XX-level Hokage

Shiba Ganju might very well be an inside man for that black cat; even if he wasn't, he was still fooled by the black cat. As for the roles the shopkeeper and the mysterious smiling woman played in the prank, he had no idea. Looking back, the moment they entered Seireitei, it went on high alert.

While the use of a mysterious third-party force could certainly be explained, Yoruichi Kuroko must have said something similar, like a reminder or warning, back then.

After she finished speaking, things changed.

The most suspicious one is Ichigo, who was brought back from the Third Division prison.

The black cat disappeared before the first wave of battles, and nobody knows where it went.

When Ichigo Kurosaki collapsed just a step away from Rukia Kuchiki, he appeared just in time to save him. Was his arrival truly a coincidence, or had he been silently observing everything from the surrounding area beforehand?

If this conjecture is true, did he truly not notice Rukia Kuchiki's disappearance? Or is it related to him?

Thinking about it further, almost all the important intelligence so far has been revealed by Kuroneko Yoruichi.

The question is, what exactly did he investigate during this process, or did he simply reveal the information that could guide their actions at the right time?

Ishida Uryu also knew that it wasn't good to doubt his own people.

They also know that if they have a problem with someone, they can find countless faults to criticize.

But the problem now is that these shouldn't be considered as him nitpicking, but rather as issues that naturally surfaced after they stepped out of the information cocoon that Yoruichi the Black Cat had set up for them.

That is precisely why it is so deadly.

"...Oh no! I have to go warn Kurosaki to be careful!!"

If the black cat is suspicious, then what was its purpose in going to such lengths to lure Kisuke Urahara and Mashiro to Tokami and into Seireitei?

What is his purpose?! He is the last Quincy, a descendant of the Quincy clan, that's quite possible. But the Grim Reaper isn't unaware of his existence; if he wanted to kill him, he would have come long ago.

Although Orihime and Chad have awakened special abilities, they are still just humans at heart, and their power is not strong enough to threaten the Shinigami.

In a horizontal comparison.

The most suspicious character is Kurosaki Ichigo, who, despite being human, possessed the powers of a Shinigami—powers closely linked to the Shinigami themselves. What are they planning to do with Kurosaki Ichigo?!

The more I thought about it, the more I felt I couldn't delay, so I immediately took action.

But then, he suddenly stopped moving. All because...

"Oh? It seems you understand something?"

Before him appeared a being dressed in a white haori, with pale skin and a face completely divided into black and white, wearing a strange mask.

He raised both hands and gave Ishida Uryu a look of amusement.

"I'm curious, can you tell me? Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm the captain of the 12th Division... Mayuri Kurotsuchi." Realizing she had grasped crucial information that needed to be reported, Isane Kotetsu immediately rushed back to the 4th Division.

When she rushed back to the Fourth Division, she saw a corner of the general medical facility that had been isolated. It was said to have been damaged in the battle and could not be repaired in time, so it had to be isolated for now, and they would deal with it later.

The battle at the general ambulance facility has ended. In the end, the Ryoka took the 7th Seat of the 4th Division hostage and successfully abducted Chad, whom they had already captured.

Before Kotetsu Isane returned, the whereabouts of the 4th Seat and 7th Seat remained unknown, and no one knew whether he had been killed.

Kotetsu Isane didn't see Captain Unohana Retsu in the team either. After a brief inquiry, she learned that Unohana Retsu had gone to the First Division's overall command center.

The situation there was enough to leave Kotetsu Isane speechless.

Kotetsu Isane didn't even have time to receive the news before rushing to the First Division.

While the members of the Fourth Division were relieved that Kotetsu Isane had returned safely, they were also grateful that "Thank you, thank you, you're finally back!" The temporary departure of Tamago no Retsu from the general medical center meant that the strongest medical personnel were missing, and filling this gap would not be easy. Fortunately, Kotetsu Isane returned at this time.

On one hand, there was information that Kotetsu Isane felt was very important and had to report; on the other hand, there were wounded soldiers who needed to be treated, and her teammates who were anxiously watching her.

Left with no other choice, Kotetsu Isane had to stay at the general medical facility for treatment for the time being.

I thought that was the limit, and I could leave once I finished my work. But before dark, two more heavyweights showed up.

One of them was Kenpachi Zaraki, the captain of the 11th Division, whom even Kotetsu Isane had heard about. He was wandering around the Seireitei, hoping to encounter the Ryoka.

It's not surprising that members of the 11th Division are frequent visitors to the 4th Division, but it is truly unusual for the 11th Division's captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, to be a member of the 4th Division.

Kenpachi Zaraki is the type who constantly suffers minor injuries, which he can easily withstand with a little medicine. Major injuries are impossible for him, because there are practically no enemies capable of severely injuring him.

As it turned out, this rare spectacle, which had been seen only once in decades, actually happened to Kotetsu Isane! She was almost crying as she treated Kenpachi Zaraki.

It wasn't that Kenpachi's injuries were so severe that she couldn't help but cry; rather, Kenpachi was so terrifying that she was frightened to tears. She even forgot to ask why he was injured in the first place.

Before Kenpachi Zaraki could finish treating the wounded, another group of specially wounded soldiers were brought in.

The reason it's considered special is because it wasn't a Shinigami, but a Quincy. That's right, it was Ishida Uryu, who had recently parted ways with Kotetsu Isane.

When Uryu Ishida, who had been in a dominant position in front of Isane Kotetsu, was brought in, he was already unconscious and his injuries were so severe that it seemed he could die anytime soon.

So much so that Kotetsu Isane had to feel thankful one by one for treating the patients who were only halfway through and had to finish up the rest.

Kenpachi was handed over to the Third Seat for immediate treatment of Ishida Uryu. Not long ago, the First Division... no, it should be said that the current command system had received orders to attack the Ryuka without restriction, but only if the Ryuka survived.

In other words, if Ishida Uryu is left unattended, he will surely die. To fulfill this order, his life must at least be saved, and at least that level must be achieved.

Thinking about it carefully, Chad was rescued during the day, and then Ishida Uryu was sent over to fill in at night, making one wonder if this is the Fourth Division.

There has to be a Lich Lord here.

Of course, if the same battle and hostage situation were to happen again, that would be fine. The Fourth Division is a place for saving lives, not a place that gets destroyed one after another.

Fang. (The sentence is incomplete and lacks context.)

In short, after finally managing to resolve the situation between the two people and achieving the minimum requirements, Kotetsu Isane was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. After a short rest, she immediately went to the First Division.

Given the urgent situation with the Fourth Division, and the fact that Unohana Retsu hadn't returned, Kotetsu Isane guessed that something must have happened to the First Division.

There is a situation that is more important and more urgent than this.

With such a sense of awe, Kotetsu Isane arrived at the First Division's barracks.

Chapter 101: A Strange Mealtime (Part 1)

Normally, unless there are special circumstances, the vice-captain would not be brought into the team leader's meeting room for meetings.

As soon as they approached the team leader's meeting room, they heard a cacophony of sounds coming from inside. The noises of talking and snorting were mixed together, making it impossible to tell whether it was a discussion or an argument.

Kotetsu Isane was impressed by the captains' abilities; it wasn't without reason that Unohana Retsu couldn't return to the Fourth Division in time for treatment. However, this thought turned into suspicion as she took a few more steps forward and caught a whiff of something unpleasant.

"Not very pleasant" refers to the feeling Kotetsu Isane had. Actually, the "taste" was a fragrance.

To be precise, it's the aroma of the food...

Kotetsu Isane's expression changed slightly, and he immediately quickened his pace, making unusually loud footsteps, as he hurried to the entrance of the squad leader's meeting room. The brightly lit squad leader's meeting room, which remained bright even though it was already night, was completely different from what Kotetsu Isane remembered, or rather, imagined.

In this large, spacious conference room, almost synonymous with solemnity and seriousness... I visited a large table!

Several pots were boiling on the table, bubbling and steaming as they rose.

The several pots displayed indicate a large quantity of food, all ready to be cooked and eaten. Opened and unopened lunchboxes are also visible nearby, suggesting a plentiful supply of ingredients.

Who else could be sitting around this large table, eating and chatting, besides the captains and a few vice-captains that Kotetsu Isane was familiar with?

What Kotetsu Isane found most unacceptable was that Retsu Unohana, the Fourth Division Captain whom she revered, was also among them!! Is this how you all let loose and act so recklessly when the Captain-Commander isn't around?!

It seemed that they heard footsteps, or perhaps Kotetsu Isane was indeed quite large, as he immediately attracted attention as soon as he appeared at the door.

Matsumoto Rangiku, who was holding a bowl and fighting with her captain for food in the pot, immediately gave up and raised her chopsticks to greet Kotetsu Isane warmly.

"Yune, why are you only arriving now! But it's just in time, come on, come and have something to eat. This is top-quality food provided by the Shihouin and Kuchiki families, it would be a shame not to eat it."

Kotetsu Isane

You guys are eating so happily here, it makes me look so silly, don't you know that?

Because Matsumoto Rangiku voluntarily gave up, it felt as if the icy Hinoshita Yuuto had finally gotten his wish and obtained the meat he had been longing for, putting it in his bowl and then putting it in his mouth. Unusually, he didn't act like the little adult he usually pretended to be, but instead revealed a hint of relief, just like his appearance suggested.

a lucky expression

Sitting opposite her, Momo Hinamori, who was clearly younger than Toshiro Hitsugaya but looked more like the older sister, pulled Izuru Kira, who was sitting to the side, and whispered something while covering her mouth and chuckling.

Kira Izuru, who was being forced to share content he didn't want to hear, gave a wry smile and tried his best to distance himself by saying "I don't know anything."

Because everything before her eyes was completely different from what she had imagined, even though Matsumoto Rangiku greeted her, Kotetsu Isane still couldn't accept it and stood frozen at the door.

Even Toshiro Hitsugaya glanced at her, puzzled as to why she was standing there.

"Yane, come sit here, I saved a seat for you." In the end, it was only the gentle voice of their captain, Unohana Retsu, that finally brought Kotetsu Isane back to her senses.

Retsu Unohana moved aside slightly, then patted the empty space next to her.

I initially thought it was because others didn't dare to get too close to Unohana Retsu, but now I finally realize that she was saving a spot for Kotetsu Isane.

Kotetsu Isane hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself, thinking it over and over, but still didn't dare to say, "You captains, how dare you do such barbaric things when the Captain-Commander is not here! Don't you feel guilty towards the Gotei 13, ashamed before the Seireitei, ashamed before the Soul Society, ashamed before the Three Realms! Don't you wish you could be dismissed?!"

He lowered his head and walked into the team's meeting room, sitting down in the empty seat next to Unohana Retsu.

But that was a bit of a joke... no, it was something I only dared to think but not say aloud, but I was really feeling a bit stifled. While I was risking my life to save others, you guys were eating, drinking, and having fun here. I just had to get this off my chest. "I thought the captains would be more... serious here."

Perhaps because Kotetsu Isane had just taken her seat, many people's eyes were drawn to her.

Kotetsu Isane took this opportunity to reveal her true thoughts. Of course, they were presented in a veiled manner.

Retsu Unohana, standing beside Isane Kotetsu, simply smiled faintly and said nothing.

He very considerately and affectionately scooped out the food that Kotetsu Isane liked from the hot pot in front of him and put it into her bowl.

Upon closer inspection, while there are some green items, the overwhelming majority are clearly high-quality meats that are overpriced and of superior quality.

It turns out that even Death enjoys eating meat. Who would choose vegetables when meat is available? Eating and drinking well and resting well are essential for having more energy and stamina.

Even at this point, working diligently without eating or drinking is more in line with expectations, but the current situation tells a different story, a reality: since we have the means to eat better at this time, why not do it?

Upon closer reflection, Kotetsu Isane realized that he could no longer hear the shouts and reports that had been echoing throughout the day on his way here.

Besides the team leaders having dinner here, they probably also took turns resting. Unless there was a special situation that required immediate reporting, they didn't need to keep shouting.

"Alright, alright, Yongyin, you must be tired too. Why don't you eat something and rest for a bit?"

Unohana Retsu placed a bowl containing some cooked food that Kotetsu Isane liked in front of her.

I didn't give Kotetsu Isane too much; it was just enough to whet her appetite. On the one hand, if you pile too much in the bowl, it won't taste as good when you get to the bottom. On the other hand, there's plenty of food here, so you don't have to worry about not having enough.

"Thank you, Captain."

Kotetsu Isane quietly thanked the egg-shaped flower.

I picked up my chopsticks, put my hands together, and whispered, "I'm starting to eat," before I began.

Aside from Unohana Retsu looking at her with a smile, Kotetsu Isane was indeed tired and hungry. If it weren't for her emotions holding her back, her stomach might have started rumbling when she smelled the overly strong aroma of food.

As usual, Kotetsu Isane put the food into her mouth, but suddenly her eyes widened. "So delicious!"