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

Chapter 69. Biting Back

Inside the barracks of the Fourth Division of Seireitei, it was bustling with activity, with almost every officer and member of the Fourth Division keeping their feet on the ground.

Of the three strongest members of the Fourth Division, two were inside and one was outside.

“Someone saw your spirit person last night.”

"It was wrong of me to release my Zanpakuto without the captain's permission."

"But nobody sees you."

"On my way here to provide support last night, I encountered two students from the Shinigami Academy being attacked by a Hollowfied Shinigami."

"Two captains died last night: Rennosuke Kamikawa of the Third Division and Kurato Maki of the Tenth Division."

"I am heartbroken. These Hollowfied Shinigami created by the Kasumi family deserve to die!"

"Leaving aside Captain Kamikawa's injury, Captain Maki's strength, while not among the top few of the current thirteen captains, is not weak either."

"Captain, do you mean there's another reason behind Captain Maki's death?"

Retsu Unohana and Shuichi Higashino engaged in a question-and-answer session.

The latter's face was full of sincerity.

"Humph"

Faced with Higashino Shuichi's watertight answer, Unohana Retsu did not continue the conversation.

Because she knew that she wouldn't get anything out of Higashino Shuichi.

This was true then, and it is true now.

An eerie silence fell over the room.

Until a hell butterfly fluttered its wings and landed on Unohana Retsu's shoulder.

"The chief commander wants you to go to Room 46 in the Central District now."

After reading the message, Unohana Retsu said casually.

"Got it, Captain!"

Coincidentally, Higashino Shuichi also wanted to end this conversation, which made him feel extremely uncomfortable, as soon as possible.

Unohana Retsu never explicitly said anything, but every sentence she uttered seemed to imply, "Did you kill Maki Kurato or Kamikawa Rennosuke?"

Because Higashino Shuichi had the time and the ability last night.

As for the motive?

It's okay if you don't know; you'll find out eventually.

Although, as I said before, given Unohana Retsu's personality, it's not certain that she would do anything to Higashino Shuichi after learning the truth, Higashino Shuichi still doesn't want to put himself in the open.

Because people change, what Unohana Retsu did in the original story doesn't mean that Unohana Retsu will do the same thing now.

As he stepped out of his vice-captain's lounge, Higashino Shuichi saw Yamada Seinosuke with a gloomy expression.

"You weren't eavesdropping outside the whole time, were you?"

"Why would the captain seek you out alone during such a tense time, and why did he stay inside for so long?"

Seinosuke Yamada ignored Shuichi Higashino's question.

"You should ask the captain about that. Besides, you said it yourself, things are very tense right now, so why are you here?"

Higashino Hideaki was very displeased with Yamada Seinosuke's rude behavior and immediately retaliated.

"There are wounded soldiers who require the captain's expertise to treat them."

Yamada Kiyosuke cherishes words like gold.

"Then go find the captain. I need to go to Central 46 now. It's the Chief Commander's order. Is that alright?"

If it weren't for the fact that Higashino Shuichi is currently on a mission, he would definitely have a good talk with Yamada Seinosuke here.

Watching Higashino Shuichi's departing figure, Yamada Seinosuke's mood worsened. Not long after, Higashino Shuichi arrived at Central Room 46.

This place is much more dilapidated than before, after all, it has just been the site of a fierce battle.

Even the bloodstains of those ethereal Grim Reapers had not been completely washed away, and a faint smell of blood still lingered in the air.

Inside the main hall of Central Room 46, the only person left here for trial now is that man.

The original head of the Kasumi family, Kasumi Masahiro.

"It's this Grim Reaper, the fourth division lieutenant, Shuichi Higashino! He's the one who gave me the Soul King's heart!"

The moment Kasumi Mayu saw Higashino Shuichi walk in, she pointed to him.

He witnessed the tragedy last night and knows that all his previous dreams have been shattered.

Knowing that he was doomed to die after such a consequence, Kasumi Masashi knew that he still had family and clan. He could not let the remaining members of the Kasumi Masashi family bear the sins that they should not have to bear.

Because in the Soul Society, bearing sins is a terrible thing.

The deeds of the Mole City family are still vivid in my mind.

The incident in which the Momoshiro family was accused of rebellion not only caused the entire Momoshiro family to lose their noble status and be forced to live as ordinary commoners in Rukongai, but also caused the remaining members of the Momoshiro family to become playthings of other nobles at the time.

If it weren't for that day, in that arena, a young man from the Zhicheng family awakened and, with terrifying force, destroyed everything in sight and killed everyone he saw, the remaining members of the Zhicheng family would probably have also met their demise.

Kasumi Mayu doesn't want the rest of her family to end up like that.

Such a youth might only appear once every few centuries.

"The Spirit King's heart? What is that?"

Higashino had already guessed why he had been summoned.

Unfortunately, his initial plan was to take advantage of the chaos to kill both Kasumi Mayu and Kumoi Yosuke.

However, plans can't keep up with changes. Higashino Shuichi didn't expect that Kasumi Masashi would be so arrogant as to go alone with just an exhibit to the Central 46th Room for questioning.

But with the arrow already on the bowstring, there was no choice but to release it. Being able to kill Yun Jingyaojue, who knew more secrets, was already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

"Higashino Shuichi, stop pretending! Wasn't it you who brought back the Soul King's heart, which could allow Shinigami to become Hollows, from the Zaraki Ward in North Rukongai?"

What excuse do you have now?

Kasumi Mayu roared at Higashino Shuichi, insisting that the blame must be shared so that his clansmen would have even a sliver of hope for leniency.

Originally, it would have been most appropriate for Yun Jingyao to take the blame for this crime, so that he might have been able to escape punishment.

Unfortunately, Yun Jingyao died in last night's riot.

It is both utterly laughable and utterly tragic to be killed by a Hollowfied Shinigami that one created with one's own hands.

"Oh, Lord Kasumi, are you referring to that?"

Higashino Shuichi feigned sudden realization and turned to look at Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, the unwavering captain who had never missed a single Central 46 trial meeting.
"I remember that I was the first to report this matter to you, the Commander-in-Chief."

However, I clearly remember that when I spoke to both the Captain-Commander and Lord Kasumi at the time, I always used the phrase "I discovered a terrifying power." I never mentioned anything about a "Spirit King's Heart," and I had no idea what this "Spirit King's Heart" was.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni nodded after listening.

Many of the Grim Reapers who were present at the time can testify to this.

He never expected that the evidence that Kasumi Mayu mentioned would be such absurd.

The Soul King's heart?

The existence of the Soul King was unknown even to some of the Shinigami captains, let alone Shuichi Higashino, who came from a commoner background.

Moreover, given Higashino Shuichi's spiritual talent, becoming a captain is already an achievement of his hard work. As for becoming a Hollowfied Shinigami?
Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni shook his head inwardly.

From any perspective, Shuichi Higashino has no talent in this area.

(End of this chapter)