Kūgo Ginjō's possession of Fullbring was not a secret.
It's a very novel power.
The 12th Division monitored him for a year with his permission, confirming that this power does not disrupt the balance of the three worlds. When a Hollow is destroyed by Fullbring, its spirit particles return to the Soul Society just as they would when a Shinigami eliminates it, rather than being completely annihilated.
So, although this power exists outside the control of the Gotei 13, since it doesn't disrupt the balance and Kūgo Ginjō is the only known user, it was decided, after some discussion, to maintain the current stance on Kūgo Ginjō without any changes.
Many people were interested in Fullbring.
But...
Few dared to express this interest, let alone take any action.
That Substitute Shinigami was brought to the Soul Society by Captain Uzumaki Naruto of the 7th Division.
Interactions with him were primarily mediated through Captain Uzumaki.
It was clear that Kūgo was considered one of Naruto's subordinates.
To target him would be akin to targeting Captain Uzumaki, and no one had the guts to do that.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri was the only one who openly expressed his interest in Fullbring. After being beaten by Naruto a few times, he learned to speak more politely. He personally requested Kūgo Ginjō's cooperation several times before finally getting permission to conduct some minor research, provided it didn't harm Kūgo and was done when Kūgo had the time.
Kyōraku Shunsui's 8th Division is the "Intelligence Division."
They gathered information quickly.
A few days later, he brought over a list.
Naruto took it and saw that it listed names across three pages.
Most were individuals, with members of the 12th Division making up nearly two-thirds of the list.
A small portion were small groups within the Seireitei, but these were mostly composed of low-ranking officers or ordinary Shinigami.
None of these people or groups posed a real threat.
They couldn't force Naruto to act, and they didn't even pose a threat to Kūgo Ginjō.
Only one group, detailed on half a page and placed last on the list, made Naruto frown.
"The Tsunayashiro Clan," he read out loud.
Kyōraku Shunsui's eyes darkened.
He had reviewed this information himself, and the conclusion he reached was the same as Naruto's—among all the individuals and groups, the only real threat to Kūgo Ginjō was this high-ranking noble family.
"If it's them, it'll be difficult to preemptively cut them off," Shunsui frowned. "It's hard to imagine the choices being this extreme."
Either they weren't worth acting against, or they were too formidable to act against.
"Uncle Shunsui, do you think this is just a coincidence?" Naruto shook his head.
Shunsui was taken aback.
Naruto put down the report: "I know a little about matters related to the Soul King."
Shunsui's demeanor suddenly became serious: "How did you learn about that, hNaruto?"
"Captain Ukitake told me," Naruto said, pointing to the line mentioning the Tsunayashiro family. "He didn't tell me the whole truth; he said I wasn't ready to know it yet."
"Don't worry, Uncle Shunsui, I won't press you on it."
"I just want to know..."
"Is Tsunayashiro Tokinada's marriage to that Shinigami named Kakyo related to the Soul King?"
"I remember you were the one who handled that matter."
Shunsui scratched his head, looking troubled: "You're quite perceptive. How did you come to that conclusion?"
He didn't answer directly.
As the head of the Intelligence Division, he couldn't divulge secrets that weren't meant to be shared.
He could only confirm it in a roundabout way.
"When Byakuya married Hisana, they were the most vocal in their opposition," Naruto scoffed. "How could such a stubborn group allow a member of their family to marry a Shinigami from Rukongai?"
"Let alone..."
"Tsunayashiro Tokinada doesn't even seem to like her."
"If it weren't for some ulterior motive, why would he do it?"
Shunsui remained silent.
Naruto continued, "If they've studied the power of the Soul King, they'd have a strong reason to target Kūgo Ginjō."
"So it's not a coincidence; it's inevitable."
"This is the opponent Aizen has carefully selected for me."
"And it's also the pawn he's carefully chosen to minimize any trace of his involvement."
Kyōraku Shunsui shook his head: "He's got some nerve."
"Daring to use even the Tsunayashiro Clan."
Naruto's tone was calm: "How does the Tsunayashiro Clan compare to the Captain-Commander?"
"And yet Aizen still dared to use his abilities to try to deceive the Captain-Commander."
Shunsui chuckled: "I'll be prepared."
"If something happens, the 8th Division will act immediately."
"Should we tell the others?"
He was referring to the other captains who were aware of Sosuke Aizen's true nature.
Naruto thought for a moment and then shook his head.
Kyōraku Shunsui narrowed his eyes slightly.
"The last time I shared this information with you all, it was while we were treating Byakuya's father," Naruto explained, slowly voicing his thoughts. "And whenever I brought it up afterward, the Nine-Tails was always on guard."
"Aizen probably doesn't know how many people I've told about him."
"This time, aside from figuring out the Nine-Tails, he probably also wants to know how many people are aware of his true nature."
Shunsui thought of Urahara Kisuke and understood the reason: "Maybe he can't deal with you just yet, but he could start by eliminating your allies."
"Being isolated and without support is a very effective way to break someone."
"Thinking about it, he really is a terrifying opponent."
Naruto nodded.
He chose not to tell too many people.
The reason Shihōin Yoruichi didn't take Soi Fon and herself away was the same: to protect them.
"I'll leave the Soul Society in your hands, Captain Shunsui," Naruto said with a helpless smile. "Although this might not be very effective."
"But still, please assign some people to keep an eye on the Tsunayashiro Clan."
Kyōraku Shunsui responded with a similarly helpless smile.
Naruto began preparing his application to travel to the World of the Living. In this regard, Aizen hadn't interfered.
However, due to the special status of a captain, the application process was quite cumbersome. It wasn't until two days later that his application was approved.
Standing in mid-air, Naruto looked down at the city below.
Since his last visit, the city had undergone new changes. It was hard to believe that these towering buildings were constructed by ordinary humans without any special powers.
On the wide roads, some four-wheeled vehicles moved to and fro.
Inside those metal shells was a not-too-powerful source of energy.
Hot water, airflow, and combustion powered these vehicles.
These were also tools created by ordinary humans with no special powers.
Even ordinary humans were evolving.
Following the information provided by the 12th Division, he descended onto a street and stopped in front of a restaurant.
Pushing open the door, he entered.
A bell jingled, producing a crisp sound that alerted the restaurant's owner.
"Welcome—" The person behind the counter looked up, but his words stopped halfway as he was surprised to see the visitor. "Captain Uzumaki, what brings you here?"
"Is this your restaurant?" Naruto asked, glancing around at the clean and polished environment.
"Yes." Kūgo Ginjō scratched his head. "Although the Soul Society provides some subsidies, as a human, just aimlessly living is quite boring."
"Plus, with some other things influencing me, I decided to open this restaurant."
"Would you like to try some of my cooking?"
Naruto leaned forward, glancing at the menu on the wall. "Then I'll have a bowl of tonkotsu ramen."
A few minutes later, the food was served.
"Is there something you need from me, Captain Uzumaki?" Kūgo Ginjō asked as he brought the bowl over. "Is there something going on with me and the Soul Society?"
Naruto slurped a mouthful of noodles loudly. "Someone's got their eye on you."
Kūgo Ginjō froze.
"It's someone from the Tsunayashiro Clan," Naruto said, withholding the information about Aizen. "They have some ideas about your Fullbring."
"Tsunayashiro Clan?" Kūgo Ginjō frowned. "I think I've heard of them…"
"They're a pretty powerful noble family, right?"
Naruto took a sip of the broth. "Their shamelessness is pretty powerful too."
Kūgo Ginjō looked at Naruto.
He had heard bad things about the Tsunayashiro Clan from other Shinigami as well.
But to hear Captain Uzumaki speak so bluntly and harshly about them… just how unlikable could that noble family be?
"I'll be careful from now on," Kūgo Ginjō said with a smile. "Thank you, Captain Uzumaki."
"In that case…"
"When you're done eating, I'll show you something interesting."
"Should this be reported to the Soul Society?"
Naruto looked up at him.
Report?
Did he come up with something amazing?
Was that why Aizen chose this time to act?
Kūgo Ginjō's cooking was quite good, though it still wasn't quite on par with Konoha's "Ichiraku."
After finishing the meal, he followed Kūgo Ginjō, who led him through two streets and stopped in front of a house in a residential area.
Kūgo Ginjō opened the door.
"Big Brother Kūgo, you're back so early?" A little boy with octopus-like hair ran out to greet him but suddenly stopped in his tracks when he saw Uzumaki Naruto.
A one-eyed young man also came out from inside, staring at Naruto with a wary tone: "Big Brother Kūgo, is this samurai-looking guy our new comrade?"
Kūgo Ginjō shook his head. "This is my benefactor."
"He's my guide and also my teacher."
Naruto looked them over.
Neither of these two had any Shinigami power, but they both possessed the same "Soul King aura" as Kūgo Ginjō.
"They're Fullbringers too?" Naruto asked.
Kūgo Ginjō nodded. "That's right."
"People like us who have Fullbring, while born with some power, attract danger like Hollows, or Captain Kurotsuchi, or in this case, the Tsunayashiro Clan you mentioned…"
"And also…"
"Because we're different from ordinary people, we often face societal rejection."
"So after seeing the Seireitei, I thought about forming a Fullbring organization."
"I named this organization 'Protector.'"
Naruto looked at him with curiosity, then asked, "What kind of foreign language is that?"
"It's a word from another country's language," Kūgo Ginjō scratched his head. "'Protector' is one of the words…"
"It means guardian or defender."
"I want this organization to be able to protect humans."
"And to protect more Fullbringers who haven't yet fully developed their powers."
~~~
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