Shiba Isshin, Captain of the Tenth Division, was a man whose temperament closely resembled that of Kyōraku Shunsui. He was easygoing, informal, often appearing careless, and more than a little lazy in his day-to-day conduct. Yet when it truly mattered, he was unwaveringly reliable a captain who could be trusted without question on the battlefield.
So when Matsumoto Rangiku brought back a talent like Hitsugaya Tōshirō into the Tenth Division, Isshin welcomed the decision wholeheartedly.
Although Hitsugaya had not graduated from the Shin'ō Academy in an accelerated manner like prodigies such as Ichimaru Gin or Shiba Kaien, his age alone made his talent unmistakable. For someone so young to already possess such refined control over his Zanpakutō and one like Hyōrinmaru at that was extraordinary.
After Hitsugaya joined the Tenth Division, Isshin received a direct notice from Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai.
He was to personally guide and train Hitsugaya Tōshirō.
Isshin understood the implication immediately.
As someone personally invited back into active service by Yamamoto in the past, Isshin had long since grasped how the Captain-Commander evaluated talent. For Yamamoto to issue such an instruction, it meant that Hitsugaya was no ordinary prodigy he was a future pillar of the Gotei 13.
Naturally, Isshin took the task seriously.
Moreover, he genuinely enjoyed nurturing promising subordinates. A genius like Hitsugaya was exactly the kind of Shinigami worth investing time and effort into.
And Hitsugaya did not disappoint.
In a remarkably short span of time, his strength advanced at an astonishing rate.
His control over his reiatsu became increasingly refined, and his synchronization with Hyōrinmaru deepened steadily. The cold emitted from his blade grew sharper, more precise no longer merely overwhelming, but controlled with intent.
Within just a few years, Hitsugaya rose through the ranks and attained a seated officer position within the Tenth Division.
Considering his age, this was nothing short of astonishing.
By Shinigami standards, he was still a child.
Under normal circumstances, individuals of such a young age would not even enter the Shin'ō Academy so early. This was because a Shinigami's reiryoku typically required time to mature. Prematurely entering formal training could, in some cases, hinder long-term development.
Thus, many noble families chose to delay enrollment, allowing spiritual power to stabilize before undergoing systematic instruction at the Academy.
But Hitsugaya Tōshirō was different.
From a very young age, his spiritual power had already reached abnormal levels.
Even before receiving an Asauchi, he had sensed Hyōrinmaru's presence. That connection caused his reiatsu to leak unconsciously, affecting the environment and even those around him.
The persistent drop in temperature, the formation of frost these were not learned techniques, but natural manifestations of his uncontrolled power.
For him, entering the Shin'ō Academy early was not a choice it was a necessity.
Only by becoming a Shinigami and learning to control his reiatsu could he prevent that power from harming others.
At the same time, this early awakening further demonstrated his extraordinary potential.
His reiryoku was still in a phase of rapid natural growth. After awakening Hyōrinmaru, that growth accelerated even further. Even after joining the Tenth Division, he remained in a constant state of improvement.
Isshin, observing this firsthand, could not help but feel a growing curiosity.
Just where… was Hitsugaya Tōshirō's limit?
Because even at his current stage, his reiatsu had already begun approaching the threshold expected of a captain-class Shinigami.
If this growth continued, then in time
He would inevitably reach the level required to begin training for Bankai.
A terrifyingly gifted prodigy.
While Hitsugaya trained under Isshin within the Tenth Division, the rest of Soul Society gradually returned to its usual rhythm.
And as events slowly aligned with the broader flow of fate
Gosuke Shigure's life, in contrast, became increasingly მშვიდ and uneventful.
From time to time, he would travel to the Human World, maintaining contact with figures such as Urahara Kisuke and Shihōin Yoruichi.
In this era, Urahara Kisuke had already begun to display his unparalleled genius.
After receiving several lines of inquiry from Shigure, Urahara quickly produced tangible results.
Particularly in his research on Hollows.
Rather than attempting reckless artificial creation as Aizen Sōsuke would in the future, Urahara focused on analysis dissecting the structure of Hollow reiryoku and its underlying properties.
Through this, he gained deeper insight into the nature of Hollow power.
As for Shigure's claim that Hollow power could act as a counterbalance to Quincy abilities Urahara did not immediately accept it as fact.
However, as a scientist, he understood the value of preparation.
If such a threat truly existed, then it was better to begin research before it manifested.
Among all the materials Shigure had provided, one stood out the most
The remains of a special Hollow.
According to Shigure, this Hollow possessed the ability to evolve through consumption, as well as a dangerous trait that could interfere with or even erode the connection between a Shinigami and their Zanpakutō.
Such an ability was deeply unsettling.
If properly understood, it could theoretically disrupt the very foundation of a Shinigami's power.
Urahara devoted significant effort to analyzing this phenomenon.
From that research, he began developing specialized tools experimental devices that, under the right conditions, might interfere with or temporarily suppress a Zanpakutō's abilities.
Though still incomplete, the implications were enormous.
In short
Over these years, Urahara Kisuke gained a great deal.
As for Gosuke Shigure, aside from these occasional collaborations, his life in Soul Society became quiet almost to the point of obscurity.
He would occasionally visit his shop to review its operations, spend time in conversation with Shutara Senjumaru during her rare visits, and at times offer guidance to Sui-Feng in her training.
Watching the subtle tension between Sui-Feng and Yoruichi though not yet fully realized was, in its own way, an amusing prospect for the future.
Beyond that, Shigure's presence within Seireitei grew faint.
With the passage of time, new generations of Shinigami entered the Gotei 13, gradually replacing the old.
Few among them remembered the name
Gosuke Shigure.
The former Kenpachi.
To younger Shinigami, such as those of Kuchiki Rukia's generation, that name was little more than an unfamiliar echo of the past.
They were far more familiar with the current bearer of the title
Zaraki Kenpachi.
From renown to obscurity, Shigure's existence had quietly faded from the forefront of Soul Society.
And yet
This was precisely the life he desired.
A quiet existence.
Peaceful. Unburdened.
If circumstances had allowed, he would never have taken up the title of Kenpachi in the first place.
Though it had seemed like his own choice at the time, the truth was more complicated.
After regaining the memories of his previous life and continuing on as Gosuke Shigure, he had already become deeply tied to the Eleventh Division as its lieutenant.
At that time, the division had suffered devastating blows.
Two successive Kenpachi had been lost one fallen in battle, the other imprisoned for grave crimes.
The morale of the Eleventh Division had collapsed entirely.
And for a division defined by combat, the loss of morale was equivalent to losing the will to fight.
Without that will, their strength faltered.
Their casualties increased.
They became shadows of what they once were.
Under such circumstances, Shigure had no real choice.
For the sake of the Eleventh Division
For the sake of its Shinigami
He took upon himself the name of Kenpachi, and with it, the burden of restoring the division.
Now, however
That burden was no longer his to carry.
The Eleventh Division had long since found its new pillar.
And Gosuke Shigure…
Had finally stepped away.
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