"How did you see it?"
As soon as Gosuke Shigure said those words, both Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitakebecame visibly interested. The two veteran Captains immediately turned their attention toward him.
Gosuke Shigure merely smiled.
"It's just a feeling."
Upon hearing that answer, Shunsui immediately rolled his eyes.
"You bastard, now you're playing mysterious again."
Having known Gosuke Shigure for many years, Shunsui understood his personality very well.
Whenever Gosuke made such a statement, it usually meant he had noticed something unusual.
The problem was that he rarely explained himself.
That habit had always left Shunsui feeling helpless.
Since Gosuke clearly had no intention of elaborating, Shunsui abandoned the topic of Rukia Kuchiki and changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, Gosuke, ever since you retired, you've become more and more elusive. Especially these last few years. Half the time I can't even find you."
"Sometimes I want to invite you out for a drink, and you've already disappeared somewhere."
"What exactly are you doing?"
"Honestly, I have the feeling that after retiring, you somehow became busier than when you were still serving in the Gotei 13."
"No. That's just your imagination."
Naturally, Gosuke Shigure had no intention of admitting anything.
"Is it?"
Shunsui glanced at him thoughtfully.
After all, among old friends, some things did not need to be spoken aloud.
The gathering inside the 13th Division barrackseventually came to an end.
After spending some rare leisure time with Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake, Gosuke Shigure returned to his residence.
With Rukia Kuchiki having already been brought back from the World of the Living, the Ryoka Invasion would likely begin soon.
This was one of the most memorable events in recent Soul Society history.
Countless destinies would converge because of it.
Meanwhile, in the World of the Living, Kurosaki Ichigo had completed a period of training under Kisuke Urahara.
With Urahara's assistance, he had successfully regained the powers of a Shinigami.
More accurately, his powers had not truly been restored.
The spiritual power of a Shinigami already existed within Ichigo from the beginning.
What Urahara accomplished was simply guiding that dormant power to the surface.
Of course, Urahara never explained that fact to Ichigo.
After enduring the dangerous process of restoring his powers, Ichigo finally learned the name of his Zanpakutō.
Zangetsu.
Unlike the standard Asauchi used by ordinary Shinigami, Ichigo's Zanpakutō appeared in an unusual form from the very beginning.
It resembled an enormous cleaver-like blade.
Crude.
Unrefined.
Yet undeniably powerful.
At the same time, Ichigo awakened his Zanpakutō's signature technique.
Getsuga Tenshō.
At that moment, Ichigo had no idea that this attack would accompany him throughout his life, becoming one of his most frequently used and most iconic techniques.
Whenever overwhelming force was needed
A Getsuga Tenshō usually solved the problem.
From a conventional Shinigami perspective, however, Ichigo's acquisition of Zangetsu contained many irregularities.
Under normal circumstances, a newly awakened Shinigami would first possess an Asauchi and gradually develop a personal Zanpakutō spirit through years of synchronization.
Ichigo should not have skipped that entire process.
The Zanpakutō he previously wielded while borrowing Rukia's powers was merely a manifestation of the spiritual power she had transferred to him.
Once that power vanished, that weapon should have disappeared as well.
Yet after awakening his own Shinigami abilities, Ichigo immediately manifested Zangetsu.
No Asauchi.
No lengthy development period.
No conventional progression.
He simply possessed a Zanpakutō from the start.
When Urahara witnessed this phenomenon, he immediately recognized how abnormal it was.
Still, Ichigo himself was already an anomaly.
His father, Isshin Kurosaki, was a former Shinigami Captain.
His mother, Masaki Kurosaki, was a Quincy.
Furthermore, a Hollow power slept deep within his soul.
A being born from such extraordinary circumstances could hardly be judged by ordinary standards.
Because of that, Urahara chose not to explain too much.
After all, Ichigo had only recently entered the world of Shinigami.
His understanding of Soul Society and spiritual matters was practically nonexistent.
There was little point overwhelming him with information he could not yet fully comprehend.
Following the restoration of his powers, Ichigo gathered with Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida at the Urahara Shop.
Soon, they would depart for Soul Society to rescue Rukia.
Since none of them had ever visited Soul Society before, the task of guiding them fell to Urahara's trusted companion.
The mysterious black cat known as Yoruichi.
Although she appeared to be an ordinary cat, Yoruichi could speak and possessed astonishing knowledge and ability.
Ichigo and the others had initially questioned whether a talking cat could truly guide them safely into Soul Society.
In the end, however, they accepted the arrangement.
No matter what dangers awaited them in Soul Society, they intended to save Rukia.
On the surface, Yoruichi was merely accompanying Ichigo's group as a guide.
In reality, Kisuke Urahara had another objective.
For some time, he had felt that Rukia's arrest was strangely suspicious.
According to the official charge, she had unlawfully transferred Shinigami powers to a human.
Yet the speed of Soul Society's response felt abnormal.
Far too fast.
Based on his understanding of the Gotei 13 and Central 46, the incident should not have been discovered so quickly.
At the very least, much more time should have passed before action was taken.
Urahara's original plan had relied upon that delay.
The special Gigai he had given Rukia was designed to gradually transform her into an ordinary human while simultaneously concealing the existence of the Hōgyoku hidden within her soul.
Given enough time, the Hōgyoku would have become nearly impossible to detect.
Instead, Rukia was arrested and returned to Soul Society much sooner than anticipated.
As a result, Urahara's preparations were effectively rendered useless.
The more he considered it, the more suspicious the entire matter appeared.
Therefore, he needed someone to investigate from within Soul Society.
There was no better candidate than Yoruichi.
Once known as the Flash Goddess, Yoruichi Shihōin had elevated Shunpo to an extraordinary level.
Even if danger appeared, she possessed the speed necessary to escape.
And even in the worst-case scenario, her former status as head of the Shihōin Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Houses, provided an additional layer of protection.
For these reasons, Yoruichi was the ideal person to uncover the truth.
Meanwhile, within Soul Society, peace lasted only a few more days.
One day, Gosuke Shigure learned of a disturbance occurring at one of the Seireitei gates.
Several Ryoka from the World of the Living had attempted to force their way into Seireitei.
The guardian of the White Road Gate, Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, had been defeated and allowed them passage.
However, before the intruders could proceed any further, they were intercepted by the Captain of the 3rd Division.
Gin Ichimaru.
Gin personally drove the Ryoka back and severely wounded Jidanbō with a single strike.
From a purely procedural standpoint, Gin's actions appeared questionable.
According to long-standing custom, anyone capable of defeating one of Seireitei's gate guardians earned the right to enter.
Since the Ryoka had defeated Jidanbō fairly, they had technically met that requirement.
Nevertheless, Gin chose to stop them.
As Captain of the 3rd Division, however, his authority was considerable.
Many members of the Gotei 13 assumed he had his own reasons.
Rather than questioning Gin's actions, most people concluded that Jidanbō must have violated some regulation and was punished accordingly.
Gosuke Shigure heard the news while drinking at a tavern.
After listening quietly, he could not help but murmur to himself.
"So they've finally arrived in Soul Society."
WE ARE CURRENTLY ON CHAPTER 391
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