'I was far too complacent before, i was so caught up in the peace that I almost failed to save Kuruyashiki.' Kazuma sat quietly in his office, seriously trying to untangle the knotted timeline of the upcoming plot.
He realized he had to be much more vigilant, he couldn't afford to let vital assets die due to his own negligence.
Seeing Lisa Yadōmaru at the 8th Division earlier had been a massive wake-up call.
Her presence meant that the core members of the future Visored—Shinji Hirako, Hiyori Sarugaki, Hachigen Ushōda, Kensei Muguruma, and Rōjūrō "Rose" Ōtoribashi—were already established in their respective divisions.
These characters were absolute key players, and their active presence meant the plot was steadily accelerating toward the catastrophic Hollowfication incident.
The Visored were important, but in terms of raw combat power, Kazuma honestly didn't rate them very highly.
Aside from Shinji, who had a broken Shikai and genuine intelligence, the rest of them seemed relatively underwhelming.
Kensei, in particular, was practically a joke in the fandom, people used to measure an enemy's combat strength by asking, 'How many Kenseis of power do they have?'
Kensei was basically the Yamcha of Bleach—a tragic benchmark used solely to show how strong the villain was.
Aside from the Visored, Kazuma guessed that the black-bellied schemer Kisuke Urahara was probably already making a name for himself in the Onmitsukidō.
The Second Division was now led by Yoruichi Shihōin.
Her grandfather, Chika Shihōin, used to joke around with Kazuma centuries ago.
'Time really flies,' he thought with a heavy sigh.
Kirio Hikifune of the Twelfth Division was also destined to be promoted to the Royal Guard soon, which would be the catalyst for Urahara taking over her squad.
As the timeline progressed, more brutal conflicts would unfold.
'Aizen—the hair-gel mastermind himself—must be lurking around somewhere by now. I just don't know what division he's hiding in. His little subordinate, Kaname Tōsen, should be active too and that giant dog with the helmet, Sajin Komamura...'
Kazuma slumped back in his chair, falling into deep thought.
He realized that even though he knew the general outline of the plot, it didn't mean he had absolute control over reality.
He needed to track down these characters, verify their statuses, and prepare countermeasures.
However, making long-term, multi-layered schemes was not Kazuma's strong suit.
He knew full well he wasn't the type to weave complex webs of deception.
Compared to a terrifying genius like Sōsuke Aizen, Kazuma was utterly lacking in the strategy department.
Aizen's plans took centuries to unfold and accounted for every possible variable.
Thinking about going up against that level of intellect left Kazuma feeling a bit helpless and confused.
"Seriously, I'm not some brilliant strategist. Overcomplicated planning is for sociopaths like Aizen," Kazuma muttered, vigorously scratching his head.
He knew he had to figure out a solid plan to handle the upcoming Hollowfication incident, but staring at a wall wasn't getting him anywhere.
He tried to recall if he had missed any crucial details, but after racking his brain for an hour, he came up empty.
"I'm done thinking for today. I'm going to the 8th Division to grab a drink with Shunsui. I owe him one anyway."
Deciding not to dwell on it any longer, Kazuma stood up and headed out.
...
Arriving at the 8th Division, Kazuma pushed open the door and was genuinely shocked to see Shunsui actually sitting at his desk, diligently stamping paperwork.
"Yo, Shunsui! The sun must be setting in the east today! You're actually doing squad duties? Where's your Vice-Captain?" Kazuma asked with a teasing grin.
Seeing Kazuma in front of him, Shunsui dropped his brush and leaned back with a weary smile.
"Haha, so it's you, come in, have a seat. Lisa and the other female officers started something called the 'Shinigami Women's Association' and went to a mandatory meeting, so I'm stuck handling all this paperwork myself! You think everyone has it as easy as you, with Batsu'unsai and Jin'emon handling your entire division's affairs?"
Kazuma chuckled, sitting down and pulling a fresh flask of premium sake from his robes.
"Stop complaining. I came here specifically to drink with you today," he said, shaking the flask temptingly.
Shunsui looked slightly puzzled as he accepted a poured cup. "Oh? A daytime drink? Is something heavily on your mind? Don't tell me you had a fight with Captain Batsu'unsai?"
Kazuma shook his head, taking a long sip. "How could that be? We're on great terms. It's not that I'm angry, it's just that I've encountered some things recently and feel a bit... overwhelmed by the future. You know, sometimes living too long isn't a good thing.... you see the same tragedies repeating over and over again in front of you. I wanted to ask if you had any good life advice on dealing with the inevitable."
Shunsui took a sip of his sake, swirling the cup slowly. "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten you're from Old Man Yama's generation. As for dealing with the inevitable... I'm not too sure myself. But I think you don't need to burden yourself with the weight of the entire world. Just let nature take its course, being overly anxious about tomorrow only ruins the peace of today."
Kazuma nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, you're right. I'll just go with the flow. If I keep stressing over things I can't control, I might end up depressed. Haha..."
Shunsui refilled his cup, changing the subject. "Kazuma, where did Kuruyashiki go? I checked the 11th Division, but he hasn't returned there, Is he recuperating with you in the Seventh?"
Kazuma scratched his cheek.
"Oh, him? He packed his bags and went to Hueco Mundo."
"What is he doing in Hueco Mundo?" Shunsui frowned deeply, looking genuinely concerned.
"Is it because he can't accept losing the title of Kenpachi to Azashiro? Kuruyashiki isn't the type of man to run away out of shame."
"No, nothing like that," Kazuma reassured him. "He said he went to the Hollow realm to find Ashido... by the way, who exactly is Ashido?" Kazuma hadn't really paid attention to that particular subplot in the anime.
The name sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't recall the specific details.
Shunsui's expression suddenly turned deeply nostalgic and a bit sorrowful.
He spoke slowly, staring into his cup. "Ashido Kanō... he is a man who fought fiercely for the core beliefs of the Shinigami. He was usually quiet and didn't have many friends—mostly just me and Kuruyashiki."
"A long time ago, he led a squad of Shinigami deep into the Menos Forest in Hueco Mundo to subjugate a massive Hollow threat, but we lost all contact with them. We don't know if he died in battle or if he's just lost somewhere in the endless sands. Kuruyashiki's trip to Hueco Mundo is probably to confirm whether his oldest friend is truly dead."
Kazuma nodded, a trace of curiosity about this Ashido growing in his heart.
To be deeply respected by both Shunsui and Kuruyashiki, the man must have been someone special.
'I should make a trip back to Hueco Mundo sometime soon to check on them,' Kazuma thought.
'Kuruyashiki was fighting off Szayelaporro recently, which means Aizen might have already started his Hollowfication experiments in the shadows. It's a good chance to meet Baraggan and size him up before Aizen subjugates him.'
Kazuma figured Ashido was probably still alive down in the Menos Forest.
He vaguely remembered the character popping up in a later filler arc, which meant the man was incredibly tenacious.
The two Captains chatted and drank, and time slipped away without them noticing.
Night fell over the Seireitei, the stars twinkling through the office window.
Kazuma finally bid farewell to Shunsui, feeling significantly more relaxed.
Perhaps all he had needed was a chance to unwind and vent a little.
After bouncing ideas off Shunsui, Kazuma finally had a loose plan.
Since he couldn't outsmart Aizen in a battle of pure wits, he would rely on absolute strength and preparation.
He would start by securing his allies.
He'd drag Batsu'unsai along for a 'vacation' to Hueco Mundo soon.
On this trip, he planned to not only size up Baraggan, but also track down Kuruyashiki and Ashido to make sure they survived the Menos Forest.
Of course, he wouldn't forget to visit Neliel.
He hoped to introduce the honorable Arrancar to Batsu'unsai, he felt they would actually get along quite well.
....
When Kazuma finally returned to the Seventh Division barracks, he couldn't wait to give his wife a warm hug.
However, what greeted him the moment he opened the door was a fierce glare!
"Oh, so you finally decided to come back," Batsu'unsai said, her hands on her hips. "I thought you had drunk yourself to death at the 8th Division."
As she spoke, she reached out and aggressively pinched his ear.
Kazuma winced, feeling a bit helpless, though he honestly felt a surge of warmth at her concern.
Although having his ear twisted hurt, he knew it was just one of Batsu'unsai's unique ways of expressing her love.
"Ow, ow! How could I do that?" Kazuma laughed, gently covering her hand with his own to get her to let go.
"I could never bear to leave you behind."
After a bit more playful bickering, the couple retired for the night.
Another peaceful day in the Soul Society had passed...