Bleach: From Rugum to Thousand-Year Captain

"The heart of the south, the pupil of the north, the fingertips of the west, and the toes of the east gather with the wind and disperse with the rain!"

"Binding Technique Fifty-Eight: Slapping the Toe and Chasing the Sparrow!"

After sensing the spiritual pressure of Shihouin Sennatsu, Yamamoto Shigekuni continued to use Binding Spell.

"The black and white web! Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowns, footprints, distant thunder, peaks, return to earth, night lurking, sea of ​​clouds, azure sequence, filling the cosmos, heading straight for the heavens!"

"Binding Path Seventy-Seven; Heavenly Void Net!"

"Slapping Toe to Chase the Sparrow" is a spiritual pressure tracking technique, while "Heavenly Void" is a server-wide megaphone. Combining these two ghostly spiritual techniques allows one to send a message to a single person.

"After a thousand days of Shihōin, I've come to the First Division barracks!"

"Was it Captain-Commander Yamamoto who called me?" Far away in the west of Rukongai, Shihouin Senhi felt the binding spiritual pressure from Captain-Commander Yamamoto. Although she was puzzled as to why he was being called, she did not hesitate to go to Seireitei.

Sennichi Shihouin's Shunpo skill was also quite impressive. He traversed dozens of blocks west of Rukongai and returned to Seireitei using Shunpo in just half an hour.

Of course, the high-intensity journey of stepping on thousands of spiral explosions and using the Instant Step for a long time also left Shihouin Sennhei drenched in sweat and with sore legs.

Tengetsu Sussai, who had been waiting outside the First Division barracks for half an hour, showed no impatience. He could sense Yamamoto's spiritual pressure and knew that no matter how long he waited, he shouldn't provoke Yamamoto. He wasn't just waiting idly either; he chatted with Sussou Chojiro about random things, making sure he wouldn't just stand around waiting.

Upon seeing the arrival of Shihōin Sennatsu, Tengetsu Sussai guessed at some possibilities.

When Shihouin Sennatsu met Tengetsu Sukusai, he was initially surprised but didn't show any reaction. The past was behind him, and as a wanderer, Shijima Chigiri's past affairs were not even within his scope of concern.

Shihōin Sennheiser and Yamamoto Shigekuni talked for quite a while within the First Division before Tengetsu Sussai was called back.

Yamamoto Shigekuni directly ordered, "Second Division Captain Shihōin Senhi and Fourth Division Vice-Captain Amaterasu Sussai, go and offer your condolences to Head Shihōin as I command. Do not fail to do so."

After saying that, Yamamoto Shigekuni left the barracks, leaving the two of them looking at each other in bewilderment.

Tenzuki Chūzai probed, "Captain Shihōin... has Captain-Commander Yamamoto finished explaining things to you?"

"...Did Captain-Commander Yamamoto tell you?"

"Uh... sort of." Tengetsu Sussai gave a vague and perfunctory reply. Could it be that telling Shihōin Senhi was his scheme? It seems Yamamoto didn't betray him; Shihōin Senhi is still unaware.

It seems that Yamamoto is truly capable when there's a problem. Although he's a bit old-fashioned and rigid, he's incredibly efficient when it comes to getting things done within the rules.

"So, Captain Shihouin, could you please tell me the Captain-Commander's arrangements in detail, so that we can better complete the tasks assigned by Captain-Commander Yamamoto?"

"Well, it's not really your business. You're just here to keep an eye on me. Here's the thing: Captain-Commander Yamamoto wants you and me to visit the head of the Shihōin family and discuss some things."

"However, since I don't get along well with the main family of Shihouin, things tend to get awkward after just a few words. So, I'll have to trouble Vice Captain Amatsuki to help me mediate. I'll just support you and act as your assistant. The details are as follows..."

"It seems that every Shihōin family has its own set of problems! Don't worry, with Captain-Commander Yamamoto's endorsement, there's no need for negotiation; we just need to inform the head of the Shihōin family. With such generous terms, the Shihōin family surely won't refuse. So, congratulations to Captain Shihōin!"

After hearing Tengetsu Sussai's congratulations, Shihouin Senji appeared awkward and hesitant, a far cry from his previous cheerful and nonchalant attitude. It seems that Shihouin Senji is indeed as rumored, claiming to be a prodigal son who voluntarily betrayed the Shihouin family, and their relationship is not very good.

It is said that Shihouin Senhito is the representative of the Shihouin family in the Gotei 13, but that is indeed a misunderstanding and puts Shihouin Senhito in a difficult position.

Upon being informed of the specific task, Tengetsu Quezhai nodded in agreement, but secretly revealed a strange smile.

"Come with me. The First Division barracks are far from the Shihouin family mansion. It will take some time to get there."

"Yes!"

Shihōin Sennichi used Shunpo to step into the sky, followed by Tengetsu Sukusai.

........

Chapter 41 Heaven-Sent Armor - Shihouin

While Shihouin Sennichi's Shunpo is not as good as Kirinji Tenjiro's Swift Step, it is more durable and efficient. In just over ten minutes, Shihouin Sennichi easily performed over a thousand gliding Shunpo.

With each instant step, he glided through the air, waiting for Tengetsu Suzaku to catch up. Shihouin Sennichi's instant step was too fast; Tengetsu Suzaku barely managed to touch his tail even with all his might, and that was only because the opponent had deliberately waited for him.

Physical strength, spiritual pressure, and spiritual body strength—that is, leg muscles—were all being squeezed. Tengetsu Sukusai, panting heavily, kept adjusting his Shunpo technique, learning Shihouin Senni's footwork and making continuous progress.

It was tiring, but his progress was incredibly fast; his beginner-level Shunpo was becoming increasingly proficient. He even found a way to cheat, using an upward angle to perform Shunpo, just like Shihouin Senhi. The first dozen or so Shunpo were quite difficult, but afterwards he could glide and rest more easily.

In the latter half of the race, he observed that Shihouin Sennatsu had gathered a lot of spiritual pressure on her ankles and used a rotating technique to create a contrast between the spiritual pressure under her feet and the spiritual particles paving her feet.

The moment the two collide violently, they transform into a spring-like spiritual wave that propels Senjiro Shihouin's body high into the air, far more efficient than simply leaping into the sky using Shunpo.

After observing this technique, Tengetsu Sussai couldn't replicate it immediately, not to mention whether Shihouin Sennatsu would wait for him. Even if he tried to practice on the spot, it would put a lot of pressure on the spiritual energy in his feet, and if he wasn't careful, it would explode and injure his ankle.

Furthermore, the technique of controlling the spiritual pressure of the feet to rotate, causing an explosion by rotating the spiritual particles under the feet in both directions, and then precisely controlling the direction of the ejection after the explosion. Tengetsu Sukusai kept deducing in his mind that no matter how good that instant step technique was, there was still a chance of failure.

Even with 100% success, it's impossible to move in a perfectly straight line; there will always be some bends.

Tengetsu Chosai observed that Shihōin Sennichi had indeed performed hundreds of catapult-style instant steps without a single mistake or directional deviation, which aroused his curiosity and doubt.

"Not bad. With your spiritual pressure at the vice-captain level, you were able to keep up with my pace without stopping or complaining of being tired. Putting everything else aside, I admire your perseverance."

"Hoo... cough, Captain Shihōin is joking. Not to mention that Captain Shihōin deliberately slowed down to wait for me, I would be looked down upon by my subordinates and colleagues if I complained of being tired and out of breath."

"Tch, you're getting all cocky after just a little praise? No wonder you're the cocky vice-captain of the cocky captain!"

After traveling for a while, Shihouin Sennichi and Tengetsu Sussai could vaguely see many buildings in the distance. It has to be said that the Seireitei area is really large. After leaving the area of ​​the Gotei 13, they crossed mountains and rivers before finally arriving at the gate of the Shihouin family at the bottom of a cliff.

The gate of the Shihōin family is flanked by white walls over 10 meters high, which surround the territory. The gate is not open or closed. Behind the gate is a towering sword tower, on which the hexagonal crescent-shaped family crest of the Shihōin family is engraved.

Upon seeing the Shihōin family crest, Shihōin Chihiro sighed for a moment before introducing it.

"This is the territory of the Shihōin family. The Shihōin family, also known as the Heavenly Armored Army, is a family filled with countless divine weapons. In short, they are a group of blacksmiths!"

"Shihouin Senri! Such a despicable scoundrel who belittles his own clan is utterly rebellious! Not only does he fail to fulfill his clan's mission, but he also dares to..."

"Shut up!!!" When the group of guards at the door saw Shihouin Sennhei shouting at him after hearing his words, Shihouin Sennhei was extremely annoyed and released his captain-level spiritual pressure, pressing all the trash to the ground.

Tengetsu Chosai was naturally also within the range of the spiritual pressure of Shihōin Senri. He had already traveled quite a distance and his legs were a little sore. After being hit by Shihōin's captain like this, he almost collapsed to his knees.

"I'm such a loser!"

The spiritual pressure emanating from Shihōin's clan spread widely and caused a great commotion. Soon, the clan's guards and members arrived at the main gate. The guards were dressed in neat and uniform white cloaks, their faces covered with white cloths, and they carried tall tuning forks.

Members of the Shihōin family are easily identifiable by the family crest tattooed on their hands, feet, and clothing.

Soon, surrounded by the crowd, a middle-aged man in black, dressed in luxurious white robes, appeared before Shihouin Senhi. The man was none other than the current head of the Shihouin family, Shihouin Kenichiro.

Kenichiro Shihōin: "You're still so willful after all this time. I will punish and educate the servants who gossip and talk back to you. But you shouldn't say that. The Shihōin family is a divinely appointed military family, not something that can be compared to blacksmiths or anything like that."

"Alright, alright, stop lecturing me. I don't care about divinely bestowed weapons or blacksmithing. Besides, I've already left the Four Maple Institution. What does a divinely bestowed weapon have to do with me?"

Seeing this, Tengetsu Sukusai knew that if things continued like this, the rebellious Shihouin Senhito would be angered by the fatherly lecture from the person in front of him, and then this trip would be ruined.

No wonder Shihōin Sennichikawa made prior arrangements with Tengetsu Sussai. He himself simply couldn't communicate with the Shihōin family. Every time they tried, they would argue about trivial family matters that were impossible to unravel!

Tengetsu nods in acknowledgment and bows between Shihōin Senhi and Shihōin Kenichirō.

"Lord Shihōin, I am Amaterasu Susuzai, the vice-captain of the 4th Division of the Gotei 13. The captain of the 2nd Division and I have come to the Shihōin family on the orders of Captain-Commander Yamamoto to offer our condolences to the head of the Shihōin household. May I ask..."

"Yamamoto... Captain-Commander? Hmm... I am Kenichiro Shihōin, the head of the Shihōin clan. Since it is Captain-Commander Yamamoto who has come to offer his condolences, then Vice-Captain Amaterasu invites us to come inside and talk."

"Head of Shihōin, please also." The two performed the proper etiquette, while Shihōin Chihiro kept throwing mothballs at everyone present, as if he wanted to kill them all with them.

The head of the family, Kenichiro Shihōin, was already used to Chihiro Shihōin's behavior and simply ignored his actions.

The fact that Shihouin Senri entered the Shihouin family territory nearly triggered his manic episode. He was extremely unwilling to approach the Shihouin family, but Yamamoto had given orders and had to do it out of duty.

Shihouin Sennichi has decided that once this mission is complete, he'll kill as many rogue spirits as possible to vent his anger. If the opportunity arises, targeting the lower-ranking nobles affiliated with the Shihouin family wouldn't be bad either; presumably, there are a few captain-level figures among them whom he can easily slaughter.

Tengetsu Quesai also said he wanted to communicate with Shihōin Sennatsu to learn about the Shihōin family's background, but seeing Shihōin Sennatsu's unapproachable expression, he had no choice but to ignore him and avoid provoking him.

......

Chapter 42 The Old Fox and the Little Fox

After spending a thousand days in close proximity with Shihouin, Tengetsu Sussai felt that this dark-skinned, handsome young man had inherited the Shihouin family's genes. None of the genes of the great nobles were lacking; he was undeniably handsome, but his mind seemed immature, and he acted too willfully.

But after all, she's Yoruichi Shihouin's ancestor, and considering their personalities, they seem quite similar. If Yoruichi is a cat, then Senhime is a tiger; birds of a feather flock together, indeed.

Surrounded by his clansmen and servants, Tengetsu Sussai and his companions arrived at the central courtyard. After passing through the buildings in the central courtyard, they came to a courtyard called Shihōin Kenichirō, who instructed his servants to prepare tea for them.

Upon seeing that Shihouin Senhi was still following them, Shihouin Kenichiro immediately showed some dissatisfaction.

"Qianri, I have some matters to discuss with Vice Captain Tianyue. You should go and rest."

"Stop joking, Kenichiro Shihouin! How many times do I have to tell you I'm not a member of the Shihouin family? Are you deaf? Besides, I'm the captain of the 2nd Division of the Gotei 13, and I'm here on the orders of the Captain-Commander. Even if I don't participate in your discussion, I have to listen in. Otherwise, how will I report back to the Captain-Commander? Idiot!"

Kenichiro Shihōin then realized that Senjiro Shihōin was no longer the rebellious playboy he used to be, but the powerful captain of the Second Division. He could no longer treat him with the same attitude as before, but he couldn't bring himself to do it in the present moment, so he ignored Senjiro Shihōin to avoid further awkward situations.

Next came the formal visit of condolences, which was actually a negotiation that Captain-Commander Yamamoto instructed Shihōin Sennatsu to have Tengetsu Sussai help with.

Just now, outside the Shihōin residence, Captain-Commander Yamamoto made it very clear that he had stated the responsibilities and obligations of the Second Division and would not inquire about any other specific matters.

This gave Tengetsu Sussai a great deal of room to maneuver. He had every opportunity to take a bite out of the meat, or even peel off a layer of skin—it would still be a huge profit. It all depended on whether Shihōin Sennippon would cooperate. Tengetsu Sussai observed that his attitude was that he wished the Shihōin family would die, so he felt he could make a move.

Tengetsu Sukusai made a tentative, routine inquiry: "Head of the Shihōin family, Captain Shihōin of the Second Division, and I, the Vice-Captain of the Fourth Division, extend our greetings to the Shihōin family on behalf of Captain-Commander Yamamoto and all our colleagues in the Gotei 13."

"Um... As the head of Shihouin, I would like to extend my greetings to all the Shinigami of the Gotei 13 and Captain-Commander Yamamoto. Please help me convey these greetings to the Captain-Commander."

"I will convey this truth to Headmaster Shihōin, but I'm not so sure about Captain-Commander Yamamoto's situation."

Tengetsu Sussai set the stage, and Shihouin Kenichiro's eyes lit up, but he was also a shrewd old fox, sitting calmly and taking a sip of tea as if he were only concerned about the Captain-Commander.

Tenzuki Sukusai gave a wry smile. "Oh, don't even mention it. I don't know how the Captain-Commander is doing, but none of us in the Gotei 13 are doing so well. The Gotei 13 was just established, and the territories of each squad are completely empty, not even a bird in sight. Our Captain-Commander has been working so hard to build up the Gotei 13, and he's probably in a bad mood, wanting to chop people up with his Great Fire Sword every day."

"The captains of each squad aren't having an easy time either, having to sleep on the streets every day. To be honest, I, Tengetsu Sussai, only joined the Gotei 13 today, and I don't even know where I'll be sleeping tonight. It's really pitiful! Speaking of which, I really envy the Shihouin family's building and decoration. It must have cost a lot of money, right?"

Kenichiro Shihōin laughed heartily; "My Shihōin family has been located in the Soul Society for millions of years. If we couldn't even afford a small residence, people would laugh their heads off. If Lieutenant-Captain Amatsuki is worried about where to stay tonight, I can be your guest and let you stay for a few more days to show my Shihōin hospitality."

Shihōin Senji stood to the side with his hands in his pockets, looking impatient and sneering. He didn't know what Tengetsu Sukusai was planning, but he would be the first to agree to anything that would make Shihōin suffer.

Therefore, he will not stop Tianyue Quezhai from doing whatever he wants, and will even take a stand to support Tianyue Quezhai when necessary.

"Thank you, Head of the Shihōin family, but I would feel guilty if I were to enjoy life and forget about the Captain-Commander and the others, so I'll pass."

"Oh, I see."

Kenichiro Shihōin remained impenetrable, while Tengetsu Susakusai remained calm and unhurried. In any case, no matter how anxious you were, he wouldn't be in a hurry. At worst, he would sleep on the floor at Shihōin's house, and whoever couldn't sit still first would suffer the consequences.

The two men stared at each other with mechanical smiles, their teacups churning in the air as a deathly silence fell over the room.

Kenichiro Shihōin; Little Fox!

Tianyue Que Zhai; Old fox!

Both sides sat in jail for a few minutes, and Shihouin Senhi was already itching to draw his sword and kill someone.

He rolled his eyes and then smiled at Kenichiro Shihouin, saying, "Vice-Captain Tengetsu is my friend. I know him very well; he's an honest man, and quite pitiful. I see that our Shihouin family is quite wealthy, so why not send some assets, like divine artifacts and billions of rings, to support the construction of the Gotei 10? I'm sure Captain-Commander Yamamoto would be overjoyed and eat ten roasted sweet potatoes in one go, right?"

"Shihōin Senri!!!" Shihōin Kenichirō was completely thwarted by this guy. How could he be so biased towards his own people? Giving away divine artifacts and billions of ring coins, does he really think the Shihōin family are big landlords who can fight whenever they want?