Bleach: The Strongest Shinigami

{T/N: It is with regret that I inform those who like our dear Kisuke Urahara that he has become a character with an AU backstory. You'll understand later. I don't know if this was an error by the Author, but I believe it doesn't influence the story much, just his origin.}

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"First of all, thank you for showing mercy during the assessment!" Chikane Iba bowed deeply with sincere gratitude.

"It was nothing at all." Akira waved his hand dismissively, trying not to let the flattery affect him.

Though his grin stretched from ear to ear.

"Secondly, thank you for killing Takeda Chishi." Chikane fixed the young man with a strange look, her words catching him off guard.

Akira's eyes widened in confusion.

Usually, the relationship between a Captain and their subordinates was harmonious — why would she say something so jarring?

Noticing his bewilderment, Chikane explained, "Takeda Chishi wasn't the peaceful man he appeared to be. He would physically abuse division members behind closed doors, dish out arbitrary punishments, and often return alone from missions."

"At one point, the Third Division had the highest casualty rate in the Gotei 13. I initially assumed these were mission accidents, but now it seems Takeda was secretly eliminating people. I had noticed his close ties to the nobles earlier but hadn't thought much of it because..."

In the 4th Division's tea room, she shared her gratitude and revealed many of Takeda's secrets.

As the 3rd Division's Lieutenant, Chikane had served longer than many Captains. Though she wished to retire due to her age, she had worried that after her departure, Takeda would become even more ruthless.

Now that he was dead and once Rōjūrō matured enough to handle the responsibilities, she could finally retire to a peaceful life.

The Gotei 13 lacked a proper retirement system. Apart from nobles, few Officers managed to retire successfully — most died during missions or under special circumstances.

When Officers needed to leave for personal reasons, it was termed a "Leave of Absence". If they couldn't return to duty after an extended period, they would be struck from the records — essentially fired, but not really retired.

Retirement often meant "special confinement", where division members considered dangerous in thought or behavior, or those forced to retire, would be confined in the Detention Unit, known as the Nest of Maggots.

Chikane came from a family of Seated Officers. For generations, they had served as seated officers or lieutenants. She represented her generation, while Tetsuzaemon Iba would carry on the legacy.

Thus, enjoying certain small privileges was natural.

"In any case." Chikane bowed again, "Thank you, Lord Kisaragi, for everything you've done for the Third Division. The entire squad will remember your kindness."

Finally, she added:

"Rōjūrō as well."

Akira waved in acknowledgment, indicating he would visit and guide the 3rd Division's new Captain, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, when possible.

Satisfied with his response, Chikane left to visit the recovering Rōjūrō.

These days, reading the political winds was crucial.

She had survived in the Gotei 13 for so long not just through her considerable strength, but primarily because she knew how to follow the prevailing winds.

And now, those winds couldn't be clearer — more than half of the Thirteen Divisions supported Akira, along with the backing of the Shihōin and Kuchiki clans.

One could say that the young man before her was the wind sweeping through Soul Society. More precious still was his apparent unawareness of this fact.

Since everyone else had chosen sides, the 3rd Division naturally couldn't fall behind — building good relations was inevitable. She hoped Rōjūrō would understand her good intentions.

"Kisaragi-kun, you're quite popular with the ladies."

Having finished her duties, Unohana entered the tea room and sat gracefully across from him, a gentle smile on her delicate face.

Akira: "?"

His sharp instincts detected a dangerous aura in her words.

To avoid a potential beating, he decided to change the subject.

"Captain Unohana, I have a question for you."

"Speak." She sipped her tea elegantly, her expression relaxed.

When they were alone, she dropped all formality with Akira, having grown comfortable in his presence.

"As everyone knows, a Shinigami's body is composed of Reishi." He held up one finger, adopting a scholarly air, "The essence of Kaidō is stimulating Reishi to heal the Spiritual Body. Would it be possible to use that same Reishi to create replacement organs for diseased ones?"

{T/N: For laypeople, he wants to use Bleach's "magic" to manipulate matter (Reishi) to create a new organ instead of stimulating healing.}

Unohana: "..."

The sight of this supposed brute discussing Kaidō knowledge with her seemed utterly discordant — let alone witnessing it firsthand.

"It's not that simple." She shook her head after a moment's silence, "I know what you're suggesting. Captain Ukitake's condition can't be cured by simply replacing organs. His lungs are nearly necrotic, held in their current state by an unknown force. Any reckless surgery would trigger this force to affect all his organs, causing immediate death through complete deterioration. As for creating organs from Reishi... I'm sorry, but that's beyond my expertise."

Akira nodded, unsurprised by her answer.

Every field had its specialists. Medicine encompassed many disciplines, and few could claim to be as versatile as him.

As he congratulated himself shamelessly and prepared to bid Unohana farewell, she grabbed him and dragged him to the training ground before he could speak.

Zanjutsu style, unleashed!

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The wooden sword descended like pouring rain, accompanied by howling wind and an overwhelming presence.

Akira had gained some confidence from his encounter with Rōjūrō, but Unohana stripped it away in mere moves.

Like Yamamoto, she appeared harmless in daily life, but turned ruthless in combat.

Akira lay face-down, his body embedded in a floor crater, struggling to lift his head and shake off the scattered wood chips.

Unohana adjusted her Shihakushō, disheveled from her intense swordplay, watching with surprise as the young man climbed from the crater.

Though bruised, he showed more resilience than before.

Their frequent sparring had familiarized her with his strength. His easy victory over Rōjūrō, a Bankai master, had already surprised her.

Yet in direct combat, she found her previous assessments too conservative.

Unohana departed, satisfied.

She decided to keep the secret of his growing capabilities to herself.

In the spacious training ground, Akira sat cross-legged in contemplation.

Two days earlier, at Rōjūrō's Captain inauguration ceremony, Jūshirō Ukitake, the 13th Division Captain, had shared some Kidō techniques with the new Captain.

He had also shared amusing stories from Genryūsai and Shunsui's past.

The two had enjoyed their conversation.

However, Akira noticed Jūshirō's condition hadn't improved. When asked, Jūshirō revealed that the protective talisman had shattered completely.

Akira suspected the talisman's power had been depleted, proving insufficient for a cure.

As Jūshirō was a devoted follower of their deity, his continued illness could damage the Sakahone Shrine's reputation.

To help Jūshirō and ease Genryūsai's concerns, Akira decided to use his connections.

"Sister Hana is no longer useful. It's time to implement Plan B."

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2nd Division Barracks. Captain's Office.

Yoruichi stood with her arms crossed, listening intently as the young man before her explained his thoughts, nodding occasionally in agreement.

"So you want to know if the noble families have collected similar secret techniques, and you'd like to study them?"

Akira nodded.

As expected of someone who shared his bathing time, she had absorbed his wisdom well, quickly grasping his meaning.

"Good thinking." Yoruichi said with a resigned expression, "But I can't help right now. Ansai Tsunayashiro may have died easily, but he left behind mountains of work. Even with Kirio helping process everything, we can't rush things. And it's not just me — all divisions are swamped."

Akira looked puzzled, "Busy? I hadn't noticed."

The 11th Division members were still in the Rukongai, spreading the faith of the One-Eyed God.

Yoruichi gave him an exasperated look.

Two Gotei 13 Captains had betrayed them and collaborated with rebels, causing widespread panic. No one knew how many sleeper agents remained or who might still be working with the active rebels.

The mystery of why rebel activity had increased after Ansai's downfall remained unsolved.

Most Onmitsukidō members were now deployed gathering intelligence or conducting assassinations, leaving them stretched thin.

Yoruichi found herself longing for simpler times.

"That's simple." Akira said with a smile, "Why not find someone with strategic talent to share your burden?"

"Do you know someone?"

"Of course!"

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2nd Division Dormitory.

Smart people often make similar choices, while fools stumble down countless different paths.

Kisuke Urahara wasn't one to show off.

He understood clearly that talented individuals drew unwanted attention. Unless absolutely necessary, he preferred to keep his true abilities hidden.

Maintaining a low profile was his ideal way of life.

But Kisuke never expected trouble to drop from the sky.

When the man and woman suddenly appeared before him like formidable bandits, he unconsciously swallowed.

The young-looking boy especially filled him with an inexplicable sense of unease.

"Is it him?" Yoruichi sized him up, then looked at Akira.

"That's right, it's him." Akira said with unearned familiarity, "This is your Second Division's hidden strategist, second only to me in wisdom — Kisuke Urahara!"

The blonde youth's eyes widened as he waved his hands frantically.

"No, I'm not. You're making things up."

Yoruichi gave him a skeptical look, "Can he really do it? He doesn't seem very reliable."

Though confused about what was happening, when he heard someone questioning his reliability, Kisuke eagerly nodded in agreement, confirming just how unreliable he was.

Akira snapped his fingers, "Let's give it a try."

At Yoruichi's command, division members began bringing stacks of unprocessed documents and files into the room.

These included countless noble family disputes, assassination target lists, and intelligence analyses from the 8th Division.

Soon, the files towered like mountains.

Looking at the scene before him, Kisuke's face drained of color. He had imagined many possibilities, but never expected to be exposed without warning.

Who had betrayed him?!

"Hey, Comrade Urahara, you have one day to handle these documents." Akira grinned, pointing at the small mountain beside him, "If you can't complete it, you'll be listed as a dangerous individual, removed from the squad, and confined in the Nest of Maggots."

Kisuke's eyes widened.

"Of course, if you can complete it, there will be rewards."

Akira was well-versed in using both carrot and stick. For someone as unconventional as Kisuke, unconventional methods were essential.

Yoruichi watched with curiosity, wondering if this unknown Kisuke could truly complete such a daunting task. Until Akira had mentioned him, she'd had no strong impression of the man — only that he seemed lazy and unmotivated.

"This doesn't seem right…" Kisuke hesitated, "I'm not good at handling paperwork..."

"The countdown has begun." Akira grabbed Yoruichi's wrist, glancing at a nonexistent watch, "You have ten hours left. If you don't want to end up in the Nest of Maggots, you'd better hurry."

Kisuke: "?"

Since when did a day have only ten hours?!

His brain kicked into high gear.

From Yoruichi's attitude toward this person, it wasn't difficult to deduce that this must be the much-discussed Akira Kisaragi.

A genius from the Kidō Corps who had rapidly climbed the ranks of the Gotei 13, becoming its most sought-after figure.

There were even rumors that Akira maintained a highly improper relationship with his Captain.

If he were to whisper some pillow talk, forget the Nest of Maggots — even the Senzaikyū wouldn't be out of the question.

With this in mind, Kisuke immediately began working at his desk, the mountain of files diminishing at an incredible speed.

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When the files were nearly gone, Akira pulled out a few and gave them a quick look.

Hmm, good. He recognized every character.

He discreetly passed the files to Yoruichi beside him, nodding with satisfaction.

"Well done, now let's talk about your reward..."

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