Chapter 234
Faced with Yoruichi's smugness, Haruto habitually began to suppress her arrogance: Byakuya absolutely deserves credit for Yoruichi becoming who he is now.
"Cough!"
It has nothing to do with personal preference.
The pointless conversation ended.
"..."
"After it's over, write down the third stage of Shunkō as a secret manual and give it to me."
"Wasn't it said that it's not as good as the second stage?"
"If I were any stronger, it's hard to say, and this desperate move should be quite effective... I'm not like you, turning myself into a turtle shell."
"... good."
It was bound to happen sooner or later, so there was no need for Haruto to refuse.
"Oh, right."
"Now that you have successfully mastered Shunkō, the test for bestowing the Shihoin Clan name can be considered complete."
"Although it's not like a normal coming-of-age ceremony where you can just go to the Heavenly Bestowed Armaments and choose any item you like—"
"!!"
Can members of the tribe choose Heavenly Bestowed Armaments upon reaching adulthood?
Such an extravagant thing is something only the Shihoin Clan in the entire Soul Society could do.
However, speaking of which...
If there are only one or two members in each generation, this transition doesn't seem to matter much—good stuff will eventually return to the Heavenly Bestowed Armaments, and as the head of the family, she has the right to mobilize it at will... It's understandable that Yoruichi is so generous.
"I just stopped by the Heavenly Bestowed Armaments."
"?"
Weren't you here to recite your lessons at the martial arts arena? How come you have time to wander around your own warehouse...? Are all the Shunpo of the Shihoin Clan this capricious?
"Consider this a gift from my sister."
"Call out--"
Haruto took the scarf that Yoruichi casually tossed to him.
"This is?"
"The Cloud-Rending Silk Brocade."
"... What?"
"Let's not remember his name. This is my grandfather, whom I've never met... the Heavenly Bestowed Armaments of the first Second Division Captain, Senjitsu Shihoin."
"Its power is equivalent to the combination of 'Wandenreich' and 'Senkaimon White Snake'."
"... And what are these two?"
"..."
Yoruichi gave a look that said, "This is too much trouble to explain."
However, considering that Haruto was, after all, a foreign member who wasn't even considered a noble, it's understandable that he lacked knowledge of the treasures in his own treasury—if Byakuya were here, he might be able to rattle off a list of them like a familiar dish.
Both the Kuchiki Clan and Tsunayashiro Clan, being among the Four Great Noble Clans, had long coveted the treasures of the Shihoin Clan.
"Heavenly Bestowed Armaments."
"The former can seal the Zanpakuto's power that it binds, preventing it from being released; the latter can be used in conjunction with the Kakushitsuijaku to achieve spatial transfer—unlike the forbidden techniques of the Kidō Corps that Tessai encountered, it will not affect the space of Soul Society."
Very strong?
Super strong!
The Heavenly Bestowed Armaments capable of sealing the release of Zanpakuto, combined with the Shihoin Clan's already mastered Shunpo and Hakuda, is simply a match made in heaven.
Haruto suddenly remembered what the "Wandenreich" was: Yoruichi seemed to have used it when fighting Byakuya and Aizen.
The key point is...
Using Heavenly Bestowed Armaments does not require consuming Reiatsu, which is what makes Heavenly Bestowed Armaments so different from Zanpakuto: compared to those captured Zanpakuto, Heavenly Bestowed Armaments can be used directly without even needing to communicate or comprehend them.
"... Is the captain very familiar with the Great Kidō Priest?"
"Tessai used to be a retainer of the Shihoin Clan."
"I see."
No wonder Tessai Tsukabishi helped Kisuke Urahara; they both served the Shihoin Clan, and perhaps they were even sworn brothers in the past.
"That Senkaimon White Snake..."
Is it far away?
Haruto glanced at the thin scarf in his hand, embroidered with double-layered cloud patterns.
I wonder if Byakuya's priceless Silver-White Windflower Scarf is Heavenly Bestowed Armaments with special effects.
"How far your 'Kakushitsuijaku' can see is the same as the range of 'Senkaimon White Snake'... Because it requires distorting and folding space to a certain extent, the Reiatsu consumption is quite high; the specifics depend on your own skill."
"... Understood."
Haruto nodded.
Haruto does seem to have seen something similar to the Heavenly Bestowed Armaments before, but he just couldn't immediately connect the dots.
This is the thing that Gin Ichimaru used to transfer Aizen to Sōkyoku Hill.
It has to be said.
Ye is truly a good older sister.
She's truly willing to give away priceless treasures: Yoruichi herself is also a big fan of orange clothing—this seems to be a tradition of the Shihoin Clan, Senya's cat bed is also predominantly orange—this scarf is probably something Yoruichi wore in casual clothes.
"Yoshi~"
Yoruichi stretched vigorously.
"The matter is basically settled."
"Should we publicize the fact that you've acquired a surname?"
Although it doesn't require the approval of the Golden Seal Noble Assembly, the results still need to be submitted once they are obtained.
The upper echelons of Seireitei should at least know that this is true.
No, thank you.
Haruto shook his head.
Please allow my colleagues some peace and quiet for a while.
"Once I've caught all the ones I need to catch, those nobles should realize what's going on... maybe then I can catch a few less troublesome fish."
"... You doubt their loyalty to the Shihoin Clan?"
The rules of Soul Society have always been like this, and Yoruichi never doubted that there might be traitors among these people: that would essentially be tantamount to turning her back on the aristocratic circle.
"Regardless of wealth or fame, they are only loyal to their own interests."
Haruto's words before the martial arts demonstration ended would only increase Yoruichi's suspicions, but from the moment he picked up that scarf—
This is an internal matter for the Shihoin Clan.
"Besides..."
"Visible betrayals are at least detectable; what is truly terrifying is the betrayal that the eyes cannot see."
East Rukongai District 20.
Due to a shortage of manpower in the Gotei 13, the Seireitei's control over Rukongai is weakening.
It is decreasing year by year.
Foreign gangs, which were rarely seen in the top twenty districts of each region, gradually infiltrated the lives of the local people; those secretly supported by the Gotei 13 were particularly aggressive.
Inside...
The most powerful gangs are those that have expanded from Yoshiwara in the East District 45.
Originally, the main squads responsible for the East District Rukongai were Squads 11, 12, and 13, but because of the tenth...
The First Division suffered heavy losses in the World of the Living, and this responsibility was transferred to the Tenth Division... The Tenth Division already had a lot of work to do, and simply didn't have the spare capacity to manage any extra areas.
So.
Over the past few years, the boss who actually had the most influence in East Rukongai... was Haruto, who wasn't even in Soul Society.
All of this was made possible by the help that Naa Ichihara interest.
"Whoosh!"
The headquarters of the Yoshiwara gang "Elegy".
Haruto is also looking for her:
In terms of intelligence gathering and capturing traitors, Haruto never intended to do it himself from the beginning... No one was better at it than Store Manager Ichihara.
Volume 1: 141, You're all sweaty, aren't you, bro?
"One doesn't visit a temple without a reason."
No matter where she goes, Naa Ichihara always makes sure to have a spacious house for herself.
"Call!"
The grayish-white smoke, carrying a faint fragrance, transformed into gracefully fluttering butterflies within the room.
"Haven't been here in a while, so you've remembered to call me for some fun?"
"No."
Haruto simply sat down cross-legged right where he had just entered.
"I'll find you something new to do."
"... You're not satisfied with the current Rukongai?"
No, not at all.
Haruto shook his head.
Although Rukongai may seem far removed from the Seireitei's central authority, it actually provides an extremely broad source of intelligence: whether it's an arrogant nobleman or a mad scientist, many things can no longer be done under the Seireitei's nose.
Then.
Rukongai became a place they had no choice but to go.
"I need a reliable person to help me in Seireitei."
In the end, Haruto "had no choice" but to sincerely explain his purpose.
"Jōsuke has grown quite a bit now."
"If you're not strong enough, you'll lose your life."
Jōsuke Kitahara--
This former underling of Inukai, after giving himself a surname that didn't seem like he came from Rukongai, rushed all the way here from his birthplace, the District 66, and even unexpectedly ran into Haruto.
"In terms of ability, I probably can't be of much help, can I?"
Naa Ichihara was unaware of Haruto's true strength, but ever since a Gillian who emerged from some unknown Garganta and wiped out half of Rukongai was killed by Gillian, who happened to be returning from World of the Living Haruto world to report to Soul Society, with a single pointer.
She knew it.
This man, whom he once called "Little Brother," has grown to an incredibly terrifying level.
"I'm not very good at things related to the Second Division."
"... You switched teams?"