Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

Chapter 50 The Outcast of the Eleventh Division

Seireitei, the barracks of the Sixth Division.

Renji Abarai walked down the corridor, his red hair tied in a bun at the back of his head, his face filled with complex emotions.

"Good morning, Vice Captain Abarai." Several team members who were passing by stopped and bowed respectfully to him.

"Oh," Renji simply replied, without pausing his steps.

He went deep into the barracks, a place used for temporary imprisonment.

Renji took the corresponding key from his waist, and the door opened with a click.

"Mr. Renji, isn't today your day off?" The guard greeted him with some surprise.

"I've come to see the prisoners."

Renji's voice was somewhat somber, "Is she still being stubborn?"

Before the guard could answer, a cold voice came from the cell.

"I'm not being stubborn."

Renji waved his hand, signaling the guards to leave, and walked alone to the cell.

Through the iron fence, I saw that familiar figure.

Rukia Kuchiki was sitting on a stone bench with her back to him, dressed in a prisoner's white clothes, which made her look particularly thin.

"Then why don't you even eat?" Renji asked, his tone irritated.

"I'm just not hungry."

Rukia didn't turn around, but then, as if she remembered something, her tone suddenly became teasing, "Vice-Captain, Your Highness."

"What do you mean?!"

Renji's eyebrows shot up instantly. He took a few steps forward, grabbed the fence with both hands, and gritted his teeth, saying, "You have a problem with me being the vice-captain?!"

No, no.

Rukia's shoulders shrugged slightly, a smile playing on her lips as she slowly lowered her head, as if trying to suppress a laugh.

Immediately afterwards, Rukia's voice rang out again, clear and loud.

"Good luck, Vice Captain!"

"Your eyebrows are so strange, Vice Captain."

Renji's temples bulged with veins.

"I'll kill you! Get out here!" He shook the fence frantically.

However, the mocking voices inside the cell suddenly and unexpectedly subsided.

"Renji..."

Rukia's voice became very soft, "I really can't escape death, can I?"

Renji abruptly stopped shaking the fence.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something comforting, but in the end...

"Of course."

Renji's voice was somewhat hoarse, "To hand over the power of the Shinigami to humanity is a grave crime, and you will be executed immediately."

A deathly silence fell over the cell.

After a long while, Rukia's voice rang out again.

"Really?... That makes sense."

"You idiot!"

Renji could no longer hold back and slammed his fist into the fence.

"Of course I'm joking!"

He looked at the figure that had turned its head slightly and tried to make his tone sound more relaxed.

"Right now, Captain Kuchiki should be in Central 46, pleading for a reduced sentence for you."

The Central 46 is the highest judicial body in Soul Society, responsible for judging the crimes of Shinigami (Soul Reapers). It can also mobilize the Gotei 13, and its judgments have absolute authority.

"What will happen..." Rukia's voice was filled with confusion.

"Idiot, that person is your brother!" Renji said, exasperated.

"Do not."

Rukia's voice was cold. "He will kill me."

From the day she was adopted by the Kuchiki family, for more than forty years, she had never been looked at seriously by that man.

For Rukia, Byakuya Kuchiki is a symbol of rules.

Therefore, when she committed a serious crime and tarnished the family's honor, she firmly believed that the man would not hesitate to erase this stain from her.

Rukia buried her head deeply, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Renji felt increasingly agitated as he looked at her like this.

Just then, Rukia's voice rang out again.

"Speaking of which..."

She paused, as if organizing her thoughts, and asked, "Do you know Uchiha Sasuke?"

The appearance of this name startled Renji for a moment.

The image of that black-haired brat with the perpetually grumpy face flashed through my mind.

"Ah, that brat..."

Renji's expression became somewhat complicated. He loosened his grip on the fence, leaned against the wall, as if he was recalling something.

"Well, that guy is pretty special."

He scratched his striking red hair. "When I first joined the Eleventh Division, I was just a greenhorn, but I always talked about 'revenge,' as if I was carrying some enormous hatred on my shoulders."

Renji curled his lip. "You know, the Eleventh Division is full of self-important guys."

Rukia listened quietly without interrupting.

Renji continued, his tone growing increasingly displeased: "Besides, that brat's fighting style is completely out of sync with the Eleventh Division."

"He always likes to mix in some fancy Kido techniques in battle. You know, in our team, using Kido is looked down upon."

The Eleventh Division is obsessed with the clash of swords, and Sasuke seems out of place in that environment.

"His Zanpakuto is also completely different from those guys in our team who use wide-ranging attacks."

"Yeah."

Rukia responded softly, "He was..."

Her voice was hesitant as she looked up at Renji, "Why did he attack Ichigo back then?"

She had been thinking about this question for a long time.

Upon hearing this, Renji's expression instantly became even more unnatural, even showing a hint of jealousy.

He abruptly turned his head away, avoiding Rukia's probing gaze, and said stiffly, "Who knows what that guy is thinking!"

But after a moment of silence, he reluctantly mumbled his judgment.

"...Probably to protect that orange-haired girl."

Rukia's body jolted violently.

Renji continued his analysis: "Although that guy was a bit ruthless, directly destroying the kid's lock and soul sleep, he still spared his life."

"In that situation, if Captain Kuchiki had intervened personally..."

He didn't say anything more, but the meaning was already clear.

Given Byakuya Kuchiki's personality, he would show absolutely no mercy to a human who dares to turn the Grim Reaper's blade against him.

The only possible outcome is death.

“...Is that so?” Rukia slowly lowered her head.

Only one thought remained in my mind.

Ichigo, you have to survive...

-----------------

In Karakura Town, a figure is moving between buildings at an imperceptible speed.

"Hey."

Sasuke suddenly stopped and his gaze fell on the leisurely black cat on his shoulder.

"Why bother looking for those humans?"

His voice was impatient. "Instead of wasting time on such boring things, we should start practicing Bankai as soon as possible."

In his view, Yoruichi's plan to gather her companions was utterly foolish.

Whether it's the Quincy who uses a bow and arrow or the orange-haired woman who only knows how to cry, they're both just half-baked.

Bringing them along would only increase the risk of exposure and slow down the entire operation.

"As long as that idiot and I have enough power, plus you..."

Sasuke's gaze swept over Yoruichi. "Achieving the goal at the lowest possible cost is the most reasonable choice."

Moreover, he himself is a registered member of the Eleventh Division of Shinigami, and as long as he behaves properly, entering Seireitei will not arouse any suspicion.

This is the most crucial part of the plan, not assembling some ridiculous rescue team.

"Oh?"

Yoruichi spoke lazily, a hint of a laugh in her voice, "Kid, you're underestimating the difficulty of infiltrating Seireitei, aren't you?"