Seireitei, within the compound of the upper noble clan, the Kasatani family.
Before heading to Hueco Mundo, Higashi Shuuichi had a few loose ends to tie up in Soul Society.
At the top of the list: recovering the two stolen Bakuyaō Blades of the Kasatani family.
Fortunately, the chaos caused in District 79 by the three infamous criminals—and Zaraki Kenpachi's brief visit—had kept most people away. Thanks to the Kasatani family's grip over the Seireitei side of the scene, no Shinigami or civilians had entered the district before Shuuichi regained consciousness.
And so, after returning to the area, Higashi Shuuichi managed to complete his primary mission: retrieve the Bakuyaō Blades.
"A civilian with stronger reiatsu than you?"
Kasatani Mayuu, head of the Kasatani family, eyed Shuuichi dubiously as the latter respectfully presented the two reclaimed Bakuyaō Blades.
As far as Mayuu was concerned, Shuuichi had the reiatsu of a seated captain—even if he held no formal title. The idea that a civilian could overpower him was absurd. What, were captain-class souls just growing out of Rukongai now?
"That's correct, Lord Mayuu," Shuuichi replied calmly.
"Didn't you say, Yunoi," Mayuu turned to his steward, "that two civilians had recently been escorted from the 4th Division… by Captain Unohana herself, no less?"
"Judging by Shuuichi's description, it's likely one of them," Yunoi Yōgaku answered with a composed bow, playing his butler's role to perfection.
Unsurprisingly, Mayuu's first thought was whether this mystery man—Zaraki Kenpachi—could be recruited.
After all, having tasted the advantages of having Shuuichi as a personal pawn, Mayuu had developed an even deeper hunger for captain-class combat power.
He'd even fantasized about using the Bakuyaō Blades to form his own New Gotei 13, a force loyal only to him.
Now, with Mayuu's eyes practically sparkling with ambition, he turned to Higashi Shuuichi—the only Shinigami present who had actually crossed swords with Kenpachi (or so Mayuu believed, unaware of Unohana's history with him).
"I believe it's worth trying," Shuuichi said smoothly, his face solemn. "If you can offer the right incentives, Lord Mayuu, that man could become your most fearsome blade."
Of course, internally, Shuuichi was laughing.
Recruit Zaraki Kenpachi? Good luck with that.
Even if Mayuu somehow succeeded, Kenpachi would draw so much attention that the Kasatani family might as well stop playing in the shadows and just declare war on the Seireitei outright.
It'd save Shuuichi the trouble of orchestrating their rebellion himself.
But the Kasatani family wasn't entirely run by fools. Yunoi Yōgaku, always the calculating one, didn't let Mayuu's eagerness blind him.
After leaving Mayuu's chambers, Yunoi took Shuuichi to one of the Kasatani's clandestine research facilities. There, behind the closed doors of a secluded chamber:
"Tell me what you really think," Yunoi demanded the moment the door shut.
"Recruiting Kenpachi Zaraki is virtually impossible," Shuuichi replied, unfazed by the sudden tone.
He noted Yunoi's increasingly commanding attitude lately—a sign that the steward now saw Shuuichi less as a tool and more as a subordinate.
Which was perfect. Trust was exactly what Shuuichi wanted from him.
"Go on," Yunoi said sharply.
Shuuichi frowned slightly. Yunoi was getting bold.
Still, that meant his earlier... "unfortunate incident" (the time Shuuichi had cut Yunoi) was gradually being forgotten. As far as Yunoi was concerned, a loyal, powerful, silent executioner like Higashi Shuuichi was worth keeping close.
(Unlike Aizen, who seemed increasingly bored with him.)
"Zaraki is a natural-born combat maniac. Normal persuasion won't work on him. And this is about recruitment, not assassination. Lord Mayuu won't be sending Bakuyaō wielders—just household Shinigami. And if I recall correctly, only Lord Mayuu himself qualifies as captain-class."
Shuuichi let the implication hang. Yunoi, of course, picked it up immediately.
This was a chance to weaken Mayuu's core power base.
"Are you sure Zaraki would kill a Shinigami?"
"If the opponent doesn't bring him joy in battle? Absolutely," Shuuichi replied confidently.
Yunoi's lips curled into a sinister grin. No one could say what he was imagining—but it was dark.
And with that, the matter was out of Shuuichi's hands.
Yunoi would now set his trap: manipulate Mayuu into throwing his own elite against a beast who lived only to carve through the weak. All the while, Yunoi would grow ever more essential to the family's survival.
Just the way he liked it.
As Shuuichi left the workshop, though, something felt… off.
The training grounds for the Bakuyaō troops—usually bustling—were nearly empty.
He asked around, but the remaining few hemmed and hawed, offering vague excuses. Nobody would give a straight answer.
Something was being hidden from him.
And that could only mean one thing—who else could command their silence if not Yunoi himself?
That made Shuuichi all the more curious.
Feigning his departure, he vanished from sight, suppressing his spiritual pressure completely.
Twenty years serving Aizen had taught him everything about these facilities—every layout, every blind spot, every secret corridor. Kyōka Suigetsu had done its part, but Shuuichi had memorized the rest.
Normally, he hadn't cared. He wasn't a scientist, and he had no plans to swap out his Zanpakutō for some crude artificial one.
But now? That knowledge had become useful.
Soon, in one of the Kasatani family's remote hidden workshops…
He found what he was looking for.
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For this week I will do more release depending on the power stones !
100 Power Stones = 1 chapter (in addition to the daily update)
So give stones if you want mooooar !