Yamamoto Genryusai's imposing presence made Tokikaze realize the vast gap between the two.
Even though he had reached the threshold of Rank 2 Reiatsu, Tokikaze still couldn't suppress the instinctive fear when he was facing the strongest Soul Reaper in the history of the Soul Society.
In this situation, let alone fighting him, even drawing his Zanpakuto would be difficult.
After the visit to the tea room, Tokikaze's desire to become stronger became stronger.
Ninth Division's archives.
A mountain of files was neatly sorted on various bookshelves.
Dozens of Division members were sweating as they were busy organizing the files.
"File number 369, shelf 7-8-12."
"File number 258, shelf 3-6-24."
...
Nanao Ise pushed up her glasses on her prominent nose and stared intently at the busy Division members.
After several days of sorting out the files, she had gained a basic understanding of the arrangement of files in the archives and, based on her reading habits, designed a new placement plan.
During this time, Nanao Ise discovered a serious problem.
Her Captain seemed to have a flaw similar to Kyoraku Shunsui, if not worse.
Kyoraku Shunsui might appear lazy and frivolous on the surface, but he had a good understanding of the internal workings of the Division, especially when it came to certain confidential information.
But Tokikaze didn't even memorize the rules of the Soul Society despite being the Captain of the Ninth Division.
He apprehended criminals by relying entirely on the information in the files.
Quoting Tokikaze's words: "Intelligence gathering was the responsibility of the Eighth Division; I'm only responsible for apprehending people. If a mistake occurred, you could just go to Captain Kyoraku."
And then Captain Kyoraku would take the blame.
Amidst the bustling crowd, Tokikaze confidently entered the archives, followed closely by Vice-Captain Matsumoto Rangiku.
In recent days, the relationship between the two had suddenly become much closer.
Whenever Tokikaze's figure was seen, Matsumoto Rangiku's shadow could undoubtedly be found within ten meters.
"Li'l Nanao, any good suggestions for the next target?"
After finishing today's daily training, Tokikaze came to the archives immediately.
Although the growth from daily training was relatively slow, the overall effect over time was quite substantial.
And every time he reached a certain number was reached, it would bring about a significant improvement.
So, Tokikaze never missed his daily training.
One hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, and a ten-kilometer run.
As a result, the squad members on patrol in the Tenth Division saw Tokikaze's figure in the Seireitei every day.
Most of the time, it was just a fleeting glimpse, unclear and indistinct.
"Captain, please don't call me with that honorific."
Nanao Ise's expression was blank, as if stating an objective fact, "In terms of age, you're not older than me, so please use a more appropriate honorific."
"Alright, Nanao-chan!"
Tokikaze nodded earnestly, choosing to adopt this suggestion, "No problem, Nanao-chan."
Nanao Ise tried to remain composed and took a few deep breaths to keep her emotion in check.
"As for the mission, there are too many areas that need immediate attention."
She decided to no longer dwell on the honorific issue and focused on the files instead.
"I never thought that a Division could accumulate so many unresolved cases."
"Now, the Soul Society is like a stinking swamp, harboring numerous intolerable malignant issues."
If someone as knowledgeable and refined as Nanao Ise went as far as saying those words, it indicated that the problems in the Soul Society had far exceeded imagination.
Tokikaze's expression, however, remained unchanged.
He was well aware of how corrupt Soul Society was, so he was mentally prepared.
Most of the current files was only the tip of the iceberg; the real darkness was only mentioned in the Great Archive.
"There's no other option but handling them one by one."
Tokikaze stood in front of the desk, casually picking up the summarized files and flipping through them.
"Captain, let's deal with this one first."
While he was choosing the case, Nanao Ise handed over a file in her hand.
The black cover had the crimson letters "Forbidden" on it, resembling bloodstains.
Upon opening the file, Tokikaze noticed a faint glow of Kidō on it.
This was a Bakudō designed to prevent others from seeing the content, and it was not a conventional Bakudō.
"Hmm, a request for help from the remnants of Ryōdōji Clan?"
Tokikaze had a vague memory of this Clan. The head of the Clan had fallen in the power struggle within the Soul Society, leading to their banishment from Soul Society. A small fraction of them who didn't participate in the power struggle still lived in the Soul Society as lower-ranked nobles. However, due to the decline of the Clan's influence, they were relocated from the Noble District to Rukongai. The exiled members of the Ryōdōji Clan that had been wandering in Dangai would eventually make their appearances a hundred years later.
Because they've been wandering in Dangai for so long, those people gained the ability to control souls without memories called Blanks, and their Clan head, Ryōdōji Ganryū, sought revenge against the Soul Society. He aimed to use this power to collide Soul Society and the Human World, ultimately destroying the Soul Society.
It was somewhat dangerous, but not that dangerous. Ryōdōji Ganryū seemed intelligent but had more than a few screws loose. Compared to Sōsuke Aizen, he was clearly insignificant.
Setting aside those thoughts, the current issue was the remnants of the Ryōdōji Clan in the Soul Society.
"Such deep-seated resentment..."
Tokikaze put down the file and seemed to be immersed in thoughts, "Four lower-ranked nobles unite just to completely erase the Ryōdōji Clan."
"They even attacked the nobles in the Rukongai in the middle of the day."
"They're even crazier than Kuragawa Clan."
Nanao Ise nodded, analyzing, "Ryōdōji Clan may hold some secrets, or there are spiritual tools and treasures passed down in their Clan, which those nobles coveted."
"Your analysis makes sense," Tokikaze sighed, "But you've overlooked a crucial point."
Nanao Ise looked puzzled, "What is it?"
Tokikaze dispersed the Kidō inscription on the file with his Reiatsu, revealing its contents.
"Lower-ranked noble Ukitake Clan."
Tokikaze's gaze was deep, and his calm voice echoed in the archives, "Although this surname is not uncommon in the Soul Society, I know one person who goes with that surname."
"That person happens to hold a significant position in the Gotei 13."
"Captain of the Thirteenth Division, Ukitake Jūshirō..."