The visitor adjusted his glasses, casually took out a scroll, and extracted a box of money from it, placing it on the ground with a smile, "According to our agreement, this amount should be sufficient, right?"
The box was filled to the brim with money.
Whoever saw that box of money would involuntarily focus their gaze upon it, for this sum was enough to lead a life of luxury for hundreds of years in the Soul Society.
"Of course... it's more than enough!"
The black market merchant squinted and began pondering the true identity of his buyer, especially given that unique method of extracting money from a Sealing Scroll...
It seemed to resemble the abilities of a Death God trained in Kido.
However, no matter how he thought about it, this person was definitely not from the Guardian Court Thirteen Squads!
As long as he wasn't from the Guardian Court Thirteen Squads or the Quiet Spirit Court, there was no need to care about who this guy really was; after all, he was not someone they couldn't offend!
Even the Quiet Spirit Court...
It's not like there aren't Death Gods who have fallen in Drifting Spirit Town!
In the next moment, with a gesture from the black market merchant, a group of people swarmed in, surrounding the silver-haired youth with glasses. A tall man swung his sword and chopped the young man's head off...
The group, having succeeded, didn't seem to consider that this silver-haired youth, who appeared to have some tricks up his sleeve, was dealt with so easily?
It was truly...
Utterly unexpected.
The black market merchant didn't mind, waving his hand to have his subordinates take the money, reload their goods, and prepare to leave the trading warehouse.
Mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Just as they were relishing in the ease of this trip, wires snapped taut like blades, and in an instant, grazed diagonally across the entire warehouse!
The group of tall individuals was instantly dismembered on the spot!
Only a few vigilant ones managed to dodge this ambush!
Yet the whole warehouse seemed to turn into a battlefield of hidden weapons, with sharp iron shards and steel needles flying everywhere, causing these individuals to frown continuously!
Someone in the shadows was trying to ambush them!
Until finally, the barrage of hidden weapons ceased, and a young figure appeared in the warehouse, holding a sharp iron spike.
In the next moment...
The young Ichimaru Gin swung the iron spike in his hand, charging forward as screams of agony echoed continuously in the warehouse, blood flying under the moonlight like a crimson ribbon!
He was the one secretly orchestrating all this!
When the black market merchant planned to double-cross them, he carefully investigated the merchant's subordinates and calculated his chances of success!
After a long time.
The warehouse finally fell silent.
As the young Ichimaru Gin inspected his spoils, thinking of Matsumoto Rangiku waiting for him at home, a round of applause interrupted his thoughts.
"..."
A look of surprise flashed across the young Ichimaru Gin's face.
But when he turned around, he saw the silver-haired youth, who should have been dead, adding more surprise to his expression.
No, this was how it should be.
Someone like that couldn't be killed so easily, could they?
Ichimaru Gin turned back and looked at the spot where the silver-haired youth was supposedly killed, which had somehow turned into a wooden stump.
This person was...
Too mysterious!
Ichimaru Gin's mind quickly began calculating his odds of winning and everything that had happened. He slowly turned to look at the silver-haired youth, suddenly arched his eyebrows, and revealed a smile, "Were you satisfied with my performance?"
"...Truly wise!"
The silver-haired youth gradually clasped his hands, not stingy with his praise, "When did you realize it? Or did you know the moment I started observing you?"
"Just now..."
The young Ichimaru Gin gradually calmed his expression, softly saying, "I just thought about it moments ago, when I heard about your impending transaction yesterday, it was a setup for me, or rather, a test..."
"That's enough."
The silver-haired youth slowly approached, crouching in front of him, smiling as he looked at the boy who bore some resemblance to himself, "Originally, this test shouldn't have existed... but I wanted to see your abilities..."
Now it seems that this little guy's intelligence and talent are indeed quite good, with a bit of refinement, he could become a suitable assistant.
The young Ichimaru Gin offered the same smile as the silver-haired youth, softly asking, "Then can you tell me your name now?"
"Yakushi Kabuto."
The silver-haired youth extended his hand, placing it lightly on his shoulder, "Now that you've passed the test, will you come with me?"
"If I follow you, what will I gain?"
"Nothing."
Yakushi Kabuto's smile gradually turned gentle, as he calmly leaned closer to the young Ichimaru Gin, softly laughing, "No, there is one thing you can gain, such as... protecting your companion."
"..."
The young Ichimaru Gin squinted his eyes and nodded.
Actually, gaining even this much was already enough.
Not long after, two children joined Yakushi Kabuto's orphanage.
Ichimaru Gin and Matsumoto Rangiku grew up in this orphanage, never having to endure the hardships of hunger and poverty again.
Here, the young Ichimaru Gin and the young Matsumoto Rangiku began learning to take care of the orphanage's children as they grew older, inevitably learning parts of Yakushi Kabuto's ways.
Ichimaru Gin learned Yakushi Kabuto's deep and obscure nature; his own nature gradually became more like Yakushi Kabuto, or you could say they were of the same ilk.
Matsumoto Rangiku, however, learned Yakushi Kabuto's gentleness, which was inherited from Yakushi Kabuto's former headmistress, Yakushi Nono's maternal instinct.
In fact...
Yakushi Kabuto lied.
No, this can't really be called a lie.
Ichimaru Gin understood very well that what they gained at the orphanage was far more than Ichimaru Gin initially expected; and what they had to give in return bore no real cost.
Because with Yakushi Kabuto's abilities, there was nothing they needed to do. His purpose was straightforward, he truly seemed to just want to adopt two orphans...
If not for that test.
It wasn't until Ichimaru Gin finally felt he must do something for Yakushi Kabuto to repay the debt he and Matsumoto Rangiku owed, that Yakushi Kabuto gave Ichimaru Gin two choices.
One choice was to join an organization named Akatsuki.
Another was to someday inherit Yakushi Kabuto's orphanage.
Ichimaru Gin remembered his initial expression was somewhat puzzled, he truly couldn't believe that Yakushi Kabuto adopted him merely to find a director for the orphanage!
However...
Ichimaru Gin chose to join Akatsuki.
He was eligible to enter a brand-new world.
A different world.
The secret histories of an ancient millennial noble family, case after case of millennium-old mysteries sealed in time, a god hidden for a millennium in the Soul Society.
No one would have ever guessed.
The patriarch, who had been passed down for generations in a millennial aristocratic family, was the same person all along, like a shadow in the darkness never showing his face.
The great lord Naraku.
Compared to this great lord Naraku before him, the 5th Squad Captain Aizen Sousuke, who hid his true self, seemed like a child at play.
Even though everything about Aizen Sousuke was enough to unsettle Ichimaru Gin, it was still far less than this veteran schemer.
Perhaps the only unfortunate part was...
This boss tended to be a bit inconsistent at times.
For instance, at this moment, the question Uehara Naraku posed was somewhat challenging for Ichimaru Gin to answer: "By the way, do you think I'm a kind person?"
"..."
How was Ichimaru Gin supposed to answer this question?
Ichimaru Gin lowered his head to glance at the scroll in his hand before quietly speaking, "Of course, if it weren't for Lord Naraku, many orphans in Drifting Spirit Town wouldn't survive to adulthood..."
"That's Kabuto's achievement, as his foster mother was the orphanage's headmistress, he's just upholding the will of his former headmistress."
Uehara Naraku looked at Ichimaru Gin's expression, seemingly sensing his subordinate's doubt about the Sealing Scroll, couldn't help but add, "Don't doubt what I gave you; perhaps it's not enough to destroy the entire Soul Society, but it's more than enough to obliterate the Quiet Spirit Court, even if it has the Sekkiseki's protective barrier..."
"Uh... yes."
Ichimaru Gin cautiously put away the scroll.
Wait, why did this boss give him a scroll capable of destroying the Quiet Spirit Court! And even ask him to carry it around for protection...
This boss...
Might be overestimating his subordinates' strengths.
In hindsight...
Ichimaru Gin somewhat missed the alternative provided by Kabuto. Perhaps, back then, he should have agreed to inherit the position of the orphanage headmaster.