"... "
Yoriichi Tsugikuni lowered his head slightly, his eyes thoughtful. After a moment of contemplation, he gently waved his hand:
"You may leave."
He didn't mind the Hollow's offensive behavior. Hueco Mundo had changed; it was no longer a place where only the fittest survived.
Naturally, there was no need to slay every Hollow he encountered.
Besides, it hadn't harmed anyone, merely displayed an intent to harm.
Its superior arrived and stopped its actions, so it was probably an attempted crime.
As long as it learned its lesson and didn't make similar mistakes in the future, it would be fine.
Gantenbainne knelt on one knee, bowing his head respectfully and saying, "Thank you for your magnanimity."
With that, he looked at the Hollow he had pinned to the ground and said sternly:
"Did you hear clearly?"
"From now on, you shall never set foot in Soul Society again, to remember today's lesson."
"What is your name? Answer me."
Although it was unwilling and deeply resentful, the current situation was truly dangerous.
It gritted its teeth and said angrily:
"Nellis. So, you feel honored to serve the Shinigami? We are of the same race, why are you doing this to me?"
Its head remained unable to lift, only passively listening to Gantenbainne's words, unable to even resist.
Gantenbainne's tone remained cold towards the rule-breaking Hollow:
"What do you know? How can a common Adjuchas understand the greatness of Tsugikuni?"
"Nellis, right? I'm giving you a chance now: immediately apologize to Tsugikuni."
"If you do this, when we return, we might be able to treat you leniently."
"But if you remain stubborn…"
"What, are you going to kill me?" Nellis interrupted without showing weakness, her voice full of disdain.
"It's just death. You guys have made Hueco Mundo a mess, even hunting requires a report. Some Adjuchas already don't want to live."
"Tsugikuni? Hmph, I've never heard of him. Why should I apologize to him? Just because you are… are…"
Nellis's words momentarily froze.
Out of the corner of its eye, it noticed that the one holding its head down had no mask on his face, and his body was even shrunken.
This…
Its pupils suddenly constricted, and a look of horror appeared on its face: "You're a Vasto Lorde!"
Oh my god!
Even a Vasto Lorde was a subordinate of the Shinigami, and judging by his tone, he had a close relationship with the two Kings of Hueco Mundo who managed Hueco Mundo…
Didn't this mean that the entire Hueco Mundo had fallen under the Shinigami's control?
No wonder they had set up such a series of baffling, strange rules.
And no wonder this Vasto Lorde was so respectful to Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Nellis was just an ordinary Adjuchas.
For the past few days, it had been wandering the Forest of Menos in its Gillians form, completely unaware of the changes happening in Hueco Mundo.
Now it understood, but this understanding came a bit too late.
Tension spread through its heart. Nellis swallowed hard, its heart pounding.
It reluctantly averted its gaze, and without waiting for Gantenbainne to speak further, it immediately turned to Yoriichi Tsugikuni, its face filled with terror:
"I am truly very sorry…"
It wasn't afraid of death, only of a fate worse than death.
If only Gantenbainne alone pledged allegiance to Yoriichi Tsugikuni, that would be fine.
When they returned, it would simply be a matter of official business, at most a few decades of confinement.
But the current situation…
Just thinking about it made its scalp tingle.
Nellis's sudden apology made Gantenbainne swallow the words that were about to come out.
He looked deeply at Nellis.
Although he didn't understand what this fellow was thinking just now that caused such a complete reversal in his attitude.
But since he knew his mistake and apologized sincerely, that was good.
As a subordinate, he had done his best to maintain his superior's dignity.
Yoriichi might not care about these formalities, but as his subordinate, he absolutely couldn't ignore them in the slightest.
Taking a deep breath, under Yoriichi Tsugikuni's calm gaze, Gantenbainne picked up Nellis and walked away.
As a Black Cavity quickly opened, Gantenbainne turned around again, expressed his apologies to Yoriichi Tsugikuni, and then, taking Nellis with him, finally disappeared into Soul Society.
The wind gently caressed their faces, and the air returned to peaceful silence with their disappearance.
Yoriichi turned around, now having the leisure to examine the three children on the ground. Knowing why they were attacked and why they fainted, he couldn't help but sigh softly.
"Wake up."
Yoriichi's gaze fell on the middle of the three, which was Hisagi Shuuhei.
"I know you're already awake."
Tōsen Kaname's Reiatsu was indeed powerful, but by the time it spread here, it probably only had a tenth of its original strength.
A tenth-level Reiatsu, for the children living in this area, was probably a once-in-a-century sight.
But no matter how rare, the impact wouldn't be too severe, because the intensity wasn't very high.
After hearing these two sentences, Shuhei hesitated for more than ten seconds before slowly opening his eyes.
Actually, he had already woken up when that Menos Grande apologized.
He just wasn't sure what was happening in front of him, so he chose to continue feigning unconsciousness to assess the current situation.
He wasn't very smart, but he knew how to play dead.
Through his squinted eyes, he seemed to see Yoriichi Tsugikuni watching him.
Knowing that his feigned unconsciousness had been exposed, Shuhei's heart sank, and he became flustered.
—It's a Shinigami!
Was the previous Reiatsu emitted by him?
Why did that Hollow apologize to him, and why was it so respectful to him?
Shouldn't Shinigami just slay Hollows on sight?
Shuhei had lived in Rukongai for over a decade and had encountered Hollow attacks no less than three times, but this was the first time he had witnessed such a situation.
Could it be… those evil Shinigami!
As soon as this terrifying thought flashed through his mind, a drop of cold sweat involuntarily slowly appeared on his forehead.
Shuhei's heart also couldn't help but beat a little faster, and the "thump-thump" of his heartbeat was exceptionally clear in the silent atmosphere.
What should I do, I…
"What are you thinking?"
Yoriichi's words suddenly rang out, interrupting his tangled thoughts.
Before he finished speaking, he walked forward and picked up the remaining children one by one.
Afterward, Yoriichi casually glanced at Shuhei, not caring about the complex thoughts in his mind at the moment, and asked in a calm, unhurried tone:
"If you can move again, tell me where your home is."
"These children's Reiatsu is too weak; they'll probably remain unconscious for a while longer. We can't leave them in the wilderness."
"Are you residents of this area?"
Yoriichi's words instantly brought Shuhei back to his senses.
He instinctively straightened his body, feigning composure, but his slightly trembling lips still betrayed his inner panic, and he stammered in response:
"Yes… No! Right, no, we are not residents of this area."
"Then where are you from?" Yoriichi scanned Shuhei's bare feet, looking directly at him, his tone normal, "Lying is not a good thing. You and these two children are probably here for hunting, right?"
His gaze seemed as calm as water, yet in the eyes of the extremely nervous Shuhei, it held immense pressure, as if it could see through all his thoughts.
He swallowed twice, wanting to continue fabricating a lie to avoid revealing the locations of his home and his friends' homes.
But when the words reached his lips, he didn't know what to say.
After all, he had never left this place since birth, knowing very little about the outside world, so he naturally didn't know the names of other places.
If he just made one up, he would probably be exposed instantly, and by then, it would truly be…
Finally, Shuhei's legs went weak, and with a trembling yet forcefully commanding tone, he "loudly" said:
"If there's anything, come at me! Don't hurt my two friends; they don't know anything."
"I… I…"
Shuhei's words were choppy, and the sudden surge of fear in his heart left his mind blank.
After impulsively blurting out a sentence, he no longer had the courage to talk to Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
The sense of urgency crushing him from the front made him feel like crying. After all, he knew he was never a strong man.
In the story, when Kensei Muguruma saved him, he cried for a long time, let alone now…
Yoriichi Tsugikuni lightly furrowed his brow, his tone carrying a hint of confusion:
"Why would I come at you, child? You wouldn't have misunderstood something, would you?"
"Do I look like a bad person?"
Bad people don't write "bad person" on their faces.
Shuhei couldn't help but choke up while quickly thinking to himself, but then he immediately noticed something unusual.
They weren't important figures, and this place was originally desolate and rarely visited.
If Yoriichi Tsugikuni were a bad person, he could simply kill them to silence them, and everything would be fine…
Even if they went missing, their parents would have no way to find them, as they were just ordinary people…
Thinking of this, Shuhei felt that he might have truly misunderstood something.
He forced himself to stop choking up and cautiously asked:
"Are you asking for our home address because you're planning to kill us to silence us?"
"I saw you and that Hollow, that Hollow…"
He really didn't know what words to use to describe this relationship.
In short… it was quite strange and baffling.
Knowing that Shuhei's misunderstanding stemmed from this incident.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni slowly walked forward. With one hand, he steadily held the two children, and with the other, he gently helped Shuhei up, half-crouching, and comforted him:
"They were just thanking me. You're still young, not yet a Shinigami. You won't understand right now, but you will when you grow up."
"Come, don't cry anymore. Tell me where your home is, and I'll take you back first."
"What's your name?"
Shuhei gently wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve, looked up at Yoriichi's slightly gentle red eyes, and answered, sobbing:
"Shūhei, Hisagi Shuuhei."
...
...
"What's wrong, Yoriichi? Why did it take so long? Did something happen?"
In the dense forest, on a clearing.
Kisuke Urahara looked at the belated Yoriichi Tsugikuni and couldn't help but ask,
"From two or three minutes to more than ten minutes, that Menos Grande couldn't be very special, could it?"
"A Vasto Lorde?"
"No." Yoriichi glanced at him. "I just encountered a few children in danger and sent them home, that's all."
Yoriichi seemed unwilling to elaborate on the matter. After speaking, he changed the subject and asked about Tōsen Kaname's condition:
"How is he?"
Upon hearing this, Kisuke Urahara lowered his head slightly in thought, then replied:
"He's alright. For now, his condition is quite stable, but I don't know when it will end."
After speaking, he seemed to recall something and immediately added:
"Oh, right, Yoriichi, while you were gone, Starrk contacted me."
"He asked when I could give him the Mukuro so he could bring Lilynette to Soul Society to play."
"What do you think…?"
Kisuke Urahara's words revealed a hint of hesitation, as the current situation was quite sensitive.
Although this was an agreement made with Starrk long ago, the agreement didn't specify when it would be fulfilled.
Only a little over a year had passed.
He had thought that, given a Hollow's concept of time, it would be brought up again in a decade or even several decades, but he didn't expect it to be so soon…
It seems that the reclamation of Hueco Mundo has left Starrk with nothing to do, and he's getting a bit impatient.
"Play?" Yoriichi pondered for a moment, his gaze slightly lowered, and replied,
"Let's wait a bit longer. Some areas are still under reconstruction. Even if they came now, they wouldn't see any decent scenery."
"What's more, Hueco Mundo isn't stable yet, and some Menos Grande often escape."
"If he, the superficial King of Hueco Mundo, were gone and chaos ensued, that would be troublesome."
The Menos Grande encountered earlier made Yoriichi understand the various situations in Hueco Mundo.
For Starrk to want to stay out of it and shirk responsibility was absolutely unacceptable.
Harribel and Nelliel were merely administrators; Starrk was the true deterrent presence.
Kisuke Urahara nodded understandingly: "I see. I understand. Then I'll reply to him like that. How long should we tentatively set it for? Half a year or a year?"
"Half a year."
"Mm." Kisuke Urahara responded, then changed the subject, "Oh, right, Yoriichi, besides Starrk, Grimmjow seems to want to come over too."
"He says he wants to challenge the Shinigamis of Soul Society. What do you think…?"
"What would he come here for?" Yoriichi was a bit puzzled.
"Even if he uses a Mukuro and unleashes spiritual pressure, it would still be Hollow spiritual pressure. Does he want to be surrounded and annihilated by Shinigami?"
"That's what I thought too, so I refused him." Grimmjow's voice and tone still echoed in his mind, Kisuke Urahara affirmed,
"Saying he wants to challenge shinigami is false; he truly wants to challenge you."
"Perhaps Harribel and Nelliel's promotions have made him a bit restless."
"After all, as a half-Arrancar…"
"You didn't make him an Arrancar?" Yoriichi interrupted.
"No, I haven't been to Hueco Mundo recently. I've been busy fusing the Hōgyoku…" Speaking of this, Kisuke Urahara slapped his hand.
"I almost forgot about that. I'll go to Hueco Mundo later and help him become an Arrancar."
"And also tell him that the time to come to Soul Society is in half a year, lest he act rashly and affect the peace between the two realms."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni nodded slightly in agreement: "It's good that you have an idea. Let's proceed with this plan for now."
"If there's a chance, have them search in Hueco Mundo to see if there are any fragments of the Soul King."
"The Soul King's organs and limbs were scattered across the Three Realms. There's no reason for them to only exist in Soul Society and the Human World…"
The two discussed future plans back and forth. About half an hour later, Tōsen Kaname successfully Hollowfied.
Perhaps due to his firm will or the precision of his wish, Tōsen Kaname slowly opened his eyes.
What met his gaze was no longer the chaotic, blurry void, but a kaleidoscopic world woven from strange colors.
His vision was somewhat blurry. He blinked repeatedly before finally confirming that this was not an illusion.
He turned around, and a pale yellow barrier came into view. Outside the barrier stood two people, both strange and familiar.
The tall one had red hair tied in a ponytail, a robust physique, and a sword at his waist that gave him a resolute feeling.
Through his indifferent expression, it was clear that he was unconcerned with most things.
Even though it was his first time seeing him, Tōsen Kaname knew that this must be his Captain.
Only he could give him that sense of ethereal pressure and closeness.
And the shorter one next to Yoriichi Tsugikuni… (Incidentally, Yoriichi is 1.9 meters tall, half a head taller than Kisuke Urahara)
"Eh." Noticing Tōsen Kaname's gaze, Kisuke Urahara looked at him, a surprised expression on his face, "Tōsen, are you ready?"
Tōsen Kaname's thoughts were interrupted by the call.
He opened his mouth but found his voice had become somewhat hoarse. So, he tried his best to keep his tone calm and said softly:
"Yes, you must be Captain Urahara, right?"
"It's a great pleasure to meet you."
"And, Captain Yoriichi…"
…
…
After Tōsen Kaname successfully Hollowfied, the group didn't stay long in the forest. After a brief chat, they quickly packed up and returned to Seireitei.
Although Tōsen Kaname was surprised when he later saw Komamura Sajin.
But as his friend, Tōsen Kaname still swallowed some words that sounded a bit unpleasant.
This was no longer the tense situation from the original story.
It seemed that it wasn't his eyes that had regained light, but his heart…
Upon returning to West Rukongai, just before entering Seireitei, Yoriichi told everyone to go ahead. He wanted to buy some dango skewers; Shiai liked them.
The Noble District didn't have such "cheap" food.
Inside the dango shop, as soon as Yoriichi stepped in, his gaze fell upon a white-haired child.
The child gave him a familiar feeling, as if he had seen him somewhere before…
A moment later, he remembered.
—Toushiro.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
Hinamori Momo's childhood friend.
"Is that Toushiro-kun?"
At this moment, Toushiro was trying to stand on his tiptoes, one hand holding a paper bag, the other receiving change from the owner.
He had just received the change and hadn't even had time to steady himself when he heard a question from behind him. He instinctively turned to look.
The red-haired man who met his gaze froze him for a few seconds.
Never seen him…
Who is this?
Why does he know my name?
Yoriichi Tsugikuni knew Toushiro through a photo Hinamori Momo had. This was the first time he had seen him in person.
Because Hinamori Momo's home was a bit out of the way, not in a bustling area, he rarely passed by even on missions.
And Hinamori Momo didn't have any photos of Yoriichi himself, because he was a Captain, and his information was highly confidential.
Although Toushiro knew of Yoriichi's existence, and Hinamori Momo had verbally described Yoriichi's appearance, that description was ultimately vague and gave too pale an impression.
It was difficult to form a clear and complete image in his mind.
Now…
Wait.
Toushiro's gaze swept over Yoriichi's forehead.
Markings?
Shinigami?
A flash of inspiration struck him. He tentatively asked: "Are you the one Momo talked about?"
…
Outside the dango shop, the two sat side by side.
Yoriichi held a steaming cup of green tea in his hands, and beside him sat a somewhat reserved Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
The slightly cold sunlight slanted down from one side, perfectly illuminating Toushiro's dazzling silver hair.
Toushiro unconsciously clenched his hands, appearing a bit nervous.
His exhaled white breath vanished instantly, and the atmosphere became even more solemn.
Only because he had met Momo's benefactor.
Although he outwardly treated Hinamori Momo poorly on a daily basis, even bickering with her from time to time, he was actually very concerned about her.
If his poor performance were to affect Hinamori Momo, that would be terrible…
Toushiro slightly parted his lips, about to speak: "Tsugu…"
Before he could finish his sentence, or more accurately, after only uttering one word, Yoriichi's calm voice slowly sounded:
"Are you interested in becoming a Shinigami, Toushiro-kun?"
"…"
Toushiro was stunned.
What?
He felt like he had misheard, after all, he was still too young…
"Being young isn't too much of an obstacle. You just need to receive training in advance."
As if seeing through Toushiro's thoughts, Yoriichi calmly put down his teacup,
"You are very special, more special than anyone I've ever met. If I'm not mistaken, you're only a teenager this year, aren't you?"
"…Eleven." Toushiro was silent for a moment, then replied softly,
"Mr. Tsugikuni, I don't quite understand. We only met for the first time today, why do you…"
"You are a genius, Toushiro-kun." Yoriichi Tsugikuni looked at him and said earnestly,
"I can feel an extremely vast power within you. Your soul density is extremely high. In other words, you are a born Shinigami."
"Although this power has not yet awakened, the day it awakens will surely come."
"When that day arrives, if you cannot control these powers… without an accident, everything around you will be utterly destroyed."
"You are currently living with your grandmother, aren't you?"
"How is her health?"
Toushiro remained silent. He understood the meaning behind Yoriichi's words.
In short, his inner power was too strong, and he needed to learn to control it so as not to inadvertently harm his grandmother one day.
Although he didn't know how Mr. Tsugikuni could tell, as a Captain, his words should not be wrong…
As Toushiro remained silent, Yoriichi Tsugikuni's voice continued to sound:
"Alternatively, you can occasionally come to the Ninth Division to observe, along with Hinamori Momo."
"It's always good to be prepared…"