Chapter 163

……

Kuchiki Senya followed Nanihaza to a luxurious mansion. After entering the room, Nanihaza said, "Kuchiki, I believe our negotiations have reached a conclusion."

"Huh?" Kuchiki Senya looked at Nanihaza in confusion. "What negotiations?"

Nanihaza said, "You have won. Therefore, the Grand Priest has decided to allow you to continue residing in Seireitei. We will no longer pursue charges for your private duels. As for those who died, they will be punished. In this way, you have fulfilled your duty to the dead."

"Oh? So that's how it is." Kuchiki Senya pondered, clearly understanding Nanihaza's meaning.

Nanihaza said, "Additionally, on behalf of the Grand Priest, I apologize. My earlier words were disrespectful."

"It's fine." Kuchiki Senya waved his hand. "It was merely a misunderstanding."

Nanihaza glanced at Kuchiki Senya with a smile; he could sense that Kuchiki Senya was not as difficult as the rumors claimed.

"Then, I wish you a pleasant evening." Nanihaza said, then vanished into the air.

Kuchiki Senya gazed at the bright moon outside the window and sighed: "I hope this matter ends peacefully…"

……

Meanwhile, in an ancient mansion, a male shinobi sat in a chair holding a teacup. He crushed the cup in his hand, then muttered lowly: "I never expected such a blunder—nearly ruined everything." He glanced at his two subordinates beside him.

A male shinobi in black clothing bowed his head and said, "Apologies, my lord. We were careless."

Beside him stood a beautiful female shinobi with golden hair and sunglasses. She looked at the man softly: "My lord, should we mobilize stronger forces?"

"Not yet," the man said. "Doing so would expose our plan. Besides, I want to see how long this brat can keep up."

This shinobi was the Grand Priest. His power was extremely strong—no weaker than Kuchiki Senya's, even slightly superior—because Kuchiki Senya was not a pure reiatsu shinobi, but possessed a special reiatsu manipulation technique, which allowed him to defeat Kuchiki Senya.

But the Grand Priest was also a reiatsu shinobi. He possessed reiatsu, though weaker. Yet Kuchiki Senya could manipulate all reiatsu. Thus, he was not afraid of Kuchiki Senya. Moreover, he did not regard Kuchiki Senya as an equal—only as an object worth watching.

Kuchiki Senya's strength was formidable, but the Grand Priest disdained confronting him directly. Instead, he planned to cultivate another shinobi to oppose Kuchiki Senya.

Nanihaza led Kuchiki Senya to the shrine. The shrine lay at the deepest part of the palace, built beside a vast, boundless lake. Inside, lights blazed brightly, yet not a single sound echoed—filling the place with a deadly atmosphere. At the shrine's center stood a massive table, around which twelve shinobi stood, all clad in black uniforms, swords at their waists. Most of them Kuchiki Senya did not know, but a few he recognized.

For instance, the middle-aged man on the Grand Priest's left, wearing a black suit and black-rimmed glasses with a stern face, was his former partner, Kurohane—the leader of the shinobi force. Of the remaining nine shinobi, five were core members of the shinobi force.

On the priest's right stood a girl wearing a silver mask. She had a slender figure clad in tight red leather armor that accentuated her perfect curves. A dangerous aura radiated from her.

122. This girl is Orochimaru!

This girl is Orochimaru!

Behind Orochimaru stood five others—all core members of the shinobi force. Orochimaru was deputy commander; the five behind her were the five generals.

Orochimaru swept her gaze across the many shinobi, finally fixing it on Kuchiki Senya, a playful expression forming.

"Kuchiki Senya, you've come after all," Orochimaru said.

"Hmph!" Kuchiki Senya snorted. "That's what I should say—you dare ambush me, Orochimaru?"

Hearing this, Nanihaza frowned. This situation was truly difficult. After all, it was a conflict between shinobi. Though both sides had signed an agreement, who knew how Kuchiki Senya might react? What if he flew into a rage and reneged?

Yet as the event's instigator and director, Nanihaza could not stop Kuchiki Senya.

Just as Nanihaza considered letting Kuchiki Senya leave, a melodious harp sound suddenly rang out.

Everyone present froze, then turned in shock toward the sound's source. The harp music was clear and exquisite, like celestial tones—but it cast a shadow over every heart in the room.

"No good! Run!" Nanihaza panicked, leaping from his seat and dashing out.

At that moment, his body underwent a strange transformation. His chest split open, and several thick tentacles extended outward. Their ends bristled with hooked barbs, sharp and grotesque. The barbs shot toward Kuchiki Senya.

But in that instant, a flash of cold light sliced through—the tentacles were severed, and half of Nanihaza's skull was sheared off. Nanihaza screamed and collapsed to the ground.

Nanihaza glared at Kuchiki Senya, teeth gritted: "Do you want to die?!"

Kuchiki Senya spoke coldly: "Don't provoke me, or I'll kill you."

Nanihaza clutched his wound and retreated behind the Grand Priest, snarling: "Fine. Very fine. Kuchiki Senya, remember this humiliation. I will never forget it. One day, I will reclaim it all—with interest!"

Kuchiki Senya leaned lazily back in his chair, a mocking smile on his lips: "Be my guest. I'll be waiting."

As he spoke, ice spikes shot toward the Grand Priest and the other shinobi. The ice spikes flew with blinding speed, closing in instantly. But at that moment, the Grand Priest extended his palm, gripped forward, then clenched his fist.

Boom—crack—the floor beneath the Grand Priest shattered. A violent wind erupted, sweeping up the Grand Priest and the other shinobi, hurling them toward the door. They had barely opened it when they crashed through the wall and flew into the great hall.

Outside the hall, a group of elite shinobi appeared in their vision—clad in pitch-black armor, wings strapped to their backs, faces masked.

The Grand Priest's face darkened. He barked: "All of you—alert! Enemy attack!"

Orochimaru sneered: "Grand Priest, you're quite forgetful. Last time you sent a hundred and eight Shinigami Ninjas to hunt us down—you cost me two comrades. Are you going to just let this debt vanish?"

"You…" The Grand Priest gritted his teeth. They had remembered this grudge well. But the Grand Priest knew Orochimaru and his group would never let this go. That was why he had summoned all the shinobi to discuss this mission. He never expected Orochimaru to come directly to their doorstep.

At that moment, steady, powerful footsteps echoed behind the Grand Priest. He turned to see a boy dressed in white, wearing a golden mask.

"Kuchiki Senya, what is your meaning?" the Grand Priest asked. He sensed this boy was Kuchiki Senya's companion.

Kuchiki Senya shrugged. "I don't know what it means. But since so many of our kin are trapped here, I naturally intend to rescue them."

"Then what do you plan to do?" the Grand Priest asked.

Kuchiki Senya said coldly: "First, exterminate you."

Hearing this, the Grand Priest erupted in fury: "Are you mad?! Do you know where you are? This is Seireitei! Our territory! I advise you not to be too arrogant!"

"Oh?" Kuchiki Senya sneered. "You think I fear you shinobi?"

At Kuchiki Senya's words, the Grand Priest's face turned ashen. He knew Kuchiki Senya's strength well—they had personally witnessed his invincible swordsmanship and bizarre techniques.

· ·· Requesting flowers · ·

He was a freak. A being with immortality, capable of controlling chakra and unleashing bizarre attacks. Such a person was like a bug—unbeatable no matter what.

At that moment, Kuchiki Senya's gaze passed over the Grand Priest and the other shinobi, fixing on the crystal coffin at the shrine's center. His pupils contracted slightly.

"It's you, Chiharu," Kuchiki Senya murmured. He sensed the familiar resonance emanating from the crystal coffin—Chiharu's aura.

Kuchiki Senya's breathing grew rapid. Brilliant light exploded in his eyes, and in an instant, he vanished from his spot. Only a streak of cold brilliance flashed across the shrine, darting and flickering endlessly.

...... 0

Kuchiki Senya moved—but his target was neither the Grand Priest nor Bai Zai nor the other shinobi.

"Brat, you seek death," the Grand Priest roared. His scythe blazed with blinding light as he swung it down. Simultaneously, another shinobi hurled a kunai at Kuchiki Senya. The remaining shinobi activated various ninjutsu, preparing to surround and kill him.

"Fool!" Kuchiki Senya said coldly. The next second, he had already arrived before the crystal coffin, his finger pressing directly onto the lid of the crystal coffin.

With a bang, the lid of this crystal coffin was shattered by a single flick from Kuchiki Senya. A thick fragrance spread throughout the entire hall.

"What a wonderful scent." Kuchiki Senya praised, taking a deep breath, closing his eyes and savoring it.

At this moment, that fragrance grew even richer. A phantom figure slowly emerged, that human silhouette gradually condensing into form—it was a beautiful woman. She had a hot, seductive figure, skin snowy white, as if a meticulously crafted artwork by God. And around her neck, a ruby necklace sparkled brilliantly.

This was unmistakably the clan head of the Ōtsutsuki clan, the foremost of the sun, moon, and stars, the daughter of the Hizakari couple—Ōtsutsuki Yuhi.

But at this moment, the High Priest's expression had already changed. This was the Ōtsutsuki clan's holy relic—the crystal coffin.

The High Priest's face instantly became extremely ugly.

123. Kuchiki Senya's Trap

"Impossible!" the High Priest cried out in shock. The crystal coffin was the Ōtsutsuki clan's most precious treasure; apart from the clan head, the elders, and a few successors, even other members of the Ōtsutsuki clan were not qualified to lay eyes on this treasure. The High Priest had also gone through great pains to obtain it, and then gave it to Hizakari.

Although the High Priest did not understand why the crystal coffin had suddenly appeared here, this absolutely meant that the High Priest had lost contact with the crystal coffin!

"Damn it! What on earth is going on!" the High Priest was extremely anxious in his heart.

But just then, the High Priest suddenly froze. Because inside the crystal coffin, lay a corpse.

The High Priest recognized this corpse—it was precisely the High Priest's younger sister, Hizakari's only beloved wife—Chizuru.

At this moment, the High Priest finally reacted.

"So that's how it is!" the High Priest gnashed his teeth. He finally understood why Orochimaru had dared to bring Kuchiki Senya charging in here.

It turned out all of this was Kuchiki Senya's trap.

He had long since set up the trap, luring them and the others to take the bait. And they had stupidly jumped right in.

Having figured this out, the High Priest instantly flew into a rage. His arms transformed into enormous gloves, and he charged toward Kuchiki Senya.

And on the other side, that Shinigami holding the bone staff also roared: "Get out of my way!"

Immediately, the bone staff in his hand smashed viciously toward Kuchiki Senya's chest, wanting to stop Kuchiki Senya from approaching the crystal coffin. But Kuchiki Senya did not dodge or evade at all, taking this strike head-on.

"Boom!" With a violent collision, Kuchiki Senya was sent flying backward, landing on the ground and skidding several meters away.

At this moment, the other few Shinigami also hurriedly swarmed over to attack. These Shinigami's strength was still a notch below the High Priest's, because they were merely beginner stage Shinigami.

But they were after all several Shinigami, and their coordination was tacit; several Shinigami even used some forbidden techniques to amplify their combat power.

But even so, these Shinigami still could not do anything to them.

But the High Priest did not have it so easy, because Kuchiki Senya had been harassing him the whole time. The High Priest could only desperately resist, unable to spare a hand to help the other Shinigami for the moment.

"Heh. This crystal coffin cannot be destroyed, right?" Kuchiki Senya said with a cold laugh.

"Correct," the High Priest said coldly.

"Very well. Then I'll destroy it." Kuchiki Senya said indifferently. Then, he raised his head to look at the ceiling.

The High Priest followed his gaze. He saw a pitch-black crack. This crack extended from the wall all the way to the roof.

"Crap!" The High Priest's eyes suddenly widened, because Kuchiki Senya was standing right at the crack.