Bleach: The Invincible Slacker from Rukongai

Kyoraku Shunsui, faced with an attack on his dignity, reacted immediately, giving three firm denials in a row:

"No, I didn't! Stop talking nonsense!"

The most elegant lady sitting beside him quickly stepped in, soothing Kyoraku with gentle words while throwing a sharp glare at the geisha girls who couldn't suppress their giggles.

Uehara Shiroha grinned and, with a casual wave of his hand, gestured toward the sake.

"Alright, no more denying it. Just drink, Brother Kyoraku!"

As soon as he sat down, several beautiful women immediately surrounded him, enthusiastically pouring him wine and tea.

Kyoraku Shunsui sighed in defeat, but after a few rounds of drinks, his mood lightened.

For a brief moment, the familiar joyful atmosphere returned.

Later that night, when the festivities had died down, Uehara Shiroha—now in a sage-like state of sobriety—noticed Kyoraku sitting alone, deep in thought.

There were no women around him this time.

Curious, Uehara Shiroha approached and, with a swift flick of his fingers, cast a Kekkai (spirit barrier) around them to block out eavesdroppers.

"What's on your mind?" he asked casually.

Kyoraku exhaled slowly, his eyes hidden beneath the shadow of his bamboo hat. "You still think the culprit behind the Hollow incident isn't who we assumed?"

Uehara Shiroha narrowed his eyes. "Do you have any leads?"

Kyoraku hesitated before replying, "There's a suspect... but it's unlikely. That person is still imprisoned…"

He trailed off, then gave Uehara Shiroha a look. "Just keep this between us. Don't tell anyone else."

Uehara Shiroha nodded. He understood.

Both Kyoraku's Katen Kyōkotsu and Hirako Shinji's Sakanade were illusion-type Zanpakutō, making them extremely sensitive to the presence of Kyōka Suigetsu.

Back then, Shinji had realized something was off when Sakanade became unusually active.

That's when he first suspected Aizen.

But unlike Shinji, Kyoraku's gut feeling alone wasn't enough. He had no concrete proof, so he couldn't make a move.

And he knew—Aizen was a master of deception.

Uehara Shiroha smirked. "I get it."

He also knew that Aizen would eventually dispel Kyoraku's suspicions through sheer charisma and clever misdirection.

And when the Tokinada incident occurred, Kyoraku would end up shifting his focus toward Tsunayashiro Tokinada.

Now that was a name Uehara Shiroha barely cared about—the trash noble of the Tsunayashiro family.

However, he was somewhat intrigued by the Tsunayashiro family's heirloom artifact, Enrakyōten.

As the night deepened, Uehara Shiroha raised his sake cup and downed it in one smooth motion.

The liquid burned as it slid down his throat, but it had an indescribable aftertaste—one that lingered and grew richer with time.

A bottle of this level of premium sake was worth a fortune.

Ordinary citizens couldn't afford it. In fact, if a regular soul tried drinking it, they might literally burn up from the inside.

Only high-ranking officials in the Gotei 13 could enjoy such luxury.

Watching Uehara Shiroha drink so calmly, Kyoraku chuckled beneath his hat.

"Hey, Brother Shiroha, any more thoughts?"

Uehara Shiroha immediately caught the deeper meaning behind his words.

"No thanks," he replied lazily. "I can't stand nobles, but when the time comes, I'll help if needed. It seems like this fragile peace is nearing its end."

Kyoraku swirled the sake in his cup and sighed. "Yeah... It may seem peaceful on the surface, but underneath, the Seireitei has never been at rest."

"Don't worry," he added, raising his glass. "The old man and I will protect you. Cheers!"

Uehara Shiroha scoffed, clinking his cup against Kyoraku's.

"I'll be thankful if you don't cheat me first."

The next day, Uehara Shiroha wisely stayed inside the First Division's barracks, avoiding any unnecessary excursions.

No doubt Suì-Fēng had deployed the entire Onmitsukidō to keep an eye on me.

For now, it was best to lay low.

Besides, his daily training tasks could easily be completed in the squad's training grounds.

Half a day later, Okikiba Genshirō stood frozen in front of the First Division headquarters, veins bulging on his forehead as he stared at the abstract artwork covering the walls.

"Uehara Shiroha… you're way too free, aren't you?"

Standing beside him, Vice-Captain Sasakibe Chōjirō, who had silver hair and a distinguished mustache, simply smiled.

"This painting has high artistic value," he mused.

Okikiba shot him a look. "How high? Can it match my rising blood pressure, Sasakibe Chōjirō?"

Sasakibe stroked his mustache and admired the 'artwork' thoughtfully.

"Look at this majestic horse—white and black, tall and powerful, with two horns. What do you think it represents?"

Okikiba's eye twitched.

"It means… that's a cow."

Meanwhile, as Uehara Shiroha strolled through the First Division dormitory, he heard a commotion.

"Hey! Vice Captain Chōjirō and Third seat Genshirō are fighting! Come watch!"

Uehara Shiroha shook his head.

"With such a chaotic management system and unreliable leadership, how does the Seireitei even function?"

Just as he was about to walk away, a powerful yet aged voice echoed behind him.

"Uehara Shiroha."

His body stiffened instantly.

Turning around, he found himself face-to-face with a shining bald head and a wooden cane planted firmly against the ground.

There stood the Commander-General of the Gotei 13—Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.

The strongest pure Soul Reaper.

Faced with the big boss himself, Uehara Shiroha dared not slack off.

"Captain-Commander, sir!" He straightened up, forcing a serious expression.

Yamamoto's ancient yet commanding voice rang out.

"After thorough inspection, do you find the First Division's barracks to be secure?"

Uehara Shiroha cleared his throat. "Yes, sir! I can confirm that the barracks are completely safe, with no hidden threats whatsoever!"

Yamamoto's eyes remained closed as he tapped his cane against the floor.

"No. You are the hidden threat."

Uehara Shiroha froze.

"Leave the barracks and go somewhere else. Return at night," Yamamoto ordered.

Uehara Shiroha was dumbfounded.

"Did I just get kicked out of my own squad's headquarters?!"

"Captain-Commander, I deeply care about the First Division—please don't chase me out!"

Yamamoto didn't even flinch.

"Out. Now."

With no other choice, Uehara Shiroha let out a long sigh.

He turned on his heel and, with a swift Shunpo, vanished.

The moment he left, several figures clad in black discreetly followed him.

But after a short while, Uehara Shiroha arrived at the largest bookstore in Seireitei.

He smirked.

"They probably expected me to head to the red-light district or Eighth Division… but they never would've guessed that I'm actually an intellectual who loves reading!"

With a leisurely stride, he entered the bookstore.

To his surprise, inside, he spotted a familiar figure—Ise Nanao.

But something was different.

Unlike her usual composed self, she seemed distracted, flipping through a book absentmindedly.

Uehara Shiroha raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting… First Kyoraku looks exhausted, and now Nanao looks troubled. Truly like uncle, like niece."

He approached her and casually asked, "Little Nanao, what's on your mind?"

Nanao looked up, her expression unreadable.

After a pause, she adjusted her glasses and said, "Shiroha-kun… can you teach me Kidō?"

Uehara Shiroha blinked.

He knew about Nanao's future potential.

Right now, she was just a young officer who had graduated from the Shin'ō Academy two and a half years ago.

But in the future—she would develop Kidō barriers strong enough to trap even Jugram Haschwalth.

Therefore, Ise Nanao was able to secure the position of vice-captain of the 8th Division just by relying on Kidō, and it was definitely not just a matter of connections.

Looking at her determined gaze, Uehara Shiroha smirked.

"Your talent in Kidō is impressive," he admitted. "But what's making you so impatient all of a sudden?"

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