Bleach: The Captain of the Fifth Division Becomes Stronger Through Training.

Chapter 386 Extra: 10 Years Later (Previous Chapter)

Ten years have passed since the great war with the Invisible Empire.

The Three Realms tended towards peace.

Everything seems to have found its original place, found a fixed trajectory in a world on the verge of destruction, and continued to repeat the same mistakes.

Unchanging.

It may seem boring and dull to some people.

But for the vast majority of people, this is the most stable state.

War brings no smiles, much less happiness.

New Seireitei.

Inside the barracks of the First Squad, the soldiers, looking hurried, moved about, making sure everything was in place according to the established plan.

at the same time.

Ise Nanao, holding her list, walked through the crowd.

"Go and double-check if the fireworks and other equipment are set up correctly..."

"Guests who are attending should also take note: I've specifically marked these individuals, so please don't let them be late!"

"...What do you mean there might not be enough time? The Seireitei has no restrictions now, just use Shunpo to run!"

Ise Nanao was attacking with both hands when a familiar voice came from behind her.

"Doesn't it have to be so serious, Nanao-chan...?"

He adjusted his glasses; he didn't even need to turn around to understand why the person behind him was there. The person pursed his lips, slightly closed his eyes, and spoke with unusual firmness.

"That's exactly how it should be done!"

As if she had opened a floodgate, she gripped the list in her hand and continued speaking loudly.

"This is the first captain inauguration ceremony for our 13th Division since the great battle!"

"This is the first formal ceremony in a thousand years since the reforms... There absolutely, absolutely, absolutely no room for error!"

Breaking with tradition is a good thing.

This means that outdated and pedantic things are constantly changing.

Some seemingly unreasonable things will gradually shed their original form and embrace new life in a healthier and more vibrant state.

But at the same time, pressure also comes.

"Captain! Why are you still grinning like that?"

"Do you even know how much pressure we were under to make changes of this magnitude?"

"I can't sleep well at night anymore! I'm losing my hair!!!"

Looking at this niece who was almost hysterical.

The idea of ​​suggesting drinking at the inauguration ceremony, which was originally intended, is now completely out of the question.

—I'll get yelled at to death for that.

"Hahaha, hahahaha..."

The awkward laughter couldn't hide the embarrassment at the moment.

But luckily...

This frustrating and despairing atmosphere didn't last long.

The voice of another old friend was approaching from afar at that moment.

"Oh, you're all here."

Help!
Kyoraku Shunsui let out a long sigh, then turned around with a broad smile.

"Ukitake! I've been waiting for you for so long!"

It takes a different turn from the original story.

In this timeline, Jushiro Ukitake was able to support the collapsing world without needing to withdraw the power of the Soul King from his body.

Even more...

After both hands returned to the control of the Grim Reaper, Jushiro Ukitake underwent a dramatic transformation.

Ise Nanao would never embarrass her captain in front of outsiders, so she could only purse her lips and stand silently beside Kyoraku Shunsui.

The second-generation captain breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, he also showed a gentle smile and looked his old friend up and down.

"How do you feel now?"

The question seemed like a riddle, but Jushiro Ukitake was perfectly able to understand what it meant.

He nodded heartily, speaking in a tone he had never used before.

"Yes, I'm in better shape than ever before!"

With the help of Kisuke Urahara and Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the Soul King's left and right hands worked together on Jushiro Ukitake's body, causing his frozen time to begin flowing again.

Terminal illnesses are not necessarily incurable.

The force that fixes the lesion, along with the force that propels the body forward, begins to exert its power, ultimately achieving the desired effect...

This allowed Jushiro Ukitake to completely escape the control of his illness.

He has the healthiest body he has ever had since birth.

This is wonderful news for both the person involved and their old friend. After confirming this information, Kyoraku Shunsui smiled and said...

"Really... That's wonderful."

Captain-Commander II was genuinely happy about the changes in his old friend.

At the same time, I also felt a little regretful.

"You've finally recovered, why are you in such a hurry to step down?"

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"Even if it's just to keep an old friend company, can't you hold on a little longer?"

Faced with Kyoraku Shunsui's complaints, Ukitake Jushiro spoke with a cheerful tone that he had never been able to utter before.

"A captain should act like a captain. Constantly saying things like 'I'm tired, it's hard, and I don't want to do it anymore' doesn't have a good influence on the other members."

Who cares about those things...

I wanted to make this comment.

But having served as captain for some time now, Kyoraku Shunsui, even if he hasn't made much progress, has at least learned to control his urge to speak.

Sensitive topics are not allowed.

Let's talk about something we can chat about.

“You old folks have all retired, and now I'm the only one still working hard... Is that appropriate?”

"Huh? Really?"

That's it!
Kyoraku Shunsui raised his right hand and said in a complaining tone.

"No need to say more, Mr. Shan. Captain Unohana stepped down eight years ago... Now even you are retiring behind the scenes. Haven't we basically all left our generation?"

The matter of Kenpachi's succession may be a regret in some respects.

But it's a great blessing that I'm still alive.

It is said that Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni and Unohana Retsu often appear in the mortal world.

"Didn't those two recently become obsessed with mountain climbing? It seems they started collecting trekking poles again recently, and spent all the money they had after retirement."

Kyoraku Shunsui sighed softly and couldn't help but shake his head at this moment.

"Honestly... at such an old age, he still doesn't settle down. It's really a headache."

Jushiro Ukitake was slightly curious.

"How do you know this?"

"My old man asked me for money!!!"

Faced with such complaints, the old friend couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter.

It was not meant as sarcasm.

Rather, it is a feeling that comes from the depths of one's heart.

"Isn't that a good thing? This era is no longer our stage... Why not give up our positions and let the younger generation shine?"

Kyoraku Shunsui didn't comment on Ukitake's remarks, but just glanced to the side.

It seemed that Ise Nanao had been waiting for him there for a long time.

At this moment, he spoke as if by reflex.

"Even if you want to step down, you should at least find someone who can take over." — This is already a considerable compromise compared to before.

Even so, it's enough to give anyone a headache.

After all, we are no longer in a state of wartime alert, and the so-called commander-in-chief is more like the supreme commander...

Instead, he is more like a 'chief steward' in another sense.

I don't want to do this anymore...

Because of the current internal situation of the Gotei 13...

There are just too many problem children!!!
While reflecting on his experience, Kyoraku Shunsui didn't forget to ask the person next to him a question.

"Speaking of which, I heard a while ago that Captain Hirako was also thinking of resigning?"

Ise Nanao seemed to have recalled some unpleasant memories.

Even his expression at that moment showed a hint of disgust.

"Of course! That guy said this is the latest reform plan... As a captain who is exhausted by work, he has the right to apply to step down from the front lines!"

I just mentioned it casually, but I didn't expect it to actually exist.

"Then what's your answer?"

"Find a successor first!"

"Ha...that's quite a difficult task."

Although Hinamori Momo, the vice-captain of the Fifth Division, is capable of fulfilling her duties, her lack of strength is her weakness.

If we wait a few more years... the other party might make some more obvious progress.

But before that, we still have to put Hirako Shinji through some hardship.

However, speaking of this, Kyoraku Shunsui also thought of another person.

"Where is the former captain of the Fifth Division now?"

Ise Nanao adjusted her glasses without making a sound.

"That guy? He's always hanging out with Captain Kotetsu... He's practically living in the Fourth Division! Even heroes should know better, right? He's so shameless... Who knows when he'll be having a baby!"

What's with this resentful comment...?

Although I really want to say something, after thinking about it carefully, it's better not to provoke Ise Nanao for the time being.

at the same time.

Located on one side of the guest room.

Kuchiki Byakuya and Abarai Renji, both with indifferent expressions, stood on either side, remaining silent at this moment.

Only when they heard a commotion behind them did the two of them turn their heads slightly to look over.

"Look at this...what do you think of this outfit?!"

Hisana Kuchiki's tone carried a hint of arrogance.

Not only because I was the lead makeup artist for this project, but also because...

The person standing beside her now, about to step onto the stage, is her blood-related younger sister.

Rukia Kuchiki.

She changed into a close-fitting haori, put her long hair up, and her expression was one of feigned composure, but the slight trembling of her body betrayed her true feelings.

There was still some time before they went on stage.

It's a good opportunity to get feedback from someone close to you.

Rukia stammered, her lips slightly dry from nervousness.

"How...how is it?"

Renji Abarai looked him up and down for a while, a half-smile appearing on his face.

He didn't say anything, but his almost mocking expression was enough to annoy people.

"What? Just say what you have to say!"

"No... I just feel that, well, it's starting to look a little bit decent."

Even if I wanted to praise someone, I couldn't find a suitable adjective.

Clumsy men have always been like that.

of course.

This law also applies to other people.

Kuchiki Byakuya silently stepped forward and, under Rukia's somewhat uneasy gaze, straightened her collar.

"As a team leader, you must always maintain proper conduct... Clothing and appearance are the most important aspects; remember, you cannot be perfunctory."

Rukia, who had initially looked somewhat nervous, suddenly became serious after hearing what the other person said, and then nodded vigorously in response.

"Good... good!"

As the price for Jushiro Ukitake's retirement, the next captain of the 13th Division...

It was Rukia Kuchiki, who was the vice-captain at the time.

The so-called bringing glory to one's ancestors may be far from enough, but as a female member of the clan and a member of the Kuchiki family, being able to serve as another captain in the Thirteenth Division is a great honor.

This is indeed a great privilege to be able to hold my head high and describe the facts with pride.

As the head of the Kuchiki family, he always maintained this calm and composed demeanor.

but……

Today can be a little different.

Kuchiki Byakuya looked at his family members in front of him, and a very faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"Congratulations, Rukia."

From now on, we are family, teammates, and colleagues.

"I am proud of you."

And on the other side.

It is located in the 12th Division barracks.

Because of the lingering presence of Nemuro, Akin, who remained in third place, was undergoing testing as usual.

This is an important function of the post-war reconstruction laboratory, supposedly to detect fluctuations in spiritual pressure across the three realms.

The specific rules and methods of reconnaissance are still unknown, but in any case, everyone in the Twelfth Division knows that the accuracy of this instrument is terrifying.

But if something exceeds the average...

This allows us to contact the outside world immediately and request assistance, enabling our forces in various locations to quickly assemble and handle the anomaly.

A very efficient method.

That is precisely to achieve this goal.

The Shinigami, Hollows, and Quincy have now reached a consensus and become a postwar alliance in another sense.

Leaving aside the mutually beneficial relationships between high-level officials, all three parties maintained a high degree of tacit understanding regarding matters involving underlying logic, and did not participate excessively in these matters...

Even a low-level Void will find it difficult to suppress its desire to devour.

The Grim Reapers and Quincy, as usual, carried out their duty of slaying evil souls.

Like the cycle of sunrise and sunset, this is also a manifestation and essence of nature.

It must be said that... after escaping Yhwach's control, the Quincy behaved much more normally.

Ah Jin, who had just taken a plate of insect curry 4.0 from the cafeteria and was hesitating about whether to ask them to remove the pickled vegetables next time she got her food, suddenly had a slight change in expression.

He received the alarm sound from the instrument precisely at that moment through the monitoring system.

Something's not right...

After putting down the tray, Ajin ran quickly back to the monitoring room.

A group of people had gathered in front of the screen. They were all members of this working group and subordinates of Ajin.

"What's the situation now?"

The group looked at each other, seemingly speechless.

But since they were all researchers, they quickly tried to make a summary.

"I don't know..."

"Because the detected data is not fixed..."

"It is still growing and rapidly increasing."

P.S.: I'd like to recommend my writing practice book; feel free to take a look if you're interested.

(End of this chapter)