Crossover Anime: Starting with Bankai from Demon Slayer

Chapter 348 Captain of the 10th Division (Two Stars)

Without uttering a single unnecessary word, Toshiro turned around and strode towards a side room connected to the main hall.

With a whoosh.

He opened the camphor wood door of the side room and went inside.

Kurosaki Isshin got up from the ground, rubbed his cheek that had been kicked red by Ichigo, and put away his previous playful expression.

He glanced at Shiba Kaien, whose smile had also faded.

The two exchanged a complex and somewhat helpless look.

"Looks like I can't get away with this scolding." Haiyan gave a wry smile and scratched her spiky black hair.

"Yes... after all, I owe him." Yixin sighed deeply and straightened his wrinkled shirt.

Without hesitation, the two silently followed Toshiro into the side room.

The door to the side room was tightly closed, completely shutting out the noise from the hall and the sight of everyone.

The side room is not very large.

Originally used by the Shiba family as a tea room or a place for quiet meditation, it was decorated in a very simple and elegant style.

In the center of the room sat a low wooden table, where Toshiro sat upright with his back ramrod straight.

After Kurosaki Isshin and Shiba Kaien walked in, they knelt down properly in the seats opposite him.

Three men, the third generation of the 10th Division Captain.

No one expected that after so many years of twists and turns, they would gather together in this small space in such a dramatic and somewhat awkward way.

The room was quiet, and no one spoke first.

The faint sounds of Yuuki and Kukaku discussing the evening's menu drifted from outside, along with Hirako Shinji's curious inquiry about whether Kurosaki Ichigo felt his powers were acting strangely lately.

It felt like there was another world between us and this dull tea room.

The three of them looked at each other.

Isshin's gaze lingered on Toshiro's youthful yet stern face, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

When he was forced to leave Soul Society, Toshiro was only the third seat of the 10th Division.

But even back then, Toshiro had already shown exceptional talent and was far more composed than the average Shinigami.

Although he still has the naivety and stubbornness of a young man, he is much more reliable than me. Many team affairs are handled by him.

And now...

The boy sitting in front of him was already wearing the captain's haori, which represented the Gotei 13, draped over his shoulders.

He has grown up, truly maturing into a captain capable of standing alone and supporting the entire squad.

Kaien's gaze also fell on Toshiro, whose eyes were filled with guilt and self-reproach.

He understood the immense pressure a squad would face after losing its captain.

Especially the 10th Division, a crucial division responsible for patrolling and maintaining order throughout the Soul Society, has seen two of its captains go missing in succession...

There must have been a lot of gossip about this... I should have been more careful and stayed with the main group.

After a long silence, the suffocatingly awkward atmosphere was finally broken by Toshiro.

"Don't you have anything you want to say to me?"

Toshiro slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing the two people opposite him.

Faced with this pressure and questioning, Kurosaki Isshin, who is usually witty and witty, felt as if his throat was blocked and he didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry, Toshiro..." In the end, he could only utter these few words dryly.

"Is it Captain Hitsugaya?" Toshiro replied coldly, "Kurosaki Isshin, or Shiba Isshin?"

"Back then, you left Soul Court alone and were never heard from again."

"Do you even know what chaos the Tenth Division went through when news of your disappearance reached them?!"

Toshiro's voice rose: "The team members are in a state of panic! Rangiku has been looking for you for a whole month!"

"She searched every place you might have been in the world, praying every day that you would suddenly jump out from some corner like before, grinning and saying you were just slacking off!"

"During that time, she got completely drunk every night. Do you know how she got through that period?!"

Yixin's body trembled violently, and cold sweat slid down his forehead.

How could he not know? Rangiku was taken under his wing as soon as she joined the team, and he treated her like a younger sister. He knew her personality better than anyone else.

He could imagine the strong girl's breakdown after losing her captain.

But he can't go back... In order to suppress the Hollow within Masaki, he must remain in the mortal world and become a human without spiritual power.

"And you, Shiba Kaien!"

Toshiro suddenly turned his head and aimed his spear at Kaien, who was sitting next to him.

Haiyan instinctively straightened her back, bracing herself for the approaching storm.

"Everyone thought that with you, the heir of the Shiba family, who is hailed as a genius, taking over as captain, the 10th Division could finally get back on track."

"But what was the result?! You've only been in office for a few days!" Toshiro sneered, clearly enraged. "You haven't even learned all the names of the Tenth Division members, and you've disappeared again!"

"Do you even realize the immense shame the 10th Division has borne throughout the entire Soul Society because of your consecutive disappearances?!"

Toshiro practically gritted his teeth as he spoke: "A cursed squad, useless people who couldn't even protect their own captain... For a long time, the members of the 10th Division had to endure the strange looks and whispers behind their backs when they walked down the street!"

"The newcomers to the team felt fear and inferiority because of these rumors, while the veteran members felt a deep sense of powerlessness because they couldn't wash away this shame!"

"You two, how can you face the teammates who trusted you?!"

Faced with Toshiro's barrage of questions, the two Shiba captains turned ashen-faced.

Toshiro was absolutely right...

"sorry....

"6

Kaien spoke first, bowing her head and sincerely apologizing to Toshiro: "I know that saying these things now is meaningless and cannot make up for the grievances suffered by the 10th Division over the past ten years..."

""

"But I still have to say sorry to you and to all the members of the 10th Division."

"I shouldn't have rushed in to cover the rear; it was indeed my dereliction of duty... I only hope that I will have another chance in this lifetime to make it up to everyone."

After saying that, he bowed to Toshiro again.

These words had been bottled up in Haiyan's heart for a long time, and now that she had said them, she felt a great sense of relief.

Seeing Haiyan's unpretentious and sincere apology, Toshiro's anger subsided slightly.

He turned his head and looked at Kurosaki Isshin.

"Toshiro... no, Captain Hitsugaya! You're right. I'm an incompetent captain, an irresponsible man."

"But..." Isshin raised his head, his eyes showing both guilt and unwavering determination: "If I had to do it all over again, I would still do the same thing."

"I believed in you that the Tenth Division would be fine, so I shamelessly stayed in the human world to protect that Quincy girl..."

Thinking of Masaki, Isshin's eyes welled up with tears: "I know that my choice is very selfish for the 10th Division, for you, and for Rangiku."

"I don't ask for your forgiveness, I just hope you can understand... I have never forgotten you, and I have never regretted entrusting the Tenth Division to you."

"I'm sorry, Toshiro, I've put so much worry and pressure on you."

2

Toshiro took Isshin's explanation, which didn't sound like an apology, to heart.

Of course he knew the truth.

Before coming here, Yoruichi and Rangiku had already explained to him some of the reasons why Isshin stayed in the human world.

He knew that Yixin's initial motivation was to save people, but later it was to protect his wife and family.

Rationally speaking, Toshiro could understand Isshin's choice.

If it were him, he might have made the same decision.

This is their 10th Division, a place that values ​​loyalty and camaraderie.

A long silence fell over the tea room once again.

Only the sounds of their breathing mingled together.

After a long while, Toshiro's tense shoulders finally relaxed.

He closed his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

That's enough.

Toshiro opened his eyes again, the anger in them had subsided.

He looked at the two men who had once nominally and de facto led him, and said calmly, "I accept your apology."

"At this point, there is no point in pursuing past responsibilities."

1

"The 10th Division did not collapse because of your departure."

Toshiro raised his chin slightly: "Me, Rangiku, and all the members of the 10th Division, we made it through."

Although he was the shortest of the three.

But at this moment, the aura he exuded was taller and more imposing than that of the two former captains opposite him.

"The current 10th Division does not exist because of Shiba Isshin's name, nor because of Shiba Kaien's genius aura."

"It exists because of every team member who is still holding their post, and because of the efforts of those of us who stayed behind."