The Alchemist in Bleach

Yes, it cannot be controlled. Soul Society has Kido that creates water, but not Kido that controls water. Fortunately, there is Kido that controls fire. Although there are differences, if one method is mastered, all methods are mastered. He is confident!

If all else fails, we can try another method; it's not like it's only happened once or twice...

........

While Ichiro and the others were slowly training, on the other side, the three captains who had been with the Thirteenth Division since its inception—Captain, Shunsui, and Ukitake—gathered in the office of the First Division Captain-Commander, each looking at the documents in their hands with solemn expressions.

"Is this their fighting strength?" The captain put down the scroll, his expression somewhat solemn.

Shunsui, who was in charge of intelligence, chimed in: "Well, there are currently twelve captains on the surface, but they only reach the spiritual pressure level. Only four of them have the overall combat strength to rival our thirteen captains. The rest can only fight against captains who have used their Shikai. Once they use their Bankai, they will be directly suppressed!"

Their leader's strength is estimated to be above that of our average captain-level officer, and he may also command multiple captain-level servants..."

Before he could finish speaking, the captain interrupted him, saying, "There's no need to introduce him. When the time comes, I will personally take action, and he will have no chance of winning."

Shunsui paused, glancing at his teacher in surprise. Since his battle with Yhwach hundreds of years ago, he had basically stopped fighting because his strength was too great. If he were not careful, he could harm Soul Society again. If he were to take action, even if it was just to use Shikai, there would have to be a very important reason.

He didn't understand. Although those people had special identities, their strength was only so-so; they shouldn't have posed any real threat...

However, Chunshui didn't think much of it. His teacher had his own plans. If he wasn't telling him, it was because the time wasn't right. He would find out when the time came. So, after a pause, he continued:

"Just as we suspected, there is definitely noble power behind them, and the shadow of the five great noble families is also involved. But because of this, we can't get any more information. Should we hand over to Captain Kuchiki and Captain Shihouin?"

The Gotei 13 are essentially there to uphold the rule of the nobility, so from an overall perspective, they are in league with the nobles, but this is the Gotei 13 as a whole!

Within the Gotei 13, the situation is different. They are mainly divided into three factions: the noble faction led by the Sixth Division, the commoner faction led by the Captain-Commander, and the neutral faction led by the Fourth Division.

Yes, that's right. Captain Unohana's Fourth Division is neutral. Although the captain sides with the Captain-Commander, the Fourth Division as a whole is neutral, and absolutely neutral!

A simple example is that on the battlefield, as long as a wounded soldier is out of combat, he will be protected and treated by the Fourth Division, regardless of whether he is friend or foe!

This behavior is very dangerous, because if someone investigates further, she will be labeled a traitor. However, in Soul Society, strength speaks volumes, and those at the highest levels all know the captain's strength, so they let her do as she pleases.

Therefore, under these circumstances, Chunshui really couldn't just casually approach the noble faction that clearly had contact with the other side. But if he wasn't sure what they meant, the operation might fail. That's why he asked the captain.

The captain frowned and pondered. Although they had cooperated well last time, in the adult world, most of the time it's about interests. Under these circumstances, he couldn't determine which families were allying with those guys.

After a moment of contemplation, the captain made up his mind!

"No need. Once the plan begins, no matter how close their relationship is, they won't have a say in it!" A cold glint flashed in the captain's eyes. No matter how many factions there are, absolute strength can keep them in check for a while, and that will be enough!

Then, the captain looked at Ukitake and asked, "How's the situation on your end? How are the arrangements going?"

"Cough cough~" Fuzhu coughed weakly twice and said, "Everything is ready. The method to break through the Killing Stone has been provided, and the Ghost Path Clan has also prepared to update their defense system."

The captain nodded and looked at Captain Unohana. The two most important links were completed, and now only the final finishing touch remained. He believed that Retsu would not let him down.

The captain smiled and said, "The brand-new healing potions are ready and will be delivered to each team by the newly formed knife-wielding squad the day before the operation."

The captain nodded in satisfaction. Now, everything was ready except for the final push...

The captain was also very happy. This battle would not only test the healing capabilities of the squad equipped with mimicry Zanpakuto, but also yield information that would be useful to Ichiro. It was a win-win situation, which couldn't be better.

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Chapter 72 One Year Later

Time flew by, and soon it was the second half of the sixth semester. Only one month remained until graduation. In a month, Ichiro and his friends would sadly bid farewell to their slacking-off lifestyle and embark on their journeys as corporate slaves…

In the past year, Ichiro and his friends have made remarkable progress. Ichiro has mastered all the Kido below number 75, as well as one or two extremely powerful number 80 Binding and Hado. He has also mastered Shikai and Mimic Shikai. Of course, Ichiro's Mimic Shikai is a complete finished product. Although it has not been modified into a universal form, it has achieved complete technological control.

It's definitely not suitable for widespread use, but it's perfectly fine for personal use.

As for Urahara, he has been engrossed in developing various interesting gadgets during this period and has only mastered Kido No. 89 and below. His biggest improvement is in spiritual pressure, where he has already firmly reached the captain level. Of course, there are also various gadgets.

In particular, the props not only completely transformed the spatial equipment into a demonic art, but also, through the analysis of the Spirit King's power and combined with the information from the Shihōin family, they initially mastered some techniques for creating Heavenly Gifted Weapons and were already able to forge some simple Heavenly Gifted Weapons.

To be honest, Ichiro was also surprised by this, not so much by his ability to do it, but by his ability to obtain this information!

After all, Urahara Kisuke was just Yoruichi's childhood friend; they weren't even engaged. How could she trust him so much...?

There are only two possibilities in this situation: either the head of the Shihouin family has dementia, or Yoruichi may have a very high status within the family!

Considering that Yoruichi defected more than a hundred years ago in the original work, but the Shihouin family never removed her from the family and re-elected a head of the family, instead letting Soi Fon temporarily take over the position of the Onmitsukido, Ichiro tends to favor the second point. It should be noted that this position has always been held by the current head of the Shihouin family.

However, this is just speculation, and Ichiro doesn't know the specifics either. But combined with these strange gadgets, Urahara's combat power has indeed increased significantly. After all, like Ichiro, he has always been a tactical player.

The difference is that Ichiro suffers from a fear of insufficient firepower and believes in the belief that "more is better, bigger is more beautiful! Billions of starlight, billions of cannon fire!" Many of his abilities were developed with the aim of unleashing barrages, so he has gradually transformed his approach.

Besides further enhancing his artillery capabilities, Ichiro's biggest progress is in two aspects: first, he has completely mastered the Ninety-Nine Kido! Only the forbidden techniques and the Zero Division's Reverse Kido remain unlearned.

The captain has already obtained the training methods for some of the forbidden techniques and is currently learning them. As for the Inner Ghost Path, he has little interest in it. This thing is not necessarily stronger than the current Ghost Path in terms of power; its symbolic meaning outweighs its actual strength and power.

The second is the Zanpakuto. Thanks to Captain Hikifune's rice ball, Ichiro now has the same captain-level spiritual pressure as Urahara. In his words, it is the spiritual pressure of a third-seat peak minor perfection early stage great completion!

Of course, spiritual pressure is just icing on the cake for Ichiro and has little impact. Anyway, this amount of spiritual pressure is not enough for his 91st Kido Triple Combo. The biggest benefit that reaching captain-level spiritual pressure brings to Ichiro is that he can finally use the world's Bankai!

Now, he, Tenshin Ichiro, is also someone who has Bankai!

This is where Ichiro has improved the most; in other areas, he's been quite average, especially in research, where he's stuck... So much time has passed, and he's tried countless methods, but he still hasn't developed a technique for freely controlling water. For now, all he can do is raise it and then let it fall freely...

In the short term, this thing will be of little use, unless he forges another Zanpakuto for water control, which would be easier, but that is not Ichiro's wish.

Ultimately, the essence of his research into these strange things is different from that of Urahara. Urahara was driven by interest and genuinely wanted to research, so he didn't care whether he took shortcuts or not, as long as he could figure it out. But Ichiro was different; his purpose in researching was to discover his own shortcomings in the process, thereby making up for them and improving himself.

Taking shortcuts occasionally is fine, but if he takes them too often, he fears his research abilities will decline.

.......

That noon, the four of them—no, the five—were joined by a minor character: the girl Ichiro had helped during the white-hat class. It has to be said, female friendship is truly the most amazing thing in the world. Some things are clearly small, yet they can remember them for a lifetime; others are more serious, but they can make up the next day…

The two have become inseparable best friends. Yixu brought them together to discuss job assignments after graduation. Actually, it was more of a discussion than a formality; she was just giving them guidance.

As for Ichiro, needless to say, his room and laboratory in the Fourth Division had been prepared years ago, and he could simply move there after graduation. As for Yoruichi, she would go directly to the Second Division to gain some seniority, then inherit the family fortune and become the captain of the Second Division. Since Yoruichi went to the Second Division, Urahara naturally followed suit.

So of the four, only Yixu needs to consider this situation, and of course, now there's one more of her friend.

"The divisions of the thirteen teams are all different. Apart from the First Division, what are your preferences?" Under the shade of a tree, Ichiro leaned back slightly, his hands supporting him, and asked curiously.

"I don't know... what about you?" Ichio turned to look at her supporting actress best friend beside her.

"Me? I want to join the Fourth Division. I like the feeling of healing and saving lives, but I won't go back..." As soon as the extra's best friend said this, Urahara and the other two immediately looked at Ichiro.

Of the group, Ichiro is the most proficient in the circuits, and he also knows the Fourth Division best.

Ichiro didn't directly reject the idea, but after considering it for a moment, he said, "It's alright if you want to return to the guild. The Fourth Division is currently undergoing reforms, and the requirements for returning to the guild are not as strict. I suggest you give it a try. After all, this is something you'll be doing for the rest of your life, so it's good that you're interested."

"Reform? That knife-wielding team? Can she handle it?" Yoruichi frowned, knowing that wouldn't be easy to get into.

"A knife-wielding squad? What's that?" Ichiro asked curiously.

"The Sword-wielding Squad is a squad that uses mimicked Zanpakuto. They have outstanding healing abilities and can be joined even without being proficient in the Resurrection Path. However, don't even think about it. This is currently a special squadron directly under the captain. The requirements for other squadrons are much higher. I'm talking about another reform."

"Another reform? What other reforms are there for the Fourth Division?" Urahara adjusted his posture, crossed his legs, and asked curiously.

"Do you remember the research I mentioned before about compiling the chanting language?"

"Hmm, didn't you give up?"

Ichiro rolled his eyes at Urahara: "Am I that kind of person? It's been going on all along, and the first thirty have already been written. Unlike the traditional return path, the numbered return path is easier to grasp, and there aren't many prerequisites. It hasn't been officially spread within the team yet. The specifics will have to wait until I join the team."

"Oh, I understand."

Everyone nodded, instantly understanding – it was all about accumulating seniority.

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Chapter Seventy-Three: Onmyoji?

"So, does that mean she has a chance to get in?" Ichiro asked excitedly.

"Well, the requirements for the numbered responses aren't high; the first thirty responses are all very simple. However, it's not like there are no entry standards at all. As for strength, being able to stay in our class is definitely enough. In the next month, read more medical books. Hmm, let me think... This year's exam seems to cover routine health care, treatment of some emergency injuries, and battlefield nursing. The team seems to be paying a lot of attention to this area lately. Study more. Is war about to begin?"

The first part was addressed to his supporting character best friend, and at the end, Tokiichiro looked at Yoruichi curiously.

Yoruichi shook her head: "I don't know. Maybe it's related to the knife-wielding squad that's being formed? I remember they're mainly responsible for battlefield medical care."

"Maybe," Ichiro replied, then turned to his best friend, who was sitting upright beside him. "A month should be enough for an emergency blitz. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I'm... quite free lately..."

"Hahaha~ You've finally met your match!"

Hearing Urahara's merciless mockery, Yoruichi and Ichio couldn't help but smile. It was indeed rare to see Ichiro like this.

"What's wrong?" asked the extra's best friend.

"Haha, Ichiro's studies and research have hit a bottleneck recently, so he's been quite free. You know, this is a rare moment of leisure for him~" Ichiro covered his mouth and chuckled.

Ichiro rolled his eyes and said, "You still have the nerve to laugh at me? Which team do you want to join? Have you thought it through? I personally suggest you join the Fourth Division. Although you weren't involved in what happened before, it still has an impact."

While joining the Second Division is an option, it's not a good choice because it's mostly populated by the direct descendants of the Hachi and Shihouin families. Even if Yoruichi intervenes, it won't solve the problem, because there are always a few idiots in the world who think that causing trouble for you will please the higher-ups.

Of course, theoretically she has two other options. One is the Eleventh Division, where only combat strength matters. Unfortunately, she is skilled in Kido, so things are fine for now, but once Kenpachi takes over, her life will be much harder.

The other option is the 13th Division, but given her strength, that would be a waste of her abilities. They mostly send people to the human world for defense, which would be a bit stifling for someone of her power. Of course, staying in the 4th Division would be just as stifling...

After Ichiro finished speaking, Ichio fell silent. She knew Ichiro's analysis was the most accurate, but sometimes, what's correct isn't necessarily what she wanted...

Seeing this, Yoruichi sighed and said, "You still want to go to the Sixth Division?"

"Sixth Division? Why? Is there something special about that place? Could it be..." Ichiro and Urahara exchanged a glance, a knowing smile playing on their lips. Everything was understood without a word.

"What are you thinking!" Ichio rolled his eyes. "The Sixth Division is a noble division, with the Kuchiki clan as its captain. They have always been highly regarded among the nobles. If we can make contributions in the Sixth Division, it will help restore our clan's reputation."

“Oh, I see…” Ichiro stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and looked at Ichio. “If that’s the reason, then I have a suggestion. How about the First Division? With your current strength, you should be qualified to be selected for the First Division.”

"It's useless. Joining the First Division will only worsen the situation of the Tenshin family. They are just lower-ranking nobles."

"Hmm? Why?" Ichiro looked at Yoruichi curiously. They were the ones who understood nobles better.

"The First Division is under the command of the Captain-Commander, and its status has always been quite special. Especially in recent years, their stance has become more inclined towards commoners. It's fine for high-ranking nobles to join, but if lower-ranking nobles join, it will cause them to be ostracized, especially for families like the Tenshin Family."

After hearing Yoruichi's explanation, Ichiro frowned: "So that means the only option is the Sixth Division?"

"As it stands, yes, unless the Tianxin family arranges another marriage with a noble family."

Ichiro rolled his eyes at Urahara: "You think you're some kind of rich girl? Besides, how many noble families would dare to risk offending the Shihōin family with a marriage alliance?"

"That's true, then that's the only way. Just let me know if anything happens, and I'll be there whenever you call."

Same as above.

Me too.

The extra's best friend looked left and right, then said, "Me too!"

Yixu looked at everyone and burst out laughing, saying, "Yeah, don't worry, we will."

.......