Kyōraku didn't dwell on Hirako Shinji and the others. Instead, he turned his attention to Tsukishima, deep in thought.
"Tsukishima-kun, your ability lets you see past events, right? Could you also share that past with me—the one you showed Tsunayoshi-kun?"
Tsuna was stunned.
There were actually people willing to let Tsukishima stab them?
If he hadn't discovered the weakness of Book of the End, Tsukishima might've already "returned" to Soul Society in a very different way.
"Ahem, Captain Kyōraku—you're thinking of using Tsukishima's ability for investigation, aren't you?" Tsuna said immediately. "I'd advise against it. His power doesn't work well on everyone."
Seeing his idea dismissed, Kyōraku sighed.
"Is that so… what a pity."
Tsuna wasn't just being cautious—he was preventing chaos. If Tsukishima ran wild in Soul Society, things could spiral out of control. Worse, if he overstepped, Xcution might get wiped out entirely.
After all, Soul Society had no shortage of monsters.
People like Byakuya, who could cut down even his own kin for duty…
Or Zaraki Kenpachi, a beast driven purely by instinct…
Or Kurotsuchi Mayuri, who stored his memories externally…
Against individuals like them, even Tsukishima's ability wasn't foolproof.
"Since we're on the topic," Tsuna continued, "Captain Ukitake—if you ever get the chance, try getting Tsukishima into the Archives. It would make investigating Ginjō's case much easier."
Ukitake's eyes lit up.
If the Tsunayashiro Family had erased all evidence, then Tsukishima's ability to access the past could expose the truth directly.
"Nice one, Tsuna!" Ginjō slapped his shoulder excitedly. He thought this was just a side trip—but it turned out to be a huge gain.
"The Archives are controlled by the Tsunayashiro Family. Getting in won't be easy," Kyōraku said. "Still… it's a lead."
"Yes. We can work toward it," Ukitake said earnestly. As the one responsible for Substitute Shinigami affairs, he felt deeply accountable for Ginjō's situation.
"Back to the main issue," Kyōraku said. "Mr. Sawada—whatever Aizen's goal is, as members of the Gotei 13, we must stop him."
"You've made up your mind?" Tsuna asked, pointing at the corpse. "Faking his death isn't exactly decisive proof."
"Proof?" Kyōraku smiled faintly. "The Gotei 13 was originally a violent organization. Whether proof is needed or not depends on us. Entering Central 46 alone—Aizen has already committed a grave crime."
The meaning was clear.
Proof didn't matter.
Power did.
Tsuna shook his head slowly.
"With all due respect, Captain Kyōraku—charging into Central 46 won't be enough. At best… you'll end up like Hitsugaya."
He didn't mention the worst outcome.
They didn't need him to.
Kyōraku and Ukitake exchanged a glance. They had expected Aizen to be strong—but not this strong.
"Is Kyōka Suigetsu really that terrifying?" Ukitake asked quietly.
"You've got it backwards," Tsuna said calmly. "What's terrifying isn't Kyōka Suigetsu—it's Aizen Sōsuke."
"Why do you say that?" Kyōraku asked.
"Simple. Even if Aizen threw away Kyōka Suigetsu, he could dominate with Kidō alone," Tsuna replied. "What makes him overwhelming is his Reiatsu. He's already reached the limit of what a Shinigami can be. With that level of power, any Zanpakutō becomes terrifying."
This had always been a debated point—
If someone like Aizen wielded something like Zangetsu, could he end everything in a single strike?
"That strong…" Kyōraku murmured, glancing at his own blade. "If I used Katen Kyōkotsu…"
"Your Bankai? That "adult play" Bankai of yours?" Tsuna cut in.
Kyōraku's eyes widened.
Tsuna had just exposed the nature of his Zanpakutō—its Shikai being children's games, its Bankai an "adult play."
Tsuna ignored his reaction.
"That Bankai of yours, the one that forces shared fate—it's powerful. But whether it works… is another matter."
"Aizen has a theory: battles between Shinigami are battles of Reiatsu. No matter how broken your ability is, if your opponent's Reiatsu far exceeds yours—you have no chance."
"Do you think Aizen would even care if Soi Fon stabbed him with Nigeki Kessatsu?"
"…That technique?" Ukitake muttered, at a loss for words.
"Exactly. That's why I'm saying—your abilities might not even affect him. Don't end up dying for nothing."
"Reiatsu…" Kyōraku muttered. Then his expression hardened.
"Could Aizen's Reiatsu surpass Captain-Commander Yamamoto's? If not… we report this to him and mobilize all of Soul Society!"
It wasn't an unreasonable plan.
If Aizen feared the entire Gotei 13, he wouldn't need to hide.
"You can go after Aizen yourselves," Tsuna said. "But if you inform Yamamoto… I'll stop you."
"What do you mean?"
Tsuna sighed.
"I have no interest in fighting a Yamamoto who's lost control. That's just asking for disaster."
"You think Aizen could control him?" Kyōraku frowned. "We'll just bring enough people—no chance for Aizen to act. Let the old man suppress him and strike at the right moment."
Tsuna had to shut that down.
"Do you even know the condition for Kyōka Suigetsu's hypnosis?"
They all shook their heads.
"You only need to witness its Shikai release."
"…That's bad." Ukitake's expression changed instantly.
Aizen, with his reputation as a kind and approachable captain, had countless opportunities to show it—
Even attending the Shin'ō Academy graduation ceremonies every year.
There was likely no one in Soul Society who hadn't seen it.
Kyōraku and Unohana's expressions darkened.
Aizen had been laying groundwork for this… for years.
"In that case," Unohana said suddenly, "the Ryoka who have not seen Kyōka Suigetsu's release… become extremely important."
Even Kyōraku and Ukitake hadn't considered that.
The invaders… had become their greatest asset.
"This is too important. I need to report this to the Head Captain," Kyōraku said.
"You might as well just bring Yamamoto straight to Aizen," Tsuna replied flatly.
"Why? The Head Captain is reasonable," Ukitake said.
"Captain Ukitake… don't tell me you understand him less than I do," Tsuna said. "With his thousand years of pride—how do you think he'll react to someone like Aizen treating Soul Society as a chessboard?"
They both fell silent.
"The answer's obvious," Tsuna continued. "He'll personally move to annihilate Aizen."
"And if Yamamoto gets hypnotized? Will you save him? Sasakibe certainly will. Then one after another, people will rush in like moths to a flame—until we're facing the entire Seireitei as enemies."
"Let me be clear—if that happens, I'm taking my people and leaving. Fighting the full Gotei 13 isn't our job."
Though they didn't understand Tsuna's metaphor, they understood his meaning.
He wasn't obligated to save Soul Society.
"If Aizen can do all this… why not just control the entire Seireitei outright?" Unohana asked.
"He can't fully control everyone," Tsuna replied. "Just controlling Yamamoto would be enough. That Zanpakutō of his—Ryūjin Jakka—is already terrifying."
Despite his words, Tsuna's eyes held a hint of excitement.
The strongest fire-type Zanpakutō… he wanted to see it for himself.
"You seem quite knowledgeable about the Head Captain," Kyōraku said.
"All thanks to Urahara Kisuke," Tsuna replied without hesitation, shamelessly passing the blame.
"So what now?" Ukitake asked. "Do we just let Aizen proceed?"
"You don't need to be that cautious," Tsuna said calmly. "Aizen's goal is to manipulate the Sōkyoku execution."
"In other words—he'll reveal himself in two days, on Rukia's execution day."
"The Sōkyoku…" Kyōraku frowned. "What does he want with that?"
"Again—Urahara's doing," Tsuna said. "He hid one of his research results inside Rukia. Aizen plans to use the Sōkyoku to break Urahara's seal."
Everything clicked into place.
Why Rukia?
Why Central 46?
All of it was to ensure her execution.
Central 46… was nothing more than a tool.
Kyōraku felt a chill.
If his guess was right—
Central 46 was already dead.
From the moment Rukia was captured, every order had likely come from Aizen.
If it were him… he wouldn't bother controlling them either.
He'd simply eliminate them and manipulate the system through a proxy.
"So," Kyōraku said slowly, "the stage you mentioned… is the Sōkyoku execution in two days. That's when Aizen makes his move, right?"
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789