The Strategy Department's Vacation / The "Kenpachi" Tournament

"If you know what's going on, leave immediately. Don't bother me here. I have very important work to do." Kamishirokawa Kenpachi left with his men without looking back.

No one noticed that he lowered his head slightly, using his bangs to hide his shocked expression.

In fact, he did not use his full strength in this sword strike. After all, the two had fought side by side before. He only used less than 70% of his strength. He originally intended to cut off Hyakki-ji's arms and teach him a lesson.

But Kamishirokawa never expected that his sword strike, which used seventy percent of its power, would only pierce the opponent's skin and not even damage the opponent's muscles.

Kamishirokawa Kenpachi has cut many things in his life, but among all the opponents he has encountered, there is only one thing that he cannot cut through at all, and that is the skin of Yamabuki Chidori.

He remembered the first time he saw Yamabuki Chidori on that snowy night. Without saying a word, he drew his sword and slashed at the man's neck. But what happened? His sword struck the man's neck squarely, but not a single white mark was left.

According to Yamabuki Chidori's own later explanation, this was the effect of Hard Skin combined with the Blut Vene.

Today, however, the situation is completely different.

His sword did pierce the opponent's skin, but when the sword was about to penetrate the muscle, he found that the opponent's muscles were unusually tough, almost like trying to puncture a car tire with a toothpick.

Kamishirokawa Kenpachi couldn't explain this situation; he could only call it a gifted individual.

"Hey! I still don't know your name? Can you give me your name? I'd like to come visit you sometime," Hyakki-ji asked loudly and happily.

"Kamishirokawa." Kamishirokawa gave his name without turning his head.

Hyakki-ji was overjoyed, as he had unexpectedly made a very interesting friend.

When they returned to the cellar, the little boy was trembling with fear. He only realized that the events outside were over when he saw the Hyakki-ji.

Hyakki-ji is like a child who has found a fun toy and is sharing what happened that day with their friends. It's amazing that there are actually people in this world who can hurt you.

Compared to Hyakki-ji's relaxed and happy expression, the little boy's face looked rather grim.

He carefully examined Hyakki-ji's wounds. Fortunately, the wounds were not deep; they were just cuts to the skin. Even so, the little boy was still very worried because before this, no one had ever been able to sell a single hair on Hyakki-ji's head.

"You shouldn't become Kenpachi!" the little boy said.

Hyakki-ji looked very puzzled. "Didn't you always encourage me to become Kenpachi? Why are you stopping me from going now?"

The little boy stammered, "I always thought you were invincible, capable of easily claiming the title of the Strongest Shinigami. But now someone has actually managed to injure you, which means they have the ability to kill you. You shouldn't take that risk!"

Hyakki-ji grinned broadly, reaching out to pat the little boy's head. "Don't worry, I will definitely reclaim Kenpachi's title. You must believe that I am the strongest Shinigami in the world. When I get serious, no one can stand against me."

"But..."

"Don't you have faith in your best friend? Believe me, I will definitely become the strongest Grim Reaper, that's our promise!" Hyakki-ji said triumphantly.

Before meeting Kamishirokawa, he actually had no interest in fighting.

Why do some people enjoy the thrill of battle? It's because no one knows the outcome before the battle begins; every battle is a high-stakes gamble with one's life on the line, and if you lose, Killer Queen: Bites the Dust.

In a way, everyone who craves a fight is a gambler.

They enjoy this process of walking between life and death.

But Hyakki-ji is different; no matter how strong the opponent is, it can easily defeat them.

It's like a gamble; no matter how you play, you'll always win in the end. You might feel great for the first few days, but over time you'll lose that enjoyment of gambling.

This is why he used to dislike meddling in other people's business; the outcome was already predetermined, and the process couldn't bring him any joy.

But now things are different. A man has entered his life, and for the first time, he has turned a 100% chance of victory into only a 50% chance.

The thought that there was still a 50% chance he would say it made Hyakki-ji so excited he almost had a nosebleed.

"I need to eat and drink my fill! I need to get myself into top shape before challenging the one hailed as the strongest Shinigami! I'll take Kenpachi!" Hyakki-ji declared emphatically.

"I support you! You must keep going!" the little boy shouted, clenching his small fist.

Chapter 166: The Staff Department's Vacation

It's still this scorching hot summer.

The Yamabuki Chidori hummed a little tune, while iced green tea floated in the lake. In this sweltering heat, a sip of sweet and refreshing green tea was simply the ultimate pleasure.

"Hirako, don't slack off! I saw you spacing out just now! This work needs to be finished before dark!" Yamabuki Chidori said leisurely.

"I don't need you nagging me, you bastard. Why did you push all the work onto me? And now you're just sitting there drinking tea?" Shinji Hirako said with a miserable expression.

I can sit here like a landlord, drinking tea and reading the newspaper, while my subordinates work themselves to the bone. What could be more enjoyable than this?

Yamabuki Chidori believes she is even more cold-blooded and ruthless than the evil landlords of the old era.

"Besides, I'm not dealing with anything important, just trivial matters. How does this kind of work help my growth?" Hirako roared angrily.

"Of course! By giving you these trivial tasks, I have plenty of time to slack off. You may lose time, but I gain freedom! Young people shouldn't always be thinking about being lazy; they should think about what contributions they've made to this group!" Yamabuki Chidori said with the air of someone who's been there all along.

"I'll fight you to the death!" Shinji Hirako had completely lost his temper. Sitting on the sidelines watching the show was already a headache, and now they even had time to make sarcastic remarks. I'm going on strike!

Unable to bear it any longer, Shinji Hirako drew his Zanpakuto, intending to take his opponent down with him.

"Wait... wait... don't be impulsive, impulsiveness is the devil, you're still young! Ah! It actually came down! You dared to murder your superior! In that case, I have no choice but to use my ultimate technique, which I haven't used in two hundred years— 100% Bare-Handed Blade Catch!" Yamabuki Chidori directly sandwiched the knife between her hands, then looked at the other Staff Department members. "Are you guys just going to watch the show? Help! Where's your teammate?!"

As a result, these Staff Officer all exuded a grayish-white aura, like a limp, drained octopus.

Come to think of it, they haven't had a day off in a month, plus the high-intensity work every day, and in temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius, it's really tough on these corporate slaves.

"Hirako! Let's talk this out, let's put our swords away first! How about this, I'll give everyone the day off. Don't you guys always complain that there aren't any girls in our Staff Department? How about we go visit the Fourth Division today? The Fourth Division has the most beauties!" Yamabuki Chidori hurriedly tried to calm everyone down.

As a result, his subordinates showed no gratitude whatsoever.

"Going to the Fourth Division is just so we can watch you flaunt your love, right? You're practically an old married couple, yet you're always ready to shower us with PDA! Heh, I'm tired. Just let this world end already!"

Surprisingly, everyone's attitude was remarkably consistent.

"I submitted a leave application before, but why has it been rejected? We're the ones who set the rules, theoretically we're all behind-the-scenes bigwigs, so why are we all living such miserable lives? If there's a next life, I definitely won't work in the Staff Department!"

Seeing the resentment on his subordinates' faces, Yamabuki Chidori could only rub his forehead helplessly. The entire Staff Department had no more than fifty people, and there was just too much work to do every day. It wasn't that they couldn't take leave, but that they simply didn't have the time.

All sorts of matters, big and small, from the thirteen squads are reported to the Staff Department. Only a few special and important events are reported to the Central 46; the rest of the trivial matters are handled here.

There's only one way right now.

"Expand the ranks!" Yamabuki Chidori slammed her hand on the table.

Gotei 13 grew larger, the number of things to manage increased, naturally leading to a heavier workload for the Staff Department. Moreover, at the beginning, Yamabuki Chidori set the entry requirements for the Staff Department too high, resulting in only one new recruit joining every two or three years, and those who joined immediately became corporate slaves.

Otherwise, how could there be such a great deal of resentment?

Shinji Hirako was already on the verge of collapse after working here for less than a month, while many of the employees had been working here for one or two hundred years and were still able to maintain a normal mental state. Shinji Hirako was utterly impressed.

"Since everyone's had enough, let's give everyone a three-day break! Those who want to rest can go home, and those who want to go out can go out and have fun. When we come back in three days, let's think of a way to expand our team and lighten our workload a bit," said Yamabuki Chidori.

The fifty people in the office erupted in a thunderous cheer!

This is the first three-day holiday of the year, it's really rare. Many people slammed their documents on the table halfway through reading them. Who the hell works on a holiday!

The group of people swarmed out of the office like a swarm of flies, eager to breathe some fresh air.

The world is so beautiful!

The wind is so noisy

Shinji Hirako reached out and snatched the teapot containing the iced green tea, blew on it, and drank it down in a refreshing way!

"Wouldn't it have been better to do this sooner?" Shinji Hirako said.

Looking at the mountain of documents, Yamabuki Chidori looked on with an almost desperate expression. "Do you know how much work will pile up in these three days? Do you know how desperate these smiling employees will be when they come back in three days?"

Shinji Hirako's relaxed expression froze instantly.

Indeed, he had already experienced firsthand just how much work the Staff Department could handle; how much work would pile up in just three days?

Please don't bring this up! It's a nightmare!

"So what are your plans regarding the expansion?" Shinji Hirako asked.

Yamabuki Chidori is also having a headache over this matter.

Wherever there are people, there will inevitably be conflict.

A person is a contradiction in themselves, let alone so many people gathered together. Although there are only fifty people, these fifty people have secretly formed cliques, but they dare not show it usually because of Yamabuki Chidori's methods.

Moreover, the Staff Department is the brain of the Gotei 13, and it has to deal with many issues every day. If there are too many people, all sorts of problems are bound to arise.

The biggest problem is that people who know the truth don't report it.

In the current work mode, most ordinary small matters can be handled by ordinary Staff Officer, while only a few major matters that affect the fate of Soul Society are handed over to Yamabuki Chidori. After Yamabuki Chidori has finished handling them, he will hand over the documents to the Central 46, who will then officially issue orders to announce that the matter has been resolved.

However, if there are too many people involved, disputes may arise between the two parties, leading to the concealment and failure to report important matters, which will inevitably cause some unnecessary losses.

Never overestimate human nature.

Given the chance, the evil in human nature will not hesitate to bare its fangs.

Chapter 167: The Battle for "Kenpachi"

After hearing these words, Shinji Hirako suddenly burst into laughter.

"I have to say, you really are something. No wonder that old man named Salkapolo was complaining about you. You're not acting Staff Officer; you're worrying like a father. Do you see the Gotei 13 as a child who never grows up, and you have to keep an eye on them all the time, afraid that something might happen?" Shinji Hirako asked.

Yamabuki Chidori covered her forehead with a headache. "I understand what you mean, but do you know what the most painful thing in the world is? It's when your subordinates are clearly not as good as you, but you still have to patiently praise them for doing a good job. Do you really think I do nothing but drink tea and eat snacks all day long?!"

Shinji Hirako, however, said nonchalantly, "What's meant to happen will happen anyway, why worry so much? We'll deal with it after it happens."

Shinji Hirako knew that Yamabuki Chidori's concerns were valid. The Staff Department only recruited one person every two or three years, which could guarantee quality. But even so, something like Kujo Yomotsu still happened.

Taking advantage of his position, he secretly altered documents.

No matter how strong a person is, they cannot control people's hearts.

Furthermore, the ultimate goal of the Gotei 13 is to protect and maintain balance, which requires wisdom, not just brute force.

If it were just a matter of flattening the Three Realms, Yamabuki Chidori wouldn't have such a headache. He could easily flatten the Three Realms with one hand right now.

"Alright, stop standing there like an idiot. Relax, you must be exhausted these past few days!" said Yamabuki Chidori.

"You shouldn't have mentioned it, because now that you've brought it up, I feel like my bones are aching. How about we go to Kiryu- san's house for dinner tonight?" Hirako asked.

You've become addicted to freeloading!

Yamabuki Chidori was the last to leave. She locked the door, put the key in her breast pocket, and was just about to relax when suddenly, the alarm sounded from the Gotei 13.

Yamabuki Chidori's brow twitched wildly. "Can't I just have a peaceful vacation?"

However, the alarm sounded strange; it wasn't the kind of alarm used when a powerful enemy was attacking.

"You go back first. I'll go see what happened." Yamabuki Chidori Flash Step at the First Division Barracks. He was the first one there this time. The Captain Commander's expression was very serious. Upon seeing Yamabuki Chidori, he said directly, "Something happened. You've come at just the right time."

"Has the Hollow invaded? Or Quincy returned?" Yamabuki Chidori asked listlessly. Yhwach was definitely not awake yet; less than three hundred years had passed since the last great war.

"It's not that serious, it's just that someone is trying to take the position of Captain of the Gotei 13. Isn't that interesting?" the Old Man said with great interest.

Yamabuki Chidori's eyes narrowed slightly. Was she trying to steal the Captain of the Gotei 13?

When the Gotei 13 was established, a rule was set that if anyone could defeat the previous Captain in public, they could inherit the Captain's position.

However, after all these years, only Kamishirokawa Kenpachi truly rose to power through murder, and that battle was under the control of Yamabuki Chidori.

Therefore, this rule gradually only applies to the 11th Division.

Before long, the other Captain arrived one after another.

The captain explained the matter, and the other Captain didn't say anything. However, Kamishirokawa Kenpachi looked somewhat surprised. He had a vague feeling that this person was after him.

Kamishirokawa Kenpachi was absolutely right; the person who arrived was none other than Hyakki-ji.

Don't let his burly appearance fool you; he's actually quite shrewd. He followed all the proper procedures, directly applying to duel the current Kenpachi, leaving his fate to destiny.

All the Captain ' eyes were fixed on Kamishirokawa Kenpachi's face.

Although Kamishirokawa Kenpachi is a junior to them, he has a very good personality, is hardworking, and gets along very well with everyone.

Since the other party dared to challenge us, it means they possess a certain level of strength.

Without the slightest hesitation, Kamishirokawa Kenpachi, "I know this is the rule. I will accept the challenge now. Whether I live or die, please do not interfere. This is a duel between Kenpachi; life and death are in the hands of fate."

Shiba Isshin and Kamishirokawa Kenpachi were the closest of friends. He was secretly anxious. If he guessed correctly, the person who came to challenge him was the same Hyakki-ji from before. That person was quite strong. At that time, the two of them only exchanged one move and neither of them gained an advantage. Shiba Isshin guessed that Hyakki-ji's strength was no less than his own.

In the end, he could only turn his attention to the Yamabuki Chidori.

Actually, he always felt that deciding the Captain's position through fighting was a bit reckless, but rules are rules. Yamabuki Chidori didn't say anything, but directly ordered the preparation of a fighting arena for both sides.

Kenpachi of the 11th Division has an extremely fast turnover rate. Other divisions only change two or three Captain in a thousand years, but the 11th Division has changed eleven Captain in a thousand years, averaging less than one per hundred years.

Now that the higher-ups had made their decision, Shiba Isshin couldn't say anything more and could only hope that there would be no casualties on either side.