Tsuna's Trump Card

"Kugo Ginjo, the First Substitute Soul Reaper, was suspected of killing a number of his Soul Reaper comrades decades ago, was wanted by Soul Society, and defected from Soul Society. That's the truth you uncovered, right, Ms. Yoruichi?" Tsunayoshi asked.

"That's right. It's what I deduced after visiting Soul Society and combining it with the situation in the World of the Living," Yoruichi said.

"That's how it looks on the surface. The real truth was hidden by certain people with ulterior motives. Ms. Yoruichi, they were people from the same stratum as your family—the Tsunayashiro Clan, one of Soul Society's Five Great Noble Houses."

"The Tsunayashiro Clan?" Yoruichi leapt onto the table, somewhat unable to keep calm. The matter of the First Substitute Soul Reaper could actually involve the Five Great Noble Houses?

"As fellow members of the Five Great Noble Houses, Ms. Yoruichi's Shihouin Clan commands the Stealth Force and all kinds of divine weapons, the Kuchiki Clan maintains and enforces Soul Society's laws, and the Tsunayashiro Clan manages the Great Spirit Library Corridor, holding all of Soul Society's history and intelligence. For their family, altering history would be the simplest thing of all."

"But that can't serve as evidence that the Tsunayashiro Clan committed evil," Yoruichi said. When the Five Great Noble Houses were involved, everyone needed complete evidence.

"Of course there's no evidence. They altered it all. The data in the Projection Hall was rewritten too. Everything can only be inferred."

"What's the reason?" Yoruichi asked.

"The Tsunayashiro Clan, who manages the Great Spirit Library Corridor, has never had small ambitions. They've always wanted to rule the Three Worlds alone. To that end, they set their sights on the Soul King's power."

"You two haven't forgotten the source of a Fullbringer's power, have you?"

"Fragments of the Soul King?" Urahara said.

"That's right. Fragments of the Soul King. Because Kugo Ginjo was a Substitute Soul Reaper, he could remain in the World of the Living for long periods. Gradually, some people with supernatural abilities were drawn to him. The organization formed by this group of humans with special powers gathering together was the predecessor of Xcution."

"And when a group of humans with Fullbring powers gathered together like that, they naturally attracted the attention of the Tsunayashiro Clan. The Tsunayashiro Clan sent people to kill Kugo Ginjo's companions, all so they could extract fragments of the Soul King from the bodies of Fullbringers."

"And that wasn't all the Tsunayashiro Clan did. They turned around and killed the Soul Reapers they had sent, tampered with the Projection Hall's records, and dumped all the blame onto Kugo Ginjo. That was what triggered the incident of the First Substitute Soul Reaper defecting from Soul Society."

Tsunayoshi concisely told Urahara and the other about Kugo Ginjo's situation. The scene fell silent for quite a while before anyone reacted.

"What a hassle. Kid, what are you planning to do by looking for Kugo Ginjo? Overthrow Soul Society?" Yoruichi looked at Tsunayoshi with an unfriendly expression. Although she had left Soul Society, that did not mean she wanted to see it destroyed.

"The people around me, myself included, are all Fullbringers. I don't want to experience another Kugo Ginjo incident," Tsunayoshi said.

"You want to deal with the Tsunayashiro Clan? That'll be rather troublesome," Urahara said.

"That's right, brat. I don't like those Tsunayashiro bastards either, but the foundation of a noble family isn't that simple. Even I'd have to weigh things carefully before making a move against the Tsunayashiro Clan," Yoruichi said. As the head of the Shihouin Clan, she likewise had no fondness for the Tsunayashiro Clan.

"Make a move? I'm not thinking that far ahead for now, as long as the Tsunayashiro don't provoke me," Tsunayoshi said. "Since Kugo Ginjo isn't pure evil, I want to make contact with Xcution. It'd be best if we could become friends. A Captain-level combatant is still worth it," Tsunayoshi said.

"Captain-level? With your strength, do you really need to approach so cautiously? Just go straight to their door. If he submits, take him in. If he doesn't, beat him down," Yoruichi said disdainfully.

"If it were only Kugo Ginjo, I might have gone to find him as soon as I learned Bankai. But there's an extremely troublesome existence by his side, a guy named Shukuro Tsukishima."

"Shukuro Tsukishima? I seem to remember this person following Kugo Ginjo many years ago." Yoruichi recalled Tsukishima's information.

"Shukuro Tsukishima was taken in by Kugo Ginjo when he was young, so his loyalty to Kugo Ginjo is very high. That part is still manageable. The most important point is his Fullbring. It's very troublesome."

"Shukuro Tsukishima's Fullbring is called Book of the End. It can insert his own existence into another person's past. Being slashed by the blade his bookmark turns into is the condition for activating the ability. Once it activates, he can alter the target's past experiences, and he can also learn everything that happened in the target's past. In other words, Shukuro Tsukishima can turn an enemy into his companion without them realizing it."

Tsunayoshi's expression was grave. He had long had his eye on Kugo Ginjo, but the reason he had delayed making a move was precisely Tsukishima's existence. He did not want to become Tsukishima's tool.

"That ability truly is terrifying." Urahara took the matter seriously for the first time. There were far too many secrets in his mind, and he did not want someone to learn them so easily.

"That's why I came to ask you for help, Shopkeeper. First, to help me find Xcution's location. Second, to serve as a fallback when I make contact with their organization."

"What do you need us to do?" Urahara asked.

"I don't know whether I'll be hit by the other party's ability while contacting Ginjo. If I become strange, please eliminate Shukuro Tsukishima immediately, Shopkeeper. As long as he dies, I'll return to normal."

For the first time, Tsunayoshi revealed killing intent. Even now, he could not forget Ichigo Kurosaki's expression when Tsukishima broke his mentality during the Fullbring arc. That had also been the first time Ichigo revealed killing intent. He did not want the Ichigo from his memories to be replaced by himself experiencing betrayal by everyone around him.

However, as long as he lived in the World of the Living, contact with Xcution would be unavoidable. Rather than let Shukuro Tsukishima seize the initiative, Tsunayoshi decided to make the first move. It would be best if he could persuade the other side to become allies. If not...

That was why, before setting out to find Xcution, Tsunayoshi had specially sought out Urahara Kisuke, hoping this man with endless methods could become his fallback.

"What's your plan?" Yoruichi narrowed her eyes. This was also the first time she had seen killing intent surge from Tsunayoshi.

"There is no plan," Tsunayoshi said.

"What?" Yoruichi was a little confused. They were clearly helping Tsunayoshi, yet Tsunayoshi did not want to use his head at all?

"Yoruichi, what Mr. Tsunayoshi means is that he has no plan." Urahara held the black cat in his arms and stroked its fur as he said, "This Tsukishima can insert himself into the past. In other words, once Mr. Tsunayoshi is hit, his past will all be known, including our current conversation and that so-called plan."

Sure enough, asking Urahara for help had been the right choice. Urahara had immediately found the crux of the matter. Urahara only needed to know that Tsukishima had to be killed. As for how to kill him, that was Urahara's business.

Tsunayoshi waved his hand, and Trident appeared in his grasp. Formed from Mist Illusion, a man with black hair and black eyes, shoulder-length short hair, and a refined, handsome appearance appeared before Urahara and Yoruichi.

"This is Shukuro Tsukishima. Be careful of his blade. His ability isn't even limited to living beings; even inorganic objects can have him inserted into their past and be used by him."

"What a troublesome guy. No wonder you're treating him so cautiously," Yoruichi commented.

How could he not be cautious? Tsunayoshi smiled bitterly inwardly. In some forums in his previous life, Tsukishima had been mentioned alongside Orihime and Yhwach as people who wielded the powers of the past, present, and future. Even Ichigo's Zanpakuto, which had been snapped by Yhwach, could be restored by Tsukishima. A person like that was more than enough for Tsunayoshi to handle with caution.

"I understand. Give me a little time. Tsunayoshi, set out tomorrow," Urahara said, lowering his hat. He already had a preliminary plan in mind, but he still needed some time to prepare.

"I understand. Tomorrow happens to be the weekend, so there'll be plenty of time to handle this." Tsunayoshi asked Yoruichi, "Ms. Yoruichi, where is their base?"

"Naruki City..."

"It's in the neighboring city? That works. Let's see if I can make it back in time for dinner." Tsunayoshi rose and said goodbye.

"What do you think about the Tsunayashiro matter, Kisuke?" After Tsunayoshi left, Yoruichi raised her head and asked. It concerned Soul Society's Five Great Noble Houses—no, it should now be the Four Great Noble Clans—so Yoruichi had many things to consider.

"Tsunayoshi's stance is very clear. If it doesn't affect his affairs, he won't interfere too much. But if the Tsunayashiro Clan's goal really is to control the Soul King's power, then who could stay uninvolved?" Urahara said. Matters concerning the Soul King were matters concerning the Three Worlds. Sawada Tsunayoshi could not possibly ignore them.

"Then that means the Tsunayashiro Clan is already standing opposed to that kid?" Yoruichi raised her head and asked, "What about you? What are your thoughts?"

"My thoughts are the same as Tsunayoshi's. At the very least, right now, the Soul King cannot be touched," Urahara silently added in his heart, before an absolute replacement is found.

"All right, I'll find a chance to pay more attention to the Tsunayashiro Clan." Urahara's attitude was Yoruichi's attitude. "The Great Spirit Library Corridor, the Projection Hall—every place capable of providing evidence is under the Tsunayashiro Clan's control. This man called Kugo Ginjo has no chance of obtaining the truth of what happened back then."

"That is exactly why Mr. Tsunayoshi deserves our help even more," Urahara said.

"That brat still has plenty of secrets!" Yoruichi said fiercely.

All the evidence had been tampered with, and even Kugo Ginjo did not know the truth. How had Sawada Tsunayoshi learned it? There was no way someone from the Tsunayashiro Clan had told Sawada Tsunayoshi. This only added another layer to Urahara's speculation about Tsunayoshi.

Time passed to the next day. After Tsunayoshi settled Tatsuki in at Urahara Shop, he set off for Naruki City. When he was at Urahara Shop, Tsunayoshi did not see Urahara Kisuke or Yoruichi. If nothing unexpected had happened, they had already begun to act.

At an old apartment in Choubara 7-chome, Naruki City, Tsunayoshi looked at the building and did not notice anything strange. Logically speaking, there should have been a restriction from Yukio's Fullbring here, so why did this place look so ordinary?

Could it be that Yukio had not joined Xcution yet?

That was no longer something Tsunayoshi needed to consider. Since he had already come, would it not be a waste to leave without knocking?

Tsunayoshi stepped forward and knocked on the door. He noticed that there was not even an organization access system installed beside it yet.

After waiting for quite a while, Tsunayoshi finally heard the door open. A cute girl with purplish-red Twin Tails and an utterly annoyed expression opened the door.

"Who is it? Didn't I already say to leave deliveries at the door?"

The moment he saw the person who opened the door, Tsunayoshi knew he had not found the wrong place. This cute-looking girl was one of Xcution's members, Riruka Dokugamine.

(P.S.: Regarding Kugo Ginjo, I once saw a very interesting analysis. Combining that analysis with the plot content, I have made the following settings in this book.

When Kugo Ginjo was acting as a Substitute Soul Reaper, he only possessed Soul Reaper power. Because he was a Substitute Soul Reaper and stayed in the World of the Living year-round, a group of Fullbringers gradually gathered around him. This was the predecessor of Xcution.

Because Fullbringers were all people starved of love, they all believed Fullbring had taken away their normal lives. Therefore, they had always been researching a technique to strip the Fullbring from within their bodies.

Once the Fullbring removal technique matured, they unanimously decided to transfer their Fullbring to Kugo Ginjo, the Substitute Soul Reaper who already possessed extraordinary power.

The experiment of these Fullbringers succeeded. But at that very moment, people from the Tsunayashiro Clan arrived and slaughtered every last Fullbringer, then killed the Soul Reapers who had obeyed the Tsunayashiro Clan's orders, all to protect the secret that the Tsunayashiro Clan was researching the Soul King's power.

The Tsunayashiro Clan controlled the Projection Hall in Soul Society. They altered the footage and pinned all the crimes of slaughtering Soul Reapers on Kugo Ginjo, an outsider. Kugo Ginjo was then wanted by Soul Society.

Because Kugo Ginjo was repeatedly found by Soul Society's pursuers, he went with the flow and suspected that there was something wrong with the Substitute Soul Reaper Badge Ukitake had given him. From then on, Kugo Ginjo and Soul Society fell into a mutual misunderstanding and became hostile toward each other.

As for Kugo Ginjo's power, Ginjo initially only had Soul Reaper power. After the Fullbring removal and transfer experiment, Kugo Ginjo gained Fullbring power. And because this technique partially originated from Hollow power, Ginjo at this time possessed three kinds of power: Soul Reaper, Fullbring, and Hollow.

As for Kugo Ginjo being called a mini Soul King in the later stages of Bleach, I'm more inclined to believe that when Ginjo stole Ichigo's power, he absorbed part of Ichigo's Quincy power. Therefore, only after Ginjo died in the Fullbring arc and went to Soul Society did he possess four powers—Soul Reaper, Fullbring, Hollow, and Quincy—and thus become qualified to be a Soul King candidate.

As for Ichigo's Fullbring in the Fullbring arc, I'm actually very suspicious of whether it is the same kind of Fullbring as the current setting in this book. Ichigo's white Fullbring transformation was very likely a power Old Man Zangetsu molded for Ichigo. It might not necessarily have been Fullbring. In essence, it was very likely still Quincy power, which was why Ginjo was able to steal Ichigo's power that appeared to be Fullbring on the surface but was actually Quincy power.

Regarding Kugo Ginjo's Fullbring, Cross of Scaffold, I'm more inclined to believe that this was not Ginjo's true Fullbring, but Ginjo's Zanpakuto Shikai.

After defecting, in order to hide his identity, Ginjo used special means to change the appearance of his Asauchi into his cross necklace, and he could use the power of Fullbring Light to restore it to its Shikai state. Therefore, Ginjo's Cross of Scaffold also possessed Bankai power. After Ginjo used Bankai, it became a transformation with Hollow characteristics.

As for Ginjo's true Fullbring, I'm more inclined to believe it is his Substitute Soul Reaper Badge, and the ability of his Fullbring is the essence of the Fullbring transfer experiment: the taking and granting of Fullbring, similar to Yhwach taking and granting Quincy power.

Only this can explain why Ginjo hated Soul Reapers yet never threw away the Substitute Soul Reaper Badge that monitored him—because that was his Fullbring power.

Just like Ichigo, Kugo Ginjo actually could not abandon his years as a Substitute Soul Reaper either. Therefore, the object through which they guided souls with the power of love was their Substitute Soul Reaper Badge.

As for Xcution membership numbers, Kugo Ginjo is 001, Shukuro Tsukishima is 002, Riruka Dokugamine is 003, Jackie Tristan is 004, Yukio Hans Vorarlberna is 005, and Tatsuzawa Kiriko is 006. That is the temporary setting for now. It is not very accurate.

The setting regarding Ginjo is not that important. It would not matter much no matter how it was changed. I just thought this was more interesting, so I wrote it out. If your view differs from mine, then you are right. It does not affect the plot anyway.)