Bleach: My Zanpakutō Is the Entire Underworld

A light morning mist veiled the bamboo forest. A cold droplet of dew slipped down the back of Asano Kiyoshi's neck, jolting his entire body awake.

Early that morning, he had been called up by Grandpa Yamamoto, who had him practice swordsmanship for a bit before breakfast. Once breakfast was ready, Yamamoto summoned Kiyoshi to eat.

It wasn't that Kiyoshi was lazy—rather, Yamamoto simply enjoyed cooking. Especially using Ryūjin Jakka to cook…

Lieutenant Sasakibe preferred Western cuisine, which Yamamoto often mocked, so the old man usually cooked his own meals. It was one of his ways to relax.

After breakfast, Yamamoto told Kiyoshi to return to the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy and prepare for the duel that afternoon. Yamamoto had matters to handle and wouldn't accompany him.

After Kiyoshi left, Sasakibe appeared behind Yamamoto and reported:

"Lord Yamamoto Genryūsai, the arrangements have been completed. In particular, the protection of Asano Kiyoshi's family has been entrusted to the Criminal Force. The Tsunayashiro clan has already departed for the academy. The key attendees are Tsunayashiro Sōsuke and Tsunayashiro Yūta."

Hearing those two names, the Head Captain furrowed his brow. He looked out the window at the darkening clouds and shook his head.

The wind… was starting to cover the entire 1st Division barracks.

When Kiyoshi arrived at the academy, he spotted a shiny bald head from afar—Madarame Ikkaku, who greeted him with an excited grin:

"Hey, you! Today's the Fireworks Festival! How about a good ol' man-to-man brawl? I just learned a new battle dance! Wanna see it?"

At Ikkaku's words, Kiyoshi suddenly recalled Ikkaku's ridiculous toe-dance from his previous life in the original story. That piqued his interest.

Yumichika, however, looked at Ikkaku with a helpless expression and turned to Kiyoshi, saying:

"You'll regret it. Don't watch that idiot's dancing—he'll ruin the beauty of the entire festival!"

"Hey! Yumichika, what the hell are you saying?!"

The three of them joked and laughed as they made their way into the academy. Inside, the trees and buildings were decorated with paper lanterns, and students dressed in elegant festival attire filled the area. Most wore traditional yukata, which Kiyoshi never really liked, so he chose to wear his custom academy uniform instead.

At that moment, Ukitake Jūshirō spotted Kiyoshi and hurried over. From his seemingly bottomless sleeve, he pulled out a full set of clothes and handed them to Kiyoshi with a cheerful smile:

"Kiyoshi, I noticed you're not fond of traditional yukata, but with the Fireworks Festival today, you can't just wear your usual stuff. So, I made you an outfit based on your Shikai attire. I added a few enhancements here and there. What do you think? If you don't like it, I can make changes—don't worry, your teacher is quite the tailor!"

The outfit resembled a refined hanfu, soft to the touch and clearly made from high-quality fabric. Compared to his Shikai outfit, this one was much more elegant and noble-looking.

Holding the clothes, Kiyoshi looked at Ukitake, slightly flustered, and mumbled:

"Um, Ukitake-sensei, I… uh… do you maybe want to—"

Before Kiyoshi could finish, Ukitake handed out small gifts to Ikkaku and Yumichika as well.

Soon, the three students all had red faces, blushing to their ears. Ukitake laughed joyfully and waved a hand:

"Don't be shy—it's just a few small gifts. Come chat with me more often, okay? That's all. I've got things to take care of, so enjoy yourselves!"

Watching Ukitake leave, Kiyoshi's face showed renewed determination.

Someone this gentle should never suffer the tragic fate he did in the original story.

Time flew by, and before long, the afternoon arrived. All the students had gathered. Yamamoto was giving a speech from the main stage, nobles seated nearby on elevated platforms. Their gazes swept over the students like they were inspecting livestock for sale.

The condescending looks stirred a deep discomfort—those weren't the eyes one used to look at fellow humans. They were the eyes one used to look at beasts.

Seated, Tsunayashiro Sōsuke turned to the elder beside him and said:

"Kozurō is ready. His mother's illness is nearly cured. If he successfully retrieves the item from the Great Spirit Book Gallery, we should agree to some of his lesser requests. After all, the price he paid… is rather pitiable."

A shadow fell over Tsunayashiro Yūta's aged face. He replied grimly:

"Hmph. Do what you must. But remember—keeping the peasants half-dead is the best way to manage them. That goes for Kozurō, too."

Sōsuke chuckled and sipped his tea. There was no need to say more.

Yamamoto's speech was similar to what Kiyoshi remembered from his past life: wishes for academic success and good health in the coming year. But as he neared the conclusion, a voice suddenly interrupted him.

The voice was rude—it was clearly inappropriate to interrupt the Head Captain—but the Tsunayashiro clan didn't care. They were testing Yamamoto's reaction.

The speaker was Tsunayashiro Sōsuke. His plump, pale face wore no malice, only a warm smile as he addressed the Captain-Commander:

"Apologies for the interruption, Head Captain, but our clan is a little too excited. We have a student who has only attended the academy for a few months but has already requested early graduation. Upon our verification, this student does possess graduate-level ability. Therefore, we would like to formally submit an early graduation application for this child."

The apology lacked sincerity, but the gesture had been made. Yamamoto couldn't protest much—but he didn't care either. He simply said:

"Very well. If early graduation is approved, the student must defeat one current member of the 13 Court Guard Squads to graduate. If the student wants to earn this year's top graduate reward, they must defeat a seated officer and also best all other early-graduation candidates. Which will you choose?"

Sōsuke smiled and answered calmly:

"This year's top reward—the second option."

As he finished, a gloomy-faced youth with half-white hair stepped into view.

It was none other than Tsunayashiro Kozurō!

T/N: For up to 20 chapters ahead on all my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle

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