Therefore, he made the same choice as Aizen, Urahara Kisuke, and Hyosube Ichibei. Unless necessary, he would never confront the other party head-on, and all contacts were mainly for intelligence analysis.
After hearing what Yhwach said, except for Haschwalth, the other Sternritter Knights became even more inflated with pride. In their eyes, both the Shinigami and the recently appeared Arrancar were so weak and vulnerable.
Yhwach saw this but did not take it to heart. If it was a thousand years ago, he would have reminded his men. But now, these people would sooner or later become a part of him anyway, so there was no need to remind them at all. Besides, this kind of mentality would help him fight better and cause more killings.
War and death are power to him! This is just a necessary sacrifice!
...
At this moment, because of Nanao's request, Shiroha came to the Rukongai Teigun Base. Along the way, it was clear that the area where the Teigun was stationed was obviously more stable and more prosperous.
The residents lived and worked in peace and contentment, and they also trusted the Teigun, which was in sharp contrast to their attitude toward the Shinigami and the nobles. Because the Teigun controlled the food, clothing, housing, and transportation of the residents, providing them with a better life.
The most important thing was giving those who had Reiryoku but couldn't become Shinigami a chance to see hope. The existence of the Teigun had given many people a way out, a bright road to stand on and live.
For the control of the grassroots and the struggle for the hearts of the people, the Teigun was far ahead of the Gotei 13 and Soul Society. For example, in most areas, the Teigun had set up exclusive supply points. As long as they made corresponding contributions, the civilians of Rukongai could enjoy the food that only the nobles were qualified to have.
Of course, this contribution wasn't to Soul Society, but to the Teigun. The "noble food" sounded very high-end, but in fact, the standard was very low, and even white rice.
In ancient times, this thing was called silver relic, and only nobles and samurai were qualified to enjoy it. Commoners might not be able to eat it in their entire lives. It was that cruel. And the current Soul Society had followed the ancient system, making it even more brutal.
The nobles of Soul Society and the nobles of the present world were the same - they didn't treat common people as human beings. They dressed in fine clothes and ate delicious food, while the people below could only eat tree bark, and they had to say thank you for this, and be grateful to their masters.
No wonder the residents of Rukongai were so resentful of the nobles and the Shinigami. However, Shiroha wasn't one of those nobles who ate and waited for death. He controlled unparalleled wealth and didn't care about taking the "melons and dates" of common people. He only made money from the rich, or to be precise, took it.
After getting the property of the Tsunayashiro family, he could feed the entire Rukongai with just a little bit of it. The gap between the rich and the poor was so large that it was unimaginable.
Therefore, he just gave a little benefit and gained the support of the people, and his prestige grew ridiculously high. As a result, the rule of the Teigun in Rukongai was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and couldn't be shaken.
After arriving at the Teigun base, Shiroha first showed a little bit of his strength, and immediately a terrifying pressure spread throughout the area. The Teigun soldiers and residents of Rukongai all knelt down on the ground. Even the residents with extremely dull perceptions could sense that the person in front of them must be a big shot of Soul Society.
For these civilians waiting to die, such a big shot was like a god, and they dared not offend him at all. Some Teigun soldiers recognized Shiroha's clothes, and their attitude immediately changed from awe to gratitude and worship.
These people thanked him sincerely: "It's Commander Uehara, great!" "It's an honor to meet you, sir!" "So it was the Commander!" "Long live the Captain-Commander!"
More and more people joined the ranks of kowtow and cheer. Everyone's expression became humble and respectful. The children secretly looked at Shiroha with sparkling eyes, full of admiration and yearning.
No wonder these people were so excited. Because the Teigun and Shiroha were their saviors. Before, they were people waiting to die, living like zombies. Neither nobles nor Shinigami would care about them. Unless they became Shinigami themselves, they had no future and no hope.
It was the Teigun that changed all this and made them feel alive and have a sense of belonging. Shiroha had long been accustomed to this and did not take it to heart. Whether it was admiration or hatred, it couldn't affect him. He still ate when he should eat and slept when he should sleep, and showed no mercy when he needed to cut someone down.
After just a little stroll, the morale of the Teigun soldiers was greatly boosted. Their fighting power improved too. Those affiliated forces also became more loyal and dared not have any distracting thoughts.
This is the influence and prestige of the captain commander of the Teigun! And this was exactly the purpose of Shiroha's trip, to boost morale and enhance the fighting power and cohesion of the Teigun in order to cope with the subsequent wars.
He didn't say much, just showing up easily made the morale of the Teigun soldiers explode, and their courage doubled, just like a shot of chicken blood. The morale of the Teigun was so strong that neither the Thirteenth Squad of the Gotei nor the Holy Army of the Invisible Empire could compare. Because their captain commander was named Uehara Shiroha!
In Soul Society, the captain of the second division, Suì-Fēng, was heading towards the private office of the captain commander of the Teigun. Along the way, the Shinigami and the officers saluted her respectfully. However, her face was cold, and she did not respond.
Some senior officers were still wondering: "Why is Captain Suì-Fēng acting alone?"
Because of her position, Suì-Fēng either acted in secret or took her vice-captain or a sergeant from the Onmitsukidō to act. She rarely acted alone because she was afraid of leaking intelligence. But this time, she was a little anxious.
It was only because she knew more inside information than ordinary people, and she knew that the war was coming. Aizen's strength and ability to transform the Hollows were beyond their imagination and caught them off guard.
It was not until now that Suì-Fēng realized that the terrifying Hollow she encountered in the human world before was transformed by Aizen. That time, she fell into Aizen's manipulation. If Shiroha had not rescued her in time, she would have been in danger.
Even now, Suì-Fēng couldn't forget the unusually heavy and chaotic Reiatsu of the strange Hollow. It should have been an unfinished Arrancar, but it could already threaten her as a captain.
The Arrancar and the Ten Espadas that had appeared recently would only be more terrifying. The Ten Espadas and the Arrancar that had risen strongly in the Hueco Mundo had suddenly become a threat that couldn't be ignored.
In addition, the Gotei 13 had really met their match this time with the insidious Aizen. Next, the two sides would start a war around Karakura Town.
Facing the impending war and the Arrancar, not to mention the ordinary soldiers and officers, even the captains themselves were unsure. The damage caused by the war would be too great.
Even if they weren't worried about themselves, they would worry about the people around them and Soul Society. The meaning of their existence was to maintain the balance of the world, to protect Soul Society and the nobles. No matter what, they must complete their mission.
Just now, Suì-Fēng learned that not long ago, Shiroha came forward to appease the Gotei Army. It had to be admitted that the Teigun Captain-Commander was as heavyweight as the captain commander of Gotei 13 and they were both living legends. In Soul Society, both of them were like a stabilizing force.
However, Suì-Fēng had a different idea in her mind: "This guy has always been lazy and doesn't like to work, but this time he's so active. No one can escape from war! Maybe he's also under great pressure. Now, he's having a hard time like us!?"
...
At this moment, while Suì-Fēng thought the stressed-out Shiroha was suffering, he was actually enjoying the attentive service of a beauty in a luxurious office.
"Commander Uehara, thank you for your hard work!" The glasses-wearing Nanao skillfully massaged Shiroha with extremely refined techniques, while feeding him all kinds of freshly washed fruits. The current Teigun was not inferior to the Gotei 13 in terms of intelligence.
The daring Mayuri dared to cheat the nobles' money and did private work behind Yamamoto's back, but he did not dare to cheat Shiroha. Because he knew that if you offended the captain or the Central 46, you would end up in prison. But if you offend Shiroha, you will die.
Those nobles who thought themselves high above others had proved this with their lives. Therefore, without Shiroha's instructions, the Technology Development Bureau took the initiative to share intelligence with the Teigun.
In addition, the Teigun also had the Video Hall that monitored the three realms, and its intelligence capabilities had become very comprehensive. Therefore, the secrets that Suì-Fēng knew, Nanao also knew, and knew them more clearly.
Because of this, she was a little worried. After all, the enemy this time was Hueco Mundo and Aizen. The strength and terror of Aizen was beyond the imagination of all of them, which put them under great pressure.
Moreover, it wasn't ordinary Hollows that were dispatched this time, but Arrancars that had been strengthened by the Hōgyoku. No one knew how many Vasto Lorde-class Arrancars there were, how strong the Ten Espadas were, and the unknown was even more terrifying.
Nanao had deep feelings for the Teigun. To her, the Teigun was like her and Shiroha's child. She didn't want this place that carried the memories of her and her teacher to be destroyed.
That's why she asked Shiroha to come forward to stabilize people's hearts. The effect was surprisingly good. Their own Captain-Commander simply showed up, and all the Teigun and Shinigami soldiers felt at ease, reassured, and brave.
In short, it was Shiroha who launched the encouragement, and the effect was outstanding! The originally uneasy Shinigami and Teigun soldiers were greatly boosted in morale and became extremely confident, as if they had found their backbone...
The enemy has Aizen who massacred the Central 46! It's okay! We have Commander Uehara!
The enemy has an Arrancar that surpasses the Vasto Lorde-class Hollows! It's okay! We have Commander Uehara!
The enemy is insidious and cunning, and has an ulterior motive! It's okay! We have Commander Uehara!
These ups and downs also showed that the current Shinigami were indeed under tremendous pressure. Compared with the other Shinigami who overreacted, Shiroha said to Nanao very casually and naturally:
"Don't worry, I can't guarantee anything else, but I can definitely protect you guys and the Teigun."
In fact, those few old big shots didn't dare to confront him head-on. Originally, Shiroha thought that these people would secretly attack him, and then he would kill them back. This is a standard show-off and slap in the face.
Unfortunately, these people didn't follow the routine at all. The originally very brave Yhwach, after being stabbed hard by the old man on the mountain, had his courage burned out.
From that moment on, the opponent's eyes became much clearer, but his heart was dirty. For example, when the Thousand Year Blood War began, Yhwach first destroyed Hueco Mundo, and on the way, lured Ichigo into a trap and restricted him.
The reason was that the Hollows poison were very difficult for the Quincy, a threat. The existence of Hueco Mundo was a variable to the plan of subverting the Three Realms, so it had to be ruled out. In short, this guy wouldn't give any chance! Too calculating!
I can only say that these BOSSes of Bleach are not traditional at all. Obviously everyone has a trump card in hand, but they still hide like hell. There is no such thing as upright and honest fists.
These guys will never attack head-on if they can sneak attack, and never fight alone if they can fight in a group. It's too much.
"Yeah, Commander Uehara is so strong." Now Nanao admired and appreciated Shiroha. Because this man changed her destiny.
At the beginning, she didn't have a Zanpakutō and even becoming a Shinigami was a luxury. But now, she had the strength of a captain. If it weren't for Shiroha, she would definitely not have such strength.
For a Shinigami, strength is the most loyal partner and the foundation of everything. Now she was even capable of serving as the captain of a division. Before, Kyōraku had mentioned that Nanao should serve as the captain of the fifth or third division. But she refused. Because the Teigun and Shiroha were her destiny.
At the same time, Nanao gradually realized just how terrifying her teacher's power really was. At the beginning, she also thought that she was too weak. Because every time her Reiryoku was greatly improved, she could not shake the teacher at all. At that time, Nanao even doubted her own talent.
But later she understood that it wasn't that she was too weak, but that the teacher was too strong. If Shiroha's strength was like the ocean. Then, her strength could only be regarded as a river at most. No matter how strong the seemingly turbulent river is, it is nothing in front of the sea.
Therefore, she believed in Shiroha's promise. Looking at Nanao's admiring look, Shiroha gently stroked the Shunkyō around his waist and said:
"Good, come and have some ice cream! Freshly made, absolutely fresh!"
He froze the ingredients in the Shunkyō small world. Then, he had two exquisitely shaped ice creams in his hands. Shiroha handed the ice cream to Nanao attentively, and patted Shunkyō on his waist:
"Isn't my Zanpakutō very powerful?"
Nanao looked at Shiroha's Zanpakutō with envy. Due to special reasons, she could not use her Zanpakutō. So unlike other Shinigami, she did not carry a sword, but a book. The teacher must have done it on purpose!
Then she took the ice cream and took a big bite. But this ice cream was really delicious!
When Suì-Fēng came in with permission, she saw Nanao squinting and eating ice cream with enjoyment on her face. Shiroha next to her was eating ice cream while putting his hand on Nanao's little head and stroking it like a cat.
Looking at the extremely close master and apprentice, Suì-Fēng thought of her previous worries and speculations, and instantly felt like a clown. She felt that her previous worries were really ridiculous.
How could a man like Shiroha be nervous and worried? All along, no matter what kind of danger he faced, he was always calm and always had absolute confidence!
This is Uehara Shiroha!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Support me at p@treon.com/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~