XX-level Hokage

Therefore, we must seize real power over the entire Tokishin world and then change everything.

As for Yhwach and his invisible empire, he will awaken sooner or later; it's just a matter of time. Rather than letting him suddenly appear one day, it's better for us to guide his awakening and then kill him.

Mashiro was silent for a moment, then said, "Can this plan really go smoothly? According to those accounts that are like something out of a story, Yhwach is not so easy to deal with."

A resolute glint flashed in Saito's immortal eyes as he said, "This is a difficult battle, but we have no choice. We have been advancing covertly."

The purpose of Yhwach's awakening was to deliver a fatal blow at the crucial moment.

Furthermore, you underestimate Lord Yamamoto.

The reason we can stay so close to someone without any ulterior motives is not because he is eloquent, but simply because of his absolute strength.

It was precisely because of this absolute strength that "the monk Hyosube Ichibei was able to make that agreement with Lord Yamamoto."

Upon hearing this, Mashiro's eyes revealed a complex expression, and she murmured softly, "I see, it is strength that makes everything possible."

Saito, the immortal being, gently patted Mashiro's shoulder, his tone encouraging: "That's right, Mashiro. Strength is the most fundamental principle in this world, and we, the Gotei 13, exist to protect the order and peace of the Soul Society. This plan, though risky, is our chance to secure the greatest possible advantage."

Mashiro raised her head, her eyes gradually hardening. "I understand, Captain. I will do my utmost for the Gotei 13 and for the future of Tokage World." Saito, the immortal, nodded in satisfaction, then took a sealed letter from his robes and handed it to Mashiro. "This is what Captain-Commander Yamamoto asked me to give you."

He said it contained important intelligence about Yhwach and the tasks you might need to perform next.

Mashiro took the letter with both hands, carefully opened it, and quickly browsed through its contents. As she read on, her brows furrowed slightly, clearly indicating that the letter's contents were not simple.

"I am truly grateful for Lord Yamamoto's trust." Mashiro closed the letter, a resolute glint flashing in the light.

Seeing this, Saito, the immortal being, felt a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him: "Yes, Mashiro, from this moment on, the future of Tokami World will bear your mark."

"Thank you, Captain Saito." Stepping forward lightly, Mashiro embraced Saito, the Immortal.

She knew perfectly well that Saito's immortality must have played a significant role in Yamamoto's quick trust in her.

Under Mashiro's embrace, Saito's immortal body instantly stiffened. But she did not resist, quietly letting Mashiro hold her.

Outside, the sun still shone brightly. Everything became quiet. So quiet you could hear your own heartbeat.

Chapter Twenty-One: List of Those Who Have Deviated from the Path

After a long while, Mashiro slowly released Saito, the immortal being, and the atmosphere between the two became slightly awkward.

With a light cough, Saito, the immortal being, tried to break the silence. Her eyes were somewhat evasive as she asked, "I heard from Captain Shimura that there's nothing wrong with your body. How are you feeling?"

"Thanks to your help, Captain, my lost life force was quickly restored after the 'Crimson Kingship' was dispelled," Mashiro said with a light laugh.

"My help?... Cough cough, that's good." At first, Saito Immortal didn't quite react, but her expression instantly became unnatural.

"By the way, Captain, let's have a match. I want to see how strong I am now," Mashiro suddenly said.

Saito Immortal paused for a moment, then a smile appeared on her lips: "Oh? You want to spar with me? Very well, let me see your progress." The two of them then went into the courtyard.

"Then let's start with demonic arts and physical techniques. Go all out, and I'll adjust the intensity based on your power."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mashiro flashed and appeared in front of Saito Immortal. He gathered a faint spiritual energy in his hand and attacked Saito Immortal.

Saito, being immortal, reacted with incredible speed, dodging the attack while simultaneously drawing his Zanpakuto to meet it. The two exchanged blows, their blades flashing, in a fierce duel within the confined space.

Mashiro's movements were nimble and precise, each attack perfectly avoiding Saito Immortal's defense, while Saito Immortal, with his rich experience and quick reflexes, steadily dealt with Mashiro's offensive.

However, as time went on, Mashiro gradually began to feel some strain.

She discovered that she was not only far inferior to Saito the immortal in speed and strength, but also significantly inferior in her mastery of Kido (the way of the demons).

Saito, being immortal, always manages to create advantageous situations for himself at crucial moments by using Kido, while Mashiro often misses opportunities due to his lack of familiarity with Kido.

Finally, in one exchange, Mashiro was trapped in a fire net created by Saito Immortal using "Hidden Fire," unable to escape for a time. Seeing this, Saito Immortal dissipated the "Hidden Fire," smiling at Mashiro: "How are you feeling?"

"Hmph, as expected of Captain Saito, there's absolutely no hope of winning." Mashiro said with a hint of helplessness.

In the recent duel, Saito Immortal only used three Kido techniques: Hado Ichi-chū, Hado Shiso Rai, and Hado Shitsu-ka. Mashiro, on the other hand, used five Kido techniques: Hado Ichi-chū, Hado Shiso Rai, Hado Shitsu-ka, Hado Shitsu-ka, and Hado Shitsu-san Souka-jutsu.

Saito's immortality even gave her time to chant, but both the Crimson Fire Cannon and the Azure Fire Drop were easily dodged by Saito's immortality in a flash.

"The battle between Shinigami mainly relies on Zanpakuto, Kido, and Shunpo. Zanpakuto is the most powerful and basic power of Shinigami, so I won't go into detail. Kido is a bit special. Although low-level Kido is not very useful and high-level Kido has the drawback of chanting, it is still very useful overall. As for Shunpo, it is a skill that allows you to move your body quickly and instantly. You can move to the side of the opponent or even further away at a speed that the opponent cannot see. It is also a way for Shinigami to avoid attacks. In a sense, as long as you use enough Shunpo, you can dodge almost all high-level Kido that requires chanting. For example, I just used Shunpo to dodge your Crimson Fire Cannon and Azure Fire Fall."

"Oh, right, Mashiro, you don't seem to know Shunpo yet. I can have Shihouin Senhi teach you later. His Shunpo is the best among all the Gotei 13, but he hasn't returned from his intelligence mission yet, so it'll probably take a while." Saito the Immortal said.

"Then I'll trouble you, Captain." Mashiro replied with a smile, his mind already racing.

“Next, let’s proceed with the Shikai. I’m very interested in the abilities of your Zanpakuto, especially the abilities of your second Shikai form,” Saito Immortal said.

“Then I must offend you,” Saito said, as an orange gem on the hilt of Zero White's sword began to shine brightly. “Choose your path, Zero White!”

In an instant, the light of the white-orange glow transformed into a golden longsword.

Mashiro gripped the hilt of her sword and pointed it at Saito, the immortal. "Royal power!"

Saito, who was immortal, made no attempt to dodge. Instantly, an invisible force field pressed down on her.

“As expected, it’s different from spiritual pressure.” Thinking this, Saito, who was immortal, took a step closer to Mashiro. “Does the pressure Mashiro receives increase the closer he gets to her…? No, it should be said that the closer he gets to that sword.”

Seeing that Saito was immortal and could walk towards her with ease, Mashiro sighed slightly. As expected, she planted Zero White Binding in the ground, and an invisible wave spread out.

Saito, who was immortal, stopped abruptly as she approached and knelt down on the ground.

Aside from the 'Crimson Royal Authority', my Royal Authority has two uses. The first is as a straight sword. In the straight sword form, I can freely control the coverage area of ​​the Royal Authority and move freely within the area. The drawback is that the oppressive force of the Royal Authority cannot reach its maximum.

The second state is the upright sword state. In this state, the area of ​​the king's authority is fixed, and I can no longer move freely; I can only stay in the center of the king's authority's area.

However, its advantages are also very obvious: the coercive power of sovereignty can be maximized. "Look at Masashiro's explanation; he has made contact with the initial release."

Having regained his freedom, Saito, the immortal being, shrugged his shoulders and then subconsciously stuck his tongue out, but then felt that it was a bit disrespectful to do so in front of Mashiro, so he quickly retracted his tongue.

Nodding slightly, Saito Immortal said earnestly, "Your Zanpakuto is indeed very powerful, unlike mine. Kido is very important to you. In battle, after you activate your Dominion, Kido can have a surprise effect and even help you turn the tide of battle. Here's what I'll do: I'll go to Lord Yamamoto later and ask him to borrow the List of Hado. See if there's anything in it that you want to learn."

Upon hearing this, Mashiro looked at Saito Immortal with gentle eyes and said softly, "Thank you so much, Captain Saito. I will work hard to improve my Kido skills and strive to master more Hakado techniques as soon as possible."

Without looking at Mashiro, Saito, the immortal being, nodded in satisfaction: "Very good. With such resolve, you'll definitely go far. However, Oni..."

Learning the Tao requires time and patience; you cannot rush it. You must take one step at a time and build a solid foundation.

If Shijima Chigiri or Shihōin Chihiro were here, they would definitely be very otaku-like.

Saito, who is immortal, actually uttered such elder-like words. Mashiro nodded emphatically: "Yes, I will."

The immortal Sudo was incredibly efficient; the very next day, she handed the list of demonic arts to Mashiro. In the days that followed, Mashiro began to study demonic arts even more diligently.

She not only sought guidance from Saito the Immortal, but also used her spare time to read various books and materials about Kido. She knew that only by mastering more Kido techniques could she remain invincible in future battles.

Meanwhile, Saito, who is immortal, has been secretly watching Mashiro's growth. She discovered that Mashiro's progress in Kido is indeed very rapid, and in a short period of time, she has already mastered many practical skills.

This made Saito, who was immortal, very happy. She knew that Mashiro was a warrior with unlimited potential, and that as long as she had enough time and opportunity, she would definitely become a pillar of the Gotei 13.

However, just as Mashiro was fully immersed in learning Kido, a sudden message shattered the peaceful situation.

It turned out that Yhwach's awakening was much faster than expected, and his Wandenreich had begun to launch attacks throughout the Soul Society, resulting in the merciless slaughter of many Shinigami and souls.

Faced with this sudden crisis, the Gotei 13 had no choice but to take action in advance. Captain-Commander Yamamoto summoned all captains and vice-captains to discuss countermeasures.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Bloodbath (Part One)

In the conference room, all thirteen captains of the Gotei 13 were present, each seated on one side of a long table, the atmosphere solemn and dignified. Mashiro stood beside Saito Immortal, his gaze sweeping over these powerful figures at the pinnacle of the Shinigami hierarchy.

The captain of the First Division, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, was a burly middle-aged man dressed in a simple shihaka uniform, with an ancient samurai sword at his waist. His eyes were sharp as knives, as if they could see through everything, and his brows revealed an undeniable majesty.

Name: Yamamoto Shigekuni (Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni) Gender: Male

Soul Blade: Ryujin Jakka

Initial Explanation: All things, everything, return to ashes. Flowing Blade Like Fire!

Identity: Founder of the Gotei 13 and first captain of the 1st Division, founder of the "Genryu" style and head instructor of the "Genji" style, founder of the Shinigami Academy, possessing absolute authority in the Soul World.

Optional route: Subordinate trust level: 30

Trust value: 10 (starting point + 1)

(Already obtained)

Trust value: 50 (starting point + 3) Trust value: 90 (starting point + 5)

The second division captain, Shihouin Senhi, was a handsome young man with an elegant demeanor. He wore a shihaka robe and a sleeveless captain's haori, and a scarf.

She wore long earrings, had short white hair, dark skin, and a confident smile.

The scabbard of his Zanpakuto at his waist was a vibrant orange-red, matching his scarf.

Name: Shihōin Chihiro Gender: Male

Zanpakuto: Rensei

Initial interpretation: The heavens and earth revolve! Countless stars! A sea of ​​stars forging itself!

Identity: First Captain of the 2nd Division of the Gotei 13

Optional route: Teammate trust level: 8

信任值：10（初始点+1）信任值：50（初始点十3）信任值：90（初始点+5）

The third division captain, Yan Yuanjinle, is a middle-aged man wearing a shihaka (death robe) and a captain's haori (commander's robe). He has a thin face, wears glasses, has slicked-back hair, and a serious expression.

He was dressed in a heavy captain's uniform, with a green scabbard hanging at his waist.

Name: Yan Yuanjinle Gender: Male

Zanpakuto: Ryuga

Initial Release Phantasm: A vast expanse of sky! Shatter the cloud palace! Tear apart the dragon's fangs! Identity: First Captain of the 3rd Division of the Gotei 13 (Seireitei)

Optional route: Friends' approval rating: 15

Identification: 10 (starting point + 1)

(Already obtained)

Identification: 50 (starting points + 3) Identification: 90 (starting points + 5)

The captain of the Fourth Division, Shijima Chigiri, is a young man dressed in a black fitted suit and a sleeveless white haori. He has long gray hair tied in a ponytail, dark circles under his eyes, and freckles, and his demeanor is very dejected.

Name: Shijima Chigiri Gender: Male

Zanpakuto: Hanasanri

First interpretation: Forget the pain! (Hana-sanri)

Identity: First Captain of the 4th Division of the Gotei 13

Optional route: Teammate trust level: 40