Living in the Soul Society, All I Want Is to Coast into Retirement

Where were there any high walls now? You could see straight inside at a glance, and from time to time, squads of sword-bearing guards could be seen patrolling the area. According to Yamamoto, they were the nobles' guard units, specially tasked with protecting the nobles' safety.

Of course, even among nobles, there were differences in status. The Five Noble Clans lived at the very center of the Seireitei, while those of lower status lived farther out. If a rebellion broke out, these lesser nobles had to risk their lives to protect the higher-ranking nobles, or their noble status would be stripped away.

Looking at the prosperous Seireitei, then turning back to look at the Rukon District, which resembled a refugee camp, Yamabuki Chidori let out a cold laugh.

Having read the story, he naturally knew what kind of people these nobles were. They were all trash.

Of course, he could not condemn them all with one stroke. The "trash" here mainly referred to the Tsunayashiro Clan.

As for the other noble families, they had produced a few outstanding figures here and there.

For example, Byakuya of the Kuchiki Clan.

Yoruichi of the Shihōin Clan.

Ichigo Shiba.

Only the Tsunayashiro Clan was trash through and through. They were not frightening, but they were disgusting!

"Will we really be okay just walking in like this? Won't they pull their swords and chop us up?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.

"What's there to fear with me here? Let's go!" Yamamoto swaggered into the Seireitei with Yamabuki Chidori.

They had not even taken ten steps before someone stopped them.

"Who are you? Stop right there! Rukon District trash thinks it can enter the Seireitei? Get the hell out of here right now, or I'll chop you to pieces!" A noble guard drew his sword and shouted.

Yamamoto said calmly, "Yamabuki, as the boss, I can't handle every little thing personally. I'll leave this to you. Go!"

Huh???

Yamabuki Chidori's face filled with question marks. So this was your plan—just fight our way in? And you wanted me to do the fighting? Was it really okay to follow a boss like this? If it were not for his retirement plan, he would have run off already!

Still, with his current strength, dealing with these small fry should not be a problem, right?

Yamabuki Chidori stepped forward, and his Reiatsu erupted in an instant!

Reiatsu, Reiatsu!

When a Soul Reaper with low Reiatsu faced one with high Reiatsu, they would feel immense pressure, like an ordinary pirate facing Conqueror's Haki!

Even without lifting a hand, old man Yamamoto could make Lieutenant-level Soul Reapers lose their ability to fight. To ordinary members, a Lieutenant was already an insurmountable peak!

So when faced with the Lieutenant-level Reiatsu erupting from Yamabuki Chidori, those ordinary thugs collapsed all over the ground!

Shunshun Shidō

Yamamoto nodded in satisfaction. Now this was what a boss should be like. If you had no underlings and had to handle everything yourself, how could you show off your status?

But although Yamabuki Chidori had taken down one group, another soon arrived. These guard units existed to protect the nobles. If anything happened to their noble masters, they would not be able to escape blame! At best, they would lose their jobs; at worst, they would lose their lives!

"There are more and more of them. Should we run?" Yamabuki Chidori felt a little uneasy. Although the Gotei 13 had not yet been established in this era, there were definitely plenty of monsters in the Soul Society. Otherwise, how could the original Gotei 13 have defeated Yhwach?

The system a thousand years ago was not as refined as it would be in later generations. There were no distinctions like Captain-class or Lieutenant-class, but if some real monster showed up, he definitely would not be able to handle it.

Just as Yamabuki Chidori was worrying, he saw a man standing atop the tallest building in the distance. Dark-skinned and white-haired, the man watched him with a cheerful smile. Before Yamabuki Chidori could react, the dark-skinned man vanished and appeared before him in an instant.

"So fast!!!" Yamabuki Chidori's pupils contracted.

He had learned Flash Step as well, but compared to this man, his skills were like a child crawling!

"Yamamoto, it's been a long time!" The dark-skinned man happily greeted Yamamoto.

The surrounding noble guards, who had failed to notice the man's arrival, all revealed terrified expressions. They respectfully dropped to one knee, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

"You don't have to use this method to summon me every time you come! It gives me a headache too!" the dark-skinned man said with a smile.

"How did the matter we discussed last time turn out?" Yamamoto asked.

"Joining that Gotei 13 you're founding? It's a little difficult. You know, I'm the head of one of the Five Noble Clans, after all. Joining an assassin organization..." The dark-skinned man smiled. "Let's not talk about that for now. Have you eaten? Let's talk while we eat!"

Yamabuki Chidori was even more shocked. The head of one of the Five Noble Clans? With that skin color, could he be from the Shihōin Clan?

After all, that complexion was practically hereditary in their family!

Yoruichi was one of the rare dark-skinned beauties in anime.

Yamamoto led Yamabuki Chidori swaggering into the Seireitei and arrived at the Shihōin Clan, one of the Five Noble Clans.

This dark-skinned man was the current head of the Shihōin Clan, Shunshun Shidō.

Yamabuki Chidori remembered that this name belonged to the first-generation captain of the Gotei 13's 2nd Division.

Shunshun Shidō directly brought the two of them into the main hall, where he had prepared an extremely lavish meal.

Seeing the table full of chicken, duck, fish, meat, and fresh seafood, Yamabuki Chidori nearly drooled. He had been treated far too harshly these past few days, but he had just eaten two sweet potatoes and his stomach was stuffed full. He could not eat a single bite!

Suddenly, Yamabuki Chidori stared at Yamamoto. This old man had not done it on purpose, had he? He knew there would be a feast soon, so he deliberately stuffed him with two roasted sweet potatoes. That way, he would not have to compete with him for food at the table later!

Sure enough, Shunshun Shidō and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto clinked cups and feasted heartily, enjoying themselves immensely!

While eating meat, Yamamoto even glanced at Yamabuki Chidori from the corner of his eye. "Yamabuki, even in the home of one of the Five Noble Clans, you don't need to be so reserved. Eat and drink as you please. Treat it like your own home!"

That was a killing blow! A killing blow to the heart!!!

Yamabuki Chidori smiled at his captain, tears of frustration flowing from the corner of his mouth.

Although Shunshun Shidō was the head of one of the Five Noble Clans, he looked more like a carefree young master. He lounged casually on the tatami, with no regard for etiquette or rules, doing whatever he pleased.

"Right, where were we? You invited me to join the Gotei 13? I gave it some serious thought, and I think joining the Gotei 13 as the head of one of the Five Noble Clans... sounds pretty interesting! I like the number two, so leave the position of 2nd Division captain for me." Shunshun Shidō said with a grin.

He really was an unconventional noble young master!

He was doing it purely for fun!

With that, the Gotei 13's numbers had increased by another third. A cause for celebration, a cause for celebration!

"But I have one condition." Shunshun Shidō abruptly changed the subject. "I want to bring someone into the Gotei 13 with me."

Hearing this, Yamamoto frowned slightly. The Gotei 13 was not a place for nobles to entertain themselves. If people could be casually inserted into it and this precedent was set, it would become difficult to manage later.

"Don't worry! This person is definitely crazy enough, and definitely strong enough. I'll call her in right now. Saito, come in!" Shunshun Shidō called toward the door.

"This person is my servant. I picked her up outside not long ago—" Before Shunshun Shidō could finish, a blindingly fast figure rushed in from outside, grabbed Shunshun Shidō by the head, and slammed it viciously into the floor before grinding it hard!

"You dare call me your servant? Are you tired of living?"

Judging from the voice, it was a girl.

Yamabuki Chidori took a closer look. The girl was short, with Twin Tails of dark pink hair, an eyepatch, and a Zanpakuto at her waist!

That appearance... combined with that strength...

Yamabuki Chidori immediately had his answer.

"Saitō Fubōfu, first-generation captain of the Gotei 13's Sixth Division!"

Who knew why a girl had such a name!

"You dare say I'm your servant? You're clearly my servant! Don't just drag me into some weird organization! Who are these two? Why do they get to sit here and eat?" Saito sat brazenly across from Yamamoto and stared at him.

Yamabuki Chidori was slightly amazed. This had been quite a haul—two Captain-level figures in one go.

Yamamoto remained utterly calm. What he liked most were troublemakers! Anyone could find fault, but only those with ability could be arrogant. He liked this girl's personality!

"Then tell me, what do I need to do to be qualified to sit here and eat?" Yamamoto asked.

"Fight me! If you beat me, you can do whatever you want! I wouldn't even care if you made me your slave!" Saito shoved her crazed face forward until it was nearly pressed against Yamamoto's. "Do you have the guts?"

Yamamoto glanced at Yamabuki Chidori from the corner of his eye. Yamabuki Chidori looked like an elementary school student waiting to be called on in class, eyes on his nose, nose on his mouth. Please don't pick me. I can't beat her.

The system's beginner gift pack had given Yamabuki Chidori Lieutenant-level Reiatsu. As a first-generation Gotei 13 captain and old man Yamamoto's comrade, Saitō Fubōfu was conservatively estimated to have Captain-level strength. This old man was not going to throw him out as cannon fodder, was he?

"Yamabuki, go have some fun with her," Yamamoto said.

Fuck!!!

Saitō Fubōfu

Yamabuki Chidori looked as though he had seen a ghost. Old man, are you serious?

Yamamoto sat upright, without the slightest hint that he was joking. Saito examined Yamabuki Chidori with great interest.

"Can this little bean sprout really do it?"

"Hmph, how would you know I'm a bean sprout if you haven't tried me?" Yamabuki Chidori immediately took offense. Was she insulting him? What man could stand being called a bean sprout?

Saito did not understand what he meant, while Shunshun Shidō and Yamamoto both wore slightly strange expressions. This brat actually dared to make a dirty joke here!

Yamamoto gave a light cough and pulled out an incense stick from his clothes. "Since you think you're much stronger than this young man, we'll use one incense stick as the limit. If you can't defeat him before it burns out, then obediently join our Gotei 13."

Saito loved exciting things like this. "Then what if I beat him before the incense burns out?"

"I'll give this kid to you as a slave!"

"Huh???" Yamabuki Chidori looked at Yamamoto in horror and disbelief. Had he asked for his permission?

"Fine!" The moment Saitō Fubōfu heard the wager, she got excited. She planted one foot on the dining table and gripped the Zanpakuto at her waist. "Why would I need an incense stick to deal with this kid? Three seconds will be enough!"

The moment her words fell, Saito drew her sword in an instant. The dining table and the doors were torn apart by the flash of her blade. Fortunately, Yamabuki Chidori had been prepared. The instant she attacked, he drew his sword as well. Their blades collided, and Yamabuki Chidori clearly felt that he was weaker. The strike sent him flying out of the hall, though he landed lightly on the ground.

Shunshun Shidō waved a hand to brush away the dust, then smiled as he and Yamamoto came outside.

"Saito, do your best. The incense has already started burning!" Shunshun Shidō said with a smile.

Yamabuki Chidori's face darkened as he edged backward bit by bit. Lieutenant-level and Captain-level were worlds apart!

When Ichigo rescued Rukia Kuchiki in the Black Knight form, even though he had only just reached Captain-level, he had instantly defeated three Lieutenants before the execution platform.

Even after Renji Abarai learned Bankai, he was still utterly helpless before Kuchiki Byakuya.

It could be said that there was an uncrossable abyss between Captains and Lieutenants.

How could he possibly hold her off for the time it took one incense stick to burn?

The old man was trying to get him killed!

I regret this now. I don't want to coast into retirement anymore. Is it too late to quit the Gotei 13?

Saito clearly had no intention of giving him that chance. She came down on him head-on with a slash!

Her speed and strength were far beyond what Yamabuki Chidori could match at present.

Yamabuki Chidori used Flash Step to retreat. Saito's blade struck the ground, and its power was like a high-explosive bomb. The entire surface exploded, and a massive shockwave sent countless fragments of stone flying in every direction!

"Is that fucking human?" The flesh on Yamabuki Chidori's face twisted continuously. Aside from Lieutenant-level Reiatsu, the only skills he possessed were Swordsmanship Mastery and Flash Step.

But everyone knew that the Soul Reapers' four basic combat abilities—swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, movement, and Kidō—all depended on Reiatsu. If Kenpachi Zaraki had not possessed ridiculously powerful Reiatsu, how could he have become captain of the 11th Division with nothing but an Asauchi?

And his damn system had gone completely silent after throwing him a beginner gift pack. Great fucking job. How was he supposed to fight this crazy woman in front of him?

Saito charged at him again with a wild laugh. Yamabuki Chidori hurriedly used Flash Step to leap onto the wall, then shouted at Yamamoto and Shunshun Shidō, "Do either of you know Kidō? Can you teach me some on the spot?"

Shunshun Shidō nearly burst out laughing. They said sharpening your spear before battle might still make it shine, but was he not sharpening it a little too late?

Yamamoto, however, calmly asked, "What do you want to learn? I'm quite proficient in Kidō."

Yamabuki Chidori quickly ran through every Kidō spell he knew in his mind. Before he could give an answer, Saito used Flash Step to rush over. He could not dodge this time, so Yamabuki Chidori could only meet her blade with his own. Their blades clashed, and Saito's monstrous strength sent him flying, though he was not injured. After spinning through the air a few times, he landed steadily.

Before he could regain his footing, Saito charged at him again.

"You keep leaping around like a monkey! Can't you fight me head-on like a man?" Saito roared angrily.

Yamabuki Chidori could only retreat quickly and avoid her edge.

"Do either of you know Sekienton?" Yamabuki Chidori ignored Saito's provocation and shouted at Yamamoto.

Saito approached with her sword in hand, her face full of disdain. "You think learning one low-level Kidō spell will let you beat me?"

"How about you wait until I finish learning it first?"

"I won't fall for that! Die!"

Yamamoto loosened his muscles slightly. "I'll only do it once. Watch carefully!"

Hey, hey, hey! How was he supposed to watch carefully at a time like this? If he lost focus for even a moment, this crazy woman would cut him in half at the waist!

Could he not teach him properly?

"Bakudō #21, Sekienton!" Yamamoto shouted.

Red smoke instantly rose from beneath his feet. This was mainly a low-level Bakudo used to block the enemy's vision. It had no real destructive power.