The Position of Clan Head

Ginrei Kuchiki then spoke in a voice no one could hear. "With an heir like this for the Shihoin Clan, I imagine you passed away smiling. I just don't know if I'll be so fortunate."

The captains then came forward one by one to pay their respects. Among them, Eighth Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, Tenth Division Captain Isshin Shiba, and Thirteenth Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake, all of whom were on good terms with Ye Yang, offered words of comfort to him and Yoruichi.

After the captains came the heads of the noble clans. Ginrei Kuchiki and Isshin Shiba had already paid their respects, so they did not come forward again. Kaien Shiba, Kūkaku, and Kisuke Urahara did come up with the others to pay their respects, and they offered Ye Yang and Yoruichi some words of comfort. After the Four Great Noble Clans came the higher-ranking nobles and others like them. They exchanged some pleasantries with Ye Yang's father, since they all wanted to build good relations with the Shihoin Clan. Shihoin Seigen could only exchange pleasantries with them in return. Although he had no fondness for nobles who put profit above everything else, he had to keep up appearances at least.

Once everything was over, the division funeral ceremony came to an end. Ye Yang and Yoruichi followed their father back to the Shihoin Clan's ceremonial hall, where many of the clan elders had also gathered.

At that moment, an elderly man spoke. "I'm sure everyone is deeply grieved today, for the head of our Shihoin Clan has passed away. But we should not remain lost in grief, because we face a matter even more important to our clan: the next clan head!"

He held a very high position on the clan head's council of elders, and his words naturally won the approval of most of those present. One middle-aged council member immediately said, "Senior Shihoin Ishikawa is right. Our clan needs a head who can keep the noble clans in check, someone with the prestige to do so."

Ye Yang merely watched them impassively without speaking, as though none of it had anything to do with him.

Shihoin Ishikawa continued, "Exactly. That is why I nominate Elder Shihoin Nishimura, the most senior member of our council, as clan head. First, he has the most seniority. Second, he is very familiar with the heads of the noble clans, so I believe he can keep certain ill-intentioned people in check. Third, he is also the strongest person present."

An old man about the same age as Shihoin Ishikawa stepped forward. An ominous scar crossed his left cheek, and he smiled as he said, "You flatter me. What virtue or ability do I have that would qualify me for the position of clan head?" But with the scar on his face, his smile looked somewhat sinister.

Another elder stepped forward and said, "Oh, don't say that. Everyone knows you're the undisputed second-in-command of the Shihoin Clan. If you aren't qualified, then we're even less qualified."

Shihoin Nishimura said, "But aren't the clan head's direct descendants still here? Say no more. By rights, the clan head's son is first in line to succeed him."

When Shihoin Seigen heard himself mentioned, he knew they had finally reached this point. He knew full well how formidable Shihoin Nishimura was. Nishimura had once fought his father for the position of clan head, and if his father had not suppressed him with overwhelming strength, the outcome would have been uncertain. Now his father was dead, and he did not possess the same great strength. Moreover, most of the clan's elders had probably been bought off by Nishimura. Seigen had no power to contend with him.

Shihoin Seigen smiled bitterly to himself and said, "I lack seniority and fear I would not make a good clan head. Elder Nishimura, please take the position in an acting capacity." He called it a temporary appointment, but no one present was a fool. Once Nishimura had taken the position temporarily, he could later assume it permanently with every justification.

A chilling smile immediately appeared on Shihoin Nishimura's face, for he had heard what he wanted to hear. He looked around at everyone present and said, "Since none of you have any objections, I shall serve as acting clan head. Please rest assured, I..."

"Wait!" Shihoin Nishimura's grand declaration was interrupted just as he was about to make it. Naturally, Ye Yang was the one who had called out. At the same time, Yoruichi, standing beside him, said, "Elder Nishimura, aren't you being a little hasty? You haven't asked us yet, have you? We're direct descendants of the Shihoin Clan too." An amused smile curled the corners of her mouth.

Shihoin Nishimura would have been lying to say he was not angry at being interrupted so suddenly, but he kept his emotions under control. After all, they were direct descendants of the clan too, and Yoruichi's words were not without reason.

In an ominous voice, he said, "You are still young. It would be rash for you to take the position of clan head. Once you are grown, I will naturally step aside."

Tch, who do you think you're fooling? Ye Yang thought, but he said, "There's no rule that says someone young can't be clan head."

The whole hall was shocked by his words! Even his father, Shihoin Seigen, looked at him as if to tell him to stop at once. Ye Yang simply gave him a reassuring look.

Yoruichi stepped forward and said, "Elder Nishimura, do you know what conditions must be met to inherit the position of head of the Shihoin Clan?"

"Of course. First, one must carry the true blood of the Shihoin Clan! Second, one must have the approval of eighty percent of the elders on the council."

Ye Yang smiled. "Elder Nishimura, didn't you leave something out?"

Shihoin Ishikawa stepped forward again. "Everyone in the Shihoin Clan knows those two conditions. How could they be wrong?"

Ye Yang walked to the middle of the hall and spoke again. "Do you know what Grandpa said when he called the two of us inside before he passed away?"

Shihoin Nishimura's expression changed at once. At first he looked puzzled, but then, as though he had thought of something, his face fell and his expression turned ugly.

"It seems you've thought of it. That's right: if someone who meets the first condition has the Shihoin Clan head's token, the second condition is void. Am I right?" Ye Yang said, looking at Shihoin Nishimura with a smile.

But Shihoin Nishimura, who had once fought Shihoin Tōno for the position of clan head, was no ordinary opponent. He immediately calmed himself and said, "Hmph! Who doesn't know that our Shihoin Clan's token was lost hundreds of years ago? What are you getting at?"

Ye Yang shook his head. "You still won't give up. Didn't I say Grandpa called us in to see him alone yesterday? I'll tell you: Grandpa gave us something, and unfortunately for you, that something is the so-called token of our Shihoin Clan."

At that, all color drained from Shihoin Nishimura's face. Clinging to one last hope, he said, "Where's your token? Who would believe you?" Though he said that, his voice was already trembling.

Ye Yang knew that now they had reached this point, they had no choice but to bring it out. "Sis, take it out!"

Yoruichi took the ring Grandpa had given him yesterday from inside her clothes. On close inspection, there was nothing special about it; it looked like an ordinary ring. But when Yoruichi took it out, the color drained completely from Shihoin Nishimura's face. As an elder of the Shihoin Clan, how could he fail to recognize it? His Majesty the Soul King had personally given it to the Shihoin Clan's ancestor. It contained the ancestor's blood, and anyone who carried the true blood of the Shihoin Clan could tell whether the ring was genuine. One of the clan's ancestral rules was that seeing the ring was the same as seeing the clan head! Moreover, when the token was presented for the first time, everyone had to perform the formal salute to the clan head.

As soon as the ring appeared, everyone in the hall, including Ye Yang and his parents, went down on one knee and said, "Greetings, clan head!"

Only Shihoin Nishimura remained standing. Ye Yang said sternly, "Elder Shihoin Nishimura, don't you know that seeing the token is the same as seeing the clan head? What are you trying to do?"

Shihoin Nishimura's face turned first pale, then purple, his earlier confidence completely gone. But now he could only swallow his resentment. Although most of the elders present were his people, even he did not dare openly defy the Shihoin Clan's ancestral rules. He gritted his teeth and knelt on one knee. "Greetings, clan head!" His voice was full of anger, as though he wanted nothing more than to kill Ye Yang and Yoruichi.

Yoruichi raised both hands and said, "Please rise. Grandpa entrusted this to me, so I'm sure you all know what he intended. All of you here are senior elders of the Shihoin Clan. I am only a junior, but I will do my best as clan head so as not to fail in the duty Grandpa entrusted to me. I hope all the elders will cooperate."

After delivering this lengthy speech, Yoruichi walked straight up to her parents and said, "Father, Mother, sorry for worrying you."

By then, Shihoin Seigen and his wife had been stunned by their two children. They had never imagined that the siblings could produce the clan token and reclaim the position of head of the Shihoin Clan. Everything had seemed so effortless, as though it had all been under their control.

Seeing the expression on the face of Shihoin Nishimura, who had been so arrogant and overbearing, Seigen could not help feeling a surge of pleasure. "Yes, well done, both of you. I never imagined that I, Shihoin Seigen, would have a daughter who would become the next clan head. Yoruichi, Ye Yang, beautifully done!" Of course, he said this quietly to the two of them, so no one else heard.

The outcome was now settled. No matter how many elders supported Shihoin Nishimura, they could change nothing. Moreover, although they followed him, that did not mean they would risk their lives for him. With the ancestral rules holding them back, they could not cause much trouble, and none of them dared oppose Yoruichi at the risk of being branded a traitor to the clan.

And so the turmoil over the position of clan head came to an end for the time being. Shihoin Nishimura left in anger, accompanied by Shihoin Ishikawa and some of the elders. But Ye Yang knew what turbulence lay hidden beneath the calm. There was no way Shihoin Nishimura would let the matter rest!

An underground chamber.

"I'm furious! I was so close, just a little more and I could have taken the clan head's seat! Damn Yoruichi Shihōin! Damn Ye Yang Shihoin! If they hadn't interfered... damn it, I planned for everything, but I never expected Tono to find the token and give it to them!" Shihoin Nishimura's furious voice rang out from the basement.

(I'm taking suggestions for Zanpakuto names here, preferably with their abilities included. I hope you readers will share your ideas. You can send the names and abilities to me in a private message or leave them in a review. Thank you all for your support, and please add this to your collections!)