Tokinada Tsunayashiro had been a bit busy lately—and a bit irritated, too.
He'd never experienced a stretch of days like this before, where fresh good news kept arriving nonstop.
Yamada Seinosuke's enthusiasm for his new work had exceeded Tokinada Tsunayashiro's expectations by quite a lot.
No matter how the winds of change howled through Soul Society, Yamada Seinosuke managed to shut out the outside world entirely, throwing himself wholeheartedly into his "great undertaking."
Research directions and methods that had once existed only in Tokinada Tsunayashiro's theories were, in this short span of time, being put into practice and verified one after another by Yamada Seinosuke.
To the point that Tokinada Tsunayashiro's daily rhythm—one that had barely changed for centuries ever since his personal freedom had been restricted because of his former wife, Kakyō—was, for the first time, completely thrown into chaos.
And yet Tokinada Tsunayashiro felt genuinely happy.
A "pleasant" kind of trouble.
The sort of change he hadn't been able to achieve no matter how many lackeys he'd recruited.
From a certain angle, Tokinada Tsunayashiro even felt that using Yamada Seinosuke was more… comfortable than using Higashino Shuuichi.
Higashino Shuuichi was strong, yes—but whenever Tokinada Tsunayashiro dealt with him, there was always an uncomfortable itch.
Because compared to Yamada Seinosuke, whom hardly anyone knew and hardly anyone paid attention to, Higashino Shuuichi's identity was far too high-profile, far too special. It meant that when Higashino Shuuichi did things, he always had to watch his head and tail, unable to devote himself completely the way Yamada Seinosuke could now.
And so, Tokinada Tsunayashiro had recently drafted a brand-new plan—one tailored specifically for this brand-new Reiō (Soul King) substitute creation experiment.
Tokinada Tsunayashiro planned that the moment the Reiō substitute was confirmed to be successfully produced, he would begin pushing the Tsunayashiro Clan's "coup," stirring up a new storm inside Soul Society.
It did stray somewhat from his original intention of lying low and patiently waiting for the right moment, but the thought of being able to create a Reiō substitute—along with certain information he now possessed that suggested the Tsunayashiro Clan's plan had real potential—made it acceptable to him.
Even if, before reaching his final objective, he had to temporarily sew a few "wedding dresses" for the Tsunayashiro Clan first… that was fine.
After all, his surname was "Tsunayashiro."
In the very end, as long as he killed off the other Tsunayashiro Clan members, all of the clan's wealth and status—its power included—would still fall into his hands.
What Tokinada Tsunayashiro didn't expect was that man's sudden visit, once again, would disrupt his plans.
"You've been pretty busy lately, haven't you? You've been going to the Eizō Hall less. Normally, at this time of day, you'd be in the Eizō Hall."
As he spoke, Higashino Shuuichi naturally sat down across from Tokinada Tsunayashiro.
"That's thanks to those high-quality experimental materials you provided. Pairing them with Yamada Seinosuke's Zanpakutō (Soul-Cutting Sword) ability… it's simply perfect~"
Tokinada Tsunayashiro wore a deeply satisfied smile as he handed over a research report he had just put away.
Higashino Shuuichi took it and skimmed a few lines. Phrases like "reishi fusion," "initial soul matching," and "second pathway validation failed" were quickly caught by his eyes.
How long had it been since Yamada Seinosuke took over as sōtaichō? Half a month?
And he'd already verified two wrong methods?
Higashino Shuuichi didn't do research, and he didn't understand this kind of work—but even comparing this to the experimental progress of Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Yushima Ōko was enough to see how frighteningly efficient Yamada Seinosuke was.
Of course, that didn't mean Yamada Seinosuke was more capable than Mayuri and Ōko. After all, as the Twelfth Division taichō and fukutaichō of the Gotei Thirteen, Mayuri and Ōko had countless Gotei affairs to handle every day.
Mayuri also had multiple research projects running at once, while Ōko constantly carved out time to go into the Dangai to improve his strength. Meanwhile, Yamada Seinosuke only needed to focus on this single experimental project in front of him—and even the day-to-day Fourth Division vice-captain duties that had once restricted him were gone now.
So Yamada Seinosuke's pace being faster was only natural.
The only thing Higashino Shuuichi couldn't be sure of was: under this kind of efficiency and blazing enthusiasm, how long would it take Yamada Seinosuke to produce that Reiō substitute?
There was no memory, and no plot, for Higashino Shuuichi to reference here.
So after extracting the key information from the report, Higashino Shuuichi became even more certain of the bold plan forming in his heart.
"I don't understand research—that much you know, Tokinada. But looking at this analysis, I can at least guess that Yamada Seinosuke's progress is going very smoothly?"
Higashino Shuuichi returned the report to Tokinada Tsunayashiro without the slightest attachment.
"That's right! At this rate, within a hundred years—maybe even less—I'm confident Yamada Seinosuke will create a Reiō substitute that meets my requirements! And then…"
And there it was again: Tokinada Tsunayashiro's daily "fantasy time."
Living alone day after day, his inner world was always bizarrely rich.
This time, Tokinada Tsunayashiro was already envisioning the world's changes over a full century after he took control of everything.
To keep him from wasting any more time, Higashino Shuuichi had to interrupt his passionate speech.
"Mm. That future you're describing really is beautiful. But right now, I've got a small 'accident' here that might accelerate that future world you're fantasizing about—just a little. Want to hear it?"
The key words were "accident" and "accelerate."
Tokinada Tsunayashiro admired how Higashino Shuuichi could always grab his weak point with such precision.
"Speak."
Being interrupted by Higashino Shuuichi in this situation was a trivial matter.
Soon, the matter of Kuchiki Kōga was summarized for Tokinada Tsunayashiro once again, in the simplest possible terms.
But those facts—facts that concerned only Higashino Shuuichi—didn't excite Tokinada Tsunayashiro much.
Higashino Shuuichi's true killing blow came at the end.
"I agreed to Kuchiki Byakuya's request. I even proposed going one step further—having me cooperate with them to confirm my 'crime' on the spot, during the accusation."
Higashino Shuuichi couldn't possibly recount everything that happened at the Kuchiki estate the previous night—at the very least, Kyōraku Shunsui's presence was something that could not be spoken aloud.
Higashino Shuuichi knew why: even now, due to some peculiar "faith," Kyōraku Shunsui remained convinced that Tokinada Tsunayashiro was the mastermind behind many major incidents in Soul Society.
That was why Kyōraku Shunsui's meetings with Higashino Shuuichi had always been meticulously prepared.
And on the surface, he had absolutely no dealings with Higashino Shuuichi at all—so much so that even Tokinada Tsunayashiro, who held the Eizō Hall and the Great Spirit Book Corridor in his grasp, still didn't know about the private transactions between Higashino Shuuichi and Kyōraku Shunsui.
"What are you trying to do?"
Tokinada Tsunayashiro couldn't make sense of this move—but he trusted that Higashino Shuuichi never did pointless things.
"Do you know? Funny thing is, this incident helped me discover something. Tsunayashiro Kamihara has been doing some shady business behind my back—things I didn't know about."
"A batch of special devices that can directly open passages into the Dangai…"
"Heh. I don't know what Tsunayashiro Kamihara plans to do, but I hate being distrusted. If he wants to use me, yet refuses to trust me, then he should pay the price. That's only reasonable."
Higashino Shuuichi wore a gentle smile, as if he were talking about something utterly insignificant.
"I think it'd be pretty nice if, from now on, the Tsunayashiro Clan were run by you—Tokinada—someone who actually trusts me~"
Tokinada Tsunayashiro stared blankly for a beat, then a burst of laughter—so free and manic it bordered on madness—echoed through the room.
"That's right! Trust is the foundation of our cooperation!"
"Tsunayashiro Kamihara isn't worthy!"
"But… something this small—are you sure it can affect Tsunayashiro Kamihara?"
Yes. In Tokinada Tsunayashiro's eyes, the Zanpakutō materialization rebellion that had almost caused a massive disaster was just a small matter.
At least for the Tsunayashiro Clan, it wasn't a threat at all. Even if Higashino Shuuichi really were the mastermind, using that to replace the clan head was unrealistic.
But this time, Higashino Shuuichi's audacity clearly exceeded Tokinada Tsunayashiro's old, rigid perception of him.
"True. If it's only this one thing, it's not enough to affect Tsunayashiro Kamihara."
"But what if we let it keep fermenting?"
"After my 'crime' is confirmed, I get locked up by the Gotei Thirteen for investigation. That's normal, right?"
"Someone in the Tsunayashiro Clan gets pissed and looks for a chance to retaliate against the Kuchiki Clan—who reported me. That's reasonable, right?"
"During that process, a few more people die on both sides. That's plausible, right?"
"Then the Kuchiki Clan becomes completely opposed to the Tsunayashiro Clan, and under the banner of the Gotei Thirteen, keeps applying pressure—forcing Tsunayashiro Kamihara to take desperate measures and launch his plan early. No problem there, right?"
"And finally, I—who has, in name, already 'returned to the right path' and defected to the Kuchiki—reveal the Tsunayashiro Clan's conspiracy to the Gotei Thirteen, and then, sacrificing myself for righteousness, kill every Tsunayashiro Clan member who seeks to throw Soul Society into chaos!"
"At that point, how many Tsunayashiro remain is entirely up to your mouth, Tokinada. Whoever you say stays alive—I'll keep alive!"
The plan was vast, with countless steps to execute afterward, yet Higashino Shuuichi laid it out in an extremely concise way.
By the time he finished, Tokinada Tsunayashiro unconsciously licked his lips, looking at Higashino Shuuichi with open appreciation.
He knew it—Higashino Shuuichi was his kind of person.
All that fake posturing in the past had been nothing but a mask. The Higashino Shuuichi standing before him now—this was the real one.
And as for that insane plan Higashino Shuuichi just described…
At a moment like this, Tokinada Tsunayashiro didn't even want to think about whether it could work.
A plan this monstrous, this mad—how could Tokinada Tsunayashiro not be part of it?!
"The key to your plan is how we incite the Kuchiki Clan into madness in the middle. Without one of the Five Great Noble Clans—the Kuchiki—pushing it, the Gotei Thirteen under Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni will never apply that kind of extreme pressure against the Tsunayashiro Clan!"
"And as far as I know, the current Kuchiki head, Kuchiki Byakuya, doesn't have that kind of guts. He isn't his grandfather."
Seeing Tokinada Tsunayashiro catch on so quickly, Higashino Shuuichi let out a quiet sigh of relief. He'd prepared several different sets of arguments for this—yet if Tokinada Tsunayashiro was willing to participate, then the plan was basically already a success.
"You're wrong, Tokinada. Precisely because Kuchiki Byakuya isn't Kuchiki Ginrei, this has a chance to succeed. If it were Kuchiki Ginrei, I'd bet my life he'd never go to the point of mutual destruction with the Tsunayashiro Clan!"
Tokinada Tsunayashiro's pupils contracted. He understood: Higashino Shuuichi must have a pressure point on Kuchiki Byakuya.
So he didn't respond—he simply waited for Higashino Shuuichi to continue.
"By coincidence, I learned that Kuchiki Byakuya's wife, Kuchiki Hisana—the Rukongai commoner girl—has a younger sister she's been separated from for many years."
"Her name is Rukia."
"Kuchiki Hisana treasures that sister deeply. At least, she does now."
"And because of Hisana, Kuchiki Byakuya also values this sister who's been recovered after being lost. I've heard that Kuchiki Byakuya even granted that girl the surname 'Kuchiki.' What that means… I don't think I need to explain."
"Of course, that alone still isn't enough. We also need the true main character of this incident—Kuchiki Byakuya's uncle by marriage, Kuchiki Kōga!"
"As the Kuchiki head, Kuchiki Byakuya really is starting to carry a hint of Kuchiki Ginrei's flavor. But Kuchiki Kōga isn't."
"Back then, even with Kuchiki Ginrei warning him again and again, he still couldn't endure the provocation from nobles under the Tsunayashiro sphere of influence. He forcibly attacked his own comrades—and because of that, he indirectly caused Kuchiki Ginrei's death."
"And now, decades later, I don't know whether Kuchiki Kōga's strength has improved, but his temper clearly hasn't changed. Otherwise, he wouldn't have created something this huge without informing Kuchiki Byakuya first."
"It's a complete replay of back then."
Higashino Shuuichi stopped there, because he could already see the change in Tokinada Tsunayashiro's eyes—the cruelty he normally kept buried was now flickering to the surface.
"Unless Kuchiki Byakuya can watch his closest people die one by one without reacting… but for a young clan head like Kuchiki Byakuya…"
Tokinada Tsunayashiro already knew what role he would play in this insane plan.
An executioner, and a pusher.
He would personally use his blood-soaked hands to shove two of the only remaining "somewhat capable" great noble clans—Kuchiki and Tsunayashiro—into the abyss.
Excitement.
Thrill.
Intoxication.
This was the life Tokinada Tsunayashiro wanted!
Higashino Shuuichi—his confidant!
But even as he rode that frenzy, Tokinada Tsunayashiro still saw the ending.
"Even if everything goes smoothly according to your plan, as long as the sōtaichō is still that old bastard…"
"I'll definitely be liquidated. And with my current strength, I'll basically have only one ending."
"I'll be locked in Muken (Avici Hell) for eternity."
Higashino Shuuichi knew exactly what Tokinada Tsunayashiro meant—and that outcome was also what he wanted to see.
"But after all that, the Tsunayashiro Clan will be completely in your hands."
"I believe that once the Tsunayashiro Clan loses the strong shell it has now, you—the future clan head, licking his wounds while holding up the remaining shattered Tsunayashiro—will be able to achieve our final goal more smoothly, and with less attention."
"So how long I stay in Muken depends only on when you succeed."
"And I have confidence in you the same way I have confidence in myself."
To be honest, Tokinada Tsunayashiro had never imagined that an emotion called "being moved" could appear inside him.
But at that moment, he had to admit it—he was moved by Higashino Shuuichi's "trust."
"Don't worry. Soon—very soon. It absolutely won't take long!"
A thousand words, in the end, became Tokinada Tsunayashiro's short promise.
What Tokinada Tsunayashiro didn't know was that Higashino Shuuichi's plan was made of many different ingredients.
Because Higashino Shuuichi wore multiple hats, every move he made had to consider all sides.
First, on the surface: before Tokinada Tsunayashiro made his move, this plan made Higashino Shuuichi look, in Kyōraku Shunsui and Kuchiki Byakuya's eyes, like the very model of loyal devotion to Soul Society.
Second: the reason Higashino Shuuichi didn't intend to solve Tokinada Tsunayashiro along the way was because he wanted to keep Tokinada Tsunayashiro around to control Yamada Seinosuke's research into how to create the Reiō substitute.
Since Yushima Ōko was also a participant, that meant Higashino Shuuichi would effectively master this high-end technique too—so from then on, he would no longer need to fear being targeted by that stinking monk up in the Reiōkyū (Royal Palace).
And doing it this way also gave Aizen Sōsuke an explanation: it helped Aizen solve the Tsunayashiro crisis, while also leaving the Tsunayashiro bloodline behind in Soul Society, preventing the existing system from collapsing.
Lastly, Higashino Shuuichi hadn't forgotten the promise he once made to someone who had helped him greatly—the former Eleventh Division taichō, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki.
By using this opportunity, he intended to formally visit that legendary figure within Muken.
As for the rest of the time in Muken?
Higashino Shuuichi was planning to head to the Reiōkyū for training next anyway. For him, Muken was merely a place to fool the majority of Shinigami in Soul Society.
As for whether Higashino Shuuichi could obtain that kind of free movement inside Muken…
All he could say was this: if—with connections like Kabuma Sayako, Shiba KūKaku (the Shiba Clan head's younger sister), Tokinada Tsunayashiro (the future Tsunayashiro Clan head), Shihōin Yūshirō Sakimune (the current Shihōin Clan head), and also Aizen Sōsuke and Kyōraku Shunsui backing him—he still couldn't move like a fish in water inside something as trivial as Muken…
Then all those years of building his network really would have been for nothing.
And in Higashino Shuuichi's heart, there was still another great plan—one he couldn't speak of to anyone—that required him to stay out of most Shinigami's sight for a long time.
Especially…
Aizen Sōsuke.
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