Naruki, within the dark confines of a basement in Agata's home, an eight-year-old girl was shackled by an iron chain around her ankle, tethered to a corner of the bed. With an emotionless expression, she calmly played with an invisible wooden doll.

Suddenly, a beam of light pierced the darkness.

"Daddy!" She turned her head and called out.

But... the face behind the light wasn't the familiar one she expected. Instead, it was a young man with short, dark green hair, dressed in fine clothing.

"Who are you?" she asked, tossing aside the wooden doll and peering curiously at the stranger without a trace of fear. "I've never seen you before."

"How pitiful, locked away here since you were little," the man leaned in, examining her. "Have you ever seen the outside world?"

The girl shook her head. "Daddy says the outside world is dangerous. He doesn't let me go out."

"But Daddy is looking for a very powerful person. He says that a powerful person might be able to bring us safety. Then I can go outside."

She spoke at length, but even the concept of "freedom" didn't seem to stir much emotion in her. It appeared that she didn't particularly long for those things.

The man extended his hand, his voice filled with danger. "Would you like to come with me? See the outside world?"

"I have power beyond your father's. I can protect you."

The girl tilted her head and extended her hand to place it in his. "What's your name?"

The man smiled. "Tsunayashiro Tokinada. Soon to be the most noble and most sinful man in this world."

The girl couldn't understand. Her limited vocabulary didn't allow her to grasp the meaning of "noble" and "sinful."

In the Seireitei, Soul Society, Aizen and Ichimaru Gin stood atop a tall tower, looking down on the distant firelight and sounds of battle.

"I thought Aizen-sama's elaborate plan was to deal with Captain Uzumaki," Gin said quietly, smiling brightly. "But it turns out this is your real objective."

"Seireitei is going to be lively."

Aizen smiled softly, speaking in a low voice. "The purifying flames of sin are truly beautiful. Absolutely captivating."

~~~

I don't know if I got names right. I didn't read "Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World". Which is a Novel.

Though I'll try my best.