Spare These Poor Punks...

"Brother Biao, what on earth did you do? Why are there so many Shinigami?"

Wu Biao and his two companions were sprinting wildly down a main road in the Seireitei, pursued by a massive crowd of Shinigami brandishing their Zanpakuto. At the lead, Madarame Ikkaku had veins bulging on his forehead; the long chase had pushed his anger to the breaking point!

"I didn't do anything, just knocked out every Shinigami I saw last night and pushed my way straight here!" Wu Biao casually plucked a Kannonji-dan from thin air and tossed it behind him.

"Scatter, quickly!"

As the Kannonji-dan flew toward them, the Shinigami in the front scattered instantly, crowding toward the back. Only Madarame Ikkaku, who had already initiated his Shikai, let out a cold snort and used Hozukimaru to bat the casually formed Kannonji-dan away like a baseball.

Although the Kannonji-dan was launched at high speed, it was merely a casual grab and contained very little compressed spirit energy, so it posed no real threat to a Shinigami of Madarame Ikkaku's level.

However, the way Wu Biao kept tossing them as he ran caused great trouble for the pursuing Shinigami, who dared not get too close, leaving several hundred of them struggling to keep up with the group.

"Pushed your way here?" Ganjyu looked at Wu Biao in shock. Although he had heard from Ichigo and the others that someone had entered the Seireitei ahead of them through the White Road Gate, he never imagined this person would be so incredibly strong.

To push all the way from the White Road Gate to this point—how was that even possible!

Ichigo, however, gave a knowing nod. Though he was somewhat shocked, he wasn't surprised; if anything... this was just Brother Biao's personality!

Just then, a person dressed as a Shinigami emerged from a corner ahead, head bowed and holding a broom. He seemed to be deep in thought and hadn't noticed the situation at all.

"Damn it, there's another one here?" Ichigo cursed viciously, grabbing Zangetsu and preparing to take out the Shinigami blocking their path. But he was stopped by Ganjyu at his side.

"Wait, Ichigo, I just thought of a way to easily force the pursuers back!"

Hearing this, Ichigo paused for a moment, then a cold, sinister smile curled his lips: "Oh? I thought of one too!"

"What are you two talking about? Speak clearly!" Wu Biao looked completely lost.

The two ignored him and dashed forward in a flash. Before the Shinigami with the broom could react, Ichigo and Ganjyu had grabbed him from both sides.

Ichigo even held his Zanpakuto against the man's throat like a kidnapper, giving off the distinct vibe that he would tear up the ticket if he didn't get his money...

"You bastards, get out of our way!"

"If you want to keep your comrade alive, then back off obediently!"

Clap—

Wu Biao clapped his hands and gave the two a thumbs-up: "Smart! Why didn't I think of that? I just realized your IQs are only slightly lower than mine—the Sherlock Holmes-level Zhuge Liang!"

"..."

What kind of comparison was that...

Ichigo and Ganjyu decisively ignored Wu Biao, who was busy showing off the lower limits of his intelligence, and stared with sinister grins at the many Shinigami opposite them, who had been stunned by this sudden turn of events.

"Ah, no, don't..." The kidnapped Shinigami finally reacted, screaming in terror.

This person was none other than Yamada Hanataro, the 7th Seat of the 4th Division, who had just returned in disappointment after being refused entry to visit Rukia in the deep prison of the Penitence Tower.

"..." The pursuing Shinigami blinked in unison, all wearing expressions that suggested they were looking at idiots!

The 4th Division?

Are you kidding? The Ryoka were actually using a 4th Division member to threaten them.

Although the 4th Division was part of the Gotei 13, it specialized in healing, and other divisions viewed it as nothing more than a hospital. While no one said anything openly, in private, nobody cared about that division at all.

Some even felt it wouldn't matter if the division ceased to exist, and the 11th Division, in particular, despised the 4th Division's perceived cowardice.

The leader here was Madarame Ikkaku of the 11th Division, and a large portion of the other pursuers were also members of the 11th Division.

Ganjyu leaned over to Ichigo's ear and whispered: "Hey, the atmosphere here feels a bit wrong!"

"I don't know!"

"Maybe they didn't hear clearly!" Wu Biao scratched his bald head, then stepped out from the crowd with a look of confidence: "Watch me, I'm an expert at this!"

Ichigo and Ganjyu's mouths twitched. You're an expert at this too? Didn't you just claim to be a hero a moment ago?

Wu Biao stepped forward, took a deep breath, and put on a look of profound grievance:

"Your little brother is in my hands. If you don't want him to get hurt, then stop... hitting us! Please, just leave our turf, I'm begging you. It's not easy for us to make a living out here; you keep finding excuses to beat us up every few days... the protection money we collect each month isn't even enough to cover the brothers' medical bills. I'm telling you, if you don't leave, we'll die right in front of you!"

"..." Ganjyu.

"Brother Biao, where did you hear that..."

Ichigo's mouth twitched. He finally understood why Brother Biao said he was an expert.

And... Brother Biao... let's spare those street thugs; I suddenly feel so sorry for them...

The Shinigami opposite them were also stunned. They looked at each other, seeing only confusion in one another's eyes; clearly, no one understood who Brother Biao was talking to!

"That didn't sound quite right, did it?" Wu Biao muttered to himself, rubbing his chin.

"It was completely off-base, alright..." Ichigo and Ganjyu said in unison.

The many Shinigami blinked, and then...

"Hack them to pieces!"

"Kill them! Kill that 4th Division guy along with them!"

"Charge!"

"..."

Ichigo's mouth twitched: "What is going on here?"

"How would I know? Shinigami really are a bunch of heartless bastards!" Shiba Ganju cursed angrily and turned to run, though he didn't forget to grab Hanataro by the collar as he bolted!

"You guys really are a bunch of villains, you don't even know how to look after your own subordinates!"

"Yachiru, I will never trust your instincts again!" Kenpachi stared at the building before him, scolding her in a fit of frustration.

Yachiru's little pink head poked out from behind his back. She looked at the plaque engraved with the number '4' by the door, and a happy smile immediately appeared on her face: "I wonder if the Chairperson big sister is home!"

"What Chairperson?" Kenpachi asked.

"The Women's Shinigami Association Chairperson, of course! And Ken-chan, I'm the President of the Women's Shinigami Association, you know!"

"..." Kenpachi's mouth twitched slightly. What on earth was the point of such a useless association?

Kenpachi had no idea that the Women's Shinigami Association was actually quite massive in certain respects. It was an organization established to improve the status of female Shinigami, and it was an official association recognized by both the Captain-Commander and Central 46.

The association focused primarily on protecting the rights of female Shinigami, and its resolutions held even more influence than Central 46—it was an organization with god-like authority...

One had to realize that other organizations within Seireitei, such as the Men's Shinigami Association, the Tea Ceremony Association, and the Calligraphy Association headed by Byakuya Kuchiki, were strictly speaking all private associations that lacked official recognition.

It could only be said that Byakuya Kuchiki, the head of the Kuchiki Clan—one of the four great noble houses of Seireitei—really couldn't compare to Yachiru when it came to influence within these associations, which ultimately led to the underground of the prestigious Kuchiki Clan estate becoming the base of operations for the Women's Shinigami Association...

Returning to the matter at hand, Kenpachi figured that since he was already there, he might as well go inside to check on the injured squad members, thinking he might coincidentally learn the whereabouts of the Ryoka. However, the moment he stepped into the 4th Division.

He and Yachiru ran straight into Kotetsu Isane.

--

I got dragged away by a friend to help them move house when I got back tonight, so it was a struggle to get this chapter out. I'll try to update more tomorrow.

(End of chapter)