Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero

The Heavenly Pillar Chariot descended, however, perhaps due to an extremely slight deviation in the remotely guided Spirit Reconstruction Technique, or perhaps due to some abnormality in the Spirit Flow of Soul Society today.

The trajectory of the Heavenly Pillar Carriage deviated subtly.

Boom! ...

It exploded in a dense, secluded forest on the outskirts of Seireitei.

The massive pillar of the Heavenly Pillar Chariot smashed a large crater in the middle of the forest, stirring up clouds of dust and startling flocks of birds.

The hatch slid open, and Liu Chuan stepped out, looking around.

Surrounded by towering ancient trees, sunlight filters through the dense canopy, casting dappled patterns of light.

"It's deviated?" Liu Chuan sensed the flow of spiritual particles and geographical features around him.

He quickly determined the approximate location—it was situated on the western outskirts of Seireitei, deep in the forest, and rarely visited by humans.

"It seems that the accuracy of remote guidance is still problematic, or it has been interfered with."

Liu Chuan muttered to himself, not too annoyed. After all, the landing accuracy of a "transportation vehicle" like the Heavenly Pillar Carriage couldn't be expected to be perfect.

He glanced at the giant pillar stuck in the pit.

"We need to mark the coordinates of this thing first, and then contact the Shiba family to have them send someone to retrieve it."

Otherwise, leaving it here could cause trouble if it were accidentally touched by a resident of Rukongai or some unknown creature.

Suddenly, Yanagawa caught a rapidly approaching spiritual pressure fluctuation coming from the distant forest, along with... the sound of conversation?

Moreover, these two spiritual pressures felt somewhat familiar.

Liu Chuan stopped what he was doing, turned around, and looked in the direction from which the spiritual pressure was coming.

Before long, two figures, one after the other, emerged from the dense bushes and overgrown branches into Liuchuan's view.

The person in front was petite, dressed in a standard Shinigami uniform, with short, dark purple hair. His expression was initially anxious and wary, but upon seeing Yanagawa, his eyes filled with surprise.

"Yanagawa... classmate?" Rukia Kuchiki stopped in her tracks, almost blurting out the question, her voice filled with deep confusion.

"You... how did you get here? At this time... shouldn't you already be in the Spirit King's Palace?"

The person behind her also slowly approached. He was a male Grim Reaper with a gentle face and long white hair.

Wearing the captain's haori, her face was slightly pale, and she had a sickly air about her, but her eyes were gentle and wise.

It was none other than Jushiro Ukitake, the captain of the 13th Division.

Liu Chuan was somewhat surprised by the appearance of the two, but quickly regained his composure.

He nodded to Rukia Kuchiki: "I just returned from the Soul King's Palace, but... there seems to have been a slight deviation during landing, and I strayed from the intended location."

He gave a brief explanation, then his gaze swept over the two of them, especially the lingering anxiety on Rukia's face, and the gentle yet somewhat grave expression on Ukitake Jushiro's face, before he asked:

"As for you two, what brings you here? Judging from your expressions, it seems you have something urgent to discuss?"

Rukia glanced at Jushiro Ukitake, and seeing the captain nod slightly, she took a deep breath and explained in a slightly faster voice:

"We are here because of Vice Captain Haiyan. According to the latest intelligence, that Hollow—Metastacia, who murdered Vice Captain Haiyan's wife—has appeared in the nearby area."

Upon learning the news, Deputy Captain Haiyan, driven by a thirst for revenge, had already taken the lead in tracking down the location.

We received the message and rushed here immediately to meet up with Deputy Captain Haiyan and provide him with support.

Metastacia? The Hollow who murdered Shiba Kaien's wife? A thought flashed through Yanagawa's mind.

He recalled the expressions on Shiba Kukaku and Ganju's faces when they mentioned their older brother at the Shiba residence, and he also remembered some rumors about Shiba Kaien—the genius vice-captain of the 13th Division and the current head of the Shiba family.

It turns out it was for revenge.

"I see." Yanagawa understood. He glanced at the Heavenly Pillar Carriage behind him that needed to be dealt with, then at Rukia, who looked worried, and at Ukitake Jushiro, who, though calm, had a hint of seriousness between his brows.

After a moment's thought, he said, "In that case, I'll travel with you two. It just so happens that I also need to speak with Vice Captain Haiyan."

He pointed to the Heavenly Pillar Chariot behind him, "The recovery of this thing will probably require the help of the Shiba family. I'll go and discuss it with them on the way."

Upon hearing this, Jushiro Ukitake's pale yet handsome face revealed a gentle smile. He coughed lightly twice before speaking slowly:

"It would be most welcome if Lord Yanagawa were to accompany us."

"Captain Ukitake, you flatter me," Yanagawa said. He noticed that Ukitake Jushiro's breathing was unsteady and he was coughing incessantly, so he couldn't help but ask:

"Captain Ukitake, your body..."

"It's an old problem, nothing serious."

Jushiro Ukitake waved his hand, his smile still gentle, but the hint of sickly melancholy between his brows lingered.

He seemed unwilling to discuss his illness further and changed the subject.

"Let's not delay, let's set off now. Haiyan... he's probably already engaged with that 'feint'."

Without further delay, the three of them, guided by Rukia's familiarity with Kaien's spiritual pressure and the directions indicated by the intelligence, quickly headed deeper into the forest.

Liu Chuan temporarily put the matter of the Heavenly Pillar Carriage aside, since the coordinates had already been noted, and it wouldn't be too late to deal with it later.

During the journey, in order to ease the slightly heavy atmosphere, or perhaps because they were still surprised to see Yanagawa, their former "classmate," here.

Rukia initiated a conversation with Yanagawa, and the topic naturally revolved around the person they were rushing to support—Shiba Kaien.

"Brother Haiyan... he's really amazing." Rukia's voice was filled with undisguised admiration and respect.

"He is a true genius. Back in the True Central Spiritual Arts Academy, he completed the entire course that originally required six years in just one year and graduated with the highest honors."

After joining the 13th Division, he started as the third seat and, in just five years, became the vice-captain thanks to his undeniable strength and prestige.

She paused, her tone softening further, tinged with a hint of heartache:

"Due to health reasons, Captain Ukitake often needs to rest, and the affairs of the team, big and small, are basically handled entirely by Vice Captain Kaien."

He not only managed the team affairs perfectly, but also took great care of the team members, especially me…”

Rukia's voice lowered, as if she was recalling many details of how she had been taken care of, and her face flushed slightly.

"He was like a reliable and gentle older brother, giving me a lot of guidance and help in both work and life. Everyone in the team respected and liked him."

Liuchuan listened quietly, and from Rukia's narration, he could clearly feel her deep trust and admiration for Shiba Kaien.

It wasn't just the respect a subordinate showed to their superior; it was also mixed with complex emotions, much like those towards family or idols.

It seems that this Vice-Captain Haiyan holds a very special position in the 13th Division and in Rukia's heart.

Jushiro Ukitake listened quietly without interrupting, but a deep worry and helplessness were also revealed in his gentle eyes.

His occasional, barely suppressed coughs sounded particularly clear in the quiet forest.

Liu Chuan nodded, indicating his understanding. The hatred for someone who killed his wife was irreconcilable.

Given Shiba Kaien's loyal, righteous, and highly responsible personality, it's not surprising that he would be so obsessed with revenge.

However, in Soul Society, when Shinigami lose their composure due to hatred, it often means greater danger.

The three of them said no more, quickened their pace, and sped off into the depths of the forest toward the direction from which the unusual spiritual pressure was faintly emanating.