HBWnovel Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Seireitei stood under a stormy sky, its walls heavy with tension.
The squad dispatched to eliminate the Shadow Assassin had returned to Seireitei not long ago.
However, the squad's leader, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Gozuke, did not come back with them.
Yamamoto summoned the squad immediately to the 1st Division for questioning.
Facing the Captain-Commander, the surviving Shinigami dared not hide anything and recounted the events in detail.
Upon arriving at Rukongai, they executed their plan to draw out the Shadow Assassin's attention.
Before long, the Shadow Assassin appeared, and Kenpachi Gozuke engaged him in battle.
The two clashed, moving rapidly using shunpo, their figures vanishing into the distance.
The squad pursued them relentlessly and arrived at the final battlefield just as the fight ended.
To their shock, they saw Kenpachi Gozuke standing victorious, his foot on the chest of a defeated Shinigami. His Zanpakutō was raised high before bringing it down, severing the other's head.
Witnessing this, the Shinigami couldn't hide their excitement.
"We've won!"
"As expected of Captain Gozuke!"
"Captain Gozuke, should we return to Seireitei now to report back?"
But as their cheers rang out, Kenpachi Gozuke remained silent.
He bent down, picked up the severed head, wrapped it carefully in a white cloth, and fashioned it into a small bundle. Holding it, he turned to the others.
A strange smile stretched across his face.
"You fools."
"I went through all this trouble to get away—why would I go back?"
"If I return now, I'll never leave again."
Before anyone could react, Gozuke vanished with a flash of shunpo, disappearing into the distance.
The squad
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
Relying on Kyōraku Shunsui for intimidation was as unrealistic as hoping for Jūshirō Ukitake's miraculous recovery.
After that, he considered Gozu Kenpachi.
But after thorough consideration, he realized Gozu Kenpachi's strength was far from intimidating.
Finally, his attention shifted to Kuchiki Kōga, the son-in-law of Kuchiki Ginrei.
This young man was powerful and had peculiar abilities.
Most importantly, he was bold and reckless—perfect material as a blade to wield.
However, it wasn't long before Yamamoto noticed major issues with Kuchiki Kōga.
The problem wasn't solely with Kōga himself.
Kuchiki Ginrei was part of the issue too.
Possibly due to his origins in Rukongai and marrying into one of the Four Great Noble Clans, Kuchiki Kōga always carried an odd sense of conflict.
On one hand, he was proud of bearing the Kuchiki name and his abilities.
On the other, he was intensely sensitive and insecure about his origins.
These conflicting feelings created an intense desire within him to prove himself and to be recognized.
When Ginrei realized this, he was furious.
As a son-in-law of the Kuchiki family, how could he behave so childishly, with such a fragile mindset?
Arrogant in victory, defeated in failure—at this rate, he'd sooner or later become a plaything for other nobles!
From then on, no matter what achievements Kōga made, Ginrei never once praised him.
His intentions were good—he wanted Kōga to become more stable and mature.
But in Kōga's eyes, this only seemed like alienation and rejection.
As time passed, Kōga didn't mature but grew increasingly restless.
On several occasions, during battles against the rebels, his bloodlust nearly caused him to attack allies.
Yamamoto witnessed this and felt deeply troubled.
He had discussed the matter seriously with Ginrei.
However, Ginrei insisted this was a family matter that he would handle himself.
Seeing Kōga grow more reckless day by day, Yamamoto finally gave up on cultivating him.
Along with that, the tactical deterrent plan was abandoned.
Now, with Gozu Kenpachi's defection, the plan resurfaced in Yamamoto's mind.
If anyone could become a tactical deterrent, he did have someone in mind.
Thinking of someone who had already confronted two captain-class opponents before even graduating, a hint of anticipation flickered in Yamamoto's eyes...
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Here is a note from the Author :
Some readers have expressed doubts about the technological level of the human world in this story. Here's a brief explanation:
The Earth in the Bleach world isn't based on a normal worldview.
In this universe, Homo sapiens have existed for over a million years.
And even back then, concepts like humans, Hollows, and nobility already existed.
As for why technological advancement over a million years is still at a 21st-century level... perhaps it's been locked by some mysterious force (just kidding).
t/n; TOP 2 BABY!!!
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