"Who are you?"
As a blind man, Tōsen Kaname could not see Gosuke Shigure, but he could hear him clearly. At the same time, he sensed a sharp, oppressive aura radiating from this stranger.
This immediately told him that the visitor was no ordinary person.
Tōsen's heart sank.
That day, when he had gone to Seireitei to appeal for justice, he was almost killed by Tsunayashiro Tokinada. Although he managed to survive thanks to the intervention of Kyōraku Shunsui, his complaint had been ignored, leaving him with no real hope.
Even though Kyōraku had promised he would bring the matter before Central 46, Tōsen did not put much faith in it.
What made things worse was that after Kyōraku left, another presence had approached him—reminding him of just how deep the shadows within Soul Society really were.
It was at that moment Tōsen realized it was impossible to seek justice through the proper channels.
And yet, through his despair, he understood something else.
The reason he could not uphold justice… was because he was too weak.
If he became stronger, then one day… perhaps even a "dog" like him could avenge Kakyo Geitan, the woman he had loved and lost.
So he returned to Rukongai, battered and scarred, carrying the Zanpakutō left behind by Kakyo. He made a decision: he would apply to the Shin'ō Academy, become a Shinigami, and someday wield Kakyo's blade to exact vengeance in her name.
But ever since leaving Seireitei, he had no idea what had happened to the Tsunayashiro clan.
Now, with Gosuke Shigure suddenly standing before him, Tōsen assumed the worst. Perhaps Tokinada had sent this man to "cut the grass at the root" and finish him off.
With that thought, Tōsen prepared himself to fight, no matter the cost.
⸻
"My name is Gosuke Shigure, and I am a Shinigami."
Shigure's voice was calm, revealing his identity directly without hesitation.
"Shinigami…?" Tōsen's tone stiffened. "What are you doing here? Was it Tokinada who sent you?"
He could not believe that a Shinigami of all people would visit him in this remote corner of Rukongai for no reason.
To him, there was only one explanation: this Shinigami had been dispatched by Tokinada to silence him. After all, his attempt to accuse Tokinada might have caused the noble some trouble.
Of course, Tōsen thought this way because he had no knowledge of Shigure's standing within the Gotei 13.
⸻
"My visit here does, in fact, concern Tsunayashiro Tokinada," Shigure admitted plainly.
Tōsen's heart clenched. His muscles tightened as if preparing for the killing blow.
But Shigure, noticing his unease, smiled faintly.
"You don't need to be so tense. I told you—I came only to deliver some news."
Without pausing, he declared:
"Tsunayashiro Tokinada is dead."
⸻
Tōsen's body trembled violently. His blank eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
"D-Dead? He's… dead?"
The man who had murdered Kakyo—the monster who had destroyed his life—was simply gone?
Was it truly possible that Tokinada had not escaped justice after all, despite his status as a noble?
For a moment, the revelation felt unreal, as though he were trapped in a dream.
⸻
"Yes. Is it… was it Central 46?" Tōsen asked urgently.
He believed that perhaps his desperate appeal, combined with Kyōraku's words, had somehow reached the right ears—that Central 46 had tried Tokinada and delivered judgment.
"…No," Shigure answered firmly.
And then, without hesitation, he revealed the truth.
"It was not Central 46. I killed Tsunayashiro Tokinada."
⸻
Had Tōsen possessed sight, his pupils would have shrunk to pinpoints. Instead, his only response was a sharp intake of breath, his face tightening in shock.
He turned his blind eyes toward Shigure, trembling with both disbelief and astonishment.
Shigure explained:
"Because you, too, were a victim of Tsunayashiro Tokinada's crimes, I came here today to tell you the truth."
⸻
Confusion spread across Tōsen's features. He could not understand why this stranger would come all this way merely to share such a revelation.
Seeing his puzzlement, Shigure continued, calmly recounting the events:
"That day, when you went to Seireitei, your appeal may have failed, but your voice did not go unheard. Thanks to Captain Kyōraku, Central 46 became aware of the case.
"Central 46 then initiated an inquiry into Tokinada. With pressure from the Kuchiki family, the proceedings were to be fair. Under normal circumstances, Tokinada would have faced proper punishment."
Tōsen listened intently. He was no fool—Shigure's earlier denial made it clear that something else must have occurred.
"Did something happen?" he asked.
"Correct," Shigure replied.
"Before Tokinada could be handed over for trial, he went mad. He slaughtered the main house of the Tsunayashiro clan itself.
"You may not fully grasp their position, but know this: the Tsunayashiro are among the Great Noble Houses, standing only below the Soul King's own lineage.
"To massacre his own family was a crime even greater than the murder of Kakyo."
Shigure's tone sharpened.
"After committing the massacre, Tokinada fled. He was pursued into Hueco Mundo by Captain Shihōin Kongchan of the 2nd Division and myself. There, I struck him down."
⸻
Tōsen finally understood.
Tokinada had not fallen to Central 46's judgment for Kakyo's murder. He had died only because his crimes had grown so vast—so undeniable—that not even his nobility could shield him.
Though part of him felt relief, strangely, another part remained unsatisfied. It wasn't the clean justice he had yearned for.
"…Why are you telling me this?" he asked at last.
Shigure met his blind gaze and answered firmly:
"Because you had the right to know."