Chapter 45: Zaraki District's Death Match - Bleach: This Captain Is an Uchiha

The moment before the great upheaval, Yato was playing flicking stones with Yachiru.

You used your finger to flick your own stone chip and strike your opponent's pieces. Any piece knocked out of the marked circle was eliminated, and victory was decided by whoever had the most stones left.

Though simple, it had swept through all 320 districts of Rukongai and was one of children's favorite games.

Bang!

Uchiha Yato casually flicked his finger, sending a stone hurtling into the circle in a sharp straight line. After several ricochets and collisions, it knocked all of Yachiru Kusajishi's stones away.

"One hundred and forty wins, zero losses."

Read novels with Tiantian—smooth and uninterrupted.

The tomoe in Yato's eyes faded away as he grinned.

"Want another round?"

"You bastard, Little Yato." The pink-haired girl pouted and unhappily punched the ground with her tiny fist.

"You're cheating."

"A Soul-Cutter Sword is part of a Soul Reaper, just like my fingers."

"That still isn't fair. I'm not a Soul Reaper."

"Fine, I won't use my Soul-Cutter Sword's ability. But in exchange, you have to give me three... no, four pieces."

"You two still have the mood for this?" Zaraki, standing nearby, could no longer stand it and irritably hacked at a tree with his Soul-Cutter Sword.

"Uchiha Yato, you bastard, where's the strong opponent you promised me?"

"The worst thing before a feast is impatience, Zaraki."

"Hmph. If it doesn't turn out the way you said it would..."

"I'll trade blows with you." Yato shrugged.

"Until one of us can't move anymore."

Zaraki's lips curled upward. It did not look like a smile, but more like a beast preparing to feed.

It was at that moment that the great upheaval occurred.

At Blood Slaughter Mountain's encampment, Yato, Kaien, Zaraki, and Yachiru all stiffened slightly and looked into the distance.

An immense Reiatsu erupted there. Thunder roared, destroying buildings and pulverizing everything in its path.

"Hadō #63, Lightning Roar Cannon." Uchiha Yato frowned.

"That guy... is he slaughtering Rukongai residents? Has he gone insane?"

"Why care about that?" Zaraki slung Yachiru over his shoulder and charged down the mountain with wild laughter. His powerful body smashed trees to pieces, and only his voice carried back from afar.

"Uchiha Yato, Kaien Shiba, neither of you is allowed to interfere! This battle belongs to me!"

The two left behind on the mountaintop looked at each other.

"Yato, you were right. This Zaraki fellow really is a beast born for slaughter."

Kaien Shiba sighed, dropped to one knee, and began reciting an awkward incantation.

"Black and white net, twenty-two bridges, sixty-six coronets and belts, footprints, distant thunder, sharp peaks, returning earth, nightfall, sea of clouds, azure ranks—fill the great garden and soar into the heavens!"

"Bakudo #77: Tenteikūra!"

Reiatsu spread out in the form of a net, penetrating the air and earth before extending all the way to distant Seireitei.

"Kaien Shiba, Third Seat of the Thirteenth Division, reporting the Ryoka [Villains]' location. Blood Slaughter Mountain, District 80 of Northern Rukongai, directly westward, approximately seven ri in a straight line..."

As the communication continued, Uchiha Yato watched Kaien Shiba's expression grow increasingly grave.

"...Yes, understood. I will carry out this mission together with Uchiha Yato, Third Seat of the 12th Division."

"All for Seireitei."

When Tenteikūra's effect faded, the handsome noble heir spoke with a bitter smile.

"Not just Zaraki District. At this very moment, seven districts are under attack by the Ryoka."

"That many Ryoka?"

"No. From beginning to end, there has only been one attacker—the Ryoka leader." Kaien Shiba repeated the intelligence First Division had just provided.

"His Soul-Cutter Sword grants its wielder the ability to split himself apart. Of course, each split weakens his power."

"Using that ability, he attacked seven Rukongai districts at once, including Zaraki District, indiscriminately bombarding them with Kidō."

"First Division has ordered us to stop him. Ideally, we kill him here. Even if we can't, we must hold out until captain-class reinforcements arrive."

As he said this, even Kaien Shiba's voice carried a chill.

"What are those people in First Division doing? If they knew the Ryoka's abilities, they should have notified the people on the front lines in time. Telling us only now is clearly costing us the initiative..."

Yato nodded and voiced his agreement.

Yet he understood inwardly that First Division probably had its own reasons for withholding information about Mochizuki Hanzō. After all, it involved the First-Generation Gotei 13 and the Captain-Commander, and even seemed vaguely connected to the Soul King Palace. The matter was likely far from simple.

After receiving their orders, the two did not linger and quickly charged down the mountain.

The closer they came to the scene, the worse the situation looked.

Collapsed, burning buildings were everywhere. The streets had been ripped apart by immense force, and severed limbs and organs lay scattered all around. It was a horrific sight.

At the center of this inferno, two figures were fighting with utter abandon.

"Raaahhh!"

Zaraki laughed wildly. Having never received formal Zanjutsu training, his movements possessed a primitive, savage beauty. His jagged Soul-Cutter Sword was like the fangs of an ancient beast, constantly tearing into his enemy.

Faced with such a ferocious assault, Mochizuki Hanzō was clearly struggling to cope.

With nearly a thousand years of combat experience, he had once been one of the writers of Shin'ō Academy's teaching materials. He knew exactly how to deal with this kind of opponent.

Yet even though he understood perfectly well, Mochizuki Hanzō's movements could not keep up with Zaraki's. His incantations were often interrupted halfway through by brutal slashes.

After all, he had split himself into seven, greatly weakening his strength.

Seeing this, Yato and Kaien Shiba exchanged a glance. Rather than rush into the battlefield, they kept their distance and guarded Zaraki's flank.

"Is that all you've got? Release your Soul-Cutter Sword, Soul Reaper!"

Zaraki roared, and amid the fierce battle, his Reiatsu surged again!

The Soul-Cutter Sword in his hand came crashing down with it.

Bang!

Mochizuki Hanzō raised his sword with both hands and barely blocked Zaraki's strike, but he could not deflect the overwhelming force behind it. His arms gave way, and Zaraki's Soul-Cutter Sword sank into his shoulder.

The cut went deep into the bone, nearly reaching his organs. Mochizuki Hanzō's face turned pale as paper, and his eyes instantly dimmed.

But a beast that had scented blood would never let food at its mouth escape.

Zaraki increased his strength, pressing down on Mochizuki Hanzō's Soul-Cutter Sword. His Reiatsu was as heavy as the deep sea, and both men sank into the ground.

He was actually trying to split the Ryoka in two with a single slash!

"Got him!" Joy appeared on both Yato and Kaien's faces at the sight.

However, the twist that would reverse the situation occurred in that very instant.

A certain "fragment" leaped out from a rift in the void and merged into Mochizuki Hanzō's body at a speed far beyond sound.

If one could split into seven, then seven could naturally merge into one.

One-seventh of his soul and Reiatsu returned at that moment.

"Not good... Zaraki, retreat!"

Uchiha Yato's Sharingan spun rapidly. The moment he saw this enormous change, he charged toward the battlefield.

Kaien Shiba, though lacking such dynamic vision, trusted Yato completely. Without a moment's hesitation, he released his Soul-Cutter Sword and used Flash Step to close in.

Unfortunately, they were still half a beat too slow.

Feeling part of his power return, a savage gleam flashed through Mochizuki Hanzō's eyes.

"Devour him, Seven-Headed Dragon!"

He spoke the release command, and the Soul-Cutter Sword in his hand transformed into a black spear with seven bladed sides.

The situation reversed in an instant. With the power of his Shikai, Mochizuki Hanzō knocked Zaraki away, and the spear pierced his opponent's skin like a venomous serpent.

Zaraki's abdomen was pierced through in a single blow.

"You got one thing wrong..."

Mochizuki Hanzō kicked Zaraki's body away, the scar on his face turning hideous and sinister.

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Zaraki District's Death Match