Clack, clack, clack!
Clack, clack, clack!
At that very moment, a rapid series of wooden clapper strikes suddenly rang out within the Seireitei. Immediately afterward, the urgent shouts of the Emergency Communications Unit echoed through every corner of the Seireitei:
"Emergency alert! Emergency alert! Intruders have been detected within the Seireitei! All divisions are to return to their defensive positions immediately!"
"Repeat! Emergency alert! Emergency alert! Intruders have been detected within the Seireitei! All divisions are to return to their defensive positions immediately!"
"Intruders? How interesting!!"
Kenpachi Zaraki licked his lips eagerly and, without even saying a word, strode out of the council hall by himself!
"Intruders? Could it be that group of Ryoka? How could they have infiltrated the Seireitei so quickly…"
Standing at the head of the right side, Aizen said in surprise,
"Could it be… that what Captain Ichimaru said was true?!"
"Looks like it is."
Shunsui Kyōraku lifted the brim of his straw hat slightly, his deep eyes fixed on Ichimaru Gin.
"If Captain Ichimaru truly has a clear conscience… then someone inside the Seireitei really is secretly assisting the Ryoka."
In fact, even without Shunsui's reminder, the captains present had already realized where the problem lay:
Although the First Division of the Gotei Thirteen nominally doubled as the Captain-Commander's division, in practice its duties were independent from the Captain-Commander's personal affairs—
In other words, reviewing documents from all divisions, conveying the Captain-Commander's orders, submitting reports, and approving and issuing Seireitei Entry Passes had always been the responsibility of the First Division…
And now, the unprecedented fact that the Ryoka possessed unregistered entry passes clearly meant that the "traitor" Ichimaru Gin spoke of was hiding within the First Division itself!
"Hmph…"
Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai stared intently at the entry pass that had been handed to him, his eyes burning with boundless fury. Only after a long pause did he speak:
"Captain of the Ninth Division!"
"..."
Hearing the call, Tōsen Kaname stepped out of the formation and waited silently for orders.
"Immediately detain all 301 members of the First Division, including the vice-captain, on the spot! Until the traitor is identified, no one is permitted to leave the division—
Violators are to be executed on the spot!"
"Yes, sir!"
Tōsen Kaname departed at once. As he passed Ichimaru Gin, the corner of his mouth curved into a faint smile before his figure vanished from everyone's sight.
"Captain of the Seventh Division!"
"Yes!"
The large, iron-bucket-helmeted Komamura Sajin placed his right hand over his left chest and responded solemnly.
"Take over the First Division's duty of guarding the central command, and reinforce the defenses of the Repentance Cell—
Until the day criminal Saitō's sentence is carried out!"
"Understood!" Komamura accepted the order and left. After locating Iba Tetsuzaemon in the second auxiliary room, the two of them hurriedly departed the headquarters together.
"Very well. This captains' meeting will adjourn here."
Yamamoto Genryūsai said in a deep voice.
"As for the disposition of the Third Division's captain, further notice will be given later.
All other divisions are to immediately return to their defensive positions within the Seireitei. Dismissed!"
Tap… tap…
Tap… tap…
Each of the captains left the council hall with their own thoughts. Only Aizen deliberately lingered behind. After everyone else had gone, he spoke softly to Ichimaru Gin:
"The alarm rang at a very convenient time, didn't it… Captain Ichimaru?"
"Oh?"
Ichimaru Gin replied with a smile.
"Captain Aizen's words seem to carry another meaning?"
"You can't fool me, Ichimaru Gin."
Aizen paused slightly and looked at him.
"What you did in Naruki City… I've already investigated it thoroughly.
And I've also found evidence of your involvement in the harm done to the former Captain of the Tenth Division and Vice-Captain Fūjin.
The only reason I didn't report it to the Captain-Commander sooner is because I couldn't understand why you did it!"
"Hehehe… Captain Aizen, what are you talking about?"
The smile on Ichimaru Gin's face grew increasingly strange.
"I really don't understand a word of it."
"If you truly didn't understand, you wouldn't have targeted the Saitō family again!"
Aizen lowered his voice and barked angrily.
"Because you were born in the impoverished Rukongai, you harbor endless hatred toward the nobility—your extremism is simply too much!"
"Oh? Is that so…"
Ichimaru Gin's expression did not change in the slightest, as though Aizen were speaking about someone else entirely.
"Don't underestimate me, Ichimaru Gin."
Aizen said coldly.
"If you dare do anything detrimental to Soul Society, I will expose your true nature to the Captain-Commander!"
With that, Aizen stormed off.
"Hmph… things are getting more and more interesting…"
Ichimaru Gin said aloud, but deep inside he fell into contemplation:
Captain of the Tenth Division… you really did something foolish.
You secretly investigated Captain Aizen's movements… did you really think he wouldn't know?
Tch. Now even that guy has been dragged into this mess.
As this thought crossed his mind, Ichimaru Gin flicked a glance out of the corner of his eye toward a pillar outside the council hall. He sighed quietly, then slipped away without a sound…
"So… you noticed me after all."
After Ichimaru Gin left, Shiba Kaien emerged from behind the pillar. His gaze was locked tightly on Ichimaru Gin's retreating figure as he thought to himself:
"But in the end, I finally caught your fox tail, Ichimaru Gin!
So it really was you all along, you creepy squinty-eyed freak!!"
...
Half an hour earlier, within the previously peaceful Eighth Division barracks, a faint ripple of spatial distortion suddenly echoed—
And in the next moment, Kurosaki Ichigo, Ishida Uryū, and the others swaggered out of a clock-shaped spatial passage.
"Who goes there?!"
The Eighth Division members reacted immediately, hurriedly surrounding the group of unknown intruders.
"This is… Shunsui Kyōraku's Eighth Division!"
Black Cat Yoruichi couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
Fūjin Taichi, you bastard—you really did choose one hell of a place.
That guy Shunsui Kyōraku might not have much fighting spirit… but that's only when he's certain Soul Society isn't in danger. In those situations, he blatantly slacks off with a playful attitude—
But right now, Kurosaki Ichigo is being treated as a Ryoka by Soul Society. Sending him straight here is no different from tossing a mouse into a lair of old cats…
Even if he doesn't die, he'll definitely get toyed with until he's broken!
"Hmph! Looks like you bastards are the intruders who caused the Hollowfication anomaly! You actually dared to barge into the Eighth Division—"
With a fierce shout, the tall and imposing Tsunayashiro Tokio charged forward, Zanpakutō in hand, yelling at Kurosaki Ichigo and the others:
"Then die beneath my blade!
Circle around the stars—Ikomikidomo!"
Shk!
The blade of Tsunayashiro Tokio's Zanpakutō suddenly transformed into something like octopus tentacles, whipping forward with a whoosh, flinging sticky green liquid toward Ichigo and the others!
"Watch out, Ichigo! That liquid is extremely poisonous!"
Well-versed as she was, Black Cat Yoruichi recognized at a glance how dangerous the tentacle-like manifestation of Tsunayashiro's Zanpakutō was.
"I know! Then—"
Ichigo swung Zangetsu to knock back the wave of tentacles, retreating several steps to evade the green liquid raining down from above.
Whoosh!
Seizing the opening, Ishida Uryū fired a spirit arrow at Tsunayashiro Tokio—only for an unexpected scene to unfold:
The arrow was wrapped up by the tentacles and absorbed, as if it were being slurped up like noodles!
"What?!"
Ishida gasped in shock, immediately activating Hirenkyaku to leap into the air. Spirit arrows whistled from his hands, raining down toward Tsunayashiro Tokio!
"Hmph. Such trivial tricks, daring to show off before me!"
Tsunayashiro Tokio sneered.
"Then—Devour the stars, Ikomikidomo!"
His Zanpakutō transformed into a massive circular shield, like an opened umbrella, completely nullifying the barrage of spirit arrows!
"T-That's impossible! That guy's Zanpakutō actually has multiple release commands, just like Urahara's! Damn it… this is getting troublesome!"
For the first time, a grave expression appeared on Black Cat Yoruichi's dark feline face.
"Many thanks, Ryoka! Thanks for feeding my Zanpakutō!"
Tsunayashiro Tokio grinned widely.
"Now then—it's my turn to counterattack!
Shatter the stars, Ikomikidomo!"
...
Drop some POWERSTONES to push the story forward!
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin