"Is there no ship in the new era that can carry you?"
Naraku Sora subconsciously replied.
Shihōin Chika paused for a moment, then broke into a grin and spoke candidly, "Put that way, it's quite fitting."
"My only lingering regret before I died was not seeing the Shihōin Clan rise to its feet again."
"Now, having returned from Hell and seeing the Shihōin Clan grow ever stronger under little Yoruichi's leadership, showing signs of reclaiming its former glory, that wish has been fulfilled."
"Now, I have no more regrets."
Naraku Sora looked thoughtful. "I understand."
"But Brother Chika, have you ever considered a certain question?"
Hearing this bizarre form of address, Shihōin Chika's eye twitched as he forcefully corrected him, "You brat should be calling me Uncle!"
"Speak, what question?"
Naraku Sora grinned, completely unfazed by the man's attitude. After all, he hadn't even married into the family yet, so calling him 'Uncle' felt a bit awkward.
"What is the meaning of life?"
"I don't mean some trivial answer like going to the docks to score some french fries, but the answer that truly resonates with your heart."
Hearing this, Shihōin Chika let out a hearty laugh.
"I've lived for so many years, yet this is the first time someone has asked me such a question."
"It's strange, come to think of it. In all those years, I never once pondered the answer to that."
"I just saw everyone else living, so I simply kept on living too."
Naraku Sora: "..."
Although he didn't get the answer he was looking for, this response surprisingly suited his tastes.
As expected of a man who had weathered countless storms, perhaps?
"So, kid, what are your thoughts?" Chika took the initiative to ask, seeing him fall silent.
Naraku Sora wore a candid expression and answered sincerely, "To me, living doesn't necessarily have a meaning, but by staying alive, you might just discover something interesting."
"And the facts prove that I'm right."
"If I had died early, how could I have witnessed so many fascinating things now?"
Shihōin Chika fell silent for a moment before breaking into an eerie smile.
"Kid, how many years do you think I've lived?"
Naraku Sora frowned. "You look quite young. If we don't count the thousand years you've been dead, maybe seven or eight hundred years old?"
As soon as he said this, the other first-generation captains standing nearby almost simultaneously revealed cryptic smiles.
"To be honest, even I can't remember my exact age." Shihōin Chika shook his head. "I spent too long in Hell. Many of my memories were completely lost in that endless cycle of torment."
"But if I remember correctly, it should be over two thousand years."
Naraku Sora: "?"
Shihōin Chika, who looked about the same age as him, was actually a millennia-old fossil?
Normally, Soul Reapers were a long-lived species, which was evident from Yamamoto.
As early as two thousand years ago, that old man was already renowned throughout the Soul Society.
Even Sasakibe Chōjirō only came to join him after hearing the name of the Genryū style, wholeheartedly desiring to become Yamamoto's right-hand man.
After a great deal of arduous effort, he indeed succeeded.
And that was over two thousand years ago. At that time, the Gotei 13 hadn't even been established yet.
However, judging by appearances, Sasakibe Chōjirō didn't look nearly as old as Yamamoto; at most, he looked like a human in his forties or fifties in the World of the Living.
From this, it seemed that a Soul Reaper's appearance still changed as they aged.
It was just that the changes were more drastic during their youth, and once they reached adulthood, the aging process would slow down.
Furthermore, there were other external factors at play.
For example, Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō were considered peers of the same age.
Yet the former looked like a middle-aged uncle, while the latter, who had always been sickly, appeared quite young.
After fully recovering his health a few years ago, he looked even younger now.
Strictly speaking, judging a Soul Reaper's age solely by their appearance was often inaccurate.
As if guessing his thoughts, Shihōin Chika patiently explained, "A Soul Reaper's physical changes stem more from their state of mind. Moreover, the stronger their Reiatsu, the slower they age."
"If a Soul Reaper grows to a level unattainable by others at a young age, they will remain youthful."
Naraku Sora looked thoughtful. "Like Big Sis Retsu?"
Shihōin Chika's eye twitched, and he decisively chose to skip this topic.
Although he was ready to embrace death, he could still distinguish between wanting to die and actively courting death.
Just because this bastard kid could beat Unohana didn't mean he could.
Just look at how miserable that idiot Shijima Chigiri ended up when he challenged Squad 4. He was literally minced into fine paste, without a single intact piece of flesh left to be found.
"What I actually wanted to tell you is that over two thousand years of time is more than enough for me to encounter many interesting things."
"Rather than dragging out a miserable existence in this broken body, it's better to be decisive and start a new life."
"I heard from your researchers that in my current state, I can completely return to the earth of the Soul Society and re-enter the cycle of Reishi."
Naraku Sora nodded, not deceiving him on this matter.
Reincarnation and the cycle of souls were fundamental rules of the three realms. As long as the Impure World Reincarnation was released and they ensured no Gates of Hell were nearby to forcefully snatch him away, Shihōin Chika could enter the cycle of reincarnation.
As for what he would become in his next life, that remained unknown.
"I understand what you mean, Brother Chika." Naraku Sora sighed. "But I still want to persuade you. After all, it's only two thousand years. That's nothing at all."
"I once met an old geezer who has lived for who knows how many years, yet he still maintains a passion for life."
"Compared to him, your little bit of time wouldn't even qualify you to be his great-great-grandson."
Hearing this, Chika grew a bit agitated. "Old Man Yama is indeed a bit older than me, but not to the point of reducing me to the level of a great-great-grandson, right?"
Naraku Sora gave an eerie smile. "Who said I was referring to my teacher?"
Now it was the others' turn to be confused.
In the minds of the first-generation captains, Yamamoto was already considered the oldest Soul Reaper. Even if there were occasionally other Soul Reapers who lived a bit longer than him, they definitely wouldn't be as energetic as that old man.
Despite being thousands of years old, he still acted like an overgrown child all day, constantly trading blows with his own disciples at the drop of a hat.
However, after pondering for a few seconds, Shihōin Chika seemed to realize something, and the look he gave Naraku Sora suddenly carried a hint of suspicion and shock.
"Let me tell you the truth, brat."
Saitō Furōfushi crossed her arms over her chest, acting like a haughty little brat as she spoke arrogantly, "I don't know what these guys are thinking, but if you expect me to drag out my life in this state, absolutely not."
"My entire life has been spent pursuing battles and slaughter, enjoying the thrill brought by blood."
"But now, even when I get slashed, I barely bleed. How can I possibly enjoy any of the fun?"
Katori Batsu'unsai also chimed in softly from the side, "Compared to our time as Sinners in Hell, our strength has diminished greatly, and the same goes for when we were alive."
"Seeing that everyone in the Gotei 13 has grown up, there's nothing left to worry about."
"Besides, don't we still have you, Lord Naraku?"
Naraku Sora stroked his chin, thinking seriously.
The facts proved that the Impure World Reincarnation was indeed not omnipotent.
And he didn't have any better solutions. It seemed it was time to initiate Plan B.
But before that, he had a much more important matter to attend to.
"By the way, haven't you all been wanting to thank me?"
He lifted his head, looking at the first-generation captains, and said earnestly, "Now, the time has come."
"Follow me."
With that, he walked straight out of the training grounds, heading in the direction of the underground prison.
The group exchanged glances, unable to figure out what Naraku Sora was planning, but out of trust, they followed him anyway.
The group arrived at the [Hell of Reviving] Ward.
After repeated renovations and optimizations, the current Hell of Reviving was no longer the dark and cramped place it once was.
Not only had the cells holding the prisoners been expanded several times over, but even the outside corridors and other facilities had all been upgraded to the latest models.
Moreover, Urahara Kisuke and Kurotsuchi Mayuri had developed a series of black-tech devices, cramming them all into the prison.
Things like automated punishment machines, all-in-one feeding machines, spiritual wave polygraphs, and so on.
A large portion of these were researched by Urahara Kisuke in his free time; Kurotsuchi Mayuri rarely got involved.
In his eyes, these were all worthless things.
Nothing but a waste of time.
If it hadn't been for Kuchiki Kōga and the others making requests, he wouldn't have even bothered to ask about it.
When they first arrived at Shino Prison, the first-generation captains had already taken a tour, so there was nothing novel about it now.
Naraku Sora walked at the front, directly pulling open the most frequently used cell and gesturing, "Come in and give it a try."
Shihōin Chika raised an eyebrow, not understanding what the kid had up his sleeve.
Katori Batsu'unsai, however, didn't hesitate in the slightest, walking straight into the cell.
Next was Saitō Furōfushi.
Although she refused to yield in her words, she was still extremely grateful in her heart.
Seeing this, the remaining three exchanged glances before stepping into the cell one after another.
The moment the cell door closed.
The air in front of Naraku Sora rippled, and a screen of light that only he could see slowly unfolded.
Upon seeing the final line, Naraku Sora broke into a wide grin, revealing a satisfied smile. 'As expected of my world-shaking intellect, reliable as always.'
He lifted his gaze, looking at the people inside the cell.
"What if I told you there was a way to restore you directly to the state you were in when you were alive?"
The First-Generation Captains: "?"