Isn't This Just Bullying an Honest Man? / Some Things Just Can't Be Envied ...

Ukitake was at a loss for what to do. Before he could even make a move, these three righteous men had already beaten his teammate black and blue.

Ukitake didn't intend to kill them outright; capturing them alive would provide invaluable intelligence.

At that moment, shadowy figures flashed all around as Hachisato led the Stealth Force to arrive at top speed and completely surrounded the area.

"Lieutenant Ukitake, how are you? Are you alright?" Hachisato asked.

Ukitake gently shook his head, then picked up the unconscious boy. The boy needed immediate treatment, or his life would be in danger.

Chapter 185: Isn't this bullying honest people?

"Take them all back and hand them over to the Military Police Force for interrogation later!" Jūshirō Ukitake hadn't expected the incident to be resolved so easily. Now he could go back and report; the Captain must be very happy, right?

After Ukitake and Hachisato left with the seriously injured boy and the three captured good-for-nothings, two men in white appeared behind them.

"Shouldn't we rescue those three good-for-nothings? What if they reveal the secret..."

"You said yourself they were three useless trash. Are they worth saving? Besides, they didn't even touch the core of the secret. There's nothing to worry about. Moreover, these Shinigami are all quite strong. If a fight really breaks out, do you think the two of us can escape unscathed?" A man in a white robe stared coldly at the departing Shinigami. His greatest strength was his self-awareness. He was very clear about the strength that Ukitake had just unleashed. The Quincy were far weaker than before. They had almost no high-end combat power. There were only two or three big and small fish, and even if they were all combined, they probably wouldn't be enough for Ukitake to fight alone.

In this situation, why bother saving anyone? Just surviving is good enough.

"I didn't expect Soul Society to react so quickly. Tell everyone that the experiments Time Stop. We will resume them when this matter is completely over," the white-robed man said. Moreover, many Quincy have already died in order to conduct these experiments, and there are already dissents within the group. If this continues, they will fall apart due to infighting before they are completely wiped out by the Shinigami. It would be a losing proposition.

And so, the two of them left Soul Society in a mysterious manner.

Jūshirō Ukitake had Hachisato escort the three good-for-nothings to be locked up first, then he took the boy to the Fourth Division for rescue, and finally went to Yamabuki Chidori's office.

Upon entering, Jūshirō Ukitake said in a cheerful tone, "Teacher, this matter has been investigated and resolved. Mission accomplished!"

However, upon opening the door to Yamabuki Chidori's office, there was no one inside. Had the Teacher gone off to slack off again?

At this moment, another Staff Officer said, "I just saw the Chief Strategist go to the Thirteenth Division. I wonder what happened?"

Hearing his colleague say that, Ukitake's heart skipped a beat.

Could it be that the Captain's body can't hold on any longer?

Otherwise, why would the Teacher go to the Thirteenth Division?

Ukitake had no time to think further; his greatest wish now was not for the Captain to die with regrets. He wanted to tell the Captain and the Teacher that he had helped the Captain overcome his heartbreak.

So he didn't dare waste a single second on the way, and rushed into the Captain's office with Flash Step, forcefully opening the door.

"Captain, how are you...?" Ukitake froze on the spot before he could finish speaking.

Sakurane Saizo, the Old Man, Nikoku Saizo, was drinking with Yamabuki Chidori and Saitō Fubōfu. He held a wine glass in one hand and a beef leg in the other, gnawing on it with grease dripping from his mouth, laughing heartily. He was so confident and didn't look like a seriously ill patient at all.

"Captain... Captain? Your body..." Ukitake asked in shock. Just a few days ago, Sakurane Saizo sickly, how could he have become so energetic in the blink of an eye? Could this be the Miracle in medical history?

Sakurane Saizo's action of gnawing on meat froze on the spot; he hadn't expected Ukitake to return so quickly.

Yamabuki Chidori asked calmly, "Is the mission complete?"

Ukitake was still confused about the situation and could only continue along with his Teacher's words, "The mission is complete. Several Quincy have finished researching the Perfect Sanctification... but it seems they can't fully control this power yet... No, these questions don't matter right now, do they? Why is the Captain so healthy? He was coughing up blood, and I felt Captain might not even last a day. Why did he recover so quickly?"

Ukitake went into crazy complaining mode.

Yamabuki Chidori said calmly, "It's just a minor cold, how long do you expect me to treat him?"

"A minor cold? Why would it be a minor cold? Teacher, your tone was clearly strange... You were obviously talking to a family member of someone with a terminal illness. You told the Captain to eat whatever he wanted, and told us not to get angry with him and to go along with his wishes..." Ukitake questioned.

"Yeah, of course you need to eat something good to replenish your energy when you have a cold. A happy mood will help you recover faster. Is there anything wrong with what I said? You clearly misunderstood me. Why are you complaining to me now? Come on, let's have a drink! Captain Ukitake ~" Yamabuki Chidori deliberately dragged out her words.

From the moment he completed his trial mission, Jūshirō Ukitake was the true Captain of the Thirteenth Division.

Although Ukitake usually appears calm, he is very clever. He understands perfectly well that these bastards are clearly bullying an honest person!

I've been so honest, yet you still try to trick me and ambush me...

You people have absolutely no conscience.

Why do you treat the Captain's position like a hot potato, passing it around like it's a daunting task? Shouldn't becoming Captain be every Shinigami's dream?

Sakurane Saizo. He's in great health and has a great appetite. Actually, the night he was faking his illness, when Shijima Chiru and the others came to see him, they already saw through his clumsy acting. After all, if he didn't tell the truth, the 40-centimeter-long Silver Needle would pierce his brain. Sakurane Saizo, without any moral bottom line, directly told them everything.

The four of them had a happy time drinking together.

That's why Ukitake to work the next day.

Ukitake was caught between a rock and a hard place. These people really went to great lengths to make him the Captain of the Thirteenth Division.

Who would have thought that five former Captain would conspire to deceive me? Who could have foreseen such a massive scam?

"But... it's so good that the Captain is alright!" Ukitake said with a relieved expression.

This child is so innocent that it makes these adults feel guilty.

We actually conspired to deceive such an innocent child; we deserve to die!

The next day, Sakurane Saizo's retirement application was handed to the Captain Commander. Make sure you read carefully, it's not a resignation, it's retirement.

In other words, Sakurane Saizo is very likely the first member of the Gotei 13 to successfully retire.

"I disagree! Absolutely disagree! I won't allow anyone to retire before me!" Yamabuki Chidori was so jealous she felt like her body was about to break apart.

"I reject your objection. Sakurane Saizo has made great contributions to the Gotei 13, and he deserves this retirement!" With Captain Commander successfully retired Sakurane Saizo.

Chapter 186: I Can't Afford to Be Envious

Originally, Yamabuki Chidori and Sakurane Saizo were on the same side, but a little jealousy turned them into mortal enemies.

Haha, what an ugly side of human nature!

"Captain Commander ~~ It's not like we're missing another retiree. How about you approve my retirement application while you're at it? You can always rehire me!" Yamabuki Chidori hasn't forgotten that he's been burdened by a system for almost three hundred years. Is this guy really only going to be fully activated the day he successfully retires?

This is absolutely outrageous.

"Retirement application rejected. Don't be thinking about retirement at such a young age. Look at yourself, you're not even three hundred years old yet. Look at me, I'm almost three thousand years old, and I'm still sticking to my post! You should learn from me." Captain Commander Yamamoto burned the retirement application to ashes without hesitation. "Are you kidding me? If you leave, who will do all this work?"

You can't just push all these tasks onto a three-thousand-year- Old Man like me.

Dejected, Yamabuki Chidori returned to her office. "I just wanted to retire, why is it so difficult? Why is the whole world against me?"

How many flights of stairs do you have to carry a bag of rice up?

You have to carry a bag of rice up to the second floor!

Despite the constant complaining, I still had to go to work.

Sakurane Saizo became the first member of the Gotei 13 to successfully receive his retirement pension.

The Old Man was overjoyed. He didn't have to do any work and he was getting paid. His biggest worry every day was how to spend all his generous pension within a month and then collect it again the following month.

Such things naturally bring joy to some and sorrow to others.

The Sakurane Saizo was overjoyed, but some people were not.

Looking at the mountain of work laid out in front of her, Katoru Hatsunoya rubbed her temples with her slender fingers. Where had Kyoraku gone to slack off again?

Look how capable their Lieutenant is!

Not only can they help the Captain with the workload, but they can even take over in crucial moments.

Look at you, leaving all the difficult tasks to me, and then running off to slack off.

Comparing yourself to others will only make you miserable.

Katoru Hatsunoya let out a deep sigh, his chest heaving with each breath.

Although nearly three hundred years have passed, Katoru Hatsunoya's appearance has not changed much; he looks like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl who has grown into a twenty-year-old.

"Where's Kyoraku? Call him back to me. There's so much work waiting for him to handle. Tell him to stop playing hide-and-seek with me. He was so cute and hardworking when he was a child. How did he become so lazy as an adult? He's just like his Teacher!" Katoru Hatsunoya's head ached even more at the thought of Yamabuki Chidori.

Not long after, Shunsui Kyōraku was summoned back by the members of the 8th Division.

However, when he returned, he smelled faintly of alcohol, along with the distinctive scent of a girl's perfume.

Katoru Hatsunoya covered his nose with a displeased expression. "Why are you going out drinking during work hours again? Do you believe I'll dock your pay?"

Shunsui Kyōraku didn't care about his salary at all. After all, his family was High-Ranking Noble. How many nobles have you ever seen working for such a small wage?

"Captain! You've already deducted my salary until next month. Why don't you just deduct all the remaining six months' worth of my salary?" Shunsui Kyōraku said with a grin.

Having such a Lieutenant, Katoru Hatsunoya felt a headache coming on.

Suddenly, her expression turned very serious, and she stared intently at Shunsui Kyōraku: "Kyoraku, I have something very important to tell you. I don't have long to live, and I hope you will take over as the Captain of the 8th Division."

"I Sakurane Saizo used that trick not long ago! It didn't work on me. If you, Captain, were to pass away, I would be very sad and lay a bouquet of flowers at your grave! Rest in peace!" Shunsui Kyōraku said with a grin.

Katoru Hatsunoya was so angry at his own Lieutenant that he had no temper left.

The current Shunsui Kyōraku is far stronger than he was over a hundred years ago, fully qualified to serve as Captain, and has even mastered Bankai, making him no weaker than Ukitake of the same era.

"There's no other way, I have to use my ultimate move! Kyoraku, let's play rock-paper-scissors. If I lose, I'll step down. If you win, you'll become the Captain of the 8th Division. How about it?" Katoru Hatsunoya said with a serious expression.

"No matter how you look at it, it's not in my best interest, is it? If I become the Captain, I won't be able to slack off happily anymore. Finding a smart, beautiful, and capable Lieutenant isn't that easy, is it?" Shunsui Kyōraku said with a flippant expression, "If I become the Captain in the future, the Lieutenant must be a beautiful woman."

Katoru Hatsunoya was too exhausted to complain anymore. He rubbed his temples. "Like master, like disciple," he thought. "Does your sect consider slacking off a lifelong goal?"

"No, if this continues, I might end up in this position until I die of old age. How about I stage a big 'life-or-death' moment, hand over the Captain, and then make a perfect comeback!"

"Captain, you accidentally blurted out what was on your mind! That kind of trick won't work on me. The biggest reason I'm working is to avoid being nagged by my Old Man at home, so I don't care about salary at all. By the way, Captain, how about I treat everyone to dinner tonight?" Shunsui Kyōraku looked at the team members with a smile.

Although his Lieutenant often slacks off, he is very good to his subordinates, which makes him quite popular in the 8th Division.

This time, Katoru Hatsunoya truly felt a headache coming on. He stretched out his slender, fair index finger and gently rubbed his temples, only to feel dizzy and lightheaded, with a strong sense of vertigo exploding in his brain.

"Thump!"

Katoru Hatsunoya lay stiffly on the table, making a "thud" sound between his head and the table.

"Captain? I've already told you that such tricks won't work on me. I will never accept the position of Captain!" Shunsui Kyōraku laughed.

However, Katoru Hatsunoya did not make a sound.

"Captain? Stop pretending. This kind of trick won't work on me, Captain." Shunsui Kyōraku gently nudged his Captain with the scabbard, but there was no response.

At this moment, Shunsui Kyōraku realized that something seemed wrong.

"Captain? Captain! Something's wrong!" Shunsui Kyōraku hurriedly reached out and gently helped the man up, only to find that Katoru Hatsunoya had already gone into shock.

The rest of the 8th Division also panicked.

"Oh no! Get the Captain to the Fourth Division right away! Hurry!" Shunsui Kyōraku shouted. Two team members carried out a stretcher as fast as they could and took Katoru Hatsunoya to the Fourth Division for examination.

Chapter 187: The Fallen Katoru Hatsunoya

Katoru Hatsunoya collapsed without any warning, plunging the entire 8th Division into chaos.

Thankfully, Shunsui Kyōraku was there to keep things in order at this time.

The members of the 8th Division hurriedly took out a stretcher and carried Katoru Hatsunoya to the Fourth Division for emergency treatment.

"Make way! Make way! Where's Captain Unohana? Where is Captain Unohana?!" Shunsui Kyōraku shouted. The other patients peered curiously in their direction, but their expressions changed when they saw Katoru Hatsunoya lying on the stretcher.

At the same time, the doctors from the Fourth Division also hurriedly came out.

The person leading the charge was none other than Kamishirokawa.

"Calm down, what happened? Are you injured? Do you need surgery?" Kamishirokawa asked calmly.

Everyone completely ignored Kamishirokawa. Why are you so keen on performing surgery?

Upon hearing the commotion, Unohana rushed out and immediately saw Katoru Hatsunoya, who had completely lost consciousness. She immediately began to resuscitate him.

Kamishirokawa stood by like a robot, unable to offer any help, until Unohana brought Katoru Hatsunoya to the intensive care unit. Only then did Kamishirokawa whisper, "Kyoraku, what happened?"

Shunsui Kyōraku's expression was solemn, and his usual carefree demeanor was completely gone.

"When the Captain said she was seriously ill, I thought she was joking, but I never expected..." Shunsui Kyōraku felt extremely guilty.

Death Gods are also human, except that humans are made of atoms while Death Gods are made of Reishi. They also get sick and age, but most Death Gods with strong Reiatsu rarely get sick.

The rescue lasted for two hours. When Unohana came out of the intensive care unit, Shunsui Kyōraku's heart skipped a beat when he saw Unohana's expression. In his memory, Unohana had always been a very gentle person, but now there was not a trace of a smile on Unohana face, only solemnity.

Shunsui Kyōraku had already prepared for the worst.

"Team member Kamishirokawa, go to the Staff Department immediately and call Yamabuki Chidori over. Tell her that no matter what work she has on hand, she must come over right away. It's extremely urgent," Unohana said.

Kamishirokawa dared not delay and went to the Staff Department as quickly as possible.

Hearing Unohana's words, Shunsui Kyōraku breathed a slight sigh of relief, meaning that his Captain was still alive at this moment.