Bleach Seireitei's Discipline Captain - Chapter 150
The Spirit Concealment Robe—one of the sacred artifacts exchanged by the Shihouin family for Shihouin Yushirou.
Once Tokikaze confirmed that there would be no more visitors, he took out the artifact sent by Shihouin Genji for careful inspection.
Being the cunning strategist he was, Genji had thoughtfully included an instruction manual.
The method for using the Spirit Concealment Robe was simple: wear it and infuse it with a sufficient amount of spiritual pressure, which would hide one’s spiritual energy. When paired with Bakudo No. 26, Kyokko, it could even render the user invisible.
However, after a bit of thought, Tokikaze quickly realized a flaw.
“This thing… isn’t it just a prototype of the high-tech cloak developed by Kisuke Urahara?”
After being exiled to the human world, Aizen had taken over some of Urahara’s research.
The black cloak was one of the outcomes of that research.
Now, it seemed clear that Urahara’s inspiration had likely come from this Shihouin family artifact—the Spirit Concealment Robe.
After trying it out a few times, Tokikaze set the robe aside.
It was functional but not incredibly so.
While it might be effective in hiding from ordinary captains, it would be difficult to deceive someone as cautious and well-equipped as Aizen, who had countless ways to survey his surroundings.
Trying to fool him with this robe would be pretty unrealistic.
Additionally, there was the Spirit-Severing Rope, which Mayuri Kurotsuchi had once copied.
The Shihouin family seemed to have an abundance of these, with the one Tokikaze received being at least ten meters long.
After testing it, Tokikaze found its durability quite impressive—it could easily handle captains-level Shinigami in combat.
In a sense, it could even replace a Zanpakut?.
However, the Spirit-Severing Rope didn’t suit Tokikaze’s combat style, and while strong, it had its limits. He considered giving it to Nanao Ise instead.
The last item was the Chosen Bandage.
It could restrict the release of a Zanpakut?, which made it quite useful for the Shihouin family, who excelled in hand-to-hand combat. It also had specific uses in certain situations.
For Tokikaze, though, it was still somewhat limited in its practicality.
In summary, these items demonstrated Shihouin Genji’s cunning nature.
You couldn’t say they were useless, but compared to the Shihouin family’s long history of treasure collection, they seemed rather unimpressive.
But then Tokikaze reminded himself that this wasn’t a one-time deal.
There would be future opportunities for more exchanges.
Shihouin Yushirou was not someone who gave up quickly.
With a few more trades, Tokikaze could likely gather a complete set of Shihouin family artifacts.
The process of extracting value wasn’t something that would end so quickly.
After casually stowing away the three artifacts, Tokikaze finished his tea and headed straight for the First Division headquarters in Central Seireitei.
…
Captain’s Office
Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni was diligently processing a mountain of paperwork, reviewing and approving documents sent by other divisions.
Despite his age, he remained vigorous.
He had been handling such work for nearly a thousand years.
“Yamamoto-sensei.”
Tokikaze’s sudden visit caused the older man’s pen to pause momentarily.
“I need to consult with you about something.”
After finishing his current task, Yamamoto raised his head and sighed, “You’re here about the disturbances in Hell, aren’t you?”
“The Jigokuzai family has already visited?”
Yamamoto nodded. “To be precise, they came to me first and explained the situation in detail.”
“In fact, even before the establishment of the Gotei 13, the Jigokuzai family sought me out to explain Hell.”
Through Yamamoto’s account, Tokikaze gained a deeper understanding of the Jigokuzai family.
The Gotei 13 was founded two thousand years ago when Yamamoto was still a vigorous middle-aged man.
Back then, he wielded Ryujin Jakka and cut his way through Rukongai, not even blinking an eye.
As the founder of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto had built an unparalleled reputation throughout the Soul Society—his name was known far and wide.
During this period, the Jigokuzai family approached him, explaining their role and inviting Yamamoto to help suppress the Gates of Hell while working alongside other noble families to hunt down criminals who had escaped from Hell.
After a series of intense battles, dozens of criminals were slain in Hueco Mundo.
A large number of spiritual particles were condensed, forming the Gates of Hell. Chains of black energy bound the criminals and imprisoned them once more in Hell.
Though Yamamoto spoke of it lightly, the bloodshed and carnage of the time were palpable in his words, sending chills down Tokikaze’s spine.
What Yamamoto recounted was not recorded in the Soul Society’s Grand Spirit Archives.
As the most secretive of the five great noble families, the Jigokuzai family possessed the ability to shield their actions from the Grand Spirit Archives’ records.
“In the end, I also participated in the suppression of the Gates of Hell.”
“After sealing the criminals back in Hell, I embedded my released Ryujin Jakka into the Jigokuzai family’s artifact and infused it with all of my spiritual energy.”
“Ryujin Jakka?” Tokikaze caught the critical term.
“That’s right,” Yamamoto nodded, his expression becoming more serious. “A Zanpakut?’s essence is derived from the soul of its wielder. It is, in essence, an evolution of the soul’s power.”
“According to the Jigokuzai family, the Gates of Hell are also forged from countless souls.”
“The two are fundamentally the same.”
Upon hearing this, Tokikaze narrowed his eyes slightly.
He had a bold theory, but he lacked the critical evidence to confirm it.
“There’s not much more I can say about this matter,” Yamamoto said, his tone deep and cryptic. “But the importance of Hell is undeniable. You should understand that better than anyone.”
Tokikaze nodded.
Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the Kuchiki family to consult with him.
Kanimida Akizuki, the current head of the Kanimida family, was now largely ignored by the other great noble houses.
Having lost much of his power to the family elders, Kanimida Akizuki had become nearly indistinguishable from an ordinary family member.
In terms of status, he was even less significant than the deceased Kanimida Tokitani.
Not long after, a Hell Butterfly fluttered into the room.
The Kuchiki family was willing to contribute to suppressing the unrest in Hell, with the 28th head of the family, Kuchiki Byakuya, leading dozens of Kuchiki family members in the effort.
With the Kuchiki family taking the lead, Tokikaze was more than willing to follow up and provide support.
The Kanimida and Shihouin families also agreed to assist the Jigokuzai family in their endeavors.
However, the Shiba family had been reduced to only a few members.
For this suspected Hell crisis, only Shiba Isshin and Shiba Kaien would be involved.
That was all the remaining strength of the Shiba family.
As for the rest, they didn’t even possess Zanpakut?.
Three days later, everyone gathered in the Rurinnan District of West Rukongai, awaiting the arrival of the Jigokuzai family.
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