The Supreme Soul, Starting with Death

"That old man must be the only son of Lord Shihouin Senhi, right?"

Yoruichi didn't think much of it at the time. She just felt that it was normal for Kisuke to respect his ancestor, Lord Senhi. As the first captain of the Second Division, Lord Senhi's name was indeed worthy of respect for those who knew of his existence.

But at this moment, she finally realized that the era in which Lord Senhi was active was the most chaotic and violent time in Soul Society. Although the 13th Division had already established a preliminary division of labor, almost all Shinigami had a common mission: to kill all those who resisted or caused trouble. Lord Senhi was no exception.

As the only son of Lord Senri, the maternal grandfather, influenced by his father from a young age...

Perhaps, maybe, possibly, I really don't have a very good temper?

So, what Kisuke was actually admiring was my courageous spirit of courting death?

Damn it, that guy knew I was courting death but didn't just warn me. Next time I'll really beat the shit out of him to feel better!

With her childhood sweetheart firmly in her heart, Yoruichi sat up even more upright, adopting the demeanor of the heir to the Shihouin family.

"Grandpa, you must have something important to tell me so urgently. Yoruichi is ready to do her part for the family. Please tell me directly."

The old man wanted his granddaughter to be serious, but when Yoruichi actually became serious, he felt uncomfortable. He felt that his granddaughter, whom he usually doted on, was distancing herself from him, and for a moment he even felt a little... sad.

He coughed lightly, pushed a plate of snacks in front of Yoruichi, and the old man resumed his amiable demeanor.

"It is important, but Yoruichi, you don't need to be so serious. Just relax."

"Hey, that's exactly what I've been waiting for, old man!"

Yoruichi's upright posture instantly collapsed. Even after sitting upright for only a short while, she felt itchy all over. It was definitely more comfortable to sit casually cross-legged.

Seeing his familiar granddaughter return, the old man was very pleased and then got down to business.

"Yoruichi, you haven't joined the Gotei 13 yet, right?"

As soon as the old man said this, Yoruichi's eyes lit up, and she stopped reaching for the snacks, her excitement overflowing.

"Grandpa, you've finally agreed to let me join the team!?"

Yoruichi is undoubtedly a true genius. Although she is still considered a child among the Shinigami, she can confidently say that, looking at the entire 13 Divisions, apart from the mysterious vice-captain of the 1st Division who is not entirely certain, the vice-captains of any other division are absolutely no match for her. Once she masters Bankai, she even dares to say that the vast majority of captains will not be her match.

Yoruichi had wanted to join the 13th Division for a long time, but the old man always refused, saying that she was not yet ready and needed to focus on improving for a few more years. As a result, fifty years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Now that the old man has brought this up himself, does it mean he agrees to her joining the team?

The old man nodded, then shook his head. Before Yoruichi could ask further, he brought up another matter.

"Yoruichi, do you still remember Saito Yoruichi?"

Yoruichi frowned, thought hard for a while, and finally remembered the somewhat familiar girl, nodding.

"I remember, the genius of the Saito family, right? People used to compare me to her all the time. I didn't like her; she didn't seem like a good person."

As the heir to the Shihouin family, one of the four great noble families, Yoruichi has enough confidence to say that she dislikes someone, even if that person is the heir of a higher-ranking noble family.

The old man didn't care about his granddaughter's opinions on the other noble heirs; he simply nodded calmly and continued speaking.

"It's good that you still remember. That child broke a taboo, and if nothing unexpected happens, he should be sentenced to three to five hundred years in prison."

"Now that she's escaped, Yoruichi, if you can bring her back successfully, you'll become the vice-captain of the Second Division, and some affairs of the Onmitsukido and the Execution Army will gradually be handed over to you. If you fail, then you can stay home and train peacefully for another fifty years."

Upon hearing this, Yoruichi frowned slightly. It wasn't that she cared about the punishment for failure mentioned by the old man; she had never thought she would fail. She was just wondering how Saito Yoruichi managed to escape, given her abilities.

Are the Criminal Investigation Corps and the Covert Operations Corps all just sitting around doing nothing?

P.S.: Shihouin Senhi was the first captain of the Second Division, but he could not have been the first head of the Shihouin family.

The history of the 13th Division is only a thousand years old. Yoruichi is the 22nd head of the family. If Senhika is the first head of the family, doesn't that mean the Shihouin family will change heads every 40 years?

Considering the lifespan of the Grim Reaper, this elimination rate is outrageous; the four noble families couldn't possibly be that incompetent.

So, I did a second setting: four generations over a thousand years, averaging over two hundred years per generation. Although it's still a bit short, considering those who died in battle, it should be reasonably plausible, since the captain doesn't die that easily.

Finally, here's the second update! Please vote and add to your favorites!

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Confidence

Yoruichi, who is outspoken about her dissatisfaction with the heirs of higher-ranking noble families, showed no mercy when discussing the Execution Army and the Secret Service, which have been controlled by her family for thousands of years, and spoke her mind directly.

"Are the Execution Army and the Covert Force guys all useless? That Saito Yoru no Mikoto isn't even a vice-captain, is he?"

How could they let someone escape like that?

The old man listened to his granddaughter's complaints and shook his head with amusement. Although the nominal head of the Shihōin family was Yoruichi's father, who had married into the family, the commanders of the Execution Army and the Commander-in-Chief of the Covert Forces had always been members of the Shihōin family. The person sitting in that position now was Yoruichi's mother. Yoruichi had just managed to insult her own mother as well.

"Don't say that about Yoruichi. After all, Yoruichi is the only heir of the Saito family."

"So what if I'm an heir? Status doesn't equate to strength." Yoruichi was about to retort when she suddenly stopped, realizing the true meaning of those words, and her eyebrows furrowed deeply.

"Has the head of the Saito family made his move?"

The old man was even more pleased with his granddaughter's sensitivity and smiled as he confirmed her guess.

"That's right. The Saito family is, after all, a high-ranking noble family. They have gathered a large number of lower-ranking nobles below them and attached themselves to the Tsunayo family early on. With their combined efforts, it's not so easy for the Saito family's only heir to be imprisoned."

"The secret police and the execution army ultimately serve the nobility, not justice. When a large number of nobles express their opposition, even if they are mobilized, it will only be for show. If they really go against the nobles, it is equivalent to cutting off their own foundation. They will probably be dismantled and reorganized under various pretexts within a hundred years."

Although Yoruichi is young, she is not naive. Having grown up in the Shihōin family, she knows that her grandfather was right. The Execution Army and the Covert Force are the foundation of the Shihōin family. If they are dismantled and reorganized, the Shihōin family will probably decline quickly, and her family will also fall into a miserable state.

Therefore, even though she felt a deep disgust for this "millennial tacit understanding among the nobility," she suppressed her personal feelings and thought about the issue purely as the heir of the Shihouin family.

"So, that's why Grandpa wanted me to hunt down Saito Yoru, who 'ran away'? I haven't joined the 13th Division yet, nor have I ever been involved in the affairs of the Execution Army or the Onmitsukido. In the eyes of the various noble families, I'm still just a child who hasn't grown up."

"Even if I bring Saito Yoru back, it's just a conflict between 'children.' It maintains the authority of the Shihouin family, tells those guys that the Execution Army and the Covert Force will not be manipulated by them, and doesn't directly break off relations?"

As Yoruichi finished speaking, her voice unconsciously lowered. She felt that although the reason was barely plausible, it didn't seem quite sufficient, and she lost confidence in the end.

"That's the reason on the surface. It's like child's play, but as long as there's a reason, that's enough."

The old man didn't seem to care about Yoruichi's immaturity. He nodded first, fully acknowledging her line of thinking, before correcting her mistakes.

"As for the real reason I asked you to hunt him down, it's actually quite simple: to prove that Saito Yoru no Mikoto is not worth saving by his family."

"Everyone thinks that Yoruichi is a genius, and she has even been compared to you. The Saito family has high hopes for her, believing that she will definitely be able to take a captain's position in the future."

"As long as she can become the captain, for at least two hundred years, an entire squad of Shinigami will gravitate towards the Saito family under that child's influence. Among these Shinigami, there is a possibility that the next captain will emerge, and the next two hundred years of stable interests will be secured. This is the value of Saito Yoru no Mikoto."

"So what if she committed a crime? As long as she has enough value, she can 'escape' and hide for a while. As long as she can come back with the strength to be a captain, she can still be the heir of the Saito family just by changing her name."

At this point, the old man snorted coldly in displeasure. In his youth, there were no such nonsense and convoluted schemes. He would have simply stormed into the Saito family and crippled their heir, and then seen if they would still fight against the Xingjun for a good-for-nothing.

Unfortunately, over the course of a thousand years, the environment has gradually changed, and the daughter and son-in-law have also failed to live up to expectations. Even though the Shihōin family is one of the four great noble families, it no longer has the domineering confidence it once had and can only play the game slowly and cautiously according to the rules.

After calming himself down, the old man continued to explain to his granddaughter.

"And if Yoruichi, you succeed in bringing that child back, it proves that she is far inferior to you and is not a genius capable of becoming a captain. Even if she does become a captain in the future, she is destined to be suppressed by you."

“In this way, her greatest value will naturally disappear. Even if we throw her in prison for five hundred or a thousand years, or even kill her directly, the Saito family will not utter a single protest on her behalf.”

Such a blunt argument about prioritizing self-interest made Yoruichi feel increasingly uncomfortable. She unconsciously clenched her fists, lowered her head slightly, and slowly uttered a heavy voice.

“I understand. I will prove that Saito Yoru is not a genius; she is just an ordinary criminal who commits crimes by taking advantage of her family’s influence. But!”

Her voice suddenly rose, and Yoruichi gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, looking solemnly at her closest family member. After a brief struggle, she finally asked the question that terrified her.

"If, if one day I become a sinner in the eyes of the Seireitei, will my family, no, my grandfather, also examine my worth and decide whether to abandon me?"

Yoruichi has her own sense of justice. She doesn't believe she will really become a criminal, but she needs to know the answer, even though the process of waiting for the answer terrifies her.

Seeing Yoruichi's serious expression, the old man suddenly laughed, a flash of light appeared at his fingertips, and he struck Yoruichi's forehead heavily with "Hado I, Rush," leaving a small red mark.

"What nonsense are you talking about at such a young age? Measuring value is a choice made by the weak under pressure. They don't have enough confidence, so they can only value each member of their tribe and protect their own interests through sophisticated transactions."

"But looking at the entire Soul Society, who can put pressure on our Shihouin family? As long as our family continues to prosper, we have the confidence not to abandon any family member."

“My father has the confidence, and your mother and I have the confidence too. We are all willing to promise not to abandon any family member. However, when the Shihōin family is passed down to you, Yoruichi, whether you have the confidence to protect your family and children will depend on your own efforts. You must not let the Shihōin family decline in your hands.”

After scolding his overthinking granddaughter, the old man was in a great mood. His white beard seemed to be filled with pride as he laughed and waved his hand.

"Alright, alright, young man, don't think too much about it. Just finish what you're doing. The tracking device will be delivered to you by the Criminal Investigation Department in a bit. Once you're ready, get going!"

Yoruichi covered her bright red forehead, tears welling up in her eyes from the pain, but she was smiling happily.

"Old man, you actually hit me! Get ready, once I bring Saito Yoru back, I'll pluck all your beard hairs off!"

Chapter Seventy-Eight: Patting Head

"Grim Reaper, why did you turn around just now? If you hadn't made that move, you wouldn't have exposed your back and gotten injured, right?"

Jiro asked with a curious look in his eyes. Asido, who was being asked the question, looked a little embarrassed. A blush of shame appeared on his typically tough face. He didn't know how to answer the question.

Just now, a few small Hollows blocked Jiro's path because they weren't fast enough. Jiro's height had increased since he first evolved into a Killian, reaching 33 meters. When looking at him at eye level, he couldn't even notice the little creatures that were only a little over two meters tall.

So, Erlang simply took a normal step and kicked those little Hollows away. One of the Hollows that was hit head-on died instantly without even struggling, but the other two Hollows were only grazed and, although they were seriously injured, they survived.

Following the principle of not wasting anything, Ashido planned to kill the two Hollows. However, he did not expect that when he tried to kill the sheep-shaped Hollow, the frog-shaped Hollow still had the strength to fight back and used its frog-like tongue to ambush him.

Sensing the attack from behind, Ashido instinctively turned around to parry with his sword. While he successfully parried, he was taken advantage of by the sheep-shaped Hollow that he had initially intended to kill as he turned around, and it rammed him in the back.

Although the difference in spiritual power was obvious, the sheep-shaped Xiaoxu's desperate attack only barely pierced Ashido's spiritual pressure, leaving a shallow scratch on his body. It was not serious at all, and even with Ashido's poor Dao cultivation, he could easily heal it.

But no matter what, an injury is an injury. To get injured while harvesting two dying Hollows was a disgrace to Ashido, so shameful that he didn't dare to speak. But Jiro wouldn't let him off the hook, asking such a sarcastic question, making him even more embarrassed.

However, although Jiro's question sounded sarcastic, he didn't actually mean it that way. He was just genuinely curious as to why Asido would use such an unwise approach.

If Jiro were in Asido's shoes, he felt he would grab the sheep-shaped creature by the neck and use it as a human shield to block attacks, or he would crouch down and charge forward, diving directly under the sheep-shaped creature's belly.

In any case, turning around is a very inappropriate action when facing a sneak attack from behind.

"Don't misunderstand, Ashido. Jiro didn't mean to mock you. He doesn't have the habit of beating around the bush or being sarcastic. If he really wanted to mock you, he would have been more direct."

Seeing that Erlang still wanted to continue asking questions, and that Asido was so ashamed that he was about to run away, Gu Shi quickly stepped forward, comforted Asido first, then slapped Erlang on the head and glared at him in annoyance.

"Are you not using your brain again? Can't you put yourself in someone else's shoes? Aside from long-term missions like guarding the mortal realm, when have you ever seen Death act alone?"

The Great Hollow's defensive power was undeniable. Although Gu Shi slapped hard, the sound of the slap hitting his head even made Asido's ears hurt a little, but Jiro didn't feel anything at all. He scratched the spot where he was hit, staring at Gu Shi with curiosity in his eyes.

Gu Shi rolled his eyes. Seeing that Erlang showed no intention of thinking for himself, he could only continue explaining.

"Unlike Hollows who are used to fighting alone, Shinigami are numerous and have a tight organizational structure. Captain-level Shinigami are few in number, but ordinary Shinigami will definitely use their numbers to overwhelm opponents when they go on combat missions, otherwise it would be a waste of the resources spent on training new Shinigami every year."

"Since they are going on a combat mission together, the Grim Reapers will inevitably have to cooperate with each other during the battle. When facing a small number of enemies, it goes without saying that a siege is more efficient. When facing a large number of enemies, they will help each other to defend against attacks from blind spots. Fighting back to back is naturally safer."

"In this cooperative combat mode, when do you think a Grim Reaper would be attacked from behind?"

Since Gu Shi had already said all that, the answer was obvious, and Erlang answered without hesitation.

"When your comrade falls!"