Naruto: Copy System#737+738: A Disastrous Start, I Heard You Wanted to Kill Me?

"Gillians usually move in small packs, a few at a time, ten at the absolute most. How could there be over thirty of them gathered in one place?"

Retsu Unohana wondered aloud, her expression troubled.

"An Adjuchas is probably pulling the strings. They're the only ones who can command the less intelligent Gillians," Shin explained to the puzzled Retsu.

As a mid-level Menos, an Adjuchas possessed high intelligence. This was likely a deliberate ambush. It seemed the Menos knew the Soul Reapers were coming to Hueco Mundo for a purge.

Shin was perplexed. How could an Adjuchas have known? After asking Retsu, the pieces finally fell into place.

He now understood. The Soul Reapers' purges in Hueco Mundo were on a fixed schedule. A major culling operation occurred once every century, and it could last for several years.

"So the Hollows have our number. It's almost comical," Shin mused. They had been completely figured out.

"I never imagined we'd be outsmarted by these Menos," Retsu admitted. A knot of unease tightened in her stomach. If their squad was ambushed, the others were likely in the same predicament.

"We need to hurry. I have a feeling Captain Shihōin is in danger," Shin said to Retsu, his figure vanishing in an instant.

He wasn't using Space-Time Ninjutsu, but the Soul Reaper technique of Flash Step. As a genius, Shin's skill with Shunpo was likely among the best of all Soul Reapers.

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By the time Shin arrived, his fears were confirmed. Kiyotaka Shihōin was in deep trouble. As for the 2nd Squad's lieutenant, Uehara, he was nowhere to be seen. He was probably dead.

"Shin! What are you doing back here?" Kiyotaka shouted, forcing back the Menos in front of him. His face was a mask of anxiety.

"What else? I came to save you, Captain. And Lieutenant Uehara?"

Shin’s gaze settled on a Hollow that stood apart from the rest. It was far more powerful than the other Gillians, with a unique, fan-like shape.

'So this is the Adjuchas?' It was indeed powerful, its spiritual pressure no weaker than Kiyotaka's. With a horde of Gillians supporting it, it was no surprise Kiyotaka was outmatched.

If Shin hadn't returned, Kiyotaka Shihōin would have been a dead man.

"It's an Adjuchas." Retsu finally arrived, her eyes fixed on the creature.

If this were the Retsu of old, she would have charged in without a second thought. But now, she was the picture of calm. Her personality had completely changed; she was no longer the battle-hungry warrior she once was.

"Captain Unohana, you're here too. Looks like we're safe now," Kiyotaka breathed a sigh of relief.

With Retsu here, dealing with the Adjuchas wouldn't be a problem. The remaining Gillians would be easy to handle. In truth, without the Gillians, Kiyotaka wouldn't have lost to this Adjuchas. He was a captain, after all, a formidable fighter in his own right. He might not have won easily, but he could have at least fought it to a standstill.

"Shin, I think you should leave first," Kiyotaka said.

"Don't count me out, Captain. I'm stronger than I look."

Shin decided it was time to reveal a fraction of his power. He gently drew his Zanpakutō, his figure vanishing in a blur. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before a Gillian and swung his blade. A terrifying wave of fire erupted, instantly incinerating the Menos.

"What—Shin, have you achieved Shikai?"

Kiyotaka stared in shock as Shin one-shotted a Gillian. He looked at the Zanpakutō in Shin's hand—it still looked like a standard Asauchi.

No, there were faint crimson patterns on the blade now. Had he really achieved Shikai?

A single slash that produced an explosion of fire—it had to be a fire-type Zanpakutō. Kiyotaka didn't press for details. A Soul Reaper's Zanpakutō abilities were private.

Just as one wouldn't ask about another's Devil Fruit in the world of pirates, or a ninja's secret techniques, a Zanpakutō's power was not something to be pried into unless willingly shown.

Retsu watched Shin, a sense of familiarity washing over her. The terrifying burst of flame reminded her of old man Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka.

"The Gillians are for me and Captain Shihōin to handle. Big Sis Retsu, you can take care of the Adjuchas."

Although Shin planned to show some of his strength, this was enough for now. One-shotting a Gillian already put him above most lieutenants. If he had one-shotted the Adjuchas, it would have drawn far too much attention.

He needed to be more reserved, revealing his power slowly. He had no intention of showing his whole hand at once. If he was ostracized by the Soul Society, would he have to leave? And where would he go? Hueco Mundo was dull, and while the World of the Living was better, it wasn't much more interesting.

With Retsu's strength, fighting this Adjuchas was easy. In just a few moves, she had it severely wounded. Even with its high-speed regeneration, it couldn't recover. The Retsu Unohana of this era, with her Shikai released, could probably even take on a Vasto Lorde without losing.

With the Adjuchas dealt with, Shin and the others returned to the main encampment, only to be met with the sight of heavy casualties among the other squads' members.

"The captain of the 8th Squad is dead? That's rough," Shin said, shaking his head.

He didn't know the current 8th Squad Captain, but he was the first captain-level casualty of this expedition.

"Hueco Mundo is a dangerous place," Retsu said to Shin.

Shin had thought the 2nd Squad had it the worst, but it turned out they were in the best shape, aside from the 4th Squad. The 4th Squad, being a medical and supply unit, hadn't participated in the initial sweep, so they were unscathed.

This was a disastrous start. On only the second day in Hueco Mundo, the Soul Reaper side had already suffered heavy losses.

"Captains, we need to hold a meeting," Chōjirō Sasakibe said gravely to the other captains and lieutenants. A third of the original captains were dead, mostly lieutenants. The only captain to fall was the 8th Squad's. The 11th Squad Captain was also severely injured and still unconscious.

It was worth noting that in the short time since Retsu had left the 11th Squad, the captaincy had already changed hands twice. The current one was now critically injured, and even if he woke up, his career as a Soul Reaper was likely over.

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"The ambush and heavy losses suffered by each squad are my responsibility. I apologize."

After Chōjirō convened the meeting with the other captains, he began with a sincere apology.

"Lieutenant Sasakibe, don't blame yourself. This wasn't your fault. The blame lies with those despicable Hollows."

The captains waved off his apology. It wasn't Chōjirō's fault; no one could have predicted this. The mindless Hollows had actually managed to ambush them, resulting in catastrophic losses.

"If I'm not mistaken, there's a Vasto Lorde behind this ambush, orchestrating everything," Chōjirō said, his face a mask of grim certainty. It was a guess, but he was sure of it.

A Vasto Lorde's intelligence was no less than their own. It wouldn't be surprising for one to use such tactics.

"Do we retreat, or do we continue the campaign? The choice is yours," Chōjirō sighed. After such a disastrous start, continuing the fight would put them at a severe disadvantage.

"Retreat is not an option. I will avenge my squad members," the 3rd Squad Captain snarled.

"We just arrived in Hueco Mundo. We can't just leave with our tails between our legs."

The other captains agreed. After suffering such a heavy blow, leaving in shame was out of the question.

"Good. In that case, we can no longer act alone. We will move as one to exterminate the Hollows."

Chōjirō had no desire to leave either. They had only been in Hueco Mundo for two days—one, if you didn't count the day they spent setting up. Leaving now would be a complete humiliation.

No one objected to Chōjirō's orders; it was the best course of action.

For the next few days, they remained at the encampment, recuperating and guarding against Hollow attacks. The howls of Hollows could be heard in the distance, but they never attacked, as if they were wary of something, or perhaps plotting another scheme.

During these few days, Shin was promoted to lieutenant. With the 2nd Squad's lieutenant dead, it was only natural for the 3rd seat to take his place. With Kiyotaka Shihōin's strong recommendation, Shin's promotion was a simple matter.

However, becoming a lieutenant came with more responsibilities. Thankfully, Shin had Shadow Clones. He could let them handle the paperwork while his real self slacked off.

"I must be the fastest promotion they've ever seen," Shin said as he sat in the 4th Squad's barracks.

"No, there have been faster. Some became captains shortly after graduating," Retsu said, shaking her head.

"Really?"

"Yes. But they tend to die just as quickly."

Retsu recalled the last expedition to Hueco Mundo. During every major campaign, the turnover rate for captains was incredibly high. She expected this time would be no different. After all, they had only been here a few days, and the 8th Squad Captain was already dead.

"Alright, I can't chat with you anymore. I have a mission."

Shin had a reconnaissance mission. It was a 2nd Squad task. The 2nd Squad was essentially the assassination corps, making them the safest choice for intelligence gathering. If they ran into trouble, their chances of escape were the highest. They were fast, disappearing in a blur with a single Flash Step.

Of course, Hollows had a similar movement technique, Sonído, which was arguably even more advanced than Shunpo. Shunpo was a series of high-speed steps, while Sonído was closer to a spatial ability.

"Be careful. If you encounter a Vasto Lorde, it's best to retreat," Retsu advised Shin.

She knew Shin was stronger than her, but this was Hueco Mundo. A moment of carelessness could still get him hurt.

"It'd be great if I could run into a Vasto Lorde. I'm actually hoping to meet one."

Shin's eyes gleamed with interest. A Vasto Lorde, huh? It'd be nice to run into one. He could copy its power. Though this was the world of Soul Reapers, the powers of Hollows and even Quincies had their merits.

The Quincies had mostly been wiped out, the survivors hiding in the Schatten Bereich. He could consider paying a visit to the Quincy's Wandenreich—the shadows of the Seireitei—in the future.

"Only you would be excited about the prospect of running into a Vasto Lorde," Retsu said, shaking her head.

Of course, if this were the old Retsu, she would have been ecstatic at the chance. She had been a battle maniac. But now, she didn't even have the interest to spar with Shin. Who knew why? Perhaps it was because sparring with Shin meant she never won. No one would want to keep fighting after that.

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Leaving the encampment, Shin went alone. Kiyotaka had wanted him to take some squad members, but Shin had refused. To put it bluntly, they would just be dead weight. They couldn't help him at all. Besides, Shin wanted to explore Hueco Mundo properly. Bringing 2nd Squad members along would just be a restriction.

Considering these reasons, Shin chose to go alone, and after some thought, Captain Kiyotaka Shihōin agreed.

"Endless yellow sand. How dull. I could use some excitement."

Shin looked out at the desolate landscape, bored. He wondered when he would find an opponent worthy of his time. But that seemed unlikely. All the Hollows in Hueco Mundo combined probably wouldn't be a match for him.

"Look at that arrogant bastard. Should we take him out?"

Some distance away, an Adjuchas grumbled, annoyed at the sight of a lone Soul Reaper strutting through Hueco Mundo like he owned the place.

How dare a single Soul Reaper act so nonchalantly in their domain?

"Kill him," the other two Adjuchas said coldly.

One had a deep green body, the other a grayish-blue. Their faces were covered in strange masks. Though their appearances varied, they shared some similarities.

Compared to the massive Gillians, Adjuchas were clearly smaller, but their power was on a completely different level.

"I heard you wanted to kill me?"

Shin’s calm voice suddenly echoed behind them. The Adjuchas, who had been confident just moments ago, froze and whipped around.

The Soul Reaper they had been watching from afar was now standing right behind them, his gaze serene.

But that calm gaze sent a terrifying chill down their spines, a premonition of imminent death.