Bleach: The Strongest Shinigami

"Which one should we engrave?" Akira asked eagerly, ready to dive straight into work.

His memory served him well — after all, he had engraved Kidō patterns before.

If only Aizen had helped him develop new Kidō patterns earlier, the old man wouldn't have defeated him so thoroughly.

Aizen seemed to read his thoughts and calmly explained.

"Byakurai, Shakkahō, and Sōkatsui are already pushing your Spiritual Body to its limits. Adding even one more pattern — even something as basic as Hadō #1: Shō — could cause your body to completely collapse. At that point, not even the Hell Hot Springs or Minazuki could save you."

{T/N: Minazuki is Unohana's Zanpakutō Spirit.}

Akira frowned, skeptical that his body could be so fragile.

"When a Spiritual Body collapses, it begins with the Hakusui (Soul Sleep) and Saketsu (Binding Chain). A Shinigami's power disintegrates instantly, followed by their Soul's stability." Aizen explained patiently, "My research shows that Soul stability directly affects lifespan, and this stability depends largely on Reiatsu strength."

"Does that mean old man Yamamoto has thousands of years left to live?" Akira asked suddenly.

"Perhaps." Aizen replied with a casual glance, "Though nothing's certain. He could just as easily die from high blood pressure one day. After all, it claims countless lives in the World of the Living."

Hearing this, Akira grew contemplative.

Though he often boasted about overthrowing heaven's law and challenging Genryūsai, the thought of the old man's mortality stirred something unexpected within him after all their time together.

Attachment, perhaps...

As Akira drifted in thought, Aizen began setting up Bakudō barriers around the training ground.

Experience had taught them that engraving Kidō patterns created significant disturbances. Proper preparation was essential to prevent outside interference.

⤫ Bakudō #37: Tsuriboshi ⥤ Suspending Star! ⤬

⤫ Bakudō #39: Enkōsen ⥤ Round Lock Fan! ⤬

⤫ Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō ⥤ Six Rods Prison of Light! ⤬

⤫ Bakudō #62: Hyapporankan ⥤ Hundred Steps Fence! ⤬

⤫ Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku ⥤ Locking Bondage Stripes! ⤬

⤫ Bakudō #73: Tōzanshō ⥤ Inverse Mountain Crystal! ⤬

...

Though Aizen considered his Kidō talent modest, he had devoted considerable effort to mastering it. Despite graduating from Shin'ō Academy recently, he had already mastered all Kidō below #80.

He had even mastered several above #80.

Anticipating Akira might need different Kidō patterns, he had also attempted creating his own, though with limited success.

The layered Bakudō barriers now completely isolated the training ground from the outside world.

"Today we'll engrave Hadō #54, Haien (Abolishing Flames). Its nature and attributes match your current state perfectly, and its power far exceeds Sōkatsui (Hadō #33)." Aizen explained gravely, "When engraving, you must control your Reiatsu precisely — the high temperature could instantly burn your Spiritual Body otherwise."

Akira clicked his tongue, "You're getting as fussy as old man Yamamoto."

Aizen: "..."

He's a good person, just unfortunate he has a mouth.

Ignoring his outburst, Aizen began explaining the Kidō patterns for Haien. Purple disc-shaped flames materialized in the training ground, raising the air temperature. Akira studied the Hadō carefully, comparing it to Genryūsai's pressure.

Truth be told, the old man was still more impressive — even without his Zanpakutō, his natural heat output far exceeded this Kidō.

Purple flames danced, sizzling in the air.

Drawing from his previous experience, Akira had become quite skilled at mastering Kidō patterns. After Aizen's thorough instruction and confirmation that he had mastered the Haien patterns, he finally permitted Akira to attempt the engraving.

The flames burning on Akira's body glowed a deeper purple than his usual releases. When he began engraving Haien, the burning sensation intensified until he felt like a human furnace, roasting from within.

Massive pillars of fire shot skyward, slamming against the outer Bakudō barriers and creating dense cracks that threatened to shatter at any moment. The temperature soared wildly, distorting the air throughout the training ground.

The jump from Hadō #33 to #54 was substantial — the larger gap immediately maximized his pain. Scorching Reiatsu erupted from within, his flesh emanating an intense burnt smell that permeated the area. As the Kidō patterns continued their inscription, Haien's heat grew more and more intense.

Aizen observed intently, documenting the changes while remaining vigilant for accidents. He had thoroughly tested Akira's Spiritual Body strength beforehand through blood sampling and other methods. Only after multiple confirmations that Akira could withstand the burning had he approved the engraving.

As the process neared completion, black patterns emerged from the burning Haien, coiling like snakes across Akira's body and lending him an eerie presence.

'Just like last time.' Aizen quietly documented the patterns' appearance for later analysis.

When the Reiatsu gathered and the final Kidō pattern was engraved, Akira opened his eyes, a strange deep purple briefly flashing in his orange pupils.

Seeing this transformation, Aizen wondered if some unknown change had occurred.

Until Akira's face lit up with joy and he shouted, "Hey, I did it!"

Watching this familiar eccentric behavior, Aizen sighed deeply — clearly any change had been mere illusion.

Haien completely receded, leaving a new mark on his left index finger. Fortunately, through Akira's experimentation, these marks could be concealed beneath the skin, preventing them from being too noticeable.

His Reiatsu increased once again. Mastering Shikai had raised his Reiatsu from Level 75 to Level 80, and engraving this new Hadō added another three levels.

" Reiatsu: Level 83 | Rank 5 Spirit Class "

In terms of Spirit Class, he had reached Lieutenant level. Considering Reiatsu alone, he would be exceptional even among the Gotei 13.

His Spiritual Body had strengthened as well. Feeling incredibly powerful, Akira couldn't wait to test his skills against an opponent.

So he glanced at Aizen.

After a moment's thought, he abandoned the tempting idea.

While beating up a good friend might be fun, if he broke him, there'd be no one left to help develop Kidō patterns.

Better to let it go for now — save it for later.

Catching his absent-minded look, Aizen narrowed his eyes, his intuition warning him that this guy was thinking something very offensive.

"One more thing." He suddenly spoke up, "Didn't Captain-Commander Yamamoto ask about the soul disappearance case culprit?"

Akira looked up, responding casually, "No, the old man was probably too busy beating me up."

Aizen: "..."

Why does this guy always describe such shocking things so nonchalantly?

Actually, in his planning, if Genryūsai had asked about it, he would have pinned all the blame on Takeda Chishi. After all, dead men tell no tales.

But in reality, the Captain-Commander had exceptional trust in his disciple.

⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬

Over the next few days, the two spent their time in the 11th Division dojo testing their new abilities.

Akira incorporated Haien into his previous Jōshō Denkaen Henkō (Elevated Electric Flame Transformation), causing the flames to turn deep purple.

The destructive power increased dramatically.

In this state, even his normal attacks unleashed four types of Hadō, and combined with his Spiritual Body strength, his combat power was terrifying.

Despite being only in the 5th Rank of Reiatsu, he could overwhelm ordinary Captains in actual combat.

However, this power came at a cost. At full strength, he couldn't maintain it long before depleting his Reiryoku, and it took a toll on his body.

Fortunately, Akira's consistent weight training had been improving both his Reiatsu and Spiritual Body strength.

The occasional beatings from Genryūsai and sporadic torment from Unohana had also toughened his body's resilience day by day.

One could only say his future was limitless.

The training was so exhausting that he had to sneak out at night to soak in the Hell Hot Springs to relieve his fatigue.

As a result, the stationed officers of the 11th Division often spotted a fat cat prowling around their barracks.

This peaceful routine continued until Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi recovered from his injuries and the Captains' Meeting was convened.

⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬

1st Division Barracks. Spacious meeting room.

Looking at the diminished number of Captains compared to last time, Genryūsai sighed heavily, weariness washing over him.

First, there had been Okama Shinji conspiring with Tsunayashiro — now imprisoned in the Central Great Underground Prison — then Takeda Chishi murdering his colleagues to hide his betrayal.

His fate had proved even worse than Okama's — not even a complete corpse remained in the end.

Taking Takeda's place at the Captains' Meeting was a formidable woman whose wrinkled face did nothing to diminish her commanding presence.

She carried herself with the fierce dignity of a yakuza matriarch.

3rd Division Lieutenant, Chikane Iba.

Known for her exceptional abilities, explosive temper, and tendency to use forceful methods to motivate division members during training.

She was also Tetsuzaemon Iba's mother.

Speaking of Tetsuzaemon — he was currently in the 11th Division, having been sent by Akira to spread shrine faith in the Rukongai, and had yet to return.

At this thought, the head priest of a certain shrine guiltily averted his gaze from her.

As for the 9th Division Captain's position, Lieutenant Kensei Muguruma was standing in, as the original Captain was away on a mission.

Jūshirō Ukitake was also absent, citing illness.

Once everyone had assembled, Genryūsai struck his staff against the ground, commanding attention.

"The Captains' Meeting will now begin!"

The meeting room doors slowly closed, leaving Shinigami below Lieutenant rank outside — save for a few key individuals whose presence was deemed relevant.

Among them was 3rd Division 3rd Seat Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi.

"Captain Shihōin."

"Present." Yoruichi walked out of line with head held high, her gaze sweeping across those present before settling on Akira.

Their eyes met, and they exchanged grins.

Their personalities aligned in many ways. Yoruichi was naturally cheerful and enjoyed the company of free spirits like him.

As she often said, life was better without constraints — especially when cats were involved.

The other Captains' expressions turned peculiar as they noticed the meaningful glances between the two.

Though their relationship was common knowledge among the 13 Divisions' upper echelons, such obvious displays seemed disrespectful to the Captain-Commander.

Genryūsai narrowed his eyes, silently adding this to Akira's tab for later settlement.

"Captain Shihōin, please report on the findings and results of the Onmitsukidō investigation."

Yoruichi composed herself and began her report with proper formality.

Unlike Akira's colorful storytelling, her delivery was precise and official — evidence of her growth into the role of Captain.

As her report progressed, the Captains' expressions grew increasingly grave.

She detailed 3rd Division Captain Takeda Chishi's conspiracy with Ansai Tsunayashiro: the sale of 12th Division's layout plans and the murder of his colleagues.

The back-to-back betrayals by two Captains had shaken their faith in their daily companions.

Trust, once cracked, proved difficult to restore. Who could tell what thoughts lurked behind a smiling face?

Then came the account of Akira's extreme actions.

When she described how Takeda was beaten until only half his body remained, the Captains' expressions shifted from concern to horror.

Rōjūrō's face, in particular, contorted with distress.

That scene had left him with severe psychological trauma.

Imagine waking up to see a blood-covered youth grinning while holding half a severed leg.

The fact that Rōjūrō didn't break down crying showed remarkable fortitude.

The Captains knew Takeda's capabilities well, as he frequently assisted other Divisions.

Yet none had expected a recent Shin'ō Academy graduate to defeat him so thoroughly that not even a complete corpse remained.

They couldn't help but wonder: would they meet the same fate if they faced Akira?

With this thought, their shocked gazes turned toward the 11th Division's direction.

"After joint verification by the Second and Eighth Divisions." Yoruichi declared firmly, "Takeda Chishi's betrayal and murder of colleagues is confirmed, and 11th Division Third Seat Kisaragi is innocent!"

Genryūsai surveyed the room, his authoritative voice rising, "Does anyone object?"

The Captains exchanged glances before unanimously shaking their heads. The evidence was conclusive — no further discussion was needed.

"Then we'll move on to the second item." Genryūsai paused, "Regarding the Third Division Captain position, Lieutenant Iba has privately recommended someone. After consideration, the candidate has been tentatively decided as Third Division Third Seat Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi."

All eyes turned to Rōjūrō.

Under the Captains' scrutiny, he could only manage a nervous smile.

Just then, Genryūsai spoke again.

"The captain qualification test will be in three days. The examiner will be 11th Division Third Seat Kisaragi!"

Rōjūrō: "?"

⤫⤬⤫

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