CHAPTER 354: THE NATURE OF NOBLES

Ailin, despite his suspicions, kept his thoughts to himself. He had no concrete evidence to implicate Gyōkaku Kumoi, and he doubted Kumoi, even with Shusuke Amagai’s help, could cause any real trouble.

While he knew the Kasumiōji family possessed a Bakkōtō capable of sealing a Zanpakutō’s release, he didn’t believe it could affect Yamamoto. Even if it did, Yamamoto’s mastery of swordsmanship and Kidō would be more than enough to defeat Amagai.

"Fine," he said, nodding at Byakuya’s explanation. "The Third Division has taken over most of the Fifth’s workload anyway. I might as well enjoy a trip to the World of the Living."

"Prepare for departure in thirty minutes," Yamamoto instructed.

"Yes, Captain-Commander," the captains replied.

...

A white light materialized in a deserted park in Karakura Town.

A wooden Senkaimon gate unfolded, revealing five figures: Ailin and Momo Hinamori of the Fifth Division, Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai of the Sixth, and Rukia Kuchiki of the Ninth.

While the Seireitei had returned to a semblance of peace, with fewer criminals and rogue nobles to occupy the Ninth Division, Rukia had left her lieutenant, Shūhei Hisagi, in charge.

"Rukia, Byakuya, any leads?" Ailin asked, stretching after their journey through the Dangai.

The Kasumiōji affair, in his opinion, was a simple matter: a fool blinded by ambition and a child driven by revenge. Whether Amagai targeted the Kasumiōji family or Yamamoto himself, Ailin couldn’t fault his motives.

He had been a firsthand witness to the events of two centuries ago. Back then, as a relatively unknown elite Shinigami in the Second Division, he had been tasked with assisting the Kasumiōji family in apprehending the "assassins." While his understanding had been limited at the time, from his current perspective, he had a much clearer picture of the situation.

A thousand years ago, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had established the Gotei 13, ruthlessly eliminating all opposition, consolidating his control over the Seireitei. His purpose, however, wasn’t to rule, but to protect the Soul King. He had forged an agreement with the noble families: the Gotei 13 would control the Seireitei’s military might, while the nobles would manage its internal affairs.

Over the centuries, the nobles, having assessed Yamamoto’s character, began testing his boundaries. Had they been unaware of the Bakkōtō’s dangers? No. They knew. Then why had they obstructed Yamamoto’s investigation into the Kasumiōji family? It was a matter of principle, of protecting their own interests.

The Bakkōtō, however dangerous, only affected common Shinigami and family guards. The nobles were unconcerned with their lives. One pawn’s death simply meant replacing them with another. They had never valued the lives of those beneath them. Their opposition to Yamamoto’s investigation wasn’t a matter of right or wrong, but of preserving their autonomy.

If Yamamoto could use the Bakkōtō incident as an excuse to investigate the Kasumiōji family, what would prevent him from targeting other noble families in the future? Every noble family had its secrets. Even the Kuchiki family, the "Model Nobles," had deployed their own assassins against the Shiba clan.

The Central 46, citing Yamamoto’s lack of evidence, had denied his request to investigate. And Yamamoto, having maintained peace within the Seireitei for centuries, had grown... lenient. He had lost the ruthlessness of his youth, replaced by a misplaced sense of compassion. It was this compassion that had made him underestimate Yhwach, who had foreseen Yamamoto’s death.

Yamamoto, at the time, had naively believed that finding evidence of the Bakkōtō’s creation would be enough to justify an investigation. He hadn’t realized that the nobles had never intended to allow him access.

They had been aware of Shinetsu Kisaragi’s mission from the start. They hadn’t anticipated his strength, however, his near success in escaping with the evidence. The Bakkōtō, however, had proved to be a more potent weapon, turning Kisaragi against Yamamoto.

Yamamoto should have realized something was amiss when he sensed Shinetsu’s Bankai, its explosive release of spiritual pressure. But he hadn’t intervened. And after Shinetsu’s death, he had failed to protect his family, leading to the tragedy that had shaped Shusuke Amagai’s life.

...

"Based on our investigation of the scene, there are no signs of a struggle. The guards stationed outside reported no unusual activity. I checked the Senkaimon records with the Twelfth Division. Besides the gates opened by the Third, Fifth, and Thirteenth Divisions, there was one other, a private gate controlled by the nobles, its destination: Karakura Town."

Rukia stroked her chin

"Unfortunately, I’ve never met Princess Kasumiōji. I can’t use Kakushitsuijaku to track her reiatsu. Otherwise, this would be much easier."

"Rukia, you’re still too inexperienced," Ailin said, shaking his head.

"The World of the Living is different from the Soul Society. There aren’t many with spiritual pressure. And human reiatsu is easily distinguishable from that of a Shinigami. Simply use Kakushitsuijaku to locate all spiritual beings in Karakura Town. Eliminate the humans and the Thirteenth Division’s stationed Shinigami. The remaining unfamiliar reiatsu signatures will be your leads."

Rukia’s eyes widened. It was so simple. She hadn’t considered using Kakushitsuijaku that way. Even without being able to identify the princess’s reiatsu, she could narrow down the possibilities, a vast improvement over aimlessly searching.

"I’ll do it," Momo Hinamori volunteered, stepping forward. She knelt and drew the necessary Kidō inscriptions on the ground, her reiatsu gathering at her fingertips.

"South, Heart, North, Eye, West, Fingertip, East, Toe. Gather in the wind, scatter in the rain..."

"Bakudō #58: Kakushitsuijaku!"

White reiatsu bloomed from the black circle on the ground, amplifying her senses. She could now perceive every spiritual being within Karakura Town, though barriers, like those surrounding the Visored’s hideout, blocked her perception of what lay within.

"Captain Ailin, Captain Kuchiki, Captain Rukia! There’s a... a large group with unusual reiatsu signatures engaging in combat about three thousand meters from here. Their spiritual pressure... it feels... wrong."

Before she could elaborate, Ailin, Byakuya, and Rukia sensed the distant clash of reiatsu.

"Renji," Byakuya said, and Renji Abarai, without a word, flashed towards the source of the disturbance.

"Captain?" Hinamori looked at Ailin, seeking permission.

"Go, Hinamori." He had sensed the enemy’s reiatsu. They weren’t particularly strong.

"Yes, Captain." She followed Renji.

"We should go as well," Ailin said to Rukia. "It seems the Substitute Shinigami is involved."

"The Substitute Shinigami?"

"Yes. He’s fighting those... unusual beings."

Byakuya remained silent, his face impassive.

Ailin and Rukia weren’t surprised. As the head of the Kuchiki clan and captain of the Sixth Division, he was under immense pressure. The conflict between the Gotei 13 and the noble families had reached a boiling point.

There were other captains who were also heads of noble families: Soi Fon of the Second Division led the lower-ranking Bee clan, Shunsui Kyōraku of the Eighth led the upper-ranking Kyōraku clan, and Jūshirō Ukitake of the Thirteenth also led a lower-ranking clan. They, however, had firmly sided with the Gotei 13. For Soi Fon, loyalty to Yoruichi Shihōin even trumped her loyalty to the Seireitei.

Byakuya’s situation was different. The Kuchiki clan was one of the oldest and most influential noble families, the architects of the "Noble Order" that had governed the Soul Society for millions of years.

That order, however, had been shattered by Ailin and Aizen’s machinations. The remaining noble families, wary of Tokinada Tsunayashiro, who had annihilated his own clan, looked to Byakuya, the "Model Noble," for guidance.

He couldn’t abandon them, couldn’t betray his grandfather’s legacy. He had to uphold the remnants of the noble system. But he couldn’t deny the appeal of the Gotei 13’s "fair" system.

...

With the combined strength of Renji and Hinamori, Ichigo and his companions quickly defeated their attackers. As they moved to apprehend them, however, the tsuba of their weapons came alive, extending tendrils that burrowed into their arms, draining their reiatsu.

Screams echoed through the air as some of the attackers perished, their life force devoured. Others, however, were empowered by the influx of reiatsu, breaking free from their restraints and opening a Senkaimon back to the Soul Society.

Ailin, Rukia, and Byakuya arrived just as the last of them escaped.

Byakuya’s eyes narrowed. This was the final straw. The attackers, clearly not Shinigami but noble retainers, had demonstrated the nobles’ utter disregard for life.

"Princess Rurichiyo Kasumiōji?" Byakuya asked, approaching the young girl with golden hair.

"Yes. And you are...?" Rurichiyo curtsied politely, recognizing the noble crests on Byakuya and Ginrei Kuchiki’s Ginpaku Kazahana no Uzuginu. Only the Kuchiki and Tsunayashiro families were permitted to wear such adornments, symbols of their status.