Bleach: No cheat codes, he joined Aizen's side.

Chapter 178, Section 176: Higashino Shuichi? A high-ranking undercover agent!
Half an hour had passed since Higashino Shuichi entered the room, and Kuchiki Byakuya, standing outside, still saw no sign that the two inside had ended their conversation, or even that it had broken down.

This made Kuchiki Byakuya feel strange.

Wasn't it said that Higashino Shuichi was essentially a retainer of the Tsuna-Yayo family?
How could he chat amicably with Kyoraku Shunsui for so long?

Having only recently taken over the position of head of the Kuchiki family from his father, he still doesn't have a complete understanding of what happened in Soul Society in the past, or the current situation within Soul Society.

Just then, Byakuya Kuchiki's wife, Hisana Kuchiki, brought over a pot of sake. Looking at Hisana's frail body, Byakuya couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache in his eyes.
"Hijin, why are you doing this yourself? This kind of thing can be done by servants!"

Kuchiki Byakuya immediately stepped forward and took the tray from Kuchiki Hisa.

"How could anyone else get close to this place?"
Even Byakuya, you're guarding this place and not letting anyone else near. Clearly, the two people talking in that room right now must be very important. Only I could get here in person.

Hisa Kuchiki gave Byakuya a gentle smile and said.

"You can leave this to me. You can go back and get some rest."

Byakuya Kuchiki stretched out his free left hand and gently stroked his wife's face before telling Hisa to go back and rest immediately.

Byakuya Kuchiki was well aware that his wife was always very intelligent, which was one of the reasons he fell in love with Hisana.

Unfortunately, Hishima's health was very poor due to his long period of wandering in Rukongai, and he would often faint for no reason.

Perhaps he should find his wife's lost sister Rukia sooner rather than later. That way, with her sister's company, Hisa might be in a better mood every day.

Kuchiki Byakuya watched Hisana's departing figure, thinking silently to himself, before turning and walking towards the house.

There was a person in this room whose identity was of utmost importance, because this was a Shinigami who should never have come to the Kuchiki family alone under these circumstances. Kuchiki Byakuya could imagine how serious the reaction would be if he revealed what had happened today to the Tsunayashiro family, one of the other five great noble families.

Fortunately, he is not that kind of person.

Moreover, Kyoraku Shunsui specifically chose the Kuchiki family's residence as the meeting place, wasn't it because the Reflection Hall, which has surveillance points all over Soul Society and even in the human world and Hueco Mundo, doesn't exist near the residences of the five great noble families?
Holding a cup of sake, Byakuya Kuchiki stood outside the door and took a deep breath. This wasn't the first time he'd seen that somewhat legendary Shinigami in Soul Society. It could be said that this Shinigami had achieved the pinnacle of what a mediocre commoner from Rukongai could accomplish in nearly a thousand years.
However, Byakuya Kuchiki had a premonition that the Shinigami he was about to see might be slightly different from the Shinigami he knew before.

"So, this isn't the first time you've encountered a similar situation?"
"Those guys even created a Captain-Commander?"

As soon as he opened the door, Kuchiki Byakuya saw Kyoraku Shunsui frowning and speaking somewhat seriously.

He rarely saw Kyoraku Shunsui like this. For the usually unrestrained Kyoraku Shunsui, anything that could make him make such an expression must represent a very serious situation.

"To be precise, it was the younger version of the Captain-Commander. The intensity of his spiritual pressure was not high. Even with my strength at that time, I could still handle it. And it seemed that he could not use Bankai. Of course, it is also possible that his body could not withstand the backlash from the Captain-Commander's Bankai. In addition, that version of the Captain-Commander felt very rigid to me, just like Saizo Goku in his current state."

Higashino Hideichi glanced at Kuchiki Byakuya, who had just entered, and then looked at Kyoraku Shunsui. He noticed that the latter's expression had not changed at all, and knew that Kyoraku Shunsui was probably using this method to get Kuchiki Byakuya, the head of one of the five noble families, to endorse him.

Kyoraku Shunsui was telling Higashino Shuichi not to worry about the consequences of betraying the Tsunayo family, as the Kuchiki family would definitely stand behind him.

As the two most powerful noble families in Soul Society at present, the Kuchiki family certainly has the strength and confidence to do so.

This is something that the other five noble families, such as the Kabuto family, the Shiba family, and even the Shihouin family, which has been severely weakened by the "betrayal" of the Soul Society by its former head, cannot compare to.

"If I remember correctly, you also said before that the rebellious Saizo wasn't always like this; he was originally supposed to be more like a living Grim Reaper?"

Kyoraku Shunsui said.

Higashino Shuichi glanced at Kuchiki Byakuya, whose eyes were filled with confusion, and knew that Kyoraku Shunsui was giving Kuchiki Byakuya a recap of what had happened.

"Not only that, his spiritual pressure is completely unaffected in that Dangai, as if it will never run dry. The immense pressure that the Dangai exerts on us Shinigami at all times is not felt by Saizo Goku, at least from my perspective. I also felt this when I faced that young version of the Captain-Commander in Osaka Prefecture."

Higashino Shuichi nodded. To be honest, this was exactly what had been troubling Higashino Shuichi all along, and even Aizen couldn't explain it.

Not to mention Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who has now abandoned the plan to modify the soul and is now focusing on studying the rebellious Saizo.

"An unlimited supply of spiritual particles? That seems..."

After pondering for a while, Kuchiki Byakuya spoke.

"It's quite normal, at least for most of us Shinigami. Because most of the time, when we're in the Soul Society or Hueco Mundo, where spiritual energy is abundant, we don't have to worry about running out of spiritual energy. We use our abilities primarily by using spiritual pressure to directly draw upon external spiritual energy, rather than directly using the spiritual energy within our own bodies."

Higashino Shuichi guessed what Kuchiki Byakuya wanted to say.

"This is indeed a special ability that sounds scary, but its actual combat performance is rather disappointing."

However, as I just mentioned, this "barely satisfactory" scenario is based on the premise that our battle with them takes place in the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, or the Human World. In that case, their advantage would be essentially meaningless to us. But what if the battle takes place in a place like the Dangai?

Higashino Shuichi's concerns were not without reason.

According to the information he found from Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the earliest research on the Dankai began nearly a thousand years ago when the Gotei 13 was first established.

The captain of the 12th Division of the original 13th Division, Zenjoji Yubin, had already begun to consider conquering the Dangai during that still primitive period.

Unfortunately, due to Yhwach's invasion, the first captain sacrificed himself in that era to resist Yhwach, and research on the Dangai also came to a standstill at that time.

Because apart from the first captain, no other Shinigami could freely enter the Dangai to conduct research.

This situation only changed with the emergence of Oshima.

Originally, in the original storyline, Yushima Osh could have successfully taken control of the Dangai and become its ruler after Aizen fused with the Hogyoku and destroyed the Kokutoku in the Dangai.

Now, if what Saizo said is true, and the captains of the first 13th Division can really be brought back to the present world, then with the efforts of Zenjoji Yupin, the captain of the first 12th Division who can also freely enter and leave the Dangai, it is not impossible to control the Dangai.

"This is impossible, right?"

Kuchiki Byakuya said in disbelief, such a thing was still too shocking for him, who was still young.

However, for Kyoraku Shunsui, who has lived from a thousand years ago to the present, such a thing is possible.

"Perhaps, Shuichi, it's time for you to call Kisaragi and the others back!"

Kyoraku Shunsui remained silent for a moment before looking at Higashino Shuichi and speaking solemnly.

These words immediately caused a slight fluctuation in Higashino Shuichi's emotions.

"What do you mean?"

What surprised Higashino Shuichi was not that Kyoraku Shunsui knew about Kisaragi Shusuke, because it was no secret in Soul Society that Kisaragi Shusuke, Matsumoto Rangiku, and others had fled to the human world with him.

What surprised Shuichi Higashino was that this time, Shunsui Kyoraku used Shusuke Kisaragi as the main character, instead of Kisuke Urahara, whom he often mentioned.

This shows that Kyoraku Shunsui was well aware that Kisaragi Shusuke and his group, including Higashino Shuichi himself, were not with Urahara Kisuke.

"There are some things you may not know. After you disappeared from Osaka Prefecture, the head of the Kabuto family returned to Soul Society with some Fullbringers. I met with Ms. Kabuto Sayaka and, with her permission, went to the Human World. There, I had a conversation with Kisaragi Shusuke."

Kyoraku Shunsui slowly recounted the past that Higashino Shuichi was unaware of, thus resolving another long-standing question in his mind: why Kisaragi Shusuke and the others went to the West Subprefecture after his disappearance. Logically, given Kisaragi Shusuke's personality and his dissatisfaction with Urahara Kisuke, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to have taken Matsumoto Rangiku and Kabuto Asayako to the West Subprefecture to find Urahara Kisuke after his disappearance.

Moreover, since she herself has disappeared, Kabuto Sayaka should have no reason to stay in the human world anymore, and she should have returned to Soul Society long ago.

In Kyoraku Shunsui's narration, he had a very "friendly" exchange with Kisaragi Shusuke in the human world, and successfully used his strength to convince Kisaragi Shusuke that he truly had no ill intentions towards Higashino Shuichi and other Shinigami who had rebelled from Soul Society.

Furthermore, taking advantage of Higashino Shuichi's ambiguous attitude towards Soul Society at that time, Kyoraku Shunsui successfully tricked Kisaragi Shusuke into going to the West Front Bureau to find out where the missing Asauchi had gone.

Kyoraku Shunsui promised Kisaragi Shusuke that once the deed was done, he would do everything in his power to help Higashino Shuichi shed the label of a rebellious Shinigami and return to Soul Society.

Upon hearing this, Higashino Shuichi had to admire Kyoraku Shunsui. His tactic of using someone else's flower to present to the Buddha and going with the flow was truly brilliant. Kisaragi Shusuke, a straightforward kid, was completely taken aback by the old fox Kyoraku Shunsui's cunning, given the information asymmetry.

This is a perfect example of someone who's been sold out and is still counting the money for the seller.

But this cannot be blamed on Kisaragi Shusuke, because from Kisaragi Shusuke's perspective, he was indeed considering Higashino Shuichi's own interests.

As for Masayako Kabuto, she probably went along with them because she wanted to see something new.

As for Matsumoto Rangiku?

She most likely went with the flow. Even Higashino Shuichi is gone. His only two bonds in the present world are Kabuto Asayako and Kisaragi Shusuke.

However, Kyoraku Shunsui did not expect that Kisaragi Shusuke would be gone for almost twenty years and there is still no sign of him returning.

However, Kyoraku Shunsui believed that after nearly twenty years, Kisaragi Shusuke must have figured out some information from the West Frontier Bureau.

"That's true, but Chunshui, you might be disappointed. I don't have any way to contact Xiuzhu and the others. If I did, I would have contacted them long ago before I knew what you've been telling me today!"

After listening to what was said, Higashino Shuichi did not feel any dissatisfaction with Kyoraku Shunsui's actions.

To be fair, from Kyoraku Shunsui's position, he did nothing wrong, and during the years he was away from Soul Society, Kisaragi Hide's help in going to the West Frontier Bureau was undoubtedly a good thing.

After all, if they stayed in the East Coast Bureau, without his and Urahara Kisuke's help, Kisaragi Shusuke and Matsumoto Rangiku would most likely be targeted by Aizen.

Aizen doesn't care whether Kisaragi Shusuke and the others are following him, Higashino Shuichi.

In order to find out what exactly happened, why he suddenly disappeared, and where Urahara Kisuke and his group were, Higashino Shuichi believed that Aizen was capable of doing such a thing.

Higashino Shuichi was helpless; he had no idea that such a bizarre Fullbring technique existed at the time, let alone leave his contact information with Kisaragi Shusuke and the others beforehand.

"You don't need to worry about that, Shuichi, because Ms. Sayako has already told me how to contact them."

Kyoraku Shunsui said with a smile.

Shuichi Higashino was surprised that Sayako had such abilities.

How come he didn't know before?
However, after Kyoraku Shunsui told him the method, Higashino Shuichi gave a wry smile.

It turns out he had always known this method, but he had never thought of it in this way.

Now that a way to contact them had been found, Higashino Shuichi believed that under his influence, Kisaragi Shusuke and the others would return soon. So, what to do with these people became a new problem.

Kyoraku Shunsui's solution to this was also very simple.

Sword Hunters!

Aren't Kisaragi Shusuke and Matsumoto Rangiku the most suitable candidates for members of Higashino Shuichi's current sword-hunting group?

"Hehe, I thought you would suggest that they be reinstated to the Gotei 13, which would give you another way to control me."

Can I interpret your suggestion as...aiding the enemy?

Higashino laughed loudly.

Kyoraku Shunsui's suggestion aligned perfectly with Higashino Shuichi's own ideas. In his original plan, Kisaragi Shusuke and Matsumoto Rangiku were supposed to join his sword-hunting group.

"That would be if we were enemies, but I think that, at least for now, we have a common enemy, don't we?"

Kyoraku Shunsui smiled and raised his glass, saying...

Higashino Shuichi didn't know whether the common enemy Kyoraku Shunsui mentioned referred to the people behind Reikotsu Saizo, or Tsunayoshi Tokinada.

Or perhaps, in Kyoraku Shunsui's mind, these two groups of people are actually the same group of people?

Higashino Shuichi thought that others probably wouldn't be like that, but Kyoraku Shunsui...
This possibility cannot be ruled out.

"Since that's the case, I've heard a saying in the real world called 'reciprocity.' You've revealed so much information to me today, I'd feel bad if I didn't give you some back, so I'll give you a heads-up as well."

Based on my understanding, the mastermind behind the Osaka Prefecture incident back then was probably the one you guessed.

I guess, Shunsui, after Kisuke Urahara stepped down as captain of the 12th Division, you probably haven't been to the 12th Division much anymore, right?

Within the laboratory defense network of the current 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, there is a guy similar to the current Rebellious Saizo, except that guy has the face of the 3rd Division Captain Gin Ichimaru, whom I hate very much.

Furthermore, I obtained some interesting information from Mayuri Kurotsuchi: his technology wasn't created by him, but rather taught to him by Masato Miyazaki, the former captain of the 12th Division who had defected from Soul Society.

This information was learned by Shuichi Higashino from Mayuri Kurotsuchi when he returned to Soul Society from the fictional future.

Higashino Shuichi initially thought this was just a trivial piece of news, but now it seems that the name Miyazaki Sakai Masato will likely continue to appear frequently in the Soul Society in the future.

As a veteran captain, Kyoraku Shunsui was naturally very familiar with this name.

Especially since this person was once a captain in Soul Society.

"I see."

Kyoraku Shunsui's eyes were once again filled with solemnity.

Because of the new generation of Shinigami, Shuichi Higashino may not know what this name means, but Shunsui Kyoraku knows very well what kind of waves the owner of this name once stirred up in the Soul Society.

That was an extremely dangerous Grim Reaper!
Hearing this, Byakuya Kuchiki finally became convinced that Shuichi Higashino was a high-ranking spy planted by Shunsui Kyoraku within the Tsuna Yayo family.

As expected of the captain's prized disciple, this method is impressive!

Kuchiki Byakuya looked at Kyoraku Shunsui with admiration.

(End of this chapter)