The Gathering

Yin grabbed Hu's arm and pulled him away from the Hakutōmon. Jidanbō was still panting heavily behind the door. Yin's tone and expression had frightened him quite a bit. Now he just wanted to bolt the door tight and not let anyone in.

Amber was dragged along by Gin for quite a while before stopping. His mind was still replaying the scene from earlier— Ichigo carrying Zangetsu, crashing head-on into Gin's Shinsō, the four of them being pushed out, and the Hakutōmon closing in.

Ignoring the details, the outcome of Ichigo's intrusion into the door in the original Ichigo is the same. If the Butterfly Effect exists, the result shouldn't be so similar, unless the core conditions affecting this particular scene remain unchanged.

Amber and Gin have fought before. If Gin truly wanted to kill Ichigo at this stage, he wouldn't have needed to exert much effort. In this world, Gin might have refrained from going all out because of his own circumstances. But what about in the original story? Why did Gin also hold back against Ichigo? Had Gin already Ichigo at this point?

The more he thought about it, the more confused he became; his brows furrowed, and the expression on his face completely betrayed him.

Yin turned her head and squinted at him. "Xiao Hu, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Hu shook his head subconsciously.

Yin raised her hand and tapped him on the forehead with her knuckles. "You rascal, whatever's bothering you, it's written all over your face."

Amber rubbed her forehead and remained silent for a moment. "Ichigo and the others won't give up so easily. They'll definitely find another way to break in."

"Of course." Silver put his hands back in his sleeves, his tone very light. "It would be strange if a few living people went through all that trouble to come to Soul Society and were persuaded to turn back with just a few words."

"I didn't really want Rukia- senpai to be executed either," Amber said, her head bowed. "But the appeals have been repeatedly rejected, and the execution date is drawing ever closer. The Kuchiki Clan has no other choice."

"Central 46 decides to do something, it's almost impossible to overturn it. Take your Captain Soi Fon, for example. She investigated for over a hundred years, fought a major battle, and overthrew nearly half of the Central 46 members before finally managing to overturn that century-old verdict on the surface."

Gin laid out the fates of those who were exiled to Amber—the dead were posthumously granted memorial tablets, while Yoruichi Shihōin, as the Clan Head of the Four Great Noble Clans, could enter and leave Soul Society at any time even with an expulsion order. The only person whose expulsion order truly took effect from beginning to end was Kisuke Urahara, yet his judgment remained unchanged.

"That reversal of the verdict was less of an overturning of the verdict and more of a gesture of appeasement," Yin said calmly.

As Hu listened, the resentment in his heart burned even brighter. "Isn't there any way to overthrow this?"

"No, generally not." Silver held up one finger. "Unless the order itself wasn't issued by the normal Central 46, or rather—it wasn't issued by the Central 46 at all. Only under this condition can the order be revoked."

Amber snapped out of his daze, looking at Gin's face, at those narrowed eyes, and then he thought of the scene in the original story where Tōshirō discovered the massacre of the Central 46. "You mean—there's something wrong with the Central 46?"

Yin didn't answer. He simply pulled his hand out of his sleeve, opened it, palm up, and made a "think it yourself" gesture.

"But how do I check Central 46? I can't just barge in like that—"

"Xiao Hu," Yin's voice carried a clear hint of helplessness, "You're a full member of the Second Division now. A member of the Stealth Forces, and you're asking me how to investigate cases?"

Amber patted his head. Right, he was now working for the largest intelligence agency in Soul Society. Of course, he needed to go back and ask for help with something like this.

He turned and ran, taking a few steps before turning back to say, "Brother Yin, don't forget the party tonight, remember to bring Sister Rangiku," before disappearing into the distance at the end of the stone path.

Yin stood there watching his retreating figure run away. Only when the figure completely disappeared from sight did he let out a long sigh of relief.

The Restriction Seal is in place. The Ryoka retreated after a brief encounter, thus confirming the Ryoka's threat. The captain's standby order can be lifted soon.

The mere fact that the Ryoka were still alive was enough to demonstrate the threat these intruders posed within the Gotei 13. When they broke in again, everyone's attention would be drawn to them. This was the chaos Aizen desired.

He tucked his hands back into his sleeves, turned, and walked towards the Third Division. He hadn't slept in ages, having been busy since last night. All he wanted now was to go back to the barracks and get a good night's sleep.

When Amber arrived at the door of Fon Shaoling's office, he was still panting. He bent down and straightened his brand-new Shihakusho —pulling the collar straight, smoothing the cuffs, and tightening the belt—before raising his hand and knocking on the door.

"Come in," came Fon Shaoling's voice from inside the door.

He pushed open the door, strode in, and stood ramrod straight.

"Reporting, Captain!"

Second Division member Yexing Hu officially joins the team today!

Please give instructions, Captain!

Fon Shaoling sat behind her desk, holding a document in her hand. She looked up at the loud-voiced, upright man in front of her, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"That's quite impressive, isn't it, Amber?"

She picked up the document and handed it to him.

"This is a transfer order."

Starting today, you will be assigned to the Second Squad Patrol Corps, under the direct command of Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda.

Hu accepted the transfer order, looking slightly disappointed. His gaze lingered on the words "Second Squad Patrol Corps" for a moment.

"He's not Onmitsukidō."

Of course, Fon Shaoling saw the fleeting disappointment in his eyes.

"You were originally assigned to the Feimou Corps, and being reassigned to the Patrol Corps was already an exception. You still want to join the Onmitsukidō?"

Furthermore, if you join the Onmitsukidō, you will have to learn various combat tactics of the Onmitsukidō, and your deployment will be closely tied to the Second Division Captain.

She pointed to the documents about Sōkyoku on the table. "Aren't you even busier now? There's also been Ryoka recently."

The Patrol Corps is a better fit for you. Besides, it's under the Marechiyo Ōmaeda of Patrol Corps —his judgment is among the best in the Second Division, so you can ask him anything."

Her fingers tapped the Sōkyoku document lightly again. "Anything is fine."

Upon hearing this, Hu pursed his lips, and the disappointment vanished from his face. He carefully put away the transfer order.

"Shaoling, what if I want to investigate the Central 46— "

Fon Shaoling raised her hand, and a calligraphy brush struck Amber's forehead. "I told you, if there's anything, go ask Marechiyo Ōmaeda."

Amber pulled the brush off her head, looked at Fon Shaoling's hard-to-be-serious face, and suddenly understood:

On the surface, as the captain, she couldn't offer any help. But she had already pushed someone who could help in front of him. This person was Marechiyo Ōmaeda — the Lieutenant of the Second Division, an expert in intelligence and logistics.

As evening fell, Amber was preparing for the evening's gathering in the Seireitei, while Fon Shaoling was helping out.

Hu's treatment wasn't bad—the room was a one-bedroom apartment with a small balcony, where moonlight streamed in, creating a charming atmosphere.

Tonight, the room is packed with people.

The three from the Advanced Class were the first to arrive. As soon as Yayoiwara entered, he took over the only recliner on the balcony and put his feet up on the railing.

Rindō Yo stood quietly beside the bookshelf, flipping through the few Kidō textbooks that Amber had brought back from the academy, occasionally jotting down a few notes in his journal.

Shimizu brought over the new clothes that Keiko had hastily made for Ko overnight using the fabric from the Shihakusho —several everyday spare shirts and jackets, neatly folded and carefully placed into Ko's almost empty wardrobe, stacking them one by one.

Tessai and Sakiro arrived in the second group. Tessai brought a jar of plum wine he had brewed himself, the jar being twice the size of his fist. Sakiro helped him set out the wine and dishes.

When Gin Ichimaru led Rangiku Matsumoto through the door, Rangiku was carrying two large jugs of bamboo sake, a specialty of Bamboo Creek Plain. It seemed she had been quite satisfied with the bamboo sake from Bamboo Creek Plain.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda and Cilian arrived halfway through the party. Marechiyo Ōmaeda entered, Rangiku teased him about his fluctuating figure, asking if he had gained weight again.

He blushed and explained that it was due to work pressure. Meanwhile, Cilian stood by the window, holding a cup of sake, and chatted briefly with Fon Shaoling.

Fon Shaoling sat inside the balcony door, leaning against the door frame, holding a teacup in her hand, looking at the people in the room.

Renji was the last to arrive. He stood at the door and even noticed that there were two captains in the small, crowded room. He looked somewhat uncomfortable.

"Come in, Renji- senpai." Koko beckoned to him. Renji then stepped in and found a seat in the corner.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda leaned over shortly after Renji sat down.

"Lieutenant Abarai," Marechiyo Ōmaeda, holding a sake glass and speaking in a low voice just loud enough for Renji to hear, "What are your thoughts on Rukia's situation?"

Renji looked up, his brow furrowing slightly. He looked at the serious expression on Marechiyo Ōmaeda's round face and Kaidō, "What do you mean? What can I possibly mean?"

"The verdict has been handed down, Central 46 has rejected the appeal." He picked up his glass, took a sip, and said, "To even have Captain Kuchiki announce the verdict—what a twisted sense of humor! And there's nothing I, a Lieutenant, can do."

"There's really nothing you can do right now." Marechiyo Ōmaeda sat down next to him, picking up a pickled plum with a toothpick. "But judging from your expression, you still don't want to give up like this, do you?"

Renji's fingers stiffened for a moment.

"Abarai, I only have one thing to say today." Marechiyo Ōmaeda's voice lowered even further, "You're not the only one who wants to save Rukia. You can't do anything by yourself, but with more people, it might not be impossible."

"We need comrades—we need people who stand with you." He put down the toothpick. "One Lieutenant isn't enough, then two or three. From what I understand, there are quite a few captains who don't approve of execution." As he spoke, Marechiyo Ōmaeda glanced at the two captains present.

Renji lowered his head and remained silent. He twirled his wine glass in his hand, the wine inside swirling slightly. He was astonished that the captains of the Second Division, which controlled intelligence in Soul Society, and the Third Division, which prided itself on fighting with despair, would oppose this execution.

"I need to think about it." He stood up, placed his glass on the table, nodded to Hu, and then walked out the door. Moonlight shone on his face, and something that had been suppressed for too long was slowly loosening in his eyes.

Cilian didn't say much all night. He stood by the window, holding the same cup of sake he had brought with him, his gaze sweeping over the rim of the cup as he silently observed everyone in the room.

Yayoiwara still occupies the balcony, Rindō Yo, and Shimizu and Kou are chatting by the wardrobe. Tessai and Sakiro have long since become part of their daily chatter. Gin Ichimaru leans against the wall in a chair, with Rangiku sitting next to him, discussing something with Yayoiwara, their laughter ringing out.

Cilian observed Silver for a long time in the small, crowded room. She never finished the glass of wine in her hand, only occasionally picking it up to take a sip.

He wasn't familiar with Gin Ichimaru. During the time he was active, Gin hadn't even joined the team yet.

When he was in charge of the Training Corps, Gin Ichimaru was just a young member who had just joined the team.

But ever since he began secretly investigating Aizen, the name Gin Ichimaru has been constantly appearing on the fringes of intelligence reports.

Aizen was the Fifth Division Captain and often mentored many junior members, which was not unusual in itself. What was unusual was that among these junior members, only Gin Ichimaru rose from an ordinary member to the Lieutenant of the Fifth Division in a very short time, much faster than the normal promotion. In fact, it was Aizen who personally recommended Aizen to become the captain of the Third Division.

However, this story of a talented horse and its discerning owner took a sharp turn for the worse after Gin became the Third Division Captain, becoming a tale of a farmer and a snake.

However, if Yin Zhen were such Viper, she wouldn't have come to such a small gathering at all.

Furthermore, if Aizen is indeed the mastermind, then Gin Ichimaru is very likely the assistant he personally trained, and the apparent antagonism is probably just an act.

If his guess is correct, what is Gin's purpose in sitting and drinking with Amber's friends right now?

Cilian looked at Yin's smiling face, the wine glass slowly swirling between her fingertips.

He walked over with his wine glass, stopped by the low cabinet next to the silver-haired man, and spoke casually, as if it were just a casual chat. "Captain Ichimaru, I heard things were quite lively at the Hakutōmon today."

Silver's eyebrows twitched slightly, but his smile remained unchanged. "It was alright. A few Ryoka came and caused a ruckus, but it's all been resolved."

"I heard that Captain Ichimaru's Shinsō is Direct Attack Type Zanpakuto, using its rapidly extending, extremely sharp blade to take lives. Pushing someone out the door would be much harder, wouldn't it?" Cilian took a sip of her drink. "Captain Ichimaru is very sensible."

"You even know the details of the battle?"

I only took a short trip to the Hakutōmon Sect before coming here.

"After all, Xiao Hu is watching." Yin picked up his glass and took a sip. "We can't exactly do anything to his friend in front of him."

"Oh? If Captain Aizen heard this, he'd be utterly astonished. After all, the current relationship between Captain Ichimaru and Captain Aizen makes it completely unimaginable that you were personally recommended by Captain Aizen."

Yin made an unusual move. Instead of responding directly, he picked up a bamboo skewer, tied a pickled plum on it, and handed it towards Cilian.

"Everyone changes. I changed a lot after I met Hu."

Cilian looked at the plum, reached out and took it:

"Is that so? That kid, Amber, actually managed to change a captain's attitude. So, are you planning to reconcile with Captain Aizen now?"

"No, it'll only get worse. I can't stand him."

Gin understood—this unknown person before him had not only sensed Aizen's presence but also discerned the connection between Aizen. He even guessed that Aizen was the core.

Cilian put the plum in her mouth and chewed it slowly. Hu valued his friendship with this captain and wouldn't bring it up at the party.

The two said no more, each slowly sipping their drinks, the sounds of their harmonious gathering filling the room.