Bleach: Azashiro

***Unknown Place***

In a dark room with dim lighting stood two stone tables smeared with blood. On one of them lay an unconscious Shinigami with his stomach ripped open. On the other, empty and chained, stood a three-meter-tall figure. A little to the side, examining the results of his work, stood a large man dressed in a white robe, stained with blood, and wearing a white mask.

He was a bald man with olive skin, his golden teeth exposed due to the absence of lips. A wavy scar extended inches above his left eye, and he wore round glasses with thick lenses that hid his eyes. Beneath his robe, he wore a standard Shinigami uniform, though it failed to conceal the scars on his chest.

Removing his robe and mask, he carefully folded them on a chair near the exit of his laboratory and left without looking back.

"Don't let anyone in," he said gruffly to the guards as he stepped into the corridor.

"Yes, sir," the Shinigami stationed on either side of the door responded, their eyes filled with admiration as they watched the large man walk away.

Emerging from the complex hidden within the mountain, he was met by two Shinigami: Tomakazu Nakamura and Katsu Kobayashi. Both appeared nervous but were trying to maintain their composure. Tomakazu looked at him with apprehension. This was their first in-person meeting.

"Glad to finally meet you, Kumoi-san," Tomakazu greeted with a slight bow.

"We'll talk inside," Entetsu Kumoi replied curtly, heading toward a small house.

The two family heads obediently nodded and followed him, maintaining a respectful distance. Tomakazu glanced around nervously. Unlike Katsu, this was his first time here.

The base, as most of Kumoi's subordinates called it, was located on a mountain in the 77th district of Rukongai. The only above-ground structure was a small house near the slope. The rest of the complex was hidden inside the mountain.

Several villages were scattered around, each a few kilometers apart. Approximately half of the residents worked for Kumoi, though not all were Shinigami. Most were tasked with gathering food and reporting on newcomers or travelers entering the villages.

Tomakazu suspected that many of the Shinigami sent to Kumoi for experiments were souls who had accidentally wandered into these villages.

Crossing the threshold of the house, they entered a large dining room with three tables arranged parallel to each other.

"Sit," Kumoi ordered, gesturing toward the farthest table.

"How many Shinigami and Hollows are left?" Kumoi asked as they sat across from him.

"About a hundred Shinigami, and only a few Hollows remain. We had to sacrifice most of them to cover our tracks," Tomakazu replied nervously.

"Hmm, how many of them have achieved Shikai?" Kumoi inquired.

"Hardly five, including me and Tomakazu-san," Katsu Kobayashi answered.

"The necklace, of course, you didn't retrieve it," Kumoi said, sounding slightly disappointed.

"My apologies," both family heads said, bowing their heads in admission of their failure.

"Fine. Settle in a village to the north. In a month, I'll need your people," Kumoi said, his gaze darkening.

"Forgive me if I'm overstepping, but could you explain why you needed the Ito clan's pendant?" Tomakazu asked cautiously.

"Hmm, do you think I care about some trinket?" Kumoi asked, his heavy gaze crushing Tomakazu. "The pendant itself is meaningless. What's inside is what I need."

"And what is that?" Tomakazu pressed, his tone unintentionally demanding.

As soon as the question left his lips, a monstrous pressure of Reiatsu bore down on him. Tomakazu had to brace himself against the table, using all his strength to keep from collapsing. His body trembled with fear, his vision blurred, and all sound seemed to vanish. A few seconds later, the pressure lifted abruptly.

"Haa, haa, haa," Tomakazu gasped, trying to recover. Beside him, Katsu looked on with sympathy.

"Watch your tone," Kumoi said, leaning forward.

"Yes, I'm sorry," Tomakazu replied, bowing his head so low it nearly touched the table.

"Inside the pendant is a small iron plate. It may seem insignificant, but in reality... Do you know why the Ito clan specializes in medicinal herbs? They are the only minor noble family in the Soul Society to venture into this field. Why? Because of the plate. It can separate the desired properties of Reiatsu from different objects. With it, they mix the Reiatsu of medicinal herbs to create their own pills and medicines," Kumoi explained patiently.

"But why do you need it?" Katsu asked this time.

"Destruction. Currently, the chances of creating a Hollow Shinigami are too low. Adjuchas are even rarer, and Vasto Lordes are out of the question. The process of grafting Hollow tissue into Shinigami is slow, and not everyone survives. More than half of the Shinigami die within a day of implantation. Ordinary Hollows and Adjuchas aren't enough for our plans. We need Vasto Lordes," Kumoi said with conviction. "With the plate, I can mix Hollow Reiatsu with Shinigami Reiatsu, speeding up the Hollowfication process and increasing the chances of creating powerful Hollows."

"I see. But how do we retrieve it? The Ito family now resides with the Azashiro clan. I doubt they'd leave such an important item outside their estate," Katsu said doubtfully.

"You don't need to worry about that. The Tsunayashiro clan was recently expelled," Kumoi revealed.

This news shocked Tomakazu and Katsu. They knew how influential noble families were in the Soul Society. They couldn't imagine what it would take to expel one.

Unfortunately, they had been in hiding for years and hadn't heard the news. Otherwise, they might have understood why this had happened. Now, they looked at Kumoi with surprise, seeking an explanation.

"Indeed, you don't know. In recent years, Hideo has stirred up trouble for all the noble families in Seireitei," Kumoi said with a hint of satisfaction. "He attacked most of the heirs of high-ranking families, even killing some. He orchestrated attacks on their businesses and more."

Kumoi seemed almost pleased by the downfall of these families. If he had the chance, he would have personally finished off the remaining Tsunayashiro members. But he couldn't afford to act recklessly. He consoled himself with the thought that their days were numbered, knowing who had been sent to deal with them.

"As a result, the high-ranking families united and achieved their goal," Kumoi continued, masking his emotions. He didn't want them to know how he truly felt about the situation.

"I don't see how this connects to our mission," Tomakazu said hesitantly.

"Connected? Directly. Seireitei is now recovering, and everything is returning to normal. No one expects an attack. This is the perfect time for us to retrieve the trinket," Kumoi explained calmly.

"I understand. But how can we attack? We don't have the strength," Tomakazu said, confused.

"We don't need to destroy the city. We just need to distract its defenders," Kumoi said wearily. He was growing tired of explaining simple things to Tomakazu. Unfortunately, Tomakazu's abilities were crucial to the plan. "I've made arrangements with a clan in the 1st district of Rukongai. They've agreed to quietly bring several Adjuchas into the district. The Adjuchas will stage an invasion, and while the defenders are occupied, we'll attack the Azashiro estate."

"Will you be joining us?" Tomakazu asked in surprise.

"Hmm, I'll have to," Kumoi replied, clearly displeased.

He had few strong subordinates, and none of them had achieved Bankai. Attacking the estate of a family like the Azashiro without a Bankai user would be futile. He would have to go himself.

"You'll need to contact Jiukhin Zenjoji. He might be willing to join us. As far as I know, he despises noble families and never misses a chance to kill a few aristocrats. He might agree to this venture," Kumoi added.

"Go to the village and prepare. Be ready in a month," Kumoi said, clearly tired of the conversation. "Tomakazu, come to the entrance of the complex by ten tomorrow. You'll begin subjugating the Hollows."

"Understood," Tomakazu replied, bowing respectfully. He understood the importance of his ability.

After a moment, Kumoi stood and left the room.

Approaching the edge of the cliff, he stopped and gazed at the horizon. Though he could see nothing but forest, he knew Seireitei lay somewhere in the distance.

"Soon, I'll destroy everything you hold dear," Kumoi growled, his teeth clenched.

Anyone who saw him at that moment would have seen a face full of hatred and eyes burning with anger.

---

***Tomakazu Nakamura***

As I descended the mountain, my mind was elsewhere. My first meeting with Entetsu Kumoi had left me unsettled. He was even more intimidating than I had imagined. His disfigured face was particularly horrifying. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking or feeling, which made communication difficult.

Remembering the pressure of his Reiatsu, I shuddered. His power was immense, and I had barely managed to withstand it. And from what I could tell, he hadn't even been exerting himself fully.

As far as I knew, he possessed a Bankai. Someone of his strength would be highly sought after by any noble family. Even the Central 46 would treat him with the utmost respect if he chose to serve them.

This made his motives even more perplexing. Why was he going to such lengths? Creating Hollows, gathering information, seeking allies... Until today, I had assumed it was all about ambition. But after meeting him, I wasn't so sure. He didn't seem like someone who wanted to rule. Though, to be honest, I couldn't say what he truly wanted. Perhaps I was wrong.

One thing was certain: he terrified me to my core.

"How are you holding up?" Katsu asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Why does he need this?" I asked instead of answering. He had known Kumoi longer than I had, so maybe he understood his motives.

"You mean why he's helping us?" Katsu clarified.

"Yes. What's his motive? Why does he want to destroy the Central 46?" I pressed.

"Who told you he wants to destroy them?" Katsu replied with a grin. "The Central 46 doesn't concern him much. His goal is simple: revenge. He wants revenge on all the noble families."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I've known him for many years. I was the one who helped him when they did this to him," Katsu said, sadness creeping into his voice. It seemed they were closer than I had realized.

"Are you saying the noble families did this to him?" I asked, surprised. I remembered the satisfaction in his voice when he spoke of the Tsunayashiro family's expulsion.

"Yes, years ago. But I can't share his story. Just understand this: even if our goals don't align, we can help each other achieve them," Katsu said firmly. "And do you really think the noble clans won't stand in our way?"

Perhaps he was right. If his goal was to destroy the noble families, we could help each other.