I'm in Bleach, starting with Unlimited Blade Works.

Hearing Erin's tone, Shiba Kaien felt a sense of relief.

Now it seems that Captain Erin doesn't appear to be someone who came to hunt down the Shiba family.

"Captain Erin, is there anything we can help you with here?"

"Don't worry, if you need anything, we will definitely cooperate with Captain Erin unconditionally."

"No, you've misunderstood, the head of the Shiba family."

Upon hearing Shiba Kaien's words, Erin shook his head and smiled, "I didn't come here with any particular purpose."

"I just felt something today, so I came to Rukongai for a stroll. Meeting you all was just a coincidence."

"I just noticed that someone was practicing Kido here, so I came to see if they were a member of my Eleventh Division."

"However, head of the Shiba family, forgive my rudeness, but I just watched your training for a while, and it seems that you are all only specializing in the training of the Demon Path, but not practicing the other four techniques of the Shinigami. Why is that?"

"Hmph, the Shiba family doesn't practice Shinigami techniques."

Before Shiba Kaien could say anything, Shiba Kukaku, who was being protected behind him, was much more irritable. Upon hearing Erin's question, he immediately retorted.

In Shiba Kukaku's view, the Grim Reaper is the culprit who caused the Shiba family to fall to its current state.

"But the demonic path you just practiced is also one of the four techniques of the Grim Reaper."

Erin smiled and said, "As the head of the Shiba family, I know a little about your Shiba family's affairs."

"In my opinion, your uncle Shiba Isshin did a good job."

"Don't keep thinking about how Death has driven your Shiba family to this point."

"It was never the Grim Reapers who persecuted the Shiba family, but the nobles in Seireitei."

"You need to distinguish between the Shinigami before the establishment of the Gotei 13 and the Shinigami after its establishment. They are two different concepts."

As someone who almost became the head of the Kuchiki family, Erin has a fairly deep understanding of the history of Soul Society.

Since the establishment of the Three Realms, the five noble ancestors created the Seireitei, treating the entire Soul Society as their private property.

At that time, anyone who mastered the power of "spiritual pressure" could be called a "Shinigami" (Death God).

Later, only those who possessed power within the Seireitei were called "Shinigami" (Death Gods). Those who possessed power in the Rukongai were not recognized by the people within the Seireitei, and even if they also mastered the use of "reiatsu" (spiritual pressure), they could not be called "Shinigami".

Later, the power of the Shinigami was collected, organized, and compiled by the nobles within Seireitei, elevating the level of the Shinigami's power.

The appearance of the Shinigami (Death God) and Zanpakuto (Soul Blade) further enhanced the power of the Shinigami.

While in Seireitei, the Shiba family was considered one of the "Shinigami" (death gods).

However, thousands of years ago, the Shiba family could not withstand the persecution brought by the other four noble families and had to move away from Seireitei, ending up in Rukongai, becoming the first great noble family to fall into decline.

Moreover, in order to prevent the Shiba family from rising again, the other nobles also hunted down the Shiba family, causing them to suffer a major blow.

In addition, some higher-ranking nobles, hoping to obtain the "firework cannon" and "spiritual cannonball" passed down through generations of the Shiba family in order to join the ranks of "great nobles," relentlessly pursued and nearly wiped out the Shiba family.

Ultimately, in order to preserve the lineage of the Shiba family, a certain head of the Shiba family divided the family into the main family and the branch family.

The majority of the branch families were used to draw away the malice of the Shinigami within Seireitei, allowing the main family to survive the hyena-like devouring by the nobles of Seireitei.

Over the years, the main branch of the Shiba family has been reduced to only three siblings—Shiba Kaien, Shiba Kuma, and Shiba Mink—and three cats.

Separating the family property would be even worse.

Currently, the only person who has found the main branch of the Shiba family and made contact with it is Shiba Isshin.

However, because it was a separate family, Shiba Isshin was unaware of the dirty dealings between the Shiba family and the Seireitei nobles.

More than 300 years ago, he joined the Seireitei and gradually became the captain of the 10th Division of the Gotei 13.

Of course, the main reason why Shiba Isshin was able to get to where he is today is because Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni established the Gotei 13 in the millennium. Under the name of "Gotei", he forcefully took over all the armed forces of the Seireitei and divided them into one of the thirteen divisions according to their functions, which almost weakened the private armed forces of the nobles to the extreme.

It was precisely because of this that Shiba Isshin did not catch the eye of the nobles before he grew up.

By the time the former nobles in Seireitei discovered Isshin Shiba, he had already grown up.

As the captain of the Gotei 13, Isshin Shiba's status was no lower than that of the nobles within Seireitei.

"I think the fact that your uncle was able to become the captain of the 10th Division of the Gotei 13 is enough to prove that the Shinigami in the Seireitei now are different from those Shinigami who persecuted the Shiba family thousands of years ago, right?"

"Head of the Shiba family, after so many years of ups and downs, I think you should know that this world is a world where the strong are respected."

"All that your Shiba family has suffered is due to your own lack of strength."

"If you're still fixated on not learning the Shinigami's combat techniques, do you think you can protect the Shiba family with your current strength when the nobles of Seireitei attack you again one day?"

Upon hearing Erin's words, Shiba Kaien remained silent.

Yes, this is a world where strength reigns supreme.

Before Isshin's uncle became the captain of the Gotei 13, they would occasionally be attacked by various forces.

However, after Isshin's uncle became the captain of the 10th Division, the Shiba family had been spared an attack for a rare century.

"Go to the Shinigami Academy and become a Shinigami, head of the Shiba family."

"If it were you, perhaps you could be the second person after Isshin Shiba to become the captain of the Gotei 13, allowing the Shiba family to regain its footing in Seireitei."

After saying that, Erin turned and left.

He believed that Shiba Kaien would know what to do.

With the Shiba family's legacy of demonic arts passed down for thousands of years, their ability to cultivate to the level of vice-captain is already considered exceptionally gifted.

If someone has average talent, like Shiba Ganju, they might only be able to reach the level of a seated official at best.

"Big brother, don't listen to his nonsense..."

After Erin left, Shiba Kukaku seemed to sense Shiba Kaien's feelings and immediately stopped him.

More than two hundred years ago, in order to protect their three siblings, their parents lured away the Grim Reaper who was chasing them, and then never returned.

Shiba Kaien was their only remaining family member.

Shiba Kukaku would rather stay far away and avoid contact with the Shinigami of Seireitei than let his older brother venture into that dangerous place.

Chapter 167 Shiba Kaien

"No, Kukaku, I think Captain Erin makes a lot of sense."

"Compared to the Shinigami of Seireitei, what our Shiba family has left behind is far behind."

Shiba Kaien stroked Shiba Kukaku's head and said softly, "Putting everything else aside, Kukaku, do you still remember Yoruichi?"

"Oh? That woman?"

Upon hearing Shiba Kaien mention the dark-skinned woman, Shiba Kukaku involuntarily twitched his nose upwards.

They were all about the same age and were all descendants of the five noble families.

However, every time she sparred with Yoru Shihouin, she was the one who got completely crushed.

Unfortunately, Shiba Kukaku had no idea how much power that guy had used.

"Ah."

Shiba Kaien nodded.

"Kukaku, in terms of talent, I think you are in no way inferior to Yoruichi Shihouin."

"However, Yoruichi Shihouin possesses the complete heritage of the Shihouin family, while our Shiba family, down to our current generation, even has incomplete Kido incantations..."

"If we don't seek change, the Shiba family will truly decline in our hands..."

"Now, just as Captain Erin said, our Shiba family is not without a foundation in Seireitei. Uncle Isshin is the captain of the 10th Division. If I go to Seireitei and encounter any difficulties, I believe that with Uncle Isshin's strength and status, he will definitely be able to solve them."

"With just a little time and the acquisition of Seireitei's cultivation resources, I am confident that I can reach the strength of a captain within a hundred years."

"At that time, with the influence of me and Uncle Isshin, we will be able to bring the Shiba family back to Seireitei and take back everything we have lost!"

“But, brother, if those guys knew about your talent, they wouldn’t just watch the Shiba family rise again.”

"The danger you will encounter then will be more dangerous than you imagine."

Although the prospects described by Shiba Kaien were very tempting, for Shiba Kukaku, the safety of her family was the most important thing.

"But Kukaku..."

"If I don't face these dangers, am I supposed to let you, Ganju, or the next generation of the Shiba family face them?"

"This is the best time."

"If they miss this generation, how long will it take for the Shiba family to return to Seireitei?"

"Of course, I also know that the ancestral precepts left by our Shiba family are not to make us return to Seireitei, but to expose the sins of the five great noble families and let them face the judgment of the world..."

"But all of this must be based on the Shiba family having great strength and influence."

"Otherwise, even if we expose the sins of the five noble families, who would believe us?"

and……

Shiba Kaien had one last sentence left unsaid.

Just as Captain Erin said, without strong strength, and with the Shiba family having held this idea for generations, how could the other four noble families possibly allow the Shiba family to rise again?

I'm afraid that if there's even the slightest sign of trouble, they'll want to crush the Shiba family.

That day, Shiba Kaien spent most of the night persuading Shiba Kukaku to allow him to join Seireitei and become a Shinigami.

Of course, in order to prevent the main family of the Shiba family from being targeted by other noble forces because of Shiba Kaien's departure, Shiba Kukaku moved back to a new house with Shiba Ganju after Shiba Kaien left.

Without Shiba Kukaku's guidance, even Shiba Kaien wouldn't be able to find the Shiba family's new residence.

This confidence of Shiba Kukaku!

Well, if we ignore the two severed arms in front of the new house...

……

Erin's plan to find the "child" in Rukongai ultimately failed.

In just a few days, Erin couldn't possibly explore all the districts of Rukongai.

Today, Erin's search for her son has to be temporarily suspended.

Because Ise Nanao has arrived.