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"And show some respect to the other Captains! Don't keep calling them 'Boss'!"
"I called Ishikawa 'Boss', not Captain Kyōraku."
"I was talking about Captain Ishikawa."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya paused, then continued, "Although it's temporary, Commander Yamamoto has already issued an order that until the next Squad 9 Captain is chosen, Ishikawa will fulfill the duties of the Squad 9 Captain and lead Squad 9 to resist external enemies until this incident is over."
As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding Vice-Captains all turned their gaze towards Ishikawa.
Aside from Ōmaeda Marechiyo, Kotetsu Isane, Abarai Renji, and Hinamori Momo, who had some understanding of Ishikawa, everyone else couldn't help but show a scrutinizing look in their eyes.
Meanwhile, the young man who had been silently following at the end of the group now raised his head and looked towards Ishikawa.
This young man had short black hair with a hint of blue, and the numbers '69' were tattooed on his face. He was one of the Vice-Captains with whom Ishikawa had never had contact: Squad 9 Vice-Captain Hisagi Shuuhei.
"Ishikawa is a Captain?"
Matsumoto Rangiku was stunned for a moment, then her eyes lit up: "Shouldn't we celebrate this? Let's go drinking!"
"…" Ishikawa.
"…"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya's forehead bulged with veins: "You scoundrel, did you even understand what I just said?"
"There's nothing to celebrate."
Ishikawa smiled slightly: "Captain Hitsugaya didn't make it clear. In fact, it's just a commissioned task. The content of the commission is for me to temporarily take on the duties of Squad 9 Captain until the successor is chosen. So it's just a temporary position; there's no need to treat me as a Captain."
"Only temporary?"
Kyōraku Shunsui, who was beside him, shook his head: "If you don't refuse, it will probably become permanent."
Although Commander Yamamoto didn't explicitly say so, he clearly intended for Ishikawa to succeed as Squad 9 Captain.
However, upon realizing this, Ishikawa immediately clarified his stance, expressing his unwillingness to become a Shinigami.
This was why Commander Yamamoto settled for the next best option, throwing this mandatory commission to Ishikawa.
Regardless of whether Ishikawa accepted or not, a person capable of defeating a Captain, as long as he remained in Soul Society, could not be allowed to stay out of the matter during such a period.
Ishikawa's smile remained unchanged, and he did not refute.
Leaving the headquarters, everyone dispersed.
Ishikawa, however, stood in place, waiting. After a while, a voice came from behind him.
"Captain Ishikawa."
Hisagi Shuuhei approached Ishikawa from behind and said respectfully, "I am Squad 9 Vice-Captain Hisagi Shuuhei."
"I know you."
Ishikawa smiled slightly: "You must have heard what I said to Ms. Matsumoto earlier, so there's no need to be so polite with me; in a way, you are the client, and I am merely the contractor who took on a commission to earn a reward by working here."
"No."
Hisagi Shuuhei did not stand up, but bowed and said, "Even if it's temporary, by fulfilling the duties of a Captain, you naturally possess the status and identity of a Captain. During this period, you are our Squad 9 Captain!"
Ishikawa shook his head upon hearing this, no longer correcting him, and instead smiled: "Let's go, let's talk as we walk. Commander Yamamoto told us to guard our respective jurisdictions, and apart from Squad 11, the combat Squad, everyone else must remain within their jurisdiction."
"Understood."
Ishikawa led the way towards the Squad's direction, and Hisagi Shuuhei immediately followed.
"Oh, by the way, let me introduce myself."
Ishikawa pulled out a business card from his work pants pocket and handed it to Hisagi: "I don't know if you've heard of the Everything Store. I'm Ishikawa, who runs the Everything Store in Rukongai. I also have a shop in Seireitei's Commercial Street. If you ever need anything in the future, you can always come find me."
"Uh…"
Faced with Ishikawa's self-advancement, Hisagi Shuuhei's expression immediately became a bit strange, but out of politeness, he still took the business card and carefully tucked it into his pocket.
"Actually, I heard people mention you a long time ago."
"Hmm?"
Hisagi Shuuhei was startled, and asked in confusion: "Was it Vice-Captain Ōmaeda?"
The reason he thought of Ōmaeda was because Ōmaeda had mentioned Ishikawa to him when he went to the Omaeda Residence for dinner.
"No, it was Aoga from Squad 4."
"You know Aoga?"
Hisagi Shuuhei was stunned for a moment, then said with a sudden realization: "Ah, I forgot, you've always worked at the Comprehensive Relief Station."
"Aoga often mentioned you when we chatted."
Ishikawa recounted everything Aoga had told him: "So, even though I hadn't met you, I actually wanted to get to know you a long time ago."
The two walked and chatted.
Hisagi Shuuhei explained the details of Squad 9 to Ishikawa.
Squad 9's jurisdiction was located on high ground, and to reach Squad 9, one had to pass through a long staircase.
Behind Squad 9's jurisdiction was the Repentance Palace, but the Repentance Palace was separated from Squad 9's jurisdiction by Sōkyoku Hill, so that area was beyond Ishikawa's range of activity.
As for Squad 9's duties, in some respects, they were similar to those of the Supervisory Team.
The Prison Squad!
Their main duty was to guard important criminals in the Repentance Palace, but unlike the Supervisory Team, which managed all prisons in Seireitei, Squad 9 was not responsible for management or arrests; they simply guarded, preventing anyone from attempting to break into the Repentance Palace to free prisoners.
However, since people were rarely imprisoned in the Repentance Palace, Squad 9 was the only Squad that held two responsibilities.
In addition to guarding the Repentance Palace, Squad 9 was also responsible for the public relations work of the Gotei 13, including editing and publishing the "Seireitei Communication—" investigating and recording major events throughout Soul Society, compiling the roster of Gotei 13 Squad Members, and so on.
Normally, external publicity was Squad 9's secondary duty, with guarding the Repentance Palace being their primary duty.
But in reality…
Due to the almost complete lack of prisoners, Squad 9 internally treated external publicity as their primary duty. The Squad had various editors, such as layout editors and copy editors.
They also had specialized record-keeper positions. Whether it was a major or minor event in Soul Society, a Squad 9 record-keeper would be present to record it.
From Captain succession, Vice-Captain promotions, and changes in noble family heads, down to street rumors, hooligan brawls, and gossip news, record-keepers would be present to record or secretly investigate.
Hisagi Shuuhei, as Vice-Captain, also served as the editor-in-chief of the "Seireitei Communication."
Prison, and prison again.
Ishikawa's expression was a bit strange. He didn't know why, but he always felt like he had a special connection with the word 'prison.'
However…
Ishikawa had long coveted the "Seireitei Communication—" a highly popular publication that could expand his visibility.
He had long wanted to add a column to the "Seireitei Communication—" teaching some techniques for using Zankensoki, or answering questions about cultivation.
However, because the readership of the "Seireitei Communication" was not limited to Seireitei but was also extremely popular in Rukongai, many Kido could not be disseminated, so Ishikawa's long-standing submissions had never been approved.
As for learning from Ukitake and publishing a serialized light novel, Ishikawa had considered trying, but when he started writing…
He didn't know what to write.
But now, it seemed he could make use of this.
Even though it was temporary, adding a page or two to the published "Seireitei Communication" shouldn't be a problem, right?
For example, Aizen once proposed a photobook idea to the Shinigami Women's Association. He could create a section called "Smile of the Sun—" then put on a bathrobe, show a shoulder, a thigh, and take photos to publish… By then, he might actually gain some favorability.
After all, even an old man like Aizen thought that publishing his own photobook could gain the favor of many Squad Members; he was younger and more handsome than Aizen, and his smile was warmer, so he would definitely gain more favorability than him.
…
At the same time.
Shiba Residence, indoor training hall.
In the spacious training hall, Ichigo and the others each held a spherical object, diligently trying to infuse their spiritual power into it.
At the edge of the training hall, Kūkaku and Yoruichi, transformed into a black cat, sat side by side.
"Why would that kid named Ishikawa suddenly force his way into Central 46?" Yoruichi asked with a puzzled tone: "I've seen him a few times at Urahara's place, and he doesn't seem like the impulsive type. On the contrary, he gives off a cautious impression."
"Cautious?"
Kūkaku took a puff from her pipe and chuckled: "If you're not familiar with him, you might indeed think so. When I first met him, I also thought he was too calculating and annoying to look at."
"But the longer you know him, the more you'll find that while he is cautious, many times, even when there are better solutions, he prefers to choose the riskiest and most direct approach, acting more impulsively and wildly than anyone else."
"He rarely causes trouble, but when he does…"
Kūkaku exhaled a puff of smoke, somewhat exasperated: "It's never a small matter, and he never tells anyone before he causes trouble. I'm truly afraid that one day he'll die outside, and I won't even know."
"As for his forced entry into Central 46, I don't know the exact details, but there must be a reason for him to do so."
As Kūkaku spoke, a strange glint flashed in her eyes: "Regarding you and Kisuke, to prevent him from being targeted in Seireitei due to unusual behavior after finding out, I've never told him. But now it seems he might have sensed something, after all, that brat is much smarter than Ganju."
Yoruichi looked at Kūkaku with some surprise, and laughed, "Heh, it seems you really treat that kid as your little brother."
"Forget it, having one troublesome younger brother is already enough to keep me busy."
Despite her words, Kūkaku had a smile on her face. She then shook her head, looking at the people in the training hall who were holding Reishi cores and condensing Reishi walls of various shapes. She said somewhat speechlessly, "Are you sure these people can survive in the Seireitei?"
"They clearly possess extremely strong Reiatsu, but their technique for using it is terribly bad."
"No choice."
Yoruichi couldn't help but sigh when she heard this: "They have all just awakened their powers and haven't fully mastered their own abilities."
"Poor talent is just poor talent; newly awakened power is no excuse."
Kūkaku said with disdain, "When I first met Ishikawa, his Reiatsu was not only incomparable to these few, but even inferior to the students of the Shin'ō Academy. However, his control over Reiatsu at that time was already more proficient than many high-ranking Seated Officers."
"Tsk tsk, showing off your own younger brother?"
Yoruichi teased, "Don't forget, I also have a younger brother. Although I haven't seen him for a while, I don't know if he has grown up."
"By the way, has that kid been released now?"
Yoruichi glanced at Ishida Uryū: "His grandfather contacted him earlier, that kid must have asked him to, right?"
"Mm."
Kūkaku nodded, and then, as if she thought of something, she said with some displeasure, "That brat got an elder sister who is a sage. Under the protection of his 'sister,' he was acquitted." She clearly emphasized the word 'sister' when she said it.
Yoruichi looked at her, somewhat speechless, and asked, "Is he still in Rukongai now?"
"He's not there anymore. Ishida Soken said he went to the Seireitei early this morning." Kūkaku shook her head: "And even if he were here, he wouldn't be suitable to help you enter the Seireitei, because he is too deeply involved with the Seireitei. He's surrounded by informants and has been under constant surveillance by the Seireitei."
"However, once you enter the Seireitei, you can ask him for help, provided you can find him. That brat, I don't know what he found out, but he's been acting in secret, saying he'll give me a detailed report afterwards."
Yoruichi nodded when she heard this. Just as she was about to speak, an extremely annoyed shout came from the training hall.
Bang~
"This is so annoying!"
Ichigo threw the Reishi core in his hand at Ganju with a dark face, but Ganju dodged it with a quick movement.
"This is my home, why do you care where I lie down?"
Ganju picked his nostril with his pinky finger, then flicked the snot at Ichigo: "You half-baked guy, you'd better give up early. The Seireitei is not as simple as you imagine. Someone like you will be killed as soon as you enter the Seireitei."
"None of your business."
Ichigo snorted coldly, "It's as if you've been to the Seireitei."
"Of course I have!"
Ganju's face immediately showed a proud expression: "Who do you think I am? I am Shiba Ganju, who calls himself the 'West Rukongai Everything Store Commission Cleanup Expert'! Entering and exiting the small Seireitei freely is naturally no problem!"
"Everything Store?"
Before Ichigo could say anything, Ishida Uryū, who was nearby, walked over and asked, "Do you also work at the Everything Store? Then have you seen my master?"
"Who's your master?"
Ganju asked with a confused look.
When he introduced himself earlier, Ishida Uryū was placed in the guest room by Kin'en because he was on the phone with his grandfather. He only came to the training hall two hours later, so Ganju was not aware of Ishida Uryū's identity.
"Ishida Soken, he's a very kind old man, dressed similarly to me..."
"Oh, him."
Ganju's eyes lit up, and a look of triumph appeared on his face: "So you're family! Let me introduce myself, I am your master's savior, and also your master's boss."
"..." Ishida Uryū.
"Isn't the boss of the Everything Store that guy named Ishikawa?" Ichigo said with a scornful look, "Do you really think we just arrived in Soul Society and don't know anything?"
Ishida Uryū said angrily, "Don't be so rude, you should call him Mr. Ishikawa."
"..." Ichigo.
Who was it that was calling him a scoundrel not long ago?
"Ishikawa is indeed the boss of the Everything Store, but Ishikawa has to call me boss when he sees me, so I am the true boss of the Everything Store."
Ichigo looked at Ganju with suspicion.
"You should know that if it weren't for me back then, your master would have been taken away by those madmen from the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. It was I who fought off the Shinigami and saved him, and only then did Ishikawa arrive at the scene."
Ganju snorted: "As for what happened afterwards, since you know that old man Ishida works at the Everything Store, you should also know the story, after all, this matter is still being brought up by people even today."
"...Thank you."
Although he didn't agree with Ganju's claim of being the boss, Ishida Uryū still thanked him with gratitude.
"Tsk, I really want to see that guy named Ishikawa now."
Ichigo's face showed curiosity: "Does he look very kind, with a very long white beard, wearing a white robe, appearing like a great sage?"
Ganju said with a strange expression, "Why do you think Ishikawa is very old? Ishikawa doesn't look much older than you, and his actual age is the same. And he never wears white clothes; instead, he wears dirt-resistant black work clothes and black boots all year round."
"He has absolutely nothing to do with a great sage!"
Black work clothes and black boots?
Ichigo was stunned, then he suddenly rushed forward: "Can you describe it in detail?"
"???"
Ganju was startled by the excited Ichigo, but he still described Ishikawa's black work clothes in detail.
Ichigo's eyes grew brighter as he listened: "Then, does he have short black hair, and a very, very long Zanpakuto... Hmm... The Zanpakuto is wrapped in a long black cloth bag, and there are some strange patterns on the cloth bag."
"You've seen him?"
This time, it was Ganju's turn to look confused.
It's really him?
Ichigo immediately froze in place when he heard this.
Although after learning of the existence of Shinigami, he had thought that person might be a Shinigami, and also thought that he might meet him after coming to Soul Society.
But Ichigo never expected that that big brother would actually be the most famous benevolent person in Rukongai!
"What? Does Kurosaki also know Mr. Ishikawa?" Orihime and Chad both came over.
"Hmm..."
Ichigo hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "That person, he seems to be the one who saved my mother and me when I was 9 years old."
"Others say he's the perverted big brother who doesn't wear clothes?"
Orihime blurted out.
"..." Ichigo.
"???" Ishida Uryū.
"???" Chad.
Even Ganju looked at Orihime with a confused expression, his mouth twitching slightly. If Ishikawa heard this, these people would probably be killed by him personally, right?
"Uh... sorry..."
Orihime scratched her head, saying awkwardly, "Actually, Tatsuki told me. She said that every time your mother fainted, you would run to the riverbank... Uh, sorry, can I say this?"
Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but turn to look at Ichigo again.
Ichigo nodded with a complex expression: "There's nothing that can't be said."
Seeing everyone look at her again, Orihime repeated what Tatsuki had told her.
"Tatsuki said that one time she met Kurosaki by the riverbank, who seemed to be looking for something. She asked him what he was looking for, and Kurosaki replied... that he was looking for the perverted big brother whom everyone said didn't wear clothes. As long as he found him, his mother would definitely recover."
"So... hmm, that big brother, is he Mr. Ishikawa?"
Ishida Uryū said with a strange expression. He really couldn't understand why it was the big brother who didn't wear clothes, and what was 'everyone said'?
"It should be him."
Ichigo nodded: "Although I can no longer remember his appearance, as long as I can see him in person, I will definitely recognize him."
"Instead of chatting, you should hurry and learn how to use the Reishi core."
Yoruichi slowly walked in front of everyone with a cat-like stride, looking up at Ichigo and saying, "Furthermore, your big brother is currently in the Seireitei. You'll naturally see him once you enter the Seireitei."
Upon hearing this, Ishida Uryū and Ichigo's expressions changed, as if they had thought of something.
Yoruichi immediately saw through their thoughts and explained, "Don't worry, he was released yesterday. It's just that the news hasn't spread throughout Rukongai yet."
"Really?"
"Mm."
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