One of first Captain that graduated from Shin'o Academy, and one of Yamamoto Genryusai's most valuable disciples.
Despite being frail and often sick, Ukitake Jūshirō possessed tremendous strength and was extremely popular among the Gotei 13. If it weren't for his health issues, preventing him from appearing regularly in public, Ukitake might have surpassed even Aizen and became the most popular Captain.
He had a rough life and almost died to a lung disease when he was young. Being able to become a Captain was a testament to his resilience.
Tokikaze couldn't say much regarding Ukitake Jūshirō. However, Aizen said that he was easily approachable, and he was right in that aspect.
Since becoming the Captain of the Thirteenth Division, his Clan frequently exploited his position as a Captain for personal gain, gaining considerable influence among lower-class nobles.
Ukitake Clan was behind the downfall of Ryōdōji Clan, possibly even being one of the masterminds.
However, the petty struggles among nobles had continued for thousands of years, if not longer, making it impossible for anyone to claim they were innocent.
They were all equally guilty.
"Ukitake Clan..." Matsumoto Rangiku pondered, "Captain, are you worried about interference from Captain Ukitake?"
Nanao Ise adjusted her glasses and said earnestly, "Captain Ukitake is one of the few veteran Captains, so it is not a surprise to take him into consideration."
"Moreover, he is a disciple of the Captain-Commander!"
Nanao Ise, having previously worked in the Eighth Division, had an advantage in intelligence.
"Eh, that sickly Captain is actually the Captain Commander's student!?"
Matsumoto Rangiku was particularly shocked and slammed the table.
"This is common knowledge." Tokikaze signaled her to calm down, "In addition to Captain Ukitake, Captain Kyōraku of the Eighth Division is also Captain-Commander's student."
"Don't forget, Shin'o Academy was founded by the Captain-Commander, so it's not surprising if he has some students."
At this point, Tokikaze paused for a moment before continuing his explanation:
"In fact, I'm not worried about Captain Ukitake."
"He is too friednly and is unlikely to interfere in this matter. My main concern is the peculiar nature of the Ukitake Clan itself."
There was a reason why Ukitake Jūshirō survived his lung disease. When doctors had given up on him, Ukitake's parents brought him to the shrine of the fallen god Mimihagi. Through a sacrificial ritual, they offered Ukitake's lungs to Mimihagi, thus saving his life.
Here came the tricky part.
How would an ordinary Clan in the Rukongai know about such rituals? As far as Tokikaze knew, even among nobles, only Ise Clan possessed such expertise.
Various signs indicated that there was more to Ukitake Clan than he thought.
"The Division members are too weak. We'll handle this mission on our own." Tokikaze had his considerations.
The hellish training under Ikkaku Madarame had just begun, and it wouldn't show results anytime soon. When it came to more challenging tasks, Tokikaze found it more convenient to step in personally. Matsumoto Rangiku and Nanao Ise had decent strength and could serve as assistants.
"Prepare yourselves; we depart immediately."
"Yes, Captain!"
...
In the Eastern Rukongai, in the 32nd District, Kaishū.
After organizing relevant information, they arrived at the only residence of the remnants of the Ryōdōji Clan.
After traversing several streets, the dilapidated mansion appeared before them.
Despite being a noble Clan, Ryōdōji Clan had lost all of their privilege as a noble Clan. Even their mansion was in shambles, barely any different from the houses in Rukongai.
There were no guards at the entrance, and it seemed deserted.
Without hesitation, Tokikaze walked through the gate and entered the mansion, with Matsumoto Rangiku and Nanao Ise following closely behind him.
Upon entering, chaos met their eyes. The scorched earth revealed a landscape of crisscrossing trenches and numerous large craters scattered around.
"It seems we might be a bit late," Tokikaze observed the area for clues.
Matsumoto Rangiku used Shunpo, dashing into the mansion to search for relevant leads.
Nanao Ise crouched beside one of the trenches, using her spiritual awareness to detect lingering Reishi.
"The trace of Reiatsu is faint. The battle should have ended not long ago," Nanao Ise reported.
Matsumoto Rangiku returned from inside the house and shook her head. "No signs of fighting or rummaging inside. No residual spiritual pressure fluctuations either."
Tokikaze showed no signs of impatience. He knew that as long as the Ryōdōji Clan had not been completely wiped out, there was still room for a maneuver.
Moreover, even if the worst had happened, as long as he brought the mastermind to justice, the mission could still be considered a success.
"Almost no usable clues whatsoever," Tokikaze sighed. He then approached Nanao Ise, and crouched down beside her. He extended his right hand and checked the ravine.
"In this case, we'll have to break through with brute force."
"Heart of the south, eye of the north, finger of the west, foot of the east, arrive with the wind and depart with the rain."
Tokikaze's palm radiated a bright light and intricate Kido spell appeared on the ravine. Having mastered this particular Bakudo, Tokikaze could skip the drawing process.
"Bakudo #58. Kakushitshuijaku!"
Following his incantation, a massive column of light shot into the sky. Tokikaze's spiritual pressure instantly spread out like an invisible giant net, enveloping the entire Kaishū and continuously expanding in further directions.
Meanwhile, Nanao Ise was shocked as she looked at Tokikane. The scene unfolding before her was truly beyond her comprehension.
She also mastered Bakudo #58. However, using it as effortlessly as Tokikaze did was something she couldn't come close to achieving.
Not to mention the overwhelming Reiatsu that came with it.
Nanao Ise carefully noted Tokikaze's Reiatsu wavelength, optimizing her own knowledge of Bakudo #58.
After a moment, Tokikaze stopped.
"I've pinpointed their location. 76th District East Rukongai, Sakahone."
Tokikaze stood up, stepping out of the mansion without looking back, urging them to follow.
"Don't just stand there; hurry up."
"I'm worried that if we're a second late, the Ryōdōji Clan might be completely erased from the Soul Society."
Tokikaze had limited knowledge of the Rukongai, but he was quite familiar with Sakahone.
As he mentioned earlier, the Ukitake Clan itself had a story behind them.
At Sakahone, there was a legend of a fallen god.
A relic from ancient times, the right arm of the Soul King.
Mimihagi...