Bleach: Starting From Joining Squad 6

"Did we do something to upset her?"

"Surely she's not angry just because we were late?"

"If that's the case, I think Byakuya's the one who should take the blame."

Trailing behind the irritable, blonde girl, Nagasawa Masaru glanced at Yoruichi, who walked beside him, and whispered quietly while keeping his eyes on Hiyori Sarugaki leading the way.

(╬￣皿￣)

Clearly, their whispering hadn't escaped the keen ears of Byakuya Kuchiki.

Surprisingly though, the easily angered young man didn't lash out this time.

This wasn't the time or place. Now that they had arrived at the Twelfth Division barracks, he represented not just himself but also the image of the Kuchiki Clan and the Sixth Division. As someone who valued decorum and discipline, he successfully suppressed his desire to lash out.

When Masaru asked his question, Yoruichi, hands casually resting behind her head as if out for a stroll through her own estate, replied nonchalantly.

"Oh, you mean Hiyori?"

"Don't worry about it. She's just upset about Captain Hikifune being promoted to the Royal Guard. Captain Hikifune is someone she deeply respects, like a mother to her."

Masaru nodded in understanding.

Back at the Shinō Academy's graduation ceremony, he had thought it odd seeing Kirio Hikifune there. Now it all made sense. She had already received the invitation from the Royal Guard and would soon be ascending.

And once her successor, Urahara Kisuke, officially took command of the Twelfth Division, Aizen's Hollowfication experiments would escalate rapidly.

Thinking about all this gave Masaru a bit of a headache.

Although the full version of his system hadn't activated yet, his years of experience told him that the peak Shinigami experience card he received was clearly the system throwing him a bone—or rather, a helpful hand for beginners.

Trying to reach the power level of the experience card through his own efforts would take who knows how long. With his current strength, he had absolutely no intention of getting involved with a final boss like Aizen.

Of course, he could technically try to assassinate Aizen during the limited-time experience window.

But aside from the unknown cards Aizen might still be hiding, attacking him before he betrayed Soul Society would mean declaring war on the entire Seireitei. The Gotei 13 would never let him off the hook.

After mulling over everything, Masaru, who just wanted to quietly leech a paycheck—decided to stop thinking altogether.

"We're here. This is the place. Go on in."

Before long, Hiyori led the three of them to a traditional-style room.

Just as Masaru and Byakuya stepped inside, Hiyori suddenly stopped Yoruichi, who had been following behind them. Her tone was as calm as ever.

"Apologies, Captain Shihōin. I only received orders to allow these two in."

Yoruichi didn't seem upset. She had followed them to the Twelfth Division partly to fulfill Yamamoto's orders, but also out of curiosity—she wanted to observe this wild-card powerhouse, Nagasawa Masaru, up close.

Since Hiyori had blocked her path, she simply threw an arm around the girl's neck, poked her cheek playfully, and grinned.

"Little Hiyori, you're really not cute at all."

Hiyori's face instantly froze into the same deadpan expression Byakuya always wore.

Let's set aside the girly teasing for now.

Once Masaru stepped into the room, he was stunned by how absurdly spacious it was.

From the outside, it looked like a modest chamber barely a few dozen square meters wide. But the moment he stepped in, it opened up into a space as vast as a palace.

"It's the Twelfth Division's spatial expansion tech. By constructing a reishi-based subspace, they can multiply the room's internal area many times over. Quite a practical technique."

Byakuya, fulfilling his duties as vice-captain, noticed Masaru's yokel-like awe and helpfully offered an explanation, even adding his own evaluation.

Masaru suddenly understood.

In the original timeline, Urahara had managed to build a massive training ground beneath that tiny candy shop of his.

If that wasn't some sort of black-ops tech, then given enough time, he'd probably have tunneled all the way to the next city.

Still, this particular reishi space wasn't bad either. Especially when Masaru noticed the luxurious silks and fabrics strewn across the floor, he had a pretty good idea of who he was about to meet.

"You've finally arrived?"

"I swear, they know exactly how precious my time with the Gotei 13 is, and they still dump troublesome errands on me."

A woman sat elegantly atop a throne of vibrant silks, legs crossed, her regal aura palpable. She wore her hair in a side-parted fringe, adorned with elaborate gold ornaments, draped in a white cloak fastened with ornate clasps. Her face was beautiful and serene, the very picture of a refined Japanese lady, and she looked down at the two approaching men like a queen observing her subjects.

Even Masaru, who had grown desensitized to beauty thanks to years of living in the modern world couldn't help but be stunned.

But what was truly shocking, maybe even terrifying, was the six skeletal arms extending from her back.

The sheer contrast made her seem like the fusion of an angel and a demon.

Shutara Senjumaru.

Masaru hadn't expected Yamamoto to send him to meet her.

What puzzled him even more was: if Shutara was the creator of the Shihakushō, shouldn't she have already joined the Royal Guard?

Why was she here?

The Royal Guard, after all, were known as the "Zero Division" precisely because they served one of the most sacred functions in all of Soul Society—guarding the Soul King. Unless under special circumstances, they were never supposed to leave the Soul King's realm.

Still, Masaru had to admit, this level of presence was exactly what you'd expect from someone worthy of being called a Royal Guard.

Even with all his acting chops—bolstered by years of watching Marlon Brando—Masaru couldn't completely hide his shock. Yet Senjumaru, who had been watching him and Byakuya closely, caught the fleeting flash of surprise in his eyes.

"You seem quite surprised to see me."

Although the existence of the Royal Guard wasn't classified, it certainly wasn't common knowledge. And for someone like Masaru, whose origins were a complete mystery, it was better not to reveal too much. He immediately lowered his voice into a Brando-esque mumble.

"I just didn't expect that the person Lord Yamamoto wanted me to meet would be such a breathtaking lady."

Sweet talk costs nothing.

In the original story, aside from the bald guy who carried the whole fight, the other four Royal Guards—despite being described as stronger than the entire Gotei 13 combined—had somewhat underwhelming performances, making it feel like one of those "Kobe and I scored 81 points" jokes.

But Masaru wasn't going to underestimate someone who had made it into the Royal Guard.

Hearing his flattery, Senjumaru's lips curled into a faint, amused smile.

"You're quite the smooth talker, aren't you?"

Masaru raised an eyebrow.

Looks like she responds better to flattery than confrontation?

Thinking quickly, he followed up.

"I just couldn't help but express my admiration upon seeing something so beautiful."

Senjumaru's smile deepened, clearly entertained.

Even Byakuya gave Masaru a surprised look, as if seeing him for the first time…

Well, technically it was the first day they met.

Honestly, Senjumaru couldn't even remember the last time someone dared to speak to her like this.

Byakuya, for his part, secretly gave Masaru a mental thumbs-up.

Unlike Masaru, who was still "naïve," Byakuya, as heir to the Kuchiki Clan, had heard plenty about Shutara Senjumaru.

Forget her position as a future Royal Guard. She was the inventor of the Shihakushō, the creator of reiryoku sensors, and even the current Soul Society alert level system—"Shutara Level"—was named after her.

Not just because she invented the tech, but because her very existence symbolized power.

Even if he didn't fully approve of Masaru, Byakuya had to admit...

This kid's got guts. He's actually flirting with her?

"Pfft."

One of the skeletal hands behind Senjumaru daintily covered her mouth as she chuckled.

"You're quite the amusing man."

"I thought this assignment would be a waste of my time, but perhaps you'll make things a bit more entertaining."

"Well then, time is short. Take off your clothes."

/////////////////////////

Support me by adding this fic into your library!

100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter