XX-level Hokage

Tosen didn't answer immediately; he simply clenched his fists tightly. He clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly.

Hidden beneath those easily overlooked gestures lies his inner struggle. What is he thinking about, and what is he hesitating about?

After a few breaths, he loosened his clenched fist again, but this time he didn't clench it again. He had made a decision.

He let out a soft breath and placed his right hand on the hilt of his Zanpakuto at his waist. "I... have more important things to do," he replied.

Whether it's Pai Cun or Xiu Bing, since they are not in mortal danger and have already been sent for treatment, there's no point in me going to visit them specifically.

The team members are naturally investigating the incident and the perpetrator. "I...I also have things that only I can do."

Yeah.

Egg Flower withdrew her gaze, her eyelids slightly lowered. Just as I suspected... Just like Mashiro said...

"Thank you for your hard work." "Additional report!"

Before the reporter who was supposed to report the situation to Mashiro and Tosen could leave, a new reporter appeared beside him. Judging from his attire, he was a member of the Inner Court team. He looked down and hurriedly reported.

Latest report: Third Division Lieutenant Kira Izuru and Fifth Division Lieutenant Mori Momo are confirmed missing. Two lieutenants were confirmed missing before their disappearances.

They had previous contact, and an investigation is currently underway at the location where the two were last seen. "What?!"

Even Unohana raised an eyebrow slightly.

Seventh Division, Ninth Division, and now Third Division and Fifth Division, captain-level Shinigami are being seriously injured or going missing one after another.

Chapter 124: Ichigo's Thoughts

Upon hearing this, Unohana frowned slightly. The situation was getting increasingly strange. She then pressed for an answer: "Tenth Division Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro and Vice-Captain Matsumoto Ran..."

How is Ju doing now?

"Haven't received any news yet." "Tell them to be careful." "Understood!"

The first reporter, who had already finished his report, immediately accepted the order and prepared to leave. However, no sooner had he stood up than a third reporter appeared.

"Unconfirmed information! According to eyewitness reports, members have witnessed the figure of the Third Division Captain or a figure resembling the Third Division Captain Gin Ichimaru appearing around the currently missing Third Division and Fifth Division Vice-Captains, as well as the two severely injured Seventh Division Captains and Ninth Division Vice-Captains."

What exactly does that guy mean?

Somewhere in Seireitei, in a rather secluded place.

Ichigo, who had escaped, hid here and couldn't help but recall what had happened just moments before.

Even though he has now mastered the technique and his power has greatly improved compared to before, he still felt a chill run down his spine.

Recalling the situation a moment ago, what came to mind was the presence of the Third Division Captain, Gin Ichimaru, whose smile was more memorable than his actual appearance.

He was the one who took Rukia Kuchiki from the human world, and it was under his command that Ichigo first understood what a complete, indisputable, and absolutely impossible defeat meant.

However, Ichigo's strength has increased dramatically since then. Even if he can't defeat Gin Ichimaru, he shouldn't be easily intimidated by him again.

But in reality, what Gin Ichimaru brought to Ichigo was not simply a comparison and pressure in terms of combat strength.

Rather, like his smile, Gin Ichimaru himself exudes a chilling aura, like a blade against one's neck. That guy.

He suddenly appeared just as Ichigo and Shuhei Saki's battle was about to end.

When Ichigo thought he was so ruthless that he would use Misaki as cover to kill him,

The guy said something like, "I only helped you this time, so remember to thank me~~", and people who didn't know the situation thought he was a friend or something. Then, just like when he appeared, he suddenly disappeared.

I have absolutely no idea why he appeared, nor do I understand what he wants to do.

All that is known is that Hisagi Shuhei became a victim, helplessly falling from the sky and landing motionless on the ground.

Ichigo didn't have time to do anything, because he sensed Shinigami approaching. To avoid being stopped by them and engaging in another pointless battle, he had no choice but to hand Hisagi Shuhei over to the approaching Shinigami and retreat.

Faced with this inexplicable situation, even Ichigo racked his brains but couldn't figure out the reasons behind it or Gin Ichimaru's purpose.

This is different from battles with others that have a complete cause and effect. "...No, that's not right, something's not right."

No matter which angle you look at when analyzing Gin Ichimaru's actions and ideas, you can't find a breakthrough.

Gin Ichimaru didn't even engage in a single further blade-to-blade battle with him, so Gin's feelings were completely unpredictable. The more he analyzed it, the more confused Gin became.

Just as Ichigo was about to fall into a hopeless trap, an idea suddenly flashed through his mind.

It was a kind of confusion that existed in Ichigo's heart for a time, but he could only be pushed forward by the current without being able to turn back or stop to think.

"Perhaps... we shouldn't look at these people and things in isolation, but rather consider them as a whole?"

Misled into coming to Seireitei, Rukia Kuchiki who has gone missing, Yoruichi and Kisuke Urahara who are suspected of something, and Mashiro who has silently disappeared.

And now, Gin Ichimaru, etc.

Analyzing any one of them in isolation yields more questions than answers.

But what if this is just one thing, what if they are not independent entities, but interconnected from beginning to end, sharing a common logic or purpose? Would that provide a breakthrough to understand this tangled and chaotic situation before us?

No matter who it is or what they do, there must be a purpose behind their actions. Even if there is no purpose, and they are simply driven by pleasure, there should still be a self-consistent logic.

The reason I'm confused here is simply because I haven't yet delved into the other side of the magic show; it's simply because I'm still on the side being deceived. So, where should I begin?

Ichigo's goal remains unchanged: to find Rukia Kuchiki. However, given the increasingly complex situation, simply finding Rukia...

It's practically impossible for Kurukia to get herself.

If we accept the conclusions reached by the Ninth Division's investigation team, and boldly assume that the other divisions are in the same situation, then setting aside subjective intentions, the possibility that Rukia Kuchiki's appearance was simply a hoax or existed for a certain purpose is far greater than the reality that Rukia Kuchiki actually appeared.

If you persist in this, you'll only end up going in the opposite direction; the closer you get, the farther apart you seem.

Since that's the case, it's better to temporarily put aside this obsession and start from a breakthrough point other than "rescuing Rukia Kuchiki," which we haven't considered before.

Just like in a traffic jam, the fastest route isn't necessarily the shortest. "Shall we go find Yoruichi?"

The idea popped into Ichigo's mind, but he quickly crossed it off.

Yoruichi is believable, but not entirely. This is how Ichigo currently views Yoruichi.

When Ichigo decided to seek a breakthrough from other directions, the first thing to eliminate was the influence of Yoruichi and the directionality of the information she provided.

Aizen Kakusuke, this man whose very existence is unknown, is he really the mastermind behind everything that has turned out this way? Or is he just a figment of imagination?

The current situation...the current situation...the current situation?

Ichigo intended to take stock of the current situation and choose a breakthrough point, but he belatedly and alarmingly realized that he was completely unaware of the current situation.

He focused too much on Rukia Kuchiki, causing him to neglect the overall picture.

At the same time, Yoruichi seemed to be pleased that he was too focused on this particular detail, intentionally or unintentionally reinforcing Ichigo's awareness of it.

If it weren't for the sheer terror and pressure Gin Ichimaru exerted on Ichigo, forcing him to wake up just before he was about to go down a dead end, Ichigo might never have realized this fact until the very end.

Even after others have reminded him, he still does the same thing.

After all, the reminders from others are always different from one's own realization. But it's not too late to realize it now.

If you know what you've overlooked, then start filling that gap now.

"...Or...go to the Eleventh Division, or go find Mashiro? But has Mashiro really come to Soul Society?"

Chapter 125: Silly Peach

Indeed, the Gotei 13 are all their enemies. This is true of everyone they have encountered so far.

However, among all the people he encountered, it was precisely those from the 11th Division who gave Ichigo a different feeling. Compared to the people from other divisions, Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa, and Kenpachi Zaraki strangely gave Ichigo the feeling that they could be reasoned with as long as he was told what to do.

It's worth taking a risk to see if we can get any information from them; the worst-case scenario is that we'll end up fighting them, which won't be any worse.

Besides... Chad, Inoue, and Ganju... they... haven't come back, have they? No, I should go check on the Eleventh Division first.

"What did you say? Idiot Momo is missing?!" (Squad 10)

When Hitsugaya Toshiro first saw Matsumoto Rangiku walk in with a serious expression and say something like, "Don't get excited about what I'm about to say," he didn't take it seriously.

Given the current situation, what could be more terrifying than the Central 46 being taken over by TuTu and their power being forcibly transferred to the Gotei 13?

Indeed, this might not seem like much to others, but for Toshiro Hitsugaya, it was a far more serious situation than the complete murder of the Central 46 Chambers.

"This is information from the Fifth Division." Matsumoto Rangiku nodded with a grave expression.

Actually, she had received all the other information as well, which was the real reason for her somber expression. The reason she only revealed information about Hinamori Momo was because she judged it to be more important to Hitsugaya Toshiro: "...What exactly is Captain Kuchiki doing?!"

Even though he knew it was displaced anger, Toshiro Hitsugaya blurted it out before he could even react.

…Captain, you know the current situation. Even I have to take it seriously and conduct the investigation separately from you. Moreover, judging from the current situation of the Fifth Division, it is highly likely that something happened when Momo was alone.

If it were anyone else, it wouldn't matter, but the fact that these words came from Matsumoto Rangiku's mouth makes them exceptionally persuasive.

Normally, she always tries to find ways to slack off and dump her work on Toshiro Hitsugaya. She is one of the very few members of the Gotei 13 who is defiant. However, at this critical moment, she no longer thinks about slacking off and instead works diligently.

She even did some tasks herself that weren't even assigned to her.

Objectively speaking, at this juncture, the 10th Division's mission is actually more arduous than that of the other divisions.

This is not only because the current situation falls under the joint responsibility of the First Division and the Tenth Division, but also because Toshiro Hitsugaya is taking full action. Although he has not made any breakthroughs or discoveries, he is at least actively taking action in various places.

It makes one sigh that Toshiro Hitsugaya is indeed a young man, full of energy, responsibility and drive.

However, this isn't a normal time; you can just wander around aimlessly without causing any trouble. The result of this aimless wandering in an attempt to find a breakthrough was that they did indeed discover something.

Toshiro Hitsugaya contributed to everything, including the situation at the Central 46th Chamber, which meant that the 10th Division always had to do something to help.

Under these circumstances, Rukia Kuchiki's sudden appearance also happened in the 10th Division, forcing them to allocate some of their resources to investigate.

Now, it's said that Hinamori Momo's matter has nothing to do with the 10th Division and is a matter for the 5th Division. But given the relationship between Hitsugaya Toshiro and Hinamori Momo, how could it be unrelated? Matsumoto Rangiku also knows that once this news is revealed, it will only make the already chaotic situation even worse, but she has no choice but to speak out.

Frankly speaking, the fact that she didn't yell at people on the spot, even though she was already overwhelmed with work, shows that she was quite cultured and well-mannered.

This gave Matsumoto Rangiku the illusion that she had made up for decades of slacking off in the last few days. "Was there a picture of where that idiot Momo last appeared?"

"Yes, there is, but why are you asking this, Captain... Wait, wait a minute? Captain, you wouldn't be thinking of...?"

Upon realizing a certain possibility, Matsumoto Rangiku's expression changed slightly, and she immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Give me that address, I'll go check it out and be right back. Until then, I'll leave this place to you for now." Hitsugaya Toshiro jumped down from his seat, took the Zanpakuto from the table beside him, and slung it over his shoulder. As he spoke, he walked towards the door.

To prevent Matsumoto Rangiku from saying something he knew she would say, Hitsugaya Toshiro even added a preemptive clause: "After this is over, I will handle all the work for the next three months on my own."

So, the words Matsumoto Rangiku was about to say stuck in her throat, and she couldn't say them no matter what.

"That's too much, Captain!" "Just tell me if it's okay or not."

A slight smile appeared on Hitsugaya Toshiro's icy face.

However, while it wasn't exactly a forced smile, it wasn't far off. Given that Hinamori Momo had an accident, how could Hitsugaya Toshiro be so relaxed as to joke around?