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"Well then, it's settled, Shiraha. Once I finish the affairs of the Eighth Division, I'll come find you for a drink. And don't you dare refuse me," said KyĹŤraku Shunsui with a broad grin.
Shiraha smiled and nodded lightly.
"Come along, Nanao," Shunsui added, glancing at Ise Nanao with mock dejection.
She gave no answer, simply turning on her heel and walking ahead in silence.
"Ah, little Nanao, wait for me!" Shunsui called dramatically, hurrying after her.
"Ahem… Shiraha, don't mind them," Ukitake Jūshirō said, suppressing a cough with his usual warmth. "Vice-captain Nanao is Shunsui's niece, his late brother's daughter. They may clash, but their bond runs deep."
"I understand," Shiraha replied with a calm smile. He knew her background well. In truth, her mother had once entrusted Shunsui with the Ise clan's cursed heirloom, the sacred blade Katen KyĹŤkotsu, ensuring Nanao would not be burdened with its fate. Since then, Shunsui had protected her in his own unorthodox way.
"Shiraha," Jūshirō said gently, "why not come to the Thirteenth Division sometime? My squad is curious about you—the new captain of the Seventh."
Shiraha shook his head politely. "No, Captain JĹ«shirĹŤ. Thank you, but I must return to the family first. Next time, I promise."
With no need to follow Shunsui to the Eighth Division, Shiraha had decided to visit the Kuchiki estate and pay respect to his grandfather, Kuchiki Ginrei, before heading to the Seventh Division.
"Very well," JĹ«shirĹŤ said with a kind smile. "I'll take my leave then."
"Please do," Shiraha answered. Both vanished in a sweep of shunpo.
—
Fifth Division Barracks
At his desk, Aizen SĹŤsuke moved his brush across the paper in elegant strokes. Ink bled into flawless calligraphy until a faint presence stirred the air.
"Captain Aizen," drawled Ichimaru Gin, hands tucked inside his sleeves, his smile as unreadable as ever. "It seems Captain Shiraha's words ten years ago were true. Not even the Captain-Commander's Ryūjin Jakka in Shikai could touch him. Quite the terrifying ability, don't you think?"
Aizen set his brush aside and adjusted his glasses, his expression serene. "Indeed, Gin. A Shikai ability that renders Yamamoto helpless is no trivial matter. Kuchiki Shiraha is… a variable."
He remembered watching as Yamamoto's flames failed to breach Shiraha's defense. The memory lent credibility to the warning Shiraha had once given Shunsui, a prediction Aizen had initially dismissed. It intrigued him now.
"Then," Gin asked softly, his smile never fading, "will Captain Shiraha's existence disrupt our plan?"
Aizen's calm never wavered. For centuries he had nurtured a scheme that would reshape Soul Society, hidden in plain sight.
"Gin, we are near completion. Shiraha is merely a small variable, nothing more. His Shikai is formidable, yes, but it is shackled. A shield with no blade cannot strike. Against overwhelming Reiatsu, his power is meaningless. Ignore him."
His eyes glinted with cold light as he murmured, "The time is almost here."
—
Kuchiki Clan Estate, South Rukongai District One
Within the grand hall of one of Soul Society's Four Great Noble Houses, three figures sat cross-legged upon indigo futons: Kuchiki Ginrei, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Shiraha himself.
"Shiraha," Ginrei said with a smile, stroking his beard, "ten years have passed since we last spoke. To think you've grown so strong that even the Captain-Commander's Ryūjin Jakka cannot touch you—you've given your grandfather a pleasant surprise."
Shiraha inclined his head modestly. "Grandfather jests. The Captain-Commander simply wasn't fighting with full strength." Even if Yamamoto had unleashed his Bankai, Shiraha's No-Limit Spell: Power of Stopping would have held. Yet he said no more.
Byakuya's tone was calm but earnest. "Do not underestimate yourself, Shiraha. Even I cannot stand against Ryūjin Jakka. With Senbonzakura's Bankai, I would still be reduced to ash."
Ginrei's voice deepened with authority. "If the Captain-Commander places such trust in you, then you must master Bankai without delay. Only then can you surpass even him and one day take his place."
"I understand, Grandfather." Shiraha bowed his head.
"You've just returned," Ginrei continued, rising to his feet. "Go and rest. Byakuya, you should return as well."
Both brothers stood, bowed respectfully, and departed the chamber.
The moment they were gone, Ginrei's composed face cracked into open laughter. "Ha! Who would have thought? A genius such as Shiraha, born to our house—his Shikai alone defies comprehension, nullifying even Ryūjin Jakka's flames. What fortune for the Kuchiki clan!"
All this time he had hidden his joy, but now, alone, he allowed it to spill forth. His gaze softened as he looked toward the night sky beyond the shoji doors.
"Cangchun," he whispered to his fallen son, "your children have both become captains. You may rest easy now."
—
Shiraha's Quarters
The moment Shiraha slid his door closed, the voice of the system echoed in his mind:
Sign-in task: After Kurosaki Ichigo gains the power of a Shinigami, sign in beside him. Time limit: one day.
Reward: Wujo Satoru template progress +10%.
"One day? Then Rukia must already be in Karakura Town," Shiraha murmured. His current template progress stood at forty percent. This task would bring it to fifty, sharpening his abilities even further.
"Still… time runs too fast."
He remembered the canon future. Once Kurosaki Ichigo obtained his powers, his growth would accelerate at a terrifying pace, shaking Soul Society itself.
"If I only had a hundred years more, with these templates, even the Spirit King would fall before me. But I have so little time left…" His eyes narrowed. "For now, I can only rely on the system. Unless I draw a stronger template, my two current powers may suffice against Aizen, but before Yhwach, the all-knowing, the all-powerful, they are far from enough."
A sigh escaped him. "I've just returned to Soul Society, and already I must head back to the living world. Tiresome."
Ordinary Shinigami required Central approval to cross between realms, filing paperwork and waiting for clearance. But noble houses held privileges, with their own hidden Senkaimon. The Kuchiki clan possessed at least five he knew of, and likely more concealed.
Without hesitation, Shiraha gathered his cloak, stepped into shunpo, and vanished toward the nearest gate.
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