"Although it is true that Tsunayashiro Tokinada died because he slaughtered his own clan, the reason he committed such evil deeds traces back to you," Gosuke Shigure said plainly. "You exposed him. By filing that complaint in Seireitei, you made public his crime of murdering Ge Kuang. That act set everything into motion."
"You are the source of everything.
Not to mention, you were one of his victims."
"The murderer Tsunayashiro Tokinada is dead. That means you are entitled to know the truth."
"I see…" Tousen Kaname muttered, his voice low. He fell into silence, trying to digest the weight of Shigure's words.
Gosuke Shigure studied him for a moment, then continued, his voice steady:
"It is true, there is too much darkness in this world. Between the common people and the noble families, there is a wall that can hardly be broken. Nobles are born with status, wealth, and resources. Even if they commit felonies, they escape punishment because they are shielded by Central 46. Their crimes are buried, and they walk free."
"But," Shigure's tone softened, "even in that darkness, there is always some light."
Those words reached deep into Tousen Kaname's heart. He instinctively lifted his head, "looking" toward Gosuke Shigure's presence, as if his blind eyes sought to see.
Shigure continued gently:
"The fact that you went to Seireitei and risked your life to accuse Tokinada shows what kind of man you are. You would rather throw yourself into danger than let injustice be forgotten. That pursuit of justice, even at the cost of your own life, is proof of who you are."
"To some, people like you may seem foolish. But in a world tainted by shadows, people like you—those who fight for justice despite the cost—are the light itself."
"So… become a Shinigami."
"Only as a Shinigami will you have the strength to protect that light. Only then can you prevent justice from being corroded by the darkness."
Becoming a Shinigami was, in truth, something Tousen had already resolved to do. His earlier decision to join the Spiritual Arts Academy came from the belief that his weakness had caused Ge Kuang's death. He had told himself that if he had power, he could avenge her and bring justice to her spirit.
Because in Soul Society… justice belonged only to the strong.
But now, hearing that Tokinada was already dead, that his crime had been answered by fate, Tousen's conviction wavered. For the first time, he felt confused. His sense of direction blurred.
So when Gosuke Shigure urged him to become a Shinigami once again, doubt spilled from his lips:
"Can I really…?"
"Why not?" Shigure's voice carried a calm certainty, yet it struck like a blade of truth.
"You already picked up the Zanpakutō Ge Kuang left behind. That alone proves you have the potential to be a Shinigami. But more important than potential is your heart. Do not abandon your justice. Do not let it fade. If you uphold that, strength will follow."
"People like you… are rare."
"Perhaps that is the true reason I came here today."
His words lingered in the air.
He didn't explain how he knew Tousen had inherited Ge Kuang's Zanpakutō, nor did he dwell on Tousen's visible shock. Without further detail, Gosuke Shigure turned and left, as if his purpose here was nothing more than to deliver the truth of Tokinada's death and to plant a seed of resolve.
Leaving Tousen behind, Shigure walked silently back toward Seireitei.
On the way, his thoughts drifted unexpectedly to another man—Aizen Sōsuke.
He wondered when exactly Aizen had first approached Tousen. He did not know if the two were connected yet in this timeline. But one thing he did know: the reason Tousen eventually followed Aizen was because of the word "justice."
Seireitei was dark. Its nobility and its laws suffocated fairness. To a man like Tousen, someone who lived and breathed justice, the temptation of a leader who promised to overturn that darkness was irresistible.
It was tragic. For in the end, Tousen never attained his justice. He became nothing more than Aizen's discarded pawn.
What a waste…
What a tragic end for someone who only wanted to protect his friend's dream.
That was why Shigure had come to see him. After cleansing the Tsunayashiro stain, he couldn't just ignore Tousen Kaname. Perhaps fate could shift. Perhaps, if a different seed was planted, Tousen might walk a different path.
But in the end… who could say?
Gosuke Shigure was no god. He wasn't omniscient, nor omnipotent. Even Yhwach, who claimed such power, had been defeated in the end. The future was never fixed. To claim omniscience was a joke—because possibilities were endless, and no one could see them all.
Back in Seireitei, life settled into a rare peace.
Since the collapse of the Tsunayashiro clan, noble affairs had grown quiet. For years, noble scandals had shaken Soul Society—the decline of the Shiba clan, the scandal within the Kuchiki family regarding Kuchiki Hibiki, and the slow fading of the Ise line.
But nothing compared to the massacre committed by Tokinada, a stain so deep it obliterated an entire house.
Now, only the Shihōin remained at their peak, though even they maintained a humble distance, never flaunting their power despite overseeing the Onmitsukidō and the Detention Unit.
With the nobles quiet, Shigure felt an unusual calm. No endless reports of scandals, no whispers of corruption. Just silence.
For him, that silence was a kind of relief. The noble families were so often the root of Soul Society's darkness, and for once, they were no longer poisoning the air.
Now, his focus shifted to a lingering problem—the matter of the Zanpakutō of the dead.
In this world, no one understood Zanpakutō more than Ōetsu Nimaiya, the creator himself, seated in the Royal Guard of the Soul King's Palace. But Shigure had no path to reach him.
"If only I could consult Nimaiya… But since I cannot enter the Royal Guard, I must rely on what resources I do have."
He thought of his apprentice.
"At the start, I gave Yoruichi a subject to research—Shunko. Perhaps now, it's time to assign something to Urahara Kisuke as well…"
The thought made him smile faintly. His cheap apprentices… yet perhaps, they were the keys to future solutions.