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Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Gulp, gulp, gulp…
Inside Ōkaku Training Hall, Ishikawa took the water Kin'en handed him and gulped down the entire bucket in one go.
"Young Master Ishikawa, there's someone outside claiming to be the First Division's Vice-Captain. His name is… Chōjirō Sasakibe. Should I let him in?"
Chōjirō Sasakibe?
Why is he looking for me?
Ishikawa frowned, a bad feeling immediately rising within him.
Send him away?
He shook his head slightly. Forget it…
The old man was currently managing the Central 46's affairs on his behalf, and Ishikawa didn't want him to find an excuse to discipline him.
"Bring him over."
"Yes."
Kin'en acknowledged and turned to walk outside.
Not long after, he returned with an elegant middle-aged man with white hair, golden eyes, and a small mustache.
Ishikawa had never had any contact with this person, always feeling that he was a very troublesome fellow…
"Captain Ishikawa."
Chōjirō Sasakibe looked at the bare-chested Ishikawa and greeted him respectfully.
"Vice-Captain Sasakibe, you're too kind."
Ishikawa smiled slightly and rose to return the greeting.
Although this individual appeared much younger than Commander Yamamoto, his actual age was higher than all Captains except Unohana Retsu.
However, his own Reiatsu was limited. Perhaps he hit a bottleneck too early, or for some other reason, Ishikawa felt that he had only barely reached Captain-level.
But from his own memories, the magnification of his Bankai was immense.
Each person's Bankai was unique, and the power it could unleash was determined by individual aptitude and mastery.
Generally speaking…
The difference in destructive power between a Shikai and a Bankai of the same Zanpakuto would be five to ten times.
This was only generally speaking; although cases were few, among so many Captains, some were less than five times, and some were more than ten times.
In Ishikawa's opinion, the person before him was definitely one of those rare existences that exceeded ten times.
"May I ask why you've come to see me…?"
Ishikawa asked politely.
"I am here regarding the dispatch team."
Chōjirō Sasakibe wasted no words and immediately stated his purpose: "…Due to the situation with two Squads, Commander Yamamoto hopes to entrust Captain Ishikawa with leading the Ninth Division to temporarily handle emergency rescue and support work; of course, if there are too many injured, you can request the Fourth Division for rescue assistance."
Upon hearing this, Ishikawa's mouth twitched slightly: "Um… Vice-Captain Sasakibe, did you misunderstand something? I am not an official member of the Gotei 13…"
"And the reward will be that Commander Yamamoto will personally approach Captain Unohana to provide you with Zanjutsu instruction."
"What reward? Even if I'm not an official member of the Gotei 13, I am a resident of the Soul Society. For matters concerning the safety of the Soul Society, I am duty-bound, and besides, I've always felt that I am a part of the Gotei 13."
Ishikawa's expression was serious, and his tone was incredibly solemn:
"For the stability of the Three Realms, for the Soul Society, even if Commander Yamamoto doesn't allow me to participate, I must contribute my humble strength for the Soul Society."
"…"
Ishikawa's righteous words caused Chōjirō Sasakibe's eyes to twitch uncontrollably. With great effort, he maintained a serious expression and respectfully said, "Then, Ishikawa, please take your seat at the Ninth Division and be on standby. When you receive the order from the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, then lead your people to the Human World for support."
"Understood!"
Watching Chōjirō Sasakibe leave, Ishikawa's eyes immediately revealed a look of wild joy.
Although he had previously decided that he would try to avoid provoking Aizen, who had fused with the Hōgyoku, before completing his training, and had set this as his bottom line.
But…
The reward offered by Commander Yamamoto was high enough to break Ishikawa's bottom line.
As the saying goes: a flexible bottom line is meant to be broken!
Ishikawa glanced at the system interface. Although the training time wasn't long, he had already successfully created some prototypes!
Next…
Current experience: 160624.
He just needed to continue training in the Seireitei.
Having made up his mind, Ishikawa got up and left the Ōkaku Training Hall.
After reporting to Sister Kukaku, Ishikawa took some materials Kukaku had given him and headed straight towards the Seireitei.
As for the Everything Store, he had Ganju convey the message.
…
Nearly half an hour later, Ishikawa stepped into the Ninth Division barracks for the first time in a while.
As soon as he entered, a figure came to greet him.
"Captain Ishikawa, I was just about to look for you…"
Hisagi Shuuhei approached Ishikawa with a serious expression, but before he could finish speaking, Ishikawa waved his hand: "If it's about the support and rescue work for the dispatch team, I already know."
"For the next few days, I will remain on standby at the Ninth Division."
"Yes."
Hisagi Shuuhei immediately breathed a sigh of relief. After receiving the news earlier, he had wondered if Captain Ishikawa would refuse this job, after all, Commander Yamamoto had only asked him to be stationed in the Ninth Division to protect the Seireitei's safety.
He didn't need to, nor was he obligated to, go to the Human World for support.
Now it seemed…
He had overthought it.
Although he was only temporarily managing the Ninth Division, Captain Ishikawa was a very responsible person and naturally wouldn't refuse this job.
"Have the members of the dispatch team been decided?"
"It's basically confirmed."
Hisagi Shuuhei nodded: "Originally, they planned to depart for the Human World to support the Substitute Soul Reaper in three days, and then return to the Soul Society to arrange internal Squad affairs and undergo limitation; but just as they were about to depart, the two Arrancar who appeared in the Human World suddenly vanished. It is said that Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke appeared in time and saved Ichigo."
"Subsequently, under Commander Yamamoto's instructions, the dispatch team has been arranging their internal Squad affairs after their departure for the past few days, after all, it's the first time a Captain, two Vice-Captains, and two Seated Officers are stationed in the Human World, so there are many things to handle."
"It is said they are preparing to depart for the Human World on the morning of two days from now."
Ishikawa pursed his lips upon hearing this. He wasn't surprised at all that the Arrancar disappeared just as they were about to provide support.
After all…
Ishikawa had a deep understanding of the Seireitei's support speed.
And it wasn't just slow support; they were also a hindrance!
Shinigami above the Vice-Captain rank needed to undergo limitation when going to the Human World, only able to exert one-fifth of their strength. Even a Captain-level Shinigami could easily be caught off guard in the Human World.
But…
If Vice-Captains and Captains were stationed in the Human World for a long time without limitation, it would inevitably affect the Human World, so it had to be done.
This was also the main reason why Ishikawa was unwilling to be stationed in the Human World.
Support and rescue, however, were different. When support was needed, it meant the dispatch team had already encountered a crisis. When Ishikawa led the Ninth Division to the Human World, he naturally wouldn't need to undergo the so-called limitation, but he also couldn't stay in the Human World for long after providing support.
"Is there a training hall in the barracks?"
"Huh?"
Hisagi Shuuhei was slightly stunned, then nodded: "Yes, do you need to use it?"
"Mm."
Ishikawa replied: "I've been training this whole time, and after receiving Commander Yamamoto's order, I interrupted my training and rushed back. To prepare for the upcoming battle, I need a quiet space to cultivate, preferably a place that's not easily destructible."
"A place not easily destructible?"
A thoughtful expression flickered across Hisagi Shuuhei's face. After a while, he spoke: "If that's the case, then there's a space beneath Sōkyoku Hill that's very suitable for your training; I don't know who created that space, but according to Vice-Captain Abarai, the space inside is extremely vast, and there are also hot springs for recovering stamina and injuries."
"Moreover, it's very close to our Ninth Division's jurisdiction. If there's a support order, I can contact you immediately."
Beneath Sōkyoku Hill?
Ishikawa was slightly taken aback, then he reacted and laughed: "That place is indeed very suitable for training."
If there were no surprises, the place Hisagi mentioned should be the underground space created by Urahara Kisuke. According to Rukia, while he was being ganged up on by the Espada, Abarai was training his Bankai there.
It's worth mentioning that…
When Ishikawa was being ganged up on by the Espada and almost died, Rukia was at the Comprehensive Relief Station, cooking porridge for Kuchiki Byakuya…
…
For the next two days, Ishikawa continued to train alone.
Only, the training location shifted from the Ōkaku Training Hall to the space beneath Sōkyoku Hill.
And Hisagi Shuuhei delivered meals to this space on time every day.
Looking at Ishikawa, who was training in the vast underground space, a trace of shock flashed in Hisagi Shuuhei's eyes.
Although he had been observing for two days, no matter how long he watched, he would be shocked by Captain Ishikawa's madness during training!
It was practically suicide!
This was his most direct feeling after two days of observation.
No wonder Captain Ishikawa was able to cultivate to his current level on his own.
Rumors about Ishikawa had never stopped since he became the Ninth Division Captain.
To become a Shinigami Captain directly without joining the Central Spiritual Arts Academy, or even being a Shinigami, the last person to have such a advancement speed was Captain Zaraki of the Eleventh Division!
But Captain Ishikawa was even more legendary than Captain Zaraki…
Because although Captain Zaraki was strong, he was only strong in terms of Reiatsu, but Ishikawa was proficient in Zankensoki.
Even now, many courses in the Central Spiritual Arts Academy's textbooks are extracted from Captain Ishikawa's writings, and Captain Ishikawa's works are found in the libraries of various Squads and the Central Library.
The most important thing was…
Captain Zaraki was already famous before entering the Seireitei.
But Captain Ishikawa has only been in the Soul Society for a little over a decade.
Yet, in this short decade, he has risen to his current position, and there are even rumors that Ishikawa, upon first arriving in the Soul Society, was not even as good as a Central Spiritual Arts Academy student.
Regarding this…
Hisagi Shuuhei didn't believe it at all, after all, Shinigami also valued individual aptitude, otherwise, he wouldn't have failed to get into the Central Spiritual Arts Academy three times due to poor aptitude.
Differences in aptitude not only affect a person's potential but also the power that a Zanpakuto's Bankai can unleash.
Even after becoming a Vice-Captain, Hisagi Shuuhei himself felt that he was still the most ordinary existence among his peers.
Boom—
Just then, a loud explosion echoed.
Endless soil disintegrated from the air and fell to the ground, while Ishikawa, bare-chested, slowly walked towards him.
"Captain Ishikawa."
Hisagi Shuuhei saw this and quickly handed over the meal box.
"Let's eat back at the barracks."
Ishikawa waved his hand, casually picked up the clothes nearby, and walked straight out.
Back?
Hisagi Shuuhei was startled and quickly hurried a few steps to catch up with Ishikawa, then hesitated before asking: "Is your training finished?"
"It's more or less finished."
Ishikawa nodded: "Now I just need to continue with the deductions."
"Speaking of which, has the dispatch team departed?"
"Mm."
Hisagi Shuuhei nodded: "Early this morning, Captain Hitsugaya led the Squad Members to the Human World. They should have already made contact with the Substitute Soul Reaper by now."
Departed?
A flicker of surprise flashed in Ishikawa's eyes. According to his memory, on the very night the dispatch team arrived in the Human World, Grimmjow would lead his subordinates to the Human World.
However, his trip to the Human World was not Aizen's decision, but his own private decision to eliminate Ichigo.
But this was only in his memory…
Ishikawa wasn't sure if Aizen would tacitly allow Grimmjow to go to the Human World again, using him to train Ichigo.
To be honest, even to this day, Ishikawa still couldn't understand why Aizen, like a doting father, painstakingly trained Ichigo.
Did he want to see how far he could grow?
Or was he looking for some possibility in Ichigo?
Of course, it was also possible that Aizen simply had some self-destructive tendencies.
However…
At this time, Aizen was in the process of fusing with the Hōgyoku, which could be said to be his weakest period.
If possible, Ishikawa actually wanted to persuade Commander Yamamoto to go to Hueco Mundo alone and directly kill him.
But given Commander Yamamoto's personality, he would absolutely never do that.
Gotei 13!
Just like the 'Gotei' (Protecting Court) in its name, the primary purpose of the Gotei 13 was to protect the Seireitei, so Commander Yamamoto would not easily leave.
After all, if he, as the Commander of the Gotei 13, were to be trapped in Hueco Mundo, and Aizen used that opportunity to attack the Human World, the situation would truly become extremely dire.
This was also reflected in his own memories.
After Orihime was captured, Commander Yamamoto had already stated directly that it was Aizen's strategy of dividing forces, and he even forbade Ichigo from going to Hueco Mundo for rescue.
Although…
Ichigo didn't follow his orders at all.
But the result was indeed as he said: several Captains who went to Hueco Mundo, including Unohana Retsu, were trapped in Hueco Mundo. In the end, Kurotsuchi Mayuri analyzed the Black Portal and barely managed to send people out.
However…
When everyone arrived, it was already too late.
Ishikawa had been thinking these past few days…
Was it possible to have Unohana Retsu participate in the Karakura Town battle as well?
In Aizen's preparations, the Arrancar specifically chosen and personally modified to counter Commander Yamamoto would inevitably be born, and he would try his best to prevent others from killing them.
Ishikawa wasn't confident in killing the target Aizen protected.
But if Unohana Retsu was added, it was entirely possible to do so!
As long as he assisted with his ability to see through Kyōka Suigetsu, with Unohana Retsu's strength, killing the Arrancar that countered Commander Yamamoto would not be difficult.
Beep beep beep beep—
Just as Ishikawa was considering this possibility, the Denreishinki in Hisagi Shuuhei's arms suddenly rang.
Hisagi Shuuhei's face darkened, and he immediately answered it. After a moment, he nodded:
"Received."
Hanging up the Denreishinki, Hisagi Shuuhei looked at Ishikawa: "Captain, the Shinigami Research and Development Institute reports that several Arrancar have appeared in the Human World. From the data, there might be multiple Espada among them."
Multiple?
Ishikawa frowned slightly, somewhat unclear about Aizen's purpose in doing this.
"Commander Yamamoto wants us to go to support immediately. Should we gather the Squad Members now?"
"No need, just the two of us."
Ishikawa shook his head: "The Espada are extremely powerful. People below Captain-level will find it difficult to participate; going would only increase casualties."
Hisagi Shuuhei nodded upon hearing this, as he also felt the same way.
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