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"I've changed the public's perception of the Eleventh Division, and the current 'normalization' process should be quite effective, right? Last year, the number of people applying to our Eleventh Division was second only to the Sixth Division."

Then why can't they beat the Sixth Division?

That's a private reserve for nobles... Putting everything else aside, the subsidies alone would easily surpass those of the other twelve competitors.

They're not on the same level as our regular squads.

"Secondly, our Eleventh Division's performance in the last internal trial was definitely commendable, wasn't it?"

Internal trial fitting.

This was also the main 'business' that Yusuke Matsushita began to promote after he took office as the captain of the 11th Division and settled down.

His goal was to have members of each squad engage in appropriate combat, allowing them to exchange skills and knowledge through competition, within the limits of what was possible.

It was quite difficult to push this out at first.

After all, the Grim Reaper needs more than just fighting skills; he also needs other talents—such as political affairs, medicine, and management.

However, Retsu Unohana was very interested in this matter and worked on it for quite some time, eventually leading to the current situation.

And what are the corresponding results?

That would naturally be very gratifying.

Fighting within the limits of what is permissible is, in a sense, a manifestation of strong martial virtue.

However, over the years, the powers and responsibilities of the Gotei 13 have also changed considerably.

Nowadays, it's more of a special kind of organization that manages from above and suppresses from below...

Also.

"Uncle Shan, you seem to be one of the masterminds behind this too? You can't just eat the food and then smash the pot... How many gray hairs do you think I've grown to keep this going?"

"...cough cough, cough cough cough..."

I do feel a little embarrassed.

Although he wouldn't say it outright, Yamamoto himself is a very obvious conservative.

Seeing the martial spirit of a thousand years ago still prevalent today, it would be a lie to say he wasn't happy—so, based on his personal preferences, he held a positive attitude towards Matsushita Yusuke's various actions and efforts.

however.

This does not mean that all problems can be encompassed.

"You've been too lazy in meetings lately!"

When it came to serious matters, the old man's tone suddenly became stern.

"Lately, I've been seeing you daydreaming a lot during meetings! Meetings are serious; if you haven't had enough sleep, go back and get some rest before coming back! Also..."

Perhaps it's because I've been acting too lazy on a regular basis.

Yamamoto's attack was a one-sided barrage that lasted for five minutes straight, which even made Matsushita Yusuke feel a little ashamed.

How can this old man have so much energy...?

"I understand, sorry... I'll be more careful next time."

"However, those things are secondary."

He suddenly changed the subject, and his expression became somewhat serious.

"What I want to confirm with you is whether there have been any other new discoveries in Hueco Mundo recently?"

After a pause, Yamamoto's tone gradually softened, as if to emphasize each word.

"Over in Ukitake... the 13th Division recently captured a very different Hollow."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Matsushita Yusuke's expression also changed. He straightened up and looked at Yamamoto with a slight frown.

"What exactly is the situation?"

After a pause, he asked again.

"I've been working with the 13th Division these past few days, so why haven't I received any news about this?"

Hueco Mundo Expedition.

This matter has been going on for quite some years now.

Essentially, the whole thing stemmed from Lao Lan needing to consider Yamamoto's skill level in order to make specific plans...

Matsushita Yusuke and his alter ego teamed up, but Yamamoto treated them like dirt and kicked them away.

Although the result was quite embarrassing... considering that not a single person was left alive, Yamamoto actually acted very conservatively in this regard.

Boss, we've been chasing you for decades, aren't you going to give up?

That's too vengeful (shakes head).

Of course, this statement was a joke. In reality... as the current head of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto's style and attitude are the true embodiment of responsibility.

Seeing danger but failing to address it, turning a blind eye to it, is essentially an extremely incompetent act...

As expected of an old fox, his vigilance is why he's someone both bosses are so wary of.

Of course, let's get back to the main point.

As a member of the expedition team, Yusuke Matsushita was essentially on the front lines.

So logically speaking... he should have been among the first to receive the intelligence.

But the current situation is clearly not like that.

That makes things a little intriguing—is the old man deliberately hiding something from him?

Matsushita Yusuke's gaze was calm, while Yamamoto met his gaze expressionlessly and spoke steadily.

"This is also my decision. I think this matter should not be spread outside for the time being... The situation of that void is very special."

Without answering immediately, Matsushita Yusuke scratched the corner of his mouth, tilted his head, and then sighed.

"What exactly is the situation?"

"Look at this."

A document was handed to the table, and Yusuke Matsushita noticed that it had been placed in a hidden compartment beforehand.

Preparations had been made before he arrived...

The old guy came prepared (tactical lean back).

"Let me see..."

Flipping through the contents, the first photo that catches the eye is of a masked man bound hand and foot.

Yamamoto, with a solemn expression, spoke even more seriously at this moment.

"These virtual beings have appearances similar to ours... and humans. Based on subsequent testing and observation, it has been found that they also possess an intelligence level no less than ours. In other words, this is already sufficient to form a stable population."

Yamamoto had clearly done a lot of preparation beforehand.

He spoke fluently and without notes, and near the end, he added in a low voice.

“We obtained a lot of important intelligence from this virtual entity, and based on what it provided, we believe that these virtual entities should have already reached a certain scale.”

Yusuke Matsushita nodded solemnly, then closed the document.

"That sounds pretty serious... So, how many ethnic groups are estimated to be affected?"

"Based on the information from the 13th Division and the analysis of the 12th Division, it is now estimated that there should be more than a hundred of them in Hueco Mundo."

No, you can't laugh.

It's not the right time yet.

Let's wait until the "Traveler's Misfortune" chapter comes out before we laugh out loud; until then, it's better to hold back for now.

In fact, the capture of this Arrancar was itself a result of the Sky Club's planning and decision-making...

Over the years, the total number of broken surfaces has reached an alarming level. Although the three laboratories are continuously reinforcing and deepening their facilities, the sheer number of broken surfaces has led to a host of problems.

Even if Lao Lan maintains a high-pressure rule, there will always be some unruly individuals who slip through the net.

Therefore, rather than waiting until things get out of control and intelligence gaps occur, it's better to expose yourself first and selectively reveal certain information.

By diverting the Soul Society's attention in this way, they can buy more time to achieve their true objective...

That's how it's planned.

And now it seems to be quite successful?

'It can only be about the information gap; it's truly Old Man Shan's lifelong pain.'

Yusuke Matsushita raised his hand to cover his face, took a deep breath, and asked.

"So what should we do?"

It seems that they assumed Yusuke Matsushita had fully accepted this premise and thus abandoned any attempt to hold him accountable for concealing the truth.

The old man's tone was slightly raised, and his speaking speed also increased slightly.

"Next, we'll conduct an expanded search! We need to determine the current situation in Hueco Mundo as soon as possible... I've decided to entrust this task to you."

It's not surprising that a combat specialist would receive such instructions.

The problem lies in attitude...

Old Man Shan is in a hurry.

Is it really necessary? This kind of thing may seem a bit dangerous, but it shouldn't be enough to make him wary.

unless……

Yusuke Matsushita suddenly raised his eyebrows subtly.

He quickly came up with a specific possibility.

"Has this news reached the nobles as well?"

"...More or less."

That's not surprising...that's not surprising!

Over the years as captain, Yusuke Matsushita has arguably gained the most experience in terms of broadening his knowledge and understanding.

In particular, he demystified the literal "nobles."

Simple laziness and idleness are insufficient to describe even a fraction of it. For the nobles of Soul Society, the vast majority have become accustomed to the various conveniences that come with their status.

People like Ōmaeda are already considered very ambitious. Although the Kuchiki family seems somewhat closed off... their strict family traditions actually give them a unique and distinctive character.

As for the rest...

Theoretically speaking, aside from causing various troubles at work, it basically has no presence.

Matsushita Yusuke lowered his gaze, a thoughtful expression on his face, and then said something.

"Because of the unexpected situation, we were worried that it might have an unnecessary impact on Soul Society... So we were directly ordered through the 46th Chamber to get to work as soon as possible."

In summary.

"Old man Shan, don't you think those people are a bit arrogant?"

"It's not up to us to make judgments on this kind of thing."

"but……"

"Captain Matsushita."

Yamamoto interrupted his statement directly. The old man's gaze was lowered, and he didn't even look at him. He just spoke in a low voice.

"Fulfill your obligations, exercise your rights. Other than that... don't think too much."

...Does that mean I should obediently act like a dog?

If I were to say those words, my life as a Grim Reaper would probably come to an end.

Yusuke Matsushita shrugged and took a half step back, indicating his concession through his actions.

At the same time, he also mentioned it in passing.

“I understand… Although I can’t guarantee the outcome, I will definitely do my best for the sake of my position as captain.”