At this moment, Isshin stepped forward and said with genuine sincerity, "Toshiro, can you not go? I really don't want you to leave."
"Yeah, Toshiro, none of us in the 10th Division want you to go," Rangiku also said with reluctance.
"Third Seat Hitsugaya, it would be great if you didn't leave," The 10th Division's members all chimed in.
"Everyone..."
Seeing everyone's reluctance, Toshiro couldn't help but be moved.
Although Isshin and Rangiku were usually unreliable, after all these years together, their bond was quite deep.
Moreover, although Isshin and Rangiku were usually lazy, leaving the division's work to Toshiro, aside from Isshin, how many would willingly hand over power to a subordinate? This showed Isshin truly trusted Toshiro.
Thinking this, Toshiro felt even more moved. He smiled and said, "Captain, everyone, don't worry. I'll definitely come back as soon as possible."
"Toshiro, you must come back quickly! If you leave, all the division's work will fall on me. What am I supposed to do? How about I save the division's work for you to handle when you get back..."
Isshin suddenly hugged Toshiro's leg and wailed.
Rangiku also said with a pained expression, "Yeah, Toshiro, after you leave, the division's work will fall on the Captain and me again."
The smile on Toshiro's face instantly froze.
'Damn it! Give me back my moved feeling!' Toshiro inwardly roared.
He had just thought Isshin and Rangiku were reluctant to see him leave and was finally touched by them. Little did he know they were just worried that with him gone, there'd be no one to handle the work, meaning they couldn't slack off anymore.
Toshiro didn't know when he'd be back this time, and Isshin actually wanted to save the work for him to handle upon his return! This was utterly unbearable. Toshiro kicked away Isshin, who was hugging his leg, and roared, "Get away from me, damn it! I must have been out of my mind to join the 10th Division in the first place!"
Saying this, Toshiro wanted to go punch Isshin.
Isshin put on a pitiful look and said, "Toshiro, please stop! You're partly responsible for me becoming so lazy, you know!"
"Oh? So you being lazy is my fault too?" Toshiro was almost amused by this guy's audacity.
"From frugality to luxury is easy, but from luxury to frugality is hard! Before you came to the 10th Division, the division's work, no matter how much I and Rangiku didn't want to do it, we had to. But ever since you arrived, you've been handling all the division's work. Rangiku and I just had to laze around. But now you're just leaving like that. How am I supposed to live? So it's all your fault!" Isshin complained with a shameless expression.
"Oh, so it's all my fault, is it?" Toshiro said with a cold expression.
Bang! Thud! Crash!
Toshiro went over, pinned Isshin down, and...
"Phew!"
After beating up Isshin, Toshiro felt refreshed. Isshin had almost driven him mad earlier.
Next, after saying goodbye to Momo, Renji, and the others, Toshiro walked up to Yamamoto and said solemnly, "Captain-Commander, I'm off then."
"Mm, go ahead," Yamamoto nodded.
Then, Toshiro came before the team that would follow him to support the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force.
Toshiro shouted, "All forces, heed my command! Move out!"
Toshiro looked back one more time, then resolutely walked towards the Senkaimon leading to Hueco Mundo.
The team supporting the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force followed closely behind Toshiro into the Senkaimon.
Watching Toshiro disappear into the Senkaimon, the shameless expression on Isshin's face vanished, replaced by concern.
"Toshiro, you must come back alive," Isshin murmured.
"Don't worry, Captain. Toshiro will definitely return," Rangiku said with certainty.
Hueco Mundo.
Toshiro was the first to step out of the Senkaimon, arriving in Hueco Mundo.
Looking around, it was an endless expanse of desert.
Hueco Mundo was the dimensional space where Hollows and Arrancar lived. Its environment was vastly different from the Soul Society.
Unlike the Living World or Soul Society, there were no streets or buildings. It was a barren wasteland, filled with desolate, sand-like ground and tall stone cliffs everywhere.
Hueco Mundo was vast, at least several times larger than the Soul Society.
According to the information Toshiro received before coming, Hueco Mundo's known territory was divided into inner and outer circles.
The inner circle, centered around Las Noches, was under the jurisdiction of the self-proclaimed King of Hueco Mundo, Baraggan Louisenbairn. Outside, there were Menos Grande dispatched by him as guards.
At this time, Aizen hadn't yet conquered Hueco Mundo, so the largest faction was still Baraggan's.
The outer circle was a wilderness frequented by low-level Hollows. This was also the main operational area of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force.
Underground in Hueco Mundo was the Forest of Menos, generally the domain of lower-level Hollows and Gillian-class Menos Grande.
Toshiro waited a while until everyone had emerged from the Senkaimon.
Then, Toshiro took out a communicator, contacted the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force, and after getting their specific location, led the Soul Society's reinforcements towards the expeditionary force's camp.
In a small valley surrounded by high ground, dozens of tents were pitched, forming a camp.
Inside the camp were Shinigami wearing black Shihakusho.
At its peak, the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force had several hundred members. Now, less than a few dozen remained, each one wounded, bandaged, and looking utterly miserable.
"Sigh... When are the reinforcements from the Soul Society coming?"
"Hmph! Who knows? Maybe the Soul Society has already abandoned us. After all, this Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force sounds impressive, but it's really just a bunch of criminals and people nobody wanted, exiled here," One Shinigami suddenly complained.
The work of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force was fighting Hollows in Hueco Mundo year-round, which obviously wasn't a desirable job. Therefore, few were willing to live this life.
Thus, only three types of people were willing to join the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force.
The first were Shinigami who had committed offenses. By accumulating sufficient merits here, they could have their crimes pardoned.
The second were Shinigami who had offended someone and were exiled here.
And the last type were Shinigami who truly loved the Soul Society, willing to give up a stable life there to selflessly dedicate themselves here.
These were the most admirable Shinigami.