Bleach: From Rugum to Thousand-Year Captain

"Haha, Ukitake, you've really mastered the art of returning to one's senses! I really can't learn anything about returning to one's senses; I'm always slacking off in class!"

"Seriously! I can't stand you, Kyoraku!"

Jushiro Ukitake helped Shunsui Kyoraku up, and the two of them slowly left the gate of the First Division, supporting each other.

Meanwhile, the movements outside the gate of the First Division were completely monitored by the covertly mobile Inner Court team, and every detail was relayed to Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.

Knowing the result, Yamamoto didn't say anything and continued to close his eyes to rest, his thoughts unknown.

Chojiro, who was working like a slave, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as long as nothing serious happened.

Tianyue Quezhai is more reliable and acts with moderation.

The atmosphere between Tengetsu Sussai and Shihōin Chiaki, who were walking on the road, was much more harmonious, with no hint of tension.

Chiaki Shihōin is a person with ability, courage, and vision, and he is not too scheming. He is one of the few outstanding people in Tengetsu Sussai who can be recognized.

Compared to Chiaki Shihouin, Shigeaki Kuchiki is far inferior.

"Captain Shihōin, the matter of balancing the souls still requires the covert operations of your Second Division to assist in the assassination. After all, the members of my Thirteenth Division are skilled at killing Hollows, but if they do dirty work, they are bound to be dishonest. Those kids are too inexperienced and cannot handle these dark things."

"Haha, Captain Tianyue, don't worry about that. The Covert Mobility unit is for this kind of thing. We won't let your soldiers' 'pure souls' be tainted."

"I feel like you're making fun of me..."

"Not at all, not at all. I, Shihouin Chiaki, would never dare to offend Captain Tengetsu! Oh, by the way!"

Shihōin Chiaki took out a note from his waist and handed it to Tengetsu Sukusai, who took it and read it.

"It's the son of the head of the Shihōin family who's getting married, congratulations! But as you can see, we have a mission to complete, so I'm afraid we can't go to offer our congratulations!"

Chiaki Shihōin waved his hand; "It's alright if Captain Tengetsu can't come. After all, we've done our part in terms of etiquette. Besides, the wedding of the next head of the five noble families requires the Golden Seal Nobles to bring out strict etiquette for the ceremony."

"The ceremony is complicated and tedious. Our patriarch would not dare to let Captain Tianyue stay in the courtyard of Sifeng Academy for a whole day just to watch those ceremonies."

"That's right. It seems your leader understands me. He's a sensible person, much better at dealing with people than the rotten wood leader."

The investigation team composed of Tengetsu Sussai, Kyoraku Shunsui, and Shihōin Chiaki does not need to be too large; they only need to secretly move a group of assassins to kill Ryūtō.

As evening approached, the sky was quickly shrouded in a bluish-purple hue.

A crescent moon hung in the sky as the sun gradually sank below the horizon.

The faint moonlight shone down on the earth, turning everything on it into silver and black.

Dark clouds drifted across the sky like fine sand, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves.

The birdsong in the forest was melodious and peaceful, making everything feel harmonious.

Tengetsu Sukusai, Kyoraku Shunsui, and Shihōin Chiaki used Shunpo to dart and weave through the forest without making a sound that would disturb the birdsong or cicadas, heading straight towards Zaraki Ward, 80 North of Rukongai.

The three moved quickly, and after traveling at full speed, they arrived at the 80th Zaraki Ward three days later.

Tenzuki Sukusai and his two companions stopped at the edge of the 80th ward of the Zaraki district. A gentle breeze caressed Tenzuki Sukusai's face, bringing a touch of coolness.

The 80th ward of Zaraki presented to the three of them had no trace of Rukongai. They slowed their pace and then saw faint traces of some farmers in the mountains.

As they walked along, they could smell the stench of blood, rust, and rotting corpses, indicating that this Kuraki district was in chaos and that a massacre had recently taken place on the ground beneath their feet.

Tenzuki Sukusai and Shihouin Chiaki had witnessed these disgusting scenes. After all, Tenzuki Sukusai came from a high-ranking Rukongai and understood the living conditions of the Rukongai.

Souls without spiritual power steal water, while those with spiritual power steal food, forming gangs and engaging in constant killing and fighting.

In particular, the fact that thousands of wandering souls are born in each district every day exacerbates the conflicts among them.

It's common for spirits with spiritual power to starve to death; those who survive are basically samurai with spiritual power who are used to killing.

In this environment, the only way to survive is to kill the enemy for food.

Even in the top 30 districts with low priority, there are instances of spirit souls going hungry or even starving to death, let alone the high-priority districts where the order is more chaotic and there are fewer farmers.

Tengetsu Susui and Shihōin Chiaki thought that Kyōraku Shunsui would be somewhat uncomfortable with these scenes, but Kyōraku Shunsui showed unexpected patience.

He remained expressionless despite the disgusting environment and smells, and even constantly used his spiritual network to perceive his surroundings.

The information Yamamoto provided regarding the disappearance of his soul was presented in a very vague and uncertain manner.

All I knew was that the Noble Supervisory Team had detected a large number of souls missing from the 80th ward of Zaraki Ward. It was that simple.

The exact reason, and whether it was done by the remnants of the Quincy, is just speculation.

Tengetsu Sussai and his two companions wandered aimlessly through the Zaraki Ward, encountering foolish samurai who were all easily defeated by Shihouin Chiaki with a single punch.

After all, he was a novice instructor. One punch shattered Liu Hun's spirit core, and he basically couldn't survive.

Tengetsu Quezhai would also occasionally throw out a few white lightning bolts as thick as tree trunks, slaughtering groups of wandering spirits who looked like they were not to be trifled with.

Since the goal is to slaughter wandering spirits anyway, killing these people will make the mission easier.

Tengetsu Sukusai and Shihōin Chiaki's warm-up activities were incredibly efficient, quickly slaughtering hundreds of rogue souls.

Kyoraku Shunsui observed their methods without saying a word, his face expressionless.

Only now has he truly come to know Tengetsu Sussai and Shihōin Chiaki.

And his teacher, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, the strongest Grim Reaper who once held the title of Sword Demon, and he also rediscovered his own silence.

It turns out that the Grim Reaper I wanted to become from beginning to end was just a figment of my imagination. I was too naive!

But could it be done a little better, a little more beautiful?

Let those who deserve it die, instead of killing indiscriminately like this.

But neither will Mr. Amatsuki nor Mr. Yamamoto listen.

In the end, there was nothing we could do!

Tengetsu Sussai and Shihōin Chiaki paid no heed to Kyōraku Shunsui's inner turmoil and the tragic drama that was constantly surging within him.

After killing several more samurai, Tengetsu Chosai closed his eyes and sensed the spiritual energy channels; "Captain Shifuin, can you feel it?"

"Hmm! It's a cold and intense spiritual pressure, but it's intermittent and hard to fathom. However, it doesn't seem like something that would completely annihilate the soul."

"It's better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free, especially since..."

Tianyue Quezhai didn't say much. He seemed to have felt this unfamiliar spiritual pressure somewhere before, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it at first.

Moreover, that spiritual pressure was very strange and could not be directly tracked, but it was certain that it was in this Zaraki Ward.

Tengetsu Sukusai faced the direction from which the spiritual energy had appeared and stepped into the sky, where he had a clear view of everything in the Zaraki district.

He could see an iceberg standing on the hills at the edge of the Kuroki district from afar; it was impossible not to see it.

"found it!"

"So fast?"

Before Shihouin Chiaki could react, Tengetsu Sussai glided away using Shunpo.

Chiaki Shihōin immediately followed, while Shunsui Kyōraku, who was on the ground, saw that some of the crippled samurai were still alive and were wielding their katana at him.

"I have no hostile intentions. Could you please stop your attack?"

"Whoa! Kill!"

Seeing this, Kyoraku Shunsui sighed and immediately released his captain-level spiritual pressure, completely crushing the samurai to the ground. Some of them were even foaming at the mouth from the pressure.

Ignoring the samurai, Kyoraku Shunsui followed.

Tengetsu no Sudden Step was incredibly fast, and he arrived in front of the iceberg in no time.

Beneath the iceberg, a man in magnificent attire stood atop the mountain, while two... Grim Reapers sat below?

Tengetsu Sukusai recognized the two at a glance. They were none other than Kashima Kiyoshi, who had disappeared after the attack on Junrin An, and his student... Tsunayoshi Tokinada.

"It's you! Tengetsu Quezhai!!!"

Before Kashima Kiyoki could utter a sound, Tsunayoshi Tokina drew his sword and roared at him.

Chiaki Shihōin quickly drew his sword and aimed it at Tsunayoshi Tokinada and Jōsei Kashima, both of whom were wanted criminals in Soul Society.

They are serious criminals who must be apprehended, especially since they may be involved in the disappearance of souls, or even the disappearance of souls themselves.

Chiaki Shihōin was the first to shout angrily, "Kashima Jōsei! Tsunayoshi Tokinada! You two are plotting here to destroy the Soul Society, is that true?"

"Huh? Overthrow Soul Society? So what if it is, so what if it isn't? If you want to fight, then come at me! What's the point of saying so much! Hahahaha!"

Tsuna laughed loudly, while Kashima Kiyoshi crossed his arms and stared coldly at the two captains in front of him.

Kyoraku Shunsui arrived shortly after, and upon seeing Tsunayoshiro Tokinada, he immediately lost his composure.

"It's you! Shi Tan? What are you doing?"

"What to do? Hahaha, what else could it be but revenge, of course!!!"

Tsunayoshi Tokina's face twisted in pain as he drew his sword, aiming it at Tengetsu Sussai and Shihōin Chiaki, only to hear Tengetsu Sussai let out a cold laugh.

"Revenge? What a ridiculous word!"

......

Chapter 98 Finding the Source - Battle!

When Kyoraku Shunsui saw Tsunayoshi Tokina, his mind was in turmoil, not because he cared about Tsunayoshi Tokina.

Although he and Tsunayoshi Tokina were classmates in the same year, his personality and Tsunayoshi Tokina's gloomy nature meant they couldn't get along.

Kyoraku Shunsui didn't really know much about Tsunayoshi Tokinada, let alone the grudges between Tsunayoshi Tokinada, Tengetsu Sussai, and Shihōin Chiaki. He could only watch all of this happen with a blank expression.

It's a bit sad to see former classmates turn against each other.

Gang Midai Shitan drew the Yanluo Mirror and pointed it at Tianyue Quezhai, sneering.

"Should I call you Lord Tianyue, Captain Tianyue, or Teacher Tianyue? You, Tianyue Quezhai, are now a powerful figure with the power of life and death. Even lower-ranking nobles have to bow down to you. How can I, a remnant of a traitor with no status, possibly look up to you?"

"Stop talking nonsense. I don't have a student like you. Getting back to the point, was it you, Kashima Kiyoshi, and that... spirit on the mountaintop who did it?"

Kyoraku Shunsui, Shihōin Chiaki, and Kashima Jōsei stood facing off on either side without interjecting, leaving only Tengetsu Susaki and Tsunayoshi Tokinada to converse in the center.

The richly dressed man on the mountaintop remained motionless, like an ice sculpture.

"It was me who did it! If that's what you Seireitei think of the so-called Soul Disappearance Plan."

"However, Teacher Amatsuki, you should see my masterpiece. The Soul Society has sent three captains to investigate the disappearance of souls; they really take it very seriously. But if the Soul Society loses three captains, it will be a serious blow!"

Tengetsu Sussai interrupted Tsunayo Tokinada's arrogant words: "What do you rely on? Is it the Six Robes that absorbs spiritual pressure in Kashima Jōsei's chest, or the Tsunayo family heirloom in your hand, the Enra Mirror Classic, which specializes in attacking Zanpakutō?"