Chapter 375: Changes in the Kurosaki Household
"Master! Gin!"
Upon seeing the two, Isshin grinned widely and quickly ran over.
Looking at his disciple who appeared even older than himself, Aizen showed a slightly disdainful gaze.
He raised his hand to stop the guy from getting any closer.
"How's your condition? Any adverse reactions to the Gigai?"
Isshin shook his head:
"Don't worry, Master. How could there be any problems with a Gigai personally made by you?"
"I'm full of energy and in high spirits right now!"
As he spoke, he raised his arms and struck a couple of muscular poses.
Ichimaru Gin shook his head in amusement.
Although Shiba Isshin had been like this for decades and it was nothing new, his condition had clearly worsened a bit since coming to the Living World.
Aizen nodded.
He raised his hand and slowly made a pulling gesture toward Shiba Isshin.
Following his movement, a ball of Reishi light flew out and landed in his hand.
Isshin didn't pay this any mind at all.
He had seen similar things too many times over the years.
This light sphere was a Reishi monitoring device that Aizen had stored within his body, specifically used to record various data from inside him.
Eight years ago, Kurosaki Masaki was injured by a Hollow, leading to a high degree of fusion between them.
To save Masaki, he accepted Aizen's suggestion and established a Reishi channel between himself and Masaki, using his own powerful captain-level Reiatsu to help suppress the Hollow within her.
To monitor the condition of the Hollow inside Kurosaki Masaki, Aizen would periodically come to the Living World to retrieve the Reishi data from him.
The only thing Isshin didn't quite understand was why Aizen had repeatedly told him:
[Regarding Kurosaki Masaki, you don't need to feel grateful toward me.]
[I saved her for my own purposes, and I won't tell you what those purposes are.]
[You just need to know that my motives aren't noble in any way.]
Hearing Aizen's words, Isshin was momentarily stunned.
Then, he smiled:
"With Master's abilities, if you didn't want me to know these things, I would never find out."
"The fact that you've told me so much shows that you really care about me!"
Upon hearing this, Aizen looked at him with some surprise.
He had thought that, when it came to his wife and child, even Shiba Isshin wouldn't be able to accept it so easily.
Unexpectedly, this disciple was even more foolish than he had imagined.
He remained silent for two seconds, about to say something, when Shiba Isshin continued:
"Speaking of which, my elder brother once told me... Sōsuke is a hidden tsundere. The more he emphasizes the bad things he's done to someone, the safer that person actually is from him..."
Aizen: "?"
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
Excellent. Another entry for the Satoru-specific grudge notebook.
As if hearing the commotion outside, the door to Kurosaki Clinic opened and a figure emerged from within.
It was a woman with long orange hair, wearing a dress.
Seeing the people outside, she smiled just like Isshin had.
"Mr. Aizen, Mr. Ichimaru, please come inside!"
Entering Kurosaki Clinic, Ichimaru Gin looked around curiously.
Although it wasn't his first time here, during previous visits, time had been tight and he hadn't had the chance to properly observe everything.
To be fair, while it might seem strange at first glance, the more you look at it, the more you appreciate the architectural style of the Living World - it's not inferior to the Japanese-style houses of the Soul Society.
Especially when combined with various modern technologies, it gave the house a warmth distinct from the Soul Society.
Aizen first checked on Shiba Isshin's condition, then asked Kurosaki Masaki to turn her back to him, remotely sensing the Hollow's state within her body.
After a short while, he nodded:
"Rest assured, everything is completely fine now."
"Currently, there are almost no traces of the Hollow left in Ms. Kurosaki's body. Only a few residual fragments remain, hovering around her soul with very low integration, unable to cause any impact on the host."
Isshin was somewhat surprised:
"Is it over just like that? That was a Vasto Lorde-level Menos Grande—gone just like this?"
Aizen hummed in agreement:
"Although it's unclear what happened for now, it's indeed no longer there."
This was a lie.
Of course, he knew where Hollow White had gone.
Hollow White had now transferred from Kurosaki Masaki's body to Ichigo Kurosaki.
According to the words of another version of himself from a long, long time ago in another world, Hollow White would remain dormant within Ichigo Kurosaki until his teenage years, gradually awakening and becoming his power.
This was also the most crucial turning point for Ichigo Kurosaki to become one of the Three Realms' top powerhouses.
Everything was proceeding according to plan.
In a way, one could even say that Aizen had contributed more to Ichigo Kurosaki's birth than Shiba Isshin had…
Well, incidentally, while Shiba Isshin was active in the Living World, for convenience in establishing his identity, he borrowed his wife's surname, registering his household as "Kurosaki Isshin."
This was also why their son carried the surname Kurosaki.
As for the surname Shiba and his position as head of the Shiba Clan's branch family, Isshin still held them. Unlike in the original storyline, where he cut off all ties to remain in the Living World and assist Masaki, losing all his status in the Seireitei, he now retained his positions.
Since both Shiba Isshin and Shiba Kaien survived, the Shiba Clan's standing in the Soul Society remained as solid as a rock.
Although the Shiba Clan had never been fond of power struggles, with two geniuses from the main and branch families overseeing matters, their influence inevitably grew significantly.
Shiba Kaien found this quite a headache and repeatedly asked his uncle Isshin to return and assist.
Shiba Isshin unhesitatingly chose to pretend he hadn't seen the requests.
However, he couldn't feign ignorance about his duties as captain of the Sixth Division.
To treat Kurosaki Masaki and stabilize the Reishi channel between them, Isshin couldn't use his Shinigami abilities, making it impossible for him to return to the Seireitei and fulfill his captain's responsibilities.
He had petitioned the First Division, hoping to resign as captain of the Sixth Division, but the old man didn't agree.
Fortunately, as his mentor, Aizen once again came to his aid.
Under Aizen's arrangements, Hitsugaya Tōshirō, who had just graduated, was transferred from the Eleventh Division to the Sixth Division.
Though he looked like a child, Tōshirō's intelligence far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Serving as the captain's assistant, he handled the daily affairs of the Sixth Division on Shiba Isshin's behalf.
When missions requiring strong enforcement arose, Tōshirō was even more straightforward—he simply called in help directly from the Eleventh Division.
As a result, even though the Sixth Division's captain was absent, its mission-handling capabilities soared.
Over the years, many members of the Sixth Division even began to feel that having the captain away wasn't much of a problem.
Regarding this, members of the Fifth Division expressed strong empathy.
After discussing some matters about the Soul Society, Aizen and Ichimaru Gin took their leave and departed.
Shiba Isshin and Kurosaki Masaki both came out to see them off.
Walking back, Ichimaru Gin sighed with emotion:
"A Seireitei captain... and the head of a branch family of one of the Five Noble Clans, marrying a Quincy. Such a thing would have been unimaginable when I was a child."
Aizen chuckled softly.
As Ichimaru Gin said, in the past, this would have undoubtedly caused an uproar.
With instigation from certain conspirators like Tsunayashiro, the Shiba Clan would have suffered significant damage.
But now... who would dare to gossip?
Not to mention the Shiba Clan's current standing, just the two words "Mikami Satoru" were enough to silence all the nobles.
Before this, no Shinigami had ever gone to the Soul King Palace and stayed for so many years without returning.
The Soul King Palace was the upper realm; even going up to report work was a great honor. Who would treat it like a vacation spot like Satoru?
Rumors about Satoru's relationship with the Zero Division had spread in countless versions.
Some of them were even spread by Aizen's own people.
Through deliberate and unintentional promotion, Satoru's current situation was almost being portrayed as the Zero Division's designated candidate.
Returning to the Soul Society, Aizen looked up at the sky.
How much longer did that guy plan to stay up there?
...
...
Ichigo was puzzled.
What exactly did his father do when he was young?
Though he was just a second-rate doctor running a small clinic, all sorts of strange people often came to visit him.
Hiding outside the door, he peered inside through the glass.
A dark-skinned man wearing an eyepatch, seemingly blind.
A burly man wearing a large helmet that completely covered his head, revealing nothing.
A cheerful, bold sister with big wavy blonde hair.
The three sat on the sofa, chatting happily with his father, occasionally using terms he couldn't understand at all.
His mother sat on the other side, listening with great interest and asking questions from time to time.
Whenever this happened, his father would panic and hurriedly stop his friends from talking.
The room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
Just as Ichigo was peeking, a voice suddenly came from behind:
"What are you doing?"
"Wah!"
Startled, Ichigo quickly turned around.
He saw a silver-haired boy, not much older than himself, frowning at him.
The boy wore a white shirt and black casual business pants. Though young in appearance, he already carried a somewhat mature demeanor.
Ichigo was surprised:
"Who are you?"
"Hitsugaya Tōshirō, Sixth Division... never mind, you wouldn't understand even if I told you."
He knew the identity of the child before him.
Kurosaki Ichigo, the child his captain had in the Living World.
Humans were truly strange creatures—to grow this big in just eight years.
Thinking this, he prepared to enter the house.
Ichigo suddenly realized something and grabbed his sleeve:
"Wait a minute... Are you also my old man's friend?"
Tōshirō shook his head:
"Not a friend. A subordinate."
"Sub... subordinate?"
Ichigo showed a stunned expression.
Being young, he simply couldn't comprehend how someone who looked barely older than himself could be his father's "subordinate."
What kind of subordinate?
Did they work at the same hospital before?
This must be a joke...
Seeing Kurosaki Ichigo's bewildered expression, Tōshirō didn't get angry like he did with Shiba Isshin, but instead patiently explained:
"Kurosaki Ichigo, there's no need for you to think about these things now."
"When you're older, you'll naturally understand everything."
As the child of a captain-level Shinigami and a powerful Quincy with strength comparable to a captain, Kurosaki Ichigo could never be ordinary.
Tōshirō was certain this kid would become someone remarkable in the future.
Walking past Ichigo, he entered the house.
The moment he stepped inside, his expression instantly changed.
His previously gentle and calm face turned icy cold.
"Captain! What's the meaning of these documents?"
Hearing Tōshirō's voice, Shiba Isshin nearly jumped off the couch in fright.
Turning around, he saw the white-haired boy pulling out a stack of papers as he approached:
"I can understand that the captain's special circumstances prevent him from handling squad affairs!"
"But... these are matters that require your personal confirmation! What do you mean by writing such a reply!"
"If you continue neglecting your duties like this, I'll report your misconduct to the Captain-Commander!"
Rangiku curiously walked over and took the documents to look at them.
Seeing the words written there, she couldn't help but laugh out loud—
["Little Tōshirō can decide everything!"]
This reply was truly typical of Shiba Isshin's style.
Hearing Tōshirō's words, Isshin chuckled and scratched his head.
Seeing his lack of concern, Tōshirō frowned.
After thinking for a few seconds, his eyes lit up:
"If you keep this up, I'll report your misconduct to Vice-Captain Aizen!"
Shiba Isshin froze, immediately becoming flustered.
Watching him frantically apologize and promise not to repeat his mistake, Tōshirō crossed his arms, a pleased look in his eyes.
Kurosaki Masaki came over carrying a tray:
"Little Tōshirō, it's been so long since you visited. Here, have some drinks~"
"Th-thank you."
Tōshirō immediately changed his attitude, respectfully bowing his head as he accepted the drink.
The shameless captain didn't deserve respect, but the captain's family members should still be treated courteously.
As a polite and reliable Shinigami—unlike his captain—Tōshirō would never be discourteous in such situations.
Watching Tōshirō's behavior, Rangiku couldn't help but grin, reaching out to ruffle his white hair.
Tōshirō immediately bristled, roaring as he began chasing after Rangiku.
Once again, the room filled with cheerful atmosphere.
After chatting, everyone invited Shiba Isshin and Kurosaki Masaki to come to Satoru Heaven's headquarters.
Here, they had a special training ground dedicated to combat practice.
Shiba Isshin had been staying in the Living World for years, and being "sealed" in a Gigai had caused his combat skills to deteriorate considerably.
To help him maintain his condition, members of the Mikami Group would occasionally come to the Living World, don Gigai themselves, and spar with Shiba Isshin.
This way, when Shiba Isshin could later remove his Gigai and restore his Shinigami powers, he would be able to directly return to work in a relatively healthy state.
Out of curiosity about Quincy abilities, Rangiku also invited Kurosaki Masaki to spar.
Back in the Quincy family, Masaki rarely had experiences like this—joyfully fighting among a group of friends.
In the spacious area, she moved with Hirenkyaku, battling Rangiku with spirit arrows. Amidst the sweat and exertion, she couldn't help but break into a smile.
It was truly wonderful that her husband had such a great group of good friends.
Although the Seireitei was a rather cold place, with such wonderful people around, she felt full of confidence about their future life.
However, unlike her happily enjoying parents, Ichigo's mood wasn't so great.
He had gone out to play for a while, and when he returned, he found both his parents had gone out to have fun.
Once again, he had to look after the house alone.
So annoying!
Just as he was feeling irritated, a figure suddenly pushed the door open:
"Hohoho! So this is the Kurosaki Clinic?"
"Doctor! Come treat me immediately!"