A New Addition to the Family

"Sajin, you may step back now. Wait outside; I will send someone to take you to complete the enrollment procedures shortly."

"Yes... Thank you Captain-Commander! Thank you, Captain Shihoin!"

Sajin Komamura's rough voice was tinged with obvious sobs and trembling.

He looked deeply into Xuanxin's eyes, his wolf-like gaze filled with indescribable gratitude. This was the first time in his life he had ever felt such pure, unadulterated equality in the eyes of a captain.

He then bowed solemnly, put on his helmet, and strode out of the quiet room.

As the wooden door closed, only the master and disciple remained in the quiet room.

Only then did Captain-Commander Yamamoto slowly stand up. He put his hands behind his back, walked to the window, and, with his back to Xuanxin, asked in a deep tone the true purpose of his Xuanxin:

"Xuanxin, I've actually been wanting to ask you something."

The old man's voice echoed in the quiet room, "The grand blueprint you painted before me... the 'new order' you spoke of..."

Captain-Commander Yamamoto whirled around, his sharp eyes fixed intently on Xuanxin's.

"Does that so-called 'New Order' also include races like Sajin Komamura, who are considered outcasts and monsters by the entire Soul Society?!"

This question is extremely pointed.

It's important to understand that in the old Soul Society order, nobles were the highest order, commoners were nothing but weeds, and beings like the Werewolf Clan were even less than weeds, merely "beasts" who could only eke out a living by hiding in dark corners.

If Xuanxin's reforms are merely a redistribution of power within the human Shinigami, then he is ultimately nothing more than another politician vying for power and profit.

Faced with Captain-Commander Yamamoto's thunderous and soul-searching question, Xuanxin did not back down in the slightest.

Without even a second's hesitation, he straightened his spine, looked directly at this ancient deity, and answered loudly in a resolute and unquestionable voice:

"Of course! Master! The future I pursue will include all life. In that new world, all souls are born equal!"

The room was deathly silent.

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai gazed quietly at the disciple before him, whose eyes shone like stars.

The old man's stern face, which had been tense his whole life, suddenly melted away like ice and snow, revealing a smile full of endless satisfaction.

He slowly closed his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

"Okay, okay, okay..."

Captain-Commander Yamamoto said "good" three times in a row, then sighed softly in a tone that was both melancholic and incredibly proud:

"Xuanxin... in this respect, you are better than I."

This Captain-Commander, who has served for millennia, compromised his entire life to maintain this false peace, and also spent his entire life suppressing others with his hands stained with blood.

He possessed the power to reduce the Three Realms to ashes, yet lacked the courage to truly break free from the shackles of that class.

And now, he was finally certain that he had found the perfect successor who could truly shoulder the future of Soul Society.

"Alright, I've finished asking my questions. You can get lost now."

At this historically significant moment of inheritance, Captain-Commander Yamamoto suddenly changed his demeanor, waving his hand dismissively and issuing a direct order to leave.

"Ha?"

Xuanxin, still immersed in his grand vows and the bond between teacher and student, was completely stunned by this sudden remark.

He glanced at the high-hanging sun outside the window, then pointed to his stomach, protesting somewhat aggrievedly:

"No, Master, is that all? I rushed over here early this morning, and it's almost lunchtime. Aren't you even going to provide me with a meal?"

Hearing Xuanxin's shameless request to freeload, Captain-Commander Yamamoto's mustache bristled with anger. He glared at Xuanxin and snapped:

"What? You think you can get a meal from me?! If you're really hungry, go to the Second Division, or go back to your own 11th Division! Or, if all else fails, go to the Fourth Division and find Unohana! You can get a meal anywhere, right?"

When the old man spoke of the "Fourth Division," there was a clear hint of mockery in his tone.

Or perhaps...

Captain-Commander Yamamoto suddenly let out a cold laugh, and a terrifying Reiatsu instantly caused the temperature in the quiet room to soar.

"So, you don't actually want to eat, but rather want to 'practice' swordsmanship with me in this quiet room?!"

Feeling the temperature gradually rising, Xuanxin felt the hairs on his body stand on end.

"No, no! No need, no need! I suddenly remembered that I have an important meeting to attend in the 11th Division, so I'll take my leave now!"

Without any hesitation, Xuanxin bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, opened the wooden door without looking back, and fled from the First Division at the fastest speed he had ever used in his life with his Shunpo.

"Ah, still young."

Chapter 57 Importing New Children

Spring comes and autumn goes, and time quietly slips away on the ancient bluestone slabs of Seireitei.

During this relatively peaceful period, the relationship between Sōsuke Aizen and Xuanxin appeared to remain unchanged to outsiders.

Aizen remained the flawless top student of the Spiritual Arts Academy, still regularly seeking advice from Xuanxin on difficult issues in swordsmanship and Kidō, playing the role of a studious disciple.

Xuanxin, despite having foreseen the future, never became wary of Aizen.

On the contrary, he continued to tirelessly transmit his grand vision of "equality" and "reform" to Aizen.

However, Xuanxin did not realize that after learning the truth about the Soul King's disgusting "human pig" nature, Aizen's original extreme plan had the Miracle shifted slightly under Xuanxin's daily guidance.

"Destroying an old world is not a manifestation of divine power. Creating a new world that is more perfect than the old one is."

This is a new realization that Aizen had when he recalled Xuanxin's reform blueprint on countless nights.

However, he still felt that the ruling class of Soul Society was utterly corrupt, but he developed a strange "respect" for Xuanxin's persistence in wanting to change the world from within.

While Aizen was silently torn between these conflicting beliefs, the Seireitei was recently drawn to another major event that shocked the entire Soul Society.

That is—the research and development of "Temporary Soul Technology" led by Kirio Hikifune, the captain of the Twelfth Division of the Gotei 13, is finally nearing completion!

The development of this technology is of great significance to the entire Soul Society.

The formation of the concept of "Temporary Soul" not only serves as a temporary substitute for the soul, but also opens up a completely new path for the study of the essence of the Grim Reaper's soul.

If this experiment is declared a complete success, then the way Death uses the soul will undergo a radical change.

It is worth mentioning that during this long and tedious research and development battle, Kisuke Urahara, with his extraordinary scientific talent, was fortunate enough to be mentored by Kirio Hikifune and participate in a core part of the Temporary Soul research.

They even began to conceive of a prototype for a physical vessel that could perfectly conceal Reiatsu, drawing inferences from this example.

The entire Seireitei leadership, including Captain-Commander Yamamoto, is now closely watching and awaiting the final outcome of this experiment.

However, just as the outside world was in turmoil and everyone was cheering for the imminent advent of Gigai technology, a farcical "family drama" was unfolding within the Shihoin Clan Four Great Noble Clans.

The Shihoin Clan has welcomed another new member!

The former head of the Shihoin Clan, Yoruichi's father, Shihoin Seigen, after retiring from the limelight and working tirelessly with his wife, unexpectedly had a son late in life, adding another healthy, chubby boy to the Shihoin Clan!

This baby, who had just turned one month old, was given a name by Seigen, who had high hopes for him. He was named Yushiro Shihōin Sakimune.

When this bombshell news reached the Second Division Captain's office, Yoruichi had just returned from having dinner at the 11th Division.

Upon hearing that her father had given birth to a younger brother without a word, Yoruichi's first reaction was to rush back to the main house of the Shihoin Clan like a bolt of purple lightning.

"Bang!"

Yoruichi kicked open the paper door of Seigan's study in Shihōin.

Yoruichi stormed in, slamming her hands on the table, her golden cat eyes wide, and loudly demanded:

"Old man! Is everything that's being said outside true?! You really gave me a little brother?!"

Seeing his daughter's murderous look, Shihoin Seigen was not angry at all; instead, he coughed twice guiltily.

He then calmly raised his teacup, took a sip, and silently acknowledged the undeniable truth. "Ahem... that's true. Yushiro is very healthy and looks a lot like you."

Upon hearing her father's admission, Yoruichi's eyes instantly lit up like a two-thousand-watt light bulb!

Yoruichi Shunpo to rush into the inner room and carefully picked up the baby who was still blowing bubbles from the cradle.

Looking at the little one in her arms, with the same skin color and hair color as her, giggling foolishly, Yoruichi's lips curled up wildly, and her eyes flashed with an excited light like a hungry wolf seeing fat meat!

"That's wonderful! It's absolutely perfect!"

Yoruichi scooped up Yushiro and flashed back to the study in a Shunpo. Excitedly, she stomped her feet and loudly announced to the stunned Seigen:

"Old man! Now that we have a son, the rightful male heir! Otherwise, I'll submit a report to the Golden Seal Conference tomorrow and directly pass on the position of 'head of the Shihoin Clan's and that damn Second Division Captain position to this little guy!!"

Yoruichi became more and more excited as she talked, and even began to fantasize about her wonderful retirement life.

"Once Yushiro takes over, Xuanxin and I will be completely free! Xuanxin won't have to deal with those mountains of paperwork every day, nor will he have to fend off those old fogies from the Central 46 Chambers! We can go drinking in Rukongai every day, and even travel to the World of the Living while avoiding that guy from the Fourth Division..."

Hearing Yoruichi's utterly shameless remarks, Shihoin Seigen's face, which had initially shown some guilt, instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot!

The once-powerful former head of the family was so angry his beard almost flew off his feet. He slammed his fist on the table, pointed at Yoruichi's nose, and began to hurl insults:

"How dare you!! You brat, are you even speaking human language?!"

"Your little brother is only a month old! He hasn't even grown all his teeth yet! And you're actually going to hand over this mess of the Shihoin Clan, which requires mediating between various factions... directly to him?! Are you even human?! Is this how you act as an older sister?!"

Faced with her father's furious rage, Yoruichi not only did not back down in the slightest, but instead seized upon the loophole in Seigen's words and retorted loudly and confidently:

"Ha! You finally admit it! You yourself know the Shihoin Clan is a mess right now! So how could you have the nerve to dump this mess on me in the first place, huh?!"

"You--!"

Seigen was speechless, his face flushed, and he retorted with a forced argument:

"How can that be the same! Now that kid Xuanxin has managed the clan and the squads perfectly, the Shihoin Clan is at its zenith!"

"Since you've done so well, I have no intention of letting your younger brother take over the family business for the time being! I, Shihoin Seigen, intend to create a carefree and happy childhood for my youngest son!"

Upon hearing the words "happy childhood," Yoruichi almost laughed in exasperation.

She gently placed Xiao Yushiro back on the soft cushion behind her, patted the small blanket covering the child, then approached her father with her hands on her hips and a cold smile:

"Oh? Giving your youngest son a happy childhood? Does that mean my childhood, your eldest daughter's, can be sacrificed without any scruples? I was forced by you to practice Shunpo and memorize those family codes thicker than bricks since I was little. Wasn't my childhood a childhood too?!"

"Sacrifice?! You still have the nerve to mention your childhood?!"

Provoked by Yoruichi's words, Shihoin Seigen's blood pressure instantly soared to its peak. He completely let loose, unleashing an extreme barrage of spiritual energy at Yoruichi:

"Your childhood wasn't free?! In the entire Seireitei, which noble lady is like you, running around in the trees like a wild monkey all day long?"

Seigen grew angrier as he spoke, his finger pointing at Yoruichi trembling slightly.

"Put your hand on your heart and ask yourself honestly, from childhood to adulthood, besides 'picking up' that brat Xuanxin from the garbage heap of Rukongai and forcibly shoving him into our family as a child son-in-law... have you ever done even one decent thing?!"

"You... I..."

Faced with her father's ultimate, soul-searching question, Yoruichi, who had been so arrogant just Yoruichi before, instantly deflated like a punctured balloon, completely falling silent.

She opened her mouth, carefully recalling her "tumultuous" childhood...

It seems that what the old man said is indeed an undeniable fact! His greatest achievement seems to be his sharp eye, which led him to bring Xuanxin, a super potential stock, into the Shihoin Clan early on.

"Ahem... Well, the weather's nice today. Shouldn't Yushiro be feeding the baby? I'm heading back to my squad; there's a bunch of wanted criminals waiting for me to interrogate in the Second Division!"

Yoruichi abruptly changed the subject, guiltily avoiding his father's murderous gaze, and then vanished from the study in a Shunpo, as if fleeing for his life.

Watching Yoruichi's retreating figure, Shihoin Seigen sighed helplessly.