The Alchemist in Bleach

Byakuya nodded, and the two of them used Shunpo to leave the area immediately. In the wilderness, Ichiro summoned the demonic dragon again, and the two of them rushed to Rukongai No. 69 as quickly as possible.

"Is this the area?" Hovering above Number 69, Byakuya frowned as he surveyed the surroundings. He couldn't believe he was living in a place like this...

"Yes, a month ago."

"Hmm? Aren't we going down to look for it?" Byakuya asked curiously, seeing the dragon still circling in the air.

Ichiro rolled his eyes and said irritably, "Big brother, do you know how big Rukongai No. 69 is? And this information is from a month ago. This place is also the border between No. 69 and No. 68. That means if we want to find it, we have to search both streets. How long will it take you?"

"Then what do you suggest we do? We don't even know what her spiritual pressure is like."

“Now that we know what she looks like, that’s enough.” With that, Ichiro pulled a handful of powder from his pocket and sprinkled it out.

"What is this?" Sensing the faint spiritual energy fluctuations on it, Byakuya narrowed his eyes slightly. This thing is very well hidden. If he hadn't been paying attention to it ever since Ichiro took it out, he probably wouldn't have been able to sense it by now. Moreover, as the powder slowly dispersed, the fluctuations became fainter and fainter!

"The holographic traverse is something I saw in a fictional work when I was alive. It has a surveillance function and can monitor a city about the size of Seireitei 24 hours a day. However, it was fictional after all, and the effect I made was not that strong."

Byakuya looked at Ichiro with a solemn expression. He now understood that this guy had so many achievements, but what made so many people care about was the title of "God's Hand".

To bring a creation from a fictional work to life almost perfectly—that power... even gods couldn't match that, could they?

"So? What's the range for this?"

"With what I just said, the three Rukongai districts are no problem."

"Those... So, if we increase the quantity, it can cover an even wider area? Is your Sky Eye system made using this?"

"What are you thinking about?" Ichiro rolled his eyes at Byakuya while adjusting the light screen that popped up on his arm. "The stealth is the advantage of the Sky Loop, but it's also its disadvantage. It's too small, so its transmission ability is limited. Even if you increase the amount, it'll only add two more streets. Moreover, a slightly higher intensity of combat can affect the transmission of its information. How could it be used to build the Sky Eye system? Besides, even the original Sky Loop can't monitor the entire world. The Sky Eye system uses other technologies."

"......"

Byakuya was completely stunned. Could the difference between two Shinigami really be that great?

"So much information, can you really receive it all with this thing in your hand?" Byakuya had given up thinking about it; he was afraid that if he continued, he wouldn't be able to handle it...

"Hmm, this thing is responsible for receiving and organizing information, and then Zhi is responsible for comparing it. If it finds something, it will say... Found it!" As soon as he finished speaking, Ichiro tapped the red dot that lit up on it, and Rukia and the others appeared on it.

Byakuya's expression changed, and he looked intently. He saw a little girl who looked exactly like Hishin standing on a high rock, looking down at her friends below with a happy smile on her face. Among the friends below, one guy with red hair was particularly eye-catching!

At a glance, Byakuya was certain that this was indeed Hishin's sister!

Well, anyone who isn't blind can tell at a glance, since they look more like twins than twins themselves.

"Very good, let's go!"

Ichiro stomped his left foot slightly, and the dragon immediately understood Ichiro's meaning. With a flap of its wings, it flew towards Rukia's direction.

Meanwhile, Byakuya, who had relaxed after finding Rukia, looked curiously at the dragon's constantly flapping wings and asked, "Doesn't it fly using the Kido attached to its body? It has nothing to do with wings, right? Why is it flapping them? And the way it's flapping is wrong!"

"You know this too?" Ichiro looked at Byakuya in surprise.

The dragon's wings were indeed just for show; they were completely unnecessary for flying. However, no one else had noticed this until now. They only saw the tip of the iceberg and still considered the wings to be an auxiliary function. Of all the people who had ridden in the dragon's wings, only Byakuya had noticed this, and even Urahara couldn't see it.

"After the establishment of the Technology Development Bureau, the clan organized relevant training sessions and knew about this."

"Tsk~ You guys are quick~" Ichiro sighed. So there's a reason why they can become the head of the four noble families. "Well, the dragon's wings are indeed not very useful for flying, but they're cool! That's enough."

"..." Byakuya looked at Ichiro speechlessly, "If I remember correctly, the Demon Dragon is a mimicry Zanpakuto. If it didn't have these wings, you could have optimized it even better, right?"

"Yeah, but I use the dragon to fight. It's just for transportation. As long as it looks cool, that's enough."

Byakuya shook his head, unable to understand.

While the nobles also care about appearances, they don't prioritize looks like Ichiro does; they also consider practicality.

Judging solely by appearances generally only applies to nouveau riche or minor nobles.

The dragon didn't let the two chat for long. It quickly flew to where Rukia and the others were and landed right there in front of their terrified and horrified eyes!

With a loud "bang!", the dragon crashed down, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Who are you people?!

When Ichiro and Byakuya emerged from the dust, they saw Renji holding a wooden stick, blocking Rukia and the others, glaring fiercely at them.

"Rukia! You guys run! I'll buy you some time!"

Upon seeing Renji, Byakuya instinctively frowned, his first impression of the kid inexplicably not very good.

However, Byakuya admired him for his actions, especially since he stood up to protect his comrade despite his own immense fear. His courage was commendable, and if he had the talent, he might become a general in the Thirteenth Division in the future!

"Don't....."

"call out!"

"Are you Rukia?"

Ichiro had only uttered one word, preparing to appease Renji and the others, when Byakuya suddenly used Shunpo to bypass Renji and appear in front of Rukia, half-crouching down and speaking gently.

"Let go of Rukia!" Seeing him appear directly in front of Rukia, Renji thought Byakuya was going to harm her, and his fear vanished. He turned around, raised the wooden stick high, and smashed it down on Byakuya!

"Crack~"

Fortunately, Ichiro caught the stick and hugged him with his other hand. Standing behind Renji, Ichiro smiled and said, "Don't worry, we mean no harm. I think you know very well that if we had any ill intentions, you probably wouldn't even be able to see what we look like."

"Let me go! If you have a problem, come at me!"

Unfortunately, living in the latter half of Rukongai, Renji knew the darkness of human nature all too well. What kind of pervert hadn't he seen? Especially girls, they were even more dangerous!

Therefore, Renji kept twisting his body, trying to break free from Ichiro.

"Renji!"

Rukia, who was standing in front of Byakuya, did not answer his question. Instead, she looked worriedly at Renji, who was being held down by Ichiro.

Seeing Rukia like this, Byakuya frowned and turned to Ichiro: "What are you doing? You scared her!"

Ichiro: "????"

"Big brother, look at the situation clearly. This kid wants to mess with you. You scared them. Don't you have any idea about your spiritual pressure? If you had hit him with that stick just now, do you believe that the backlash spiritual pressure would have killed him?"

"I have confidence in my spiritual pressure control!"

"Keep bragging. If you kill this kid, do you believe she'll hate you for the rest of her life? Then let's see how you'll acknowledge this sister!"

Ichiro rolled his eyes at Byakuya, but despite saying that, he let go of Renji.

He didn't know if Rukia hated Byakuya, but he knew that if Rukia kept this expression on, this guy might cut ties with him for a while!

However, after Ichiro's explanation, Byakuya realized that he had been too excited. He took a deep breath, dodged Renji's attack from behind, and then stepped back to Ichiro's side, bowing slightly.

"In my haste, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Kuchiki Byakuya, the current head of the Kuchiki family, and also your older brother, Rukia."

"Shouldn't it be brother-in-law?"

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Chapter 286 Hometown Secrets!

“You don’t understand the rules of the nobility. It’s your turn to introduce yourself,” Byakuya said calmly, glancing at Ichiro.

"...Why does it smell like a secret recipe from my hometown... Fine, you're right, but I don't need to introduce myself, do I? It's not like I'm the one who went to them."

"First, self-introduction is a matter of etiquette. As the captain of Team Thirteen, you represent the team's reputation and should always be mindful of your words and actions..."

"Um, to correct you, it's acting. I'm just acting captain for now. The captain-in-chief promised me that he would let me step down as soon as a suitable candidate is found."

Byakuya glanced at Ichiro, ignoring his unrealistic ideas, and continued, "Secondly, Rukia is scared, so, introduce yourself!"

"........"

So, all that I said before was actually nonsense; the main point was this, right?

With a sigh, Ichiro bowed to Rukia and the others, and said with a smile, "I'm very sorry, I startled you just now. We are from the Gotei 13. He is the captain of the 6th Division, and I am Tenshin Ichiro, the acting captain of the 5th Division. That's enough for you to know. We can't explain our other identities in a short time. We didn't mean any harm. Let Byakuya explain the details to you."

After saying that, Ichiro looked at Byakuya, indicating that the rest was up to him.

However, Byakuya did not immediately explain, but quietly watched Rukia, who was in shock, and waited for her to absorb the information.

After all, the captain of the Thirteenth Division, such a big shot, suddenly appeared in front of him and said that she was his sister. Anyone would be confused. And if he remembered correctly, the Tenshin Ichiro next to him seemed to be the legendary hero who set up the Heavenly Net Barrier and completely drove away the Hollows that occasionally wandered in Rukongai!

Such a person is someone that even the bosses of these streets probably have never seen, let alone them.

However, no matter how surprised she was, the shock eventually subsided. After a while, Rukia gradually came to her senses. Finally, she walked to Renji's side, looked at Byakuya, and asked in confusion, "You said you are my brother, but I am not from the Kuchiki family. I am just an ordinary person. Could it be that there is a mistake?"

"See? I told you you were wrong, and you even rolled your eyes at me!"

"I misspoke. To be precise, you are my wife Hishin's sister, and therefore, my sister as well."

"I have... an older sister?" Rukia stared blankly at Byakuya.

She was too young when she separated from Hisana. Now, she has no memory of her older sister. In the original story, she was only told about her older sister when she was about to be executed.

In fact, if it weren't for gaining Rukia's trust, Byakuya wouldn't have planned to tell her the truth. Although Hisana was looking for Rukia, she didn't actually want to acknowledge Rukia as her sister. She believed that she, who had abandoned Rukia, didn't deserve to be called "older sister" by Rukia.

She sought out Rukia simply to make her life a little better.

This is why Byakuya initially referred to himself as Rukia's older brother; of course, whether he was one of them or not, only he himself probably knows...

In the original story, Rukia agreed because she knew Byakuya's identity as the head of the Kuchiki family, and as a student of the Shinigami Academy, she knew that a powerful family like the Kuchiki wouldn't harm her in this way.

Of course, the main reason is that she has no right to refuse the Kuchiki family.

But now she has it; perhaps ignorance is bliss?

"Yes, you have an older sister. I'm sorry, when you were very young, she wasn't strong enough to survive here with you, so she was forced to abandon you. All these years she has regretted it and has been searching for you, which has even taken a toll on her health..."

"Of course, I'm not saying this in the hope that you'll forgive her. The harm her actions have caused you is unimaginable to us. I just hope you can give us a chance to atone, okay?"

"..." Rukia pursed her lips, her face showing some pain.

Rukia was in a state of great inner turmoil. On one hand, she harbored resentment towards her sister, whom she had never met, because all her years of wandering were thanks to her!

But when I calmed down and thought about it, would her life be any better if I didn't abandon her?

Rukia had been living here for over a decade and knew the living conditions very well. Without power and with a burden like that, she might die in some corner in a few days. So, objectively speaking, she could understand Hisana's choice.

Being able to understand doesn't mean being able to accept it...

After all, it was she who was abandoned...

At the same time, Rukia felt a little happy because she still had a relative. Even though this relative had abandoned her in the past, blood is thicker than water, and this bond of blood is not so easy to sever.

In the very end, Rukia still harbored some selfish thoughts. If she became the younger sister of the Kuchiki family head, would she be able to leave Rukongai with Renji and the others?

Even if I don't aspire to enter the Seireitei, at least making a living in front of the Rukongai shouldn't be too difficult, right?