Fate in Bleach: Unlimited Blade Works!

"Well, well, Head-Captain Yamamoto, I'm just as surprised as you are."

Gin Ichimaru narrowed his eyes to slits then responded to Yamamoto's questioning in a leisurely tone.

"You see, I even released my Zanpakutō to deal with those Ryoka, but they were far too cunning. The moment we clashed, they retreated from the White Road Gate. Then, the Seireitei's barrier descended and sealed the gate, and they escaped."

Ichigo Kurosaki and his companions, having just entered the Soul Society and defeated Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, the gatekeeper of the White Road Gate, encountering Gin Ichimaru wasn't a coincidence.

The Seireitei was surrounded by a massive wall forged from Sekkiseki, a special stone that decomposed spiritual pressure. This wall generated a barrier known as the "Shakonmaku," concealing the Seireitei's spiritual pressure from the three worlds, even from the Hollows in Hueco Mundo.

Only Senkaimon, portals registered within the Seireitei, allowed direct travel between the Soul Society and the World of the Living.

Sensing the presence of the half-formed Hōgyoku within Shino Madarame, Sōsuke Aizen knew this was his second confrontation with Kisuke Urahara.

Urahara had used a Shinigami connected to Ailin, the captain of the Eleventh Division, as his pawn.

Both he and Urahara had to achieve their objectives without provoking Ailin.

Aizen's goal was to obtain the Hōgyoku.

Urahara's goal was to expose Aizen's true intentions and eliminate him.

Therefore, Aizen suspected that Urahara had other plans in motion.

The Seireitei had four gates connecting it to Rukongai: the White Road Gate, the Blue Stream Gate, the Red Hollow Gate, and the Black Ridge Gate.

These gates were guarded by powerful individuals known as "Gatekeepers."

Jidanbō guarded the White Road Gate, Kaiwan guarded the Blue Stream Gate, Higonyūdō guarded the Red Hollow Gate, and the giant, Danzōmaru guarded the Black Ridge Gate.

Because they were all Gatekeepers, they wouldn't be swayed by Aizen's charisma.

To prevent Urahara's plans from interfering with his own, Aizen decided to block Urahara's pawns from entering the Seireitei.

Therefore, he, along with Kaname Tōsen and Gin Ichimaru, three captain-level Shinigami, personally guarded the four gates.

Gin was responsible for the White Road Gate, Tōsen for the Blue Stream Gate, and Aizen for the Red Hollow Gate and the Black Ridge Gate.

If they encountered any of Urahara's pawns, they would eliminate them. If elimination proved impossible, they would seal the gates, buying time for Aizen to retrieve the Hōgyoku.

While Gin hadn't killed the Ryoka, he had successfully bought time for Aizen.

However, to maintain his persona, Aizen stepped forward and addressed Gin after his explanation.

"Captain Ichimaru, it's not that we don't believe you, but your story is… difficult to accept. In the entire Gotei 13, who could be more cunning than you? I suspect it wasn't the Ryoka who were cunning, but you, Captain Ichimaru, who manipulated the situation to your advantage.

Furthermore, I can't help but wonder, why did you deliberately let those Ryoka escape? Are you somehow connected to them?"

"Well, well, Captain Aizen, some things are best left unsaid. Otherwise, you might invite disaster upon yourself."

Gin leaned closer to Aizen and spoke in a low murmur.

Toshiro Hitsugaya, standing beside Aizen, overheard their exchange. He frowned and became suspicious. As Ailin's disciple, Hitsugaya knew that Gin was his teacher's former student. The conflict between Aizen and Gin had been simmering for decades, seemingly connected to his teacher.

While he didn't particularly like Gin, he didn't want to see him hunted by the Seireitei for killing his comrades. He decided to keep a close eye on both Gin and Aizen. If Gin tried to harm Aizen, he would intervene.

As the captains argued, a deafening roar came from the sky.

…

Boom!

A massive, flaming projectile hurtled towards the Seireitei, colliding with the Shakonmaku barrier. A blinding explosion erupted, a mixture of fire and lightning that sent shockwaves rippling outward.

"Damn it! Ryoka are attacking the Seireitei!"

The commotion couldn't be concealed. Any Shinigami who wasn't blind could see the clash of energy above their heads. The barrier was straining against the projectile's impact.

In the thousand-year history of the Soul Society, it was the first time they had witnessed such an audacious attack.

Crack!

Cracks, like lightning bolts, appeared on the Shakonmaku.

Boom!

The projectile pierced through the barrier. While the gap quickly sealed itself, thanks to the Sekkiseki's unique properties, the invaders had successfully infiltrated the Seireitei.

The Shakonmaku, however, was the Seireitei's first line of defense. While the projectile had broken through, it shattered upon impact.

The invaders, trailing plumes of fire, descended towards the Seireitei, scattering in different directions.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Alarms blared throughout the Seireitei. Shinigami rushed towards the invaders.

Ailin and the other captains, emerging from the meeting chamber, witnessed the projectile shattering the Shakonmaku.

Yamamoto snorted coldly. "Captains, by the authority vested in me as Captain-Commander, the Seireitei is now under a state of emergency. Any Ryoka who resists will be eliminated without mercy."

"Yes, Head-Captain!"

As they left the meeting chamber, Ailin looked up, focusing on one of the invaders.

The Ryoka were as in his memories: Ichigo Kurosaki, Uryu Ishida, Yasutora Sado, Orihime Inoue, Yoruichi Shihōin, and Ganju Shiba, Kukaku Shiba's younger brother.

The force of the explosion had separated them. Only those who had managed to grab onto each other remained together.