The Alchemist in Bleach

"So your solution is..."

"Yes, Zanpakuto fusion!"

Ichiro paused for a moment. This was exactly what he had expected, but he hadn't dared to do it or face the matter.

"What happens to the sword spirit after the fusion?"

"...Gone, completely merged with death..."

"Then what's the point?"

"It's no use, but there's no other way..."

"So what do you want to do?"

"Me? What can I do? Would you become stronger at the expense of the world?"

Of course not!

"Me too, of course, I'm talking about Benihime."

Ichiro smiled, easing the heavy atmosphere somewhat. He asked, "So, you're telling me all this not just to inform me of this, are you?"

"Yes, that's not all. There's one more thing. I hope you can support Mayuri Kurotsuchi as the director of the Technology Development Bureau in the future!"

Instantly, the atmosphere in the room, which had eased somewhat, became heavy again. Ichiro paused for a moment, then asked Urahara instead of responding, "Are you really sure?"

"Heh~ Are there any other options? Take the Zanpakuto for example. Do you think Oetsu Nimaiya knows about it? Does the monk know about it? All these factors make me think a lot. Also, you should have received the mission to create a backup Soul King, right? From the Captain-Commander."

Ichiro shook his head with a wry smile: "It's true, you can't hide anything from me. Well, I received the mission from the Captain-Commander, but it won't be activated anytime soon. You know, Yue Ling is a simulated Spirit King, and I don't really want to do this kind of thing."

“It’s not that I can’t, but that I don’t want to, right? That’s right. As long as you have enough materials, you can create a spare Spirit King anytime with your alchemy skills,” Urahara said, leaning back in his chair. “So, if you’re in charge of this, the Captain-Commander’s tolerance for me will decrease. I can’t stay here. There are too many rules here.”

"Fine, you decide your own affairs. I hope we'll never become adversaries." With that, Ichiro turned and left.

"Don't worry, it won't happen. After all, no one knows better than me just how strong you really are..."

And so, Ichiro left Urahara's office. He didn't try to persuade Urahara, because he knew very well that Urahara and Yoruichi were just like that; the Soul Society, such a corrupt place, was not suitable for them.

They are fundamentally different from Ichiro. Ichiro has experienced far more than them and has come to terms with many things. For Ichiro, whether the Seireitei is corrupt or not is none of his business, as long as it doesn't infringe on his own interests.

There is a saying that goes, "When you are successful, you should help others; when you are unsuccessful, you should cultivate your own virtue."

But what does this world have to do with him?

Therefore, no matter how corrupt the Seireitei is, as long as Tenshin Ichiro still has a place to conduct experiments and research, he doesn't care.

As for Urahara's claim that he supported Mayuri after he left, Ichiro believes there's no need to worry about that.

With Urahara gone, the only people most suitable to be the bureau chief are Ichiro and Mayuri.

After all, the position of director requires expertise in many fields. Although Ichiro and Mayuri's "research pool" is much smaller than Urahara's, they are still among the top two after Urahara.

Even Kiryu and Senjumaru are no match for them.

Among them, Ichiro is about to become the director of the Kido Research Bureau, and naturally, the position of director of the Technology Development Bureau can only be filled by him.

In fact, he is the most suitable person for this position.

People like Ichiro and his group are capable enough, but not tough enough. They tend to be too smooth when things go wrong, which makes them no match for those idiots. In the entire R&D Bureau, only Mayuri Nene meets this requirement.

Because this guy is a madman, a complete and utter madman!

What is the opinion of Room 46?

Do you think a madman would listen?

It's good enough that he doesn't cause trouble!

So there's really no need to worry about Mayuri. As soon as Urahara leaves, Mayuri can immediately take over and perfectly take over. And with the Captain-Commander whose physical abilities are gradually returning to their peak, there's even less need to worry about him causing any trouble.

So Ichiro silently returned to his office, holding a document in his hand, but his mind wasn't on it...

Because, after Urahara said that, he also noticed some points that he hadn't noticed before. He immediately used his mind to summon the world to the Technology Development Bureau, and then he started staring blankly at the documents.

"Dong Dong~"

"Lord Ichiro."

"The world? Come in."

The world pushed open the door and entered. Seeing a hint of worry between Ichiro's brows, she naturally walked behind Ichiro and began massaging his shoulders, saying, "What's wrong? Is something bothering you? Tell me so I can cheer you up~"

"You're researching Zanpakuto fusion technology, right?!"

The world paused in its actions, its expression freezing for a moment, before it asked somewhat awkwardly, "What is Zanpakuto fusion technology? Has Lord Ichiro changed his mind?"

Ichiro shook his head coldly: "No need to play dumb or change the subject. You know what I'm talking about. Urahara has already figured it out. Although I haven't seen it, I can roughly guess what the process is. And you can't possibly not know what Zanpakuto fusion is. So, you're really researching this technology?"

The world's lies are extremely clumsy. Just as Ichiro said, it's impossible for her not to know about Zanpakuto fusion. After all, this is something that Aizen and Ichigo demonstrated in the original work, and it's a very classic plot. The world, which has some of Ichiro's memories, couldn't possibly not understand it.

So there's only one possibility: she's lying!

The world paused for a moment, then, standing behind Ichiro, slowly nodded and whispered, "Because this will allow Lord Ichiro's power to increase rapidly..."

"I don't need it!" Before the world could finish speaking, Ichiro stood up, turned around, and looked at the world seriously, saying solemnly, "I don't need it! I, Tenshin Ichiro, have gotten to where I am today through my own efforts, and it has nothing to do with Zanpakuto! I didn't need Zanpakuto to give me power in the past, and I won't need it in the future! Do you hear me, World? I can reach that level even without fusing with Zanpakuto!"

The world fell silent. Although Ichiro's words were hurtful, she knew he had said them to persuade her to abandon her idea of ​​sacrificing herself. Therefore, she was even more determined to research...

Suddenly, Ichiro hugged Sekai tightly, pulling him into his arms, and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Promise me you'll give up the Zanpakuto fusion plan, okay? I don't need the power, all I need is for you to be by my side, okay?"

"..." The world froze for a moment, with only one thought in its mind...

Is this considered a confession of love? I guess it is, right? I guess it is, right?

Just as the world was brainstorming, her body reacted for her, reaching out to hug Ichiro, then tilting her head back and closing her eyes.

Ichiro was taken aback. Although he hadn't experienced it himself, he had watched so many romance anime before that he knew a thing or two. So he closed his eyes and slowly lowered his head.

Then......

He kissed the sword hilt...

Ichiro:......

world:......

At the crucial moment, the world's body reacted once again on her behalf, transforming back into her Zanpakuto...

This made Ichiro regret his slow action and also filled him with lingering fear. Thankfully, the problem was discovered in time; what if it suddenly turned back into a sword later...?

Ichiro shivered, and after regaining his senses, he placed the world, which had transformed back into a Zanpakuto, on the table. He coughed lightly, took a few steps back, and said somewhat awkwardly, "That's about all I wanted to say. As for the Zanpakuto fusion technique, there's no need to research it. I'll figure out a way to do that."

As Ichiro spoke, the Zanpakuto on the table disintegrated into specks of light, drifting directly towards the door, leaving behind only a slightly embarrassed utterance...

"Ah."

Watching the world depart, Ichiro couldn't help but smile. Wasn't he quite bold back then? As expected, he was a theorist who believed in high offense and low defense.

Of course, while thinking this way, Ichiro overlooked another issue: the world and he were two sides of the same coin. Although their personalities differed, they were quite similar in some ways, for example, they were both... um...

However, it's a good thing he didn't notice, because it means that in Ichiro's eyes, the world isn't his Zanpakuto, but rather a very important companion, or rather, a partner...

Shaking his head, Ichiro casually picked up a book and began to read. Unfortunately, even after less than two minutes, Ichiro's mind wandered again. The difference was that before, his mind wandered because of sorrow; now, it was because of the sweetness in his heart…

"Crack~"

After a long pause, Ichiro suddenly realized what was happening and angrily slammed the document in his hand onto the table!

This trashy relationship is ruining my studies!

Unfortunately, the next second, Ichiro was once again lost in memories. It seems that emotions are not only a major taboo for those who fight against others, but also for researchers!

And so, time slowly passed. A week later, the Central 46 issued two orders, once again shocking the entire Soul Society!

The first thing, naturally, is the formal establishment of the Kido Research Bureau, with Ichiro serving as the first director, Suzuran Tsuki serving as the head of the chanting department, and the rest of the candidates being selected by themselves. The assessment is roughly the same as that of the Technology Development Bureau, with results as the standard.

Unlike the Technology Development Bureau, the Ghost Path Research Bureau only looks at results, not profits. That is to say, even if a newly developed theory has no practical use at present, it can still be counted in the Ghost Path Research Bureau's assessment.

This is also one of the reasons why the Ghost Path Research Bureau has been holding back. Although theoretical research is cheaper, it is not without cost. This regulation means that the Central 46th Bureau may have to support the Ghost Path Research Bureau indefinitely, which they will naturally not easily agree to.

However, there's nothing that can be done about it. That's how theoretical research is. If you're lucky, it might be put into practical use and generate benefits in a few years. If you're unlucky, it might take decades or even centuries to generate practical benefits. This is a decision that can't be made lightly.

Of course, the establishment of the Kido Research Bureau surprised many Shinigami, but the thought that Ichiro was the director calmed them down. They were already used to Ichiro, and they weren't surprised by anything he did now. What truly shook the Seireitei and even the Soul Society was something else...

The Zero Division, the royal special agents protecting the royal family, is officially recruiting members!

A total of five squads were formed, but currently there are only four!

This is what truly shocked the entire Soul Society!

For those in the lower and middle classes, the legendary royal spies are real, and each of them does indeed possess captain-level strength—they are terrifying!

From the perspective of the higher-ups, the Zero Division's move completely broke with past traditions, so how could it not be shocking?

Even if the head of the Kido Research Bureau wasn't Ichiro, he probably, no, he definitely wouldn't be able to compare to the Zero Division!

.......

On the day the news was released, in the conference room of the Technology Development Bureau, all eight people, including the seven ministers of the Technology Development Bureau and one minister of the Ghost Path Research Bureau, sat down, their faces all somewhat solemn.

The Zero Division stepping into the spotlight has too many implications. Putting aside other things, the establishment of the Kido Research Bureau will inevitably be affected. After all, from the current system perspective, the Kido Research Bureau is just a place to retire. What else is it if it can exist without bringing any real benefits?

Therefore, compared to Squad Zero, they really aren't competitive...

"Ichiro, what do you plan to do?"

"We don't need to do much, just stick to the original plan. Researching theory and researching technology are different; this requires more talent. Ten thousand mediocre people can't compare to one genius, so the Zero Squad's impact isn't that great. What I'm more concerned about is why they did what they did..."

"Perhaps they want to make a change. They've been stuck in the past for too long. If they don't change, they'll have no chance at all. The monk with the real name... he certainly has guts!"

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. It had always been this way. It might not be right, but it certainly had a high degree of acceptance. Changing it would be difficult and risky. One wrong move and it would be a disaster.

Therefore, the monk's behavior was truly remarkable!

However, this has also given rise to a new problem...

Should we open up our technology to them?

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Chapter 213 I Have a Friend

"Open? Why not open? The original purpose of the Technology Development Bureau was to exchange technologies, but..." After answering Yamada's question, Urahara changed the subject and said, "We will open it in batches. The most cutting-edge technologies are still in our hands, just like now. What we will open are three to five versions that are behind the times, so we will keep a little more than before."

"Understood!" Everyone nodded, then looked at Ichiro, wondering how his Kido Research Bureau would respond.