BLEACH: Blade of Purification

The one shouting at the entrance was a man with long, wavy brown hair. The stubble on his chin made him look more like an "uncle" than Sōichirō or Sasakibe. To be more precise, "middle-aged" was a fitting term for Sōichirō and Sasakibe, while this man could only be described as an "uncle."

For some reason, Ling Qing's first impression was to equate him with Kizaru, but he dismissed the thought on a second look. This man's mannerisms were merely frivolous and lazy, while Kizaru gave off a sleazy impression. The two were quite different.

"Ah... coming, coming. But an illegitimate child... is it my turn now?"

Following him, a man with silver-white hair also entered the bathhouse, a wry smile on his face.

"But I don't even have any children..."

"Hey now, Kyōraku, what's that supposed to mean? I was just making a hypothetical, and you're already trying to make it official?!"

"Oh? Was it just a joke? I thought you were serious."

The man with wavy brown hair—Kyōraku Shunsui—bantered with Sōichirō, his gaze drifting toward Yamamoto. When he saw Ling Qing scrubbing Yamamoto's back, a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes. However, he quickly concealed it and sat down in the bath with a smile.

"Ah, this is nice... When it snows, one should definitely visit Old Man Yama's bathhouse more often. Hurry up, Ukitake, you should soak more too. Maybe a few more soaks will cure your illness."

Kyōraku Shunsui was very concerned about Ukitake Jūshirō; nearly every other sentence he spoke was about him. Anyone who didn't know them might really think there was some secret relationship between them.

Ukitake Jūshirō, his wry smile unchanged, also settled into the hot water and said helplessly, "If a few soaks could really cure me, I'd be truly grateful. Unfortunately, I've been soaking in this bath for hundreds of years and haven't seen any effect."

"Now, now~~"

"Hmph, you brats! Have your wings gotten so strong that you don't even greet this old man anymore?!"

Yamamoto glanced at Kyōraku and Ukitake as they entered the bath and snorted coldly. Although everyone was more relaxed in the bathhouse, Yamamoto's casualness with Sōichirō was different from his casualness with Kyōraku and Ukitake. His words to the two, while seemingly stern, were filled with concern.

"Sensei." Ukitake, who had only just entered the hot water, was already sweating. He wiped his brow and respectfully addressed Yamamoto.

"Come on, Old Man Yama, don't be so strict in a place like this. We were only a little late, is it really that serious?" Kyōraku's attitude, compared to Ukitake's, was far too casual.

As he spoke, Kyōraku's attention immediately shifted to Ling Qing. He gave Ling Qing a friendly, yet somehow sleazy—Ling Qing thought he looked a bit like Kizaru again—smile.

"By the way, this young man... I haven't seen him before. Which squad is he from?"

"The 2nd Division... well, not yet, right?"

The one who answered Kyōraku was yet another new voice. With a splash of water, another man, who had arrived at some point, appeared in the bath. He had a tall, sturdy build and wild, messy hair like a patch of weeds.

The Captain of the 11th Division—Kuruyashiki Kenpachi. Ling Qing had met him during a mission in the World of the Living, so he wasn't a stranger.

As he sat down in the bath, the first part of his sentence was directed at Kyōraku, but the second part was aimed at Sōichirō, who was approaching.

Faced with Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's question, Sōichirō just snorted coldly and didn't respond.

Kuruyashiki Kenpachi wasn't angered by Sōichirō's attitude. Instead, he scratched his head with a wry smile. It was no surprise that Sōichirō treated him this way.

Kuruyashiki had been eyeing Ling Qing for a long time. In the World of the Living, he had wanted to invite Ling Qing to join the 11th Division, but due to various circumstances, he hadn't had a good opportunity and was confident that it would be a simple matter of asking.

But what Kuruyashiki hadn't expected was that upon his return to the Seireitei, he learned that Ling Qing had become Sōichirō's adopted son! In other words, Ling Qing was not some ordinary squad member who could be transferred with a simple request! Kuruyashiki, being away from the Seireitei, had missed the crucial information and made a misjudgment!

However, it was too hard for Kuruyashiki to just give up. Feeling that he couldn't miss a second chance after missing the first, he decided to go all in and contact Ling Qing directly to invite him to the 11th Division.

The captains of each squad were empowered to appoint their subordinates from Vice-Captain down to the 9th seat, and a captain's nomination held more weight than an appointment order from the Central 46. Even if Ling Qing was Sōichirō's adopted son, as long as Ling Qing agreed, a transfer could be made immediately.

To meet Ling Qing, Kuruyashiki had made many trips to the 2nd Division barracks and had been asking about him elsewhere. A commotion of this scale could not possibly escape the notice of Sōichirō, the Commander of the Onmitsukidō.

Sōichirō already had some inexplicable issues with Kuruyashiki, and now—So you're trying to poach from me, you're dead to me!—the friendly relationship they had, built on mutual praise before the mission, vanished instantly! He now treated Kuruyashiki with cold contempt!

"So... this must be the young Ling Qing, then?" Kyōraku Shunsui stroked his chin, looking at Ling Qing with great interest.

He had already guessed as much when he saw Sōichirō here. Kuruyashiki's words just confirmed his suspicions.

After all, Sōichirō had been fending off more than just one wolf like Kuruyashiki.

Although not as desperately thirsty as Kuruyashiki, the ever-curious and gossipy Kyōraku had also been finding excuses to visit the 2nd Division lately, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the key figures who had shaken the entire nobility.

It couldn't be helped. Although there were minor incidents from time to time, the Seireitei was relatively peaceful. Any interesting event would spread among the captains like wildfire, and since they all had the status and authority, they all wanted to see for themselves.

Normally, they would just have a look for fun, but Sōichirō was guarding him like a thief, so their curiosity hadn't faded for months.

And now, they had finally met the man himself. Kyōraku's words carried this sentiment.

"Ah? Is that Ling Qing?" Ukitake Jūshirō had the same reaction.

His eyes widened as he studied Ling Qing as if examining a rare treasure. It was unclear what he saw, or perhaps he was just content that Ling Qing seemed to be living well, but he repeatedly said "good, good."

And then...

"Does that mean you haven't been assigned to a squad yet? Are you interested in joining our 13th Division? I may not look like much, but our squad has a great atmosphere." Ukitake said with some eagerness.

Hearing this, even Kyōraku couldn't help but facepalm.

As for Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, his expression was even more priceless. Well now, who's the combat squad captain here? I, a brute, at least know to be a little subtle, but you, a man of culture, are even more direct than I am.

"Uh... huh?"

The bathhouse, which had felt empty just a moment ago, suddenly became lively. And Ling Qing, without realizing it, had become the center of the conversation, the target of these captain-level figures.

Sōichirō covered his face in anguish. He knew it. He knew that bringing Ling Qing out before officially enrolling him in the 2nd Division would lead to this...

He thought coming early would help him avoid them, but he never expected them to show up in a crowd...

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