You're Forgetting Where You Came From!

The Seireitei was in turmoil, yet on the surface, it still maintained a fragile balance of order.

Beneath that calm, however, undercurrents had long been surging like a tide.

It was like a pot of water about to boil. Though no bubbles had risen yet, everyone could feel the stifling heat.

This restlessness spreading from the top down had instead brought an eerie lull within the Gotei 13.

The frictions born of conflicting ideals and clashing personalities, even the nearly irreconcilable hostility between Kurosaki Ichigo and Ichimaru Gin, had quietly vanished during this period.

In contrast, several divisions had begun conducting near-mad internal investigations and purges.

Though Captains like Kurosaki Ichigo and Yoruichi, who had been won over, could not bring themselves to make ruthless decisions to eliminate dissenters, that did not mean they would allow ideological thorns to remain in their territory.

Those officers loyal to Ross, or simply displeased with their recent actions, were removed from key posts in droves. They were either shoved into other divisions or sent away with a transfer order to the most remote garrison posts in the Rukon District.

Even an idiot could see that something was wrong with such obvious exclusion.

Half a month later, another routine Captains' meeting was held at the Tenth Division barracks.

Thirteen Captains, along with two observers from Zero Division, gathered around the long table.

The air was so oppressive that it seemed to have solidified.

Chōjirō Sasakibe, Captain of the First Division, sat upright. The face that usually carried a hint of butler-like humility was now stern to the point of coldness, even radiating a distant aloofness that kept others at arm's length.

Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of the Sixth Division, lowered his eyes. A shadow hung over his usually proud face, concealing the emotions in his