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

Chapter 231, Page 229. There are always people who overestimate their abilities.

Late at night, the night of Soul Society, pitch black and deep.

The boundless sky was laid out before us, with layers of clouds and mountains, and the moon and stars were completely hidden.

Higashino Shuichi stood alone outside the special shuttle device that Tsunayoshiro Kanbara had prepared in advance.

After a long time, someone finally arrived at the rooftop above Higashino Shuichi under the cover of night.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Higashino Shuichi, I've kept you waiting for a long time, haven't I?"

The visitor said with a forced smile.

"Shiya Kobe, vice-captain of the Ninth Division, I remember you. You were also present at the inauguration ceremony of Chief Manager Yamada that day."

I never imagined that the Grim Reaper who secretly served the Tsunayoshiro family would be you.

Higashino Hideichi looked up and immediately recognized the person who had come.

On the day that Kuchiki Kyouga caused trouble and chaos, at the scene of the appointment of the new chief, it was this vice-captain of the Ninth Division whose Zanpakuto was the first to materialize.

"That means my concealment was very successful. I didn't expect that even you, Mr. Higashino, were fooled by me."

Kobe Shiya said with a smile, looking quite pleased with himself.

After all, in the mouths of some nobles who had just experienced the calamity, Higashino Shuichi was almost an omnipotent figure, which made Kobe Shi somewhat dissatisfied.

Both of them worked for Tsuna on behalf of Lord Kanbara, and both were former vice-captains. However, Kobe Shigeya was born more than a hundred years later than Higashino Shuichi.

If Shiya Kobe had been born before him, Shuichi Higashino would have had no chance.

If you give Shiya Kobe another hundred years, you can entrust the protection of the noble families like the Tsunayoshiro family to him!
"Yes, but it's really too easy to guess what Lord Kanbara is up to. Decades ago, after I fled to my previous life with the former captain of the 12th Division, Kisuke Urahara, there were only a few vacancies left in the Gotei 13. The captain of the 12th Division was a freak, and he definitely couldn't become a vice-captain without some real skills. The captain of the 7th Division was a foreigner, and you nobles definitely looked down on him from the bottom of your hearts and would never be willing to work under him."

Furthermore, since the Fifth Division was directly succeeded by the vice-captain Aizen Sousuke, you definitely didn't establish a good relationship with Aizen beforehand.

After much thought, it seems that only under the command of the newly appointed Third Division Captain Gin Ichimaru and the Ninth Division Captain Kaname Tosen would be more suitable.

After all, compared to the anomaly Komamura Sajin of the Seventh Division, being just a commoner is barely acceptable.

Higashino Hideaki couldn't stand Kobe Shiya's attitude and directly exposed his superficial politeness.

"Higashino Shuichi! I'm warning you, don't think you can be so presumptuous just because you're not in front of Kanbara-sama right now!"

Don't forget, you're nothing more than a dog kept by Lord Kanbara!

As expected, Shiya Kobe immediately stood up, pointed at Shuichi Higashino's nose, and angrily rebuked him.

Higashino Shuichi's brow twitched slightly.
"Even among dogs, there are differences. Some dogs don't bite, they just like to bark, while others..."

"Higashino Shuichi, don't think that just because you were once the Great Sword Hunter, you have the right to be arrogant here. Don't forget, without Lord Kambara, without the Tsuna Yayo family, without us nobles, you would be nothing but a stray dog, only fit to hide in the real world, living in fear under the constant search of us Grim Reapers!"
You previously made insinuations about my lack of strength, and I tolerated that. But are you now saying I don't dare to make a move at all?

Shiya Kobe looked at Shuichi Higashino with a cold eye and said.

The more he said it, the more something seemed off, and even Higashino Shuichi sensed something strange.

If we're talking about Kobe Shige, he's just a brainless pawn, so Higashino Shuichi can understand why he did it.

But how could someone who was chosen by Tsunayoshiro Shinbara to be an undercover agent, who infiltrated the 9th Division under Tosen Kaname for so long without being discovered, and who is now being entrusted with an important task by Tsunayoshiro Shinbara to go with him to the West Front Bureau to bring over all of the Tsunayoshiro family's backup plans, be such an impulsive and brainless person?

Unless he did it intentionally, wanting to use his forced exile due to Kuchiki Hibiki to turn the false into the true.

But what gives Shiya Kobe his confidence?
"I wouldn't dare. Maybe it's because I'm not very bright and speak without thinking? Some of the things I said just now might have made you misunderstand, Shiya. But you see, we can't delay Lord Kanbara's orders, right?"
"Should you go first, or should I go first?"

Having figured this out, Higashino Shuichi decided not to waste any more time with Kanbe Shiya in Soul Society.

Everything can still proceed as originally planned, and the reasons are even more compelling now.

When Shiya Kobe saw Shuichi Higashino suddenly back down, he was momentarily stunned, a look of disbelief and gloom flashing in his eyes.

He did indeed intend to force Higashino Shuichi to fight him here, and then, by using his still-unrevealed identity, along with his trump cards and the distress signal he had prepared in advance, he would lure the captains to surround and attack Higashino Shuichi.

Although doing so might delay Lord Kambara's plans, Shiya Kobe felt it was all worthwhile.

Because once Higashino Shuichi is gone, Kobe Shiya will become the most capable fighter under Tsunayoshiro Kanbara. Then, once Tsunayoshiro Kanbara's plan succeeds, Kobe Shiya, along with the entire Kobe family behind him, could potentially rise to the top in one step, and even replace one of the current five great noble families.

Unfortunately, Higashino Shuichi didn't fall for it, and he was surprisingly patient.

He had already taken the opportunity to stand in front of Higashino Shuichi and point his finger at him, insulting him, yet Higashino Shuichi chickened out at the crucial moment?!
Is he even a man?

You go first!

Faced with Higashino Shuichi, who had already put on a turtle shell, Kobe Shiya couldn't directly launch an attack, otherwise the situation would be different if he made the first move.

Because as long as it involves Higashino Shuichi, regardless of whether Higashino Shuichi really betrayed the Tsunayoshiro family, Tsunayoshiro Kanbara will definitely use the video room to check it out in the end.

If Higashino Shuichi had struck first, then Kobe Shiya could still forcefully misinterpret Higashino Shuichi's actions as betrayal. But since he struck first, there's no way to defend himself.

On the contrary, if they really force Higashino Shuichi to rebel, then the Kobe family will be absolutely finished.

However, Shiya Kobe knew in his heart that after what he did, his relationship with Shuichi Higashino was now completely strained, and their "journey" from now on would definitely not be peaceful. In fact, given Higashino's personality and abilities, it was even possible that he would secretly kill him on the way.

Therefore, it was impossible for him to enter the door first; he absolutely could not let Higashino Shuichi walk behind him.

Fortunately, he had also prepared a contingency plan in advance, having his Kobe family members notify some of his friendly Shinigami (death gods) in advance, asking them to help him conceal his whereabouts in the mortal world.

As soon as they arrive in the real world—no, not even before they arrive, while they're still passing through the door—he will immediately forcefully break through the barrier, allowing himself to land in a completely random location in the real world. That way, unless his luck is too bad and he lands near Higashino Shuichi, his safety is absolutely guaranteed.

Little did people know that before Higashino Shuichi, wasn't he also testing Kobe Shiya?

Higashino Shuichi concluded that Shiya Kobe was very ambitious, loyal to Tsunayoshiro Kanbara, and suspected of having an unknown trump card, which, at least in Shiya Kobe's own opinion, was enough to rival him.

Therefore, Shigeo Kobe deserves to die.
A moment later, walking through a passageway made of a special black membrane, Higashino Shuichi couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the efforts the Tsunayo family had made. They had actually managed to create a temporary passage for the Grim Reapers to pass through this barrier using that special device.

Although it was obvious that there were deep traces of Hell Butterflies here, even Higashino Shuichi himself had his spiritual pressure suppressed to the level of an ordinary 13th Division member Shinigami as he walked through this dark passage.

But this technology is truly astonishing.

No wonder Shiya Kobe wasn't worried at all about attacking him while he was traveling through this barrier.

After all, their spiritual pressure is roughly the same, so weak that they can't even unleash their Zanpakuto, let alone use high-level Kido or powerful slashes like Fuzan.

Without the support of powerful spiritual pressure, these things cannot be released.

It's just
"Speaking of which, Shiya-san, I suddenly remembered something very special. It puzzled me at the time, but I didn't pay much attention to it. But now that you've reminded me, I've remembered it again."

When the first wave of Zanpakuto materialized, if I remember correctly, only one Shinigami at the vice-captain level had their Zanpakuto materialized. The rest were just a few unlucky lower-ranking officers. Most of those who were affected were ordinary Shinigami members.

If you weren't specifically targeted by that Kuchiki Hibiki, I'm curious why it would be you?

Higashino Shuichi suddenly stopped and looked at the dark tunnel ahead, speaking slowly.

"Do you think I would tell you?"

Shiya Kobe's expression was somewhat stiff, and it was unclear whether Higashino Shuichi had asked him a crucial question, but he still managed to maintain a calm tone.

However, when Higashino Shuichi said this, he wasn't actually seeking an answer from Kobe Shiya. In fact, he was forcing himself to think about Kobe Shiya's flaws, which he had been working on all along.

Higashino Shuichi's question was, in fact, a question he was asking himself.
"I have a reasonable, but very bold, guess: unless your own strength wasn't at the vice-captain level, and you received some external help that allowed you to suddenly reach the vice-captain level, or even..."
The confidence to challenge me

Almost instinctively, Shiya Kobe instantly drew his Zanpakuto from his waist.

"Ridiculous, what are you trying to say? Am I really just a piece of trash, not even as good as a lower-ranking official?"

Finally, Higashino Shuichi turned around and saw Kobe Shiya drawing his Zanpakuto. He knew he had guessed correctly.

"Because I once met a Shinigami who was similar to you. His name was Maki Kurato, and he was the former captain of the 10th Division."

His original strength was probably only at the level of an ordinary board officer, and he would have had a hard time even becoming a vice captain. However, after going to a certain place, meeting a certain person, and obtaining a certain power, he became the captain.

Come to think of it, he's even more arrogant than Shiya-san!
Unfortunately, I killed him by hand on the night of the Kasumigaoka family's rebellion that year.
Oh, by the way, back then I was just an insignificant lieutenant in the Fourth Division.

The more Higashino Hideichi spoke, the uglier Kobe Shiya's expression became.

It wasn't because Higashino Shuichi had guessed something about him, but rather because the more Higashino Shuichi said and the more truths he revealed, the less likely he was to let him leave alive.

"I knew long ago that you, Higashino Shuichi, were no good! It's a pity that Lord Kanbara insisted on believing in you!"

You're a lunatic!
But are you planning to settle this score with me here in this broken boundary?

Hahaha.
Right now, our spiritual pressure is only at the level of ordinary Shinigami. All those methods and techniques that you are so proud of cannot be used here!
Furthermore, even if you were to actually unleash your power and destroy this passageway that allows us to pass through, even you, Higashino Shuichi, wouldn't be able to leave this severable boundary alive!

Shiya Kobe pointed his Zanpakuto at Shuichi Higashino and smiled as if to comfort himself.

He didn't believe that Higashino Shuichi would actually dare to fight him here.

The best outcome would be for the two of them to die together!

If Shiya Kobe successfully reaches the edge of the boundary, he can force his way out and then fly freely in the sky!

At that time, he will tell everything that Higashino Shuichi just said to Lord Kanbara and Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni!

He couldn't believe that Higashino Shuichi, whose hands were stained with the blood of the former captain of the 10th Division, could still be tolerated by Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni!

However, what happened next completely shattered Shiya Kobe's illusions.

"You still don't understand. I rarely do risky things. Since I've been so honest with you, it means I've made thorough preparations."

Now, I'll give you a chance to use all the cards you've prepared for yourself to defeat me, or even kill me.

That way, you might still have a glimmer of hope to survive!

As Higashino Hideichi spoke, in Kobe Shiya's view, the dark passageway around them also collapsed at the same time.

Soon, a world almost indistinguishable from Soul Society reappeared beneath their feet.

"how can that be"

"I said in a trembling voice."

And just then, a third voice came from behind him.

"Although this isn't the first time we've met, this should be the first time you, Shiya-kun, have met me."

So please allow me to reintroduce myself to you.

I am Hideaki's eldest disciple, Yujima Ouko~

(End of this chapter)