Bleach: Azashiro

***Akihiko Azashiro***

Having finished off the last Hollow, he looked around. The bodies of dead Shinigami and Hollows lay everywhere. Blood was splattered across the ground. Only now did I begin to notice the metallic scent of iron permeating the air.

It might seem like a victory worth celebrating, but all that could be heard were groans of pain, mournful cries, and, in the distance, the voice of Chiki-san issuing commands.

After surveying the scene, I was once again reminded of how indifferent I felt. The deaths of so many Shinigami didn't affect me, nor did the condition of the wounded. I simply didn't care. The only person I was concerned about was Shika, but even she was busy rushing from one Shinigami to another, organizing the survivors.

I estimated that we lost more than five hundred Shinigami today. About a hundred of them were killed by me. I felt no remorse, no guilt, but neither did I take pleasure in it.

After standing for a moment longer, I slowly made my way toward the officers gathered around Chiki-san.

As I walked, I caught the eyes of the ordinary Shinigami. Their gazes were far from friendly. They looked at me with fear, hatred, resentment, and rage. Some clenched their fists, and a few even seemed ready to charge at me, but their comrades held them back.

At first, I couldn't understand their hostility. Then I noticed a young boy crying over a corpse. As soon as he saw me, he grabbed his sword and lunged in my direction, only to be tackled to the ground by two other Shinigami.

Apparently, I had killed someone dear to him. Well, nothing could be done about that now. There was no point in getting in my way.

The entire journey was accompanied by hateful stares, which I ignored.

I was about thirty meters away from Chiki-san when someone blocked my path. A man, disheveled and covered in dirt, with red, tear-stained eyes and blood dripping from his forehead, stood before me. His fists were clenched, his lips pressed tightly together. It seemed he was barely restraining himself from attacking me.

"Did you kill him?" he asked in a hoarse voice, pointing to the side.

There lay the half-corpse of a Shinigami. I remembered him. He was the first one I had struck down, though far from the last.

"Yes," I replied calmly.

"You bastard!" he shouted, stepping closer. "You think you're some aristocrat who can get away with this? How many good men did you kill today? Ten? Twenty? Fifty? Huh?"

"Step aside," I said coldly.

"Step aside? So you can cut me down too, you piece of shit?" he screamed in my face.

Realizing it was pointless to argue, I grabbed him by the head and threw him to the side.

"What the hell are you doing?" 

"Have you lost all fear?" 

Angry shouts erupted from the Shinigami behind me, reacting to my actions.

"What's going on here?" Chiki-san's voice cut through the chaos.

"Nothing," I replied.

"Really?" He glanced at me, then at the man I had thrown aside.

"Chika-sama, you have to punish him!" 

"Agreed!" 

"That monster killed so many of us!"

The accusations flew, not entirely unfounded, but I didn't care. All I wanted was to go home and check on my family—my father, mother, and grandfather. I was sure they had also been sent to fight the Hollows.

"Silence!" Chiki-san's voice rang out.

While the rank-and-file Shinigami shouted and complained, the officers had lined up behind him. Some looked at me with disapproval, others with indifference, and a few seemed amused by the situation. Only Shika looked at me with concern.

I smiled at her, trying to reassure her that I was fine and there was no need to worry.

"Akihiko, how many Shinigami did you kill today?" Chiki-san asked.

At first, I didn't understand why he was prolonging this charade. Then it hit me—this was his domain. All the Shinigami here were his subordinates. He wasn't seeking revenge; he was trying to prevent future unrest in the ranks.

"About a hundred," I answered calmly.

The crowd fell silent for a moment before erupting into curses. I sighed, tired of their barking. They seemed to think they could say anything without consequence. Well, I'd remind them of their place.

*Boom*

A wave of black Reiatsu burst from me, pressing down on everyone around.

"It seems you've forgotten who you're speaking to," I said in an icy tone.

The Shinigami around me collapsed under the pressure, unable to withstand it. Even some of the officers were affected, particularly those who had looked at me with disdain. I hadn't singled them out intentionally; they were simply the weakest.

"Enough," Chiki-san's voice cut through the tension.

"My apologies," I said, withdrawing the pressure and bowing slightly.

"You'll be punished. Come to my office later," he said, shaking his head. "Now, everyone, back to work!"

The Shinigami began to disperse, each one shooting me a final glare. The officers who had been affected by my Reiatsu glared at me with anger.

It seemed I wouldn't be joining the detachment after all. Not that I particularly wanted to, but it was still disappointing.

"Was that necessary?" Shika asked as she approached me.

"Does it matter?" I shrugged.

"Did you really kill a hundred Shinigami?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

"About that, yes," I replied.

"Why?" she pressed.

"It was unintentional. Most of them died from Kido," I explained.

"And the others?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"They were in the way," I said indifferently.

"God, Aki. You can't do that. Now your uncle has to punish you," she said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Do you judge me?" I asked, curious.

I expected her to be angry or upset, but she wasn't.

"Should I? Our squad might seem like a close-knit group, but it's not. There's a clear divide—officers stick with officers, and privates with privates. They rarely interact. Most of the privates are commoners, while the officers are aristocrats," she explained.

"And don't think Uncle is following the crowd. He doesn't care how many of them died. Others will take their place. But he couldn't allow unrest in the squad. It could lead to something worse," Shika continued quietly. "I think you're in for a lecture on the value of life."

"I'll endure the punishment," I said with a slight smile.

"Damn, Aki, you're joking again? Well, at least you're smiling today. Good job," she said, clearly teasing me.

"Chika-sama is calling for you," an officer interrupted us.

***Chika Shihoin***

After dealing with the couple, I hurried to the Azashiro estate. Daichi had reported an attack, but nothing serious. I wasn't sure what he meant, so I decided to investigate.

Landing in the courtyard, I scanned the area. There were no signs of a battle. I headed to the pond near the main gate, where I sensed Daichi's presence.

"Ah, Chika, over here," Aya called as soon as I arrived.

Next to her, inside a destroyed gazebo, stood Keigo-san, Daichi, and an elderly man I vaguely recognized—the head of the Ito clan.

"What happened?" I asked seriously.

"The estate was attacked," Keigo-san said angrily.

"Details? How many? Who?" I turned to Daichi.

"Five Shinigami attacked. Four were clearly distractions while the fifth went after Hanae-san," he explained.

"They were efficient. No one was killed. They took a necklace and left within a minute," Daichi added.

"The Ito clan's heirloom," he clarified.

"Do we know who attacked?" I asked.

"Yes," Keigo-san said grimly. "And you know him well."

I was puzzled. No one came to mind, so I gestured for him to continue.

"Entetsu Kumoi. That's what he's calling himself now. Tall, bald, missing lips, covered in scars, and his Shikai takes the form of a thin kanabo. Ring any bells?" the old man asked.

The name was familiar—a couple of traitors in my squad had mentioned him. But Keigo-san's tone suggested I knew him personally. Then it hit me.

"It can't be him. He was killed," I said, disbelieving.

"It's him. His appearance, abilities, everything matches. The bastard survived," Keigo-san said through gritted teeth.

"Who are you talking about?" Aya asked, confused.

"During my early years, he was known for his intelligence. He studied Hollows and achieved significant results. But the noble clans wanted to recruit him. His research was dangerous, so they gave him an ultimatum: serve the Soul Society or die. He was a strong Shinigami and opposed the Central 46's decision," Keigo-san explained.

"But the Central 46 didn't want to kill him until they had all his research. The noble clans were ordered to capture and extract everything from him," I continued. "He was tortured for ten years. He revealed nothing until the Central 46 finally ordered his execution."

"I can't imagine how he survived."

After a moment of silence, Aya spoke up.

"During the battle with the Hollows, I noticed something strange. The Adjuchas had no holes. They seemed too human."

Her words hit me like a thunderbolt. Was she suggesting that the Hollows were once human? If so, it explained their appearance and size.

"They did seem odd," Daichi added. "All the Adjuchas looked too human. Their size, structure, limbs, proportions. But that's impossible, right?"

I had no answer. The thought of turning souls into Hollows was unsettling.

"The necklace—what powers does it have?" I asked, a bad feeling growing in my gut.

"With it, we extracted beneficial properties from the Reiatsu of herbs and mixed them," Hanae Ito explained.

"What?" I exclaimed.

We were in trouble. If Kumoi had found a way to turn souls into Hollows, the necklace could make things even worse.

"Things are bad. He's already capable of creating Adjuchas. With that necklace, he might even create a Vasto Lorde. I'll report this to the Central 46. You start searching for him. He's likely hiding in the outer regions of Rukongai," Keigo-san said before vanishing in a flash of Shunpo.

"Chika, is Akihiko okay?" Aya asked, her voice filled with concern.

I hesitated. How should I answer? That a bunch of idiots nearly attacked him?

"Well..." I began.

"Spit it out," she demanded.

"He's fine. He killed a lot of Hollows, a couple of Adjuchas, and about a hundred Shinigami," I admitted.

"Hmm, you're hiding something," she said, narrowing her eyes.

Damn, she always knew.

"The privates were unhappy. They demanded he be punished. It almost came to a fight. Too many saw him kill members of the squad," I explained.

"What? They dared to demand something from my son?" she asked, her voice sharp.

"I had to promise to punish him to maintain order," I said cautiously.

"Punish him? Chika..." she said, drawing out my name.

"I had to. You know I can't allow unrest in the squad, even among the privates," I tried to justify myself.

"Hmm, if you dare punish my son because of them..." she said, raising her chin defiantly before walking away.

"Damn," I muttered.

"Yeah, buddy, you've got a mess on your hands," Daichi said with a grin.

"Thanks for the support," I replied dryly.

"Hey, I told you to make him an officer. But no, you sent him to Shika's squad to 'improve relations.' Look how that turned out. If he were an officer, they wouldn't have dared to challenge him," Daichi said.

"I'm surprised they had the courage. Everyone knows who he is," I said.

"Enough chit-chat. We've got work to do," Daichi reminded me.

"I know, I know," I replied.