If the greatest strength of the Katana-gari-shū was that it didn't have to obey Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni and only needed to follow the Tsunayashiro's orders, then its greatest weakness sprang from the same place.
As a unit effectively under Tsunayashiro control and nominally "answerable to all nobles," the Katana-gari-shū existed alongside the Gotei 13 and the Tsunayashiro's own retainers. Which meant that after Higashino Shuuichi took office as Great Blade-Hunting Chief, he spent most days… doing nothing.
Major crises? The Gotei 13 handled those. Minor errands? The Tsunayashiro obviously preferred the household Shinigami they had raised by hand—even if, in Higashino's eyes, most of them were so weak they couldn't even manage Shikai (Initial Release), let alone anything higher.
Tsunayashiro Kamihara's idea for the Katana-gari-shū was crystal clear: a deterrent against Yamamoto, something to help the nobles wrest more leverage when haggling over interests.
Strategic nuclear deterrence—that's how Higashino chose to think of his role.
And in truth, with the ability to seal other Shinigami's zanpakutō releases, he posed a lethal threat to the vast majority of Soul Society.
Not everyone was named Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, Unohana Yachiru, Aizen Sōsuke, or Zaraki Kenpachi.
By his estimate, even Kyōraku Shunsui as he was now would get little out of a head-on clash.
The price of such a "deterrent" role, though, was this: after nearly half a month, the Katana-gari-shū still had… zero members.
Not because the Gotei 13 refused to transfer anyone—but because Tsunayashiro Kamihara flatly forbade recruiting from the Shinō Academy (Shinōreijutsuin), the only Shinigami training academy, founded and overseen by Yamamoto.
The logic was "simple": the Tsunayashiro had bled to secure Higashino as the perfect Great Blade-Hunting Chief. If he then recruited from Shinō Academy, how was that different from captaining a Gotei division? If a confrontation ever broke out with Yamamoto, the Tsunayashiro believed Higashino would never side with Yamamoto—nor would Yamamoto accept him. But how could Higashino guarantee every subordinate would be equally aligned?
"Sure. Makes total sense—my ass."
Higashino had wanted to slap Kamihara across both cheeks when he heard it.
You don't understand "ideological education?" Fine.
But there's one academy. Since its founding, what new Shinigami in these centuries hasn't, in some way, been a student of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni?
Even Higashino himself had graduated from Shinō Academy.
If the Academy was off-limits and the nobles hoarded their household Shinigami like treasure, where exactly was he supposed to find personnel?
Win the world as a one-man army?
Kamihara's response: "Not my problem. Figure it out."
"Right. One word it is."
After realizing that no matter how he combed through the personnel dossier Kyōraku Shunsui had sent via Ise Nanao, nothing would satisfy Kamihara, Higashino did something rare: he got… glum.
Of all the "bosses" he'd worked under, Kamihara was the hardest to serve—picky and riddled with bad habits.
Finding no legitimate route to bolster his ranks, Higashino left the spacious Katana-gari-shū barracks Kamihara had provided.
"Shuuichi-sama! I heard you not only returned but also became captain of that new division—is it true?!"
As soon as he stepped into the 12th Division barracks, Yushima Ōko—now the division's vice-captain—came sprinting to greet him after hearing a report.
"Mm. Picked up a captaincy to toy with. But to distinguish ourselves from the Gotei, don't call me 'captain' on our side—use Great Blade-Hunting Chief."
Higashino took in Yushima with satisfaction. The man's reiatsu was far denser than a decade ago. He had, it seemed, followed the twenty-year training plan Higashino had left, while Kurotsuchi Mayuri's bespoke "black-tech" support did its work. Even if he hadn't attained Bankai (Final Release), he should at least be at captain-class reiatsu by now.
"Understood, Shuuichi-sama! Oh—and your timing is perfect. Thanks to the Fullbringers you had Sayako-san deliver ten years ago, the Kaizō Konpaku (Modified Souls) project you named is advancing rapidly. We're ready for Phase One trials!"
Yushima was practically vibrating. This was the first major task Shuuichi-sama had entrusted him with after leaving; he cherished it.
Thanks to Soul Society's naturally poor information flow, Yushima didn't know what had happened to Higashino ten years ago. He simply believed that he'd been beneath expectations—hence no visits.
And just as their Kaizō Konpaku project reached a breakthrough—Higashino returned.
Proof, in Yushima's mind: only results earn Shuuichi-sama's attention.
Work harder, Yushima. Harder, and harder!
The last ten years were merely a test. Show more value; receive more cultivation.
Soon, Yushima led Higashino down into the underground labs—rebuilt and re-re-built by Kurotsuchi.
But passing one level, they went by a Reigai (Spirit Body) with Ichimaru Gin's face—and a very bad memory surged into Higashino's mind.
So instead of asking about the Modified Souls, his first words to Kurotsuchi were a challenge: "Mayuri, that Reigai on B9 with the face of 3rd Division Captain Ichimaru Gin—your handiwork?"
"That? Of a sort. Why? Interested?"
Mayuri hadn't yet grasped the seriousness—he answered plainly.
He'd expected Higashino to come, frankly. Given Higashino had returned so loudly and taken command of the Katana-gari-shū, it was almost odd he'd waited this long.
If not for Higashino's now oil-and-water relationship with the Gotei 13, his Tsunayashiro backing, and his near peerless strength (that single trick of sealing zanpakutō releases could topple over half of Soul Society), Mayuri would've sought him out already.
Why? That battle in Osaka a decade ago had yielded a bounty of Fullbringers—but it also scattered nearly every Fullbringer in the East Administration's jurisdiction. They all fled into the West Administration.
Which meant Mayuri no longer had a supply.
He knew that if he left the East Administration's turf to hunt in the West, it would end poorly. He needed someone both monstrously strong and unconcerned with "jurisdiction": Higashino.
Otherwise, with no new Fullbringers, Phase Two would require human trials—absolutely forbidden in Soul Society.
Not because experimenting on humans was "immoral"—Soul Society wasn't that high-minded—but because good targets were scarce.
The goal of Kaizō Konpaku was human quasi-Shinigami; combat metrics mattered. If the result couldn't fight or grow, it had no value.
"That 'young Head-Captain' and 'young me' who appeared in the World of the Living ten years ago—were those yours too?"
Higashino regretted the question the moment it left his mouth; he'd let his anxiety show. The potential implied by that "young him" had him restless.
But of course it couldn't be Mayuri. If he'd already been able to make "young Yamamoto" and "young Higashino," why bother with Modified Souls?
Still, Mayuri did have intel:
"No. Those were made by a West Administration Shinigami named Miyazaki Sakai Masato. My pieces on B9 are just imitations of his work. The results were poor, so I shelved them."
"Miyazaki Sakai Masato? And why is there still a Shinigami in the West Administration? Also—what do you mean by 'poor results'?"
Higashino fired off questions.
Mayuri answered without pause, as if he'd anticipated them:
"Miyazaki Sakai Masato was the 12th Division Captain before Hikifune Kirio. He conducted illegal research on Shinigami souls, ambushed and massacred an entire Gotei 13 survey squad in a single night, and fled to the West Administration when it came to light.
To be honest, parts of Hikifune's research borrowed from what Miyazaki left behind.
As for 'poor results,' it's literal. Miyazaki's clones do not suffer reiryoku depletion—they can fight at high intensity for long periods despite lacking self-awareness or independent souls, and thus being unable to replenish from ambient reishi.
My one-to-one Shinigami clones cannot. At best they last under three seconds—without Bankai. Attempt Bankai and they fail in under a second."
"A former 12th Division Captain?"
That explained plenty. Everyone knew: most of the true lunatics came from the 11th and 12th. Other divisions produced one every few centuries; these two ran in bulk.
For the 11th (the combat division), "lunatic" made sense. For the 12th (the research division)… Higashino accepted it intellectually, if not emotionally.
As for the rest—he didn't think it was a "Mayuri is weak" problem. Mayuri was, in the Thousand-Year Blood War, a legitimate MVP.
If even he couldn't replicate it, then the limiter wasn't the tech—it was the maker.
Don't tell me Miyazaki has parts of the Soul King's body too?
A sinister thought crept in. It would explain those "young Yamamoto" and "young me."
Outside of the logic-free Soul King fragments, how else could a normal Shinigami do that?
But for now, there was no thread to pull. One was in the West Administration, the other in the East; what connection could there be?
All he needed was to confirm Mayuri hadn't done it.
Miyazaki was a potential threat. Once things here settled, Higashino would trick Aizen into coming along to hold the line.
Because if Miyazaki suddenly pulled a wireless-stamina "First Generation Gotei 13" out of his… sleeves to give him a lesson, even Higashino might not walk away.
Sealing releases or not, the founders were monsters.
Soon, he and Mayuri moved into normal discussion—topic:
How to reasonably advance the Kaizō Konpaku (Modified Souls) project for now without access to Fullbringers.
Listening at the side, Yushima Ōko began to feel something was… off.
Why did phrases like "ambush Shinigami" roll so casually off the tongues of two nominal Gotei captains?
No psychological burden at all?
Against his two "teachers," Yushima's own occasional bullying of former mockers suddenly felt childish.
Listen to this:
"In the World of the Living, a monitoring post rarely has more than two Shinigami—usually one. Within an hour, they can alert at least three nearby posts for support, and at least one seated officer will respond. Only if they can't handle it will a lieutenant be dispatched.
Right now, the 13th Division's lieutenant is Shiba Kaien. His Shunpō (Flash Step) is middling; pick a remote-enough site and he'll need about an hour to arrive.
So, if we're to strike, keep it under two hours. Adjust waves as needed based on battle flow."
Mayuri's analysis was meticulous.
"I can Hollowify (Hollowfication). Open me a Senkaimon (World Gate) to Hueco Mundo; I'll pick a few suitably strong Hollows, open a Garganta (Black Cavity) to the World of the Living, and toss them through. That also gives us data on battles versus Hollows…"
Higashino's voice brimmed with self-assurance.
Yushima's worldview teetered.
Then Higashino noticed his daze and hauled him into the planning. And suddenly, Yushima felt a new door open in his heart.
We all have a beautiful future!
he praised inwardly.
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