Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero

The meeting in Room 46, filled with resentment and scheming, finally ended as night deepened.

The forty sages and judges, each with their own thoughts, silently left the underground council chamber, a symbol of supreme power yet also permeated with an air of decay.

Among them, Tsunayoshiro Suke—the sage who had been suppressed by the demonic path and humiliated in front of Yanagawa—had a face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.

Beneath the wide sleeves of his robe, his hands were clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.

He did not enter the Forty-Six Chambers based on his true talent or outstanding achievements, but simply because he had the blood of the Tsunayoshi family, one of the five great noble families.

And just then, the family needed someone "from their own" in the 46 Chambers, which allowed them to rise to the core of power in the Soul Society.

He was mediocre in ability and narrow-minded, yet he valued face and authority extremely.

In the previous "Twin Hyōrinmaru" incident, Yanagawa's ruthless actions made him a laughing stock both inside and outside the 46th Chamber, and he lost all his prestige.

This humiliation gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake day and night, and his hatred for Liuchuan had long since seeped into his bones.

The complaints at the meeting, coupled with the tacit support from his colleagues, allowed the malice in his heart to grow wildly like weeds.

Merely restricting or giving him a warning? No, that's not enough! He wants to completely eliminate this major threat, this guy who has brought him such humiliation!

They returned to the Tsunayo family mansion.

Instead of heading to the brightly lit main hall, Tsunayoshiro dismissed his attendants and walked alone through numerous corridors and barriers to reach a highly secluded underground chamber deep within the mansion.

The secret chamber was built of heavy spirit-blocking stones, and the interior was dimly lit, with only a few ever-burning lamps emitting a faint green glow, illuminating some ancient murals and talismans on the walls with unclear meanings.

The air was filled with a faint smell, a mixture of old parchment scrolls, peculiar herbs, and... a faint, almost imperceptible stench of blood.

This is where the Tsunayo family handles certain "inconvenient" matters.

As the family's representative in the 46 Chambers, Tsunayoshiro, though lacking in ability, possesses considerable authority and is aware of and able to utilize some of these resources.

He walked to a heavy obsidian table in the center of the secret room, took out a black jade talisman engraved with the crest of the Tsunayo family from his pocket, and pressed it into a recess on the table.

A slight mechanical sound rang out, and the tabletop slid open, revealing a bottomless vertical shaft that exuded a chilling aura.

He faced the shaft and, with a peculiar frequency and spiritual pressure fluctuation, whispered a few obscure incantations.

A moment later, four figures, like ghosts, shrouded in black bodysuits with only their cold eyes showing, silently leaped out of the shaft and knelt on one knee in front of Tsunayoshiro Sukekazu.

Their aura was almost imperceptible, but they were surrounded by a chilling, murderous aura that showed they had been through countless battles and were indifferent to life and death.

These are "shadow guards" secretly trained by the Tsunayo family; they are true assassins.

"Target: Zero Squad member, Yanagawa. Current location: Kido Clan headquarters." Tsunayoshiro's voice echoed in the secret room, cold and cruel.

"Your mission is not to kill him head-on. His strength is unknown, but to be able to join the Zero Division, he is no easy opponent. A direct assault would be too risky and would easily leave traces."

He paused, a glint of cunning and malice flashing in his eyes:

"I want you to prepare 'that thing'."

The leader of the "Shadow Guards" slightly raised his head, his cold gaze devoid of any emotion, and simply responded in a hoarse voice:

"Yes. The 'Spirit Binding Dust' is ready, and the dosage is sufficient."

"Binding Spirit Dust" is a forbidden drug secretly developed by the Tsunayo family. It is not a poison, but a special powder that is extremely fine, colorless, odorless, and can highly interfere with the flow of spiritual energy.

If inhaled in large quantities through breathing or skin contact, even a captain-level Shinigami will experience severe symptoms such as sluggish spiritual pressure flow and limited ability performance within a short period of time, resulting in a significant reduction in strength.

This "result" was obtained by the Tsunayo family through enormous resources and certain inhumane experiments, and it has been strictly sealed away and rarely used.

Gangya Shigeyu nodded in satisfaction. With the "Binding Spirit Dust," plus the carefully laid traps and unexpected attacks, they were satisfied.

Even if Liu Chuan is very strong, if he is caught off guard and hit, his combat power will inevitably be greatly reduced.

But having assassins and drugs alone is not enough; what is needed is a "reasonable" "murderer" who can make Liuchuan "voluntarily" step into the trap and who is "logical" in the subsequent investigation.

Tsuna and Miyako secretly arrived at a prison.

Behind the door, a special "serious criminal" was being held.

He walked to the iron gate, unlocked several restrictions, and the heavy iron gate slowly opened with a screeching sound.

Inside the door was a narrow cell containing only a stone bed.

A man with disheveled hair and heavy shackles on his hands and feet was sitting against the corner of the wall.

The man raised his head, revealing a face crisscrossed with scars, yet still unable to conceal its ferocity and madness, especially his eyes, which, like those of a wounded, trapped beast, were filled with savagery and an extreme yearning for freedom.

This person was once a notorious thug in Soul Society, having committed numerous horrific massacres and acts of destruction. He possesses immense spiritual pressure and fights with cruel and unpredictable methods.

"Scarface the Executioner... Do you want to get out?" Tsunayoshiro stood at the door, looking at the prisoner, his voice full of temptation.

The scarred man abruptly raised his head, a terrifying glint in his eyes, his shackles rattling loudly: "What...did you say?"

"Help me complete one task, and afterwards, I'll give you your freedom—true freedom—to leave Soul Society and go wherever you want."

Tsunayo Sakuwa spoke slowly, as if stating an established fact.

"Of course, you need to 'escape' first, and then... I will give you a location where you will 'coincidentally' meet a big shot from the Zero Division."

You will have a 'fierce' battle. All you need to do is... give it your all and 'kill' him. Of course, I will create the most favorable conditions for you."

Scarface stared intently at Tsunayoshiro. He wasn't stupid; he knew there must be something fishy going on.

A member of the Zero Division? What does that even mean? Let him kill? But... the temptation of freedom is too great.

Imprisoned in this dark and hopeless place, he had already gone mad; his yearning for freedom overwhelmed all reason.

"Why should I believe you?" Scarface asked hoarsely.

"Do you have a choice?" Tsunayoshi sneered. "If you don't cooperate, you'll rot here forever. If you cooperate, you at least have a chance to regain your freedom. And..."

He softened his tone, "Afterwards, I will arrange for you to leave Seireitei through secret channels, and even leave Soul Society. My Tsunayo family still has that much influence."

All you need to do is play the role of a murderer who "takes revenge after escaping from prison, unexpectedly encounters a member of the Zero Squad, and brutally kills him." I will handle all the traces.

Scarface remained silent for a long time, his eyes clashing violently with madness and struggle. In the end, his desire for freedom overwhelmed all his doubts.

He nodded emphatically, his voice like sandpaper scraping: "Fine! I'll do it! But if you lie to me..."

"Don't worry, we... will each get what we need."

Gang Midai revealed a sinister smile. Of course, he would not let Scarface go. How could he leave a murderer who knew so much inside information alive?

After the deed is done, the safest course of action would be for the "murderer to be killed on the spot in a fierce battle with the members of the Zero Division." Only the dead can keep the secret forever.

The core of the plan is clear: let Scarface "escape" and then have Shadow Guards guide him to a pre-arranged ambush location filled with "binding dust".

Once Liu Chuan steps into the trap and inhales or comes into contact with a large amount of "Binding Dust," his spiritual power will be restricted, and his combat strength will be greatly reduced.

Then, the ambushing "Shadow Guards" will launch a surprise attack in conjunction with Scarface in his berserk state... The success rate will be extremely high.

Afterwards, the scene would only leave behind a "perfect" ending: "Zero Squad member Yanagawa fought fiercely with Scarface to stop the escaped convict, but was unfortunately attacked and killed, and the murderer was also killed."

Everything was reasonable and logical. Even if the Spirit King Palace investigated in anger, it would be difficult to find direct evidence pointing to the Tsunayo family.

At most, the blame would be placed on the inadequate defense of the Seireitei, which allowed serious criminals to escape and led to the deaths of the Zero Division members.

"Yanagikawa... a genius from Squad Zero? Hmph, blame yourself for being too arrogant, blocking my way, and bringing shame upon me!"

Tsunayoshiro's eyes gleamed with resentment and glee, as if he could already see Yanagawa lying in a pool of blood, while he himself regained his authority.

He turned around and gave the order to the leader of the "Shadow Guards" behind him:

"Let's get started..."

"Yes!" The leader of the shadow guards bowed and accepted the order.